What are the right financial questions to ask as you start your first job? How do you start to do your own taxes for the very first time? And more importantly, to whom do you ask these questions? In this episode, Gene tackles an email from a student that includes…

Watching Trees Grow is a money and personal finance podcast for Gen Z. Grow your knowledge of finance and understand the consequences of your money choices. Office Hours is a 10-week series that brings the classroom to the Troutwood Community. Troutwood CEO, Gene Natali, has taught collegiate personal finance at…

Watching Trees Grow is a money and personal finance podcast for Gen Z. Grow your knowledge of finance and understand the consequences of your money choices. Office Hours is a 10-week series that brings the classroom to the Troutwood Community. Troutwood CEO, Gene Natali, has taught collegiate personal finance since…

Watching Trees Grow is a money and personal finance podcast for Gen Z. Grow your knowledge of finance and understand the consequences of your money choices. This episode covers good debt versus bad debt. 18% of high school seniors will graduate having taken a personal finance course. 100% of high…

Gene Natali has taught Collegiate Personal Finance for 7-years. Join us each week as he brings the classroom to the Troutwood community. Week 3 Office Hours: Budgeting In this episode of office hours you will learn the basics of building a budget. Open an excel file, google sheets, or get…

Interest rates have been in the news a lot recently. How does a change in interest rates you? From students to homeowners, everyone can feel an impact. Gene covers the basics in this short episode about interest rates and debt! 0:48– What interest rate headlines really mean 0:57– Total debt…

Gene Natali has taught Collegiate Personal Finance for 7-years. Join us each week as he brings the classroom to the Troutwood community. Week 2 Office Hours: Building a Financial Plan, getting started In this episode of office hours you will learn the first step in building a financial plan. Turn…

You took out the student loans. Got the degree. What now? Gene and Rachel sit down to continue the conversation about student loans, this time from a “post-grad” perspective. “I got three or four different options, but it turned out that income based repayment was the best for me.” Rachel…

Gene Natali has taught Collegiate Personal Finance for 7-years. Join us each week as he brings the classroom to the Troutwood community. Week 1 Office Hours: What is a financial plan? In this episode of office hours you will learn what a financial plan is and and why it is…

Student loans can be daunting when you’re in college. How do you know you’re not making any student loan mistakes? Will you encounter issues with your student loans? Rachel and Gene have a candid discussion about the fears and apprehension of making student loan mistakes. Rachel shares her personal experience…

In this episode, Gene has a conversation with special guest Andrew Marano, Vice President of Retail at Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania. Andrew’s passion grew with his experiences and led him to a place of leadership within the local non-profit sector. He tells us first-hand how impactful it is to receive…

On this episode of the Troutwood Mailbag Series, Gene and Maggie discuss Maggie's first financial plan. How did she do it? How much time did it take? Building a financial plan can be daunting. You can make one today! Listen to find out how Maggie got started. Start your own…

Are you nervous about student loans? Unsure what questions to ask, where to ask them and who to ask? In this episode, Gene chats with Sarah Cullen, Director of Panthers Forward and Maggie Mayer, Panthers Forward alum. They discuss: • Common questions about debt • The importance of having a…

Is it better to give your time or your money when it comes to charitable giving? In this episode of the Troutwood Mailbag Series, Simone Quinerly, Troutwood CFO joins the podcast to talk taxes and philanthropy with Gene. Members of the Troutwood team are fact checking and asking questions behind…

As a student or young professional, how can you best support the organizations and social causes you care most about? While there is no right or wrong answer, when you are young, it is typically easier to give time than money - and doing so can be extremely helpful to…

What are the long-term affects of using your credit card the WRONG way? In this episode, Gene is joined by Christen Malone, Troutwood Brand and Marketing Officer. Christen DID NOT have a personal finance course in high school or college. Like many of us, she learned about Credit Cards the…

Have you ever considered what happens behind the scenes AFTER you apply for a credit card? Troutwood Co-founder & Chief Strategist, Jeff Davidek joins the podcast to share the difference between a hard and soft credit inquiry. Listen in, this conversation isn't just for first time applicants! Members of the…

We left off with Maggie & Aruj applying for their first Credit Card. Listen in as both share results from their recent Credit applications. Will they be approved? Do either Maggie or Aruj NOW have their first credit card? What factors determine Credit eligibility? Join Aruj and Maggie on a…

Troutwood Mailbag Series - Credit Cards Part 2 Ready for your first Credit Card! Where do you start? Two Troutwood team members join Gene for a multi part series. Join Aruj and Maggie as they embark on the research and application process of “getting” their first credit card. Will both…

Are you nervous about credit cards? If yes, you aren’t alone! Troutwood intern, Aruj Bhargava, a college junior majoring in Finance and Accounting, joins the podcast. Aruj has a self-professed knowledge about credit cards of 2, with 10 being most knowledgeable. Listen and learn from Aruj’s questions and join us…

For an 18-year old high school senior, what is the opportunity cost of buying a $13,000 car instead of a $10,000 car? In this episode, Gene and Rachel discuss that first big money purchase many of us make - our first car. What happens if that senior chooses to buy…

Troutwood was established with a dream to bring financial independence to all those willing to work for it. Founded out of Carnegie Mellon University’s Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, the company designs and develops financial applications and educational tools. The company’s founders have presented and key-noted investment and education conferences across…

Watching Trees Grow Podcast Host: Gene Natali, Troutwood CEO Guest: Craig Slaughter, Executive Director of the West Virginia Investment Management Board Topic: In this episode of Watching Trees Grow, Gene sits down with Mr. Craig Slaughter, CFA, CIMC, and Executive Director of the WVIMB, a pension fund with over $24…

Troutwood Speaker Series Host: Gene Natali, Troutwood CEO Guest: Jackie Cummings Koski, FIRE expert Topic: The Journey to Financial Freedom Troutwood sits down with nationally recognized FIRE expert, Jackie Cummings Koski, to learn about her journey to financial freedom. Jackie came from an underprivileged single parent household in rural South…