Introduction

This blog is going to be a bit different than the rest; it will be a place where I can organize my work and create a portfolio. The idea came from my brother, saying how useful it is for prospective employers looking to judge your competence.  So, that's what this blog will be - my most valued and thought provoking work.

But first, a little about me.  My name is Zack Miller and I'll be starting my fourth of five years at the University of Iowa.  I attend the Tippie College of Business and am pursuing a degree in finance, economics, and mathematics with a minor in computer science.

Quite the list, huh? Well, had I been smarter in my earlier years I could graduate on-time with everything I needed.  It wan't until last year I was introduced to a mathematical finance program that peaked my interest.  Finally I had found something that tied in my love for quantitative reasoning and financial markets.  My goal is to attend a top-tier mathematical finance program and the only way for me to build a strong base is to load up on mathematics and computer science courses -- at this time I am nine-tenths the way through my finance and economics degree.  My fifth year will entail mostly mathematics and computer science.

So, investments?  Sounds pretty boring, almost like every other undergraduate finance major.  That's not quite true, my goal isn't to make money or pick a career that leads to an easy retirement.  Financial markets - any type of market for that matter -  are one of the most interesting philosophies humans have created.  We put so much weight on this hypothetical idea that we let it run our lives only to hope that we can reach sheer happiness when we finally get everything we need, often times to the point of utter destruction.

I want this idea gone. Every market should be free of resistance and barriers. Technology has come such a long way that many of our financial ideals of the 1930s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 80s, 90s have all become irrelevant. All of our money, products, and resources should flow without disruption, - of course we need some but I'll save you from my political ideologies - and at that point I strongly believe humans can have their cake and eat it too.

With that being said, this blog will house everything related to this field.  There may be times where I post code, company analyses, papers, or articles.  I may even throw in the occasional vacation photo or two; but for now, you must wait.