http://cptv.vo.llnwd.net/o2/ypmwebcontent/Bruce/RLSG-63-2012-1104.mp3
When you look at the degree to which families are worried about money these days, we're talking about something of fairly epic proportions. College tuitions have risen faster than Apple's stock price, while our economy has caused widespread belt tightening across a variety of social and economic lines.
What to do? Go to a fun spot (Duffy's Taven in West Haven) with a group of smart people to identify important topics for the Guide in the category of "family finances".
For this conversation, I invited attorney Sallie Krauss, “late to the game check writer” Barbara Oliver, Singer Kathy Barkin, investment manager Paul Schatz, and the always insightful Gerry McGuire.
Paul Schatz is President and Chief Investment Officer of Heritage Capital, LLC, an award-winning personal investment management firm dedicated to growing portfolios and protecting the assets of individuals, trusts, and corporations.
As a 21-year industry veteran, Paul has managed over $100 million in collective assets for a broad range of clients. Paul lives and works in Woodbridge Connecticut.
Kathy Barkin teaches pre-k at John C. Daniels Magnet School of International Communications in New Haven. (She loves teaching her three and four year olds!)
In her last life, she owned (and performed for) a singing telegram franchise in Fairfield county. Kathy resides in Woodbridge Connecticut with her husband and son. and loves to work out, hike, read, play piano and dine out with friends.
Sallie Kraus is a lawyer and urban planner specializing in complex environmental/toxic tort insurance claims. She also writes on issues like climate change. Sallie grew up in Stratford and met Gaye Weinstein Hyre in Hebrew School. They have survived high school German, career crises, home renovation, aging parents and lately, breast cancer. Sallie’s favorite gift ever was a toolbox from Gaye.
Sallie lived in NYC, now resides in Stamford, recruits Stamford Symphony volunteers and loves the arts. She never sits in the quiet car on her Metro-North commute. She says: “six degrees of separation is for amateurs.“
Barbara Cooney Oliver was born in Hartford, the youngest of 6 girls and 1 boy. Barbara has been married to her husband Bob for 44 years, and is mother to Rob, Mac, Patrick and Katy. (She is also the grandmother of Liam and Seamus… and now Olivia!)
Barbara was Executive Director of a Connecticut breast cancer non-profit for 16 years, and has been a breast cancer survivor herself for 25 years.
Gerry McGuire took his love of history, trivia, comedy, literature, music and film and turned himself into a pop culture quoting, chat machine. He is like Cliff Claven from Cheers if Cliff Claven was stunningly handsome, awesomely funny and unbelievably humble.
He fancies himself what the French would describe as a raconteur or what Americans call, a loud mouth. Gerry writes for Milford Living Magazine, sings in the Celtic rock band The Butcher Boys and is a stay at home dad.