Chick Jeanine

Age: 42

Occupation:
Homemaker

Born:
Warren, OH

Lives Today:
Oxford, MI

Education:
BA, MA in Telecommunications from Michigan State University

Marital Status:
Married with 3 children

As one of the newest chicks , I am so happy to have been given the opportunity to jump on board with a group already successful and full of knowledge. The invitation could not have come at a more perfect time for me.

My husband, Bob, and I met at Michigan State University, where he played hockey and I was into my sorority and academics, probably in that order! I received a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Telecommunications, as well as a minor in Economics. Not sure at the time where economics fit into the picture, but it was probably my first inkling that I had any interest in anything financial. At the time, that interest certainly didn’t carry over to my everyday student life. Yes, I had an ATM card, and yes, I knew which machines would cough up as low as $5, if necessary. My husband and I still vividly recall writing $4.16 checks for pizza! And, believe it or not, those checks bounced on occasion. Like most students, we both had so much to learn when it came to managing money.

After graduation, Bob set off on his professional hockey career, and I stayed at MSU to finish my Master’s Degree. We married in 1989, and moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba. Not many opportunities in Winnipeg to use my degree and, before I knew it, 15 hockey seasons, 6 different teams, and 3 children later, Bob retired from the NHL. So, now it was my turn to….what?? That was the big question for me. Wow, it would be great to finally be settled and get involved with something, anything, to use my brain, but – what?

We had always used a financial planner to handle our investments – a terrific guy who has worked with us since we first got married and who we trust implicitly. But, I started to want to know more about our finances, especially since we were now without an income and hoping our savings were going to be enough. Was there enough for college for our 3 boys? What would our savings look like in 10 years, 15 years, 30 years? I really didn’t want any surprises down the road, and I wanted to make sure that I understood where our investments were and why.

Enter the Chicks. Karin and I know each other from Winnipeg – our husbands were teammates. She and Phil moved around more than we did, so we had trouble keeping track of each other! We managed to reconnect in Arizona and Karin asked if I would be interested in joining the Chicks. It didn’t take me long to decide. This was the perfect time, the perfect opportunity for me to get involved in something I was really interested in, finally had the time for, and that could be so beneficial for my family’s financial future. And, once I met the rest of the Chicks, that sealed the deal!! I could be a part of this accomplished, intelligent, and ,most importantly, fun group of women – and learn valuable investment info at the same time. It doesn’t get much better than that! I still have so much to learn. But, now that I’m a Chick, I think I’m getting there!

Jeanine