Students advance to semifinals of financial planning competition
Two students in Western Carolina University’s College of Business have advanced to the semifinals in a national financial planning competition using real-life applications.
Derek Pelayo-Quezada (left) and John Lawson Wedthoff have been named semifinalists in a national financial planning competition.
Derek Pelayo-Quezada and John Lawson Wedthoff are entered in the International Association of Registered Financial Consultants’ National Financial Plan Competition. The contest is open to undergraduate university students who are enrolled in a financial services curriculum. From a fictional case narrative, the students were asked to craft a financial plan for judging, progressing through three stages, and ending with three teams in a final round at an annual conference.
“This is quite an accomplishment, as there were more than 50 plans submitted this year from universities all over the country,” said Patrick Payne, WCU associate professor of finance and the students’ competition adviser. “Both students have worked extra hard on this case and put together an excellent plan, certainly worthy of recognition.”
The association is a nonprofit professional organization serving and promoting the financial services profession. Its 2019 conference will be held March 20-22 in Nashville, Tennessee.
WCU’s Finance Program teaches students the art and science of money management. Career opportunities for graduates include financial planning, investment management, corporate finance, treasury management, investment banking, commercial banking, commercial real estate, risk management and insurance.
For more information, call WCU’s College of Business at 828-227-7495 or email Payne at 828-227-2007.
