I learned, at a fairly young age, that life can change as quickly as it takes a heart to beat. It was the day before Thanksgiving, 1973, when my father suffered a heart attack. He was 56 and I was 8. As the sole breadwinner, I am sure all the worries he had about caring for his wife and seven kids (four of whom were minors) were pinging in his head, keeping time with his rapid pulse rate. Thankfully, after several weeks in the hospital, he was allowed to come home in time for Christmas. Read on...
Sexism, Lies and Videotape
I received an interesting call; or should I say my husband, Tony, did. Though I introduced myself as Tony's business partner, there was much reluctance to speak with me. I guess this gentleman thought I was a 'gal Friday.' Finally, he decided to take up his solicitation with me, though it wouldn’t have mattered to whom he spoke with – the answer would have been the same. He tried to sell me on the idea that we should reward our top clients with a trip to some Read on...
Morgan Stanley Clients: Assume the Position
Morgan Stanley clients should think long and hard about what’s in it for them, seeing how that is all Morgan Stanley is thinking about. According to Sarah Krouse and Michael Wursthorn of The Wall Street Journal, “Morgan Stanley has already decided that as of next week its brokers will no longer be able to sell clients new positions in Vanguard mutual funds.” Because offering clients quality, low-cost funds is a horrible thing to do? No, Morgan Stanley would rather push product Read on...
Pope Francis: The Best Case for Fiduciaries
Coming up on the (gasp) 30th anniversary of my graduation from Fairfield University, I find myself nostalgic for the courses that taught me so much beyond the classroom. The (late) Dr. Art Anderson gave his Sociology students much to chew on, including this nugget: “In the work world, all of you are ahead of the game. You have straight white teeth and a nice smile.” He wasn’t paying us a compliment though. Being a Jesuit school with an emphasis on education and social justice, the Read on...