Financial Planning for Women

http://www.usu.edu/fpw/

November 2006 Newsletter

November is College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences month for FPW! (See details below).

November 8: Getting off the Consumer Escalator. DVD featuring Juliet Schor, author of The Overspent American , followed by discussion. Refreshments provided. Come share your ideas for living a simpler life, consuming less, and reducing holiday financial and time stress.

No December meeting. Spend time with the people you love rather than at the mall.

If you have suggestions for topics please email: lown@cc.usu.edu

FPW meets 12:30-1:30 p.m. in Family Life room 318 on the USU campus. Bring your lunch. The same program is repeated in the evening: 7-8:30 p.m. at the Family Life Center, 493 North 700 East, Logan (at bottom of Old Main Hill). FPW is free; no pre-registration required. Bring a friend or colleague. If you bring a first-time attendee you will receive your choice of a personal finance book or Kiplinger's magazine subscription.

College of HASS month

Each month FPW will provide incentives for women affiliated with each of USU's seven colleges to attend FPW. Affiliation means you work for the college, graduated from, are a student in the college, or are spouse/partner of an affiliate. Everyone affiliated with the College of the Month will receive a “Paycheck Power Booster Calculator” and be entered into a drawing for a personal finance book ( Get a life: You don't need a million to retire well or Work less, live more: The new way to retire early or subscription to Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine.

Holiday gift ideas in keeping with the FPW theme this month: Getting off the Consumer Escalator
Subscriptions to personal finance magazines like Kiplinger's, Money, Smart Money, Consumer Reports
Reduce, reuse, recycle: buy terrific gifts at thrift shops. Try out the new DI or Somebody's Attic, 39 W 100 N in Logan or Somebody's Attic Too at 3 South Main in Smithfield (proceeds go to CAPSA and the Child and Family Support Center.
Recycled Bicycles behind Sweet Peas Natural Foods, 29 West Center
Alternative Gift Mart URL: http://www.altgifts.org/

Saturday, November 18, 9:30-2:30
Presbyterian Church, 12 South 200 West, Logan
“Sending gifts of food, shelter, trees, gardens, medicines around the world since 1986. Select an alternative gift from 35 life- sustaining, worldwide projects to honor family and friends.”
Logan's year round source for alternative gifts: Global Village Gifts 146 N 100 E, Logan , 713-4347

For children: Money Savvy Pig: piggy bank for the 21 st century:
http://www.msgen.com/prod/assembled/money_savvy_pig.html

Take Action:
To stop the flow of pre-screened credit card offers (Save paper and trees; don't fill up the landfill):
Consumer Opt Out (Credit Related Prescreen Offers)
By Phone: 1-888-5OPT-OUT  ( 1-888-567-8688 )
By Mail: PO Box 919, Allen, TX 75013-0949
On-line https://www.optoutprescreen.com/                                                                           

FPW Advisory Board

Thanks to the following women who serve on the FPW Advisory Board: Lola Bolton, Valerie Byrnes, Susan Haddock, Rae Ann Hart, Dena Larsen, Chris Lord, Norma Mann, & Visnja Taylor

The role of the Advisory Board is to help determine program topics and to provide ideas on how to promote FPW. This month we introduce two board members.

            Norma Mann grew up in a southern Indiana , small rural college town-not so different from Cache Valley in many ways. I got out of town by the grace of a National Merit Scholarship to Earlham College (small, Quaker founded liberal arts college in central Indiana) where I majored in Chemistry. My first "real job" was in the Respiratory Therapy department of a small, regional hospital where the major job requirement was the ability to learn quickly. I landed in Cache valley after stops in Illinois and Kentucky , and have been here 15 years. I am currently employed as a 'processor'- finishing surgical tools and implants at Medicine Lodge, Inc. I am "starting over" financially and otherwise, and am finding the information presented through FPW to be a valuable gift. My family is composed of two daughters, one guinea pig and a parakeet.

            Višnja Taylor (pronounced: v i sh ? a)

I was born in Croatia .  To date I have lived about equally in Croatia (childhood), England (studies, work and early years of my marriage) and now 15 years in Logan. I am married to Mike and we have an 11 year old son Alex.  I am a stay at home mum and do our family finances and taxes.  I have a degree in Maths and I love to program and play with computers.  In winter I love to ski and in summer I like going back to my roots and enjoy the sea.

Read Money (including back issues) online at: http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/

Read The Wall Street Journal Sunday in the Sunday Salt Lake Tribune Business Section or read it online: http://online.wsj.com/public/page/sundayjournal.html

Websites of the month:

Managing Medical Bills: Strategies for Navigating the Health Care System (3 booklets) http://www.healthinsuranceinfo.net/nefe/

Book One, Understanding Private Health Insurance. Topics include:
    * What is Good Health Insurance? What to Look for and What to Avoid
    * Special Worksheet to Help You Evaluate Your Health Insurance Choices
    * Insurance Transitions — What They Are and How to Navigate Them

Book Two, Medicare and Medicaid: A Health Care Safety Net for People with Serious Disabilities and Chronic Conditions. Topics include:
    * When, Where and How to Apply for Social Security Disability Determination
    * An Overview of Medicare Parts A, B, C and D
    * Other Places for People with Disabilities and Their Families to Seek Medical Coverage
    * Directory of Medicaid Offices for Every State and Territory

Book Three, Options for Avoiding and Managing Medical Debt. Topics include:
    * Places to Go for Free Health Care
    * You Can Negotiate with Your Doctor for a Discount on Medical Care
    * Answering Questions about Bankruptcy
    * What You Need to Know about Credit Reports and Credit Scores

Long term disability income insurance: Financial protection for you and your family.
http://www.consumerfed.org/pdfs/ltdbrochure.pdf
Teaching your children to save and spend. http://www.consumerfed.org/pdfs/teachchild.pdf

Bookmark this web site.
NEFE Financial Literacy Resource CenterSM
http://www.smartaboutmoney.org/nefe/pages/content.asp?page=1700                            

Local Events and Seminars                

SINGLE MOTHERS' SEMINAR--Exploring Financial, Educational, and Resource Opportunities
Tuesday, November 14, 2006  -- 7 pm to 9 pm
Place:  Bridgerland Applied Technology College, 1301 North 600 West, Logan, UT   Room 171E
Sponsored by The Logan LDS Employment Resource Center (ERC), Bridgerland Applied
Technology College (BATC), and Workforce Services (DWS).

Representatives from the ERC, BATC, and DWS will present educational workshops and will highlight programs and opportunities for scholarship and financial aid options.

Presentations by ERC, BATC, and DWS
2 Workshops -- Dressing for Success and Presenting Yourself with Power
Over 20 area resource agencies represented
Door prizes (you must be present to win): BATC Tuition Waiver Scholarship, JC Penney Gift Cards, Kutting Edge Certificate

Housing and Financial Counseling (USU Family Life Center) workshops:
November 11 (Saturday): Homeownership workshop 8:30-4:30 (registration required)
Call 797-7430 to register.

What to help your children learn to manage their money responsibly?
Start Smart: Money Management for Teens
How to save, spend and protect your cash
http://www.fdic.gov/consumers/consumer/news/cnsum06/
Smart Money education series for teenagers 14-18 years: Basic Money Management
USU Charter Credit Union, 198 N. Main, downstairs conference room (enter at rear of building). Workshops are free. To register: 753-4080, ext 3400 or moneyteacher@usuccu.org

The Good Life Workshop
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Setting Financial Goals
Speaker: Alena Johnson, USU Instructor
For info: Adrie J. Roberts, Utah State University Extension (435) 752-6263

Financial Planning for Women (FPW) is a monthly educational seminar that meets the second Wednesday of each month at two times: 12:30-1:30 p.m. in Family Life room 318 on the USU campus. Bring your lunch. The same program is repeated in the evening: 7-8:30 p.m. at the Family Life Center, 493 North 700 East, Logan (at bottom of Old Main Hill). The longer evening time slot allows for more discussion. Programs are free and registration is not required. Bring a friend! For further information: (435) 797-1569 ; lown@cc.usu.edu

The USU Family Life Center, 797-7224, 493 N 700 East (bottom of Old Main Hill), provides financial counseling. This is the best source for basic money management and getting out of debt. They offer the PowerPay computer debt analysis. Counseling sessions cost $5 for first session with sliding scale charges based on family income and family size for subsequent counseling sessions.

Thanks to the Certified Financial Planner Board Grant for financial  support of FPW.