Financial Fitness Program

Financial Fitness Banner (1200 x 600 px)

Financial Fitness Program: Speakers and workshops to put you on the track to financial empowerment

Speakers and workshops to put you on track to financial empowerment. Throughout the semester, the Zoom workshop series will cover topics ranging from basic financial awareness, personal financial plan development, insurance, estate planning and investing. This series will be facilitated by CBE Faculty and industry experts. 

Workshop Series Takeaways:

  • Developing your personal financial plan
  • Gaining insight about investment assets, accounts, strategies and analysis tools
  • Gaining insights about how to use insurance to protect your assets
  • Learning about estate planning tools  
  • Learning about the real estate buying process 

Earn a Certificate: View Flyer
FREE to everyone. Attend 4 of 5 sessions & complete in-session activities. Join Zoom: https://calstatela.zoom.us/meeting/register/Ii8cJ3IpTGS8i-0lPthlfg#/registration

Certificate Registration Form: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=AiCKzo9EWE-Csdhvc-Ov3fEOo3bXCnlDn2g1iNNTEbFUNlkxRUYyQzgyVEg3VU1DTkdISE4zS0taWS4u&route=shorturl

Zoom Registration for all Sessions: https://calstatela.zoom.us/meeting/register/Ii8cJ3IpTGS8i-0lPthlfg#/registration

Workshop #1
Date: Wednesday, March 11, 1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. 
Location:  Nongshim Lab
Top: Budgeting and Cash Flow Management – Avoiding Financial Pitfalls
Build a personal budget around real-world financial constraints — develop healthy money habits and learn
how to sidestep the most common financial pitfalls.

Workshop #2
Date: Wednesday, March 18, 1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. 
Location:  Nongshim Lab
Topic: Debt and Borrowing Decisions
Understand how debt is calculated, make smart repayment choices, and see how your financial behavior
shapes your credit score and borrowing power.

Workshop #3
Date: Wednesday, March 25, 1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. 
Location:  Nongshim Lab
Topic: Investing and Long-Term Wealth Building
Explore investing strategies, risk assessment, and tax implications — and craft a personalized, diversified
plan for building lasting wealth over time.

Workshop #4
Date: Tuesday, April 14, 1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. 
Location:  Nongshim Lab
Topic: Insurance, Taxes, Leases, Employment & Common Contracts
Decode health and car insurance, master personal tax basics, and learn to spot critical clauses in
leases and employment agreements before you sign.

Workshop #5
Date: Tuesday, April 21, 1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. 
Location:  Nongshim Lab
Topic: The Legal System and Dispute Resolution
Grasp how the civil legal system works — contracts, negligence, and civil law — and gain practical tools to
prevent and resolve financial and legal disputes confidently.

What is the Financial Fitness Program?

The Financial Fitness Program is a team of faculty, lecturers, industry experts and external partners focused on developing and offering essential financial workshops and information to empower students financially.

Our Goal

The goal of the Financial Fitness Program is to build a network of students who not only understand but can use financial knowledge to better their lives and the lives of others.

The Financial Fitness Program considers this the year of financial empowerment for students and topics include basic financial awareness and tools to understand complex topics including home ownership and investing. 

Each workshop is designed to give you important knowledge that comes together at the last session to create your financial plan. The most benefit is gained from attending all workshops.

Previous Workshop Topics and Resources:

For questions, please contact Dr. Gokhan Kumpas at [email protected]

Dr. Gokhan Kumpas

Dr. Gökhan Kumpas is an Assistant Professor of Economics at California State University, Los Angeles, and the Director of the Financial Fitness Program in the College of Business and Economics. His work focuses on applied microeconomics, economic policy, and financial decision-making, with a particular interest in how education and public policy can expand economic opportunity. Through the Financial Fitness Program, he works to expand economic opportunity by equipping students with the practical financial knowledge and skills needed for long-term success.

Previous Contributors:

The Financial Fitness Program was shaped by the dedication of faculty, coordinators, directors, and industry experts who generously contributed their time and expertise. We gratefully acknowledge the contributions of the following individuals to the program's development and growth:

  • Dr. Maryam Tofighi, CBE Marketing Professor, Cal State LA
  • Dr. Porschia Nkansa, CBE Accounting Professor, Cal State LA
  • Dr. Charkes Danso, CBE Finance, Law and Real Estate Professor, Cal State LA
  • Dr. Angela Young, CBE Management Professor, Cal State LA
  • Dr. Mabel Sanchez, CBE Management Professor, Cal State LA
  • Dr. John Cooper, CBE Accounting Professor, Cal State LA
  • Mr. Rodrego Byerly, Lecturer & Managing Director, Evitarus
  • Mr. Thomas Lawson, Caprice Capital Partners
  • Mr. Edgar Ortiz, State Farm Insurance
  • Mr. A. Sami Siddiqui, Banking and Finance
  • Mr. Bruce Bolkin, Esq., CPA