Feliciano School of Business professors Todd Federman and David Axelrod from the Department of Economics discuss Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani's $700 million contract. The contract covers 10 years of play but will be paid out over 20 years. They explain how the contract is beneficial to both Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers through business concepts like present value, elasticity, inflation, and supply and demand.

Speaker Bios
Dr. Axelrod received his Ph.D. in Economics from Rutgers University in 1990, with the dissertation Three Essays on Latency in Economics and Decision Making. He has taught at Montclair State University as an adjunct professor since 2013. Previously, he worked in finance for twenty years as an economist, consultant and actuarial analyst, including positions with Falcon Management, Volvo Finance, and Crum & Forster. He has also produced research in health economics, and the nature of choice and well-being. Dr. Axelrod provides holonomic consultation and workshops. He plays electric bass, and has released over a dozen albums of original music.

After getting an MBA from Harvard, Todd Federman started his twenty-five year Wall Street career at Goldman Sachs as a bond trader. He then joined Drexel Burnham as both a bond and equity trader. After Drexel, Todd spent fifteen years at hedge fund Paloma Partners, managing a regional office and trading equities based on a proprietary technical trading model. After leaving Wall Street, he started a second career in education. Todd was an adjunct in the Mathematics department at MSU from 2009-2014 before joining the Economics department full time in the fall of 2014. Todd was also an independent Education Consultant. He ran professional development workshops, focused on showing teachers how to use Smart Boards effectively.

Why do Americans remain guarded about the economy's prospects when all signs point to a robust financial landscape? Together with Dr. David Axelrod from the Feliciano School of Business, we unravel this enigma. The economy is booming on paper—GDP is up, and joblessness is down—yet there's a palpable sense of unease about what lies ahead. We dissect the impact of inflation and higher interest rates, the weight of credit card debt, and why the inflationary burden isn't shared equally. Beyond the numbers, today's economic sentiment is colored by the long shadows of climate change and global unrest, factors that balance sheets have yet to fully account for.

Strap in for a thought-provoking ride as we probe the challenges of future economic planning amid present-day success stories. In our conversation with Dr. Axelrod, we confront the paradox of a future that's growing murkier even as our present metrics shine bright. Interest rates creep up, the divide between the haves and have-nots widens, and the cost of borrowing from tomorrow's promise increases—these are but a few of the complexities we navigate. Join us for a deep analysis that goes beyond the headlines, offering a sobering look at the fragility of consumer confidence and the seismic shifts that could redefine our economic landscape.

Dr. Axelrod received his Ph.D. in Economics from Rutgers University in 1990, with the dissertation Three Essays on Latency in Economics and Decision Making. He has taught at Montclair State University as an adjunct professor since 2013. Previously, he worked in finance for twenty years as an economist, consultant and actuarial analyst, including positions with Falcon Management, Volvo Finance, and Crum & Forster. He has also produced research in health economics, and the nature of choice and well-being. Dr. Axelrod provides holonomic consultation and workshops. He plays electric bass and has released over a dozen albums of original music.

Olive and Kayla, MBA students at Feliciano School of Business, dive into the Stanley cups phenomenon. In this casual conversation, they question the price of popularity and ask if it's time for the company to take a stand against overconsumption. Tune into this episode and be part of the discussion on all things Stanley!