Your financial choices have consequences. Will you choose wisely?

By Gene Natali

The 2013 EIFLE Book of the Year! Selected as a finalist for the Best Book Awards by the USA Book News!

Visit www.themissingsemester.com to read more testimonials from academic and financial professionals.

Choices we make every day have financial consequences—in some cases, BIG financial consequences. Understanding these critical decisions requires understanding their long-term effects.

The Missing Semester provides a short course on the essentials for making wise financial decisions and gaining financial freedom. Although designed with the recent college graduate in mind, The Missing Semester is relevant to a much wider audience. Those who bypassed college, or who are already in the working world, may better relate to some of the topics discussed. For those still in college or high school, this is a chance to get a head-start on peers and an independent life.

The Missing Semester is based on the principle of ownership—ownership of your financial future. It begins with the premise that your financial future is your responsibility, and that you cannot plan for or expect help. The book shows how to build a strong financial foundation, prepare for the unexpected, and confront challenges.

Gene Natali is an award-winning author (The Missing Semester) who brings a unique blend of experiences to his writing. Following the success of The Missing Semester, he regularly keynotes investment and education conferences across the country and has spoken in over 600 high school and college classrooms. The Missing Second Semester, sequel to The Missing Semester, was written largely from these student and teacher interactions.

In 2019, Gene founded Troutwood out of the Carnegie Mellon University Swartz Center. Troutwood develops financial planning and investment education tools for individuals. Prior to Troutwood, Gene spent 17 years personally working with some of the largest institutional investors and retirement plans in America.

Gene is a part-time lecturer at the University of Pittsburgh where he has taught Personal Finance since 2015. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst, and board member of CFA Society Pittsburgh where he serves as chair of the Society’s financial literacy efforts.

Gene holds an MBA with a concentration in finance from Carnegie Mellon University and a bachelor's degree with a concentration in economics from Allegheny College.

He, his wife, four children and chocolate lab, live in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.