Prime Target for Financial Crime: Your Parent
I spent fifteen years leading the marketing department of a credit union. I launched new products, promoted loans and credit cards, and advertised savings rates. Sadly, I also had to educate members about people trying to take their money. That includes criminal fraudsters, but also friends and family. Older adults are particularly vulnerable to scams […]
Travel: Go Your Own Way
For me, vacations are three phases of fun: The trip itself is bookended by the anticipation phase and the bragging phase. Anticipation includes research, discovery, planning, and, of course, buying clothes, travel nick-nacks, and packing accessories. The bragging phase is when the folks back home get to hear all about it, with pictures from every […]
The Ted White You May Not Know
Ted White, Principal at Arrivity, had an early fascination with financial planning. When I asked him why he chose it as a career, he told me about a newspaper column his parents used to read back in Dallas. “They would talk about Scott Burns and his advice for do-it-yourself investors,” Ted told me. “I started […]
When it’s Time for Kids to Help Mom
When Sandra got her mom’s message, it came as a shock. Mom’s back pain had become unbearable. Unable to get out of bed, she felt her quality of life slipping away. In her detailed text message – which was sent to all four sisters at once – mom said she was ready. Ready to go […]