0 Spend

I want to do a better job managing my money.

Any book by Suze Orman

There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there, spanning from control of personal finances to end of life care. These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation. Since we can’t keep track of all of them here at the White House, we’re asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov.
I copied this from the White House blog. Post Script–I find the "casual converstion" addition most disturbing.

I heard about this yesterday, and yes, it is very disturbing. And people were concerned about George W. Bush’s Patriot Act which involved terrorism and foreign nationals. Here’s Obama asking us to report conversations among Americans! It’s very disturbing indeed… and makes you wonder, "What’s next?

im way behind and am being slammed with all this work 🙁 PLEASE HELP
1. Describe at least three specific individual differences that may give you an advantage in the workplace. (1-3 sentences. 1.5 points)
2. Choose an industry you might be interested in working in, and explain why this industry interests you. (2-4 sentences. 1.0 points)
3. Describe at least two methods you would use to identify job opportunities if you were looking for a job. Explain why you would use these methods. (2-4 sentences. 1.0 points)
4. Choose a career from the following list: financial planner, financial analyst, accountant, risk manager, cash manager, treasurer, CFO, and comptroller. Use the Internet to find information about this career, and answer the questions below. TIP: The U.S. Occupational Outlook Handbook (http://www.bls.gov/oco/) may be a good source for this information.
a. What is the name of this career? (0.5 points)
b. Describe at least two tasks a person with this career might perform. (1-2 sentences. 1.0 points)
c. What level of education is this career likely to require? (0.5 points)
5. Choose another career from the following list: financial planner, financial analyst, accountant, risk manager, cash manager, treasurer, CFO, and comptroller. Use the Internet to find information about this career, and answer the questions below. TIP: The U.S. Occupational Outlook Handbook (http://www.bls.gov/oco/) may be a good source for this information.
a. What is the name of the career you chose? (0.5 points)
b. Describe at least two tasks a person with this career might perform. (1-2 sentences. 1.0 points)
c. What level of education is this career likely to require? (0.5 points)
6. Choose another career that you are interested in. This does not need to be a career in the finance industry. Use the Internet to find information about this career, and answer the questions below.
a. What is the name of the career you chose? (0.5 points)
b. Describe at least two tasks a person with this career might perform. (1-2 sentences. 1.0 points)
c. What level of education is this career likely to require? (0.5 points)
d. Why does this career interest you? (1-3 sentences. 2.0 points)
7. Choose another career that you are interested in. This does not need to be a career in the finance industry. Use the Internet to find information about this career, and answer the questions below.
a. What is the name of the career you chose? (0.5 points)
b. Describe at least two tasks a person with this career might perform. (1-2 sentences. 1.0 points)
c. What level of education is this career likely to require? (0.5 points)
d. Why does this career interest you? (1-3 sentences. 2.0 points)
8. If you were in charge of managing a group of employees, how would you assess their job performance? Describe at least two methods you would use. (2-4 sentences. 2.0 points)
9. Describe a time when you or someone you know conformed to the behavior of others. Why do you think this person chose to conform? (2-4 sentences. 1.0 points)
10. Describe a time when you or someone you know chose not to conform to the behavior of others. Why do you think this person chose not to conform? (2-4 sentences. 1.0 points)
11. Describe a time when you have worked with a group of people, such as with students for a school project, with coworkers at a job, or with family members to complete a chore. Describe the dynamics of the group, and then describe at least one way the group dynamics could have been improved. (3-6 sentences. 3.0 points)
12. Describe a real or made up but realistic example of a misunderstanding that occurred because of unclear written or verbal communication. How could this misunderstanding have been avoided? (3-6 sentences. 2.5 points)

I’m just getting off work after a 10 hour day. Now I have to go pick my sister up from dialysis – then go home and make supper. May have to do a load of laundry. Walk and feed the dog.

But if I have a minute – because apparently only you are the one being slammed – I’ll work on it for you.

I just read this article and I thought that it was talking about "stock futures" so I asked a question about futures and now everyone is saying that I am actually talking about options.

I sped read the article but I could have sworn it never mentioned the word options and was talking about buying futures contracts for stocks, not commodities.

Heres the article, thanks:

http://money.howstuffworks.com/personal-finance/financial-planning/stock-future3.htm

No, it is definitely talking about stock futures, not options.

I don’t know what your previous question was, but perhaps some people got confused because both futures and options use leverage to multiply gains (and losses) and both have expiration dates.

here is the description that’s on the course bulletin. This one is offered in a community college.

Course Name: BUSAD-108
Course Title: Personal Finance and Investments
Course Description: This course is an integrated approach to personal finance focusing on practical financial decision making as well as the social, psychological, and physiological contexts in which those decisions are made. The student will examine the preparation for managing one’s personal finances, including budgeting, borrowing, insurance, retirement investments, long-term health care and home ownership.
Credit Type: Earned units for this course are applicable to an Associate Degree.
Transferability : Course credit transfers to CSU.
It sounds like an interesting course but it sounds difficult.
Have any of you taken a class like this one?

This is a great course, and really should be required. You shouldn’t find it too hard. It’s pretty basic, but will give you a great understanding of your finances and how best to maximize their benefits.

If you figure that most of your schooling is focused on teaching you how to make a living, this course will give you the basic understanding you will need to be financially successful managing your money for the rest of your life.

What is the best software available for personal finance? Both Microsoft Money and Quicken’s product were recommended to me — but both seemed to receive poor reviews at Amazon.com.

The problem with any software is that they add a ton of bells and whistles that most people don’t use to justify their existence.

I use Microsoft Money and I probably use 5% of the features.
Eg, I set up the accounts (a pain), I enter my transactions and I run a reports (also a pain to set up). I do not use the charts, I do not use the advice, and I don’t do any account management via signons and passwords. I’ve mimiced my paper records (which were too difficult to keep up with with a manual calculator).

If you’ve never used such software, I would suggest buying a sprial notebook and write down all expenses for a month before setting the software up.

My categories (that I’ve used for 20 years) are:
food & entertainment
car (gas, parking, everything)
appearance (exercise, clothes, medical)
miscellaneous
books & records
hobby (this needed it’s own category)
phone
financial expenses (finance charges, account fees, work expenses)
trips and gifts
Housing (Rent, Utilities, Insurance, Taxes, Furniture)–I used to use several categories, now I don’t.
Income taxes
Social Security
Medicare (These I had as one category and now split them out to match the paycheck stubs).

I found the myriad of choices in the software to be far too much.

like they have a big giant mortgage, two NEW car payments, Go on vacations yet, Ah, I have no money!!

Do you know any people like that?

almost all of them.

the key to staying ahead is not spending more than you have. if you have 100 you have to spend less than 100 you just have to.

some people don’t see it.

i have an old house and an old car i have a job, once in awhile i buy something i dont really have to have but only if i have money for it.

i have some money saved up for an emergency. i have a TV and a computer and a few other nice things. i am happy.

www.ManishaThakor.com. Personal finance expert for women, Manisha Thakor, talks about where to invest in 2011.

For more money love from Manisha sign up to get her weekly blog (http://bit.ly/ManishaBlogSignUp), follow her on Twitter @ManishaThakor (http://bit.ly/ManishaTwitter), and take her innovative eCourse, “Money Rules” (http://bit.ly/SympozMoneyRules).

Duration : 0:4:25

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This series of ten videos features School of Management Professor Zvi Bodie discussing crucial topics in personal finance. From the hidden risks in your 401k to the age you should retire, Professor Bodie covers much of the ground in his book Worry Free Investing.

Duration : 0:4:54

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Starting a foundation involves considering if it’s going to be public or private, how long the foundation will be around, administrative time for managing the foundation and setting up bylaws. Build a foundation like a trust fund, family or lump-sum distribution from corporation with tips from a financial planner in free personal-finance video.

Expert: Julie Asti, CFP
Bio: Julie Asti works as a financial planner for Asti Financial.
Filmmaker: Bing Hu

Duration : 0:3:1

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