ACE 341: Issues and Careers in Applied Economics (CFP)
This class is designed to provide students with a better understanding of the evolution and future of financial planning and wealth management, explore the many career paths in financial planning through interaction with professionals from the field, and to learn about and build the communication skills necessary to be a successful professional and advisor.
Prerequisites (Must be complete BEFORE taking this course):
None!
Instructor Teaching the Course:
This course is taught by the instructor below. You may click on their name to learn more about them. Teaching schedules vary by semester. Please check the Course Explorer for the most up-to-date information about the sections they will teach.
Sharon Allen
Jacob Kuebler
View the Course Explorer:
See when the course is offered as well as section details here: https://courses.illinois.edu/schedule/terms/ACE/341
Fall 2018 Restrictions
Not intended for students with Freshman class standing. May only receive credit for one section of ACE 341 including previously offered ACE 398AMM, ACE 398CIP, and ACE 398CFP.
Additional Course Information
Read more about what Sharon Allen has to say about ACE 341 CFP!
Is this class discussion-based or lecture-based? How would you describe your teaching style?
Discussion and lecture, many opportunities for interaction with outside professionals from the industry who guest lecture; informal & discussion style teaching w/class interaction
How are students evaluated (e.g. multiple choice or essay tests, papers, etc.)?
Class participation, paper(s), Money Habitudes project/paper, Financial Planning Day attendance & reflectionWhat careers does this course help prepare students to pursue?
What courses can students take to prepare for this material?
None required, but some interest in business and financial planning highly recommended
In what ways does this course prepare students to move through the program and/or into the work force?
Build a student’s understanding of comprehensive wealth management and financial planning that will assist in their ability to confidently pursue a career in the field; assist in preparation for sitting for the CFP® exam; we provide a unique opportunity to hear from people who are seasoned professionals in various areas of the industry as they share their experiences and interact with students; help students build a professional network
What is your background in Agricultural and Consumer Economics?
Sharon Allen, CFP®, CTFA, with nearly 25 years’ experience personally helping affluent families and individuals, is the Co-Founder and President of Sterling Wealth Management, a fee-only wealth management firm. Through her collaborative approach, Sharon is a coach and personal Chief Financial Officer for her clients, coordinating the investment and planning work done by her firm and the initiatives of her clients’ broad team of professionals. Sharon’s professional mission is to provide her clients with trustworthy high quality financial advice that nurtures their Total Wealth – wealth that is not just what they have, but who they are. Being a positive voice within the financial services industry is important to Sharon. She is an adjunct instructor at the University of Illinois in the Certified Financial Planning program, as well as a guest lecturer on various financial planning, investing and business topics throughout the academic and non- academic communities. Through these efforts, she has had the opportunity to share with a wide variety of audiences, as well as regularly mentor young professionals. Sharon has a particular interest in the challenges facing women of wealth. She has collaborated on several national research projects on women and their advisors, recently focusing on Breadwinner Women. She has been quoted throughout the financial press on a variety of topics, and is an active member of the nationally recognized wealth management study group, Family Wealth Advisors Council, as a collaborator on the national study Women of Wealth: Why Does the Financial Services Industry Still Not Hear Them?, and co- author of Caught in the Middle: How Does The Sandwich Generation Woman Not Get Squeezed? A graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a degree in Finance from the College of Business, Sharon is also a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) professional, and a Certified Trust and Financial Advisor© (CTFA). Sharon is an advocate for generosity and volunteerism, and community is very important to her. She gives of her time in the local schools and as Board Chair of the University of Illinois Employee’s Credit Union, Finance Committee member for the Parkland Community College Foundation, Presence Healthcare Foundation, and the United Way of Champaign County, as well as the current President of the Eastern Illinois Estate Planning Council. She is past co-chair of the American Heart Association Go Red for Women lunch in Champaign, and invests her time in other various women’s initiatives in her community and beyond. Sharon and her husband live in Champaign and are parents of two active boys.
What is your attendance policy?
I don’t take attendance, but participation grade is partially based on daily in-class questions
