Happy New Year!

We would like to wish all of our friends a happy and prosperous 2009!

Adam Goncalves to speak at annual conference

We’re pleased to announce that attorney Adam W.P. Goncalves has been asked to speak at the 2nd Annual Conference of the Northeast Members Business Services, LLC (Conference) on January 27, 2009 at the Liberty Bay Credit Union in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Northeast Members Business Services, LLC (Northeast) is a credit union service organization headquartered in Keene, New Hampshire. Northeast’s business is to help credit unions enter the small business loan/deposit market, safely and profitably. Adam will be addressing the rights and remedies afforded to credit unions, pertaining to the terms and provisions of the loan documents, which will include loan workouts, guaranties, and foreclosures. For more information on Northeast, please visit their website at http://www.nembs.com/.

'Tis The Season

If you enjoy the holiday season, then there’s no better place to be than Boston. The Greater Boston area has many great events to choose from. If you enjoy the theater, there’s “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”, playing at the Wang Theater, and “The Nutcracker”, playing at the Boston Opera House. However, our favorite event of the season is the Holiday Pops with Keith Lockhart at Symphony Hall. You could also choose to attend one of the many free events in the area, like listening to The Bells of Boston at Faneuil Hall or taking a holiday stroll through Beacon Hill. If you’re looking for other holiday ideas, check out Boston.com and the City of Boston's website.

The holiday season is also a time for giving, and there are many charitable causes to choose from. The most visible is the Salvation Army’s Christmas Charity, with volunteers all over the city. Another great charity is the Marine’s Toys for Tots Program. Our friends at Charlesgate Realty are supporters of this cause and serve as a drop-off point for new, unwrapped toys for children under the age of 10. You can read more about Charlesgate’s efforts on their blog.

If you have any unique holiday events or traditions that you'd like to share, please post them in our "comments" section.

Just in time for the holidays!

Breaking news! It’s official! According to an Associated Press article published today on Boston.com, we’re in a recession. In fact, we’ve been in a recession all year (insert sarcasm)! This may be news to the White House, who apparently still won’t use the term “recession”, but it’s not really “news” to most of us. At least we’re calling it a recession now. Admitting that there is a problem is the first step to recovery.

On a more positive note, interest rates have fallen below 6%, and according to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke in today’s BusinessWeek, further interest-rate cuts are "certainly feasible".