Finance and Financial Management Commons^™

Rso Longevity Fund, Martin Fitzgerald Walker

Honors Theses

The reason for this research is to create a solution for fraternity and sororities as well as registered RSO’s on campus to allow them to create a fund that can provide a steady stream of income that will be used to pay national expenses, chapter expenses and fund future programs and events which may include scholarships or initiatives that the organizations feel the need to support.

Throughout my research I look to solve problems such as: How to Generate the Funds to support the renewable investment, how to manage the fund and who within the organization should manage and spend …

Recidivism Rates In The United States Versus Europe: How And Why Are They Different?, Madalyn Hayden

Honors Theses

Recidivism rates in the United States (70%) are almost triple that of most European countries (20% in Norway). The question that this project aims to answer is “How and Why are Recidivism Rates in the United States and Europe Different?”. High recidivism rates like the ones we have in the United States indicate that a criminal justice system is perpetuating a crime cycle, rather than rehabilitating or reforming its prisoners. High recidivism rates in the United States are first and foremost caused by high incarceration rates and high juvenile incarceration rates. Other causes are a focus on punishment in our …

The Cost Benefit Analysis Of College Dropouts Pursuing A Different Career Vs. Students That Graduated From College, Brittany Jackson

Honors Theses

For my thesis project, I will be analyzing two sets of data pertaining to these different groups; one group will be college dropouts that chose to pursue a career without earning a college degree and the other group will be students who graduated from a four-year college degree program. I will be paying close attention to the financial success of individuals in both groups based on their career path. Also, focusing on the amount of money one group makes versus the other group various careers. Some careers include, being a YouTuber, Social Media influencer, Financial Analyst, Accountant, Entrepreneur, Entertainer, and …

Entrepreneurial Finance, Jackson Stewart

Honors Theses

The writings and research presented in this document are for a chapter of a textbook the focuses on entrepreneurship. The chapter focuses on many areas of entrepreneurship including: opportunities, networking, roles, economics, innovations, and history. The area that the potential writings focus on is entrepreneurial finance, or how one acquires capital to start their own business.

There are many ways to gain capital to start a business. These include a variety of investors that can give someone funds or loan that are given out by financial institutions. Investors are a great way to gain capital as investors will give the …

Business Financing: Bonds, Joshua Davis

Honors Theses

For my thesis, I researched information on financial bonds to contribute to a developing college textbook written by Dr. Bret Wagner called “Fundamentals of Business”. After having gathered the research, I then began writing to match the style in which Dr. Wagner had written the other chapters. Overall, this was a completely different experience for me as I have done research plenty of times before but opening my brain to a creative writing aspect and deliberating the research I had gathered into a form that would be consumed by future young adults was both exciting and difficult. I had to …

Board Gender Diversity, Esg, And Corporate Performance, Novena Sutiono

Honors Theses

No abstract available.

Financial Literacy: The Argument For Required Coursework Regarding Personal Finance In Schools, Maclain Canfield

Honors Theses

Financial literacy is one of the most important skills for adults to possess, and therefore personal finance should be required education. Being financially literate provides individuals with the knowledge needed to make financially prudent decisions that substantially impact their lives (Kenton, 2019; Lusardi, 2008; Zucchi, 2018). However, only fifty-seven percent of adults in the United States are financially literate (Klapper, Lusardi, & Oudheusden, 2015).

Although financial literacy provides lifelong benefits, basic personal finance is seldom taught in schools (Council for Economic Education, 2018; NPR, 2019). Research shows that students are more financially literate where financial education in high school is …

An Analysis On The Growth Of Student Loans And Its Implications On The U.S. Economy, Jensine Voon

Honors Theses

Student loan debt is an issue facing the United States of America today. More and more people are enrolling themselves into college, hoping that a college degree would increase their chances of employment and improve their standard of living. However, the rise in demand for tertiary education has an effect on the amount of student loan debt accumulated in America. A hike in college tuition fees has caused a rise in default rate among student borrowers. More borrowers are entering repayment plans because they are not able to make their monthly loan payments. This phenomenon has altered borrowers’ decision on …

The World Of Finance In Russia, Matthew Thomas

Honors Theses

Russia is currently in an economic crisis the likes of which the Russian people are unfortunately familiar with in their turbulent past. Economic sanctions, paired with a global downturn in oil prices, have stalled any progress that had been occurring after the 2008 global economic meltdown. The Central Bank of Russia, which was founded after the fall of the USSR in the early 1990s, was quick to respond to the sanctions and domestic economic issues by laying out an Anti-Crisis plan along with the aid of the rest of the government. They raised interest rates to over 20%, passed legislation …

Learning From The Past: A Comparative Analysis Of The Influences Of The Great Depression On The Recent Financial Crisis., Shirish Bade Shrestha

Honors Theses

The Great Depression and the recent financial crisis are events that have changed the lives of many American and global citizens. In hopes of preventing similar mistakes in the future, we should study, analyze, and learn from these past events. This investigation attempts to do just that through a rigorous study of the past Great Depression and recent financial crisis. We will explore the two events separately, analyze their similarities and differences and then discuss what we have learned from the Great Depression and see how that knowledge has been used to combat the recent financial crisis. The Great Depression …

Inayat U. Mangla, Haenicke Instititue For Global Education

International Faculty Researchers

Captivated by the economic culture he encountered in the mid-1970s while studying in the United States as a Fulbright Scholar, Dr. Inayat U. Mangla, a native of Lahore, Pakistan, joined Western Michigan University’s faculty in 1985 and has become an internationally recognized expert on global financial markets.

The Impact Of Whistleblowing Legislation On Developed And Emerging Markets, Catherine C. Koh

Honors Theses

This paper intends to study the impact of whistleblowing legislations and on developed and emerging markets. The main reason the study is carried out is because there is lack of research and literature conducted on this topic areas. The testing of the relationship between how whistleblowing affects the equity markets in developed and emerging countries is conducted through a multi-regression analysis across four parameters (i) the weekly historical adjusted returns of the countries' indices around the time the legislation was proposed or passed, (ii) the occurrence of the event which is the week when the legislation was promulgated or enacted, …

Personal Savings In The United States, Samanatha A. Marsh

Honors Theses

Over the past decade personal savings in America has been much lower than in the past. The question is why household savings is so much lower and what factors are contributing to the decline. To answer this question, I look at data collected from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The BLS has conducted a survey of consumer expenditures, or buying habits, since 1984. By using the BLS 2010 Consumer Expenditure Data, I can look at how different factors, such as income, age, family size and number of kids under the age of eighteen all effect household savings. Using the …

The Impact Of Quantitative Easing Measures On Interest Rates, Financial Markets, And Economic Activity: A Case Study Of U.S.A., Aneesha A. Rai

Honors Theses

This study focuses on the impact of Quantitative Easing measures done by the Federal Reserve and its impact on the U.S.A, with a focus on interest rates, financial markets and economic activity. The Quantitative Easing measures studied are Operation Twist, Quantitative Easing I as well as Quantitative Easing II. The secondary research is conducted using event studies, and different perspectives of economists have been taken into consideration. The answer whether further quantitative easing should be pursued by the Federal Reserve is debated. A different step-by-step view is given into reasons as to why this quantitative easing has been pursued. A …

Three Essays On Banking Foreign Direct Investment, Tamrat Workalemahu Gashaw

Dissertations

This dissertation investigates three aspects of banking foreign direct investment (BFDI). One striking development in the banking sector over the past two decades is the significant increase in BFDI. Multinational banks are now major players in the global financial system in terms of their asset positions, loan amounts, and operational scales. Despite this significant trend in BFDI, few empirical studies exist explaining observed international BFDI trends.

The first essay investigates the factors determining a bank’s decision to invest abroad. I first develop a two-asset portfolio selection model to identify determinant factors, and then employ a three-way error component model for …

A New Non-Parametric Test For Umbrella Alternatives, Gilbert Ngwa Muma

Dissertations

The Mann-Whitney statistics have commonly been used as a building block for many tests involving ordered and umbrella alternatives. Such tests are based on pair wise information that is obtained from all Ck 2 pairs of samples. This dissertation introduces a new nonparametric test for testing umbrella alternatives in a completely randomized one way design. This test is based on information obtained from a subset of the Ck 3 trios of samples. Unlike most existing tests for umbrella alternatives, the new test lays emphasis on the importance of testing across the peak of the umbrella, thereby rendering the new test …

The Financing And Reform Of The United States Healthcare System, Sarah Georgeau Bernheisel

Honors Theses

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, approximately forty-five million people in the United States, including nearly nine million children, were without health insurance in 2007 ("Fast Stats A to Z" 1). Additionally, in 2007, nearly 30% of young adults, ages 18-24, in the United States were uninsured ("Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage" 22). Sadly, none of these figures includes the countless individuals who have insufficient healthcare coverage caused by their high out-of pocket costs compared to their wages.

The Importance Of An Internship And What Makes Quicken Loans An Extraordinary Place To Intern, Frank C. Salinger

Honors Theses

Records the author's experiences interning for Quicken Loans as a student studying Business at Western Michigan University, and what benefits were found from the internship process.

Are Stock Prices Related To New York's Climatic Conditions?, Matthew M. Cullen

Honors Theses

The past five years has shown tremendous growth in a new wave and style of investing strategy. This new style, known as behavioral investing, attempts to analyze financial markets through the eye of a social scientist rather than a financial professional. Its followers try to see market movements as affected not necessarily by the business or economy but by the cognition and mood of buyers and seller. This paper analyzes the effect of climatic conditions on mood and the effect that has on market movements and volume. For the most part, it was found that there is no significant relationship …

The Global Stock Market: Implications To American Investors, Angela Giordano

Honors Theses

Investors in most industrialized nations have many alternatives beyond the traditional checking and savings accounts. Alternatives such as stocks, which can be purchased off over 180exchanges worldwide, bonds, mutual funds, retirement plans (401k, 501c, 403b), annuities, money market accounts and CDs are often used as investment tools. With all these alternatives, how does one determine which tool or tools to utilize in investing their hard-earned income?

A Company Specific Analysis Of The Capital Budgeting Process As It Pertains To A Zero Emissions Mandate On The American Automobile Industry, Brian M. Woodcock

Honors Theses

The rapid growth of the U.S. auto industry in the 20th century has led to a fast-paced society that emphasizes the importance of convenience and time-efficiency. Consequently, the cost of this society has been high levels of emissions, causing pollution to the surrounding environment. General Motors' attempt at a solution to the problem is their introduction of the first electric vehicle known as the EV1. The EV1 has the potential to meet society's transportation demands and to create a more pollution-free environment. However, in a free market economy, the price tag for a solution such as GM's may currently be …

A Review Of Defensive Strategies Used In Hostile Takeovers, Chirag Shah

Honors Theses

Nineteen Ninety Five smashed all records for mergers and acquisitions at home and abroad. An unprecedented $458 billion in deals were announced by U.S. companies, up 32% from the old record of $347 billion reached in 1994, according to the Securities Data Co. Similarly, deal count, which last year came in with 7,565 announced transactions, registered a new record as 8,954 transactions were announced in 1995. Globally, a record $866 billion in transactions were struck, up 51% from the $572 billion announced in 1994. The big highlights were banking, financial services, pharmaceuticals and big transactions in media and telecommunications. From …

Technical Analysis: Connecting The Dots Or A Legitimate Investment Tool?, Daniel P. Sutter

Honors Theses

Wall Street is full of many unusual characters. They appear frequently in the newspaper headlines, on the evening news, and now on the Internet. They are portrayed both as villains such as Michael Milken or Ivan Boesky and as heroes such as Warren Buffett or Martin Zwieg. While these people may seem very distant at times they really impact each one of us every day, whether or not we are aware of it. The companies we conduct our routine transactions with are financed through them, our retirement plans our dependent on them, and even our jobs rest on the success …

The Development Of Collective Investment Funds For Bank Trust Departments, Floyd L. Parks

Masters Theses

Introduction

In recent years the policies of many of our financial institutions have changed to meet the public demands and the degree of competition. It hasn't been too many years ago when most bankers felt that an automobile loan should be repaid in 24 months rather than the 36 month period which is now common. Some lenders today are even offering a 42 month repayment period. It wasn't too long ago when most banks were paying 2 1/2% on their savings accounts while the standard rate now is 3%, with most banks offering an even higher rate of 4% for …

Labor Turnover As A Factor In Personnel Evaluation, James D. Taylor

Masters Theses

Abstract

Management needs to know how it is doing in the field of personnel management, just as it does in the area of financial management. In order to determine this, an evaluation of the personnel program is necessary. When completed, such an evaluation provides management with the information necessary to effectively plan and budget the personnel program.

The personnel audit audit has been used as a means of evaluating the personnel program. The audit can cover all of the various aspects of the personnel program or it can be restricted to only one of the personnel functions. In the past …