Client Appreciation for Financial Advisors

A quick Google search on "client appreciation for financial advisors" unearths a lot about client awareness events, (which are very common in the industry), and not much more. Are advisors hoping their clients bring friends with them to the event so the planner can get an introduction for potential new business? Such events are perfectly fine and good, but they are not really the best way to show your thanks or differentiate yourself.

Sure, some financial planners may host events that are real blowouts, the kind of "you have GOT to be there" parties that people talk about for months. But most do not come close to that.

Like gift cards, these appreciation dinners have three main drawbacks. One, they're not personal. It's a party for a bunch of people, not in honor of them personally. Two, they require your clients to make an effort. And a majority of your clients are not excited about making any efforts outside of their normal routine. Three, if everyone's doing them, how then are you so special?

That's why if you really want to let your clients know you value them, you send them something that requires no effort on their part - a genuine token of thanks that can be enjoyed right away, without sharing, in the privacy of their own home. In case you have not noticed, especially in America, people like instant gratification.

A survey done earlier this year of registered investment consultants found that most saw an increase in assets under management, coming from both new and existing clients. So you've got lots of new people with whatever it would behoove you to strengthen bonds. Additionally, the study revealed almost 25% of advisors expected to increase spending in client appreciation activities. If you're going to increase spending, do not you want to make sure you're doing it effectively?

Here are 3 better ways for financial advisors to reach out to their clients:

1. Handwritten notes - even if your assistant wrists them. Send a card to say thanks at a random time, other than a birthday.

2. Gourmet food - people love treats, so send something they'd not likely find or buy for themselves and let them indulge courtesy of you. Food is a very social and nurturing thing; it says, "I care," which is why it's received particularly well.

3. Books - do you have a favorite recommendation? Sharing something you enjoy allows your clients to feel a closer relationship and who knows, maybe you'll introduce them to a new genre or author that they would have never otherwise discovered.

There's no doubt that building tighter relationships with your clients is essential to the success of your business. Just make sure the money you spend actually accomplishes what you intend.

Financial Help for First Time Home Buyers

Purchasing your first home is an exciting time and transitioning from renter to property owner presents a long list of significant long-term benefits. Yet, there are numerous thoughts and fears many have when considering buying their first home.

When beginning the initial process of owning a home for the first time, most people spend a fair amount of time looking around for the perfect house, in the right neighborhood and in the right location. Selecting the right property that is a good fit on all levels and ensuring the location will meet all of your requirements is obviously a big part of making sure your short-term and long-term needs are met.

However, as you get past the initial stages of simply looking at different properties and trying to determine your exact needs, you may find buying a home is a bit more involved than you first realized. Most first-time home buyers go through feeling a little overwhelmed at the beginning and a top notch realtor can offer significant help for first time home buyers.

Financial Help for First Time Home Buyers

Plus 5 Important Tips

Think About Today and the Future

When you are looking around for the right home to purchase it is important to think about what will meet your needs today and in the future. Most of the time, buying a house is not only a financial commitment but also a commitment of time; meaning, you will probably live in the home for at least several years.

If you do not have any children a small cottage on the lake might sound fun now, but if you decide to have kids in a few years it may become impractical very quickly. Thinking about your current lifestyle and how it might change in the coming years is an important consideration and can help make your home purchase successful on a long-term basis.

Choose a Realtor Carefully

Choosing the realtor you work with is a very important consideration, sometimes the most important. A good real estate agent can help make the home buying process much easier and much more successful. Real estate agents are experienced professionals who know what to look for, what to be careful of and all the important details that you will need to take care of through your first home purchase.

Some real estate agencies offer special programs that can provide significant help for first time home buyers such as down payment assistance, tax credits and special mortgage programs. There are even a select few real estate agents that are willing to give up a portion of their commission and offer it to home buyers as a cash back rebate. If restrictions on cash back rebates exist due to guidelines of the lender, then buyers can apply the rebate towards closing costs instead. Either way it is a significant financial bonus and can provide generous help for first time home buyers.

Pay Attention to the Type of Mortgage You Accept

Knowing the price range of home you can really afford is based on many factors such as your credit score and your debt to income ratio. Knowing your budget from the lenders perspective is very important so you do not waste your time looking at properties that do not fit your budget and do not fit a lender's criteria either. A well-seasoned realtor can assist you with the mortgage pre-qualification process so you are ready to not only make an offer on a property, but you are actually able to secure a loan and close on the property successfully.

In some trending real estate markets the seller will not even consider an offer unless the buyer has a pre-qualified certificate from a lender. Working with the right realtor who can help you get pre-qualified and who is also affiliated with multiple lenders, title companies and home inspection services will help you be prepared for a successful purchasing process. Additionally, it will allow you to negotiate on the selling price of a home from a position of strength.

The details, terms and costs involved with your mortgage are important for knowing how much a home will cost you on a monthly basis and over the length of the entire term of a mortgage. Knowing if there is a free down payment program associated with the loan, the interest rate, term and closing costs are just a few of the considerations you should be clear about before committing to a mortgage. One very important element of a mortgage is if the interest rate is fixed or variable.

A fixed interest rate will give you a set rate of interest for the entire term of the mortgage, which will result in a predictable monthly payment that is the same month after month from the very first month until the last payment is made. A variable rate mortgage will typically offer a fixed rate for a short period such as 1 year, 3 years or 5 years and then the rate will fluctuate based on a set parameter such as the London Interbank Offered Rate, also referred to as LIBOR .

Other Expenses In Addition to Your Mortgage Payment

We all know it is important to make sure you can afford the monthly payment for a new home, but what about the other costs involved with home ownership? Besides your monthly mortgage payment, there will be other costs involved with owning a home that some first-time buyers may not have thought about. Take some time to make a list of all the possible expenses that will fall under normal maintenance for any property you are considering.

For instance; will you need to maintain your yard up to the standards set by the neighborhood homeowners association which means purchasing lawn maintenance equipment or hiring a service to do it for you. What are the costs for your monthly water, electric and gas bills? Is there adequate WiFi and or cable service available and the fees associated with it.

Keeping a home in top condition is not only important for maintaining a quality standard of living and following the rules of the HOA, city ordinances or even just imposed rules based on how your neighbors care for their homes but also for the resale value of a home .

Resale Value

When you look around at all the different properties available it is always a good idea to listen to the advice of your realtor on what homes present the best resale value opportunities. Depending on the area you are in, there will be certain properties that lend them to higher potential resale values ​​due to the number of bedrooms, how much property the home sets upon, the school district or other factors.

An experienced realtor will know the area well and what will sell quickly. Listening to their advice will not only ensure a good decision today but can also save you from big headaches when you try to sell the property many years from now.

An Experienced Realtor is the Best Help for First Time Home Buyers

Buying your first home or even your next home can be a little intimidating and it does involve some making careful decisions. However, working with an experienced realtor who works for you specifically as your buyer's agent rather than a transaction agent will help keep the process smooth and successful.

"We can not imagine a better home buying experience. Our Realtor was professional, courteous, and straightforward and did whatever it took to get us a fair deal and made sure that we were buying a home that was right for us. that, they offer a 1% rebate back on the purchase price of the home! I would recommend them without any hesitation ... you simply will not find a better realtor. Thank you Kellie and Kent Lighthill. "

Stay on your goal to purchase your first home and explore the available programs offered by some realtors; like down payment assistance and home buyer's cash back rebate program as both are available to all home buyers first time or next time purchasers.

With Money

Every time I get an email with "fw:" in the subject line, I role my eyes at the complete waste of time that reading it is going to be ... I maybe I was wrong) . So why then, would I or anyone else for that matter ever bother to read one of those annoying things Let alone respond to it? Although I can not read all of them (or someone might get hurt), I always have hope; hope that occasionally, if I take a chance, one of them may contain something interesting or in some way valuable ..... maybe.

Since when does "hope" come in the form of an email chain letter? Actually, it can come in any form and often, unexpectedly. When it comes to reading emails, who can afford not to choosey with our precious time? But, on the other hand, we all need to be inspired. And making the decision to be open to inspiration is really important. Inspiration can mean the spark of an idea, or an idea for an idea-what could be more valuable? I may read a chain letter, listen to a radio show, or talk to a random stranger because of the opportunity that this moment may afford to reveal something valuable to me. The choice of where to put my attention I leave to my intuition (the unconscious) because I've made a conscious decision to stay open and I trust that guiding force-because that is all there is.

Inspiration, of course, does not do anyone any good if it is not acted on. All great things start with an idea; and its fine to dream. You should indulge in it. But then you have to act on it. If you're honest with yourself you realize that if you're not actively involved in getting what you want, you do not really want it. Emile Pereire, one of the Péreire brothers, prominent 19th century financiers in Paris who established railroads in France and Europe said "it is not enough to outline gigantic programs on paper. I must write my ideas on the earth." Get it? Railroad .... write on the earth .......... It's not enough to say "I want to lose weight" or "I really want to get in shape" and think that it's somehow just going to happen . You may think this is obvious but trust me there are many people who, "somewhere in there," believe it will just happen. If you apply the "if you build it, they will come" theory to this, it's like hiring a trainer and then believing that just because you've written her a check, your body is going to transform. Do I wish it was that easy! I'd be really, really rich.

When you remain open and receptive, great things can and often do come your way. The world comes fully loaded with opportunities all you have to do is recognize them, like one of those drawings that has something hidden within it. But then, you've got to act on that gift of inspiration. This email chain letter arrived in my in-box with dramatic graphics and bold colors which earned it a sigh in addition to the eye-roll but in the end, it inspired me to write this little column (case in point). You may have seen it before but it bears repeating. So, whoever it was who forwarded this, thank you for sharing.
With Money ...

-you can buy a house, but not a home.
-you can buy a clock, but not time.
-you can buy a bed, but not sleep.
-you can buy a book, but not knowledge.
-you can buy medicine, but not health.
-you can buy a position, but not respect.
-you can buy sex, but not love.
-you can buy blood, but not life.

Free New Droid X Phone From Legit Offers

A lot of people wanted to try their luck at getting one of those nice items being offered online for free. The thing that is keeping many from doing so however is the fact that a lot of these offers are actually scams.

Do you know that you can actually get freebies like a free new Droid X phone safely?

There are ways for one to know if an offer is for real or not. What are these?

1. Do you think you can trust the freebie site? Most fraudulent rewards sites appear to be sloppily made instead of professionally designed. And also, if the site is offering items like a new Droid X phone for free, should they be able to afford to pay a professional web designer?

2. Make sure that the rewards site has a security policy that handles your personal information.

3. Go through the offer's every detail to make sure that you are really getting what they are offering.

4. Check if the shipping and handling fees are covered by the rewards company. Some offers might ask you to cover such fees but do not give out any payment details until you are sure you are getting the item.

5. Determine if the information being asked from you is appropriate for such offer. You should not be asked for more than your name, e-mail address, postal address and / or phone number.

6. Check if the promo is still on-going and not expired

7. You can visit forums or discussions about a particular website to see how it rates to other consumers

There are a lot more things you can consider when hunting for a genuine offer. Use some common knowledge and it is very possible for you to own a brand new Droid X phone for free.

Start Your Future Career With A Good Computer Training

To almost all business industries, the computer system is the backbone for a lot of companies. In the world of IT or information technology, there are basically two types of network providers: CISCO and Microsoft. Becoming a certified CISCO network associate or a certified Microsoft system associate will surely give you an edge over other IT experts today.

Having such certification means going through intensive computer training. In the United States, the DC area, computer training is one of their best places that offer high quality computer training. In fact computer training in North Virginia is highly recognized nationwide. CISCO and Microsoft certification are available through various computer training centers in North Virginia.

The above mentioned certification courses will surely upgrade anyone's skill and practice you for more complex and advanced computer training courses. Even if you have very little knowledge about advanced IT, rests ensure that these training programs will help you get started. At the end of each course, you will learn how to configure systems, troubleshoot hardware, software even routers and switches. You will learn how to install and uninstall various programs and even how to protect your computer system from the threat of unethical hacker by becoming a hacker yourself.

And since a lot of companies in the United States are dominating its presence in the internet, the work market for IT development and design is booming and is large in demand, not just in the United States but in other parts of the world as well. Getting proper computer training in North Virginia will play a huge role in helping you become a certified IT expert.

Course offered by training centers in North Virginia includes A +, Network +, Security +, CCNA, CISSP, Cisco certification, and Microsoft certification. CEH, CHFI, and ESCA are ethical hacker courses that boomed in popularity in 2001. Demand for Certified Ethical Hackers is continuously soaring up, because a lot of companies have seen the negative effect of unsecured computer network to their business reputation. Large companies are willing to shed off large sum of money for high quality CEH, to work on their computer system's safety and security.

CEH courses are offered in computer training in North Virginia. In fact, this is where computer training in North Virginia dominates the other computer centers nationwide, for they can produce highly qualified CEH more than any other schools outside the state. And their student's achievements are highly recognized, giving credits to the school or training centers that they came from.

CompTIA A + certification on the other hand has been around for many years now but because the world of technology is ever changing, the certification varies as well, but without changing the foundation of the certification tests. This tactic ensures that only those who have studied well or the right people with sufficient knowledge about both computer hardware and software and those who can build it, would get recognition. Like with everything else in this world, where you came from, serves as your future foundation. Getting computer training in North Virginia is a good foundation that you will certainly benefit from, in the future.

The 4 Stages of the Counseling Process: What Every Youth Counselor Should Know

There is a natural progress that takes place within the context of the helping relationship. This process enables you and the person you are working with to build a relationship, assess the situation, set goals and come up with a plan to bring about your desired results. This progress is known as the counseling process. There are four stages of the counseling process. They are: developing a relationship, making an informed assessment, establishing mutually agreed upon goals and objectives and developing an implementation plan.

Phase 1. Developing A Relationship

In order to develop positive helping relationships with youth, you've got to be able to connect with them. This can only happen when youth are made to feel like you really care about their well-being and that you understand where they are coming from. It's about behaving in a way that demonstrates the core conditions of genuineness, respect and empathy.
To develop solid relationships with youth, you need to create a safe environment where young people will feel comfortable enough to open up to you and talk to you about anything that is on their minds. You also need to help youth see that despite their circumstances they have strengths. In short, you should start things off from a strengths-based perspective.

Questions to Consider When Trying to
Develop A Relationship

· In what ways can you build better relationships with the youth in your program?

· If there are young people who are not actively engaged, what can you do differently to engage them?

· If a youth is resistant, what steps can you take to reduce resistance?

· What worked in the past with resistant youth?

· How do you know when you've built a solid relationship with a youth? Could you use these indicators to strengthen your relationships with other youth?

Phase 2. Making An Informed Assessment

An informed assessment happens when both you and the youth gather information in order to figure out what's "really" going on so that you can assess what needs to happen next in order to change the situation for the better or build up the youth's coping skills to better deal with a problematic situation. The first step in making an assessment is to find out if change is necessary, and if it is what needs to happen for change to take place. If you have determined that change is necessary, then the next step is to figure out what needs to change. Is it a behavior? An attitude? A situation?

A good assessment can provide an opportunity for a young person to see how his / her behavior or attitude might be contributing to an undesirable or unhealthy situation. Assessment is an ongoing process. You need to regularly check in with your youth to see how things are going. Reassessments enable you to ensure that you and the youth are on the right track.

How do you gather information in order to make an informed assessment? You can gather information in a number of ways: talking with youth, observing the youth's behavior and interactions, discussions with other people who are involved in the young person's life, and reading any documented information on the young person. Keep in mind that when utilizing someone else's verbal or written report as a source of background information, you run the risk of subjecting yourself to their biases and assumptions.

Points to Keep In Mind When Making An Assessment

· Be aware of your biases and how they impact on the assessments you make.

· Involve youth in the assessment process.

· Do not rely on one single source to make an assessment, gather as much information as you can from a variety of sources.

· Do not automatically label a behavior as dysfunctional because you do not understand it, or it is not germane to your culture.

· Make sure to point out a young person's strengths even when addressing problematic behavior.

Phase 3. Establishing Mutually Agreed Upon Goals and Objectives

Why is it important to establish "mutually agreed" upon goals and objectives? Because if a young person is in agreement with the goals then he / she is more likely to follow through on them. When a youth is actively involved in the goal setting process and is in agreement with the goals, then he / she is more inclined to take ownership of the goals. What are goals? Goals are broad statements that identify what you want to accomplish. Think of goals as the end result that you are trying to achieve. While goals are broad statements that identify what you want to accomplish overall, objectives are the measurable steps that you take to achieve your goals. For example if you have a goal that states, "youth will be better able to manage her anger." One of your objectives might be, "youth will recognize emotional triggers that lead to angry outbursts and use positive, self-talk to calm herself down." Your objectives should always be concrete and measurable. They should also be derived from the overall goal.

Questions to Consider When Developing

Goals and Objectives

· What do you and the young person want to achieve?

· How are you going to achieve it?

· When do you want to achieve your stated goal?

· What obstacles do you expect?

· How will you address these obstacles?

· How will you use to measure and monitor progress?

· Are your goals realistic?

Phase 4. Implementation Plan

The implementation plan is a plan that you and the youth work on together. It is designed to prevent, intervene, or address unhealthy behaviors and practices. The implementation plan identifies who will perform the activities, where the activities will occur, how frequently they will occur, how they will be transported out and when they will be carried out. Implementation activities are designed to help individuals re-think risky behavior, work through problematic issues, address unhealthy lifestyles practices, learn new skills and build strengths. Implementation activities can include: counseling, crisis intervention, training and education, supporting services, concrete services and constructive use of free time.

As you can see, each stage of the counseling process builds upon the former. As you move through each stage, you will come to realize that it takes patience and practice to counsel youth effectively, but if you are committed to the goal you'll do just fine. You may not feel completely confident in your ability as a counselor, but as you expand your knowledge base, gain more experience and strengthen your helping skills, you will become a more effective counselor.

Copyright © 2006 by Cassandra Mack

Excerpted from Cassandra Mack's book, "Smart Moves That Successful Youth Workers Make"

Social Marketing for Real Estate Agents

Maximizing Profits Using Facebook for Real Estate

There is hardly a person living in this day and age who has not at the very least Heard of Facebook and how it brings everyone together. The fact of the matter is that social networks are becoming an incremental integral part in the lives of many people out there and it is only logical that they should be used for marketing and advertising. As it happens, there are ways to use Facebook for real estate agents who want to give their career a little boost.

First of all, how can using Facebook for real estate marketing benefit the agent? Well, for starters it should be stated that it is estimated that in August 2012, Facebook will hit the 1 billion subscriber mark. Put that together with the fact that one of these networks news travels almost as the speed of light and you have yourself a nice potential way of spreading the word about yourself. You can do all the run-of-the-mill stuff such as making a profile page where they can pretty much do whatever they want. However, that is far from being the best Facebook can do for you.

Facebook allows the creation of fan pages and group pages to which people subscribe. When they "like" your page, every single thing you are going to post will become visible in their news feed, meaning that you are going to be reaching to thousands of people potentially only because they clicked a button on your page. Of course, using Facebook for real estate marketing consists of more than simply creating a page because after all, you need to give people a reason to join and like it. And it's not like you just need anyone liking it; it is better to have a hundred people interested in what you are selling them like your page than a thousand who has no idea what you are doing there. So here is a little guide for how to use Facebook for real estate marketing.

How to Use Facebook for Real Estate Marketing

To start things off you are going to create a landing page which will give your visitors just a little taste of what you have to offer, encouraging them to click the like button and see the page in its full splendor. You should give them some incentive to click the like button, such as some kind of exclusive information about the housing sector, an ebook, or really any kind of little offer you can think of. The aesthetic of your landing page is extremely important so you should definitely work with a professional designer on it if you can afford to.

In any case, once they "like" your page they will be taken to second landing page where they can actually get what they clicked the button for. This is a very effective method of promoting your brand and getting your name out there as the people who will have gotten what they wanted from you will spread the word to their friends, who will hopefully give you a visit and do the same.

There is a great way to get more people to your Facebook page which consist of setting up good Facebook ads, which are basically the advertisements displayed on the side. All you need to do is simply click on the "create an ad" link which can be found right next to those advertisements, and you will be taken to the creation page. There you make your ad by simply choosing a picture and typing a quick sales pitch that goes to its right. You can choose to either run a cost-per-impressions or a pay-per-click campaign, which is more suitable for your current situation.

The best part with these ads is that if you are promoting a Facebook page those who are looking at it can "like" it instantaneously without even visiting it. If you can manage to make your ad enticing enough, you will see no shortage of unique visitors everyday who are looking to see what your brand has to offer them.

So how exactly do you get started and use Facebook for real estate marketing? Well, there is nothing complicated to the process as all you need to do is install an application which allows you to easily create landing pages. There are many applications which allow you to do that, and you can find them using your search engine of preference. Once the application is installed, use it to put your landing page into place, and get started with the steps above.

Check out my recent blog post for tips on growing your Facebook fan base.