If you are a financial professional looking for more business, try these easy marketing strategies to help you reach new prospects.

1. Make sure you have your brand name in the subject line of any e-mail you send. A recent survey showed that nearly 49% of consumers are more likely to open e-mails that have the brand name of the sender in the subject line. In this day of junk mail and spam, people want to know who you are.

2. Research your client’s needs so that your presentation—whether it’s to one person or a group of investors—expresses the benefits of working with your organization. Potential clients want to hear that you’re taking their particular needs into account.

3. Join a few investor clubs and “be seen.” I recently spoke at an investors club and watched the regulars stand up and make their monthly 2 minute pitch. It’s just good, old-fashioned networking. The professionals that show up month after month are considered old friends. They end up staying after the meeting to talk and answer questions, which in the end helps them get business.

Check out the National Association of Investment Clubs to find out what is happening in your area. Whether it is stocks or real estate, get involved and grow your business.

Attention IRA investors! Do you know how secure your retirement account is? It’s enough to be concerned that you’re making the right investments, but who wants to lose sleep about whether your funds are physically safe. However, not all administrators and custodians approach security in the same way. For example, what does the company you use have in place in case of a disaster?

Hugh Bromma, CEO of The Entrust Group, shares what Entrust does to protect their clients in the event of an earthquake, hurricane, or other catastrophic disaster. I know that when a disaster occurs, I want to know that my funds are safe.

What Happens to Your IRA in the Event of a Disaster?

by Hubert Bromma, CEO of The Entrust Group

We have had a number of natural disasters over the last few years, as well as unnatural disasters, like unexpected power outages. Because Entrust considers all forms of security its No. 1 priority, we have a tested comprehensive plan in the event that a local office is disrupted, destroyed, or unreachable by staff. If we are unable to send one of our experienced teams to the disrupted office because of airport or road closures, all account activities are handled through one of our backup centers in Reno, Las Vegas, or Oakland.

All of our data is continuously being backed up, as required by our bank regulations, and then processed through our central office in Reno. In the event of a disruption in service, any Entrust office can be used to securely access the information. We physically test this process annually to make sure that everything is working the way we want and that all personnel are familiar with the procedures. As part of the test, we ”shut down” five offices by turning off access to all their local data and then have them work with backups maintained in one of our centers. Through testing, we make sure that your data is safe, secure, and accessible from our 30 offices nationwide.

In the event of a disaster, the last thing you want to be worried about is how secure are your funds. You want to know that your money is safe, and The Entrust Group takes that concern seriously.

Nearly 70% of employed US adults receive some type of retirement or other asset building benefit from their employer, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Besides participating in a 401 (k) plan, 36% enjoy the benefits of a company match and 29% have a pension plan.

Over 50% of employees want assistance about retirement options and financial planning as well as investment options in their company 401 (k)/pension plan.

Like individual business owners, employees want to have a “vote” on their money. One way to do this is through a self-directed 401 (k) where the employer allows the employee the ability to invest in other assets besides the traditional stocks, bonds, and mutual funds.

How do you know if you company allows self-direction in a 401 (k)? Contact the HR department or if the company is large enough, the employee benefits department and ask.

If you receive commission income, or are self-employed you should consider establishing your own individual (k) plan. There are many benefits to this including the ability to make contributions into more then one type of retirement plan.

For more information on how individual (k) plans work or to set one up, contact one of our local professionals at The Entrust Group. Visit www.theentrustgroup.com to find a local office near you.

The more you save today, the more distance you put between financial struggle or freedom!

I just spent Mother’s Day with two retirees: my mother and my daughter-in-law’s mother.

My mother is fortunate. Her husband left her in a satisfactory position financially. Although she still worries whether she’ll have enough money as the years go by for expenses like prescription drugs, doctor bills and rent increases on her condo, she knows she’s not alone and does have financial resources.

My daughter-in-law’s mother is a different story. She receives Social Security and some child support for a late-in-life baby, but she just can’t make ends meet. My daughter-in-law has put her on a strict budget, yet still has to help her out financially.

Two women of the same age and different circumstances, but sharing one commonality: They never thought they would have to worry about money when they retired. Now, this is all they worry about. And they’re not alone. About two-thirds of surveyed retirees said their monthly expenses are about the same as or higher than before retirement. In other words, the purported 70% of current income needed to cover one’s expenses in retirement turns out to be unrealistic.

Health care is becoming the No. 1 expense in retirement. Even with Social Security and Medicare, retirees are spending out of pocket because health insurance premiums and all health-related costs are higher than expected. And then retirees are finding that travel and entertainment are costing more than predicted. For those who were counting on profiting off their personal residence when they downsized into a retirement community, they’re finding that the profit doesn’t cover as much as they thought it would. Nursing homes, assisted living…for most retirees it is out of the question.

In general, the pre-boomer generation was better at saving and preparing for retirement for a number of reasons. We can learn from our parents—or grandparents, depending on your age—by putting away as much money as possible and investing in assets that will help you during those retirement years. You cannot afford to depend on Social Security and Medicare to cover your needs 10, 20 or more years from now. Whether you invest in stocks, funds, real estate or businesses, the bottom line is that you need to save, even if it is just a few hundred dollars a month. Start now to grow that nest egg and retire free from worry.

Certainly money is not everything. Health, family, and enjoying life are of the utmost importance. However, don’t ignore that money does matter, no matter where you are in your cycle of life. Money plays a role in keeping good health, providing for your family (or not being dependent on them providing for you), and pursuing the interests that you enjoy, whether it’s travel, volunteering to help others, or a particular hobby. You can help yourself to help your future.

If you would like more information about using a self-directed IRA or 401(K) to pursue the investments that are important to you, visit The Entrust Group at www.theentrustgroup.com

A volatile housing market doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to pay a broker top dollar to find a buyer for your home. Realtor commissions are negotiable, so remember to go over the commission rate before you sign a listing agreement. Or you can decide to sell it yourself.

There is a growing trend of do-it-yourself sales. There are FSBO (for sale by owner) companies out there that show sellers how to move their property. There are also discount brokers, such as Help-U Sell, who work with sellers. But the newest thing that’s growing in popularity is selling it yourself on the Internet.

Craigslist, eBay, and Yahoo! are becoming fast growing forums for home listings. People are also creating their own blogs and web pages with digital photos to sell their home.

If you plan to sell your property on your own, it’s important to retain a good real estate attorney. An attorney can do the transaction, including the closing documents, for around $1,000–a small price to pay compared to the 6% realtor commission.

So, if you are trying to sell and want to keep as much profit as you can, consider advertising your property online or working through other discount methods.

Finding a financial planner is easy. Finding one who is qualified can make you crazy. A business card is all that it takes to make a stock broker or an insurance agent a financial planner, investment consultant, or wealth manager. These are job descriptions, not qualifications.

With today’s competitive market, more and more people are trying to become financial experts. Many go through some program to get credentials to set themselves apart. That turns out not to be a clear indicator either–there are more than 70 titles that financial pros can use to lend authority to whatever they are telling and selling investors.

Studies have shown that most people don’t care or know little about most of these designations. So if you’re in the financial profession, how do you really set yourself apart? There are five titles that do stand out, because they are difficult to get. But if you want to grow your business, they might worth pursuing:

• CFP–Certified financial planner
• CHFC–Chartered financial consultant
• PFS–Personal financial specialist
• CFA–Chartered financial analyst
• CIC–Chartered investment counselor

As the baby boomers get older, and generation Xers get smarter, it becomes more important to establish yourself as the “go to” knowledge expert in all areas of financial planning and wealth management. Getting the right credentials goes a long way to helping you build a successful practice.

More than a quarter (28%) of U.S. working mothers say their jobs are negatively impacting their relationship with their children, and 25% are dissatisfied with their work/life balance, according to a Harris Interactive poll of 1,124 women employed full-time, with children under the age of 18 living at home, according to UPI. More than half

(54%) of working moms say they would take a pay cut if it meant they could spend more time with their children, and nearly one in 10 says she would give up 10% or more of their salary to have more time at home. MORE at
http://newsmail.plansponsor.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBPJ50TnT6q0CBD0IaE70Ei

By Al Heavens
Inquirer Columnist
Compliments of Kristin Scott

If you were thinking about investing in the vacation-home market, it appears you have missed the boat, so to speak.
The National Association of Realtors reports that vacation-home sales rose 4.7 percent to a record 1.07 million in 2006, from 1.02 million in 2005. But NAR also reports that sales of investment homes fell sharply, down 28.9 percent to 1.65 million in 2006, from a record 2.32 million in 2005.

The big drop in investment sales cut second homes’ share of the resale market to 36 percent in 2006, down from 40 percent in 2005. By contrast, primary-residence sales fell 4.1 percent to 4.82 million in 2006, from 5.02 million in 2005.

“We expected the drop in investment sales because speculators left the market in 2006, which caused investment sales to fall much faster than the primary market,” said David Lereah, NAR’s chief economist. “But the rise in vacation-home sales is based on strong demographic and lifestyle factors, with only modest interest in renting their properties to others.”

(Coincidentally, Lereah is leaving his post this month, after seven years, to become executive vice president of Move Inc., which operates NAR’s official Web site, Realtor.com, and Move.com.)

In 2006, the typical vacation-home buyer was 44, had a median household income of $102,200, and purchased property that was a median of 215 miles from his or her primary residence. About 42 percent of the vacation homes purchased last year were closer than 100 miles, and 32 percent were 500 miles away or farther.

The median age of the vacation-home buyer declined last year, from 52 in the 2005 second-home-buyer survey. Lereah said he anticipated the decline because there are now 44.7 million people in their 40s, and this larger age group will be driving the market in the coming decade.

“The demographics favor vacation-home sales [instead of sales to investors] because large numbers of consumers are in the prime buying ages, and buyers want recreational property for personal use - investment is a secondary consideration,” Lereah said.

In listing their reasons for purchasing vacation homes - they could pick more than one reason - 79 percent of the 1,412 buyers who responded to the NAR survey said they wanted to use the homes for vacations or as family retreats; 34 percent wanted to diversify their investments; 28 percent planned to use the properties as primary residences in the future; 25 percent bought for the subsequent tax benefits; 22 percent bought the homes for use by family members or friends; 21 percent had extra money to spend; and 18 percent planned to rent the houses to others.

Twenty-nine percent of vacation homes were purchased in rural areas, 24 percent in resorts, 22 percent in suburbs, and 10 percent in an urban area or central city, the survey showed.

Sixty-seven percent were detached single-family homes, 21 percent condos, and 8 percent townhouses or rowhouses. Four percent fell in the “other” category.

One-quarter of vacation homes were purchased in the Northeastern United States, 13 percent in the Midwest, 38 percent in the South, and 25 percent in the West.

Investors may be down but not out in the second-home market. The survey showed that the sale price of the typical investment property in 2006 declined 18.6 percent, to $150,000, from $183,500 in 2005. By comparison, the median price of a vacation home in 2006 was $200,000, down only 2 percent from $204,100 in 2005.

“The drop in investment prices comes as no surprise, but for vacation-home prices to edge down in a record market is a bit puzzling,” Lereah said.

“It may result from a large dumping of inventory on the market by speculators, especially in the condo sector, with long-term second-home buyers taking advantage of the glut and buying at negotiated discounts,” he said.

This underscores that housing should always be viewed as a long-term investment, providing solid returns over time.

Part of the drop in the median investment price results from investors shifting away from pricier markets like Florida, Nevada and Arizona, and into affordable locations such as New Mexico, Idaho, Utah, Georgia, Tennessee, and the Carolinas.

I’m often receiving e-mails from investors who are uncertain as to whether they want to buy individual properties. They want to invest in real estate but aren’t interested in owning a particular piece of property. Fortunately, there are other options.

REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts) are an excellent way to invest and achieve asset allocation with real estate. Think of REITs as a type of mutual fund. They have shares that are traded on the stock exchange. You can invest in REITs with your IRA or personal funds. And just like a mutual fund, the price changes daily.

The National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT) maintains two websites that you can use to evaluate over 100 REIT mutual funds: www.investinreits.com and www.nareit.com.

Check out these websites before you invest!

For those women out there who have children, it is my hope that they treasure you and this day. Take a few minutes to remember how our children tried to make the day a special one for you; the hand made cards, the picked dandelions from your lawn and the attempt at making us breakfast! They were so excited to be doing something special for us.

Mother’s Day 2007 is especially special for me. My son is graduating from college this weekend. All of my family will be present. My Mother, my sisters and I, all of whom are mothers ourselves will be together in celebration.

I am very blessed to have a wonderful family and support network. I hope you are too.

Let me be the first to wish you, my wise woman friend, a Happy Mother’s Day! Take a little time for you today!

Lisa