Jeff Stukey is not in the business of selling financial products. In fact, he said that is the biggest misconception about his job as a fee-only financial firm and owner of Stukey Financial Planning.

…As a fee-only firm, Stukey charges for advice by the hour and does not offer asset management. His is the only local firm that is a member of two “fee-only” associations, Garrett Planning Network and the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors. He charges $180 to $270 per hour for simple advice. He will present a personal financial plan for an additional fee, if the client wants and can afford it.

You can find more information about Jeff Stukey’s fee-only financial planning service from his website www.stukeyfinancialplanning.com and you can also read the article in the Wichita Eagle.

We have become a nation that believes we can enjoy constant economic growth with no pain. Not only do we expect prosperity, but we expect a constantly increasing level of prosperity.

But prosperity without sacrifice produces many problems: high gasoline prices, the housing bubble, the broken health care system, Social Security and Medicare systems headed for bankruptcy, the environment headed for disaster.

The generation who lived through the Great Depression and World War II understood sacrifice, but wanted their children to have a “better” life. However, that better life is unsustainable, according to David Walker, former U.S. comptroller general.

In an interview on CBS’ “60 Minutes,” Walker said that even though we don’t face an immediate crisis, we suffer from a fiscal cancer that, if not treated, could lead to catastrophic consequences. One of the biggest problems is that we have massive entitlement programs that we can no longer afford.

We don’t like to deal with reality. Because of that, politicians often pander instead of lead. Instead of facing the reality that the stock market is overpriced because of the housing market meltdown, they give us a $120 billion tax rebate. Instead of sustainable renewable energy strategies, a handful of congressmen in corn-growing states give us ethanol (which contributes to the world food shortage). Instead of better public transportation and more efficient automobiles, we get a proposed “tax holiday” on gasoline taxes.

One comparatively bright spot on the political landscape is our governor’s courage in standing firm on the proposed coal-plant expansion in western Kansas. Good for her. We clearly need to recognize that the bill has come due for our cavalier use of fossil fuels. We must embrace the use of renewable energy and find a way to make it work.

We need leaders who have the courage to honestly contend with the many challenges we face and who are willing to lead, not pander. As a nation, we need lofty goals such as transitioning within the next 10 years to 50 percent renewable energy sources, and mandating a retirement program (in addition to Social Security) for all workers, funded by employers and employees, which would have a 401(k)-like option and a personal retirement annuity pension account option.

Now is not the time for us to shrink back and take the route of temporary, quick-and-easy fixes. We need to learn from the past and make bold, sustainable, long-term plans for the future.

We simply cannot afford any more quick and painless fixes. The future of our nation is at risk. We need to act now.

Read this article in the Wichita Eagle

Other than Dunkin Donuts, there are two things I’m really passionate about with regards to the Internet. Finding Free Wireless Internet and creating physical community out of the virtual world. As many of you know I’m working with a company out in California called AnchorFree which is in the business of supplying Free Wireless Internet and creating community – a great fit for me.

One of the things that we’re doing over there right now is helping online shoppers earn gift certificates for doing their normal shopping online. AnchorFree has over 350 online partners which online shoppers earn rewards points at for making purchases – and it’s these rewards points that can be redeemed for gift certificates with our partners.

As part of the Dunkin Donuts Talk community, I’d like to invite you to test this product and give you the opportunity to say “I was there from the beginning!” What I would like you to do is download and install the the Rewards-bar – currently only for IE, although a Mac version and Mozilla version are on the way; and then go about your regular shopping. If you are a Mozilla user, it would greatly help me if you could make your purchases using IE.

We are really excited about this product and we’re excited to be sharing it with you. If you have any feedback on the use of this product, please post it and I’ll pass it over to AnchorFree.

You can download the Rewards-bar at: AnchorFree Rewards-bar.

Dunkin’ Donuts rang up $3.4 billion in sales last year, a 13 percent increase over the previous year. With it’s sales making up over two-thirds of Dunkin’ Brands’ revenue of $4.8 billion, Dunkin Donuts was widely considered to be the “crown jewel” of company. The new owners are planning rapid growth for the coffee and donuts chain in order to compete with the coffee-giant Starbucks Corp.

With extensive experience in the food service industry, the three buyout companies will each be equal investors in the company. According to a joint statement from Bain, Carlyle and Lee, the three firms intend to keep the current management in place, including Dunkin’ Brands Chief Excecutive Officer Jon L. Luther. Dunkin’ Brands Chief Executive Jon Luther joined the company three years ago from Popeye’s Chicken & Biscuits, and is widely credited with boosting sales at the Dunkin’ Donuts chain with a broader food menu and new espresso-based drinks.

“This transaction provides for the future of Dunkin?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ Brands, its franchisees, restaurant employees and customers,” said Dunkin?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ Brands CEO Jon L. Luther. “With our new owners ready to support us in our growth efforts, a strong management team on board and continued excellent franchisee relationships, Dunkin?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ Brands is well-positioned for global expansion. We have high and growing market shares, innovative products in our restaurants and under development, and we operate in a market filled with growth opportunities. We are thrilled to have such experienced partners help us to leverage what Dunkin?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ Brands has put into place.”

Written by James Chen. Read more from him at: www.jameschen.blogspot.com

Source: Dunkin’ Brands Press Release and AP

Forget just buying a doughnut, the whole Dunkin’ Donut chain could be for sale.

The fast-food division of Allied Domecq could be sold off to help finance a takeover by Pernod Ricard and Fortune Brands Inc.

Allied Domecq directors met yesterday to approve the company’s half-year results and also approved the takeover bid. Details are to be announced today, but the deal is worth a reported $14 billion.

Dunkin’ Donuts officials declined to comment.

Pernod and Fortune are most interested in the distillers’ alcolohic drinks, not its coffee, sources told Bloomberg News.

Allied recently combined and rebranded Dunkin’ Donuts, Baskin-Robbins and Togo sandwich stores under the name Dunkin’ Brands. The chains are run out of a new headquarters in Canton.

Allied Domecq bought Dunkin’ Donuts when the company was floundering financially and at risk of a hostile takeover. It has become a solid performer and will likely attract several bidders, analysts said.

“The restaurant business is a favorable niche,” said Carl Sibilski, a Morningstar analyst. “All the indications are that people don’t want to spend more time in their kitchens.”

The future of the Canton headquarters depends largely on the buyer.

It could be picked up by a private-equity investor who might eventually take it public. Or it might attract the interest of a company that already has a well-developed franchise system, such as Yum! Brands Inc., which owns the Pizza Hut, KFC and Long John Silver chains.

Because the company is largely a chain of franchises, a potential buyer might leave it and the headquarters intact, Sibilski said.

Dunkin’ Donuts has moved to strengthen its market position in recent months with new stores and products such as seasonal coffee drinks and a steak sandwich.

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The friendly takeover of Dunkin’ Donuts’ parent company was about liquor, not doughnuts and coffee, making it likely the ubiquitous fast-food chain will be sold, analysts said.

Allied Domecq PLC, the British parent of Canton-based Dunkin’ Donuts, announced Thursday that it agreed to a $14.2 billion takeover by French rival Pernod Ricard SA.

Pernod officials said the acquisition strengthens their position against the liquor market leader, British-based Diageo PLC.

Dunkin Donuts’ coffee, bagels and crullers aren’t a big part of Pernod’s new business and don’t fit into this brewing spirits war, said David Henkes, a senior principal at the Chicago-based food industry consultant, Technomic Inc.

That means the chain will likely be sold or spun off, he said.

“Everybody’s sense is the restaurants are not going to be a long-term part of the deal,” Henkes said.

A Dunkin’ Donuts spokesman declined to comment Thursday on what the deal would mean for the company.

Henkes expects Pernod to move Dunkin’ Donuts quickly, but added that if the sale lags, it could leave Dunkin’ Donuts in limbo, particularly regarding its recently launched westward expansion to take on rival Starbucks.

“Will it slow the expansion push? That’s a great question and I don’t know if I can answer,” Henkes said. “If someone with deep pockets comes in, they may want to expand the brand.”

Carl Sibilsky, an analyst with Morningstar Inc., said a sale could be a boon to Dunkin’ Donuts if it attracts a company like Yum Brands Inc., which operates KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut.

That would give Dunkin’ Donuts a larger nationwide base of potential franchisees, and perhaps aid its expansion, he said.

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Depending on your point of view, Sally Murphy is either a nutritionist’s nightmare – or a typical overstressed modern American worker. The partner and director of client services at Rattle Advertising in Somerville says she starts her day with a sizeable cup of coffee and sweet pastry. By afternoon, as her energy flags, she moves on to snacks and beverages filled with sugar, salt, and caffeine.

In the morning, “Before I do anything, I have to turn on that coffee maker” Murphy says. “On my way to the office, I’ll stop at Dunkin’ Donuts. I’ll get some more coffee and a chocolate-frosted donut.”

Although she drinks half-caf (50 percent decaffeinated coffee), she concedes she has become overly dependent on caffeine and other unhealthful treats to get her through her working day.

“I think it’s a way of battling fatigue,” she says. “When I’m really fatigued, I get into that kind of a pattern.”

Murphy is not alone; in fact, her behavior has become too familiar among stressed workers who lack the time, and in some cases, basic knowledge, to make healthful food choices.

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It’s time to poke a doughnut-sized hole into the notion that Americans want healthier food. The fastest-growing dining category nationwide last year wasn’t fine dining or family restaurants: It was doughnut shops.

That’s right, doughnuts ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äù as in, how many calories can you cram into that deep-fried glazed, stuffed with jelly? The $3.6 billion category sizzled with 9% sales growth last year ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äù about twice the industry average, according to a yet-to-be-released study by Technomic, a restaurant consultancy.

The three fastest-growing doughnut chains: Dunkin’ Donuts, Krispy Kreme and Tim Hortons.

Some experts attribute the growth to consumers’ desire for small indulgences during stressful times. Others credit the nation’s multitasking consumers who like to drive, eat and talk on cell phones at once.

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Others cite the bum economy. “The tighter the economy, the better doughnuts sell,” says Bob Pitts, a technologist at Dunkin’ Donuts. “A dozen donuts for $5 is not a lot of money to feed a family.”

Nutritionists are alarmed. “There’s no redeeming quality in a doughnut,” says Hope Warshaw, author of A Guide to Healthy Restaurant Eating. “It’s high in sugar, fat and calories.” The average glazed doughnut: about 200 calories. Adds dietitian Robyn Flipse: “Most disturbing is that many think of doughnuts as breakfast. Nutritionally, it’s a terrible way to start the day.”

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Baskin-Robbins plans to open 100 of its Northeastern franchise locations in combination with Dunkin’ Donuts stores by summer’s end. The investment is estimated to be worth $15 to $17 million. More than 60 multi-branded locations have already opened, with the majority in New England. At the official launch April 30, local residents in New England can stop by a participating Baskin-Robbins for a free scoop of ice cream.

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“Most are the stores are retrofitted, in existing Dunkin’ Donuts locations, and others have and will be built from the ground up,” Debra Newton, spokesperson for Baskin-Robbins

The Baskin-Robbins and Dunkin’ Donuts brands are part of Allied Domecq Quick Service Restaurants, Randolph, MA.

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Partnerships with such brands as Stop & Shop and the Home Depot helped spur six-month sales growth for Dunkin’ Donuts, one of three units of Randolph-based Allied Domecq Quick Service Restaurants.

For the six months that ended Feb. 28, Dunkin’ Donuts posted a 9 percent growth in systemwide sales, driven by a 4 percent increase in U.S. same-store sales, said Allied Domecq QSR, itself a subsidiary of the U.K.-based Allied Domecq PLC. Same-store sales, or sales at stores open at least a year, are a key indicator of retail performance.

For the period, Dunkin’ Donuts had total sales of $1.55 billion.

During the period, Dunkin’ Donuts offered such new items as caramel iced coffee and an expanded rollout of scones.

The company’s February “Who Brought The Donuts?” promotion drove sales of bulk donuts, while strong regional consumer promotions leveraged its relationships with major-league sports teams. In addition, Dunkin’ Donuts returned to advertising on network TV for the first time in several years with its “Coffee by the Pound” push, which resulted in sales increases of 20 percent, officials said.

In the second half of 2003, Dunkin’ Donuts will introduce an new line of espresso-based beverages, which are expected drive same-store sales growth.

The earnings release was the first time that Allied Domecq reported financials for individual brands.

Internationally, coffee sales are expected to be a “major focus,” officials said. For the six months ended Feb. 28, joint ventures in Japan and Korea saw combined profit growth of 36 percent. The marketing focus for Dunkin’ Donuts has been on its core coffee business. Major initiatives were launched in South Korea and the Philippines supporting Dunkins’ original coffee that resulted in a doubling of sales.

The company said it is averaging more than 100 franchise agreements per month, with a projected total of 1,000 new brand locations this year.

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