Smart Stops on the Web

THE INTERNET

PFP SITES

Onward and Upward
www.mynextphase.com
Here CPAs and financial advisers can get a free trial membership and explore some of the nonfinancial considerations of retirement, such as how to handle change and revisit past interests as future options. Retirement Resources has links to Web sites on health, recreation and working after retirement. Find books on successful retirement in Suggested Reading, get the free newsletter Next Phase News and download research findings in “Retirement Trends and Truths.”

Get the Financial Facts
http://kimsnider.blogs.com
This blog, created by the founder and president of Kim Snider Financial Communications, has dozens of posts from financial journals and Web sites on topics including annuities, bonds, cash flow investments, financial education and investment principles. Find out how Kim Snider invests her own money and learn her portfolio management strategies with a free informational session.

A Helping Hand
www.finaid.org
Personal financial planners with clients that have kids in school will want to bookmark this Smart Stop for guides on navigating financial aid, loan and scholarship information. Find links to aid programs from the military and federal and state governments, as well as resources on education tax benefits and financial aid applications. Get calculators to project college costs and help with family budgeting. Or go to Beyond Financial Aid for a financial aid checklist and links to college selection and jobs and internship sites.

Money Matters
www.pfblog.com
Follow this blogger’s personal finance journey to learn about the 10 best domestic equity fund managers and how to properly close a credit card account. Look up your life expectancy in the Archives or go to the PFBlog Digest to get the scoop on paying off student loans, starting salaries for college grads and how 529 plans affect financial aid eligibility.

Make a Clean Break
www.womansdivorce.com
Financial advisers looking for divorce resources for female clients can go to this site’s Downloadable Documents section for state-specific divorce forms, parenting, separation and property settlement agreements. The Legal Considerations for Women and Financial Information sections offer divorce strategies and advice on choosing an attorney.

GENERAL INTEREST SITES

Tools of the Trade
www.interntoolkit.com
Students interested in internships and employers thinking about offering them can find the resources they need here. Z University, a workforce readiness advocacy group, sponsors this site with resources such as career tips on informational interviews, getting and keeping mentors and networking with professionals. Employers can find out whether creating an internship program is right for them and purchase the Intern Toolkit with modules on program planning, recruitment, screening and hiring.

The Health Benefits Adviser
www.dol.gov/elaws/ebsahealth.htm
This Web site of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration has all the information employees and employers need to know about federal laws related to workforce health benefits. There are discussions on COBRA continuation health coverage, a glossary of benefits terms and guidance for employees on Medicare eligibility. Publications offers 10 ways to make your health benefits work for you with a detailed review of your coverage.

Get the Word Out
www.givetogetmarketing.com
Business marketer Joe Gracia’s home on the Web offers entrepreneurs and small businesses hundreds of marketing tips. Read advertising case studies, get low-cost promotional ideas and tips for writing attention-grabbing headlines. Find five ways to attract Web visitors, read marketing myths and get tips from David Letterman and Jay Leno on how to grow your sales.

Cybersafety First
www.staysafeonline.org
Is your PC secure from threats? This site’s self-assessment quiz will show just how safe your computer is. Get eight cybersecurity best practices, links for protecting your children when they’re online and tutorials on cybersecurity and data recovery for small businesses. Research business cases on computer security in accounting firms and manufacturing companies and access self-assessment guides and checklists.

Go to the Guru
www.actionplan.com
Marketing strategist Robert Middleton shares tactics for getting your business noticed at his Web site. Register for the 24-page marketing plan workbook and information on how to attract new clients, develop a core marketing message and write an executive summary for your business.

—Vince Nolan