Search Results for: blog understanding interest rates

Understanding Profit Centers and Cost Centers

Periodically, I try to share some business education information that might help in operating and growing your home business. Many of us come to our own home businesses without much of an understanding of business basics at all—just a lot of drive, determination and passion. Not to mention a genuine interest in having our own small business. One thing that may be helpful to understand is the difference between a “profit center” and a “cost center” as it relates to a small business. In simplistic terms, a “profit center” is an element of your business that generates revenue and profit. … Continue reading →

Understanding Interest Rates

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After many conversations with friends and family, I realized that a basic understanding of how interest rates work for borrowing and investing was missing from the general population. Many families are faced with the decision as to where to put their money, after they have paid all their basic expenses. Should they place it in a savings account or pay off their credit cards? This consistent discussion actually led me to write an article on this same subject for the Dollar Stretcher. The main struggle appears to come from understanding the overall affect of the interest rate. The Prime Rate … Continue reading →

Legal Woes for Maryland Pit Bull Owners

A big headline here in Maryland lately has been an anti-pit-bull decision made by the state’s court of appeals. The case classified pit bulls and other “bully” dogs (meaning any dog with bull lineage) as “dangerous dogs.” This means that they are not included in the “one bite” exemption owners get before they are held liable for their dog’s action. That liability can also extend to anyone with control on the premises, including landlords, veterinarians, kennels/daycares, groomers, etc. The decision prompted widespread protest. Pit owners are worried that they’ll either be evicted, lose their homeowner’s insurance, or be forced to … Continue reading →

Toddlers and Holidays

Sometimes, it is interesting to think about how and when children come to understand the meanings of the various holidays that their families celebrate. Of course, much of the understanding (or lack thereof) comes from how “into” each particular holiday a child’s parents are. For example, I am not sure whether Dylan understands a whole lot about Christmas because my husband and I have not been overly focused on teaching him about it. He understands Thanksgiving more, because that is our favorite holiday. St. Patrick’s Day is this weekend, and at not quite two and a half years old, Dylan … Continue reading →

New CDC Stats on Mental Illness

A summary report discussing how the CDC measures mental illness and the statistics that go with it was released on 9/02/11. This report focused on adults in the US, and the primary diagnosis it looks at is Depression, leaving Anxiety (which may have a higher rate of diagnosis) out of the equation. The actual CDC report can be cumbersome to get through, but they have some interesting data tables including state-by-state data that was eye-opening. A better look at this report was summarized by Dr. John Grohol from PsychCentral. He pointed out the significance in missing anxiety as a primary … Continue reading →

Money Lessons For Older Kids

A few days ago I wrote about starting to teach children about money when they’re very small. The important lesson is to delay satisfaction. By not getting everything the child wants when the child wants it, the child learns the value of savings and eventually earning combined with saving. The lesson should carry over later in life and increase the child’s financial good health. Elmo helps to give the lesson a visual so children will better understand. Elmo may be able to help toddlers and preschoolers understand how to save a dollar for something special instead of spending it on … Continue reading →

Another Judge Rules Mandatory Health Insurance Unconstitutional

Today, a federal judge in Florida has ruled that the mandatory requirement that all Americans must purchase health insurance is unconstitutional. It is expected that the federal government will file for a stay, and that these kinds of court cases will eventually be heard by the Supreme Court. The ruling by Judge Roger Vinson, in Pensacola, Florida, today matches the ruling by Judge Henry E. Hudson in a similar court case. Both of those rulings are the opposite of how Judge George Steeh ruled, on yet another case, in Michigan, when he decided that the law that would require all … Continue reading →

7 Marks of the Mature Christian – Part 2

My last blog gave 2 marks of the mature Christian. Here are the remaining 5 Marks of a mature Christian. 3. Prayer for others – This is what Paul did. He prayed for others, and what we need to do too. If you don’t have a prayer partner or are not part of a prayer covenant, can I suggest you do something about that? It’s a great help to your Christian life. It is interesting that Paul didn’t pray for them to be happy or to be healed from disease. He prayed for them to grow in their faith and … Continue reading →

Adjusting to Life with Murphy the Cone Head

Life without Murphy was miserable, but life with Murphy the cone head has been interesting. Wayne and I have had to make some adjustments to our lifestyle to accommodate Murph’s new one. Confining Murphy the Cone Head Because Murph is on super limited activity restrictions, the vet suggested we keep him confined in a bathroom or crate. The times I’ve had to lock him behind the laundry room door (like when we had tornado threats earlier this year), he’s gone bonkers jumping and scratching to be let out. That wasn’t going to work. And he’s not too fond of crates. … Continue reading →

Check that Bill

Are you checking that bill and checking it twice? Whether it is your phone bill or credit card statement, it is critical you spend a little time verifying each debit and credit. Understanding how you are billed and what exactly is on your statements cannot only help you find errors; it can help you prevent scams and identity theft as well. It surprises some to think that scams can even occur on everyday expenses such as your home phone bill. Unfortunately they do happen and many consumers pay these expenses completely unknowingly. Really, before you ever pay any bill or … Continue reading →