<![CDATA[Alternative Financial Services, LLC

<![CDATA[Alternative Financial Services, LLC - Blog]]>Sun, 10 Aug 2025 04:05:06 -0400Weebly<![CDATA[New Year...Renewed Hope]]>Fri, 01 Jan 2021 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.afs-nj.com/blog/new-yearrenewed-hope

Greetings, all.

As we usher out 2020 with its unparalleled global challenges, we look forward to some much deserved relief in 2021. Each year, AFS contributes our support to worthy organizations in lieu of client gift giving. The unprecedented and painful circumstances borne by 2020 left more needing help than usual.

For the fifth consecutive year, AFS sponsored remembrance wreaths through Wreaths Across America, whose mission is to REMEMBER our fallen U.S. veterans, HONOR those who serve and TEACH our children the value of our freedom. Lisa represented AFS at Greenwood Cemetery's annual wreath-laying ceremony in Brielle on 12/19/20. This always-moving experience has become one of her treasured holiday traditions.

We also made a donation to Fulfill (formerly The Foodbank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties). The food insecurity, struggling, and hunger of our neighbors is greater this year than ever. It's easy to take the food on our tables for granted. For many, this necessity could not be achieved without the lifeline that Fulfill and other community food banks provide. Visit www.feedingamerica.org to find a food bank in your area.

Finally, many of you know the joy shared by Emily and Lisa through their passionate support of Broadway. It breaks their hearts thinking about the crushed livelihoods and delayed or dashed dreams of the actors, screenwriters, set designers, musicians, stagehands, ushers, and others in the Broadway community. To share our love and support, AFS contributed to The Actors Fund, which provides a safety net to the performing arts and its entertainment professionals, fostering their stability and resiliency over their lifespan.

If circumstances permit, please consider donating to an organization which is meaningful to you.

Wishing everyone good health and peace from Lisa, Kathy, Scott, Dina, and Andrew.

]]><![CDATA[In The Giving Spirit]]>Fri, 25 Jan 2019 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.afs-nj.com/blog/in-the-giving-spirit

Dear Friends, Clients and Colleagues,

In this season of giving and in lieu of sending out holiday gifts, we continued our wreath donations and support of Wreaths Across America. We are honored to participate in this national wreath-laying ceremony, celebrating the memory and sacrifice that our veterans made. On December 15, 2018, Wreaths Across America hosted wreath-laying ceremonies at more than 1,600 locations across the country, at sea, and abroad. There is no better time to express our appreciation than during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season to show our veterans and their families that we will never forget. We laid our wreaths at Greenwood Cemetery in Brielle where 1501 veterans are buried.

Each year, I am deeply moved by the manner in which the wreaths are placed. As each veteran’s grave is honored, his or her name is spoken aloud because “A person dies twice: once when they take their final breath, and later, the last time their name is spoken”. This wonderful organization REMEMBERS our fallen U.S. veterans, HONORS those who serve and TEACHES your children the value of freedom. Visit WreathsAcrossAmerica.org to read more about this nationwide event or donate to their wreath-laying efforts.

Wishing you and your families a joyous holiday season and a New Year blessed with good health and opportunities for success.

Warm wishes from Lisa, Kathy, Scott, Dina, and Andrew.

]]><![CDATA[AFS Named Among 2018 Top 100 ProAdvisors]]>Tue, 15 May 2018 04:00:00 GMThttp://www.afs-nj.com/blog/afs-named-among-2018-top-100-proadvisorsLisa Corcoran — A 2018 Top 100 ProAdvisor

I am honored to be recognized as an Insightful Accountant 2018 Top 100 ProAdvisor.

Your confidence, trust and referrals mean the world to us. Working with our clients to help them run their businesses more profitably is truly the best job ever!

Lisa

Insightful Accountant is excited to announce our "Top 100 ProAdvisors for 2018." Our Categorical Winners and "ProAdvisor of the Year" will be announced on the Main Stage Events of the Scaling New Heights conference being held in Atlanta June 17-20, 2018.These people have worked hard to earn this recognition, please join us in congratulating each of them the next time you see them.

There are a number of changes in this list, many due to people 'leap-frogging' over prior Top 100 members, by making certain to get certified in any and everything they can, taking extra continuing education and training even though they had 'enough' hours, contributing to the community via social media, and hustling for votes from their colleagues.

Following their example, you could potentially 'leap-frog' over someone on this list next year, and remember there will always be one extra spot because this year's ProAdvisor of the Year gains Emeritus status, thus opening at least that one free spot in our 2019 Top 100 ProAdvisors.

A special thanks to our sponsors: Canon ImageFormula Scanners, Landy Insurance, Neat, Avalara, AbacusNext, Scaling New Heights, and Intuit QuickBooks & ProAdvisor Program. Without their sponsorship these awards would not be possible.

by William Murphy Senior Editor

Our 2018 Top 100 ProAdvisors are:

Marjorie Adams
Lynn Ailsworth
Debra Anderson
Brett Barry
Jonathan Bello
Marti Bockhold
Judy Borland-Emeritus (2016 ProAdvisor of the Year)
Debbie Bosse
Megan Bronson
Natalie Browne
Jonyce Bullock
Stacey Byrne
Steven Clement
Alee Cochrane
Susan Cook
Lisa Corcoran
Jeremy Craig
Deborah Defer
Karen Dellaripa
Carla Demers
Tammatha Denyes
Paulette Dreher-Emeritus (2017 ProAdvisor of the Year)
AudreyDuke
Wendelyn Duquette

Terumi Echols
Ingrid Edstrom
William English
David Enix
Jane Faulks
Gita Faust
Alex Flores
Gabrielle Fontaine
Esther Friedberg-Karp
Jill Frillman
Hector Garcia
Diane Gilson
Nancy Gomez
Keith Gormezano
Timothy Grant
Robin Hall
Leslie Hamm
Pat Hartley
Susan Hawkins
Mariko Hayashi-Hall
Patricia Hendrix
Mario Hernandez
Gail Hilburn
Tanya Hilts
Christine Hoke
Susan Humphreys

Caleb Jenkins
Carrie Kahn
Rich Kane
Stacy Kildal
Debra Kilsheimer
Gale Kirsopp
Beverly Lang
Michelle Long
Diane Lucas
Laura Madeira
Victor Madeira
Denise Magee
Diane Margulies
Sherri-Lee Mathers
Michael Mehr
Sharon Michalowicz
Patty Mory
Mario Nowogrodzki
Laurie O'Neil
Nancy Orben
Aubrey Pasial
Lisa Pierpont
Susan Pruskin
Mary Pusateri
M B Raimondi
Cherri Rapp
Laura Redmond
Rhonda Rosand
Sam Rotberg

Raeann Salter
Linda Saltz
Eileen Sass
Heather Satterley
Nancy Schreiner
Cindy Schroeder
Caren Schwartz
Wilna Sepulvado-Emeritus (2015 ProAdvisor of the Year)
Jeff Siegel
Karen Siewert
Stephen Smith
Richard Stanfield
Marnie Stretch
Mark Stricker
Marilyn Sudbeck
Alisa Sutton
Judith Syms
Jeanne Tarazevits
Kathy Tighe
Dominique Waits
Veronica Wasek
Jim Wells
Cathy Wool
Katherine Wynne-Jones-Emeritus (2014 ProAdvisor of the Year)
Kathy Zaroczynski
Julie Zevchek

]]><![CDATA[CELEBRATING OUR 15TH ANNIVERSARY]]>Mon, 01 Jan 2018 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.afs-nj.com/blog/celebrating-our-15th-anniversary

AFS Marks 15 Years In Business

To learn more about
the AFS team, visit AFS-NJ.com

"It seams like yesterday we celebrated our tenth anniversary," notes Lisa Corcoran, founder of Alternative Financial Services. "Now, here we are at year fifteen. We certainly couldn't have gotten this far without our amazing clients and talented associates."

In 2003, AFS sprouted organically from a part-time job that Corcoran worked when living in New York City.

By providing much-needed bookkeeping services and support to small business owners and busy professionals who don't have the time nor the knowhow to properly organize their financials, AFS quickly budded into a full-time business.

"AFS supplies the knowledge and expertise that every business needs but may not have. With AFS organizing the financial details, small-business owners are unburdened from those often daunting, yet critical, tasks and given the much-needed time and space to focus on running their businesses," says Corcoran. "Financial confidence gives them peace of mind and a higher quality of life."

Now Lisa and her four AFS associates create the foundation on which small businesses can place their trust to sort out their financial records and stay organized for accurate bookkeeping, payroll, and tax filings.

]]><![CDATA[AFS Gives Back in the Holiday Spirit]]>Sat, 16 Dec 2017 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.afs-nj.com/blog/afs-gives-back-in-the-holiday-spiritAFS Supports Local Families in Need and Honors Our Troops

Dear Friends, Clients and Colleagues,

In lieu of sending holiday gifts, and in the spirit that defines this season of giving, we again supported organizations in your honor to help our communities.

This year we repeated our support of Wreaths Across America with the purchase of numerous wreaths. The mission of this wonderful organization is to Remember, Honor and Teach — REMEMBER our fallen U.S. veterans, HONOR those who serve and TEACH your children the value of freedom. We participated in the national wreath-laying ceremony on December 16. Our wreaths were laid at Greenwood Cemetery in Brielle where 1501 veterans buried.

Each year, I am particularly moved by the manner in which the wreaths are laid. As each veteran’s grave is honored, his or her name is spoken aloud because “A person dies twice: once when they take their final breath, and later, the last time their name is spoken”. Click here to read more about this nationwide event or, to donate to their wreath-laying efforts, visit WreathsAcrossAmerica.org.

We also supported The Backpack Crew whose mission is to provide children with food on the weekends when they do not have their school lunch to rely on. This completely private program sends home a backpack of nutritious food customized for each family in need using the same backpack every week. The empty backpack is returned to the school nurse to be sent home again the following Friday. This awesome group is affiliated with The United Methodist Church of Red Bank. To think that families in our communities do not have food to nourish them on the weekends is heartbreaking. For more information or to support The Backpack Crew, visit www.backpackcrew.com.

We wish you a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and peace and good health in the New Year, and we thank you for the pleasure of doing business with you.

Lisa, Kathy, Scott, Dina, and Andrew

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