Happy Holidays from Penobscot Financial Advisors! Hannah Tackett welcomes Julie Willette, and Jim Bradley to share holiday memories, favorite foods, plus a special look back at 2025 and a look forward to 2026!

Happy Holidays from Penobscot Financial Advisors! Hannah Tackett welcomes Craig Joncas, and Jessie Dolmage to share holiday memories, favorite foods, plus a special look back at 2025 and a look forward to 2026!

These days, a coin can hold as much value as code, and a dollar can be digital by design. It's a burgeoning financial world out there, and there aren't many maps for this marketplace. Tyler Hafford and PFA's Chief Investment Officer, Sam Chaplin, sit down and discuss Digital Assets, the intriguing pros, the concerning cons, and the curious comparisons to the regular economy. Despite many long years, money now always acts like money then: what might make the change is the people who are holding it.

YOU'LL LEARN:

• How digital assets differ from physical analogues

• How assets like smart contracts and cryptocurrencies function in the market

• The risks of a decentralized, democratized currency, such as hacks or hijackings

• Timeless takeaways: diversification, discipline, long-view thinking

In this episode of Dollars to Dreams, host Tyler Hafford is joined by Penobscot Financial Advisors' Chief Operations and Compliance Officer, Hannah Tackett, for another installment in a new series on cyber scams. Today, they talk about "Ted," a victim who was tricked by a scammer into a devastating blackmail scheme, and what happened when the money ran out. Tyler and Hannah break down his story and the tactics scammers use to prey on connection, trust, and online connections, and they offer invaluable tips on how you can protect yourself from falling victim to these increasingly sophisticated frauds.

YOU'LL LEARN:

• How the Scam Works: A look at how scammers build trust and exploit victims through months of emotional manipulation, to place their victim into as compromising a position as possible.

• Red Flags to Watch For: Practical insights on what to look out for, including the dangers of engaging with people you've never met in person, sending sensitive information over the internet, and sharing your passwords with people you don't truly know.

• Protecting Yourself: Actionable strategies for safeguarding your information, including how to sniff out red flags online, and learn how scammers play on your basic desires for love and connection, and how to avoid becoming a target.

Programming note: This episode is a quick interruption to our 5-part Cyber Scam Mini-Series—we'll jump right back into it next week.

Is today's AI boom just dot-com all over again—or something entirely different? Tyler Hafford and PFA's Chief Investment Officer, Sam Chaplin, dig into what's hype, what's real, and what long-term investors should watch: Piece by piece, they compare the details of the rise of artificial intelligence agents to the investment bubble of the 1990s known as the Dot Com Boom. Tyler and Sam go over the similarities and many differences between the two events in hopes of answering the foremost question of the time: Concerning AI, are we in a bubble?

YOU'LL LEARN:

• How today's AI leaders differ from 90s dot-com darlings

• Why adoption curves (and capital needs) change the game

• Where risks lurk: concentration, regulation, and FOMO

• Timeless takeaways: diversification, discipline, long-view thinking

In this episode of Dollars to Dreams, host Tyler Hafford is joined by Penobscot Financial Advisors' Chief Operations and Compliance Officer, Hannah Tackett, for another installment in a new series on cyber scams. They dive into the alarming aspects of two successive scams, and share the story of "Carol", a victim who lost more than she bargained for with a customer service scam. Tyler and Hannah break down the tactics scammers use to prey on reputations and receipts, and they offer invaluable tips on how you can protect yourself from falling victim to these increasingly sophisticated frauds.

YOU'LL LEARN:

• How the Scam Works: A look at how scammers pretend to be services, in hopes of squeezing more money out of you under the guise of customer service.

• Red Flags to Watch For: Practical insights on what to look out for, including the dangers of fake customer service numbers, sending money to receive money, and the risks of transacting in cryptocurrency.

• Protecting Yourself: Actionable strategies for safeguarding your finances, including how to spot warning signs and the importance of keeping a steady head in the face of urgency.

In this episode of Dollars to Dreams, host Tyler Hafford is joined by Penobscot Financial Advisors' Chief Operations and Compliance Officer, Hannah Tackett, for another installment in a new series on cyber scams. They dive into the alarming aspects of two successive scams, and share the story of "Stacy", a victim who lost about half of all of her wealth to online romance scams. Tyler and Hannah break down the tactics scammers use to prey on emotions and trust, and they offer invaluable tips on how you can protect yourself from falling victim to these increasingly sophisticated frauds.
YOU'LL LEARN:
How the Scam Works: A look at how scammers build trust and exploit victims through months of emotional manipulation, leading them to invest large sums of money into fraudulent opportunities and turn them against their families, financial institutions, and better judgment.
Red Flags to Watch For: Practical insights on what to look out for, including the dangers of engaging with people you've never met in person, and investment "opportunities" that don't include paperwork or legal interaction whatsoever.
Protecting Yourself: Actionable strategies for safeguarding your finances, including how to spot warning signs and the importance of having a trusted contact to help you make clear decisions during emotional moments.
The Dangers of Emotional Manipulation in Financial Scams: Learn how scammers play on your basic desires for love and financial security, and how to avoid becoming a target.

• How the Scam Works: A look at how scammers build trust and exploit victims through months of emotional manipulation, leading them to invest large sums of money into fraudulent opportunities.
• Red Flags to Watch For: Practical insights on what to look out for, including the dangers of engaging with people you've never met in person, and the risks of transacting in cryptocurrency.
• Protecting Yourself: Actionable strategies for safeguarding your finances, including how to spot warning signs and the importance of having a trusted contact to help you make clear decisions during emotional moments.
• The Dangers of Emotional Manipulation in Financial Scams: Learn how scammers play on your basic desires for love and financial security, and how to avoid becoming a target.