ProfNet Expert Alerts for April 3, 2020

NEW YORK, April 3, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Below are experts from the ProfNet network who are available to discuss timely issues in your coverage area.  

You can also submit a query to the hundreds of thousands of experts in our network – it's easy and free. Just fill out the query form to get started: http://prn.to/queryform 

EXPERT ALERTS 

• Internet Resilience
• Online trust, encryption, online security
• Telemedicine and telehealth
• eLearning
• Can't Socialize With Friends? Financially Socialize With Family
• SECURE Act – The Good, Bad, and Ugly
• 7 Happy Money Tips to Get Through Hard Times
• COVID-19 Reminds Us Of What Really Matters

MEDIA JOBS

• Head of Audience – The Sun (NY)

OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES   

• April Fools' Day and Beyond: Tips for Identifying Phony Content
• Blog Profiles: Stress Management Blogs

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Internet Resilience 
David Belson 
Senior Director, Internet Research and Analysis 
Internet Society 
"Many are wondering if the Internet can handle the strain of rapid traffic growth and increased latency. Will it cause a catastrophic failure of the Internet? The answer: not likely. Core Internet infrastructure providers should be able to easily absorb the increase in traffic and demand, especially if the growth is gradual over a period of days, weeks, or months."
Internet Resilience expert with a focus on measurement, shutdowns, and market trends that impact the growth of the Internet across the globe.
Website: www.internetsociety.org  
Media contact: Allesandra DeSantillana, [email protected]  

Online trust, encryption, online security
Jeff Wilbur 
Senior Director, Online Trust 
Internet Society 
"No matter what you call it, a backdoor is a backdoor. Any method that gives a third-party access to encrypted data creates a major vulnerability that weakens the security of law-abiding citizens and the Internet at Large."
Website: www.internetsociety.org  
Media contact: Allesandra DeSantillana, [email protected]  

Telemedicine and telehealth
Dan Rubenstein 
CEO 
Physera  
 "Healthcare, like many industries, has evolved thanks to technology. Telehealth is breaking barriers and helps close the access gap while improving quality care delivery. With Physera's virtual physical therapy offering, we see employers' healthcare costs decrease as engagement increases. Our reach and impact is far greater now than it has ever been. "
Dan can discuss telemedicine/telehealth - the gaps and challenges, benefits to physicians and patients and how current policies need to evolve to make it more widely available.
He has a Bsc degree from Princeton, as well as an MSc degree in Electrical Engineering and a PhD in Statistics from Stanford.
Website: www.physera.com  
www.linkedin.com/in/ydanrubinstein 
Media contact: Karen Swim, [email protected]

eLearning
Neha Gupta 
CEO 
True Office Learning 
"In this time of uncertainty and change, the best organizations are leveraging eLearning as a communication and reinforcement mechanism. We have seen an immediate demand for micro-courses on COVID-19 preparedness, working from home effectively and cybersecurity best practices to ensure employees stay safe and productive. With distributed employees needing information about a new way of working, a self-paced digital experience is the most powerful tool an employer can provide. Furthermore, as working from home might provide added flexibility in many roles, we are seeing a marked uptick in companies using this time to complete their annual compliance and other mandatory training requirements. Companies using more sophisticated, data-rich solutions are also looking at this period as an opportunity to gain tremendous insight on their employees' performance readiness." 
Neha is responsible for True Office Learning's product and technology vision, strategy and growth. Prior to her role as CEO, Neha served as Senior Director of Learning Solutions & Strategic Initiatives at NYSE Governance Services, leading all product strategy and development initiatives for the business. Neha has also served as Citigroup's Chief of Staff for the Institutional Clients Group Technology organization, reporting directly to the CIO. In her time with Citigroup, Neha led a number of strategic change management efforts involving critical, multi-million dollar initiatives across industries. Neha holds an MBA in Management and Business Strategy from Rutgers Business School and a BE in Computers and Electrical Engineering from the Honors College of Engineering at Rutgers.
Website: www.trueofficelearning.com 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/neha-gupta-49118b64  
Media contact: Fred Feiner, [email protected]  

Can't Socialize With Friends? Financially Socialize With Family.
Stephanie Mackara
Author, finance expert, JD, CDFA
Stephanie Mackara
"Financial socialization is the way most people learn how to handle their financial affairs — good or bad. Positive financial socialization leads to financial wellness; financial wellness leads to personal wellness, including less stress coupled with greater happiness and contentment."
Stephanie W. Mackara, JD, CDFA™, is President & Principal Wealth Advisor of Charleston Investment Advisors, LLC. A financial socialization expert, Stephanie is a wife, mother, financial advisor, and author of the new book "Money Minded Families." She teaches people that financial wellness begins with your mindset, not your bank account.
Stephanie is a 20+ year veteran in the field of Investment Advisory Services. Helping people, whether it's planning for retirement or saving college, is Stephanie's passion. In addition to developing a custom investment allocation and financial plan for each client, she conducts regular meetings with clients to reconfirm financial goals and make adjustments as economic or lifestyle conditions warrant. 
Stephanie is committed to acting as a fiduciary and helping individuals achieve a more secure financial future as they navigate through life's transitions. She began her career at Merrill Lynch and then joined Lockwood Advisors, an independent registered investment advisory firm. She spent more than 14 years with Lockwood as an associate partner and a member of the executive committee. Before joining Charleston Investment Advisors, LLC, Stephanie was a founding member of a boutique Investment Management firm in Philadelphia, PA.
Ms. Mackara is very involved in the community and serves on two local boards. She is the Vice President of the Executive Committee for Bridges for End of Life, a local nonprofit whose mission is to help individuals experience living fully and dying well. She also serves at the Treasurer for the South Carolina Lowcountry Business Leadership Network, a non-profit that serves to empower businesses and our community through disability inclusion and empowerment in the workplace.
Stephanie holds a degree in Psychology from West Chester University, in Pennsylvania and a Juris Doctorate from Widener Law School, in Wilmington DE. Stephanie also earned her Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA™) designation in order to help her clients navigate the financial complexities and challenges associated with divorce.
She lives with her husband Bernie and son Jacob on Daniel Island, SC where she is actively involved with the community. In her free time she enjoys running, writing, cooking, traveling and spending time with friends and family.
Learn more at www.moneymindedfamilies.org and www.charlestoninvestmentadvisors.com.
Online Press Kit: www.stephaniemackara.onlinepresskit247.com 
Website:  www.moneymindedfamilies.org and www.charlestoninvestmentadvisors.com 
Contact: Klaudia Simon, [email protected]

SECURE Act – The Good, Bad, and Ugly 
Pamela Yellen
President
Bank On Yourself
"The SECURE legislation — which stands for "Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement" — put into place several provisions supposedly intended to strengthen retirement security," Pamela says. "Not surprisingly, the financial services industry spent many millions of dollars lobbying Congress to ensure passage. So is the new legislation in your best interests? Is it really likely to increase your retirement security?
The Good: The act removed regulatory barriers that prevented companies from offering lifetime-income options in their employees' retirement plans. These lifetime-income options come in the form of annuities, which provide a guaranteed income over the course of your retirement — no matter how long you live. And there's a problem: Even though it's a big step in the right direction to encourage retirement plans to offer lifetime income options, the fact remains that the amount of money people have been able to save in their 401(k)s and IRAs doesn't even come close to being able to provide a comfortable retirement lifestyle.
The Bad: The SECURE Act makes it easier for small businesses to set up automatic enrollment in retirement plans for their workers and to band together with other companies. Why is this bad? I can assure you that Wall Street is whooping for joy over this. After all, what's not to like about the prospect of having more of your dollars automatically going into these plans where they can charge you confiscatory fees and offer no guarantees (other than the guarantee that they'll get paid whether you make money or lose your shirt in the next market crash)? Fees can easily consume one-third to one-half of your account value.
The Ugly: The passage of the SECURE Act makes it obvious how little control you have over the money in your government-sponsored 401(k), IRA, or similar plan. Once you put money into these plans, they control it. They can — and do — change the rules any time they want, and they don't need your permission to do it.
Decades of careful tax planning by families were thrown out the window when Congress drastically and immediately changed the laws for inherited or so-called 'stretch' IRAs, as part of the SECURE Act."
Financial security expert and best-selling author Pamela Yellen investigated more than 450 savings and retirement planning strategies seeking an alternative to the risk and volatility of stocks and other investments. Her research led her to a time-tested, predictable method of growing and protecting wealth she calls Bank On Yourself that is now used by more than half a million people.
Pamela is the author of the New York Times bestselling book "The Bank On Yourself Revolution: Fire Your Banker, Bypass Wall Street, and Take Control of Your Own Financial Future." Her new book is "Rescue Your Retirement: Five Wealth-Killing Traps of 401(k)s, IRAs and Roth Plans — and How to Avoid Them" (www.FreeRetirementPlanRescueBook.com).
Online Press Kit: http://pamelayellen.onlinepresskit247.com
Website: www.FreeRetirementPlanRescueBook.com
Contact: Jennifer Thomas, [email protected]

7 Happy Money Tips to Get Through Hard Times
Ken Honda 
Author
Ken Honda
"1) Identify local businesses who need support and contribute to them. For example, buy a gift card for later use, or order takeout. 2) Share your favorite businesses on social media to encourage others to give their patronage however they can. 3) Donate money to local food-relief efforts for your area's most vulnerable populations. 4) Check on an elderly neighbor and offer to bring them groceries, medicine, or supplies. 5) Use social media to invite people in your circles to share ways people can interact with their business during the quarantine.6) Connect with local artists and musicians and support their work through online downloads or purchases. 7) Don't be afraid to ask for help. If you are in need, let your community know what is needed, stay in a place of gratitude, and allow support to flow to you."
Money and happiness expert Ken Honda is a best-selling self-development author in Japan, with book sales surpassing seven million copies since 2001. His latest book is called "Happy Money: The Japanese Art of Making Peace with Your Money" (June 4, 2019, Simon & Schuster). Ken studied law at Waseda University in Tokyo and entered the Japanese workforce as a business consultant and investor. Ken's financial expertise comes from owning and managing several businesses, including an accounting company, a management consulting firm, and a venture capital corporation. His writings bridge the topics of finance and self-help, focusing on creating and generating personal wealth and happiness through deeper self-honesty. Ken provides ongoing support through mentoring programs, business seminars, therapeutic workshops, and correspondence courses. Ken is the first person from Japan to be voted into the Transformational Leadership Council, a group of personal and professional development leaders. He is fluent in Japanese and English; lived in Boston, Massachusetts for two years; and currently resides in Tokyo, Japan. Learn more at KenHonda.com.
Online Press Kit: https://kenhonda.onlinepresskit247.com 
Website: https://KenHonda.com  
Contact: Michelle Tennant, [email protected]

COVID-19 Reminds Us Of What Really Matters
Brian Smith
Program Director, Treasurer
American Friends for the Preservation of Saint Germain des Prés 
"While terrible, the coronavirus reminds us that such things are temporal and will pass in time. Faith and our historic heritage are timeless."
Brian W. Smith serves as director and treasurer of American Friends for the Preservation of Saint Germain des Prés and has over 45 years of experience as a senior executive in an international financial services company, as a senior federal bank regulator, and as a senior partner in a multinational law firm. During this period, he has been associated with many of the major developments in financial services. Brian is a graduate of Columbia University Graduate School of Business and St. John's University (BA and JD). He resides in Gulfstream, Florida. For more information, visit www.PreserveSaintGermain.org.
Online Press Kit: http://preservesaintgermain.onlinepresskit247.com
Website: www.PreserveSaintGermain.org 
Contact: Klaudia Simon, [email protected]

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MEDIA JOBS: 

Following are links to job listings for staff and freelance writers, editors and producers. You can view these and more job listings on our Job Board: https://www.cisionjobs.com/jobs/united-states/   

• Head of Audience – The Sun (NY)

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OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES:   

Following are links to other news and resources we think you might find useful. If you have an item you think other reporters would be interested in and would like us to include in a future alert, please drop us a line at [email protected] 

• April Fools' Day and Beyond: Tips for Identifying Phony Content. This year, as the COVID-19 pandemic dominates the news cycle, many companies may decide to forego their April Fools' Day campaigns — Google announced it would be doing so this week. But that doesn't mean that all other companies will follow suit, so it's important to be prepared. https://prn.to/2R7SBQI.
• BLOG PROFILES: stress management BLOGS. Each week, we feature blogs we follow. This week is all about stress management: https://prn.to/345yOqn.

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