“Cardiff start-up sells personal finance products - San Diego Union-Tribune” plus 1 more

Cardiff start-up sells personal finance products - San Diego Union-Tribune

Posted: 22 Nov 2010 11:53 AM PST

Monday, November 22, 2010 at noon

A financial literacy company in Encinitas has been named among the Top 50 Emerging Companies in America by FundingPost.

Based in the Cardiff community, iGrad offers financial literacy tools for college students and recent graduates. The designation by FundingPost, a network of 7,600 venture capital funds and "angel investors," is expected to help the company secure more capital.

Rob LaBreche, CEO of iGrad, said that the company has been operational since January and has raised about $1 million in capital. It has eight employees and its website is iGrad.com. The company is on track to be self-sustaining by August 2011, he said.

"Now, more than ever, students and recent graduates need a readily accessible on-line community that provides the information and resources needed to make sound life decisions," LaBreche said.

LaBreche, former president of consumer marketing for a leading college-loan company, said that too many young adults lack basic financial literacy. As a result, they struggle with budgeting, making decisions on large purchases, and deciding where to put their savings.

The company is described as "an online community where young adults can learn, grow, and become responsible consumers." Basic membership on iGrad is free, and includes access to a personal finance course, video tutorials on topics ranging from making a major purchase to finding that perfect job, and a keyword-based job search tool.

The company makes money by offering an ad-free version of the site to school partners for a fee. That version includes extra benefits such as an alumni-tracking system. Another revenue source is partnerships with companies offering products and services that meet its tough consumer standards, LaBreche said.

FundingPost's seventh annual Pitching Across America contest was judged by a panel of about 100 venture capitalists and angel investors. Companies were rated based on criteria including professionalism, development of customers and revenue, competitive advantage, marketplace need and probability of success.

"iGrad is a remarkable on-line portal utilized by college students and college graduates who need to learn how to become responsible consumers in the real world," said Joe Rubin, Director of FundingPost.

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Personal finance chat with Daniel Galli - Boston Globe

Posted: 22 Nov 2010 06:53 AM PST

Dan Galli, a certified financial planner with Daniel J. Galli & Associates in Norwell, will take your investment questions Tuesday, Nov. 16, at 1 p.m.

This chat was coordinated by the Financial Planning Association of Massachusetts. For more info, visit www.fpama.org.

About Dan Galli

Dan Galli is a Certified Financial Planner and Principal and of Daniel J. Galli & Associates in Norwell and a Registered Representative of Ameritas Investment Corp., Member SIPC/FINRA. His practice includes a wide range of products and advisory services, including both fee-based financial planning and commission based activity. Today Dan specializes in retirement planning for professionals, small business owners and other individuals; designing qualified retirement plans, maximizing savings, and managing assets.

He is also a contributing author and editor for the Retirement Planning and Employee Benefit sections of Boston University's on-line Financial Planning course. Dan is a Registered Representative of AIC, Member SIPC/FINRA, and a member of the Financial Planning Association of Massachusetts

Personal Finance

Monday, November 22, 2010