Builder Creates “Financially Responsible” Graduation Gift

May 13, 2009 - PRLog -- Palm Beach Gardens, FL— For those looking for the perfect, meaningful graduation gift that will last years beyond the day it’s given, Brett Handler believes he has found the solution. Founder of Dreamstar Custom Homes, he normally spends his days building “green” or environmentally friendly homes, but he soon realized the need for graduates to have an easy to understand financial reference at their fingertips after spending the past 10 years volunteering for Junior Achievement and putting two kids of his own through the educational system. As a result, he created “Dear Graduate,” a product that’s available both as a greeting card that includes an audio book on CD for $16.99 or the book version for $15.95. Orders may be placed online at www.deargraduate.com or by phone, 561-799-7777, ext. 0#.

Handler wrote and recorded “Dear Graduate” with Hugo H. Ottolenghi, who edited the content and produced the CD. Handler and Ottolenghi are close friends who share a commitment to helping young people.

Handler came up with the idea for “Dear Graduate” while teaching high school students as part of his volunteer work for Junior Achievement. It is a partnership among educators, volunteers, and business people. Seeing just how unprepared the seniors in high school were to answer basic financial questions, Handler went on to survey college graduates to check their financial readiness. After reviewing the results, he decided something needed to be done and “Dear Graduate” was born.

As a respected homebuilder in his community, Handler wanted to share with students what he learned about financial success. To his surprise, many of the students – and even a teacher or two – knew little about the basics of handling their money. According to a 2003 survey conducted by Fleet Boston, 74 percent of parents feel unprepared to teach kids about personal finance.

Dr. Chester McKee, vice president and dean emeritus, Mississippi State University, and author, said, “In ‘Dear Graduate,’ Brett Handler has provided critical instruction in practical aspects of personal financial management needed for achieving a highly successful post-school life and career. In his positive ‘yes we can’ approach, he continually stresses the necessity of financial planning and personal discipline in managing financial resources. The smart persons heeding his advice will become ‘winners.’  Although the instruction contained is primarily focused on the
young person moving into the real world of work and living on his own, the many items discussed and explained will be very useful to newly married couples moving into a new mode of life as well as to older individuals or couples who find themselves stressed with debt.”

“This is the perfect gift for every graduate — high school, college or even graduates of doctorate programs,” said Handler. “It is a reference for the rest of their lives. Your graduate understands the value of an education. Your graduate will learn the value of success. But does your graduate understand how to manage their value?”

Handler is a Junior Achievement mentor in personal finance and serves on the Board Of Directors of Junior Achievement of the Palm Beaches, as well as its finance committee.

For more information, go online to www.deargraduate.com.

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