Intern Peggy M. interviews portfolio manager Razmig Pounardjian for thoughts on what teens should do with their summer savings accounts. Here is Peggy’s post.

Here are our thoughts on a few factors that may impact your wealth. 

As someone who studied economics in college, I have always been fascinated by human decision making, not just in business but in life. I recently was listening to a Bloomberg podcast interview with Daniel Kahneman that was recorded last year. Kahneman is a professor emeritus of psychology at Princeton University, the author of the best-selling book Thinking, Fast and Slow and one of the world’s most renowned behavioral economists.  Behavioral economics is the study of the psychological, emotional and social factors that impact the economic decisions we make. Below are some interesting points and examples Kahneman discussed:

About five years ago, “Giving Tuesday” was created and is celebrated the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving. This day celebrates and encourages giving in both monetary and non-monetary ways. Just on that day alone, approximately $117 million was raised online for charities. The increased awareness for charitable giving is a testament to the
good hearted and selfless nature of many individuals and corporations.

We here at Carnegie recently spent an afternoon cooking lunch for those in residence at the Ronald McDonald House in Cleveland. Sometimes it’s best to get away from the grind of “every day” life and give back to those in need and less fortunate. As someone who spends the majority of his days in the office, I really enjoyed preparing a meal together for those in need with my fellow co-workers. 

One of the ways we have helped encourage charitable giving is through the use of Donor Advised Funds.

This article was originally published in February 2015 and has been updated in February 2026 to reflect current information.

Interest rates are one of those economic topics that show up constantly in headlines, but rarely get explained in plain language. When rates are low, it can feel like “good news” across the board. Cheaper borrowing. Easier financing. More activity.

But low interest rates have a tradeoff. They help some people and businesses while actually creating challenges for others.

Here’s what low interest rates really mean, and where the benefits and risks tend to show up.