This week, Lisa Hughes of Hughes & Bentzen gave a lively talk relating her experiences in college to the working world; specifically, “5 Things that I Learned from Sorority Rush”.

A sorority’s rush period is chaotic and short; thousands of students visit dozens of sorority houses, and everybody has to learn how to get acquainted quickly. Houses are evaluating candidates, and candidates are considering their options. In many ways, it’s a model business networking situation.

What does a successful sorority do to attract quality candidates? Many of the same things a business can do to attract and retain quality customers and a powerful business network:

• Rely on your personal network, but go beyond it — tap the networks of people in your network, to get an exponential boost in contacts and information.
• Be the kind of group people want to join — positive enthusiasm and energy demonstrate the benefits of membership, and inspire others to contribute.
• Listen to prospects — learning about someone’s priorities will ensure that you are attracting and recruiting the right talent for the group.
• Make prospects feel included — introduce them to other members and get them involved in the conversation.
• Select people who can help grow the organization — in addition to finding a business resource for your own business, you want to find people who will take on the role of growing the organization.

For many of us, looking at our retirement plans has been an unpleasant task recently. But a close review is an important task to undertake, as the market recovers. Doug Bowers of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney gave an illuminating talk about changes that affect one of the traditional retirement savings instruments, the IRA.

Both traditional and Roth IRAs are good opportunities for professionals who need to save for their own retirement. In fact, changes to the rules make the Roth IRA an attractive option for more people than in previous years.

Saving for retirement with an IRA provides flexibility to the account holder, and definite tax advantages. Rolling over a traditional IRA into a Roth IRA can provide more leeway when it comes to managinf the eventual distribution of those savings — including the ability to pass those savings on as part of your estate.

One of the advantages of working with a dedicated Financial Advisor like Doug is that he can create a retirement savings plan tailored to your goals, your tax obligations, and other facts unique to your situation.

Keith Fulk gave us great insights into his tax and accounting practice today. If you need a CPA, or need a new one, this is a good time of the year to contact Keith. You can discuss preparing emendations for previous filings, and take end-of year steps to manage next April’s tax burden more easily now.

While many of us may think we need a home run hitter who can deliver that golden tax deduction, Keith’s approach is to look at several incremental measures, that, when added up, deliver results.

For families who need to juggle living expenses with tuition, parent care, and other eventualities, Keith can provide expert advice about how to transfer stock or other under-performing (or over-performing) assets within the family, to take a timely depreciation or defer gains to a future tax year.

New opportunities for retirement saving come out of nearly every legislative session; they have inevitable effects on your tax burden, both now and in future years. The conversion of traditional IRAs to Roth IRAs is one common example. Keith can not only help you with the decision, he can also help you review your decisions, and make rollbacks when necessary to help you with your immediate and long-term tax responsibilities.

Similarly, Keith can help a small business with the tax implications of its retirement plan, no matter how many or few employees are involved. The relative ages and compensation levels of employees can make a crucial difference when it comes to an employer’s responsibilities. Discussing this with a tax professional like Keith now can help ensure a future of positive savings growth.