Dimples' Divine Domain
My journey to financial empowerment.

I woke up the following headlines this morning: * DHL to cut 9500 jobs and close US service centers * Government provides record aid package to AIG ($150 billion to date and aren't these the same folks who spent $23K of that money at a spa???) * Circuit City files bankruptcy * Fannie Mae posts $29 billion loss in 3rd quarter * Wall Street falls, unable to shake economic woes Let’s keep it real. Things aren't looking too kosher in regards to the state of our economy at the moment. More and more of our tax dollars are being shelled into companies. Companies who seem unable to get their shit together long enough to get themselves out of the hole they dug themselves into. Well, I'm tired of worrying. I haven't really felt the sting from this economic crisis. Yet anyways. I have lost a few thousand dollars in my 401K account and I have had a couple of credit card companies try my patience by skyrocketing my AP...

My Credit Card Zero Debt goal for 2008 is well in progress, but I’m sure I’m not the only one that can use all the help I can get at the moment. Although there are plenty of resources out there for us to look at, I’ve found that buyers’ guides seem to offer the most useful information and one of the best I’ve found is the credit card one at About Your Money. There are too many things in life that stress us out but this guide offers tips on how you can choose the right credit card AND use it to get out of debt! The interest free credit cards seem to be particularly useful for balance transfers but that doesn’t stop companies laying credit card traps for us. This guide tells you everything you need to know, from the interest rates to the pros and cons of all credit cards and not just the interest free credit cards available, so you can avoid the traps and reduce your debt. There’s also a comparison table thrown in for good measure to help you choose one that can help you! About Your Mo...

I have enlisted in the challenge and I hope you do to. DonorsChoose is a non-profit organization that supports the needs of teachers and students. Basically, teachers submit project proposals for materials or experiences their students need to learn on the website and people choose a project to fund. The organization is currently running a Blogger Challenge during the month of October. The purpose is to encourage bloggers to reach out to their readers to help support classroom projects in public schools. HC, at One Big Mortarboard has partnered with pfblogs.org to establish the Personal Finance Blogger Financial Literacy Challenge ! They have chosen a number of projects that relate directly to personal finance. You can help by donating and/or promoting this challenge. Make a difference yall! Check out Single Ma's post for more detailed info.

A good friend sent me this article about how wealth measures up for folks in their 20s. Check out the following chart: How you measure up What you have Age 20-29 Read more Median net worth $7,901 Your free financial report card Median net worth of top 25% $36,000 5 lessons the rich can teach you Median net worth of top 10% $119,300 So you want to be a millionaire Median income $27,726 Live well without busting your budget Life expectancy* 58.2 years Insure Your Life Decision Center Children in household 40.20% Raise Kids Decision Center Homeownership 30.50% Home Buying Guide Median value of home $124,000 Home equity calculator Own a car or cars 81.40% Buy a Car Decision Center Median value of vehicle(s) $11,000 Insure Your Car Decision Center What you owe Households with debt 76.00% Debt Evaluator Median total debt $20,800 Your Credit Rating Decision Center % carrying credit card debt 46.60% Credit Card Smarts Decision Center Median balance $1,400 Debt Consolidation Calculator % ca...

I found these on a forum on Credit Boards and I thought I would share them with you all. I bolded my favs. BUDGET Printable Personal Budget Worksheet Printable Weekly Expense Worksheet Providian Budget Calculator DEBT Credit Card Balance Transfer Savings Calculator How Long Will it Take to Pay off My Credit Card? (CardWeb) What Will It Take to Pay Off My Credit Card (Bankrate) The True Cost of Paying The Minimum When Will You Be Debt Free? Quicken Debt Payoff Planner Debt Tracker Spreadsheet Debt Snowball Payoff Spreadsheet INVESTMENTS/SAVINGS Savings Calculator Asset Allocator Millionaire Calculator IRA Certificate Calculator Money Market Calculator Balance Sheet/Statement of Net Worth LOANS The True Cost of a Loan Loan Calculator and Amortization Auto Loan Calculators MORTGAGES/HOME EQUITY Debt-to-Income Ratio Monthy Mortgage Payment Mortgage Amortization Schedule Home Equity Loan Home Equity Loan Amortization Schedule Home Equity Loan Comparison Home Equity Calculators (Bank One/C...

I just read Saving Diva's post about her pudding score so of course I was instantly interested in what my pudding score was. For those that don't know what a pudding score is, here is the definition from the site: What does my Pudding Score™ mean? Your Pudding Score™ is a measure of how your current retirement fund assets compare to the amount the Benchmark Account says someone your age and pay should have accumulated by now. A score above 100 says you are ahead of the index at this point in time and a score below 100 says you lag behind the index’s pace. My pudding score is a divine 126 !! Finally, I am getting something right.

I am happy to say I am quite blessed in the area of health care. My employer pays 100% of the cost of my health care plan with Aetna with no direct costs to me. All I have to do is pay the co-pay at each doctor visit. My plan covers everything except dental, which is common. Unfortunately there are millions of Americans who do not have health care. I found a very good article written by Liz Pulliam Weston on MSN Money. The article list various resources and programs that can help someone who does not currently have health insurance. A survival guide for the uninsured The more than 45 million Americans without coverage will get sick more, earn less and die earlier than those with insurance. Here's where to find help if you're caught without it. By Liz Pulliam Weston If you recently lost your health insurance, or if you've never had coverage, then you're part of an unfortunate but growing national trend. The ranks of the uninsured have grown by 11.2% just si...