Questions to Ask Your Financial Advisor

Bernard Madoff 'Made Off' With Investor Money –
How Other Consumers Can Avoid a Similar Fate

Livermore-based financial advisor provides local residents with important questions they need to ask before putting trust in a financial advisor.

Livermore, CA (3/24/09) – Bernard Madoff's alleged Ponzi Scheme stands as an example of how the financial services industry has failed to protect the best interests of consumers. It highlights the increased need for consumers to proceed cautiously when working with an advisor and the importance of asking pointed questions before hiring a professional.

As the post-Madoff era begins and the federal government and industry regulators decide the best course of action to protect consumers, people need to ask the right questions of an existing or potential advisor.

Steve Bell of Steve Bell Financial Planning and a member of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA), the country's leading association of Fee-Only financial advisors, encourages consumers to take the time to get to know an advisor and gauge his or her commitment to placing clients' interests first.

Find out how the advisor and his or her firm are compensated. Fee-Only compensation has the fewest conflicts of interest, but there are other acceptable methods as long as full disclosure takes place up front. It's important to know if an advisor will make additional money if you follow certain recommendations.

You should always know where your money and securities are actually held. Most reputable advisors will use an unaffiliated custodian for the safe keeping of your assets. This simple check and balance could have saved the Madoff investors millions by bringing the problem to the forefront earlier.

Legally, all clients are entitled to a copy of the firm's Form ADV Part II or brochure. It's a compliance document, that can be pretty dry, but it holds a lot of important information and ultimately shows that the firm is registered with the SEC or state.

"NAPFA and the Fee-Only advisor community are hopeful the new administration, the SEC and other regulatory bodies will enact thoughtful regulations to protect consumers," said Steve Bell, owner of Steve Bell Financial Planning.

Consumers can access a Financial Advisor Checklist and Financial Advisor Diagnostic on the NAPFA website by visiting www.NAPFA.org and clicking on the Tips and Tools button in the Consumer Information section. The Diagnostic tool includes an answer key to help consumers understand NAPFA’s recommendations for the most appropriate answers to the questions.

If you are interested in discussing these important questions with Steve Bell, please contact Steve Bell Financial Planning at 1-800-472-1844, ext 21 or plan@stevebellfp.com.

About Steve Bell Financial Planning

Steve Bell Financial Planning is a comprehensive financial planning and investment advisory firm located in the Livermore, CA. They offer financial planning and advice in the areas of goal planning, retirement planning, investment planning, debt management, risk mitigation, college funding and estate planning .... all on a fee-only, as needed, hourly basis. They also offer investment management services on a percent of balance basis. Unlike many financial planning firms, Steve Bell Financial Planning will not turn away prospective clients just because they fail to meet minimums for income or investment balances, nor will they require a client to commit to a long-term agreement.

For more information on Steve Bell Financial Planning, please visit www.stevebellfp.com.

Free Hair Cuts For Community Folks Who Have Lost Jobs and Homes

Dawn Renee Salon & Day Spa Announces Hair for Hope. A Plan to Offer Free Hair Cuts & More to Members of the Community Who Have Lost Their Jobs and Homes in This Tough Economy.

Concord, CA March 12th, 2009 – Dawn Renee Salon & Day Spa is teaming up with SHELTER, Inc of Contra Costa County to offer free haircuts to Contra Costa County residents who have lost their homes and jobs due to the troubling economy. On Monday, April 6th, from 9 am to 6 pm, Dawn Renee Salon and Day Spa will open its doors to dozens of displaced residents and offer hair cuts, shampoos, child care, donated food and donated toiletries.

Salon Owner, Dawn Renee, said it was a recent episode of Oprah that inspired her. The show reported on the tent cities popping up across the country due to foreclosures. A homeless woman from a Sacramento tent community was interviewed. She had lost her cashier job and her husband was laid off from his construction job. Next thing you know, they were homeless. The lady being interviewed said the hardest part about living in the tent city was not having her own bathroom. She missed being able to wash her face, fix her hair, put makeup on and feel pretty.

"I just started crying," said Dawn Renee. "I thought, how could I help these people? Then the idea to open up my salon doors and offer them the chance to feel confident and pretty came to me. A haircut may seem like a small thing, but when you are trying to schedule job interviews and find housing, a great haircut and a little TLC might give someone the confidence they need to make it happen.”

Dawn Renee immediately started working on bringing this idea to fruition. She found hairdressers to volunteer their time, a local dentist to donate toothbrushes and toothpaste, church groups to offer up childcare, food donations and more. She also teamed up with SHELTER, Inc. of Contra Costa County, a non-profit organization that works to help people find homes. They agreed to pass out haircut vouchers to those in need.

Resource Coordinator for SHELTER Inc, said she knew dozens of deserving individuals that could really use a day at the salon. "In Contra Costa County people are losing their homes at an alarming rate. We have so many families that need housing and not enough places to put them. I know they will benefit so much from this opportunity."

According to Dawn Renee, she felt she needed to do something and there was no way she could offer a monetary donation. (It has been a daily struggle to keep the salon doors open during these tough times.) "My talent is making people feel beautiful and I want to give it to those in need. The outpouring of support has been inspiring; I want the people who have been affected by the horrible circumstances of this economy to know that the community cares about them."

Hair for Hope is still in need of donations of all kinds and volunteers. Please call 925-825-9585 to learn how you can help.

ABOUT Dawn Renee Salon and Day Spa – Located at 2151 Salvio Street Suite T, Concord, CA 94518. We are a full service salon that offers the latest in creative hair design, perms and color; facial and body treatments; waxing, make-up and nail care services. Our clients will experience the finest products the beauty industry has to offer. Owner Dawn Renee is a Master Hair Designer/Colorist, Makeup Artist and Image Development Designer. She has worked in the beauty industry for 30 years and has owned her own salon for 20 years. www.dawnreneesalon.com

ABOUT SHELTER, Inc. – The mission of SHELTER, Inc. is to prevent homelessness and promote self-sufficiency among Contra Costa residents. www.shelterincofccc.org

Danville Artist Receives National Recognition

Danville resident receives National, Regional Recognition for her paintings.

Danville Resident Robin Purcell (NWS,CWA,CAC) has been almost too busy shipping paintings and applications around the country to paint!

Currently she is honored to have a painting on exhibit at the prestigious American Watercolor Society 142nd Annual International Exhibition at the Salmagundi Club in Manhattan, the California Watercolor Association National Exhibition at the Presidio San Francisco (accepted into 4 of the last 5) and the California Art Club Juried Artist Member Exhibit at the Old Mill, San Marino "Celebrating the Golden State".



Closer to home she is in a two person exhibit at the Thomas Moser Cabinetmakers showroom in San Francisco, now through May 12. With a reception March 21 from 2 to 4.

May is the beginning of Plein Air Painting season and Robin has just been juried into the Sonoma Plein Air event, (May 4 to 9) for the second year and the Carmel Art Festival (May 14 to 17th) for the fourth consecutive time. Details on all these events can be found on her blog robinpurcellpaints.blogspot.com

World Peace - You Can Do Your Part

Every Beauty Queen states to the interviewer when asked what she wants to accomplish, "world peace". Even if you are not a beauty queen, you and your family can contribute to world peace by hosting a high school student from another country in your home.

Linda Servis is the local Community Coordinator for PAX (Program for Academic Exchange). PAX is a small, vibrant band of dedicated individuals who work together all over the world to identify students that would love to come to the U.S. and study for a year. They work with partner organizations in many countries to bring these students to the U.S. and are fully accredited by the State Department which oversees their activities.

Their mission is to promote international peace, friendship and understanding through cross cultural exchange and education.

And they also promote a whole lot of fun and great experiences for the student and the whole family. Relationships formed this way last a lifetime and provide a lifetime of joy and friendship not to mention a good place to stay when you want to travel.

Host families can be any kind of family-- single parents, empty nesters, whatever. The student doesn't need to have a room of his or her own, just a quiet place to study—they are used to sharing rooms with their brothers and sisters.

The great news is that the San Ramon Valley School District is excited to take these students into their school for either the junior or senior year. So Linda Servis needs host families to speak to about this program. She will come to your home and tell you all about the program and at this time of the year, you could have your choice of nationalities—Indian, Australian, Chinese, Italian, whomever you would feel is most compatible with your home life. She does request that the host family speak English predominantly in the home as one of the goals of the students is to polish their English—they are all English speaking (often times tri lingual as well).

So call Linda if you are interested in hosting or even interested in finding out more about the Program for Academic Exchange. Her number is 925-934-1750.

See Jane Run Opening New Store in Danville

SEE JANE RUN is opening fourth location in Danville, California

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (PRWEB) March 2009 – Today, See Jane Run, an athletic shoe and apparel retailer for women headquartered in San Francisco, announced the third location opening in the Bay Area and the fourth See Jane Run store. The new Danville store is located in the upscale Blackhawk Plaza lifestyle center at 3480 Blackhawk Plaza Circle.

See Jane Run caters to women of all ages, sizes and fitness levels with running shoes and apparel, training and events. The company inspires women to be fit by providing a supportive and knowledgeable environment along with staff expertise on gait analysis and bra fittings. "We are very excited about the Danville location", says Lori Shannon, President of See Jane Run. "Our events attract so many participants from Contra Costa County, opening a See Jane Run store there makes a lot of sense."

The grand opening celebration will kickoff with a champagne reception on March 27th from 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. and fun activities throughout the weekend on Saturday, March 28th and Sunday, March 29th. In addition, customers will receive a See Jane Run logo hat with purchase all weekend.

See Jane Run provides women with a 360-degree approach to fitness. "Our goal is to help women select the right gear and keep them motivated with our training and events," Shannon says. "We are often asked what makes us different. I think the fact we strongly encourage women to have fun, celebrate their milestones, and of course, eat chocolate makes our approach unique."

About See Jane Run

See Jane Run is so much more than a running store. As a woman-owned and operated company, See Jane Run reaches out to individuals of all shapes, ages and fitness levels. The product, training and events are selected and designed to reflect the diversity of the customers. The first store was opened in San Francisco in 2000. Since then, See Jane Run has opened three more locations, launched an online store and was selected as one of the 50 Best Running Stores in America in 2006 and 2007 by Footwear Intelligence and The Running Network.

Contacts:


Deb DeFanti

See Jane Run

415-814-1530

deb@seejanerun.com

www.seejanerun.com