4/18/2006

Contact: K.E. Schwab  -- 724-738-2199;  e-mail: karl.schwab@sru.edu

SRU AGAIN SENDING 3-MEMBER TEAM TO AMERIPRISE PLANNING INVITATIONAL

     SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. –  The Slippery Rock University financial planning team -- including Jeramy Genaway and Eric Lewis, both of Prospect, and Stephen Sullivan of Slippery Rock  –  has qualified to compete in the national finals of the Ameriprise Planning Invitational.

      The competition, formerly known as American Express Planning Invitational, will be held Wednesday through Saturday [April 19-22] at the Ameriprise corporate headquarters in Minneapolis. SRU qualified to send teams to the 2002 and 2004 competitions.

      Seven other schools, including Fort Hays State, Kansas State, Minnesota State-Mankato, Texas Tech, the University of Hawaii, Virginia Tech, and Wright State, will compete.

      To qualify, students constructed a written, comprehensive personal financial plan for a fictitious couple.  The first phase was open to all schools offering an undergraduate financial planning program, and an estimated 30 schools entered a written plan, with the top eight selected to compete in Minneapolis. 

      The national finals include two components: The Case Presentation and the How Do You Know? Challenge.  Once in Minneapolis, teams will receive modifications to the original client profile and each team will revise their original plan, then present their recommendations to the judges.

      Historically the judge panel is comprised of members of the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards and the Financial Planning Association, as well as active financial advisers and leaders from Ameriprise.  The "How Do You Know? Challenge" is a game show-like contest in which teams answer financial planning questions. 

      Dr. John Misner, professor in SRU’s School of Business, is the team’s adviser.

PN, WPN, PR, S

AmeriPriseNR.kes.doc