Sean Zhang
Associate Professor
Contact
Background
Dr. Zhang is an Associate Professor of Finance and CFP® Program Director at John Carroll University's Boler College of Business.
Areas of Expertise
- Household Finance
- Behavioral Finance
- Equity Market Participation
- Longevity
- Separate Managed Accounts
- CFP® Program Development
- Financial Literacy Education
Research Interests
Dr. Zhang's research specializes in the field of household finance. His research applies empirical methods to understand how and why individuals make certain financial decisions, specifically focusing on the drivers of investor behaviors.
His research projects have been recognized nationally.
- Best Paper Award at 2025 Financial Planning Association (FPA) Conference
- The Value of Personalized Longevity Projection for Retirement Income (with K Jeremy Ko, and Qi Sun)
- Best Paper Award at 2018 American Council on Consumer Interests (ACCI) Conference
- Framing Longevity Income (with Michael Guillemette, Jesse Jurgenson, and Deanna Sharpe)
- Best Paper Award at 2017 Academy of Financial Services (AFS) Conference
- Do Investors’ Subjective Risk Perceptions Influence Their Portfolio Choice? A Household Bargaining Perspective (with Charlene Kalenkoski)
Education
Dr. Zhang holds a Ph.D. in Personal Financial Planning from Texas Tech University, a premier institution in the field. He also earned dual Master's degrees in both Finance and Mathematics, and a B.S. in Applied Mathematics. Dr. Zhang is a dedicated educator, and his commitment to teaching excellence has been recognized by the Boler College of Business for three consecutive years (2022 to 2025). Dr. Zhang holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® certification.Courses Taught
PFP 3301 Fundamentals of Personal Financial Planning
PFP 4490 Capstone in Wealth Management
FN 3312 Business Finance
FN 3316 Financial Market and Institutions
Publications
- “Launching a CFP Board Registered Program at an AACSB-accredited Business School: A Case Study and Analysis” (with William Elliott), Financial Services Review, 33(4), 2025, p 1-11
- "Which Should Be Your Top Pick, Separately Managed Accounts or ETFs?" (with Tao Guo, Yuanshan Cheng, and Haiyan Wang), Journal of Risk and Financial Management, May 2024, vol. 17(5), p 1-19
- “Framing Longevity Income” (with Michael Guillemette, Jesse Jurgenson, and Deanna Sharpe), Journal of Personal Finance, Spring 2020, Vol 19 Issue 1, p 49-67
- “From Behavioral Finance to Factor Investing: Research You Don’t Want to Miss” (with Harold Evensky), Journal of Financial Planning, March 2017, Vol 30 Issue 3, p 32-34
