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Dodd-Frank should be celebrated for its success in stabilizing the financial sector following the last financial crisis. Some of its measures have not only contained financial disaster but contributed to economic growth. These elements of Dodd-Frank have been identified as "clear wins" and include the increase of financial institutions' capital

Dodd-Frank should be celebrated for its success in stabilizing the financial sector following the last financial crisis. Some of its measures have not only contained financial disaster but contributed to economic growth. These elements of Dodd-Frank have been identified as "clear wins" and include the increase of financial institutions' capital requirements, the single-point-of-entry approach to regulating financial firms, and the creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The single-point-of-entry strategy (SPOE), specifically, has done much to bring an end to the age of "too big to fail" institutions. By identifying firms that could expect to be aided in case of financial crisis, the SPOE approach reduces uncertainty among financial institutions. Moreover, SPOE eliminates the significant source of risk by establishing clear protocols for resolving failed financial firms. Dodd-Frank has also taken measures to better protect consumers with the creation of the CFPB. Some of the CFPB's stabilizing actions have included the removal of deceptive financial products, setting guidelines for qualified mortgages, and other regulatory safeguards on money transfers. Despite the CFPB's many triumphs, however, there is room for improvement, especially in the agency's ability to reduce regulatory redundancies in supervision and collaboration with other financial sector controllers. The significant strengths of Dodd-Frank are evident in its elements that have secured financial stability. However, it is important to also consider any potential to stifle healthy economic growth. There are several areas for legislative amendments and reforms in order to improve the performance of Dodd-Frank given its sweeping regulatory impact. Several governing redundancies now exist with the creation of new regulatory authorities. Special efforts to increase the authority of the Financial Sector Oversight Council (FSOC) and preserving the impartiality of the Office of Financial Research (OFR) are specific examples of reforms still needed to elevate the effectiveness of Dodd-Frank. In addition, Dodd-Frank could do more to clarify the Volcker Rule in order to ease banks' burden to comply with excessive oversight. Going forward, policymakers must be willing to adjust parts of Dodd-Frank that encroach too far on the private sector's ability to foster efficiency or development. In addition, identifying and monitoring areas of the legislation deemed "too soon to tell" will provide insight on the accuracy and benefit of some Dodd-Frank measures.
ContributorsConrad, Cody Lee (Author) / Sadusky, Brian (Thesis director) / Hoffman, David (Committee member) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor) / Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
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My Honors Thesis is about answering a central question regarding the business of real estate: "What is the return on investment of obtaining a real estate license?" I focused my research on the monetary, time, and other value factors that affect the initial cost of securing a real estate salesperson

My Honors Thesis is about answering a central question regarding the business of real estate: "What is the return on investment of obtaining a real estate license?" I focused my research on the monetary, time, and other value factors that affect the initial cost of securing a real estate salesperson license in the State of Arizona (costs) and the amount of money a licensed salesperson makes as a result of having a salesperson license (income). Licensees make this trade-off: the cost in terms of real dollars to obtain a license, as well as the opportunity costs associated with the time to secure, start using, and begin to earn money by way of a salesperson license. To answer the central question I conducted a survey of active licensees in order to determine the value ascribed to holding a real estate salesperson license. Through my research, I concluded that there is not a single number that can be assigned to a real estate license that indicates its value, but the data collected reveals that the return on investment has the potential to be great. Upfront costs and fees necessary to obtain a license are insignificant when the commission a licensee can then make from a single transaction is enough to cover those expenses. Therefore, based on the survey results and research into the initial costs associated with obtaining a real estate license, there appears to be sufficient data to support a positive return on investment and warrant obtaining a real estate license.
ContributorsSanders, Sarah (Author) / Stapp, Mark (Thesis director) / Koblenz, Blair (Committee member) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
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Description
Autonomous vehicles (AV) are capable of producing massive amounts of real time and precise data. This data has the ability to present new business possibilities across a vast amount of markets. These possibilities range from simple applications to unprecedented use cases. With this in mind, the three main objectives we

Autonomous vehicles (AV) are capable of producing massive amounts of real time and precise data. This data has the ability to present new business possibilities across a vast amount of markets. These possibilities range from simple applications to unprecedented use cases. With this in mind, the three main objectives we sought to accomplish in our thesis were to: Understand if there is monetization potential in autonomous vehicle data Create a financial model of what detailing the viability of AV data monetization Discover how a particular company (Company X) can take advantage of this opportunity, and outline how that company might access this autonomous vehicle data. First, in order to brainstorm how this data could be monetized, we generated potential use cases, defined probable customers of these use cases, and how the data could generate value to customers as a means to understand what the "price" of autonomous vehicle data might be. While we came up with an extensive list of potential data monetization use cases, we evaluated our list of use cases against six criteria to narrow our focus into the following five: Government, Insurance Companies, Mapping, Marketing purposes, and Freight. Based on our research, we decided to move forward with the insurance industry as a proof of concept for autonomous vehicle data monetization. Based on our modeling, we concluded there is a significant market for autonomous vehicle data monetization moving forward. Data accessibility is a key driver in how profitable a particular company and their competitors can be in this space. In order to effectively monetize this data, it would first be important to understand the method by which a company obtains access to the data in the first place. Ultimately, based on our analysis, Company X has positioned itself well to take advantage of the new trends in autonomous vehicle technology. With more strategic investments and innovation, Company X can be a key benefactor of this unprecedented space in the near future.
ContributorsShapiro, Brandon (Co-author) / Quintana, Alex (Co-author) / Sigrist, Austin (Co-author) / Clark, Rachael (Co-author) / Carlton, Corrine (Co-author) / Simonson, Mark (Thesis director) / Reber, Kevin (Committee member) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
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Description
Company X has developed minicomputing products that can change the way people think about minicomputer. The Product A (PRODUCT A) and Product B are relatively new products on the market that have the ability to change the way some industries use technology and increase end-user convenience. The key issue for

Company X has developed minicomputing products that can change the way people think about minicomputer. The Product A (PRODUCT A) and Product B are relatively new products on the market that have the ability to change the way some industries use technology and increase end-user convenience. The key issue for Company X is finding targeted use cases to which Company X can market these products and increase sales. This thesis reports how our team has researched, calculated, and financially forecasted use cases for both the PRODUCT A and Product B. The Education and Healthcare industries were identified as those providing significant potential value propositions and an array of potential use cases from which we could choose to evaluate. Key competitors, market dynamics, and information obtained through interviews with a Product Line Analyst were used to size the available, obtainable, and attainable market numbers for Company X. The models built for this research provided insight into the PRODUCT A and Product B's potential growth in the education and healthcare industries. This led to the selection of education and healthcare use cases for the Product B and the PRODUCT A use cases for healthcare. This report concludes with recommendations for success in education and healthcare with the PRODUCT A and Product B.
ContributorsHoward, James (Co-author) / Kazmi, Abbas (Co-author) / Ralston, Nicholas (Co-author) / Salamatin, Mikkaela Alexis (Co-author) / Simonson, Mark (Thesis director) / Hopkins, David (Committee member) / W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
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Description
The purpose of this research is to gain a deeper understanding of the often-despised financial sector while exploring the parallels it reflects in our society. Information Measurement Theory was applied to several aspects of life apparent in both the financial sector and our society in order to discover parallels present

The purpose of this research is to gain a deeper understanding of the often-despised financial sector while exploring the parallels it reflects in our society. Information Measurement Theory was applied to several aspects of life apparent in both the financial sector and our society in order to discover parallels present in both. By analyzing the financial sector against our society as a whole, it becomes apparent that the financial sector's composition of individuals reflects that of our societies and is a close representation. Further, the financial sector is able to reflect the importance of information and how individuals react to and justify good and bad results from decision-making. In all our despise of the financial sector is nothing more than the loathe of inherent flaws in our society as a whole.
ContributorsHappe, John Nicholas (Author) / Kashiwagi, Dean (Thesis director) / Sullivan, Kenneth (Committee member) / Barlish, Kristen (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor)
Created2013-05
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Description
This paper investigates whether measures of investor sentiment can be used to predict future total returns of the S&P 500 index. Rolling regressions and other statistical techniques are used to determine which indicators contain the most predictive information and which time horizons' returns are "easiest" to predict in a three

This paper investigates whether measures of investor sentiment can be used to predict future total returns of the S&P 500 index. Rolling regressions and other statistical techniques are used to determine which indicators contain the most predictive information and which time horizons' returns are "easiest" to predict in a three year data set. The five "most predictive" indicators are used to predict 180 calendar day future returns of the market and simulated investment of hypothetical accounts is conducted in an independent six year data set based on the rolling regression future return predictions. Some indicators, most notably the VIX index, appear to contain predictive information which led to out-performance of the accounts that invested based on the rolling regression model's predictions.
ContributorsDundas, Matthew William (Author) / Boggess, May (Thesis director) / Budolfson, Arthur (Committee member) / Hedegaard, Esben (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor)
Created2013-12
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Description
The goal of this thesis is to motivate college students to be financially aware and drive them toward attainable financial goals and freedom through budgeting. By providing a foundation of financial knowledge, they can begin to make intelligent decisions about their purchases. After they learn about their current spending habits,

The goal of this thesis is to motivate college students to be financially aware and drive them toward attainable financial goals and freedom through budgeting. By providing a foundation of financial knowledge, they can begin to make intelligent decisions about their purchases. After they learn about their current spending habits, students can soundly determine what they have monetarily and then how to allocate that money appropriately. The paper outlines different categories these students should focus on fiscally, like rent and housing as the largest expenses and entertainment expenses as a common pitfall in a college student's budget. Constant financial awareness is reiterated throughout, indicating this is a day-to-day skill to develop. The thesis finally ties up with discussing financing options for college and life in general, with student loans, credit cards, and savings.
ContributorsSchachte, Jessica Linn (Author) / Budolfson, Arthur (Thesis director) / Hoffman, David (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor)
Created2013-12
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DescriptionThe project consisted on creating a model for a venture capital firm to use that would help in screening through investment opportunities.
ContributorsRojo, Grecia (Co-author) / Cullen, Justin (Co-author) / Gandhi, Prayas (Co-author) / Brooks, Daniel (Thesis director) / Foy, Joseph (Committee member) / O'Brien, Jennifer (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor)
Created2013-05
Description
The object of the present study is to examine methods in which the company can optimize their costs on third-party suppliers whom oversee other third-party trade labor. The third parties in scope of this study are suspected to overstaff their workforce, thus overcharging the company. We will introduce a complex

The object of the present study is to examine methods in which the company can optimize their costs on third-party suppliers whom oversee other third-party trade labor. The third parties in scope of this study are suspected to overstaff their workforce, thus overcharging the company. We will introduce a complex spreadsheet model that will propose a proper project staffing level based on key qualitative variables and statistics. Using the model outputs, the Thesis team proposes a headcount solution for the company and problem areas to focus on, going forward. All sources of information come from company proprietary and confidential documents.
ContributorsLoo, Andrew (Co-author) / Brennan, Michael (Co-author) / Sheiner, Alexander (Co-author) / Hertzel, Michael (Thesis director) / Simonson, Mark (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / WPC Graduate Programs (Contributor) / School of Accountancy (Contributor)
Created2014-05
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Description
This thesis provides an in-depth comparison of the attractiveness of leveraged buyout (LBO) transactions under low versus high interest rates. In particular, our analysis focuses on how London Interbank Offered Rates (LIBOR) affect internal rates of return for hypothetical LBO transactions, assuming financing structure and operational enhancements for the individual

This thesis provides an in-depth comparison of the attractiveness of leveraged buyout (LBO) transactions under low versus high interest rates. In particular, our analysis focuses on how London Interbank Offered Rates (LIBOR) affect internal rates of return for hypothetical LBO transactions, assuming financing structure and operational enhancements for the individual transactions are held constant. Given that LIBOR rates are currently at historically low levels, we model four hypothetical LBO transactions in the specialty retail space using both historically high and currently low LIBOR rates (for a total of eight model outputs). We quantify the extent to which high rates have the potential to decrease LBO value, while low rates may enhance value. Through this thesis, we have obtained a better understanding of LBO transaction modeling, an understanding that will make us more effective as professionals in investment banking. Finally, this thesis can serve as a step-by-step guide to LBOs for undergraduate finance students, particularly for members of the Investment Banking Industry Scholars (IBIS) program at Arizona State University.
ContributorsGormley, Sean (Co-author) / Hert, James (Co-author) / Coles, Jeffrey (Thesis director) / Bhattacharya, Anand (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Economics (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / School of Accountancy (Contributor)
Created2014-05