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Seniors and young alumni are invited to an interactive finance and networking event presented by the Orientation to Life program, “From Gates Hall to Bill Gates: Managing Money and Accumulating Wealth,” 12:30-4 p.m. Saturday, March 24, at Pfenning Alumni Center.

Topics will include 401K plans, high-yield savings options, and IRA’s and stock options. Each session will include an opportunity to ask the speakers questions, and a lengthy networking period will conclude the afternoon. Refreshments will be provided.

“Orientation to Life is the perfect opportunity for seniors and young alumni to connect with top financial leaders and receive expert advice and a wealth of knowledge for their financial futures,” says organizer Simmone Chaddan ’04. “Even more exciting is the interactive presentations that have been tailored especially for recent graduates, with fresh and innovative ideas to grow your money.”

Speakers will include Thomas Orecchio ’90, a nationally recognized financial expert and owner of private wealth management firm Greenbaum and Orecchio Inc.; fellow G&O senior wealth manager Greg Plechner; and Meg Bennett ’78 and Brenda Gray Reny, directors and private bankers at the Boston office of Deutsche Bank Private Wealth Management.

Seniors are required to reserve through a refundable $10 deposit that will be returned at the event. Space is limited; RSVP to Autumn Leciston Bragg ’90, autumn@alumni.lafayette.edu, (610) 330-5045, 1-800-LAFAYETTE (outside Pa.).

A preliminary outline of topic information:
I. Job Benefits – Focus: 401K, Company Shares, Health Benefits

  • What is a 401K?
  • How much should I contribute?
  • What are the benefits of contributing to my company 401K?
  • If I leave my company, can I take my 401K along with me?
  • Should I take out a loan against it?
  • How do I choose the best health benefit package?
  • How do I take advantage of my company shares?
  • Should I have a 401K at my age?
  • Direct deposit

II. High-Yield Savings Options

  • Should I have a savings account with a financial institution like ING or Fidelity?
  • How can I ensure the best interest rate?
  • When should I start saving?
  • Credit and debt: student loans, credit cards
  • How can I save for my future and retirement?
  • How much should I be saving on a monthly/annual basis?
  • How do I budget to save?
  • How do I save and build equity at the same time?

III. Investments – Focus: IRA’s and Stock Options

  • What is an IRA?
  • What is a Roth IRA?
  • My company offers stock options — should I participate?
  • How can I start to invest without taking a huge financial risk?
  • What should my salary be before I start to invest?
  • How can I read the stock market (simplified version)?

The Alumni Association’s Orientation to Life program provides guidance on the transition to life after graduation. For more information, contact Chaddan, Simmone@alumni.lafayette.edu, (212) 940-5621.

A government and law graduate, Orecchio was named one of the top 100 wealth advisers in the nation by Worth Magazine in 2005 and 2006 and one of the top 150 financial advisers in the nation for doctors by Medical Economics Magazine in 2006 and 2004. He has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal, Investors Business Daily, Time Magazine, US News & World Report, Money Magazine, Journal of Financial Planning, Financial Planning Magazine, Fidelity Stages, The Bottom Line, The Bergen Record, Today, Bloomberg Wealth Manager, Investment Advisor, and Financial Advisor. He is a faculty member at New School for Social Research in New York. He serves on the board of directors of Invest in Kids Foundation Inc. and the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors, for which he is treasurer.

Bennett is responsible for cultivating relationships with ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families, and professional firms, including private equity firms in New England. The biology graduate is treasurer of Lafayette’s Greater Boston Alumni Chapter and received the William E. Greenip ’44 Award, presented each fall to an active chapter officer for service “over and above” regular assignments. She also has served on Lafayette Leadership Council and is an alumni representative on the Alumni Affairs and Development Committee. Before joining Deutsche Bank in 2006, Bennett was at Mellon Financial Corporation, where she was a first vice president and team leader, directing and mentoring a team of 10 professionals focused on unsecured and securities-related credit facilities, including those involving restricted and/or insider stock and derivative-based transactions. Previously, she was a senior vice president and team leader at BayBank, N.A. She has more than 20 years of financial services experience. She earned an M.B.A. from Babson College and the certified financial planning designation from Boston University. She serves on the Boston Community Capital Loan Fund’s loan committee.

Reny is responsible for cultivating relationships with ultra-high-net-worth individuals and families in New England. Before joining Deutsche Bank in 2006, she was a senior vice president and private client adviser in the private bank at Bank of America. Previously, she was a commercial loan officer in the institutional group at Bank of New England. She has more than 20 years of financial services experience. She received her B.A. in history and classics, magna cum laude, from Wesleyan University, where she was a Dean’s Fellow. She received an M.A. in American civilization from Penn, where she subsequently taught for several years prior to starting her career in banking. She has lived and traveled extensively in western Europe and speaks French and Italian.

Plechner is a frequent presenter at national conferences of attorneys, CPAs, and financial consultants. He has spoken recently at meetings of the Association of Government Accountants in Trenton, N.J, the Illinois CPA Society in Chicago, The Florida Gold Coast Chapter of Alpha Kappa PSI, and the Maryland Bar Association, Rockville Chapter. He was a first vice president for the private client planning services division of Smith Barney in New York City. He developed the firm’s wealth management practice in the Northeast Division, providing counsel and support to its financial consultants, clients, and other advisers on advanced retirement and financial planning strategies. He has an extensive background in financial planning on Wall Street, where he held the position of director of financial planning services at Wall Street Advisors, RIA and as an assistant vice president of retirement plan services at Prudential Securities. He earned his B.A. in business economics with honors from State University of New York.

TomOrecchio90

Tom Orecchio ’90

Categorized in: Alumni