2008 Press Coverage / Media Interest

Newark Advocate, December 22, 2008 – In “Protect Your Finances from Financial Downturn,” Garrett member Jeff Eschman of Houston, Texas commented on the tendencies of young investors in their 20s. “Young investors tend to panic less about the market because they have less to lose,” said Eschman. “Because these people are just starting their adult lives, they'll also have many years to recover from market downturns.”

San Antonio Express, December 7, 2008 – “Remember the old saying, ‘buy low and sell high'? It's just as applicable to real estate as to stocks and bonds,” said Garrett member Teri Tornroos, EA of Marietta, Georgia. “Right now, house prices are relatively low, making it a great time to buy if your finances are stable.” Read more in “It’s a Good Time to Buy First Home – But you Need Financial Blueprint.”

Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, December 3, 2008 – In Kimberly Lankford’s column “What to do With a Windfall,” Garrett member Brooke Salvini, CPA/PFS, CFP® of San Luis Obispo, California recommended bumping up emergency funds to cover six to twelve months’ worth of expenses, and double that if you or your spouse works in a field that's susceptible to layoffs.

InvestmentNews, November 9, 2008 – Garrett members Jean Keener, CRPC®, CFDP® of Keller, Texas and John Belluardo, ChFC® of Dobbs Ferry, New York were featured in the article, Big mutual funds stumble in market collapse.”

MSN Money, October 28, 2008 – With stock market volatility at historical highs, the article “Wade Into the Market? Or Plunge?” takes a closer look at the strategy of dollar cost averaging, or DCA.  Garrett member Warren McIntyre, CFP® of VisionQuest Financial Planning in Troy, Michigan says that the situation he often sees is a client faced with a decision regarding a once in a lifetime lump sum of money, such as an inheritance or 401(k) rollover.  Most of his clients choose to invest immediately to just get it done, but McIntyre says “for someone skittish about the market by nature, especially during a volatile time like now – I think DCA is a great strategy from a psychological standpoint.”

The Dallas Morning News, October 5, 2008 – Garrett member Jean Keener, CRPC®, CFDP® of Keller, Texas answered readers’ questions about their finances during a live chat.  

Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, October 3, 2008 – Garrett Planning Network members Kathleen Campbell of Ft. Myers, Florida and Lisa Byles, CFP® of Richmond, Virginia make several suggestions for spending less and saving more in the article, “Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck.” 

ABCNews.com, October 1, 2008 – The Garrett Planning Network was recognized along with several members:  Deborah Winterhalter, CFP® from Warrenville, IL, Jay Hutchins, CFP®, CDFA from Lebanon, NH, Jake Engle, CFP® from Seattle, WA and Brendan McNamar, CFP® from Mesa, AZ.  These Garrett advisors give answers to readers personal finance questions in the article, “Financial Pros Answer Your Top Questions.”

Ladies Home Journal, October 2008 – Paul Dolce, MBA, CFP®, a Garrett member from Dublin, Ohio is featured in this article giving advice on paying down debt. Read “Make Your Dreams Come True” for ideas.

CNN Money, September 19, 2008 – “You may not want to invest more than 60% of your portfolio in stocks,” says Garrett member, Frank Boucher CEBS, CFP® from Reston, Virginia. Get more advice on investing in an uncertain economy in “Your Exposure to Wall Street’s Crisis.”

InvestmentNews, September 15, 2008 – Garrett member, Buz Livingston, CFP® from Santa Rosa Beach, Florida points out a conflict of interest in the article, “Texas Pol Proposes Annuities for Public Funds.” "If Colonel Sanders is proposing something, then the chickens need to be worried," said Livingston.

MarketWatch, September 12, 2008 – Brian Smith, Ph.D., a Garrett member in Vienna, Virginia, is quoted in “Self-reliance,” an article on using retirement money for real estate investments.

Washington Post, July 6, 2008 - "When you look at dividend cuts in the face of high gas prices, in the face of high commodity prices, in the face of high food prices, this really stings, and unfortunately there's not much you can do about it," said Frank Boucher, CEBS, CFP®, a financial planner in Reston, Virginia and member of the Garrett Planning Network. Read more of this article in “Long a Reliable Profit Source, Dividends Start to Crumble.”

The Ledger, July 26, 2008 – Garrett member Madeline Moore, CFP® of Portland, Oregon was quoted in “Getting a Down Payment for Your First Home.” “It's a lot easier to buy a secondhand car than a first home,” said Moore. “The key is to realize that once you've met your housing goal and replenished your savings, you could always replace the car you sold.”

InvestmentNews, July 21, 2008 – Angie Grillo, CFP®, AIF® of South County Financial Planning in Laguna Niguel, CA, was featured in the article, “Advisers can help plan for day-to-day special-needs expenses.”

Investment News, June 9, 2008 – Garrett member Dylan Ross, CFP® of East Windsor, New Jersey is featured in the article, “Sky-high Gas Prices Driving Advisors to Take New Roads.” Ross rides his bike to work to save on gas.

Chicago Tribune, June 1, 2008 – Syndicated columnist Gail MarksJarvis discussed the importance of understanding your risk tolerance before making an investment in “Investor’s big mistake was avoiding Roth IRA.” In this article MarksJarvis used a recommended asset allocation from Garrett member Jeff Kostis, CFP®, CPA, founder of JK Financial Planning in Vernon Hills, Illinois.

New York Times, May 17, 2008 – Garrett member Roger Streit, MBA, CFP® is quoted on financial planning fees in the article, “Five Basics for Building a Solid Financial Future.”  “Only 1 percent of us are wise enough and regimented enough to manage our own financial affairs. The other 99 percent, meanwhile, could almost certainly improve their investment performance at least 1 percent, thus justifying the annual fee,” said Streit, president of Key Financial Solutions, Inc. in Livingston, New Jersey.

Book Feature, May 2008 – Financial planning tools, tips and ideas from Sherrill St. Germain, MBA, CFP® are featured prominently in the book, Escape from Corporate America: A Practical Guide to Creating the Career of Your Dreams (published May 2008), by career expert and corporate escapee Pamela Skillings. St. Germain is a Garrett Planning Network member and founder of New Means Financial Planning of Hollis, New Hampshire.

London Times, April 29, 2008 – Garrett member Kyle Meyer, CFP®, of Lincoln, Virginia recently wrote “My two cents: Financial planning, why now?”. In his article, he advised that establishing a financial plan now might be one of the smartest things you do in these uncertain times.

Sarasota Herald Tribune, March 24, 2008 – Garrett member Joe Downs, CFP®, president of Reality Financial Planning Services, in coordination with the Sarasota Classified/Teachers Association, recently donated the newly released Personal Finance Workbook For Dummies® to the libraries of all of the Sarasota County public schools. Downs was recognized for his contribution to the community in "Good deeds."

ABC News, March 18, 2008 – ABCNEWS.com columnist David McPherson talked about how the credit crisis affects your money in “David McPherson Answers Your Questions About the Credit Crisis.” McPherson is a member of the Garrett Planning Network and founder of Four Ponds Financial Planning in Falmouth, Massachusetts.

CNN Money, February 14, 2008 – One of the Garrett Planning Network’s members was quoted on investing for retirement in “Financial tips for couples.” “If you and your spouse each have a 401(k), you can compare benefits. Make the most of your 401(k)s by maxing out the plan that has the best benefits like a better employer match or more investment options,” says Frank Boucher, CEBS, CFP® of Reston, Virginia.

ABC News, February 6, 2008 – Read how several Garrett Planning Network members respond when asked advice on what to do with your tax rebate in “Net Gains: Smart Plans for Your Rebate.” The article was written by Garrett member David McPherson, founder of Four Ponds Financial Planning in Falmouth, Massachusetts.

CNN Money, February 4, 2008 – If you really want to make money, you need to buy when stocks are cheap and sell when they're higher, writes Gerri Willis. “If the market is falling, you're buying investments that are on sale,” says Frank Boucher, CEBS, CFP®, a Garrett member in Reston, Virginia." Read more insight from Boucher in “Preventing 401(k) mistakes.”

Detroit News, February 1, 2008 – Brian O'Connor, Money & Life editor and columnist addressed the question that many people have been asking: Should I invest in gold? O’Connor points out that gold really shines during periods of inflation and political instability, when commodities like oil, soybeans, rubber and precious metals all do well. And now, as the dollar falls and inflation rises, gold is gleaming. However, he concludes that for the typical investor, gold is way too speculative to make any sense as a long-term holding. "I don't invest in gold and I don't recommend that my clients invest in gold," agrees Warren McIntyre, CFP®, a Garrett member who runs VisionQuest Financial Planning in Troy. "Gold over a long time period gives virtually no return on your money."
The Scientist, February 2008 - Tom Nowak, CFP®, a Garrett member in Grayslake, Illinois, was featured along with three other planners in an article looking at the financial positions of four typical scientists, each at a different career stage. Nowak's assignment was to review the financial position and goals of a director at a large pharmaceutical company and make recommendations covering estate planning documents, education funding, emergency funds and 401(k) contributions.

Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, February 2008 – Barbara Camaglia, CFS, CPA, CFP®, a Garrett member in Beachwood, Ohio, contributed to Amy Esbenshade Hebert’s article, “A Head Start on the Road to Riches.” Camaglia is quoted on the advantages of establishing a Roth IRA for children with earned income – most notably the benefits of compounding and tax free growth of earnings.

Bloomberg.com, January 22, 2008 - Tom Nowak, CFP®, a Garrett member in Grayslake, Illinois, was quoted in an article titled "Early Retirement is More Than Just a Pipe Dream." The article illustrated a detailed example where delaying taking retirement benefits could improve long term financial security.

These articles were written by a professional financial journalist for The Garrett Planning Network, Inc. and is not intended as legal or investment advice. GPN makes no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy of the information or ideas presented in these articles. Any use of such information or ideas is done at your sole risk and GPN disclaims all liability associated therewith.