Join Us for our Women & Investing Seminar - August 16th

Growing up, I was the middle child and the only girl, so I was told “go for your dreams and do what you want to do!” This was of course encouraging, but behind these words there was always the unspoken idea that I would grow up, get married, have a bunch of kids and be provided for by someone else. But things don’t always go as planned and times have changed. Not just for young women and middle-aged divorcees, but women in their 60’s and 70’s are now losing their pensions and finding themselves in situations that they had not planned for.

For some of us, the inability to learn about investing is a lack of interest, a dislike of numbers, a feeling that we're chronically disorganized or don’t have time, and the perception that managing the money is something our husbands want to do (or, just as often, feel they should do).

Women are marrying later in life, getting divorced more frequently and outliving their spouses by an average of five years. As a result, nearly 90% of all women will be solely responsible for managing their finances at some point in their lives.

Unfortunately, many women become involved for the first time during a crisis such as a spouse’s death or divorce. It is far better to know how to manage your money before you have to, rather than learning it under stress and on the fly when something bad happens.

By not learning about investing, we could be robbing ourselves of a good shot at earning some extra money (unearned income). We need to learn to allow our money to work just as hard as we do, so that we can feel financially secure. If we don't learn more about investing, then the only money we will have is the money that we earn from working. Moreover, if we don't invest, the money we earn actually loses value over time. If we do nothing with our money, inflation and taxes diminish our dollars, so they are worth less tomorrow (and the tomorrow after that).

Take advantage of the opportunity to join us on Thursday, August 16th, to learn more about investing and achieving your financial goals. Our seminar starts at 6:00 pm at Hawthorne’s Naperville Branch, located at 1519 North Naper Blvd, in Naperville. Click here to register for the seminar today.

Paying for your child's college education - Learn about your options.

Saving for college can be one of the most challenging financial goals and it is important to take advantage of every opportunity to put extra money into your child’s college fund.

Our number one goal is to raise our son to be good adult... AND, to make sure that he is well-educated so he is prepared to have a good future.

As young as Zach is (in the fall he will be going into first grade), I already have his education in mind, particularly, how we'll save for his education. After all, just like any investment, the earlier we start the better.

I started saving a little ($100 a month) several years before he was born, but I have no idea if it will be enough and the money is not being put in a typical education fund, so it may not even be used for that. I may end up needing that money for retirement or another one of life’s many expenses.

At this point I think it is definitely time for us to put together a more definitive plan for Zach’s education. We still have several years to make sure that we have enough money saved, (or enough to at least get us started) for Zach’s education.

Several financing methods for saving for college are available. Some are even tax-deductible.

529 College Savings Plans lets us earn stock-market returns on college savings. Our contributions or investments are set aside and can even grow tax-free.

I like the fact that the money is set aside for the specific purpose, and incurs no penalties if withdrawn for that purpose. Also, several people can contribute to one beneficiary. This is a good vehicle for grandparents and other family member who wish to contribute small amounts of money, (even a $25 or $50 birthday or Christmas check is helpful) to a college fund.

Take advantage of the opportunity to join us on Thursday, July 19th, to get the facts about College Savings Plans. Our seminar starts at 6:00 pm at Hawthorne’s Naperville Branch, located at 1519 North Naper Blvd, in Naperville. Click here to register for the seminar today.