Santa Margarita Students,

My name is Frank Pisano and I am a proud alumni parent who has had two children graduate from Santa Margarita Catholic High School.  My son Ronald is a class of 2012 graduate and my daughter Joanna is a class of 2014 graduate.  Starting this Wednesday, Jan. 18, I will be offering after school classes twice a month in which I will teach important topics related to money management and the stock market.  I encourage you all to attend because all of the information I will cover will benefit you as you enter your independent years of college and start to plan for your financial future.  Please go to www.smhs.org/eaglesedge to see dates for each class.  Classes start at 2:15 p.m.

There are many valid reasons why you should attend the classes I will be leading but I would like to narrow down the list and give you the top four reasons to attend my after school stock market and money management classes.

You Will Learn What Makes the Stock Market React – Just a like a real person, the stock market reacts to positive and negative current events in our world today.  In my classes you will learn what makes the market react positively and what makes the market react negatively.  Understanding this phenomenon can help make someone a much wiser and more successful investor.

You Will Pick Stocks to Invest In – You are all familiar with Apple, Google, Yahoo and Disney.  In my courses, I will help you to understand the process of buying stock in a company.  We will research your favorite companies and decide if they are wise companies to invest in.

You Will Learn How to Balance Your Checkbook – This is probably the most important thing we will do.  As you move into college and your early career, it is important to track your expenses and the money you will be earning.  This is something you can get in the habit of now in order to become more independent as you gain a greater appreciation for your hard earned money.

You Will Learn How Donald Trump’s Presidency Will Affect the Stock Market – This topic is tied to how the stock market reacts but it is a huge topic in our nation that will be very closely related to the behavior of the stock market in the coming months.  The words of the President-elect are powerful, and they have the power to sway the behavior of investors and thus the performance of the stock market overall.

I look forward to our first class tomorrow, Jan. 18 at 2:15 p.m. and I encourage all of you to make as many classes as you can.  These classes will be enjoyable and informative and they will truly have a significant impact on your lives as you move through your education and into your future careers.

-Mr. Frank Pisano