TAMPA — Personal financial planning students from the University of South Florida Muma College of Business competed in the 2026 Financial Planning Challenge, placing second in the student case competition held in January at the Future Advisors Conference.
“The case was an excellent learning opportunity to apply both technical and client‑facing skills in a realistic advisory setting,” said Kevalin Gupta, member of the competing team and vice president of Mu Nu Upsilon, the personal financial planning fraternity at USF.
Other team members included Anthony Auteri, Camilo Bravo, and Neil Foley, all students in the Kate Tiedemann School of Business and Finance.
Aside from the student competition, the two-day conference hosted by the University of Florida offered a range of professional development opportunities, industry panel discussions, and networking with numerous Registered Investment Advisor professionals.
“The conference provided an opportunity to connect with firms dedicated to growing talent in the field and presented many prospects for internships and full‑time roles. I left the conference feeling better equipped and invigorated for my future career in this industry,” said Alex Healy, a USF personal financial planning student and president of Mu Nu Upsilon.
Each experience provided valuable insight into current trends shaping the financial planning field, emphasizing the importance of staying informed, adaptable, and effective in client communication, the students said.
“The conference was a great opportunity to showcase USF’s talented students during the case competition, and it was exceptionally valuable to make connections with financial planning professionals, employers, and other students,” said Tim Greer, an assistant professor of instruction in the Kate Tiedemann School of Business and Finance who oversees the personal financial planning program.