From my early childhood, I have been captivated by animals. My favorite outings as a kid were going to the zoo and even more exciting; the circus.

I would visit my cousins as often as possible because they had a dog. A dog! How cool is that! When my parents came to take me home, it would inevitably end in tears.

My solace would come by way of dreams, vivid dreams, where me and my dog would run through a field and fall in a joyful tumble where my dog would bark with excitement and smother me with licks all over my face.

While getting a dog of my own was always on my wish list come my birthday, my parents were not animal lovers and to them dogs equaled mess and responsibilities they were not prepared to take on.

This did not stop my love for animals and that only increased once I would go on the aforementioned trips to the zoo and watch in awe the majesty of the big cats and the towering matriarch of an elephant troop.

As I grew up, my love of animals never left me, it just got distracted by my being a typical teenager and young adult when the opposite sex and my education took precedence over most of everything else. To be continued…

I have always wondered if there was a grading system for charities as their is for banking , insurance, and Fortune 500 companies. Today I found the answer.

AIP. Or the American Institute of Philanthropy.

They have a unique grading system from A+ through to F.

On its website AIP states that high rated charities typically spend 75% or more on their budgets on charitable programs, do not hold excessive assets in reserve and  receive “open-book” status for disclosure of basic financial information and documents to AIP.

AIP then goes on to list a lot of different categories of charitable organizations, with the best of the bunch shown with an A+ to B+ rating

I will now bookmark this page and use it as a point of reference when promoting different charities.

In an article today by Joan Walsh, editor in chief at Salon.Com, she wrote a piece praising President Obama’s “the buck stops with me” address to the Press yesterday.

She contrasted Obama’s humble self assessment to the swagger and default blame absolution of the Bush administration.

And on that issue she is correct in my opinion. However, I believe she glossed over the President’s falling on his sword moment.

If Obama’s buck has any meaningful value, the first thing he needs to do is fire Janet Napolitano.

We all remember the day John McCain lost the race for the White House. It was when he stated that the fundamentals of the American economy was still strong against a backdrop of a plunging stock market,and the bankruptcy/collapse of Lehmann Bros and Bear Stearns. That was the turning point. He lost his credibility and cemented that loss by choosing Ms IQ to be his running mate.

The same with Napolitano. To declare just days after the attempted Christmas day bombing that “the system worked” was a catastrophic error, no matter how much backpedaling and damage limitation control went into action immediately afterwards.

To be clear, I do not think she is personally responsible for the total screw up of the intelligence agencies, but for her remarks in an attempt to gloss over those screw ups. Her job is not to serve as a cover up marketing director, but to guide the Homeland Security Department through some very choppy waters.

She needs to be fired precisely because the buck stops with Obama. He is faced with probably the easiest firing decision he will have to make. If he does not do that, then not only has Napolitano lost credibility, but the President too.

Since I began my quest this year to hi-lite the excellent work carried out on a daily basis by so many charitable organizations, a lot of the research I have been conducting has lead me to some very somber conclusions.

It is quite easy to despair at the hatred and animosity perpetrated thousands of miles away. Innocent men women and children being killed in the name of God, or in the name of ancient rights to ancient lands.

People persecuted and killed for their right to practice their religion or the right to their sexual orientation. Women are still a subjugated section of many societies, where choosing who they marry is not based upon whom they love but dependent upon parental approval.

Of course I do not  need  to look further than home to notice injustices on a grand scale. America – the land of the free, is not free. Homelessness has been on the rise for many years, and the numbers are as astonishing as they are tragic.

According to a survey carried out by The National Coalition For the Homeless , the number of homeless people has reached 3.5 million of which 1.5 million are children.

According to the non partisan Kaiser Family Foundation, 79% of the 48 million uninsured in America today are either US citizens or legal residents/aliens. That does not include the under insured, which would vastly increase the number if it was to be included.

Currently the unemployment rate exceeds 10 per cent, a number not seen in over a quarter of a century.

Since President Obama’s historic election victory, politics has become more nasty, more divided, than ever before.

Never before has a member of the House interrupted the President during a speech to a joint session of Congress, and certainly never shouted at the President “You Lie” as Joe Wilson, GOP congressman from South Carolina did in September of last year.

And never in the history of US politics has a previous Vice President consistently berated, belittled and criticised a sitting President as Dick Cheyney has done.

The current fight over the health care epitomizes the split between the left and right, both in Washington and in the country at large.

I could go on a whole lot longer. But I will spare you the pain.

Which brings me back to the beginning of my article. Spending my time researching so many charities allows me to restore my faith in mankind. Sometimes I tear up just reading about what some of these charities do to make a difference in peoples lives. And it happens every minute of every hour of every day.

And that is why I feel blessed in doing what I do. It’s what lets me sleep peacefully at night. And for that I am very grateful indeed.

Scrooge's Clothing Provided by H&M

An article in the New York Times today told a story that beggars belief.  On the back street of H&M’s flagship store on 35th Street, bags of unsold clothing are dumped into trash bags to await pickup by trash haulers.

One curious person, who noticed two people rifling through the clothes on a bitter Monday evening 4th January decided to take a look for herself. She was astounded to find that someone had slashed nearly every item of clothing; ensuring that no-one would ever be able to wear them.

So, as temperatures continue to drop, and as the city’s poor and homeless dig in wherever they can find a warm enough place, H&M believes it can find no better use for these clothes than to purposefully destroy them.

This was not an isolated incident. One lady, Ms Magnus, actually described in great detail the vast amount of clothes that she saw dumped in the back street.  On Dec. 7, during an early cold snap, she saw about 20 bags filled with H & M clothing that had been cut up. The New York Times quotes her explaining that the clothes were destroyed deliberately.

” Gloves with the fingers cut off. Cute patent leather Mary Jane school shoes, maybe for fourth graders, with the instep cut up with a scissor. Men’s jackets, slashed across the body and the arms. The puffy fiber fill was coming out in big white cotton balls.” The jackets were tagged $59, $79 and $129.

The irony is that directly around the corner from H & M is a big collection point for New York Cares, which conducts an annual coat drive. On their website they state – ” Did you know that 90% of homeless adults need a new, warm coat each winter because they have no place to keep one over the summer months? But it’s not just homeless people who need our help; thousands of New Yorkers each year are forced to make a choice between buying a winter coat and putting food on the table, or meeting other basic survival needs.”

How much effort would it take H&M to have delivered the clothing round the corner. Or to pick up the phone and called a New York Cares volunteer to come take the unsold clothing away?!

In fact, H&M doesn’t even need to pick up the phone.

Ms. Magnus volunteered, in a letter, to help H & M connect with a charity or agency in New York that could put the unsold items to better use than simply tossing them in the trash. So far, she said, she has gotten no response.

H&M obviously has not a clue what PR suicide means. Someone needs to put them on round the clock suicide watch.

Here you will find some of the best and most recent finance job vacancies in New York. If you see a job that interests you, please use our contact page, send us your resume and contact details and job that you are interested in.  (PLEASE DO NOT DISCLOSE YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY INFORMATION)

Through our social network of NY recruitment consultants, we may well be able to secure you an interview. You owe us nothing and we will not contact you unless we get you that interview. We NEVER give out your email address. We DO NOT get a commission OR a fee if you are offered a job through us and accept it. We do it because we CARE!! And because we hope you will become a regular reader of our blog!! Good luck on your job hunt.

We specialize in finance jobs relating to financial advisors, financial planners, risk analysts, financial traders, hedge fund analysts, and banking managerial positions. Most of the positions advertised (but not all)require a Series 7 license.

JOB VACANCY: FINANCIAL PLANNER TRAINEE

COMPANY HIRING: INTERNATIONAL BROKERAGE FIRM

COMPENSATION: $55.000 BASE +  COMMISSION ($125k-$150k OTE) + GENEROUS BENEFITS PACKAGE

One of the world’s most prestigious brokerage firms is looking to hire a trainee financial planner for its Manhattan office. You must be willing to attend an out of state, paid
four week training program, to learn about our company culture, how to attract and retain HNW clients, bringing in new business and keeping up with best practices.

To be considered: You will have an appreciation for the financial markets and how they work. You must be a well presented and polished negotiator.

You should also have a passion for sales and be a strong closer. A minimum two years in a sales job with monthly sales quotas that are consistently met and exceeded.

All candidates must agree to a background check before an offer is made. Any candidate offered a job must be willing to be sponsored and pass the Series 7, 6 and 63 exams.

If you are interested in this position, please send us your resume and cover letter explaining why we should call you in for an interview.

JOB VACANCY – DISTRICT MANAGER II

COMPANY HIRING – CAPITAL ONE

SALARY – ABOVE MARKET RATES FOR RIGHT CANDIDATE

Capital One has moved into the world of retail banking! Capital One Financial Corporation is a holding company offering an unmatched range of financial products and services to consumers, small businesses and commercial clients.

Job Profile: Must be able to develop a Consumer Banking Sales Culture in a Dynamic Retail Banking environment. Responsible for developing short and long term strategic planning goals and implementing retail banking strategies within a geographic trade area. Mentor Branch personnel, and communicate with Regional Branch Manager and the EVP Retail Banking to ensure the smooth flow of information and the promotion of teamwork throughout the bank. Effectively work with all other Bank departments toward providing the highest level of service to clients, fully understanding the importance of teamwork and communication.Oversee sales and service; expense, operations, and credit controls; community leadership; human resource management; and meeting financial and compliance standards. Perform other duties as maybe assigned by Senior Management.

Responsibilities: Establish and achieve financial targets and goals. Implement the region’s human resource strategy. Manage the sales and service process. Leadership and involvement in community activities <$500MM combined loan and deposit. <$15MM contribution dollars <60 FTE compliment /15+ branches

Qualifications: A Bachelors degree in Business or Finance or related field required. A Masters degree is highly preferred. Series 7,6 & 63 licensed. Valid driving license. 5-7 years experience in a managerial capacity.

JOB VACANCY – SENIOR ASSOCIATE/VP

COMPANY HIRING – MACQUARIE CAPITAL GROUP

SALARY – DOE

Macquarie Capital Group operates globally and brings together Macquarie’s advisory, wholesale structuring, broking, underwriting and investment banking funds management capabilities. Working with some of the best in the business, you will be involved in all facets of transactions that will be both challenging and rewarding.

Responsibilities: Mergers and acquisitions, takeovers and corporate restructuring advice. Equity capital markets, equity and debt capital management and raising. Specialized funds management (including infrastructure and real estate funds) Debt structuring and distribution. Private equity placements.Principal products

Qualifications: 5-8 years of ECM experience in a team environment.Experience work on origination of lead-managed IPO’s, follow-ons and convertible securities transactions. Signficant experience preparing market updates, presentation materials, including monitoring transactions, investor analysis, deal structuring, marketing and roadshow materials and transaction summaries. Exprience with cross-border transactions is a plus.Strong quantitative and writing skills. Proficient in the use of all relevant capital markets analytical tools, databases and computer programs.Private capital markets experience, particularly with PIPEs and Registered Directs, is also relevant. Series 7 and 63 licenses

JOB VACANCY – INSURANCE RISK ANALYST

COMPANY HIRING – BLACKROCK GROUP

SALARY – TOP PACKAGE

BlackRock Finance Group is comprised of four units: Treasury & Risk Management, Accounting Policy, Tax and Controls, Business Finance and Controllers Group. General functions include financial accounting, financial reporting, management accounting, treasury, risk management, tax accounting, compensation/payroll accounting, auditing and certain other compliance functions.

Role Description: This positions reports into the Professional Lines Insurance Risk manager. We are seeking a modestly experienced (1+ years) insurance professional who is committed to furthering his/her career in risk management. The ideal candidate will be someone with an FI / Investment Manager background. The ideal candidate either possesses, or is working towards, the ARM or other relevant professional certification.

Essential Duties: Coordinate renewal for professional lines of insurance programs (emphasis on D&O and E&O). Coordinate day-to-day administration of corporate and related insurance programs. Review third party contracts. Administer allocations of premium payments and allocations across all professional product lines.Oversee issuance of correct insurance binders and policies. Coordinate certificate request for third parties. Maintenance of department file system.

Qualifications: Experience working with professional lines of insurance. ARM preferred. Proficient with MS office suite. Strong organizational ability. Highly attentive to detail. Bachelor’s degree in accounting or mathematics required. Masters Degree a definite plus.

JOB VACANCY – IT CAMPUS RECRUITER

COMPANY HIRING – MORGAN STANLEY

SALARY – COMPETITIVE SALARY PLUS FULL BENEFITS PACKAGE

Morgan Stanley has a position open within their Information Technology College Recruiting group. It is within the HR Coverage team and is responsible for campus recruiting for the Technology Division.

Job Description: We are looking for a motivated individual at the Manger level to serve as a Recruiter on the College Recruiting Team . This individual would be responsible for collaborating with school teams to build campus strategy and ensure overall Technology campus presence and visibility. The individual will also be responsible for supporting the development and implementation of campus recruiting programs for undergraduate students with a Technology focus.

Primary Job Responsibilities: Coordinating and attending (where applicable) resume review sessions, career fairs, on campus presentations, and branding events. Building and maintaining relationships with school teams, career center contacts, student leaders from technical organizations and candidates. Coordinating with visa center on candidate visa applications offers. Managing candidate workflow (screening, tracking and extending offers) Offering creative solutions to recruiting obstacles and process change. Assisting team in compiling data and analyzing campus trends to push new initiatives forward. Assessment Centers (on-site final round interviews). Facilitating group activity and facilitating wrap-up session discussions. Gathering feedback on candidates, reviewing folders and making confident candidate offer recommendations based all candidate data points. Summer Program: Coordinate and attend Summer Program ativities with other recruiters. Managing a portion of summer intern population including collecting mid and final evaluations and conducting mid-summer feedback sessions. Handling Summer Intern issues and questions

Position Qualifications: A Bachelors Degree. Minimum of 3-5 years of Recruiting Experience. A strong client focus with outstanding judgment, critical thinking and communication skills. Self starter with strong project management skills. Ability to multi-task and deal with the uncertainties of an evolving, dynamic organization. Ability to work well under pressure and meet demanding deadlines. Strong computer skills (word, excel, databases a plus) Strong attention to detail required

JOB VACANCY – ANALYST/ASSOCIATE

COMPANY HIRING – AMALGAMATED BANK

SALARY – DOE

Amalgamated Capital provides senior debt financing to smaller middle market companies, particularly those controlled by leading private equity firms.  Partnering with Amalgamated Bank, Amalgamated Capital was formed to meet the increasing demand for senior debt cash flow loans to middle market companies.

Responsibilities: Serving as a key member of the deal team in the underwriting and credit approval process.  Develop initial screening materials, structuring, proposal issuances, conducting detailed due diligence, formal credit approval, negotiation of documentation and closing. Preparation of a comprehensive credit package including write-up of issuer and transaction financial analysis, industry and market trend analysis, financial modeling, and presentation of the credit and potential lending opportunity to the investment committee. Managing assigned portfolio of investments to ensure customer retention and account performance; monitor/report on assigned portfolio and ensure compliance with covenants and other loan documents.

Qualification Requirements: At least one year of M&A, accounting or leveraged finance transaction experience. Solid financial statement analysis, financial modeling and valuation skills. Highly motivated work ethic and a commitment to a rapidly-moving, entrepreneurial environment. Exceptional written and oral communication skills. Be a part of a small team and handle a wide range of responsibilities. Strong interpersonal skills; team player.

There is nothing more painful for a parent than to see their child suffer. The agony of feeling utterly helpless when he cries in pain is beyond description. The constant and continual fear that your child will be lost before he can receive the treatment that will save him is almost unbearable. Adding impact to injury is the unsettling acceptance that you don’t have the money to make him well or even ease his suffering. There are many loving parents in this and many other countries that live with these realities every day.

St. Jude’s Children Hospital sees patients and their families that match the above description every day. The difference is that this particular hospital offers its services to sick children with or without insurance, with or without the financial ability to pay. You might imagine that a hospital that offers this type of charity to its patients would somehow lack in the areas of care, technology and expertise.

But this is the farthest thing from the truth.

In 1996, Peter Doherty, Ph.D., of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, was co-recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for work that he did related to how the immune system kills virus-infected cells. In fact, many doctors from the around the world send their toughest cases and their most vulnerable patients to St. Jude’s.

Not only is St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital the 3^rd largest health care charity in pediatric treatment, it is also a world class research facility. Discoveries of new cancer treatments and other diseases have changed the way world treats these catastrophic illnesses. Some of the world’s most gifted researchers come to St. Jude’s to conduct their science work.

According to the 2007 Scientific Report released by St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, the center accepts over 400 children each year for cancer treatment. The Cancer Center also includes a Cancer Prevention & Control Program. The center receives an outstanding amount of financial support from its independent fund-raising branch, ALSAC which stands for American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities. The hospital also conducts a significant amount of research on immune deficiency disorders identifying and characterizing the genes responsible for these disorders. And this is just the tip of the iceberg on what this hospital has accomplished in research and treatments for ailing children.

The hospital was founded in 1962 by the late entertainer Danny Thomas and he insisted that no child would be refused treatment based on their inability to pay. According to the hospital’s website, cancer survival rates that ranged between 4%-20% in the 1960’s now enjoy survival rates that range between 64%-94% depending on the type of cancer.

This success rate is due mainly to the research that has been conducted right here in the hospital. This hospital was featured in the movie “The Client” based on the novel by John Grisham. The “client’s” little brother was admitted to the hospital after suffering from symptoms of severe shock when he witnessed an attempted suicide which was foiled by the two brothers. The family’s financial situation in the movie was completely destitute and so the chosen hospital to feature was very appropriate given this hospital’s policies.

Sources:

www.stjude.org, www.thefreedictionary.com, 2007 Scientific Report by St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, www.britannica.com, wilkepedia.org, www.nobleprize.org

New York Like Never Before!

Due to my auto immune disorder, I try not to step outside too much during the very cold weather that we are currently experiencing.

Still, at least once a day I like to go out onto the balcony from my condo in Brooklyn, where I can see the beautiful Brooklyn Bridge and I feel a sense of peace in its quiet majesty.

Which reminds me of a website I came across recently of New York that knocked the socks off me!! The photography and videography combine together to produce breathtakingly beautiful results. The music in the background is hauntingly relaxing.

From the Brooklyn Bridge, to Downtown, to Central Park, to the Chrysler Building and Times Square – you can be the pilot of your own plane (using the toggle feature)and sit back and fall into a dream world.

Take a few moments to visit. This is one site you will never forget. I guarantee it!

THE MOST IMPORTANT DECADE OF MY LIFE.

At the age of 36, I can say whole heartedly that this is the decade to remember. It is also, to be fair, the first decade that I can remember most comprehensively.

The 70′s started with my birth in England and I was watching the Muppet show in 1979 at the age of 6, so the big stories of the 1970′ s would have gone over my head, including the the OPEC oil crisis,the Yom Kippur war, Roe VS Wade, Watergate and the end of the Vietnam War.

I was 17 by the time the 80′s was over and spent most of that decade exploring my chances with the opposite sex rather than educating myself in world politics. I was also going through High School, concentrating on avoiding my homework and experimenting with cigarettes and pot!!

Then came the 90′s. This was the decade of opportunities and screw ups for me. But also the decade that I first took a deep interest in politics. It started in 1997, when Labour Party’s leader, Tony Blair, swept to power in the UK after 18 years of  Tory rule. I will never forget Tony Blair beaming at his adoring political base stating ” A new day has dawned, has it not?!”

I thought, “here is the youngest man ever to be elected British Prime Minister at age 43, and is as politically savvy as I’ve ever seen anyone on the British political scene. He spoke differently too. No more stiff upper lip or super posh accent. He cared about peoples lives and it showed. The Tories had always felt that they were destined to power as a birthright, while Tony Blair went out of his way to try and earn it. (some say he tried too hard)

It was also the decade that I got accepted into a very decent law school and scored the highest point average in my first year out of 350 students. The stars were starting to align themselves very nicely for me . But I was soon to realize that I had demons inside me that were never going away. It was called bi-polar depression – undiagnosed at the time. And was the cause of me dropping out of my second year and frequenting pool halls, potting/gambling and snorting my life away.

Staring at the precipice, I pulled back, but the last three years of the 1990′s I was hardly available to anyone except me, myself and I. And so yet another decade came and went with only fleeting memories.

Come 2000, I found myself a semi decent job as a telecoms real estate specialist (you know all those horrid cell phone towers, well I was responsible for that!) and started an online relationship with a girl in the USA. And then came 9/11.

And that changed my life. Suddenly I was all consumed by politics as there was plenty politics to be discussed. The war in Iraq, Afghanistan, George Bush, and once I moved to the States to marry my wife who I had met online there was health care, a booming housing market, Katrina, Al Quaida, Osama Bin Laden and of course most notibly Barack Obama.

Then there was also YouTube, the rise and fall of MySpace,, MSN and Yahoo; the dominance of Google, the rise of Apple, the stagnation of Microsoft, the rise of Web 20, Facebook, Itunes, web apps and Twitter.

In short there was and is an ongoing technological revolution.

There was also the ongoing extinction of industries like print media, the collapse of the American car industry, the bust in the housing market and the collapse of the banking industry due to extremely questionable, even predatory, lending practices.

It was also the decade that I was diagnosed with a very serious autoimmune disease – which affects my breathing and which has sent me to ICU five times in the last three years.

So this has indeed been a decade that I remember very well, and one which I think will go down in history as a game changing decade, from world geopolitics to personal finances to the tech revolution.

I am glad that I got the opportunity to enjoy the ups and downs of the decade that was the 2000′s.

Growing up I had always heard of Make A Wish, knew the basic premise of what they did, but never really appreciated what was involved or how and when the charity begun and where it is today.

Luckily for me, their website Wish.org provides an extensive biography of the charity and the work it performs. It allowed me to gain a fresh perspective on my own life and my own life threatening conditionThe other thing that stood out was the power of one person to make a difference. Make a Wish was founded in 1980. Seven years old, Chris Greicius was being treated for leukemia. Every day, he dreamed of becoming a police officer. U.S. Customs Officer Tommy Austin had befriended Chris and his mother, Linda Bergendahl-Pauling. He also promised Chris a ride in a police helicopter. In the meantime, Chris’s condition continued to decline.

On April 29, 1980, Austin and a caring group of DPS personnel started Chris’ day with a tour of the city in a department helicopter, which also flew him to headquarters. Three cruisers and a motorcycle officer greeted him before his meeting with the DPS command staff. There, Chris was sworn in as the first honorary DPS patrolman in state history and was given a hand made uniform to prove it!

On May 2nd 1980, Chris was back in the hospital. He asked to arrange the room so he could always see his uniform, his motorcycle helmet and his “Smokey Bear”-style campaign hat. The following day, Chris passed away, but not before seeing his dream come true and experiencing the hope, strength and joy that came from receiving his wish.

And thus was born the Make a Wish Foundation. And Chris’s mother, Linda Bergendahl-Pauling, was one of the three founding members. She wanted to see the smile on other childrens faces as they saw their dreams come true.

Fast forward thirty years and more than 187,000 wishes have come true! Not all children have terminal illnesses but all have a life threatening condition. Anyone from the age of two and a half through to eighteen may qualify for a wish.

All in all, I would have to say that this is one of the most important charities I can think of. The work they do, the happiness they bring – the Make a Wish Foundation has a lot to be proud of.

If you would like to help some of these kids’ wishes come true, there are many ways you can help. You can find them all here on Wish.Org.

Here is a video of one very special volunteer. Her story is so heartwarming. She is a Wish Volunteer who had survived cancer and was herself a recipient of a wish and was looking to give back.