Many people are unsure about whether or not they should hire a professional financial adviser and pay for a financial plan to be done.  Objections like “it’s only for wealthy people with large investment portfolios,” or “why should I pay a fee to an adviser on top of investment commissions?” are common.  I would like to debunk some of these myths about financial planning and explain why everyone should complete a financial plan.  The most important reason for having a plan is that people who have a written financial plan are far more likely to achieve their financial goals than those who don’t have one!

What is financial planning and why is it important?

Financial planning is a 6-step process that involves asking questions about an individual’s entire set of goals and objectives, as opposed to only her investments.  To put it simply, financial planning is the process of determining whether an individual will be able to achieve life goals with her total financial resources.  The plan helps people manage their assets as well as the risks to those assets so their money lasts as long as they do. 

The 6 steps in the financial planning process are:

• Establishing and defining the client-planner relationship
• Gathering and articulating client data and goals
• Analyzing and evaluating the client’s current financial position
• Developing and presenting recommendations to the client and/or alternatives
• Implementing the recommendations
• Monitoring the recommendations * 

In addition to knowledge about investments, financial planners are also experts in the management of risk.  This means they have a core competency in insurance needs analysis and insurance products, tax, retirement planning and estate planning.  A comprehensive financial plan covers all of these potential risks to an individual’s assets. 

Perhaps the most critical time to consider consulting with a financial planner is when you are close to retiring or already in retirement.  Taking too much money out of your assets on a yearly basis, particularly when your assets have declined in value, could leave you without enough money to last your entire retirement.  And with longevity increasing dramatically, planning is even more important.

Current actuarial studies show that men who reach the age of 65 have a 49% chance of living to 86, and a 26% chance of making it to 92.  Women have a 49% chance of living to 89 at 65, and a 23% chance of living to 95.  In some cases, people’s money may have to last as long as 40 years. 

Finally, Certified Financial Planners – those who have the CFP® designation – agree to follow the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards.  These standards outline a code of care which include putting their clients’ interests first, acting in utmost good faith, and providing full and fair disclosure.  These standards represent important consumer protections.      

To find a Certified Financial Planner in your area, try the Financial Planning Association’s PlannerSearch on the FPA’s website.

* Michael Dalton, et. al. Personal Financial Planning Theory and Practice, 5^th ed.

Nancy Tommaso Coatrieux
NT Financial Services

Mission Statement: The Women’s Exchange provides programs

in a supportive environment for all women to share ideas and information – to learn, to grow, to build relationships, and to have fun.

After 18 years as director, the question I am most often asked is “What is the Magic of the Women’s Exchange?”

To describe the Women’s Exchange by its mission statement only would be like describing the paintings of Renoir using only the colors, or the writings of Shakespeare using only the words. In all three cases you would miss the depth of the content, the richness of nuance that comes into play between the various elements, and the wonder that results when a finished product is more than the sum of its parts.

Located in Winnetka, Illinois, an upper middle class suburb north of Chicago, the Women’s Exchange serves as a meeting place for women from several surrounding communities. Its campus consists of four rooms in an old but elegant, ivy covered stone building attached to the Community House in the heart of the centuries old village. It is not a membership organization. No one ‘joins’ the Women’s Exchange. Rather, women become attached to it in some mystical way that is hard to explain to those who have not walked the steps to the second floor and felt the magic enfold them.

The Women’s Exchange is a place to leave your public self behind and experience your true self, warts and all. It is also a place to question who you are and to try on the new woman you’d like to become. Either way, the feeling of safety and acceptance is palpable. It is as if the walls themselves enfold you while you are there…listening, challenging, responding….and then holding your hopes, dreams, and questions safe until you return.

But of course, it isn’t the cinder block walls that are magic and it certainly isn’t the haphazard furniture. Couches and chairs of various styles and colors surround coffee tables from eras gone by. Lamps that once graced the homes of others have found their way into the rooms, often by way of the rummage sale held in the building each year. Well worn area rugs anchor each seating area. A coffee machine in the hall serves as a meeting place between classes.

No, it is the women who bring the magic with them into the space. Their eagerness to hear and learn new ideas, their willingness to share their own feelings, their openness to the opinions of others, and their belief that each woman’s story is hers alone to tell….that is the magic that is the Women’s Exchange. For in hearing the story of others we change our own story in some small way. In sharing our own story we impact the story of those around us. And that is magical.

Judi Geake, director

www.womens-exchange.org

CranioSacral refers to the cranium and the sacrum.  They are connected by the dual tube, which contains cerebrospinal fluid. This fluid transports oxygen and nutrients throughout the cranium (brain) and spinal cord, and carries away toxins.

CranioSacral therapists are trained to facilitate the body’s innate ability for natural healing.  Using a very light touch (on fully clothed clients) we help your body to find its optimal balance and release tensions deep in the central nervous system.

CranioSacral therapy is beneficial for:

• the structural balance of your body and your mobility
• releasing restrictions around nerves, organs, muscles and bones
• optimizing the flow of cerebrospinal fluid, blood and lymph so that the body can self-correct more easily when under pressure
• mind-body integration

CranioSacral therapy enhances the functions of the brain; spinal cord; autonomic nervous system, endocrine system and the immune system.

We work with people of all ages, from infants to the elderly to enhance their quality of life.

To lean more visit us at: www.sc4cs.com

Patricia Berg-Drazin

patricia@pbdrazin.com

Divorce. Just mention of the word elicits feelings of sadness, confusion, maybe even despair.

This is understandable.  It is a process to be endured, but with help it can also result in a new positive life direction…with the help of a Divorce Coach.

A new tool to lead couples through an emotional nightmare in the midst of a legal quagmire, a Divorce Coach helps you make better decisions for yourself and your family by reducing stress and anxiety.  A Divorce Coach has an integrated perspective which recognizes the entire impact of divorce, which also involves financial, social and parenting skills.

Working with a Divorce Coach, you can more successfully manage the divorce process and set goals.

It’s the goal of a Divorce Coach to educate you on the three main ways to divorce: the traditional process, the mediation process, and the collaborative process.

In learning the emotional and financial cost of each process, it will enable the client to select the best course for them—and give tme time to be prepared in order to make good decisions.

The divorce industry has a whole stable of specialists (e.g. financial planner or therapist) available to help you.  A Divorce Coach can help you identify and sort through what you need.

Interacting with your spouse, attorney, and other specialists effectively and productively is essential.   A Divorce Coach can teach you how to optimize these meetings by teaching you strong communication skills and how to manage your emotions.

The bottom line: you don’t have to go through a divorce alone and uninformed.  A Divorce Coach can help you make the best decisions possible so you can lead a positive new life in the future.

Kate van Dyke

Divorce Counseling and Coaching, Inc.

kvandyke@divorcecc.com

www.divorcecc.com

I have learned a lot about assisting couples with their weddings over the past 11 years.  During that time, I’ve worked with Jewish/other, Muslim/other, Hindu/other, Christian/atheist, non-denominational and non-religious couples — and have been inspired to create ceremonies that are honoring of everyone present.

In this process, it is necessary to dance very lightly with dogma.  I ask each couple how much or how little of their spiritual lives they want to include in the script.  Then we create together an event that reflects them and their relationship as personally as possible.  Let me give you an example in the following story.

I had been deeply concerned about this particular wedding — more so after attending the rehearsal a week before.  You see, this was the union of two people who came from very different spiritual backgrounds — Roman Catholic groom and Native American bride.  They had been together for over eight years, and I needed to create a ceremony that would honor both backgrounds and all of their guests as well.

From conversing with family members at the rehearsal, I learned there were levels of tension on both sides, particularly from the groom’s mother.  She was anxious that her son’s wedding reflect Christian values and not have any “hokey-pokey”.  And this was a concern she had shared with other family members — it was deepseated and needed to be addressed.

I arranged to meet once more with the couple between rehearsal and wedding.  At that time, we discussed ways to honor both traditions, and to find commonalities wherever possible.  Wonderful.

I’ve never been Catholic, was raised Anglican in Canada.  My study of and appreciation for Native American rituals came later, mainly through the medicine wheel, particularly the Wheel of Law.  The power of smudging or blessing with sage smoke is a ritual I deeply respect, and it was very important for the bride.

So that morning, I packed the car very carefully.  The basket and abalone shell were there, the last of the sage I found in Ojai many years ago, my magical dark pink embroidered East Indian cloth and for some reason, two thick washcloths, one dark green and the other dark blue.  These leapt into my hand when I reached into the linen closet for something else, I wasn’t sure why.

Upon arriving at the location more than an hour early, I went to the outdoor site and lit the sage.  It flamed up immediately, then smoked beautifully with very little flame.  I walked around the entire area where the guests would be sitting, then up and down the aisle — and ended at the front table, wondering how to quiet the smoke in order to take it back to the lodge and smudge the bridal party.

It suddenly became clear why the thick cloths had invited themselves.  The green one stayed beneath the abalone shell, protecting pink cloth and basket from the heat.  And the blue one covered the mouth of the shell, stilling the smoke until we got back to the Lodge.  It was ready to go without even needing to be relit.  Marvelous.

After the bridal party entered, we called in the directions and blessed this couple.  The ceremony was rich with traditions and feelings from an eclectic group of guests who brought their own powerful energies to witness this union. 

Before the exchange of rings, I smudged the golden circles and verbally compared this burning of sage with the burning of incense in the Catholic church.  “The purpose of rising smoke is the same in both traditions — setting sacred space, and carrying our prayers for this couple up to the heavens.”

Clouds were thickening overhead and rain threatened as the couple said their vows to one another.  At that very moment, several geese flew overhead adding their honked blessings.  I referred to this gently, saying: “What a blessing this is from the geese — who themselves mate for life.”

It was a magical time, and a privilege to participate — rain only started to fall after we had made our way back to the reception.  And the groom’s mother told me she had never been to such a beautiful wedding.  Wonderfilled.

I thank you and I bless you, Laura and Jimmy — Congratulations!  And I bless the wonder of doing interfaith wedding ceremonies — this process brings interesting challenges and great joy to my life.

Rev. Marian Hale, All Ceremonies Beautifully Done
www.revmarian.com     Phone 847-491-0603

One of the most difficult and important aspects of a divorce is custody of the minor children. While parents who divorce are not “divorcing” their children, separating from a spouse means that your children will not live with either of you all of the time.  In this sense, there is an actual separation from the children.

There are two forms of child custody under Illinois law:  “Sole Custody” and “Joint Custody”.   There are common misunderstandings of these terms that cause divorcing parents anxiety and confusion.  Two of the most common misunderstandings are  1) that a parent with “sole custody” has all of the parental rights and that the other parent has no parental rights; and 2) the belief that a parent with “sole custody” can freely move out of state.  Both of these beliefs are very threatening for a parent.

What is Sole Custody?

A parent with sole custody has the right to make all major decisions regarding the care of the children without discussing these decisions with, or obtaining consent from the other parent.  The divorce judgment will set forth the non-custodial parent’s schedule of time with the children.

The non-custodial parent has general parental rights.  In addition to parenting, or visitation time, the non-custodial parent has a legal right of access to health and school records.  Sole custody is awarded to one parent when the parents are unable to communicate effectively enough to make joint decisions regarding the children.  It is not, in most cases, a determination that the non-custodial parent is unfit.  A parent might have visitation restricted and/or be prohibited from access to a child’s records if there is an Order Of Protection.   Visitation might also be restricted if a court finds that visitation would seriously endanger the child’s physical, emotional, or mental health.  Such situations are the exception, not the rule.

What Is Joint Custody?

Parents who share joint custody of their children create a written plan called a Joint Parenting Agreement.  The Illinois Marriage And Dissolution Of Marriage Act sets forth minimum requirements for a Joint Parenting Agreement.  The agreement must provide for the physical residence of the children.  In order to do this, the parents agree upon a written schedule of each parent’s time with the children during the week, weekends, holidays, vacations and special occasions.  This is usually called a “visitation schedule” or a “parenting schedule”.  There is no requirement that each parent have equal time with the children.

A Joint Parenting Agreement must also set forth each parent’s powers, rights and responsibilities for the care of the children.  There will also be reference to areas of joint decision-making.  At a minimum there will be joint decisions on religious upbringing, health care and education.  It is common for parents to include additional areas of joint decision-making.  For instance, they may decide to make joint decisions on extra-curricular activities, camp and social activities.  Some parents include areas based on their particular concerns and values.  Other parents include only the minimum required terms.

Another required provision in a Joint Parenting Agreement is a dispute resolution procedure for mediating any disagreements regarding parenting issues.  In addition there will also be a process for the parents to follow for any proposed changes to the agreement.  If the parents are unable to resolve a dispute after following the procedures in their agreement, they may then bring the issue before a judge.

Out Of State Moves With The Children

If a parent with sole custody wants to move out of state with the children, it is necessary to obtain the consent of the other parent or an order from a judge allowing the move.   A parent with joint custody of the children must also obtain the consent of the other parent or an order from a judge in order to move out of state with the child.

How Does This Information Apply To You If You Are Divorcing?

The information provided here is a very general overview of a complex topic and is not meant to be legal advice.  If you are contemplating a divorce, it is important for you to seek the advice of an attorney if these are issues of concern to you.

Roselynn Don
Law Office Of Roselynn Gilbert Don
2530 Crawford Avenue  Suite 106
Evanston, Illinois
(847) 869-9720

If you are planning to sell your house, you may be wondering whether to stage it first or go ahead and list it without staging. After all, you can always stage it later if it doesn’t sell, right?

Well, right…as long as you don’t mind taking longer to sell and making less money when you do. Here’s why:

1. Your home will see the most action in the first two weeks after it’s listed. That’s when it gets the most buzz among the Realtors and when you typically get the most showings. That’s also when you are likely to get your highest offer. Don’t waste this golden opportunity by not putting your home’s best foot forward.

2. If you stage your home before you list it AND take great photos of your staged home, your agent will be able to attract more people to tour your house. 87% of people now pre-shop on the internet before physically visiting homes for sale. Make sure you don’t turn them off with lousy pictures. And don’t think you can get away with a single picture of the front of the house or a couple of pictures of the more presentable rooms. Too few pictures will send a red flag to potential buyers, who will think, “There must be something wrong with this house if they’re not showing us all of the rooms. Let’s skip it”

3. That old saying is true: “You never get a second chance to make a great first impression.” If a buyer tours your house and finds it cramped, cluttered or dated looking, they will never come back, even if you subsequently clean it up, stage it or even remodel it. They have moved on to the houses that were show-ready to begin with.

4. Time is NOT on your side. The longer your house sits on the market, the lower the selling price. If you don’t get an offer in the first month, your agent will probably recommend that you reduce your price. So you want to improve your odds of getting an offer right out of the gate by staging your home.

5. Staging before you list will force you to deal with your clutter and cast-offs sooner rather than later and make the whole process of moving more organized and less stressful.

Remember, when selling your house, you are playing the numbers game. The more people you can get through your front door, the more likely you will get an offer. So the objective is to attract as many potential buyers as possible and then wow them when they get there. That’s what staging does.

Anne West
Redesign Doctor

www.redesigndoctor.com

When people learn about my business as a relocation specialist, they often respond by sharing how stressful and overwhelming they find the move process. One of the biggest sources of strain that accompanies a move or even just an effort to declutter a home is not being able to approach the task with an organized plan of attack. Here are some observations from my time in the cardboard boxed and bubble-wrapped trenches to help you approach your next attack on the clutter and prepare for a move.

1. Assemble your reinforcements!

A team of friends and family, or even a single one, can keep you on task and help you make the tough decisions about what can stay and what must go can really help you conquer your clutter and succeed in ordering your new environment.

2. The war is won one small battle at a time.

Taking in the entire process of sorting, packing, moving and organizing can overwhelm even the best of warriors. The key to victory is to break the whole down into manageable tasks. One room, one closet, even one dresser at a time, and you’ll see the wins pile up and find the encouragement to keep at it until you’re resting comfortably in an entirely organized and orderly new space!

3. The voice of denial: “oh, this is so small, it takes up no space.”

If it was only one item, that might be true, but by the 5^th, 6^th, or even 50^th of these, you’ve created quite a storage problem for yourself. Make sure that you’ve determined a specific place for each and every item, even that one item, in advance, or else you’ll wind up with five unpacked boxes holding these items and no place to put them.

4. All kitchen cabinets are not created equal.

It’s important to measure the new cabinets carefully and compare their capacity to your current kitchen cabinets. I’ve met cabinets that don’t even hold a standard dinner plate, and it’s no fun to realize this as you’re in the midst of unpacking the new kitchen! Also, this knowledge will help you make important decisions about what to bring with you to the new home. This rule applies to all built-in cabinets.

5. Don’t lock your memories in a box!

So many of us do this – we store our photos, ticket stubs and other mementos in a box …. And they stay there forever. Take some time to sort through these boxes of memories and create an album or scrapbook. You can even scan them and put them on one of those electronic picture frames or screensaver on your computer. That way they are a part of your regular life and not another box to sitting on a shelf or in closet never to be opened again.

6. The biggest denial of them all: “I will find the room for it”

This phrase is a guaranteed way to find you facing piles of boxes full of items you can’t store properly. It is definitely a struggle to force oneself to make a hard decision about getting rid of a treasured belonging, but there’s a cost to moving (and perhaps even having to store off-site) an item you have no place for in your new, ordered home. Take the time to make the tough decisions. The end result is a more manageable and less stressful unpacking process.

Marnie Dawson
Dawson Relocation Services

www.dawsonrelocation.com

Problem: One business database containing standard contact data as well as fields with custom client information (project notes and a way to track contact with clients and sub-contractors). Two business partners in different locations each need access to the database. They also need the ability to send e-mails to selected contacts (for example, to create a list of clients in a specific zip code or geographic area). They also want to produce reports from the data using certain criteria, such as sub-contractors by specialty.

 Options considered:

1. Client’s existing website. Host the database on the client’s website, allowing for login and query capabilities. The database would reside on the website’s server. The cost to set this up through their website host ranges from $200 to $850, depending on the number of controls put in place.
2. Googledocs. Host the database on Googledocs. The database would be available to both partners to access and edit, but there would be no check in place to prevent both partners from making changes at the same time. In order to send out e-mails to contacts, the list would have to be downloaded from Googledocs and uploaded to an e-mail program. There would be no cost involved in this option.
3. Vertical Response. Store the database on an e-mail distribution website such as VerticalResponse.com. In addition to being able to create sub-lists based on certain criteria, this option allows both partners full access to the database. There are no costs associated with storing the database. The only costs occur when e-mails are sent out, but these costs are nominal.

Solution: The VerticalResponse.com option is clearly the most appropriate and cost effective solution for this problem. Both partners can access and update the database independently as needed without creating a conflict. Each partner also has the ability to segment mailing lists (i.e. create a list of sub-contractors in a specific geographic location) and create custom e-mail distribution lists.

Vertical Response also allows for the distribution of newsletters. A newsletter sign-up box can be added to the client’s website so that website visitors may opt to receive newsletters, and this contact information goes directly into the contact database on Vertical Response. No re-keying of data is necessary saving time and money.

It is also possible to add a newsletter sign-up box to a Facebook fan page, thereby leveraging your social media presence and increasing your exposure to potential clients.

Sue Boedeker
Valley Virtual Assistance
www.valley-virtual-assistance.com