By Julia Boyle

THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

The bulls begin to run again this month at Seabrook, as the popular “Investment Challenge” heads into its fourth season.

Between 25 and 30 participants from the community will invest an imaginary $100,000 in three to five stocks. During the threemonth challenge they buy and sell stocks as they follow market trends and current events.

Last spring, Anne McKenna grew her $100,000 into $154,112, winning the  challenge. This year, she hopes to do even better. “I learned that if you buy a very low stock and it does well, you can do very well in the market,” she says. “That’s what fortunately happened to me last spring.”

Risk-free investing

Gary Engelstad, director of resident life and founder of the Investment Challenge, meets with the challengers every other week and presents them with a detailed report of where their stocks stand.

McKenna says Engelstad’s reports helped her succeed, and the interaction with other investors makes it enjoyable and different than investing in real life, which she also does.

Engelstad says the challenge is a risk-free way to learn about investing and the stock market. But even though they follow current events and market trends closely, he says that while some participants wish they had really invested,  “others are glad it’s play money.”

“I do admit that using imaginary funds takes the edge off,” McKenna says, “but following my stocks every day seemed quite real and was part of every morning.”

Keeping current

Engelstad says the challenge was born from the Current Events Club. “There was such an interest in the stock market when the topic was addressed during our business discussion that it ultimately developed into another one of the more than 150 clubs and activities at Seabrook,” he says.

“I think it’s so popular because it combines events and news with some competition,” he adds.