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Kids entertainers are very popular and you want to make sure that you pick the correct one, after all your son / daughter’s birthday is only once a year and you don’t want it to be a disaster. Here are ten of my top tips to guide you through the process.1. Who are they?Many entertainers work for large organisations and they all go under the same name such as “Magic Sam the Magic Man” for example. When you locate someone who you think is suitable, see that you will be getting that person and that you haven’t landed on a company based website.2. Is their show suitable for your child’s age?Just because someone advertises as a children’s entertainer doesn’t mean that they cater for children of all ages. Make sure that the little ones will not miss out on the fun because the entertainer only caters for the older children.3. What exactly do they do?It may look like a flashy website and they call themselves a children’s entertainer but you need to know what you are getting for your money. Is it just a magic show or will they be doing the games too. All this should be clearly shown on their website, usually where they tell you the prices of various packages that they offer. If it doesn’t clearly explain on the website then go elsewhere.4. Do they give suitable prizes?If they provide prizes what are they?. You don’t want and shouldn’t expect cheap plastic rubbish that will fall apart as soon as the child gets home. If unsure just ask, you want to know what you are going to get for your money.5. How long do they stay?.If they advertise a 2 hour show for example, does this include the setting up time and what do they do when the children are having their tea? A good entertainer will arrive early, set up and be ready to begin. This time, and the packing away time, will not be included in their 2 hour show. Also, a good children’s entertainer will keep the kids entertained whilst they are having their party food.6. Are they CRB checked?It is essential that you make sure that your children’s entertainer is CRB checked, if not keep well away!.7. Are they insured?All entertainers should have public liability insurance in case anything unexpected happens. Again, if they are not keep well away. Why take the risk?8. Are they experienced?.Find out how long have they been in the business as you want an entertainer who is experienced in entertaining children.9. How will I know you will turn up?A good entertainer will always phone you a couple of days before the show to make sure that everything is still fine. This will help you to know that they haven’t forgotten about you.10. Ask!!!Never be afraid to ask the entertainer about any concerns or questions you may have. It’s your money and you want to make sure that the person you are booking is the right one for your youngster.

Don’t Invest In Stocks! The “Kramerheads” and day traders will certainly flame me for that comment. Thankfully my job isn’t to make friends with “Kramerheads” and day traders. My job is to help investors build and maintain wealth.I’ve advised thousands of clients over the last 17 years for some of Wall Streets largest firms. I’ve seen a lot of things and a lot of different client situations. One thing I haven’t seen is a lot of happiness from stock investors. In fact I’ve seen far more discontent and anxiety.The best stock investment advice is don’t invest in stocks! Instead opt for no-load mutual funds and exchange traded funds. Preferably mutual funds and exchange traded funds (ETF’s) with low expenses and broad diversification – such as passive or index funds.Mutual funds and ETF’s are broadly diversified pools of investment assets. The mutual fund and ETF managers combine investment dollars to achieve a stated investment goal, such as growth, income, or a balanced approach of both.Mutual funds and ETF’s may invest in stocks, bonds or other assets like commodities. They save investors the headache and frustration of investing in those individual securities on their own. Knowing which securities to invest in, when to buy and when to sell is overwhelming at best.It’s A Matter Of Perspective. When I tell clients not to invest in individual stocks, the first question is “Why not?”. The fact is it’s a matter of perspective and life choice in a lot of ways (though it can easily be argued it’s a matter of statistics and actual investment results). If you feel as an investor that peace of mind and sleeping at night is more important than trying to hit the lottery with a lucky stock pick, then your perspective definitely lends itself to mutual fund and ETF investing.It’s been clear to me over the years. Clients with diversified mutual fund and ETF portfolios have enjoyed a greater quality of life (specifically due to their investment experience). They sleep better at night, they don’t have as much stress and they generally have a greater focus on enjoying life than trying to beat the market! There’s nothing quite like not worrying about APPLE’s next earnings report, government regulations on the health care industry or shifts in consumer behavior.The mutual fund managers on the cover of Money magazine, the funds on the Forbes Honor Roll, or the highest Morningstar rated funds statistically have a difficult time repeating that performance. I never recommend chasing mutual fund performance. It’s a fools errand and almost always ends up in frustration over time.As a veteran financial advisor, it boils down to the risk you’re willing to take as an investor. To achieve an investment goal, there’s the risk you must take and the risk you choose to take.The risk you must take is the systematic (also called undiversifiable or market risk) risk associated with a particular asset class. That risk you can diversify in large part through the use of mutual funds and exchange traded funds. The stock market goes up, down, sideways – that’s systematic risk. It’s a normal part of investing.The risk that’s ADDITIONAL to an entire asset class is called UNsystematic risk. UNsystematic risk is also called diversifiable or specific risk. It’s the risk associated with individual stock (or other security) investing.Individual companies are more susceptible to regulations, taxes, changes in consumer desires, labor issues and other factors (including accounting irregularities and fraud for example ENRON!). That risk can be mitigated by investing through mutual funds and ETF’s (diversified away). Individual stocks fluctuate with the entire market AND with changes (both positive and negative) to their specific situation.You may be thinking “but my cousin bought (insert a stock such as Chico’s or Hansen Natural) and got rich and so can I!”. True, you can hit it big. But look at how many people LOST on similar stock bets.For example Qualcomm when it collapsed with the dotcom meltdown. The stock went from almost $90 a share to about $13 a share two years later. You may have been in early and made a ton of money – only to see it evaporate. And if you were late to the ball you may have been completely wiped out!Investors are compensated for the systematic risk that comes with investing in the stock market over a long period of time. They are not compensated for the EXTRA risk associated with individual securities. If you’re not compensated for the additional risk – why would you subject your portfolio to it?Buying stocks is more like speculating than investing! My wealth management firm is located in Las Vegas. There are plenty of things to gamble on here. Individual stocks shouldn’t be one of them.Investing is a long process of defining your financial plan and how your investment management fits into it. There’s no need to gamble with your financial plan. Investing is a marathon, not a sprint! Treat it as such and your chances for achieving your financial goals will soar!

The thought of travelling with family and friends can seem like a heavenly idea until you are on the road and you start getting annoyed by a few turn of events. You might be used to your family, but spending extensive time with friends might reveal lots of things you had no idea about before and it might not always go down well especially on a holiday. But having ample time to prepare for the trip ahead and carefully selecting the friends and family members to take with you can change things for the best. A few tips can prove to be helpful if you want to have the best time when travelling with friends and family.1. Ensure that you have same comfort levels as far as the trip is concerned. If you love bus travels, trying new delicacies by the roadside and camping, make sure that you do not travel with people who would rather dine in the finest restaurants and want luxurious hotels and cars for accommodation and transport.2. Think about age compatibility before you begin with the travel plans. Your ages and stages should be compatible enough so that every person travelling finds companionship and does no end up feeling lost in the group. If you have an elderly person in the group, be sure to get another elderly person they can relate to throughout the trip. You also do not want to travel with one child in the midst of adults because it can get very boring for the child. Get enough children and adults in the group so everyone fits in.3. Think about activities that you all love and make sure that the areas you aim to visit will accommodate everyone’s preferences. The best thing to do is to make sure that if you are sporty you choose a travel group that is just a sporty, if you love adventure then go for adventurous people to make up your travel group. It becomes easy to stay happy when you all have matching preferences in activities and other important areas.4. Get the most appropriate transport and accommodation solutions. You are travelling as a group and you therefore should be in one bus, train or flight. When getting accommodation, try packages that are good enough to cater to every person in the group including any toddlers. You do not have to share the same room but you should at least be in the same facility to keep travel plans organized.5. Talk about bills and other travel expenses before you start travelling. Usually it is a good plan to have contributions to the trip collected beforehand so that you keep sticky financial situations minimal during the trip. You can also split the travel expenses amongst you, so everyone knows where they are going to chip in. Money is the major element that brings in conflicts, especially when travelling with friends. Balance everything out to have a pleasant experience throughout the trip.