ProfNet Experts Available on Jobs, Real Estate, Divorce and Business, More

NEW YORK, Jan. 12, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Below are experts from the ProfNet network that are available to discuss timely issues in your coverage area. If you are interested in interviewing any of the experts, please contact them via the contact information at the end of the listing.

If you are in need of additional experts, you can also submit a query to the hundreds of thousands of experts in our network. You can filter your request by institution type and geographic location to get the most targeted responses. The best part? It's free! Just fill out the query form to get started: http://bit.ly/findexperts.

If you have any questions or need assistance with any aspect of ProfNet, please drop us a note at [email protected].

EDITOR'S NOTE

• How Do You Use Mobile in Your Reporting?

EXPERT ALERTS

• Jobs the Key to Housing Recovery in 2015
• Deciding When to Take Social Security Benefits Should Not Be Taken Lightly
• Bribery Fines a Lesson for Energy Companies
• Oil Price Drop Stalls Mineral Deals
• Divorce Concerns for Business Owners

MEDIA JOBS

• Staff Writer – Nerd Wallet (CA)
• Technology Writer – The Cheat Sheet (NY)
• Senior Editor/Writer – Our State Magazine (NC)

OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES

• Media 411: Keeping Safe on a High-Risk Job
• Tips to Stop Spreading Yourself Too Thin on Social Media
• PR Newswire's Media Moves, Jan. 12 Edition

EDITOR'S NOTE:

To better understand how members of the media use mobile devices (phones or tablets) to produce stories, PR Newswire for Journalists is asking users to participate in a quick, eight-question survey. The survey will remain open until Feb. 15: http://bit.ly/prnjmobile

EXPERT ALERTS:

Jobs the Key to Housing Recovery in 2015
Hollis Greenlaw
CEO and Co-founder
United Development Funding
"Housing is having a gradual, upward-tilting, L-shaped recovery, which will continue through 2015. As far as so-called full recovery, I think we're looking at something like four to six years."
Greenlaw says jobs are the key to a housing recovery in 2015. Without a more uniform job recovery across the country, potential first-time homebuyers lack the confidence to enter the market -- and that means they're not going to buy houses. Since the Great Recession, first-time homebuyers have made up only 20 percent of the market, versus the traditional 40 percent. Without this segment coming back, Greenlaw says, housing growth will be constrained and the recovery will continue to be slow.
Website: http://www.udfonline.com
Media Contact: Jeff Cronin, [email protected]

Deciding When to Take Social Security Benefits Should Not Be Taken Lightly
Bijan Golkar, CFP
CEO/Senior Advisor
FPC Investment Advisory, Inc.
If you take Social Security benefits as early as possible, they'll be reduced by about 25% per month. If you wait until age 70, you'll receive 32% more each month than you would at the full retirement age. Whenever you set the payments in motion, you'll receive the same amount (adjusted for inflation) for life -- so it's not a decision to be taken lightly. Says Golkar: "When we're far from retirement, Social Security seems so simple: You pay your taxes during your working years, and when you stop working, you receive a stream of income. But as you get closer to actually retiring, Social Security begins to look about as simple as a Rubik's Cube. That's because a dizzying combination of factors play into the decision -- including your health status, life expectancy, marital status and earning potential. The possible outcomes based on these factors can be mind-boggling."
Based in San Francisco, Golkar has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, U.S. News & World Report, Yahoo Finance, The Fiscal Times, Bankrate, MoneyUnder30.com, MainStreet.com, InvestmentNews.com, Physician's Money Digest, and DepositAccounts.com.
ProfNet Profile: http://www.profnetconnect.com/bijangolkar
Website: http://www.FPCWealth.com
Media Contact: Steve Garmhausen, [email protected]

Bribery Fines a Lesson for Energy Companies
Tom Fox
FCPA and Compliance Ethics Lawyer and Blogger
Tom Fox Law in Houston
Federal authorities ended 2014 by assessing massive fines against two companies -- one for $135 million and the other a record $722 million in criminal penalties -- based on bribery claims filed under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). Says Fox: "Not only are federal agencies watching closely for foreign bribes, they made it clear with the record fine that selling the company may not transfer the liability for that bad behavior overseas. Oil and gas companies operate globally, often in areas where local corruption is rampant. Energy companies that now are hoping to acquire other businesses to balance losses from dropping oil prices should carefully examine these FCPA cases to see how to stay in compliance and how to protect themselves in acquisitions."
News Contact: Mary Flood, [email protected]

Oil Price Drop Stalls Mineral Deals
Israel Silvas
Energy Transaction Lawyer
Godwin Lewis PC
The recent precipitous drop in the price of crude oil has stalled energy deals across the United States. Says Silvas: "The holders of mineral rights are finding that the deals they expected to close have been put on hold. We've all seen these cycles before, and until the markets sort themselves out, it's a waiting game. In the meantime, many energy companies and mineral rights holders will have to face the realities that come with gas that's under $2 a gallon."
News Contact: Rhonda Reddick, [email protected]

Divorce Concerns for Business Owners
Michelle May O'Neil
Family Law Attorney
Godwin Lewis PC in Dallas
The new year is traditionally a busy time in divorce court, as disgruntled spouses line up to make their fresh starts in the first quarter. For business owners, getting divorced can be especially tricky. Says O'Neil: "A business entity is a separate marital asset, although the individual assets and debts owned by the business are not part of the marital estate. If it was formed before the marriage, it may not be community property. But any changes to the organization, such as the entity type or owners, may change that status. What's more, the business will most likely need to continue to operate while the divorce is pending, a fact that can be even more complicated if both spouses work at the company. The couple will need to come to an agreement regarding each spouse's rights, duties and responsibilities regarding running the business. For divorcing couples whose marital estate includes a business, it's in both spouses' interest to ensure that the company remains healthy, even if the marriage is dead."
News Contact: Amy Hunt, [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://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/community/jobs/

• Staff Writer – Nerd Wallet (CA)
• Technology Writer – The Cheat Sheet (NY)
• Senior Editor/Writer – Our State Magazine (NC)

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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.

• MEDIA 411: KEEPING SAFE ON A HIGH-RISK JOB. The events that took place in Paris have left people in the media community and all over the world stunned, angry and sad. This week's Media 411 shares advice on staying safe if you're a journalist working in an area of conflict: http://prn.to/14zJWMg
• TIPS TO STOP SPREADING YOURSELF TOO THIN ON SOCIAL MEDIA. With so many social media platforms available to us, it's tempting to use them all -- but how can you determine which ones will really benefit you and which ones will just eat up your time? Kemari Howell of Pubsoft shares her tips for determining which social media site is right for you so you don't spread yourself too thin: http://prn.to/1ArLs04
• PR NEWSWIRE'S MEDIA MOVES, JAN. 12 EDITION. PR Newswire's weekly audience research newsletter, PR Newswire's Media Moves, is chock-full of media news and job changes. In this week's issue, you'll read updates on Dallas Morning News, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Washington Post, The Atlantic, Southern Living, NPR, Politico, Harper's Bazaar, and more: http://prn.to/14Podj1

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