ProfNet Experts Available on Trucking Industry, Mortgages, Employee Wellness, More Also in This Edition: Jobs for Writers, Media Industry Blog Posts
NEW YORK, Jan. 26, 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
- An Incomplete LinkedIn Profile Can Impact Your Career
- Feds Open Border to Mexican Truckers
- Mortgage Loans No Rescue for Energy Lenders
- Exercise Care in Pursuing Employee Wellness
- Get Ahead of Energy Earning Shortfalls
- Strengthening Dollar Affecting International Investors
- Effect of Energy Deregulation on Commercial Property Owners
MEDIA JOBS
- Staff Writer – Virginian Pilot (VA)
- Sports Writer – Lodi News-Sentinel (CA)
- Reporter – Southern Illinoisan (IL)
OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES
- Book Ghostwriting 101: What Authors Need to Know to Succeed
- Top Professional Goals of 2015
- PR Newswire's Media Moves: Jan. 19 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:
An Incomplete LinkedIn Profile Can Impact Your Career
Cheryl Palmer, M.Ed., CECC, CPRW
Owner
Call to Career
"An incomplete profile on LinkedIn can be a red flag to employers that you are not serious about representing yourself well online."
Palmer is a certified career coach and a certified professional resume writer. She holds a master's degree in counseling and has a certificate in career coaching. She has been quoted in such outlets as The Wall Street Journal, CNN, ABC News, CBS News, MarketWatch, The Ladders, ExecuNet and CareerBuilder. She is available to discuss workplace issues, career management and social media.
ProfNet Profile: http://www.profnetconnect.com/cheryl_palmer
Website: http://www.calltocareer.com
Expert Contact: [email protected]
Feds Open Border to Mexican Truckers
H. Peyton Inge IV
Transportation Attorney
Chamblee, Ryan, Kershaw & Anderson, P.C. in Dallas
"The Obama administration's announcement that Mexican trucking companies will be allowed to operate in the United States should have little initial impact on U.S. carriers. Recently, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration agreed to make permanent a NAFTA-driven pilot program that allowed qualifying Mexican long-haul truckers to make direct deliveries to U.S. destinations. Mexican carriers also will be permitted to carry goods back across the border. However, NAFTA does not permit foreign trucking companies to deliver goods between points within the U.S. Due to the safety requirements and restrictions governing how trailers are repositioned, it is unlikely we will see a significant increase in foreign trucks outside the border states. This could change if Mexican freight brokers organize to locate loads for trucks returning from the U.S."
Media Contact: Dave Moore, [email protected]
Mortgage Loans No Rescue for Energy Lenders
John Orton
Attorney
Thompson & Knight LLP in Houston
Mortgage rates have been falling dramatically, leading to a surge in home loan applications and new business for many banks, a seemingly hopeful sign to banks in oil states such as Texas, as it will provide a new income stream at a time when many are queasy over energy-related loans. Unfortunately, it's not that simple. Says Orton: "While it is true that some area banks may be hoping to make up an anticipated shortfall in loan demand from declining oil prices, there is reason for skepticism. First, those same banks will need to use great care in an energy-dependent economy, since the income of many potential borrowers is directly or indirectly tied to the energy industry. Second, it is highly unlikely that the scale of revenue arising from mortgage lending will be sufficient to make up for the loss in revenue from the decline in energy and related commercial lending."
Media Contact: Kit Frieden, [email protected]
Exercise Care in Pursuing Employee Wellness
Liz Schartz
Attorney
Thompson & Knight LLP in Dallas
Wellness programs have been around for years, but are becoming increasingly popular with businesses and employees alike since they encourage healthy lifestyle decisions that can lower insurance costs, increase productivity and reduce time off for illness. Recent studies show that more than half of all companies with 50 or more employees offer these types of programs; however, the free gym memberships, health screenings and discounted premiums can pose significant risks to employers. Says Schartz: "Even well-intentioned companies can violate any number of health privacy and anti-discrimination laws with these programs. There is also a lack of legal clarity in some cases about what constitutes voluntary or involuntary participation. The safest approach at this point is to structure these programs using options and incentives for participation, rather than penalties for non-participation."
Media Contact: Barry Pound, [email protected]
Get Ahead of Energy Earning Shortfalls
John Melko
Financial Restructuring and Reorganization Attorney
Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP in Houston
With the energy industry destabilized by the continued drop in crude oil prices, even worse news could be on the horizon as companies grapple with year-end audits. Says Melko: "Year-end financial reports and loan covenants require new reservoir reserve reports, which stand to be significantly impacted not only by the precipitous price drop, but also lowered future price projections. The resulting impairment charges will lower asset values, in many cases causing debt coverage ratio defaults for many producers. Even the better capitalized producers will be faced with near-term fixed drilling budgets, with only reduced revenue projections to show for it. However, smart operators will talk to lenders and investors before the oilfield sludge hits the fan. Just as operators don't like surprises in the field, lenders and investors don't like them in the mail. Get out in front of your financial news before it becomes a problem."
Media Contact: Rhonda Reddick, [email protected]
Strengthening Dollar Affecting International Investors
Bijan Golkar, CFP
CEO/Senior Advisor
FPC Investment Advisory, Inc.
The U.S. dollar is on a roll lately -- gaining strength and trouncing currencies like the euro and the Japanese yen. The dollar index, which compares the greenback's value with a basket of world currencies, is at a four-year high. But is the strengthening dollar and weakening foreign currencies good news for you? For consumers, yes: A strong dollar means that you can buy imported goods more cheaply. For investors, it's a bit more complicated. Says Golkar: "Needless to say, the decline of foreign currencies is making it especially hard for international fund managers to beat their benchmark indices. Investing abroad has always involved currency risk, of course, but we're now in a different world, and investors should take note."
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]
Effect of Energy Deregulation on Commercial Property Owners
Andrew Maguire
Shareholder, Real Estate Group
McCausland Keen & Buckman
"With energy deregulated in roughly one-third of the states in the U.S., commercial property owners can reduce their operating costs by negotiating with traditional utility companies and competing private energy suppliers for the best available electricity and gas pricing. With bargaining power tied to aggregate usage, owners of properties with high-volume energy usage (including hospital systems, universities, data centers, manufacturing facilities and retail banks) stand to realize significant savings."
Maguire, an experienced attorney who negotiates energy supply contracts for large, institutional owners of commercial real estate, is available to discuss how such owners can lower operating costs by capitalizing on deregulated energy.
Media Contact: Crystal Garcia, [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/
- Staff Writer – Virginian Pilot (VA)
- Sports Writer – Lodi News-Sentinel (CA)
- Reporter – Southern Illinoisan (IL)
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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.
- BOOK GHOSTWRITING 101: WHAT AUTHORS NEED TO KNOW TO SUCCEED. One of the most frequent questions we get from writers is, "How do I break into book ghostwriting?" To answer that question, we turned to ghostwriting expert Marcia Layton Turner for her advice and insight. Turner gave us the inside scoop on what it takes to become a ghostwriter, how to break in, how much you can expect to be paid, helpful resources, and more: http://prn.to/1sYEQnB
- ON BEING PAID FAIRLY AS A FREELANCER. Have you ever turned in an article that meets all of the client's criteria, only to have to chase down the agreed payment, month after month after month? Writer Heidi Russell offers tips from her many years of reporting and freelance experience: http://prn.to/1BRKif6
- FIVE PINTEREST TIPS FOR SMALL-BUSINESS OWNERS. Pinterest may sound like all fun and games -- pinning images of exquisite recipes and out-of-this-world travel locales is terrific, but you may find yourself asking, "Where does the revenue come in?" It's one of the best, most up-to-date ways of generating buzz and enthusiasm for your business offerings -- anticipation that can lead to potential sales -- if done properly: http://prn.to/1umjThI
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