By Marilyn Gardner
November 17, 2008
During tough economic times, couples find that financial problems can affect their marriage.
Life changed in June for Thomas and Jennifer Dodson of Sacramento, Calif., when he was laid off by the architecture firm where he worked. He immediately started his own consulting firm. Although the work is rewarding and fulfilling, it continues to be an “immense struggle,” he says. Continue Reading
By Davis Bushnell
April 13, 2008
Hires counselor for jittery clients
Given the gyrating stock market and constant chatter about a recession, it’s no wonder that investors are anxious.
Officials at Lexington Wealth Management believe they have an answer for jittery clients – a psychologist, Szifra Birke, who is called on as needed to handle emotional situations.
“I don’t do psychotherapy, so my role here is that of a coach and communicator dealing with behavioral issues stemming from finances,” Birke, 57, said in an interview at the Lexington offices of the 11-year-old asset-management firm. Continue Reading
By Rita Savard
December 30, 2007
We’ve watched them, learned from them, been inspired by them. In our own backyards, they caught our attention and taught us to go after dreams.
Movers, shakers and innovators. They’re Greater Lowell’s most fascinating people of 2007, as determined by The Sun’s staff. Continue Reading
By Bill Kirk and Emily Young
October 28, 2007
For Lisa Arcand, winning $1 million in the lottery helped make her dreams come true. Or so she thought.
She took the earnings and bought a house and new furniture, went on a couple of vacations, enrolled her son in Central Catholic and opened a restaurant on Merrimack Street in Lawrence.
Then reality struck.
“Winning the lottery is not all it’s cracked up to be,” said Arcand, 42, a single mom and lifelong Lawrence resident. “Actually, it’s been very depressing.”
Today, less than four years after striking it rich on a scratch ticket, Arcand has decided to close her dream business — Fisherman’s Corner. Continue Reading
By Charles Paikert
August 13, 2007
Szifra Birke is fascinated by money.That may not be unusual for someone who works for a wealth management firm, except that she is not a wealth manager, nor is she a portfolio manager or a financial adviser.Ms. Birke is a psychologist. Continue Reading
By Dan O’Brien
July 15, 2007
Lowell native Szifra Birke is part of nascent trend to incorporate psychology into wealth advising
CHELMSFORD — It wasn’t too long ago that the thought of using a licensed psychotherapist to assist people in their money matters was… well, farfetched.
But Lowell native Szifra Birke has been ahead of the curve before. Continue Reading
July 2007
Life planning and taking a holistic approach to finances are in vogue now, but Lexington Wealth Management, based in Boston and Manhattan, has taken it a step further and recently engaged the services of a licensed therapist with a speciality in wealth counseling.
Szifra Birke was first a client of Lexington Wealth Management, a boutique firm that advises the suddenly wealthy and high-net-worth individuals in transition situations. She then started counseling some of the firm’s nine staff members informally, until both sides decided the relationship was working so well it should be made formal. Continue Reading
By Susan Berfield
July 1, 2007
Wealth can be overwhelming. Now there’s a new breed of counselor to help.
When Thomas and Joan came into some money, $30 million to be precise, they were overwhelmed, and not in a good way. “We were shell-shocked, embarrassed, and kind of miserable instead of being overjoyed,” Thomas says. This dramatic turn in their affairs, which resulted from the sale of a private company in which Joan held a sizable stake, left the couple suffering from a clear case of “sudden wealth syndrome.” So they turned to James Grubman, a psychologist who works with several financial advisory firms, including theirs, for help. “We couldn’t talk with anyone else. The stresses money brings on are not particularly sympathetic,” says Thomas. Continue Reading
June 23, 2007—Psychology and Money
Financial advisers are realizing they have to deal with more than just dollars and cents when helping their clients. Some are hiring psychologists and other counselors to help them understand the emotions behind their clients’ views on money. We’ll talk with one “wealth” counselor.
Demand for guidance through wealth transitions drives formal agreementLEXINGTON, Mass. — Lexington Wealth Management, a leading wealth management and investment consulting firm for high net worth individuals, today announced it has formalized a service agreement withSzifra Birke, a licensed therapist with a specialty in wealth counseling.
The agreement was driven by Lexington Wealth Management’s focus on men and women who are entrepreneurs or have wealth decisions that accompany major life transitions. Ms. Birke will offer counseling to both the firm’s clients and its team of advisors as appropriate. The arrangement evolved from an informal relationship that originated in 2001.
“As clients adapt to sometimes overwhelming life changes they often benefit from emotional guidance,” said Michael Tucci, President and Co-Founder of Lexington Wealth. “Szifra will spend some of her time coaching our team to better work through these situations with clients and if requested will also help our clients as they make their way through challenging times.”
Kristine Porcaro, COO and Co-founder of Lexington Wealth Management added: “Wealth can be accompanied by transitional events like inheritance, divorce, death, or the sale of a business, and paying close attention to these issues is a part of managing life goals over the long haul. Too often in such situations, we have seen advisors fail to listen and attend to their clients’ concerns. A team approach that incorporates an understanding of the emotional side of wealth can help ensure this does not happen.”
The announcement follows on news that Lexington Wealth Management expanded by adding two new professionals in January of 2007.
Lexington Wealth Management is a boutique fee-only, conflict free investment and financial advisory firm that provides concierge services. Based in Boston and Manhattan, the firm serves clients such as men and women who are entrepreneurs or have wealth in transition. Lexington Wealth Management employs forward-thinking investment strategies while offering conflict-free advice and specialized services that give clients the most effective means to enjoying and preserving their wealth.