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Securities offered through Valley National Investments, Inc. Member FINRA SIPC. The Standard & Poor’s 500 (S&P 500), Morgan Stanley EAFE Developed Countries, and the Lehman Brothers Aggregate Bond Index are an unmanaged group of securities considered to be representative, in general, of the US stock market, the foreign stock market, and the US bond market, respectively. Opinions expressed are subject to change without notice and are not intended to be investment advice or to predict future performance. Consult your financial professional before making any investment decision. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Valley National does not purchase content for its newsletter from outside supplier/vendors. Valley National is in compliance with the current registration and/or notice-filing requirements imposed upon SEC registered investment advisers by those states in which Valley National maintains clients. Advisors of Valley National may only transact business in those states in which they are registered, or qualify for an exemption or exclusion from registration requirements. The Valley National newsletter, The Weekly Commentary, is limited to the dissemination of general information pertaining to investment advisory and financial planning services and other general information it believes would be of interest to its clients and friends. Nothing in this newsletter shall be construed as offering or disseminating specific financial, retirement, estate, asset protection, tax, and/or legal advice. Nothing in this newsletter shall be construed as an offer to sell, or a solicitation to buy securities. Nothing contained in this newsletter shall be construed as creating a planner client relationship by virtue of your access to this newsletter. Readers should not rely solely on any information contained herein to plan your estate, or invest your assets, or plan for your income taxes, or make any other financial planning decision. All trademarks and logos appearing herein are those of their respective owners. Information throughout this newsletter is obtained from sources which we and our suppliers believe reliable, but we do not warrant or guarantee the timeliness or accuracy of this information. Neither we nor our information providers shall be liable for any errors or inaccuracies, regardless of cause, or the lack of timeliness of, or for any delay or interruption in the transmission thereof to the reader. Copyright © 2008, Valley National Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Tom is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Certified Financial Planner(TM) professional, and the President of Valley National Group. He holds a BA from Lafayette College in Mathematics and Economics and holds an MBA degree from Lehigh University. Tom is a member of the Financial Planning Association and is past President and chairman of the NE. Pennsylvania Society of Certified Financial Planners. He has over 30 years of financial expertise including serving as Bank Examiner for the US Treasury Department, Senior Accountant at Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co., Corporate Controller of Johnson March Corporation, VP Finance of Hospital Central Services, and as founder and President of Valley National Group (1985).

Frank is a Certified Public Accountant specializing in Financial Planning, Portfolio Management and Tax Planning Services. As Vice President of Valley National, he serves as the General Securities Principal of the Phillipsburg office and also as the Financial Operations Principal of Valley National Investments, Inc. Graduating with a BA from Moravian College in 1991 with a double major in accounting and management, he is currently furthering his education by completing the Certified Financial Planner Program. Frank also carves out time in his busy schedule to stay active with memberships in the Phillipsburg Rotary Club, Twin Cities Business Networkers and the Phillipsburg Area Chamber of Commerce.

Laurie is both a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Financial PlannerTM professional, a Registered Representative, member of both the Financial Planning Association and PICPA, and Vice President of Valley National Advisers. A graduate of Western Michigan University with a BBA in accounting, Laurie provides individuals with personal service for their tax and financial planning needs. For the last several years, Laurie has been educating and guiding the people of Northeast PA as host of “Your Financial Choices” every Wednesday evening on WDIY 88.1 FM Community Public Radio (an NPR member station). Each week Laurie covers a variety of financial topics while fielding calls from listeners of all different financial situations; she often invites a guest who specializes in a specific financial area.

Matt heads Valley National Group’s New York City office in midtown Manhattan, which serves our clients in the greater Tri-State area. Matt brings a wide range of investment and management experience to Valley National, having held positions at Northwestern Mutual, Fidelity Investments, and HSBC Bank. Matt currently specializes in financial planning,retirement income planning, portfolio management and risk management solutions. Additionally, Matt is a registered representative with Valley National Investments, Inc., a registered investment advisor with Valley National Advisors, Inc and a fully licensed insurance agent. Matt is currently an active member in the Rotary Club in Pelham, NY and an avid triathlete.

Mike is a Certified Financial PlannerTM professional with over 30 years of experience in financial analysis and planning. He is a member of the Financial Planning Association, the Estate Planning Council of Lehigh Valley, the Kinder Life Planning Institute, and holistic Life-based Financial Planning is emphasized in his practice. Mike holds an MBA with a concentration in finance from Lehigh University, Personal Financial Planning from Moravian College, and BS in Engineering from Penn State. He is an active community volunteer with over 12 years of service to the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley including past member of the Board of Directors, executive committee, investment committee, and past chairman of the Community Impact Council; a current member of the Leadership Lehigh Valley (LLV) Board of Directors and a LLV graduate.

Rod is a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Financial PlannerTM professional and Personal Financial Specialist. He is a member of the Financial Planning Association and Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants . Rod provides individual financial advice and counseling and corporate benefits consulting. He has provided financial advisory services to individuals for over 25 years. A graduate of The Pennsylvania State University with high distinction, Rod is a member of the Board of Directors of Northeast Ministries, Bethlehem, PA, and past board member of Presbyterian Homes, Inc., Camp Hill, PA.

Jackie is a Financial Advisor, a Certified Financial PlannerTM professional and a Certified Estate Advisor (CEA®). A graduate of New York University with a Bachelors' Degree in Business Administration and Organizational Behavior, Jackie has over 8 years experience in the financial industry assisting clients with the complete financial planning process. She is a member of both the Financial Planning Association and the Estate Planning Council of the Lehigh Valley.

Joe is an Associate Financial Advisor with Valley National Financial Advisors and works with senior advisors in financial planning, investment and portfolio management, and tax planning and preparation. Joseph is a Registered Representative with Valley National Investments, Inc., a Registered Investment Advisor with Valley National Advisors, Inc., and a licensed insurance agent in Pennsylvania. Joseph received a B.S. in Marketing from Bloomsburg University in Bloomsburg, PA.

Tim is an Associate Financial Advisor with Valley National Financial Advisors having over seven years of financial services experience. He is a Dean's list graduate of Pennsylvania State University, holding a Bachelor of Science in Management and Marketing. Tim is a Registered Representative with Valley National Investments, Inc., a Registered Investment Advisor with Valley National Advisors, Inc., and a licensed insurance agent in the state of PA. He is currently pursuing his Certified Financial Planner™ certification through the American College CFP® Designation Program.