What Your Dad Never Taught You » Pete & the Media

Job Hunters workshop scheduled to help Indianapolis’ jobless stay informed

Pete the Planner — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 11:29:50 +0000

 Indianapolis- Green Candy, in association with INside Indiana Business with Gerry Dick and WISH-TV’s 24- Hour News 8, will be hosting a Job Hunters Workshop on April 22nd at the Gene B. Glick Junior Achievement Education Center. The event is part of series of community events that Green Candy has been putting on in Central Indiana. Green Candy, a locally based Personal Finance website, has also hosted a comedy benefit and a 5k running race to raise money for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.   

“We are pleased that Green Candy is helping do great things for this community, all the while raising money and awareness for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society,” says Sara Glenn, manager of special events for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

The two-hour event will feature several prominent speakers. Some of the experts scheduled to appear are: Gerry Dick, President of Grow Indiana Ventures, who will discuss the climate of business in central Indiana. He will also discuss what industries are hiring in central Indiana. Peter Dunn, radio talk show host, WISH-TV Money Analyst, and founder of Green Candy, will discuss preparing your finances for a job change. Chuck Gose, a local networking and social media enthusiast, will be highlighting the importance and dangers of social media during a job search.

“Searching for a new career can be a tedious process, and we are glad that we can help bring some encouragement and tips to those that are looking for work,” says Gerry Dick, host of INside Indiana Business.

Peter Dunn, founder of Green Candy notes, “With unemployment hovering around 10%, we must make sure that we support those that are looking to enter or re-enter the workforce, this includes recent college graduates that are starting their job search for the first time.”

WISH-TV plans on highlighting the event as part of their continuing coverage of the unemployment challenges in Indiana. “We have long believed that the entire community is uplifted when the unemployed feel the support of their fellow Hoosiers,” says Jeff White, president and general manager of WISH-TV’s 24- Hour News 8.

The Do. Be. More. Job Hunters Workshop will be held from 9-11am on April 22nd. Cost for attendees is $10. All money will go directly to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Central Indiana. Seats are limited. For tickets and information go to www.GreenCandy.com or call 317-576-8550.

Turn off your overdraft protection

Pete the Planner — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:32:50 +0000

Dinosaur chicken fingers will ruin the world

Pete the Planner — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:31:13 +0000

Multi Level Marketing Radio Study: Week 2

Pete the Planner — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 18:51:44 +0000

We have completed our study on Multi Level Marketing. I feel we did a good job of staying objective and making judgements on the informations we found. Feel free to send me an email if you have any questions or comments.

Enjoy the podcast.

About Green Candy™

Green Candy™ (www.GreenCandy.com) is an online financial assessment tool that helps Gen Y-ers and Millennials get on the right financial track before the “debt hits the fan.” Introduced by radio personality, comedian and financial expert Pete the Planner (www.PeteThePlanner.com), Green Candy’s ™ various “pods” allow users to assess their financial health and competency in common areas such as Debt, Budgeting, Investing, Charity, Risk Management and Major Purchases, as well as in areas unique to Gen Y. A subsequent series of targeted worksheets, podcasts, tip sheets, and action plans guides them to the financial promise land. Green Candy™: Get in control before the debt hits the fan.

About Pete the Planner

Pete the Planner (www.PeteThePlanner.com) is expert financial planner Peter Dunn’s super-saving alter ego. Peter is an award-winning comedian and rising star in the financial world. Named one of “Indy’s Best and Brightest” in finance in 2007 and media in 2009 by KPMG, Peter was also declared one of NUVO magazine’s “30 under 30 to Watch in the Arts” for comedy. Peter is the author of What Your Dad Never Taught You About Budgeting (2006) and is the host of the popular radio show Skills Your Dad Never Taught You on News Talk 1430 (WXNT). He blogs regularly at www.petetheplanner.com/blog. Pete appears regularly on Fox News and Fox Business as well as various CBS stations. His newest book, 60 Days to Change, is due out in November.

Hedge Fund to the rescue?

Pete the Planner — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:48:35 +0000

My segment on 24 Hour News 8 on 10/14/09

New report suggests the obvious

Pete the Planner — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:11:57 +0000

Don’t get me wrong. I am huge fan of the obvious, and in fact, as a quasi-journalist, I often restate the obvious. So I am pleased to inform you, based on recent study by Equifax, Moody’s, Economy.com, that if you make less than $30k per year you have over a 30% chance of default or delinquency on your mortgage. Wow, that’s refreshing. What is also interesting to note is that you have over a 5% chance of default or delinquency if you make $80k per year.

This just in to the Pete the Planner newsroom….the grass is green.

Be sure to sign up for book updates here. My new book, 60 Days to Change: A Daily How-To Guide With Actionable Tips for Improving Your Financial Life will be available in November.

Part 1 of our show on Multi Level Marketing

Pete the Planner — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:47:52 +0000

There has been a tremendous amount of buzz over our latest radio show. Well, here it is. You can judge for yourself whether or not this is a fair assessment of a controversial industry. We would love to hear your comments. Please post comments on this blog, or simply email me at pete @petetheplanner.com

Here is the Podcast. Enjoy

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About Pete the Planner

MLM Research Story Starts Unfolding Today

Pete the Planner — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 10:49:07 +0000

After tons of email asking whether I thought MLM companies were legit or a scam, I decided to find out for myself. I have been working on a story on Multi-Level Marketing (Network Marketing) for a couple of months now. I have studied 10 MLM companies and their compensation structures. I have interviewed salespeople, ex-salespeople, and a CEO of an MLM. I have learned a tremendous amount of dos and don’t, and I’m going to share them all with you.

Starting Oct 4th at 11 am on News Talk 1430 AM, I will unravel the world of mulit-level marketing. There is one thing that I am sure of, this is sure to cause controversy. I have been banned from sales rallies, I have been emailed numerous “warnings”, and I have even made some unlikely friends.

I will be previewing my story on Abdul in the Morning (1430 WXNT Indy) on Oct 1 at 8:30 am and Smiley in the Morning at 8:50 am (99.5 WZPL Indy). Tune in.

How to Avoid Overdraft Fees

Pete the Planner — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:38:48 +0000

Americans are up in arms over the outrageous overdraft fees that are being charged by banks today. You know how it goes…your account runs out of money, and your bank just punches you in the face with overdraft fees until you replenish your account. Many of us have had that $40 cup of coffee ($4 coffee and $36 overdraft fee). Banks, including Chase, reorder your transactions on any given business day to make sure that bigger purchases clear before smaller purchases. The result: tons of overdraft fees on small purchases. Banks are clearly taking advantage of people who chose not to practice the art of financial awareness.

But don’t get it twisted. I’m not the guy to yell at the blanks, my job is to yell at YOU. I’m not going to ask the banks to stop bailing you out of dumb financial situations. You need to take responsibility for your actions. That being said, I would rather banks simply have your debit card decline, opposed to extend overdraft protection. Here are Pete the Planner’s 5 Tips for Avoiding Overdraft Fees.

1. Know your banks policy- Sounds pretty obvious, but it’s likely that you aren’t operating on a fair playing field if you don’t know the rules. If you are aloud to opt out of overdraft protection, do it. I would rather you be embarrassed by a card decline, then get drilled with hundreds of dollars worth of stupid fees.

2. Count your transactions- Forget overdraft protection for a second, if you don’t know how many times you actually handover your debit card, then you have bigger problems to deal with. You shouldn’t use your debit card more than 10 times per week.

3. Use cash- Old fashion, I know. But it is the ONLY true way to not have overdraft fees. It is the abstinence of the financial world. Awkward….

4. Visit your online banking account frequently- I generally don’t advise that you hover over your money, but if you have an overdraft problem, then be sure to use online banking. Not even the dumbest people in the world would spend money that they see that they don’t have.

5. Communicate with your partner or spouse- Many overdraft fees happen when two people use the same checking account. Be sure to talk about your purchase habits regularly. Communication is the key to accountability, and accountability is what you need.

And don’t forget, don’t rely on the banks to help you. This is your money, and your financial life. You can do it.

Tips courtesy of….me. From my Fox News appearance on 9/29/2009

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About Pete the Planner

Do you have a spending addiction?

Pete the Planner — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 12:58:33 +0000

I am obsessed with spending addictions this week. I don’t know why. I talked about it on my radio show, I talked about it on Your Time with Kim Iverson, and I talked about it on The Smiley Morning Show. Many people are compulsive spenders, but that doesn’t mean that they are addicted. I interviewed Harvard trained psychotherapist, Carleton Kendrick, on my radio show. He said that even though a spending addiction is not a physiological addiction, it’s still a serious issue.

I have compiled a list of symptoms that you should consider when trying to self-diagnose.

1. Do you lie to cover up your purchases? Lying about money is a serious problem, and can really damage your relationships.

2. Are your relationships struggling? This could be a sign of your halitosis, but then again it could be a side-effect of your terrible spending habits.

3. Do you just store the stuff you buy? Spending addiction is about the purchase, not about what you purchasing. Therefore, many times addicts will buy things that they don’t even need. Thus, storage.

If you think you have a spending problem, you should really seek help.

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About Pete the Planner

60 Days to Change: Results, baby! Results!

Pete the Planner — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 13:51:00 +0000

Catch Pete the Planner on Fox News Today (4/24)

Pete the Planner — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 13:17:30 +0000

I will be appearing on Fox Business today at 1:30 and Studio B with Shepard Smith on Fox News at 3:00 PM. Be sure to watch. And don’t forget to watch 60 Days to Change.

Pete the Planner Live Radio on Friday April 3rd

Pete the Planner — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 14:22:31 +0000

This Friday, April 3rd (6-9am) I will be guest hosting Abdul in the Morning on News Talk 1430 WXNT (Fox News Radio). So far my special guests will be Indiana Lt. Governor Becky Skillman, and WISH-TV Statehouse reporter Jim Shella. Lt. Gov Skillman will discuss her platform to help Hoosiers get into affordable housing. Jim Shella will be discussing his controversial news report last week about the rally at the Statehouse. Bloggers have been all over Shella since his report. And now we get to hear from the horses’ mouth. Not that he is a horse. I have a couple of other big guests in the works, but I don’t want to jinx them. Be sure to tune in. I love live radio. I never know what is going to come out of my mouth.

About Green Candy™

About Pete the Planner

Pete the Planner (www.PeteThePlanner.com) is expert financial planner Peter Dunn’s super-saving alter ego. Peter is an award-winning comedian and rising star in the financial world. Named one of “Indy’s Best and Brightest” in finance in 2007 by KPMG, Peter was also declared one of NUVO magazine’s “30 under 30 to Watch in the Arts” for comedy. Peter is the author of What Your Dad Never Taught You About Budgeting (2006) and is the host of the popular radio show Skills Your Dad Never Taught You on News Talk 1430 (WXNT). He blogs regularly at www.petetheplanner.com/blog. Pete appears regularly on Fox News and Fox Business as well as various CBS stations. His newest book, 60 Days to Change, is due out in June.

60 Days to Change: Debt and Refinancing

Pete the Planner — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 12:10:57 +0000

60 Days to Change: Debt Realities

Pete the Planner — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 16:01:13 +0000

Can Generosity Turn Us Around?

Pete the Planner — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 13:14:37 +0000

My wife and I recently had our first child. She is a beautiful little girl named, Olive. I could go on for pages about how much I care for little Olive, but what is important for you to know is how much others have cared for us. Generosity can cure many ills. And when you are tired and overwhelmed, people’s generosity keeps you sane. Friends have made us meals, lent us clothes, and even ran our errands. This has made us feel very loved, and actually distorted our reality. Our reality is that we have no idea what we are doing, and if others hadn’t of helped out, then we would really be struggling mentally (and physically).

This got me thinking about our two things. First, single mothers are incredible. We can barely handle things in this first week between the two of us. Secondly, can acts of generosity help pull us out of a financial tailspin. I think so. We have discussed it before on this forum. Financial momentum is an important factor in your financial success. At one time or another we all need to catch a “break”. Does this mean forgive the rent payment that your tenant owes you? No. But it means being understanding and compassionate. Financial generosity can be as simple as taking your “old” stuff that you don’t use to Goodwill or a family in need.

Has your life been positively affected by generosity? Let us know. We want your feedback. Leave a comment on this blog.

And if you haven’t signed up for 60 Days to Change, then do it. 60 Days to Change is our program that can help you get your financial life together in just 60 days. Sign up at www.60DaysToChange.com

About Green Candy™

About Pete the Planner

Pete the Planner (www.PeteThePlanner.com) is expert financial planner Peter Dunn’s super-saving alter ego. Peter is an award-winning comedian and rising star in the financial world. Named one of “Indy’s Best and Brightest” in finance in 2007 by KPMG, Peter was also declared one of NUVO magazine’s “30 under 30 to Watch in the Arts” for comedy. Peter is the author of What Your Dad Never Taught You About Budgeting (2006) and is the host of the popular radio show Skills Your Dad Never Taught You on News Talk 1430 (WXNT). He blogs regularly at www.petetheplanner.com/blog. Pete appears regularly on Fox News and Fox Business as well as various CBS stations. His newest book, 60 Days to Change, is due out in June.

60 Days to Change Begins Tonight

Pete the Planner — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 19:26:54 +0000

Green Candy joins forces with WISH-TV (CBS)

Pete the Planner — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 11:40:16 +0000

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – WISH-TV’s 24-Hour News 8 teams up with financial guru Peter Dunn, a.k.a. “Pete the Planner” for the “Money Watch 8 Challenge: 60 Days to Change.” This on-air / on-line program provides viewers the information and tools to help examine, evaluate and improve their overall financial lives.

“We’re working alongside our viewers to get through these challenging times together,” said Jeff White, president and general manager of WISH-TV and MyINDY-TV. “The more news, information and resources we can provide viewers, the better equipped they will be to improve their lifestyle and financial future. This program is designed to help them succeed.”

The “Money Watch 8 Challenge: 60 Days to Change” kicks off on Wednesday March 11, 2009 during “24-Hour News 8 at 11PM.” 24-Hour News 8 anchor, David Barras will introduce viewers to three local families taking the challenge. Segments will be featured throughout with week with new topics such as budgeting, debt and risk management beginning every Wednesday night at 11:00 p.m.

“We can’t change the economy, but we can change ourselves,” said Peter Dunn, C.E.O. of GreenCandy.com. “If you watch, you will improve your current financial situation.”

The “Money Watch 8 Challenge: 60 Days to Change” is another resource 24-Hour News 8 is providing viewers as part of its overall “Money Watch 8” commitment. For more information on the “Money Watch 8 Challenge: 60 Days to Change,” along with a list of upcoming segments, times and evaluations, log onto WISHTV.com or 60DaysToChange.com

Interested in being on TV?

Pete the Planner — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 17:14:08 +0000

Have you always wanted your own reality show? Flavor Flav has one, now why can’t you? I’m looking for an individual or couple to be featured in a 9 week news program. We will assess your financial life, find the problems, and fix them. Your progress will be documented on the newscast over a nine week period. Email pete@petetheplanner.com if you are interested.

Pete the Planner on Fox Business Today (2/2/09)

Pete the Planner — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 13:34:53 +0000

Tune into Fox Business Channel at 1:20 today to see Pete the Planner. We are talking stocks. What are my picks for this coming year. Tune in, and see.