Saturday, April 20, 2013

May 1st is the 12th Annual National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy

Wednesday, May 1, 2013 is the 12th Annual National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy and it’s sponsored by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and UnplannedPregnancy.   

This year’s theme is:  "Sex Has Consequences".  

On that day and through the month, teens nationwide can visit StayTeen.org to participate in the online quiz – which challenges teens to think carefully about what they might do in the moment through a series of interactive scenarios.


Lady Intelligence believes that part of "Get To Know Him Better" Awareness Campaign is knowing one's self and the consequences involved.  Women who intentionally or unintentionally make bad choices in relationships come from a younger generation that intentionally or unintentionally made bad choices when it came to their interactions with the opposite sex and future planning.  

Awareness is power.  Early Awareness is Powerful.

 More Information:

*http://www.thenationalcampaign.org/
*http://www.stayteen.org/
*http://www.thenationalcampaign.org/national/

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Good Debt Vs. Bad Debt


I had to chuckle.  I wanted to find a nice little online tool to reference to readers without making a lesson plan out of a blog post.  So, in my first search over the Internet, all these articles came up about presidents' net worth, celebrities' net worth, the top whatever number rich folk lists, etc.  Would be interesting to know the number of people who read those articles that knew their own net worth.

Anyway, some things people should just know...where they came from and where are they going; their social security number by heart; the date, time and location of their birth; compatibility; the date they want to retire coinciding with the date that they should be able to retire; where all the important papers are such as insurance policies, all the different kind of wills, and any power of attorney docs; the dollars and cents and/or value in each bank account and/or investments; and lastly, their net worth, cashflow and credit score.

Don't know too many people who want to be broke, but know a lot of people who would like to be financially free.  To be financially free is to have a cashflow where there the passive income dollar amount is more than the expenses dollar amount.  Passive income is income that comes in without going out and punching in at a job to get it.  Passive income would be income from real estate, investments, businesses, etc.  Financially free is not going out to the job every day.

Having a good credit score helps to make the financial terms favorable such as getting a low to zero interest rate and other incentives.  There are ways to obtain financing for homes and cars without using a credit score, but it requires a significant down payment, an excellent employment and personal history, and other special demonstrations and documentation.

My personal definition of credit is:  
"Credit is simply someone getting something that they can't afford to pay in full upfront on a payment plan and then paying extra money on top of the payment plan to use the payment plan." 

The majority of consumers use credit because it's "easier" to use to get stuff.  The only thing is that if credit is used to purchase something, having an excellent credit rating is key so it would be as close as possible to making layaway payments but with the merchandise already in hand.

I. Here are the formulas:
  1. Assets - Liabilities = Net Worth
  2. Income - Expenses = Cash Flow
  3. FICO Score = Credit Score (important to know*)


II. Tools randomly found on the Internet**:

CNN Money Net Worth Calculator:  http://cgi.money.cnn.com/tools/networth/networth.html

PremierWest Bank - Financial Answer Center

Free Annual Credit Report:  https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp



III. Great Learning Tool***:

Rich Dad Poor Dad Cashflow 101 Game:  Online Version and Board Game
http://www.richdad.com/Rich-Dad-Games/CASHFLOW.aspx




*Learn more about FICO and Credit Scores at:  http://www.myfico.com/crediteducation/whatsinyourscore.aspx.
Remember, there is no need to pay to obtain a credit report from all credit reporting bureaus.  Everyone is entitled to a free annual credit report from all credit reporting bureaus from https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp
Be careful of multiple inquiries.  Multiple inquiries affect the credit score except the inquiry for the person requesting a copy of their own credit report.
In addition to public records and creditor reporting, credit reporting bureaus get their data from applications. What a consumer puts on an application and tells the lender goes on the credit report file for all to see - including current creditors and those who hold judgments against that particular consumer.
Be sure that the free credit report program reviews offered by banks are not using the free annual credit report opportunity that is available directly for consumers.

**Not an endorsement or recommendation.  Just a reference.

***I personally have the game and it's more than just having fun.  Great for any age.



Thursday, April 4, 2013

Net Worth, Cash Flow, and Credit Score


I had to chuckle.  I wanted to find a nice little online tool to reference to readers without making a lesson plan out of a blog post.  So, in my first search over the Internet, all these articles came up about presidents' net worth, celebrities' net worth, the top whatever number rich folk lists, etc.  Would be interesting to know the number of people who read those articles that knew their own net worth.

Anyway, some things people should just know...where they came from and where are they going; their social security number by heart; the date, time and location of their birth; compatibility; the date they want to retire coinciding with the date that they should be able to retire; where all the important papers are such as insurance policies, all the different kind of wills, and any power of attorney docs; the dollars and cents and/or value in each bank account and/or investments; and lastly, their net worth, cashflow and credit score.

Don't know too many people who want to be broke, but know a lot of people who would like to be financially free.  To be financially free is to have a cashflow where there the passive income dollar amount is more than the expenses dollar amount.  Passive income is income that comes in without going out and punching in at a job to get it.  Passive income would be income from real estate, investments, businesses, etc.  Financially free is not going out to the job every day.

Having a good credit score helps to make the financial terms favorable such as getting a low to zero interest rate and other incentives.  There are ways to obtain financing for homes and cars without using a credit score, but it requires a significant down payment, an excellent employment and personal history, and other special demonstrations and documentation.

My personal definition of credit is:  
"Credit is simply someone getting something that they can't afford to pay in full upfront on a payment plan and then paying extra money on top of the payment plan to use the payment plan." 

The majority of consumers use credit because it's "easier" to use to get stuff.  The only thing is that if credit is used to purchase something, having an excellent credit rating is key so it would be as close as possible to making layaway payments but with the merchandise already in hand.

I. Here are the formulas:
  1. Assets - Liabilities = Net Worth
  2. Income - Expenses = Cash Flow
  3. FICO Score = Credit Score (important to know*)


II. Tools randomly found on the Internet**:

CNN Money Net Worth Calculator:  http://cgi.money.cnn.com/tools/networth/networth.html

PremierWest Bank - Financial Answer Center

Free Annual Credit Report:  https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp



III. Great Learning Tool***:

Rich Dad Poor Dad Cashflow 101 Game:  Online Version and Board Game
http://www.richdad.com/Rich-Dad-Games/CASHFLOW.aspx




*Learn more about FICO and Credit Scores at:  http://www.myfico.com/crediteducation/whatsinyourscore.aspx.
Remember, there is no need to pay to obtain a credit report from all credit reporting bureaus.  Everyone is entitled to a free annual credit report from all credit reporting bureaus from https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp
Be careful of multiple inquiries.  Multiple inquiries affect the credit score except the inquiry for the person requesting a copy of their own credit report.
In addition to public records and creditor reporting, credit reporting bureaus get their data from applications. What a consumer puts on an application and tells the lender goes on the credit report file for all to see - including current creditors and those who hold judgments against that particular consumer.
Be sure that the free credit report program reviews offered by banks are not using the free annual credit report opportunity that is available directly for consumers.

**Not an endorsement or recommendation.  Just a reference.

***I personally have the game and it's more than just having fun.  Great for any age.



Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Stress

Just the word itself can make a person cringe.

A dictionary definition:  a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances.

Stress is unhealthy.  Stress can quickly turn to anxiety and/or depression.  Stress zaps precious moments away from life itself.  Stress clouds judgement and makes a minor detail turn into a major disaster.

Ways to eliminate stress:

1. Develop a daily meditative practice.  
In some cultures, meditation or prayer is done many times a day. Take two deep breaths.   Concentrate only on the breath going in and going out.  When thoughts start to wander, go back to concentrating on the breath.  Add yoga as a meditative practice in addition to still meditation.

2. Exercise. 
A brisk walk around the neighborhood for about 20 or 30 minutes does wonders. Don't listen to music, don't talk on the phone or text (for one, to maintain awareness of surroundings of four-legged and two-legged creatures depending on the area), and don't use the time to worry about anything that worrying is not going to change - which would be anything.  Use the time to enjoy the fresh air and the nature surround sounds.  Bicycle riding, skating, going to the gym, all the same.  The key is exercise.

3. Develop a daily gratitude check.
Think about only the good things in life.  If breathing, check that off as number one.  If walking, check that off as number two.  If walking around unsupervised and unchained, check that off as number three.  If wearing clothes and shoes, make that number four.  If food was eaten and water was available, make that number five.  And so on.  Eventually, the grateful list will grow beyond the electricity still on and a bill being paid to the little things like having a matching hat and scarf set to as big as just missing a hold-up at the favorite gas station.  Instead of concentrating on what's wrong or could go wrong, the mindset is changed to focus on what's good - with easy continual practice.  More good comes when the focus is on the good.  It's all about the window where a person sees the world.  If the window is dirty, then the world doesn't look pretty.  Make a gratitude check as frequent as inhaling.

4. Squash the Stressing
Look at whatever is causing the stress as an opportunity for growth and a stepping stone to bigger and better things.  Stressors can make or break.  Come out unbroken.

5. Be In The Moment
There is nothing that can be done about yesterday and tomorrow will operate in the way that it wants without permission, manipulation or authority from any person.  Stay in the moment.  The biggest stressors in life are grieving about what happened and trying to do something to make an outcome happen a certain way in the future or a different way in the past.


Interesting Reading*:

Indiana University: What Stress Does to the Body
http://www.indiana.edu/~engs/hints/stress1.htm


Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:  Managing Stress
http://www.cdc.gov/Features/handlingstress/index.html


New York Times - Health Guide: Stress and Anxiety
http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/symptoms/stress-and-anxiety/overview.html


Web MD - Health and Balance:  Blissing Out:  10 Relaxation Techniques to Reduce Stress On-the-Spot
http://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/blissing-out-10-relaxation-techniques-reduce-stress-spot


*Above links are not recommended as professional substitutes.  Just provided as sources for other ideas to deal with stress and anxiety.  If need be, seek financial, medical, legal, relationship related, family matter related or psychological advice from someone certified or licensed in that particular profession.