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Daily Archives: June 23, 2014
Hoover Financial Advisors’ Philip Gagliardi Earns Prestigious Destination
Philip A. Gagliardi
Malvern, PA – Philip A. Gagliardi, a planner with Hoover Financial Advisors HFA), recently became one of only 350 individuals in the U.S. to earn the Certified Portfolio Manager® designation. This prestigious program is presented by the Academy of Certified Portfolio Managers and was completed at Columbia University in New York.
The designation, which was created five years ago, is the first of its kind for portfolio managers. To qualify, Gagliardi successfully fulfilled course studies in advanced concepts of Fundamental Analysis, Option Valuation, Foreign Currency Exchange, Credit Default Swap Strategy and Valuation Analytics. He and other designees explored cutting-edge issues in finance and investing with internationally recognized Columbia professors. The program was developed to meet a missing need among money managers enabling them to achieve the highest level of expertise in all facets in an ever-changing global economy.
Gagliardi joined HFA in 2011. Prior to that, he was a trust officer with Charles Schwab Bank in Wilmington, Delaware. Before that he held a similar position with Wachovia Bank in Wilmington. He holds a master’s degree in taxation and financial planning from Widener University, Chester. His Bachelor of Science degree from Cabrini College is in accounting.
“I am now better able to enhance portfolio models for our clients,” says Gagliardi. “The CPM program expanded my practical and pragmatic skills through in-depth theory and insight.” “We are very proud of Phil,” adds Peter K. Hoover, CFP, founder of HFA. “Achieving such a high-level designation is an excellent asset to the firm. Phil’s dedication to serving our clients is evident and testament to his commitment to the industry, as well.”
HFA, which is headquartered on Moores Road in Malvern, was launched in 2005 by Hoover, who has been an independent financial advisor for more than 30 years. Since its inception, HFA has more than tripled in size. Employees include client relationship managers, financial planners, insurance and tax specialists, investment analyst and an information services manager. HFA selected as 2012 Small Business of the Year by Chester County Chamber of Business & Industry. For more information, visit its website at http://www.petehoover.com or call 610.651.2777.
Transportation Plan Calls For $4.7 Billion For Southwestern Pennsylvania
Locator map of the Greater Pittsburgh metro area in the western part of the of . Red denotes the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area, and yellow denotes the New Castle Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Pittsburgh-New Castle CSA. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
A draft plan for improvements to the region’s transportation system envisions $4.7 billion in spending in the 10 counties of southwestern Pennsylvania in the next four years, a 52 percent increase from the current four-year plan.
The plan for fiscal years 2015 through 2018 signals a reversal of years of diminished spending on infrastructure and public transit, bolstered by the funding bill that the Legislature and Gov. Tom Corbett enacted last fall. The draft Transportation Improvement Plan was released last week by the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, a regional planning agency.
“From my perspective, we were able to add significant projects that were simply unaffordable in the last TIP update,” said Dan Cessna, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s district executive for Allegheny, Beaver and Lawrence counties.
Among them is a $79 million rehabilitation of the Liberty Bridge in Downtown Pittsburgh, which at present is weight-restricted and rated structurally deficient, meaning its components are deteriorated but not yet unsafe. Numerous smaller bridge and paving projects were added as well, he said.
Report: Lancaster Metro Economy Rates 100th In Size In U.S.
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Lancaster County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Lancaster County boasts the 100th largest economy among the 363 metropolitan statistical areas in the U.S., according to a report released in conjunction with the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ annual meeting.
The economy here produced $21.6 billion in 2013, according to the report (PDF), prepared by the economic analysis firm IHS.
The mayors are using the report to call attention to the outsized role of metro areas in the U.S. economy. Metro areas account for 90 percent of U.S. gross domestic product and are expected to generate 92 percent of overall U.S. economic growth through 2020, the report said.
Going It Alone: America’s Top 15 Hubs For Solo Entrepreneurs
English: City of Allentown from east side (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Editor’s note: A big congrats to Allentown, Pennsylvania’s third largest city and metropolitan area, for being the only Pennsylvania city on the list. Big things are going on in the Lehigh Valley, making us Pennsylvania Proud :).
Solopreneurs (a mash-up of the words “solo” and “entrepreneurs”) may freelance, consult, coach, offer services or sell products. The defining characteristic is that whatever they do, they do it without the help of a single employee. And that means they do everything, from product design to marketing to customer service, whether it’s fun or not.
$1 Trillion in Revenue
No matter what they make, sell or do, solopreneurs are becoming more common. In 2012, the latest year for which data is available, the U.S. economy had a total of 22.7 million solo businesses, a gain of almost 245,000 from 2011. Those businesses had total revenue of $1 trillion (yep, trillion) in 2012, up from $41.3 billion in 2011.
These statistics made us wonder. Where is solopreneurship especially popular? Where is it boosting the local economy? Where are solopreneurs reaping the most financial rewards?
See the list and read more: http://blog.sparefoot.com/6384-top-places-for-solo-entrepreneurs/
Greater Norristown PAL To Hold First Job Fair June 24
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Montgomery County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
NORRISTOWN, PA — It’s not every job fair organizer that offers to hook up applicants with a necktie if he needs one, but Ken Fennal is passionate about making Greater Norristown PAL’s first open job fair a success for all concerned.
And that extends to making sure every male applicant who shows up is dressed to impress.
“If someone needs a tie they should contact me and I’ll provide them with a tie myself,” said Fennal, PAL’s program director. “Men should at least wear a tie, if not a suit or sport jacket. First impressions can make the difference in getting a second interview or being hired on the spot, versus another candidate who may have the same level of skills but may not be dressed appropriately. We know the difference in going to an interview dressed well or wearing something casual, but a young person may not know that. We want to emphasize that they should be prepared properly when they come in the door, so I think not only is it appropriate to have a dress code, social standards dictate that you should be dressed a certain way for certain professions.”
Read more: http://www.timesherald.com/business/20140623/greater-norristown-pal-to-hold-first-job-fair-june-24
Sanatoga K-Mart Store Signs Announce Its Closing
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Montgomery County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
SANATOGA PA – The K-Mart discount department store at 2200 E. High St., which occupies the largest retail building in Sanatoga village and has operated there continuously for decades, will close its doors Aug. 31 (2014), a store management employee confirmed Saturday (June 21).
Read more: http://sanatogapost.com/2014/06/22/sanatoga-k-mart-store-signs-announce-closing/
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