Authors of Financial Books for Women
Diane Terman Felenstein
Author of The Money Club
Diane Terman Felenstein is president of Diane Terman Public Relations. The 25 year-old company specializes in lifestyle public relations and marketing with a particular emphasis on women entrepreneurs and their business. Her daughter, Deborah Kerner, joined the firm six years ago and concurrently has her own special events company. Terman Felenstein’s roster of clients includes: Prestige Cosmetics, Slim Fast, Opti Fast, Seagrams, United Cerebral Palsy, Parkinson Disease Foundation, Dr. Stephen Gullo, Dr. Penny Wise Budoff (Women’s Medical Center and books), The Tova Corporation, Hydron Technologies, Terme di Saturnia Skincare Products, Judith Ripka Design, and Fred Joaillier Jewelers. She is founder of DayLight, the junior division of DayTop Village, and has served on the board of the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation of Mt. Sinai Hospital, the Cjildren’s Hearing Institute of Manhattan Eye & Ear Hospital, and is the creator of Providence House’s annual children’s event, “Christmas in July.” She currently serves on the board of the FDNY Fire Safety Education Inc. and the board of the UJA Executive Women’s Circle, is an Honorary Deputy Fire Commissioner in New York City, and is co-founder of the Women’s O.W.N. part of the Women’s Health Institute of New York University (now Tisch Hospital). Terman Felenstein is also the founder and president of the 008 Women’s Investment Club and her book, The Money Club (Simon & Schuster), made the best seller list of The New York Times – Sunday, January 11, 1998.
Terman Felenstein is a member of the Public Relations Society of America, Women’s Media Group, The Women’s Forum, Women Executives in Public Relations, The Fashion Group and Cosmetic Execuive Women.
Terman Felenstein has lectured at Syracuse University’s School of Communications, New York University and Cornell. She has spoken at various corporations about the image of women and communications to the public at large. She is married to Marshall Felenstein, president of Felenstein, Koniver & Associates.
- What led you to write this book?
Read headlines such as Dorothy Hamill goes bankrupt due to mismanagement of funds by others. Read about Beardstown Ladies who were taking control of their finances and they were in middle America. Diane was in NYC, wondering if they could do it, then she could do it, then any woman could do it. She was concerned that she did not know about her own financial basics such as her will.
- What do you feel to be the biggest challenge facing women today when handling their finances?
Overcoming the fear. Finding the time to learn about it and making up your mind to overcome the fear. Finding the right advisors. Not feeling stupid about asking questions.
- How has the atmosphere changed for women investors in the last 10 years?
- How will the atmosphere change for women investors in the next 10 years?
Women will finally stop tucking money into their mattresses.
- Where did you start your career and how did it lead you to where you are today?
Driven by fear that the consequences of NOT knowing what she was doing would be severe. The first stock she bought was AT&T for her daughter. Although she was newly divorced and had no spare money, she allowed the dividends to reinvest.
- How much money do you need to start investing?
At least $1,000
- How should a woman get started investing with no investment experience?
- If a woman has debt, at what point should she become an investor?
No investing until the debt is paid off. Investigate ways to pay off debt early. Start asking questions.
- Have you published any other books before this one? If so, what are they?
No, but the title of this book was going to be, “If you are going to be left holding the bag, there should be money in it” as many women have a fear of becoming bag ladies.
- What are your future book writing plans?
None