Portfolio

Courtesy of Jason Cartier, Financial Advisor Ibis Financial Group We know that Americans are in denial about their finances. Federal data show they spend like there’s no tomorrow. Our middle class is among the most affluent in history, but many people in the middle class are living paycheck- to-paycheck with futures, mortgaged to pay for increasingly expensive amusements. Despite their spending habits, many Americans-especially women-are tormented by the notion that they will outlive their money. A Securian Financial Group poll of 400 women ages 30 to 64 were asked about their financial sense of wellbeing. The company also asked about their perceptions of the financial impact of long-term care (not the insurance,... [Read more]

Adult Summer Camps

Adult Summer Camps Because summer vacation isn’t just for the kids anymore By M.M. Cloutier Jamming with a rock n’ roll band, swimming with dolphins, partying with chefs, orbiting to space, rubbing elbows with great minds—summer camp isn’t what it used to be. It’s better—and it’s for adults, too. In our faster-better-more culture, grown-ups increasingly aren’t satisfied spending time “off” lying on a beach. According to the Travel Industry Association, more than 30 million U.S. adults have taken an educational trip to learn or improve a skill, sport or hobby in the last three years. Tens of millions more have taken an adventure trip during that period. Whether you consult the latest statistics... [Read more]

Sandwich Generation Survival

Tips for enduring the current economic climate BY PHYLLIS GOLDBERG, PHD. AND ROSEMARY LICHTMAN, PH.D. These are unprecedented times. With the breakdown of traditional financial institutions, the wildly fluctuating stock market and the trillion-dollar government bailout, Americans are confused about how to respond. Some people are in denial, not prepared to grasp the problems and potential consequences. Others are angry at what they see as awarding recklessness on Wall Street and by their neighbors. Still, others are in a panic about the gloomy economic forecast. These are all common emotional reactions to loss. And for Sandwich Generation Boomers many of whom are financially responsible for their growing children and... [Read more]

Leaving Your Legacy

LEAVING YOUR LEGACY Providing heirs with incentives to earn their inheritances By Rebecca G. Doane, Esq. and Randall C. Doane, Esq. A large inheritance can be a blessing or a curse depending on the choices made by the beneficiary. Whether a child or grandchild who has inherited sizeable wealth chooses to focus on entrepreneurial, artistic, family, charitable or other worthwhile goals, he or she will have an extraordinary opportunity to experience great achievement in his or her field of interest. On the other hand, if the child or grandchild does not choose wisely, a substantial inheritance can compromise their opportunity to experience the satisfaction and fulfillment that would come from great success in important... [Read more]