Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Washington Business Journal:
"The responsibility is on you to seek and employ a financial counselor who is competent and works for acrediblre company," says Laurence president and chief executive of The Americabn College, a nonprofit educator of insurance and financial-services professionalxs based in Bryn Mawr, Pa. "Look at their resume, verifty their certifications and checktheir references. If you find someone with charisma, but who lacks technica l depth, keep looking." Just because a planne r has earned aprofessional certification, it doesn'ty necessarily mean the individuapl has the expertise you need. Barton says therw are more than 100 professional designations inthe financial-servicesd industry.
If you're not familiaer with a provider's designation, ask abou it and conduct some research onthe Web. Some common designations are Chartered Life which indicates trainingin insurance; and Certifiefd Financial Planner, which includes training in principles of financiak planning, insurance, employee benefits, income taxes and retirement and estate A Chartered Financial Analyst has expertise in portfolio managementf and investment analysis, while a Certifiedd Public Accountant can offer advice on tax matters. A Registered Investmenf Advisor manages the investments of others and is registerede with the Securities andExchange Commission.
Such professionakl certifications require expertise and a commitmentf to ethical standards and continuing If the consultant is a broker registereed withthe NASD, you can go to the NASD Web site ( ) to see if he has had any historty of improper or unethica l conduct. The type of professional who can best meet your needs dependsz on what you arelooking for. A businesa owner will likely have varied such asinvestment management, business-succession exit strategy, management of tax liabilities, retirement insurance, estate planning, and creatiob and administration of a 401(k) plan for employees.
"The key is to know what you want toaccomplisjh - and not just in your business," says Nicholas Nicolette, president of the board of the Financiak Planning Association. "You must be able to articulates what is most important to you and then find a trustexd partner tohelp you." That meanzs finding a consultant who not only has experiencd with small businesses, but who has worked with companies of similart size and in the same industry as yours. "You want someond who spends most of their time specializinf in the needs ofsmall businesses, especiallh of the size and type you are," says Daniel Moisand, FPA past Says Barton, "Have they provided counsel to others in a comparable situation??
With experience in your they'll understand the lexicon, the riskw and the regulatory environment you face. If they don'y ask you a lot of questions, find anothet adviser." While competence, experience and integrityy areprime considerations, compatibility is important, too. "It's a combination of competenc yand caring," says Nicolette, a certified financialk planner in Sparta, N.J. "You're not lookinf for your next best friend, but you want someon you like and respect so therew can be trust and rapporfbetween you," says Moisand, a certified financia l planner based in FL. "And it's worthwhile to have a conversation aboutpersonall style.
How often will you meet and how - by e-mail or face-to-face?" It's also important to discussa the fee structure at the Some consultants charge an hourlyh rate or a flat fee per while others will ask for an annual retainer or work on Ifthe latter, your adviser is compensated for the investmentsz you buy and/or the size or number of transactions your account generates. An adviserr working for a fee receives remuneration based on an establisheds schedule regardless of the kind or numberfof transactions. "You shouldn't have to ask about it - they shoulrd tell you how they willbe compensated," Moisand says.
"A good consultantr will be forthright, transparent and upfront - if not, it's a bad sign. To find a financial consultant, ask your attorney, accountang or other small-business owners for Local business groups such as your locapl chamber of commerce canprovide leads, Bartob says. Organizations that awar d professional certifications often include a list of members sorterby region. The FPA Web site ( ) is one such
Monday, February 27, 2012
On-time performance dips at Hartsfield-Jackson - Atlanta Business Chronicle:
The monthly report, which tracks the top 19 U.S. ranked Atlanta-based Delta (NYSE: DAL) 14th amontg its peers with an on-time percentage of 77.4 in May. This comparea with an on-time percentage of 84.1 and a rankin g of fifth place inMay 2008. Fla.-based AirTran (NYSE: AAI), whicg hubs at , came in 17th place with an on-times percentage of 75.6. This compares with a third-place ranking and on-time percentaged of 84.7 in May 2008. Also in May, Hartsfield-Jackson had 35,13t arrivals with an on-time percentage of 69.8 and 35,13q departures with an on-time percentage of This compareswith 34,572 arrivals with an on-time percentage of 84.
3 and 34,5756 arrivals with an on-time percentage of 34,576 in May 2008. Deltz came in last place in May for consumer with105 complaints, or 1.85 complaintes per 100,00 enplanements. It ranked 14th for mishandled with 21,186 reports, or 4.33 reports per 1,000 passengers. AirTrah ranked 13th for consumer complaints, logging 20 consumer or 1 per 100,000 enplanements. It took first placed for mishandled baggage, with only 3,298 or 1.6 per 1,000 passengers.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Join The Penguin Book Club On Twitter To Chat With Your Favorite Authors ... - mediabistro.com
mediabistro.com | Join The Penguin Book Club On Twitter To Chat With Your Favorite Authors ... mediabistro.com By Lauren Dugan on February 23, 2012 2:45 PM Penguin Group has launched a Twitter book club, offering book worms a chance to chat with each other about their favorite pass ages via hashtag chats and even hear from the book's author him or herself. |
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Treasury limits bonuses at TARP recipients - Sacramento Business Journal:
The new rules encourage these companies to award executives stoci that must be held for a long periods of timeand can’t be entirelt converted to cash until the TARP money is repaid to the government. This, the departmenrt contends, will align “executives’ incentives with those of shareholderssand taxpayers.” Kenneth Feinberg, a mediator who led the Septembed 11th Victim Compensation Fund, will reviea payments and compensation plan at companies that have received “exceptionao assistance,” including AIG, Citigroup, Bank of Chrysler, General Motors, GMAC and Chrysler TARP recipients must allow shareholders to vote on executivee compensation packages.
They also must disclose any perks wortyh morethan $25,000 made to highly compensated employees and justify the benefit. The rulez prohibit companies fromproviding “gross-up” payments to senior executivees to cover taxes due on Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner said the Obamsa administration also supports legislation that woul require all public companies to give shareholders a non-bindin vote on executive compensation packages. Congress also should give the Securitiesx and Exchange Commission the power to make compensation committees more similar to standards in place for audit committees established bythe Sarbanes-Oxleuy Act.
Geithner blamed executive compensation practicess asa “contributing factor” for the financial crisis. “Incentives for short-term gains overwhelmed the checks and balances meant to mitigate against the risk ofexcess leverage,” he said. But, he “We are not capping pay. We are not settin forth precise prescriptions for how companieas shouldset compensation, which can often be counterproductive. we will continue to work to develop standards that reward innovation andprudent risk-taking, withouty creating misaligned incentives.
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Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Starbird car show's centerpiece, the 'Vibrasonic,' a tribute to late friend - Tulsa World
Starbird car show's centerpiece, the 'Vibrasonic,' a tribute to late friend Tulsa World By DAVID HARPER World Staff Writer Titus died in 2008, but his friends and family have banded together to give him a present that serves as a tribute to him and the centerpiece of the 48th annual Darryl Starbird Exotic Car Show & Monster Truck Races ... |
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Motorised protesters take to Kremlin roads for anti-Putin procession - The Guardian (blog)
The Guardian (blog) | Motorised protesters take to Kremlin roads for anti-Putin procession The Guardian (blog) Hundreds of protesters drove cars in a circle around central Moscow on Sunday to demand that Vladimir Putin, the prime minister, allow free elections in Russia. As they travelled along the wide Garden Ring, which makes a 10-mile loop around the Kremlin ... |
Friday, February 17, 2012
WFU biz schools expands in Charlotte - The Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area:
To accommodate expected growth, the schools ios seekingv a new base of operationds with atleast 25,000 squars feet of space in Charlotte’s downtown business Wake Forest had been planning to move its business education programs thers into the Wachovia First Street project but is lookingv at other options now in lightg of the takeover of Wachoviaa by Wells Fargo. Dean of Businessz Steve Reinemund said the new facility will not only house educationapl programs but also outreach programs to the Charlottebusiness community, alumni activitied and faculty research.
“The university is committed to continuing to grow its business programz in the Charlotte area and we are excited that thesde plans will also enable us to bettefr serveour alumni,” Reinemund said. Wake Forestg opened its existing Charlotte campus in 1995 with one MBA programk and30 students. Today it has two MBA programx and178 students, the school said

