ProfNet Experts Available on Women and Finance, Work-Life Balance, Debt Collection, More

NEW YORK, Sept. 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Below are experts from the ProfNet network that are available to discuss timely issues in your coverage area. If you are interested in interviewing any of the experts, please contact them via the contact information at the end of the listing. To receive these updates by email, send a note to [email protected] with the industries you cover, and we'll add you to the appropriate edition. 

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EXPERT ALERTS

• Tips for Women to Take Control of Their Finances
• Financial Considerations for New Parents
• Complaints Against Debt Collectors Spike
• BP Ruling Raises New Questions on Liability
• Balancing Work and Home Life as a Parent
• Foundation Rejects Donations From Reddit Users

MEDIA JOBS

• News Editor - Orlando Sentinel (FL)
• Photo Editor - Dallas Morning News (TX)
• City Reporter - Napa Valley Register (CA)

OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES

• Blog Profiles: Wedding Blogs
• The Q&A Team: The Impact of Photojournalism
• Grammar Hammer: Lolly, Lolly, Lolly, Get Your Adverbs Here

EXPERT ALERTS:

Tips for Women to Take Control of Their FinancesJim McCarthyCertified Financial Planner (CFP)
McCarthy Wealth Solutions, LLC
"It is imperative for young working women to: 1) get educated about personal financial management, 2) always control your own finances (or have active involvement if in a relationship), 3) make a budget, and 4) try to follow a "Give first, then save, spend the rest" approach. For older women with families, the basic advice above still applies, with added emphasis on adequate insurance coverage."
An independent fee-based financial advisor based in New Jersey, McCarthy can discuss the critical need for women – an increasing segment of the wealth growing population -- who are single by choice, divorce or widowhood to have access to wealth management information. He uses a unique "financial fitness for women" coaching approach to help women, especially single women, take care of their financial well-being. He began using this coaching approach in the past decade as his base of female clients grew and he noticed a shift as women gained control of more wealth; yet, most planners/advisors still focused more on men and paid more attention to the male when dealing with couples.
During his career, McCarthy has held executive positions in finance and accounting for major international organizations. He is a Certified Financial Planner, a member of the Financial Planning Association (FPA) and owner of McCarthy Wealth Solutions. Professionals, corporate executives and affluent families rely on him for comprehensive wealth management services. The majority of his clients are single women (by choice, through divorce, or widowed).
ProfNet Profile: www.profnetconnect.com/jimmccarthy
Website: www.mccarthywealthsolutions.com  
Media Contact: Amy Delman, [email protected]

Financial Considerations for New ParentsBijan Golkar, CFP
Vice President/Senior Advisor
FPC Investment Advisory, Inc.
The arrival of a baby is an exciting event, but it also brings additional financial challenges and decisions for the whole fa  mily. Golkar can discuss four key financial considerations to help new parents prepare for many of life's unknowns. For example: "Start by applying for your child's Social Security number right away for tax purposes. All parents are eligible to claim each child under 19 as a dependent on their tax returns, which reduces taxable income by what is called the dependent exemption ($3,900 in 2013)."
Based in San Francisco, Golkar has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, U.S. News & World Report, Yahoo Finance, The Fiscal Times, Bankrate, MoneyUnder30.com and DepositAccounts.com.     
ProfNet Profile: http://www.profnetconnect.com/bijangolkar
Website: www.FPCWealth.com
Media Contact: Steve Garmhausen, [email protected]

Complaints Against Debt Collectors SpikeFrances A. SmithRestructuring and Bankruptcy Attorney
Shackelford, Melton, McKinley & Norton, LLP in Dallas
"Consumer complaints of threats of false lawsuits made by debt collectors spiked dramatically between 2008 and 2012, according to media reports. The New York Times reports that in 2008, the Federal Trade Commission received 12,000 complaints from consumers who said debt collectors falsely claimed that they would file lawsuits to recover money owed to them. That number spiked to more than 30,000 in 2012. The FTC continues to crack down on debt collectors thought to be engaged in deceptive and abusive practices, even freezing the assets of one company during its litigation. Those who buy lists of individuals who are believed to owe money must follow federal debt-collection rules like everyone else, or face the consequences."
Media Contact: Dave Moore, [email protected]

BP Ruling Raises New Questions on LiabilityGlenn LeggeAttorney
Legge, Farrow, Kimmitt, McGrath & Brown L.L.P. in Houston
"Although energy giant BP plans an appeal, a federal judge's recent ruling that BP was grossly negligent in the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico still could have a significant impact on regulatory exposure, contractual risk allocation and insurance coverage for companies in the offshore energy sector. The court's most significant findings involve the analysis and definition of gross negligence and willful misconduct, which are terms commonly used to allocate risks in offshore service contracts. The BP ruling raises a significant question for insurers and regulators: Does this increase the standard of care for deepwater drilling of high-temperature/high-pressure wells to a level where risk allocation and liability analysis will be altered by the courts?"
Media Contact: Kit Frieden, [email protected]  

Balancing Work and Home Life as a ParentNancy Aragon, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
College of Behavioral Sciences at Argosy University, Online Programs
"Being a parent is tough these days. You're up at the crack of dawn to make breakfast, pack lunches and gets kids off to school. You put in a full day at the office and then head to your other job – picking kids up from school, shuttling them from soccer to other extracurricular activities, and then home for homework and dinner. Staying sane amidst the chaos of raising kids and maintaining a career can be tough."Dr. Aragon, an industrial organizational professional, professor and mother of seven, has spent years researching the lifestyle of working parents. Her dissertation dealt with examining their coping patterns in relation to several outcome variables, such as job and life satisfaction, to determine optimal coping strategies for balancing work and family. She is available to offer up tips for working parents on how to relieve stress and achieve a better work-life balance.
Media Contact: Anne Dean, [email protected]

Foundation Rejects Donations From Reddit UsersDavid CampbellProfessor of Public Administration
Binghamton University
The Prostate Cancer Foundation recently rejected thousands of donations from users of the social networking site Reddit pledging in honor of Jennifer Lawrence, one of several actresses whose personal photos were hacked and released virally on the website. According to Campbell, a professor of public administration at Binghamton University who teaches on philanthropy and has served on the boards of national charity organizations, the foundation made the right choice.
With the country still cooling off from the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, Campbell notes differences between the charitable campaigns, both of which are reliant on social media. Says Campbell: "In the end, the charity has to decide whether aligning themselves with a troubled celebrity or corporation compromises its mission or sullies its reputation (despite the increased donations). It can be a close call, but not in this case. Reddit's effort appears juvenile and, in that way, contrary to the Prostate Cancer Foundation's mission. The foundation made a good decision. I have found all the debate about the Ice Bucket Challenge encouraging, and I hope it leads to more giving, generally, and more informed giving, in particular. The Reddit effort is part of a more troubling history of corporations (and sometimes individuals) in need of a reputation boost, or just more attention, aligning themselves with high-profile charities."
ProfNet Profile: http://www.profnetconnect.com/davidcampbell
Website: http://www.binghamton.edu
Media Contact: Ryan Yarosh, [email protected]

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MEDIA JOBS:

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• Reporters/Editors – Wicked Local (MA)
• News Editor – Orlando Sentinel (FL)
• Editor – BioPharm Insight (NY)

See more listings here.

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OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES:

Following are links to other news and resources we think you might find useful. If you have an item you think other reporters would be interested in and would like us to include in a future alert, please drop us a line at [email protected]

• BLOG PROFILES: WEDDING BLOGS. As PR Newswire's media relations manager, Christine Cube comes across great blogs that cover a wide variety of topics and interests. Each week, she offers brief profiles of blogs you might not have heard of but that might offer pitching opportunities for your clients. This week, she shares reviews of a few wedding blogs: http://prn.to/1tHqeYQ
• THE Q&A TEAM: THE IMPACT OF PHOTOJOURNALISM. Photojournalism plays a large role in visually explaining a news story. Some of the most memorable news stories have been captured in a photograph. What does it take to capture that perfect photograph? What role does the law and the public play when trying to take a photograph? Photojournalist Ricky Flores shares his expertise: http://prn.to/YwQDf0
• GRAMMAR HAMMER: LOLLY, LOLLY, LOLLY, GET YOUR ADVERBS HERE. In her latest column, Grammar Hammer Cathy Spicer looks at adverbs: http://prn.to/1qNPQ2s

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