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Since March is considered National March Into Literacy Month, it is a great time to consider the issue and what we can do to help make improvements. According to the National Coalition for Literacy (NCL), roughly 93 million adults in the U.S. have basic and below-basic literacy skills. Further, around 40 million adults in the country only read or write at or below the 5th Grade level, while another 21 million Americans are not able to read at all.

We, as a nation, largely know that this issue needs to be addressed, not only so that we can stay competitive in a global marketplace, but so that we can also function on a higher level in our day-to-day lives. And the good news is that there are a variety of ways to address it or provide someone with the help they need.

There is clearly room for improvement, and the good news is that there are quite a few ways that people can work to improve overall literacy. But first, it is important to have a clear idea of what literacy is. According to the NCL, literacy is “using printed and written information to function in society, to achieve one’s goals, and to develop one’s knowledge and potential.”

Here are some tips for helping people to improve their literacy level:

Literacy council. Many communities have a literacy council that can provide resources, including tutoring. Contact them to see what type of help they can provide. They are also usually seeking volunteers to work with those who need help, so people with good literacy skills may want to pitch in and help.

Take a class. Adult education classes are offered in most communities, designed to help improve literacy skills. They can usually be found by contacting city recreation or education departments.

Work with a tutor. Getting one-on-one help can be quite effective. Tutors can often be provided through a literacy council or the public library, or found privately.

Visit the library. The library is a wonderful resource for improving literacy. Today’s libraries are usually stocked with educational materials in the form of books, games, and even classes, all of which can be helpful for improving skills.

Read daily. The best way to improve literacy skills is to make it a point to read daily. Even starting out with the most basic books to gather information and learn skills can be helpful.

Write books. For those who have a child in need of literacy assistance, consider writing personalized children’s books for them. This may get them interested in reading more.

As a nation, America ranks 49th out of 165 nations when it comes to the literacy rate. Making it a goal to help others improve their literacy in turns helps the nation do better.

Improving literacy skills can help people live more enriched lives. Today, the resources and tools are available for anyone who wants to make improvements.

Lulu.com is an ongoing supporter of literacy initiatives, having created the Lulu for Literacy program. Through the program, each Lulu team member is encouraged to donate their time to literacy causes and even receive one paid day off per year in order to volunteer their time promoting literacy. Each team member then blogs about their experience and posts it on the company blog.

Sarah Gilbert, director of sales at Lulu.com. Lulu.com, a self-publishing company that was founded in 2002, provides complete services to authors. Parents have the ability to publish their own children’s books through this service. Lulu.com’s self-publishing service is provided free, and authors retain all rights, as well as 80 percent of all profit from sales. To learn more about using Lulu.com’s publishing tools, log onto www.lulu.com/publish.

Does eating breakfast every day sound like a good idea that is hard to pull off? If so, you’re not alone. More than half of adults (54 percent) say they would like to eat breakfast every day, but only 34 percent actually do.

Wanting to better understand Americans’ morning meal habits, Kellogg recently conducted one of the largest surveys ever done on breakfast – Kellogg’s Breakfast in America Survey. Findings revealed that nearly all moms (89 percent) want their kids to eat breakfast every day, but 40 percent of moms report their child doesn’t do so daily.

“The morning time-crunch is on for families, and getting kids to eat nutritiously can be challenging,” said Dr. Laura Jana, pediatrician, award-winning author, and member of the Kellogg Breakfast Council, a panel of third-party nutrition experts dedicated to helping people understand nutrition information and incorporate nutritious foods and habits into the diet.

The survey also found that while nearly all toddlers and preschool-age children are eating breakfast, consumption of breakfast dips as American children grow older.

• About 77 percent of young children eat breakfast every day.

• The number falls to 50 percent in the middle-school years.

• Only 36 percent of high school students eat breakfast every day.

Jana maintains that, “Instilling a breakfast habit while your children are young and maintaining it as kids get older – regardless of whether or not they are in school – will help keep breakfast a staple in their daily routine.”

The good news is that the dynamic duo of cereal and milk is a quick and tasty source of 10 nutrients important to growing bodies, including calcium, iron, vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin D, riboflavin, niacin, folate, zinc and thiamin. In fact, regular cereal eaters, including children, are less likely to be overweight and have more positive nutrient intake profiles than those who eat cereal less frequently, according to The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Cereal helps:

• Children get valuable nutrients they might otherwise miss.

• Women of child-bearing age get necessary iron, calcium, fiber and folic acid.

• Elderly people get necessary nutrients with less than 200 calories, which is important as calorie needs decline, but nutrient needs do not.

Smart breakfast choices

It’s important to look for cereals that contain not just whole grains but fiber. Fiber is important because it promotes a healthy digestive tract – which has an impact on overall well-being, according to the International Food Information Council.

The Nutrition Facts panel and ingredients list on packaging is there to help you compare whole grain products so you can choose those higher in dietary fiber. A “good source” has at least 3 grams of fiber, or 10 percent Daily Value. An “excellent source” has at least 5 grams, or 20 percent Daily Value, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

“We’ve all heard breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” said Jana. “And that’s for good reason. After sleeping, our brains and bodies need food to have a good start to the day.  Without it, we are not operating at our best.”

To learn more about the health benefits of breakfast and cereal, visit www.LoveYourCereal.com.

Financial literacy is as important as learning the ABC’s. By teaching financial and entrepreneurial practices at a young age, children will be better prepared for their financial futures.

The first step is to get started, so start with these educational activities:

Start Talking: Try a simple question such as, “What is investing?” Questions are conversation starters and shouldn’t be complicated. The key is to teach through open communication that allows kids to discover – rather than be told – the answers.

Starting Thinking: Most kids are impulsive and fixate on things that are interesting. It’s tough to get them thinking beyond “now” when it comes to money. Overcoming that helps kids understand the basic principles of budgeting. Challenge them with questions such as, “Are you still going to want that expensive sweater in a month, or would it be better to save toward something else?” Helping kids grasp the concept of “value” instills a sense of financial ownership and responsibility. Remind them that once they spend the money, it’s gone.

Start Practicing: Kids learn through repetition. The more they do something, the better they get.  No matter what age the child is, present her with scenarios that require practicing different financial principles. For example, during the summertime give your child $20 to set up a lemonade stand. Ask her, “What types of products will you need to buy to make lemonade? How much will those items cost? How many days do you plan to have the lemonade stand open?”

Asking these questions will not only help her work through the answers, but will also increase her understanding of simple business terms such as “overhead” and “profit.” Additionally, contributing more “investment” money to the fledgling business opens up dialogue about investors and stocks. It takes a little imagination to come up with scenarios, but it can be a fun learning opportunity for the child and the parent.

Start Investigating: The Internet provides a wealth of financial learning tools for children and parents. Of course, parents should monitor what their children are viewing online, but there are some invaluable educational sites, such as www.smckids.com, which features webisodes for Secret Millionaires Club (SMC), an animated series starring Warren Buffet as he mentors a group of kids.

Featured on The HUB network, as well as the website, the SMC series is an innovative way to teach sound financial and entrepreneurial practices to young people. Modeled after the lessons instilled by Mr. Buffett in the animated series, SMC’s “Learn & Earn” Promotion – sponsored exclusively by www.creditreport.com – also offers interactive educational tools for parents and kids.

The bottom line: Stop waiting. It’s never too early to start teaching financial lessons.

For more fun and engaging financial resources, or to watch “The Secret Millionaires Club” webisodes, visit www.smckids.com.

How much is too much to give your children? Consider this: For everything you give your child, you are taking something away. This applies to buying your teenager a new car, giving them the down payment on a home, or leaving them $100,000 when you die. The typical parent, at all income levels, imbibes the fiction that it is their responsibility to take away the struggle in their children’s lives. Most parents dream their children will have better lives than they do. In recent generations “a better life” has become defined as financial stability. But often in assisting them, a parent dulls the character, integrity, work ethic, and socialization skills their children need to become responsible adults.

The responsible and intentional parent makes an effort to contemplate, discuss, and if possible, determine what life lessons will be missed if financial support or a gift is given. Your teenager gets a DUI from driving while intoxicated. Do you run to your IRA and make a loan to bail him out of jail, hire the best lawyer, and then start listening and believing the lawyer’s rationalizations of how body weight and lack of food intake should excuse the five beers he or she inhaled before jumping behind the wheel of a car? Maybe you should leave him in jail for the night or allow her to be represented by a public defender.

“What?” you say, “My child?  He is an honors student and super star athlete!” So what? He was also irresponsible and a physical danger to other innocent people on the highway. If your teenager had injured someone in an accident he would be on his way to prison for an extended term . . . at no charge.

Make no mistake; the development of a “child of entitlement” is exclusively the fault of the parent. In the name of protecting our children, parents create a disconnect between the “safe” or “ideal” world in which our children live and the real world.  Children don’t have their own built in warning light. They have no way of knowing they are taking their privileges for granted. We teach them they are entitled to have everything they want. Because no earning takes place in between acquisitions, purchasing a new car, for instance, feels equivalent to purchasing a new bicycle. Value escapes. There is a “richness” missing from their lives. When Michelangelo was asked how he had envisioned his masterpiece David within a giant hunk of marble, he responded, “David was inside the rock all along. My only job was to remove the unnecessary rock from around him so he could escape.” Too many parents fear the pain that will come when they remove the rock around their children, so they never allow them to escape and become “works of art” as adults.

Most of us experience a life filled with repeated fluctuations of compression (difficult events) and expansion (successful events). Difficult times typically last for a while, and then when they recede for a moment, we can move forward.  Compression can be caused by both internal and external influences.  Internally we struggle with our own egos, our ambitions, our sense of personal worth, our societal position, our self-image, our images of how others perceive us, our health goals, our addictions, our failings, and our feelings of being financially successful and good providers. Externally we get a promotion at work, we get a raise, the economy is healthy, interest rates are low or our neighbors are gracious to us. Conversely, we get fired, lose our home to foreclosure, lose a parent, wife, or child, get a traffic ticket, or find our automobile just decided to quit running. Others have characterized this journey as traveling through the hills and valleys of life. Read More

1. Figure out what you want and don’t want:

With universities of all sizes and types across the country, finding the best fit can feel a little overwhelming. While it is important to look at what you want in a college, it is equally important to understand what you don’t want. Ask yourself some basic questions: Public or Private? Close to home or far away? Urban or rural?  How important is it that you attend a school with a vested interest in its Greek system or sports? Asking yourself these simple questions can help narrow the list and set you on the right track to finding the school for YOU.

2. Make a List:

During your sophomore year in high school, keep a list of 15 to 20 schools you are most interested in attending. Narrow that list to ten schools by the end of your junior year. Visit as many schools as you can. It is OK to take schools off your list and to replace them with other schools as you go through your sophomore and junior years. As you take schools off your list, be conscious of the reasons and discuss them with friends, family, and your guidance counselor.

3. Look at Rankings, But Don’t Obsess About Them:

There are a lot of rankings out there, but every ranking has its own bias. The most important piece of the college puzzle is finding the schools that rank the highest for you. Listen to your gut, regardless of the ranking of the school.

4. Start Early and do Your Research:

It is not too soon to start looking at schools as a freshman. Use the internet to research schools of interest. When you visit a campus do it right – take the tour, eat in the cafeteria, and talk to students. The objective of every school visit is to get an idea of what it would be like to go to that school and a clear grasp of the types of students who go there.

5. Know Your Financial Limits:

When you begin the process, know what you can realistically afford. It doesn’t do you any good to get into a school you can’t pay for. If you need financial help, look into scholarships that might be available to you, know a school’s financial aid packages, and have the conversation with your parents, as well as the financial aid office.

6. Don’t Resume Build, Find a Passion Instead:

Often times when students enter high school, extracurricular actives are top of mind. In this instance it is better to be a spider than a bee. Explore extracurricular activities in your freshman and sophomore years, then focus on one or two activities that you are passionate about and stick with them. While schools will absolutely take notice of the extra time you are putting into after school activities, it says more if the activities are long-term investments of your time. Read More

School lunches are in the headlines quite a bit, these days. Most people are calling for the school lunch program to clean up its act and start feeding the nation’s children healthier fare. Truth be told, many people who brown bag it could stand to make their lunch healthier, as well. Whether packing lunches for school or work, there are ways to make them healthier.

Sure, it’s easy to grab some junk food, throw it in a bag and call it lunch. Problem is, if you do that repeatedly, there will likely be some negative health consequences, over time. Making healthier lunches may require a tad more time and thought, but in the end it will keep you feeling better.

Here are five tips for helping to make lunch-on-the-go healthier:

Plan ahead. It is essential that planning be done ahead of time, so that healthy food items are in the house when it is time to pack lunches. Make a list on the weekend of some healthy lunch options, then be sure to stock up on the necessary ingredients to put it all together.

Spring for supplies. Having the right containers and supplies makes a world of difference. For example, there are special salad and drink containers, which make it easier for some people to transport healthier lunches. Purchasing these supplies will be worth the investment.

Forget rushing. Those who are short of time tend to grab “whatever” and throw it in a bag. Take your time and think the lunch through, so that healthy options are considered and chosen. Many people make their lunch the night before, storing it properly overnight, to help avoid the morning rush. Read More

Flu season is still here and parents tend to respond to this season in two ways.  One is to follow the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control, the American Academy of Pediatrics and many other health care organizations, and have their children vaccinated.  The second is to ignore the recommendations and ‘chance’ their children will not get the flu.

Let’s look at some of the reasons why parents feel they shouldn’t vaccinate their children against the flu.  First, many parents feel the vaccine doesn’t work well – they always know people who get the flu, even though they received the vaccine.  While it is true that the vaccine is not 100% effective, it does protect people the majority of the time.  The vaccine immunizes against three different types of flu, so if you are exposed to a different type of flu than what is in the vaccine, you may still get the flu.  Also, the vaccine is most effective in healthy adults and older children whose immune systems respond well to the vaccination.  In young children, older adults and those with chronic illness, the vaccine still works, but is not effective as in a healthy adolescent or adult.

Second, many parents feel the vaccine is dangerous. While it is true that the rare person may have a serious reaction to the flu vaccine, the overwhelming majority of people receiving the vaccine only experience mild symptoms, such as a low-grade fever and soreness at the injection site.  These symptoms are the result of the body’s immune system responding to the vaccine, and not anything dangerous.  The severe reactions, such as Guillain-Barre Syndrome, are estimated to occur in only one person out of every million doses given.  This rate is actually lower than what occurs naturally in people who do not receive the vaccine.  Parents, read the flu vaccine information sheet so you are fully informed.

Third, many parents think the flu is not a serious illness. While many cases of the flu do resemble a bad cold, the flu can lead to many complications, especially in small children and those with underlying chronic illness such as asthma, heart problems, diabetes, etc.  The death rate in the United States can range from 3,000 to 49,000 people a year, primarily affecting small children, older adults, those with weakened immune systems and those with chronic health issues.

Finally, many parents feel if their child does get the flu, they can get a prescription for an antiviral medication (such as Tamiflu®).  Actually, these medications are only suggested for use in children between the ages of one and two years, as well as for older children with chronic illness such as asthma, diabetes, heart conditions or immune problems.  Therefore, most children do not meet the CDC guidelines for treatment with antiviral medications.

The bottom line is the best way to weather flu season is to get vaccinated.  It is a safe and effective way to prevent the illness in your child and to keep it from spreading to others.

Charles A. Welborn, MD, MPH, FAAP, FACEP, Medical Director, After Hours Pediatrics Urgent Care.

Every year, 1 million U.S. women with high-risk pregnancies are placed on bed rest to protect their developing babies. Despite that, every year, about 500,000 newborns – one of every eight – arrive too early, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Enduring a high-risk pregnancy can be an overwhelming experience of stress, fear and unknowns, leading to more questions than answers. Many of these moms adhere to strict regimes of bed rest; face major changes in lifestyle and relationships; and are subject to dozens of doctor visits and even surgery or medications to protect their unborn children. For them, birth may not be the joy-filled event most families expect.

Knowing those feelings all too well, research scientist Kelly Whitehead wrote “High-Risk Pregnancy: Why Me? Understanding and Managing a Potential Preterm Pregnancy” (www.hrpwhyme.com), which is backed by fetal and maternal medicine specialist Dr. Vincenzo Berghella, a top pre-term birth researcher. Whitehead’s first child died following his premature birth. During her next pregnancy, she spent 4½ months in bed worrying over and trying to protect her daughter.

The book is both a medical reference and provides emotional support for mothers-to-be, with Whitehead providing answers in layman’s terms to the myriad medical questions families have. Whitehead also shares coping strategies she discovered, along with what she’s learned through benefit of hindsight, and insights from other mothers.

• Try to enjoy being pregnant. Don’t miss out on this experience because you’re high-risk. Do the normal prego things, even if you have to modify them: Shop online, get a belly cast, shoot expanding-belly photos, and savor those kicks and body changes. Don’t forget or stop dreaming about the actual birth and your desires for what it will be like. I regretted missing out on so much while carrying my daughter. Rather than enjoying the pregnancy, I kept focused on the end and my hope she would survive.

• Don’t let your emotions become your enemy. Say goodbye to guilt – this is not your fault! It’s okay to be bitter, angry and upset at the world, and to hate “normal” pregnant women, but it isn’t going to change anything. So go get mad, yell, and cry, and then move on.

• Pelvic rest sounds easy, but it isn’t. It’s not fun being forced to become a nun, so don’t. There are still ways to enjoy intimacy; you just need to get creative. Think high school – remember how much fun necking was? Try body oil, a massage? Sexy lingerie is still hot, even if you’re pregnant. Flaunt your new assets – they surely went up a cup size or two.

• Educate yourself about your situation. Don’t go reading about every other possible scenario out there; you don’t need to worry about problems that aren’t a likely issue for you.

• Ask and you shall receive. It may sometimes feel as though people have forgotten about you, but the reality is they’re busy and they have no idea what’s it’s like for you. If you want company, reach out and invite someone over.

“I know it’s tough to be going through a high-risk pregnancy and living in fear every day,” Whitehead says. “Though this will be the toughest time of your life, many of us have been through it and now have our children. You can, too.

“Keep your chin up and keep hoping. Healthy babies are born every day to families who’ve walked the same path.”

Kelly Whitehead is a scientist-mom, who lost a preemie son and went on to have two high-risk pregnancies. She wrote “High-Risk Pregnancy: Why Me? Understanding and Managing a Potential Preterm Pregnancy” as an educational tool and emotional guide for those experiencing a difficult pregnancy and the providers who work with them. She is also a trained doula, birth advocate and spokesperson for Sidelines National High Risk Pregnancy Support Network. For more information, check out www.hrpwhyme.com.

I was reading a recent article on the subject of “helicopter parenting” and how cell phones and the internet have changed parents’ ability to hover over their children. The parents that supposedly hover the most are moms and dads of the “Millennials;” children of baby boomers, born between the early 1980s and 2000. As I read it, I could not help but think of my own childhood. I was the sixth of nine kids and I can safely say my parents most likely didn’t know where I was 70% of the time. It wasn’t that long ago, and I was raised in a small town, prior to cell phones, internet, and the idea that something catastrophic could happen to me if my parents lost sight of me.

My parents weren’t neglectful any more than my neighbors and friends parents. We didn’t have the technology and we also didn’t have the angst that comes with the technology.  There wasn’t the feeling that if I wasn’t constantly busy with piano, soccer or tutoring I would fall behind. My parents saw their role as providing a secure home life, plenty of sleep, good food, and help with homework.

Times have changed. Parents talk to their child every day via texts, emails, Facebook, and web sites. Even when the child goes to college mom and dad are still instrumental in guiding their courses, career, and social life. The kids cannot escape and what’s more is many of them don’t want to. Colleges hire additional staff to answer parents’ phone calls and emails just as summer camps do.  Research supports that when parents become involved in their children’s activities the children do better. They seem to enjoy the activity more whether it is college or an after school event, but there is a fine line, and the positive effects diminish when parents take over and try to control the activity the child is in.

Being there as a guide to support your child may be helpful, but if your guidance becomes you telling your child what to do, think and how to respond, your child begins feeling incompetent to handle the situations they are involved with. Soon, your child cannot make a decision without asking mom or dad.

From the time your child is born there is a process of learning to let go of them. The key to being a fantastic parent is watching your child and understanding when and how much to let go. Just as children have developmental milestones to attain, parents do too.  Hanging on too tightly to your child begins to produce several of these behaviors listed below:

1. Your child becomes less confident in their own ability to take care of themselves in situations at school or play.

2. Your child becomes fearful and withdraws from novel activities.

3. Your child will develop more anxieties and school phobias may develop.

4. Your child may become less interested in things around them unless you take an interest. A parent should be supportive of a child’s interest, but not responsible for it.

5. Parents who are over protective actually suffer more from sadness and poor self image. When you have all of your needs invested in your child to be a success there is little left for you.

It is scary being a parent. We hear stories of abductions, kids getting harmed physically and sexually, and we feel a need to protect our children. If you feel you hold on too tightly though, or if your child seems embarrassed by your unwanted overprotection, there is a way you can loosen your grip without putting your child at risk. Rather than thinking about protecting your child think about empowering them. This will help you raise confident children while allowing you to be engaged:

1. When your child is small you can allow them more freedom to explore, climb and be independent if you provide a safe environment. Look over the playground or park in advance, and find the park that provides security from traffic, while still offering a fun atmosphere for your child to experience.

2. Make mistakes a good thing to experience. Kids who grow up anticipating mistakes take more risks, are less fearful and feel more confident about themselves. We all make mistakes; children have so much to learn in a relatively short period of time. Make sure they can experience their mistakes while being protected in their family. The outside world will never be as forgiving as your own family.

3. If you have a lot of fears from the way you were raised in your family of origin, make sure you deal with those with professional help. Fears are given/taught to children. This is demonstrated by children being terrified of people, things, or events with which they have no experience. The parents often instilled leftover unresolved fears of their past. Being afraid of life and all it has to offer is something you do not want to pass on to future generations.

No one will ever love your child the way you will. Protect their childhood, love them, and offer them new experiences so they can grow and learn. When a child tries something new, it is clear that they look at the new adventure and look back at you. If they see a loving parent who embraces the new while having confidence in their child’s ability to master it, they will be empowered to soar.

Mary Jo Rapini, MEd, LPC, is a licensed psychotherapist and co-author with Janine J. Sherman, of “Start Talking: A Girl’s Guide for You and Your Mom About Health, Sex or Whatever.” Read more about the book at www.StartTalkingBook.com and more about Rapini at www.maryjorapini.com.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are nearly 12 million single parents in America. This nation’s almost 10 million single mothers and nearly 2 million single fathers face financial challenges and decisions that most dual-parent families don’t have to consider, or that may not impact them on such a large scale. After all, single parents often have no other person or income source that they can fall back on, which can create challenges. Single parents should have a plan in place for these possible issues.

Single parents can benefit from a wide variety of financial tips and professional advice. Whether it is tax breaks they qualify for or ways to save for childcare, there are things they can do to help make their financial situation more stable and comfortable.

Here are 5 financial tips for every single parent:

Budget. It’s a good idea for everyone to budget their money and expenses, but this is especially true for those who are single parents. Create a realistic budget and discuss it openly with the children, so they understand why they can’t get money for everything they want.

Save. This may seem obvious, but there are a variety of things that single parents need to save for, such as retirement, an emergency fund, and their child’s college education. Many parents don’t know which goal to save up for first, so after talking with an advisor, automatically saving a small portion each month can come in handy and add up over time.

Insure. It is crucial that single parents have the right insurance policies in place. The two most important types are life insurance; so that there is financial support for the care of their children if something happens to them, and disability insurance; in case something happens and they are unable to work.

Plan. Estate planning is a task that many people want to put off or not think about at all, but it’s critical to make sure that single parents have created a will detailing exactly what should be done for the children if something happens to them. A power of attorney and medical directive are important as well.

Consult. It can be helpful for a single parent to seek out the services of a professional financial planner to help them get all their financial plans in order. A planner will be able to help determine what is needed and give you options on how to allocate funds that can help make it happen. They can help create the roadmap that a single-parent striving for financial success can follow.

One of the most important things that single parents can do is to take charge of their finances. Often times, one parent paid the bills, while the other made the money. Single parents must do all they can to get educated regarding their finances and develop a plan that can help create a safety net for both them and their children.

There are many single parents today, so it’s also a good idea to find a local support group or group blog where you can share info and bounce ideas off one another. Single parents can achieve financial success, too. They simply need to be pro-active in mapping and carrying out the plan.

Samantha Fraelich, Certified Financial Planner professional and Vice-President of Bernard R. Wolfe & Associates, Inc., a company specializing in offering wealth management strategies.

Bernard R. Wolfe & Associates, Inc., has provided financial management strategies and investment services since 1981. They assist a wide range of private and corporate clients with everything from estate planning and investment to divorce planning. The company also offers professional women’s financial planning services, led by Samantha Fraelich, a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Practitioner. Visit the website at www.bernardwolfe.com.

Securities and Investment Advisory Services offered through NFP Securities, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC.