PR Brown Bag

Navigating Your Financial Future:Tweets from the Brown Bag

Heather Sliwinski 1 Comment

The PRSA New Professionals Section held our first brown bag teleconference “Navigating Your Financial Future” with financial advisor Jim Beverley on Thursday.  In case you missed it, Beverley covered four main topics directly affecting new professionals: student loans, credit scores, retirement savings and budgeting. PRSA New Professionals Twitter hashtag #npprsa tracked the conversation surrounding Beverley’s most valuable advice.

On student loans:

@MelindaBiegen: Tips on paying student loans from #JimBeverly– Step 1) Organize your loans, start paying the ones off w/ the highest interest rate. #npprsa

@MelindaBiegen: Step 2) Never miss a payment! If you can, try to set up automatic payment plans. Don’t be afraid to pay a little extra too! #npprsa

@MelindaBiegen: Step 3) #JimBeverly encourages recent grads to see a local Tax Advisor to educate us further and answer any financial questions. #npprsa

On retirement savings:

@prsanewpros: Save early! If you want to have $1 million at retirement and start saving at 25 = $300/mo., at 35 = $700/mo., 55 = $5,326/mo #npprsa

@DZ_Invictus: Retirement savings through company withholding plans confers pretax convenience, possible matching benefits. #npprsa

On budgeting:

@daniellerideau: Creating a budget for my future. budgeting.thenest.com #npprsa

@JoriRobinson: Good to have 3-6 months of expenses in cash in savings that is readily available in the event you lose your job. sleepability #NPPRSA

On credit scores:

@AnnaCramer1: Any number in the 700s is good, 750 + is excellent for credit score #npprsa

@prsanewpros: Improve credit score: 1. reduce debt 2. get back on track with missed payments 3. spend less! #npprsa

What’s the bottom line from Beverley’s seminar?

@AnnaCramer1: Save some money every month, pay some debt off every month and most importantly: live within your means! #npprsa

If you are interested in hearing the playback of this discussion, and did not register prior to the event, please stay tuned to our online discussion forum for a link to the recording.  This event is free for Section members.

Jim BeverleyJim Beverley, CLU, ChFC, CFP®, Financial Advisor, Partners Wealth Management

Jim Beverley has 16 years of experience as a financial advisor. Beverley offers Securities and Investment Advisory Services through NFP Securities, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. NFP Securities, Inc. is not affiliated with Partners Wealth Management.  Beverley empowers clients by eliminating conflicts of interest, taking the time necessary to understand each client’s financial situation and educating clients on the solutions available to help accomplish their objectives.

Navigating Your Financial Future: Q&A with New Pros Brown Bag Speaker Jim Beverley

Heather Sliwinski Leave a comment

You have, or are looking forward to, one of your first jobs in public relations—and your first steady paycheck. So, how can you take steps now to ensure you are building a strong financial foundation?

Join New Professionals Section members for a free brown bag teleconference “Navigating Your Financial Future” on Thursday, April 21, hosted by financial advisor Jim Beverley.  Beverley is a financial advisor with Partners Wealth Management with more than 15 years of financial planning experience.

PRSA New Professionals Blog Co-Chair Heather Sliwinski spoke with Beverley to get a preview of some of the topics he will be covering on Thursday.

Heather Sliwinski:  In regards to their finances, what are the biggest challenges facing new professionals in today’s economy? 

Jim Beverley: These days I hear quite a bit about paying off student loans as a significant challenge to new professionals.  The cost of education required for getting a job and the recent investment landscape has made debt-free education a rare situation. 

HS: Another crop of seniors is graduating this spring.  What is a tip you have for those who are about to face their student loans? 

JB: Shop for the best available repayment strategy, pay every time on time and if you can pay more, do so.   Getting beyond these loans will help you get to saving money earlier in your life.  It also helps you build your credit for when you are ready to buy a home or car.

HS: Do young professionals often seek out your council? If not, why do you think that is the case? 

JB: Young professionals do not typically seek my council.  In most cases, I have the feeling they would rather spend their money on buying fun things for their life.  Cars, electronics, clothes and eating out seem to get the priority over paying for financial advice.  On the one hand, I understand that motivation, and yet if they would spend their first dollars saving for their own future, they would soon be able to afford all the clothes, dinners, cars and electronics they desire. 

HS: In your 16 years of experience, surely many of your clients have told you about financial regrets. What is the most common regret, and what can new professionals do early in their careers to prevent it? 

JB: By far the most common regret my clients share with me is that they did not start saving early enough, and when they started, they wish they had saved more of their income.  While there are many regrets, it is amazing to me how often I hear this response.

HS: If you could give just one piece of financial advice to recent graduates, what would it be?

JB:  Whatever your income is, live as if you earned 10 percent to 20 percent less than that, and get in the habit of saving money from your first paycheck.  Do not get into the mindset of, “as soon as I get x, then I’ll start saving”.  Save some of EVERY paycheck you get, and do it right away. 

So how do we start saving?  Find out by registering for the brown bag today!  Among the general topics, Beverley will discuss:

  • A sample budget based on an average entry-level public relations professional’s salary
  • Managing your credit, including what affects your credit score (and how it affects what you can do with your money)
  • An overview of available student loans, and tips to make the repayment process as painless as possible
  • Planning for retirement (clearly, you are not too young)

Jim BeverleyJim Beverley, CLU, ChFC, CFP®, has 16 years of experience as a financial advisor. Beverley offers Securities and Investment Advisory Services through NFP Securities, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. NFP Securities, Inc. is not affiliated with Partners Wealth Management.  Beverley empowers clients by eliminating conflicts of interest, taking the time necessary to understand each client’s financial situation and educating clients on the solutions available to help accomplish their objectives.

FREE Event! Going Pro: Taking Your Social Media Skills to the Business Setting

bcamen 2 Comments

As new PR pros we are familiar and comfortable with using social media tools. But we also understand that it’s not all about knowing how to post a Facebook or Twitter update. How can we reach audiences in a way that delivers results, and proves the business value of social media? What’s the best way to authentically engage with customers, clients and key influencers?

During our free brown bag teleseminar next Friday, Sept. 10 at noon EST, we will explore how to effectively leverage our fluency in social media into online business communications.

Scott StrattenOur presenter Scott Stratten, or @unmarketing as his more than 60,000 Twitter followers know him, is a leading expert in viral, social, and authentic marketing which he calls “un-marketing.” His recent Tweet-a-thon raised more than $16,000 for child hunger, in less than 12 hours. One of his viral marketing movies was chosen by the Chicago Bears as their biggest motivator toward their Super Bowl run a few years ago, while another made their client more than $5 million in seven days. Scott has recently appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Mashable.com, USA Today, CNN.com and Fast Company.

In true social media fashion, Scott and I did a 140-character interview on Twitter to preview his upcoming presentation.

@ssiewert: How do you define “un-marketing” and how is it different from marketing in the traditional sense?

@unmarketing: UnMarketing is building relationships with your marketplace so when they have a need to buy, they choose you without hesitation

@ssiewert: What is social currency?

@unmarketing: It’s what you invest into a social media platform. Your time, knowledge, emotion. The more you give, the more you get

@ssiewert: How can young pros/Gen Y apply their years of personal experience online to achieve business objectives?

@unmarketing: You have the advantage, since you’re already online. Be yourself, have an opinion but also be humble. You don’t know everything yet 🙂

@ssiewert: What’s your #1 piece of advice for successfully engaging with audiences online?

@unmarketing: Consistent conversation presence. Meaning, it needs to be habitual and engaging. Not just speaking sporadically.

@ssiewert: What new SM trend or tool are you most excited about?

@unmarketing: To be honest, we need to look at how to do “now” better, instead of what’s next. Stop looking at bright shiny objects (I do this too much)

@ssiewert: Your new book, UnMarketing, releases soon. What inspired you to write it and what can we expect to learn?

@unmarketing: Years of frustration with hypocritical marketers, marketing the way they hate to be marketed to. This is the opposite 🙂

Next Friday grab your lunch, invite some peers to share your phone line and join us for an engaging open discussion. This session is free for New Professionals Section members and PRSSA members. Register now.