Every once in a while you hear some advice you want to share. Cathie Black is a lady you should know about. She is president of Hearst Magazines and recently delivered a keynote address at the Wharton Women Business Conference. She talked about everything from being a working mom, ladies who hold a grudge, to giving up your power in meetings.
Here is an excerpt from the Knowledge at Wharton article about Cathie:
(Cathie Black) cautioned young women to think more than five years ahead as they make important career and personal decisions, even if they seem to be on track. She reminded the Wharton audience that one in two marriages ends in divorce. “Think about when you are 45, if all those perfect things don’t work out.”
Black, who is married, said she never stopped working as she raised her two children, now 18 and 22. When her children were young, for example, and she was intensely involved in getting USA Today off the ground, she managed to piece together a support network of other people — “a village” to help out when she had to work long hours and travel for business. “I don’t have the answer about people who step out for a while. Companies are more supportive of that than before, but stepping back in is also hard.”
She urged women just starting out in their careers to “do everything and more. Come early. Stay late. It’s not only about the hours you put in; it’s about the attitude you bring to work.” Black also advised women to strive to make their bosses look good. Some bosses will want to be a mentor, while others will want as little contact as possible. “It’s not that you have to be in the boss’s office all the time showing how gosh darn smart you are. Tell the good news and tell the bad news. If you can fix the bad news quickly, that’s good because the boss doesn’t like big bad things. So fess up. Take the aggravation. Don’t blame it on anybody else. Just stand up and say, ‘I made a mistake.’”
She also noted that women too often nurse personal grudges in the workplace. “Women are brilliant at taking everything personally.” Black told the story of a colleague who was overwrought when she discovered she did not receive an e-mail invitation to a meeting. Black told her to show up anyway because it was possible the person who called the meeting simply made a mistake. “I said, ‘Don’t just pout.’ Men are much better about moving forward.”
Women need to be more forceful with their ideas, Black added, noting that when women enter a meeting, they tend to sit near the corners of the conference table — not the more visible positions in the middle or the end. Even if she presents a good idea, a woman seated in that part of the conference table might not be heard. “Then three minutes later, Joe, who is sitting in the middle, rephrases her idea and everybody says, ‘Joe, what a great idea.’ The woman has just seen her idea rewrapped and she’s sitting there steaming…. Assume you have been invited to the table,” Black urged her audience. “Don’t hide out in the corner.”

Poet Gabrielle Bouliane performs for the audience at the Austin Poetry Slam.
It was her last public performance. She passed January 29, 2010 shortly after being diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.

Mary Talks Money made its debut on LiveWellHD TV this past week and on WPVI-TV. I am very excited about this show for two reasons:
1)We have great information for anyone trying to improve their financial situation and we present that info in plain English!
2)The show is accessible to nearly everyone. We are over the air, on cable and FIOS in 10 markets (see list below) and available on the web to everyone (click on the link to go right to the site).   http://livewellhd.com/marytalksmoney/channel?id=7190015

The Great Recession may be winding down, but it has changed many things permanently- which isn’t a bad thing. More isn’t always better. More credit card debt, more toxic toys, more waste in our landfills– not good. Less clutter allows us to think more clearly, to prioritize more easily. The net result of this- I believe- is that it will be easier for us to live up to our positive potential. A clear head helps you to focus- when we focus we can accomplish whatever we want. It isn’t necessarily easy- but it is possible. This is when the big ideas are born and the most amazing businesses are formed. They don’t have to be big– they just have to meet a need.

So it is in this environment that Mary Talks Money emerges. I will get the conversation started, but I need you to keep it going. Post comments here or email– let me know what is on your mind.

Where to see Mary Talks Money
New York/Tri-State Area
Over the Air — Channel 7.2
Time Warner — Channel 687
Cablevision — Channel 729
Comcast — Channel 245 (New Jersey)
Comcast — Channel 264 (Connecticut)
Verizon (New York/New Jersey) — Channel 467
Click here for complete TV schedule

Los Angeles/Southern California
Over the Air — Channel 7.2
Charter — Channel 753
Cox — Channel 796
Time Warner — Channel 445
Verizon — Channel 467
Champion — TBD
Click here for complete TV schedule

Chicago
Over the Air — Channel 7.2
Comcast — Channel 217
RCN — Channel 618
Wide Open West — Channel TBD
Click here for complete TV schedule

Philadelphia/Delware Valley
Over the Air — Channel 6.2
Comcast — Channel 245
Verizon — Channel 466
Click here for complete TV schedule

San Francisco/Bay Area
Over the Air — Channel 7.2
Comcast — Channel 715
Click here for complete TV schedule

Houston, Texas
Over the Air — Channel 13.2
Comcast — Channel 685
Click here for complete TV schedule

Raleigh/Durham/Fayetteville
Over the Air — Channel 11.2
Time Warner — Channel 212
Click here for complete TV schedule

Fresno, Calif.
Over the Air — Channel 30.2
Comcast — HD Channel 909
Click here for complete TV schedule

Flint, Michigan
Over the Air — Channel 12.2
Comcast — Channel 246
Charter — Channel 430
TVC — Channel 136
Click here for complete TV schedule

Toledo, Ohio
Over the Air — Channel 13.2
Buckeye — Channel 614
Click here for complete TV schedule

Link for more info: https://events.ewomennetwork.com/event/details.php?eid=11805

If you are in a relationship and have let your partner take the lead with the finances— then think about getting more involved. The bottom-line,  a man is not a financial plan.  And guys– women aren’t one either. No matter how many breadwinners you have in your household–  you both need to be in the loop. I understand that there is usually someone in a relationship who likes the financial planning and the other partner might hate it. That is fine. But things happen and you need to know the basics to make sure you can make it on your own with- or without your mate.  The two D’s we hate to talk about -death and divorce- happen.  This applies to both men and women.. married or partners.

Start with the basics– get a notebook that has all of the important phone numbers account names and numbers and beneficiary info in one place. If you don’t have a will– get one and keep a copy in that notebook.  It is a simple way to get in the loop. Just remember to update it as things change.

I also suggest you have a money meeting at least once a year.  That is when you review all the retirement funds, investment funds, debt and any other big financial issues. This is a real meeting — with no kids, no interruptions allowed.  Go over the information and talk about the specifics of your family’s financial health and strategies for improving it in the coming year.

Good luck and look for more money tips on Mary Talks Money- seen daily on LiveWellHD TV network. For local listings visit http://www.livewellhd.com/feature?id=6775183

What age should children start having their own savings and checking accounts? -Mia

I think children can start having their own savings account as early as 4 years old.  It is a great way to teach kids about money.  But don’t make it a one time event. Regular deposits and watching the balance grow is an important part of the learning process.

As for checking –  you may not want to be in such a hurry.  If your child has a job and has a lot of their own bills to pay- then it could make sense to create one.

Before that time- you can start introducing your child to the idea of checking– by letting them watch you fill out a check and the ledger.

When they are ready- you can let them fill out the checks while you watch.

Once your child has the math skills then-  show them how to balance a checkbook.

That is the real money lesson- when you learn to manage how much goes out versus what you bring in. Good Luck! – Mary Caraccioli

For more money tips watch Mary Talks Money daily on LiveWellHD TV network. To find it on the dial in your area visit

http://www.livewellhd.com/feature?id=6775183

Date:  January 7, 2010  Release Date:  Immediately

6abc Rolls Out New Program on Live Well HD Network

Locally Produced Mary Talks Money – Debuts Jan 11^th

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(Philadelphia, PA) – Who doesn’t need a little help managing their money in this economy?  6abc’s hot new show, Mary Talks Money, gives you real solutions to the real kinds of problems we all face!  From credit card debt to what to do if you lose your job…from how to talk to kids about money to where financial planners are putting their own funds…host Mary Caraccioli tackles the topics that can help you start off the New Year on the right foot…and stay there all year long.

Do you have a New Year’s resolution to save more and spend less?  Mary Talks Money debuts Monday, January 11th on the Live Well HD Network, 6abc’s digital channel 6.2, just in time for you to start organizing your budget for 2010!  Viewers can also watch a special presentation of Mary Talks Money on 6abc’s primary channel (6.1), Saturday, January 16^th at 7:30pm.

Mary knows money.  She sits on the Board for the Delaware Financial Literacy Institute, one of the nation’s most comprehensive financial literacy non-profits.  Her financial journalism career started at CNBC, where she helped launch the nationally syndicated radio show Lou Dobbs Financial Report.  She went on to create and host Comcast’s Money Matters Today.

Mary is currently finishing a Master’s Degree at the University of Pennsylvania and a Certified Financial Planning curriculum at Boston University.  She earned her MBA from Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business

Mary Talks Money is filmed and produced locally at the WPVI studios on City Avenue, Philadelphia.  For more information on Mary Talks Money and other Live Well HD Network programs go to www.livewellhd.com.

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WPVI-TV is the ABC owned station serving the Delaware and Lehigh Valleys.

Contact:  Mike Monsell, 215-581-4466