Adriane G(ilda) Berg (1948-) Biography

Born 1948, in Brooklyn, NY; Education: Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, B.A. (magna cum laude), 1968; New York University, J.D., 1972.

Addresses

Office—Wealthbuilder, 406 Center St., South Orange, NJ 07079. Agent—Charlotte Sheedy, Charlotte Sheedy Literary Agency, Inc., 145 West 86th St., New York, NY 10024.

Career

Financial consultant, author, and attorney. Admitted to the bars of New York State and New Jersey; Kaye, Scholer, Fierman, Hays & Handler (law firm), New York, NY, associate, 1971-72; Phillips, Nizer, Benjamin, Krim & Ballon (law firm), New York, NY, associate, 1972-74; Community Service Society of New York, assistant general counsel, 1974-77; attorney in private practice, 1977-85; Bochner & Berg (law firm), New York, NY, partner, 1985—; Berg/Montag & Associates, New York, NY, associate, 1985—. Securities broker; consultant; instructor at New School for Social Research (now New School University), beginning 1974.

Member

International Association of Financial Planners (director, New York chapter), American Arbitration Association, New York Bar Association (chairperson of Trusts and Estates for General Practitioners, 1982), Phi Beta Kappa, Kappa Delta Pi.

Writings

Moneythink: Financial Planning Finally Made Easy, Pilgrim Press (New York, NY), 1982.

Your Kids, Your Money: A Financial Survival Manual for Parents, Prentice-Hall (Englewood Cliffs, NJ), 1985.

Your Wealth-building Years: The Secrets of Money Management for Twenty-one-to-Thirty-five-year-Olds, Newmarket Press (New York, NY), 1986, 2nd edition published as Your Wealth-building Years: Financial Planning for Eighteen-to-Thirty-eight-Year-Olds, 1990, 4th edition, 2000.

Warning: Dying May Be Hazardous to Your Wealth: How to Protect Your Life Savings for Yourself and Those You Love, Career Press (Hawthorne, NJ), 1992, 2nd edition, 1995.

Drafting Modern Wills and Trusts, Prentice-Hall (Englewood Cliffs, NJ), 1986.

How to Stop Fighting about Money and Make Some: A Couples' Guide to Financial Success, Newmarket Press (New York, NY), 1988, published as Financial Planning for Couples: How to Work Together to Build Security and Success, 1993, 2nd edition, 2000.

Keys to Avoiding Probate and Reducing Estate Taxes, Barron's Educational (Hauppauge, NJ), 1992.

(With son, Arthur Bochner) The Totally Awesome Money Book for Kids (and Their Parents), Newmarket Press (New York, NY), 1993.

Making up for Lost Time: Speed Investing for a Secure Future, Hearst Books (New York, NY), 1994.

(With Arthur Bochner) The Totally Awesome Business Book for Kids: With Twenty Super Businesses You Can Start Right Now!, Newmarket Press (New York, NY), 1995.

Gifting to People You Love: The Complete Family Guide to Making Gifts, Bequests, and Investments for Children, Newmarket Press (New York, NY), 1996.

(With Milton Gralla) How Good Guys Grow Rich: Proven Strategies to Achieve Financial Success and Lifelong Satisfaction, Dearborn Financial Pub. (Chicago, IL), 1996.

OTHER

(Co-editor) Fair Share, Harcourt (New York, NY), 1986.

Author of WealthBuilder newsletter. Contributor to books, including Henry H. Foster and Ronald Brown, editors, Contemporary Matrimonial Law Issues, Harcourt (New York, NY), 1985, and Arthur Bochner, Things: Collecting for Kids and Their Families, Wealth-builder Press, 2003. Contributor to law journals; editor of New York University Law Review.

Sidelights

Adriane Berg, an attorney and a specialist on personal finance, has published numerous books and made guest appearances to speak about money matters on television programs from Oprah to CNN. In addition to her many adult-centered books on personal finance, she has also joined her son, Arthur Bochner, in writing two books on financial planning for children, The Totally Awesome Money Book for Kids (and Their Parents) and The Totally Awesome Business Book for Kids: With Twenty Super Businesses You Can Start Right Now! Berg was named to the U.S. Treasury Greater New York Committee for Savings Awareness and holds an excellent reputation within her field. By utilizing humor and instincts honed from years of motherhood, Berg has been praised for her ability to communicate with kids on an important subject in terms they can understand.

The inspiration for The Totally Awesome Money Book for Kids (and Their Parents), published in 1993, came from a realization one day, that her son understood the concepts of money management and had the potential to turn his innocent hobby into a profitable business. In the book the coauthors discuss the basics of saving money, investing, and more complex subjects, such as the basics regarding paying taxes. They also include six mistakes kids should be wary of in working to save money. One very important aspect the book discusses is how to start saving for college early, a goal that requires individuals to budget and save for large expenses. Riddled with quizzes and fun games to test growing economic knowledge, The Totally Awesome Money Book for Kids was praised by several reviewers for helping tackle a sometimes daunting subject.

The Totally Awesome Business Book for Kids: With Twenty Super Businesses You Can Start Right Now! takes basic economic concepts a little further, building on The Totally Awesome Money Book for Kids. In this book coauthors Berg and Bochner maintain their format of combining useful facts and figures together with games and quizzes that keep learning fun. Geared toward kids aged ten to seventeen, The Totally Awesome Business Book for Kids informs readers of the plethora of necessary information and responsibilities required when starting up a business. Included are the ten important business skills necessary for success, two being the ability to speak up for what you want, and keep thorough records and files.

Berg continues her dedication to providing the public with the necessary facts and information to successfully manage their finances. She is the creator and author of the WealthBuilder newsletter, a consultant to Hunter College's Brookdale Center on Aging, and a founder of the Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. Other books by Berg include Gifting to People You Love: The Complete Family Guide to Making Gifts, Bequests, and Investments for Children and Keys to Avoiding Probate and Reducing Estate Taxes.