Robert A. Kunkel

Associate Professor of Finance

28-333 Financial Markets

Do you want to learn more about mutual funds, Roth IRAs, retirement plans, and other topics in financial markets?  If so, then this course is for you!  This course addresses those issues and more by taking an in-depth look at how capital is allocated via the financial system.

Course topics will include:

• Understanding how laws and regulations have helped shape our financial system.

• Learning the role and operations of the Federal Reserve and its impact on markets.

• Looking at the major market players such as investment companies, banks, and pension funds.

• Examining the different market instruments such as mutual funds, Roth IRAs, junk bonds, munis, commercial paper, T-bills, STRIPS, Eurodollars, and options.

    Activities will include:

• Looking at mutual fund expenses and their effect on retirement accounts.

• Determining how Firstar bond portfolio managers outperformed their benchmark.

• Graphing yield curves and using the information to forecast future interest rates.

• Analyzing how Proffitt's Chairman used a zero-cost collar to hedged losses from a takeover of Saks.

• Determining whether President Clinton’s decision to issue short-term Treasuries rather than long-term Treasuries was financially sound.

       Discussing current events related to the financial markets will be an integral part of the course.  To help facilitate discussion, we will use the Wall Street Journal.  If you have little knowledge of financial markets and want to learn more, this course is for you!