September 18, 2009
A group of St. John’s University alumni and friends proved that
education does not end after graduation. More than 60 members of
The McCallen Society (one of the University’s premier giving
societies), alumni and friends gathered at the Immaculate
Conception Center of Douglaston for a workshop entitled, Meet the
Experts: Financial and Estate Planning in a Time of Financial
Crisis on Thursday, September 17, 2009.
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The group
met for a full breakfast followed by a panel discussion,
question-and-answer period and round table advising where attendees
obtained free counsel in a one-on-one setting. Alumni and
friends of all ages came to continue their education and get tips
from professionals on the best ways to manage their finances for
the future.
“This is a great opportunity to learn about how to keep your
finances in order and how to plan very carefully, especially in
light of the economy,” said Patrick McGuire '84C. “If we work hard
for our money, we might as well have a say in how we want to
allocate it.”
Glen Shane '63CBA, who attended the workshop last year, gained a
better understanding of the tools that are available to him and
preparation for the unexpected. “As you get older you must stay on
top of this information,” he shared. “You need that knowledge so
when something happens you can be proactive and deal with it.”
The
eight experts, John P. Clarke '55CBA, '57L, Frank E. Riggio '80CBA,
John J. Fleming '68C, '72MBA, Mary P. Giordano '81L, James J.
McTiernan '80CBA, Laura Lee Mannino, Michael J. Maye '87CBA and
Gerard M. Wrynn '85CBA, '87L are successful professionals in
various disciplines within the financial planning industry. During
the course of the morning, they delved into case studies and
touched on topics which included retirement funding, wills, trusts
and taking care of heirs with special needs.
They were pleased to lend their expertise to members of the St.
John’s community. Panel co-moderator Clarke highlighted the
importance of planning ahead. “So many people think about it,
talk about it, and unfortunately time flies by and all of a sudden
it’s too late,” he cautioned. “Everybody should, whether they have
a lot of money or a little money, think about planning.”
The annual seminar, sponsored by the Office of Gift Planning,
was extremely successful and garnered praise from attendees who
were impressed with the relevance of the day’s topic and the
presenters’ knowledge.
“These are the experts and they really captured in a nutshell
the issues that take us hours to try and sift through,” said April
Merenda '75SVC. “I came last year, this year was even better and
I’m going to come next year!”