Recently I finished reading a lovely book called Gifts From the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. Beautiful and thought provoking meditations of youth and age, love and marriage, solitude, peace, and contentment as told through the sea shells she finds while on a solitude vacation. Even though it was written 60 years ago her probings on the questions of balance and relationships in the world today are still relevant today. A timeless read!    

p.s. Are you aware the average age of widowhood is 55? Author and Facebook executive, Sheryl Sandberg (45), recently lost her husband, Dave Goldberg (47) (CEO, SurveyMonkey), suddenly when he had an accident while exercising. She recently shared some very heartfelt and personal thoughts after sheloshim, a part of the Jewish mourning tradition. If you or someone you know has lost a spouse, you might want to take a read so you have a better understanding of what they are going through.

Choosing a financial services professional

Caveat emptor is Latin for "Let the buyer beware." The phrase arises from the fact that buyers often have less information than the seller, or more importantly, about the seller. When choosing a financial services professional, buyer beware!  

A local radio talk show host who is a financial services professional is finding himself in hot water these days. According to the lawsuit filed by the Secretary of State's Securities Division, the alleged persuaded investors to cash in their retirement accounts to invest in risky investments that supposedly carried no risk and promised up to a 12 percent return. The scheme netted the accused more than $600,000 in fees and commissions. 

According to the complaint, the radio host would "lure Massachusetts investors into meetings with the promise of investment advice, and pull a 'bait and switch,' offering guarantees and promises of safety on a product that offers neither." While innocent until proven guilty, these are serious allegations. Unfortunately, consumers often fall prey to celebrity personalities.  

Good financial services professionals provide valuable services and can be worth their weight in gold. If you are in the market for hiring a financial services professional, make sure you do your due diligence. Ask lots of questions. If at any point you get vague answers, proceed with caution or move along.  

Here are some key questions to ask any potential financial services professional. 

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