I can tell you firsthand that with the choices one has today of low, medium, and high deductible plans, with options to have different pharmacies, and having to "shop around" for medical procedures to avoid overpaying your share after the allowable price is paid by the insurance company, and finding out yourself that you can buy many of the same drugs far cheaper over the counter, there are so many items facing not only a newbie, but even us older workers.
A class in college that would teach kids about not only how to handle personal finances, showing the effects of how small increases in savings in a 401K can translate into big bucks later, how to shop for home, auto, and life insurance and being able to discern true value in different coverages versus the premium payments, would be invaluable to ANYONE. Such a class would not only help kids who have grown up in the U.S., but would also help immigrants and refugees from other countries as well. Think "Managing Financial Security For Today's Young, Upwardly Mobile and Good-Looking Professional 101".
-----Original Message-----
From: TechNet [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Upton, Shawn
Sent: Wednesday, July 01, 2015 9:52 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [TN] [NTC] Explaining Benefits
I recall in college one class was required; it was like an hour per week. One credit course. Something like that. The prof/lecturer brought in various speakers, and I recall one or two talks on money--the rest was more war stories I think--too long to remember.
But otherwise yes, I agree, not enough time is spent encouraging young people to invest in HSA, 401k, etc. I actually do not recall being taught how to balance a checkbook. If I was taught, it must have been in 3rd grade. Otherwise, outside of compound interest, nothing was spent on various money issues in high school nor college. I guess it wasn't required for my college-bound track when I was in high school.
In the workplace, new hires get (or got, been a while since I was one) a good push to invest in 401k, and now the HSA. During open enrollment the 401k and HSA gets pushed. But it's not really any course of study.
I'd be interested in what others have to say. I feel most people are left wandering around, picking up bits as they go, and hopefully finding decent peers who will guide them. Myself, I'm pretty new to it all and would love to read a good book explaining it all. I peruse the bogleheads forum but unfortunately financial stuff goes over my head just like poetry.
Shawn Upton
Section Head, Test Engineering
Sensors Business Unit
Allegro MicroSystems, LLC
[log in to unmask]
603.626.2429/fax: 603.641.5336
-----Original Message-----
From: TechNet [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Douglas Pauls
Sent: Wednesday, July 01, 2015 10:35 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [TN] [NTC] Explaining Benefits
Good morning all,
A completely non-technical question for you this morning. As many of you know, my evil twin brother Dave Hillman and I have the great privilege of mentoring and supervising our extremely bright co-op students and interns
(7 this summer). We have found, over the years, that these students do not get any kind of education or training on how to make intelligent choices relevant to benefits. Things like medical choices, HSA vs. FSA, pre-tax vs. post-tax dollars, 401K options, etc. None of the colleges I know of have such a course for graduating seniors. Rockwell Collins does not have any such training, though it is being discussed for the future.
So, I am wondering if any of your companies offer your new professionals such training or know of good publicly available courses on the topics?
Doug Pauls
Principal Materials and Process Engineer Rockwell Collins
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