In the News
Yankee PR and Our Clients Making Headlines
Entrepreneur: This Bank Stock Could See a Boost From Its Addition to Russell 2000
Unity Bancorp (UNTY) was recently added to the Russell 2000 index. A stock's addition to an index usually leads to an increase in buying of the stock as several index funds invest in it as part of their strategy of investing in the index participants. Since UNTY is expected to get a boost from its recent addition to the index, will it be wise to invest in the stock? Read the article on Entrepreneur.com.
New Jersey Business: Unity Bank Board Vice Chairman Allen Tucker Retires
Clinton-based Unity Bancorp, Inc. has announced that Allen Tucker, 95, has retired as vice chairman of its board of directors. He had been a member of the Unity Board since 1995. “Allen Tucker has been a cherished member of the Unity family for nearly three decades,” said Unity Bank President & CEO James A. Hughes. “Allen’s commitment to the Unity Board, investors, employees, and the community has truly been inspiring. We are forever indebted to Allen for the wisdom and guidance he has provided.” Read the full article on New Jersey Business.
ROI-NJ: Unity Bank opens Lakewood office for growing Commercial & Residential Lending team
“We have seen tremendous growth in our loan portfolio in Lakewood over the last couple years, particularly in commercial lending,” said Unity Bank CEO and President James Hughes. “Population growth and other marketplace factors have contributed to the growing demand for financial services in the community. We are expanding our commercial and residential lending team in Lakewood because we are committed to meeting the community’s demand for banking services.” Read the full article on ROI-NJ.com
NJ.com: Unity Bank partners with America’s Grow-a-Row
“America’s Grow-A-Row is just an amazing organization that we are honored to support with our resources and time,” said Unity Bank president and CEO James A. Hughes. “As a community bank, Unity strongly believes in being active in the communities where we do business and the experience with America’s Grow-A-Row is extremely rewarding. During their most recent harvest season, the organization’s farms provided 9.6 million servings of free fresh produce to people as far away as Texas! We love being a part of that process.” Read the full article on NJ.com.
Business Insider: Discretionary Income – Your Available Funds to Spend on What You Want
A good rule of thumb is to look back at the past year of your spending and determine where your money goes. You can keep track of your spending on a personal cash flow statement. "Looking backward is the best way to start to figure that out, and then start to budget looking forward," says Todd Scorzafava, a CFP® at Eagle Rock Wealth Management. Read the full article on BusinessInsider.com.
NJBIZ: Unity Bank CEO appointed to ICBA large community bank council
Unity Bank President and Chief Executive Officer James Hughes was appointed to the Independent Community Bankers of America’s Large Community Bank Council, which advocates on behalf of large community banks. In addition to helping shape and advocate the organization’s national policy positions and programs, Hughes does grassroots work in New Jersey and Pennsylvania to promote pro-community bank policies and serves as a liaison between community banks and ICBA staff and leadership in Washington, D.C. Read the full story on NJBIZ.com.
American Pharmaceutical Review: FDA Approves Octapharma’s cutaquig® 16.5% for Pediatric PI Patients, Providing Flexible Treatment Options
Octapharma USA announced the FDA has approved cutaquig® [Immune globulin, Subcutaneous (Human)-hipp, 16.5% Solution] for the treatment of pediatric patients age 2 and older with primary humoral immunodeficiency (PI). The FDA previously approved cutaquig® for adults with PI. Read the full article on AmericanPharmaceuticalReview.com.
New Jersey Business: James A. Hughes to Receive Inaugural Steve Kalafer Community Leadership Award.
The Adult Day Center (ADC) of Somerset County has renamed its Annual Gala Award as the Steve Kalafer Community Leadership Award to honor the memory of the late entrepreneur and longtime ADC supporter. Unity Bank President & CEO James A. Hughes will be the recipient of the first award at the 10th Annual Generations Gala on Nov. 16 at The Palace at Somerset Park. Read the full article on New Jersey Business.
Barron's: A Year After Gold’s Record High, Prices Continue to Slide. What It Will Take for a Rally.
Nearly a year since gold marked its highest price on record, the precious metal has little to show for it. But don’t count gold out yet, says Drew Rathgeber, senior futures broker and branch manager at AIO Capital. “A perfect storm is setting up for gold…to go much higher.” Inflation is “here to stay for a while,” in part due to the Fed’s loose monetary policy and its failure to highlight “cost-push inflation,” he says. Read the full article on Barron's.
NJBIZ: Unity Bank Expands with Centurion Union Center Branch
Unity Bank relocated to a larger space in Union, housed within a new mixed-use development downtown.
The Union Township Chamber of Commerce, Unity Bank and business and community leaders celebrated the financial institution’s 1,800-square-foot branch at Centurion Union Center, across the street from the store’s previous location, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, Unity bank announced. Read the full article on NJBIZ.com.
MarketWatch: Retirement Investment Strategies to Make Your Savings Last
Putting the money in an investment account may sound scary, especially as you intend to live off of it for the next few years alone, but if you invest it conservatively it has a better chance of yielding more income for your portfolio than the interest accruing in the bank account, said Todd Scorzafava, principal and partner at Eagle Rock Wealth Management. Read the full article on MarketWatch.com.
MEDPAGE TODAY: FDA Approves IVIG for Dermatomyositis
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted approval to Octapharma USA for Octagam® 10% [Immune Globulin Intravenous (Human)], the first and only intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) to be indicated for the treatment of adult dermatomyositis, a rare immune-mediated inflammatory disease. Read the full article on MEDPAGE TODAY.
Thrive Global Interview with Audrey Kerchner of Inkyma
Thrive Global, a media outlet produced by Arianna Huffington of the Huffington Post, recently interviewed Audrey Kerchner of Inkyma on PPC, digital marketing and email marketing. Read Audrey's five keys to successful digital marketing and much more on Thrive Global.
New Jersey Business: Unity Bank Ranked Top NJ Community Bank
Unity Bancorp, Inc., the parent company of Unity Bank, was the top ranked New Jersey community bank on the recently published American Banker magazine list of the Top 200 Publicly Traded Community Banks with less than $2 billion in assets. Unity was ranked 20th nationally on the industry list, which reviewed 511 institutions throughout the U.S.Read the full article on New Jersey Business magazine's website at njbmagazine.com.
NJ.com: Unity Bank Donates $34K to Food Pantries
Unity Bank and its employees have donated $34,200 to 19 food pantries in New Jersey and Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania. The funds were contributed by Unity Bank employees and matched by the bank as part of a special annual holiday community service project that was started more than 10 years ago. Read the full article on NJ.com.
The Associated Press: You Too Can Reap The Tax Advantages of a Roth IRA
Nationally syndicated NerdWallet article on Roth IRAs and the controversy surrounding billionaire Peter Thiel’s use of the retirement account strategy. Todd Scorzafava of Eagle Rock Wealth Management was interviewed for this interesting piece, which was published by The Associated Press and many other media outlets. Read the article on The Associated Press website or NerdWallet.
NJ.com: Alexandria Scout earns Eagle for work at Alternatives, Inc. group home
Alexandria resident Jackson Feiner of Alexandria Boy Scout Troop 112 recently earned the Rank of Eagle Scout, a level achieved by only 8% of all Scouts nationally, following successful completion of his Board of Review.
For his Eagle Scout project, Feiner and volunteers renovated a large deck at Alternatives Inc., a group home for adults with intellectual developmental disabilities in Alexandria Township. Read the full article on NJ.com.
US News & World Report: What is a SEP IRA?
Todd Scorzafava, Principal/Partner with Eagle Rock Wealth Management, discusses what business owners need to know about the simplified employment plan (SEP) individual retirement account (IRA). If you own a business and want to save for retirement, consider setting up a SEP. Read the full article on usnews.com.
LegalZoom: The Future of E-Commerce Arrived Early. How Small Businesses Can Ride the Wave.
Though e-commerce was introduced nearly 30 years ago, it's evolving today at hyper speed, according to Allan Peretz, president of BOLD Strategies Inc., an e-commerce consultancy in Rogers, Ark.
“E-commerce has leveled the retail playing field," says Peretz, the former leader of Procter & Gamble's Global Direct-to-Consumer team. “Now, pretty much anyone can establish themselves as a national or even global marketer." Read the full article on LegalZoom.com.
E-Commerce Times: CPG Brands Doubling Down on Direct-to-Consumer E-Commerce
Is it time for brands to double-down on direct-to-consumer marketing? Allan Peretz, President of BOLD Strategies, Inc. weighs in on the debate. According to Peretz, brands should start experimenting in DTC as soon as possible. "If they wait until they need direct-to-consumer, they're going to have a long learning curve, and it could be months or even years before they're ready to launch. So, the biggest risk is waiting. Experimenting at a small scale is very inexpensive." Read the full article on EcommerceTimes.com.
NerdWallet: What You Need to Know About the Robinhood IPO
Stock-trading app Robinhood is set to go public, but it comes at a time of swirling controversy. “Over time there will be cycles, and right now stock trading has been very popular," says Todd Scorzafava of Eagle Rock Wealth Management. "It’s front-page news. And it’s been front-page news in the past, and then eventually things rotate.” Read the full article on NerdWallet.com.
US News & World Report: 7 Best Stocks to Buy for a Reopening Economy
Kenny Polcari of Kace Capital Advisors and other analysts offer their best stock picks as Wall Street gets ready for life after the pandemic. Among the winners are Chevron, Caterpillar, JP Morgan and more. Read the full story on usnews.com.
FDA Expands Pediatric Labeling for Fibryga; Updates Research in Label for Octaplas
The FDA approved Octapharma supplements to two Biological License Applications, strengthening the company’s pediatric critical care product portfolio. The agency expanded the indication for fibrinogen (human) lyophilized powder for reconstitution (human fibrinogen concentrate [HFC]; Fibryga) to include treatment of acute bleeding episodes in pediatric congenital fibrinogen deficiency (CFD), also known as factor 1 deficiency, in patients younger than 12 years of age. The expansion was supported by the results of a phase 3 study (Haemophilia 2020;27[2]:283-292). The researchers assessed maximum clot firmness, which is a marker of hemostasis, single-dose pharmacokinetics and safety. Read the full article on PharmacyPracticeNews.com.
New Jersey Business Magazine: Unity Bank Names George Boyan Chief Financial Officer
Banking industry veteran George Boyan has joined Clinton-based Unity Bank as chief financial officer (CFO) bringing more than 20 years of financial services industry leadership experience to the community bank. Boyan is responsible for financial and accounting operations for Unity Bancorp, Inc., the parent company of Unity Bank, which manages approximately $2 billion in assets and $1.6 billion in deposits. Read the full article on NJBmagazine.com.
NerdWallet Interviews Kenny Polcari of Kace Capital Advisors on Stock Analysis
Looking at a stock’s current price compared with its 52-week high or low can help investors understand the gravity of the day’s price changes, says Kenny Polcari, managing partner of Kace Capital Advisors and market analyst for CNBC and Fox Business Network. Read the full story at NerdWallet.com.
Business Insider Interviews Kenny Polcari of Kace Capital Advisors on Investing in Marijuana Stocks
If you're a trader looking to take advantage of short-term price shifts, Polcari says that individual stocks may be the way to go. Otherwise, he prefers ETFs since they don't require you to pick and choose and run the risk of picking the wrong company. Read the article on Business Insider.
Forbes: Yankee Public Relations President Fred Feiner Provides Crisis Communications Advice as Robinhood Prepares To Testtify Before Congress
“One of the main tenets of crisis communications is to admit your errors quickly and accept your punishment without reservation,” Feiner advised. "If your organization is going to be punished by the public or regulatory bodies, by all means take your medicine quickly and focus on the future.” Read the full article on Forbes.com.
ROI-NJ Guest Article on Challenges Faced By Generation Z
Like any parent or guardian, most of us are concerned about the future our children face. Today’s kids are confronted with alarming environmental changes, the ravages of global pandemics and, in many cases, the challenges of monumental debt, just to name a few. We are particularly concerned about debt, because that may be one area where parents should have more control over how our children start their adult lives. Read the full story on ROI-NJ.com.
NJBIZ Guest Article by Yankee PR President Fred Feiner:
Democrats are certain to create many challenges for employers
Many challenges are coming for employers in New Jersey and nationally with the Democrats now controlling both the White House and Congress. Management needs to take out the crystal ball and start preparing for the inevitable. Read the full article on NJBIZ.com.
Forbes: Yankee Public Relations President Fred Feiner Discusses Crisis Management Lessons Learned From Washington, D.C. Riot
Riots at the Capitol provided crisis management lessons for business leaders around the globe. Read the analysis provided by Yankee Public Relations and other industry leaders on Forbes.com.
Octapharma USA Therapy Featured on FiercePharma
The U.S. immunoglobulin supply just got a little more secure, thanks to a label change enabling one of Octapharma's chief rare disease meds to sit in the fridge for up to three years. Read the full article on FiercePharma.com.
Unity Bank Featured in The Star-Ledger After Record Donation to Food Banks
Unity Bank and its employees have donated a record total of $34,200 to 19 food pantries in New Jersey and Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania. The funds were contributed by Unity Bank employees and matched by the bank as part of a special annual holiday community service project that was started more than 10 years ago. Read the full article in The Star-Ledger.