BUSINESS EDUCATION
TCBusiness.com 41
given problem in a finite amount of time.
Competitions challenge students to
think critically, provide recommendations
for real-world scenarios and then present
those recommendations for judging. Judges
are industry professionals representing
companies such as Disney, Pepsi Co, and
AT&T. Eligibility to compete at the International
Career Development Conference
in April is dependent on DECA members
placing within the top three of their event
category at the state level.
Jacqueline Zamora of the 2019 Florida
State DECA Action team states:
“I believe that competition helps
students to grow personally and professionally.
Members grow professionally by
learning proper business etiquette and
how to set themselves up for success in
their careers. DECA also allows members
to network with others by participating in
student organized events like leadership
summits and fundraisers. DECA is an organization
that can help students become
well-rounded and ready to work in their
industry of choice, so that they can be the
future leaders of society.”
This year’s competitive teams are:
Advertising Campaign – Katie Muldoon
and Julianne Sansone
Business Ethics – Franklin and Heather
Hunt-Gonzalez
Financial Statement Analysis – Jane
Kramer and Arturo Ortiz
Individual events:
Human Resource Management – Jacqueline
Zamora
Travel and Tourism – Maika Eugene
Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19
outbreak, the International Career Development
Conference slated for April in
Atlanta, Georgia, has been canceled and
will not be rescheduled.
The college chapter works diligently
each year to raise funds to travel to competitions
and events across the nation. The
annual Holiday Bazaar held every November
is the primary fundraiser. Without
these funds, students would be unable to
attend the annual leadership conferences,
summits and competitions. The event is
planned, coordinated, organized and advertised
by IRSC business students, led by
the DECA executive team, under the guidance
of chief DECA faculty adviser Trisha
Maitland. The planning of the Holiday Bazaar
allows members to develop their skills
in management, sales/marketing, advertising
and public speaking. The experience
gained allows students to understand the
role of management in business.
Last November, students raised more
than $10,000 for the 2019-2020 academic
year and travel season.
“The execution of the annual Holiday
Bazaar is a monumental task, but with the
work ethic and dedication displayed by
the DECA students, each year we are able
to put on a great show which benefits
the community as well as our students,”
Maitland said.
Due to the uncertainty of the coronavirus
pandemic, planning and preparation
for the 40th annual Holiday Bazaar
is on hold. Despite the setbacks, the IRSC
Collegiate DECA Chapter is grateful to
local community members and business
partners for their continued support. v
BEST PRACTICES/FINANCIAL FOCUS
HOW MUCH WILL MARKET VOLATILITY REALLY AFFECT YOU?
KATE MIKKELSON
Kate Mikkelson is a financial advisor
with Edward Jones, focused
on helping companies make the
most of their 401(k)s. With a focus
on employee education, she is
passionate about teaching the
power of retirement accounts. She
provides customized plans for each
employee and will travel to your
business. You can contact her at
772-220-9401 or kate.mikkelson@
edwardjones.com.
There’s no way to sugarcoat it: If you’re an investor, you haven’t
liked what you’ve seen in the financial markets recently. The effects
of the coronavirus triggered a market “correction” — a decline of 10
percent or more — and more volatility is almost certainly on the way.
But instead of fretting over your investment statements, you could
consider some more positive approaches to this situation.
For one thing, ask yourself this: When do you really need the money
from your investment accounts, such as your IRA and your 401(k)
or similar employer-sponsored plan? These are retirement accounts,
so, depending on your age, you may not need to tap into them for
20, 30 or even 40 years. If so, your losses may be “paper” ones only for
now and aren’t subjecting you to imminent financial jeopardy. This
isn’t to minimize the effect this downturn will have on you, of course
— it always takes time to recover lost ground, and there are no guarantees
with investing. However, although past performance does not
guarantee future results, it is useful to note that, over its long history,
the U.S. stock market has typically trended in one direction — up —
despite serious and sometimes lengthy declines such as we saw in
the Great Depression and, to a lesser extent, the bursting of the “dot.
com” bubble of the early 2000s and the financial crisis of 2008-09.
Nonetheless, you may have shorter-term goals — a wedding,
down payment on a home, overseas trip, etc. — for which you need
to save. For these goals, though, you wouldn’t want to touch your IRA
or 401(k), anyway, as you’d likely face taxes and penalties. Instead,
you’ll want your money invested in liquid, low-risk accounts that will
be minimally affected, if at all, by declines in the financial markets.
These vehicles might include Certificates of Deposit (CDs), money
market accounts and even good old-fashioned U.S. Savings Bonds,
all of which offer the protection of principal and can pay higher rates
than traditional bank savings accounts.
But you might also have longer-term goals that can be addressed
through investments that may be somewhat or largely free of the effects
of market volatility. For example, to supplement your retirement
income, you might consider a fixed annuity, which can provide you
with a guaranteed interest rate and, depending on how it’s structured,
an income stream you can’t outlive.
Apart from the issue of when you might need money from your investment
accounts, you might want to ask yourself another question:
Just how much of my net worth is tied up in my portfolio? If you’re like
many people, you have other assets apart from your investments. If
you’re a homeowner, consider your house: Has it dropped in value at
all during the recent market decline? Probably not. Do you still have
just as much equity in it as you did a month ago? You might have
even more. In other words, the value of your investments may have
dropped a certain percentage, but the decline in your overall net
worth may well be significantly smaller.
So, here’s the bottom line: Large drops in the financial markets
aren’t much fun for investors — but that doesn’t mean the bottom
has dropped out on your financial future. Keeping things in perspective
is a good move in all of life’s endeavors — including investing. v
This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor. Edward Jones. Member SIPC.
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