By Liz Skinner April 8, 2012 6:01 am ET Financial advisory firms that have found success focusing on female clients share a few common marketing and hiring traits — as well as some other tactics — that keep women walking through their doors. “If you are a financial adviser, you have to show a woman you care about more than just her investment account,” said Brittney Castro, a Los Angeles-based adviser for Perennial Financial Services LLC who works mostly with female clients. “You do that by hosting workshops, family day events and other things that fall outside the norm.” The marketing approach of female-friendly firms typically centers on education, with advisers’ websites, blogs, videos and other materials meant to provide the financial knowledge many women lack. Ms. Castro has written a blog, financiallywisewomen.org, for several years. At first, she posted generic financial information, or ghostwritten content, because she didn’t think [...]
How to Provide for the Kids Post-Divorce
By: Elizabeth Alterman Published on CNBC.com http://www.cnbc.com/id/46797194/page/2/ on May 7, 2012 If you think providing for your children after divorce is basically about diapers, dentistry, and diplomas, you’re in for a life of surprises. Whether you’re supporting preschoolers or those who have returned home after college, experts say preparing for any scenario and putting everything in writing is the best way to defuse potentially explosive situations in the future. Helene Bernstein, a Brooklyn-based divorce attorney with more than 20 years of experience in family law, says even small items can cause big problems. “Little things that couples argue about and they don’t think of is who pays for the children’s clothing? Does the clothing travel with the child? Who pays for the birthday gifts? They get expensive. When they’re little, they go to a lot of parties,” Bernstein says. Other considerations such as orthodontia or therapy, should the child need [...]
Checklists for Special Needs Children
Below is a couple of checklists intended to help parents of speical needs children. Divorce Checklists for Special Needs Children Checklist A: Visitation Checklist □ Medicines and non prescription supplements / treatments □ Medical equipment □ Modified equipment Ramp Gait belt Stander Walker Wheelchair / Stroller Leg Braces / Orthotics Communication Aids: Assistive technology, symbol cards, recording devices Visual Aids Audio Aids Headphones DVD players & special movies / visuals CD players & special music / books on tape Bed rails Monitors Backpacks/ Fanny packs / ID carry holder Pillows, bed pads, waterproof aids Kitchen aids for processing meals Environmental control devices and switches Special clothing (diapers, support hose, shoes, etc.) □ Emergency Contact List □ List of Medicines, Medical History, Allergies, Preferred Hospital & Pharmacy □ Letter of Authorization to Act with Power of Attorney in Medical Emergency Checklist B: Parenting Plan Checklist: □ Have the parents [...]
Advisors Name Favorite Actively Managed Mutual Funds
April 24, 2012 By Karen DeMasters Each financial advisor who manages mutual funds for his clients has a favorite or two that fulfills a specific goal in their clients’ portfolios. Financial Advisormagazine recently asked several advisors to reveal their favorites. The advisors, who report they are satisfied with the expenses compared to the returns, have been using some of the funds for many years. Bob Mecca, CFP, of Robert A. Mecca & Associates LLC in Hoffman Estates, Ill., wants funds that have a relatively low risk as measured by beta and other factors, do not mirror indexes, have historically outpaced the competition and have been in the top quartile of mutual funds for a period of time. Mecca publishes a weekly e-mail commentary called Mecca on Money. Mecca says he likes low-risk funds, especially in the current market environment, and he wants ones where the fund and the [...]
Finances and the newly single
Original Article on https://retirementplans.vanguard.com/VGApp/pe/pubnews/DivorcedWomen.jsf The divorce proceedings may be over and the papers signed. But for many, divorce brings a new challenge: Figuring out how to handle the financial decisions—on everything from budgeting to investing—that may have been handled before by their spouse. What steps should the newly divorced take to get a grip on their new financial situation? To find out we interviewed Lili A.Vasileff, a Certified Financial Planner™ professional based in Greenwich, Connecticut, and president of the Association of Divorce Financial Planners.* Ms. Vasileff writes about financial issues in divorce on many professional blogs, and on her website, DivorceMatters.com.* Question: What are some important first financial steps to take after divorce? Ms.Vasileff: First, try to get a handle on your cash flow. That can start by re-examining your budget because the post-divorce world will be new for you, one in which you will have different assets, debts, expenses, [...]
New York City’s First Divorce Expo: 3 Ways to “Start Over Smart”
Thursday, March 29, 2012 at 12:40 PM posted by April Daniels Hussar on http://www.self.com/health/blogs/healthyself/2012/03/new-york-citys-first-divorce-e.html First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes … well, sometimes the happy ending you had in mind doesn’t quite work out. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t life after divorce, or that it can’t be a step to another, truly happy ending. This weekend in New York, several thousand people are expected to attend the city’s first Divorce Expo. Taking place at the Metropolitan Pavilion on March 31 and April 1, “Start Over Smart” aims to help those contemplating or going through divorce by giving them the information and answers they need. The Expo also intends to provide inspirational ideas about how life can begin anew after a split. Presenting experts include everyone from lawyers and therapists to style advisers, plus some big names like New York Times best-selling author and life coach Cheryl Richardson [...]