By Juleyka Lantigua

Despite all the depressing news about the evaporating worth of money, the imploding world economy and the impending doom about to befall us, right now is exactly the time to make one important financial investment: improving your personal finance knowhow.

My recommendation is a $16 investment in Get a Financial Life: Personal Finance in Your Twenties and Thirties, a book that changed my life when someone recommended it to me a decade ago. Like many of you out there, I grew up in a working class household (in the South Bronx) where we got by paycheck to paycheck. Those circumstances made for very pragmatic money managing principles: if you don’t have cash in hand, you can’t afford it. If you want something extra nice, start saving today. Those solid principles form a sturdy foundation for building financial stability and wealth, but without the right tools and knowledge, you won’t reap the benefits of living in the most advanced capitalistic system in history.

Stocks, bonds, insurance, compound interest and all such financial terms, did not enter my vocabulary until I was considerably in debt and headed straight for a financial abyss. In a moronic and robotic way, I was just making monthly payments and trying to avoid the dreaded collections calls, while making decent salaries and living well beyond my means.

Then I read this exceptional primer and began a serious overhaul of my financial life. Today, I’m no millionaire, but I am leaps and bounds ahead of where I would be—in terms of managing my debt, saving for retirement, and making smarter money decisions—than I would have ever been without this guide.The author, Beth Kobliner, is a contributor to the New York Times, and a former staff writer for Money magazine and financial columnist for Glamour. Her no-nonsense, jargon-free approach will decode the otherwise intimidating worlds of real estate, investment portfolios, savings plans and much more.Maybe you’re all set when it comes to managing your money. Congratulations. Now help out your sibling or friend who’s still struggling: buy them this book.

Get a Financial Life: Personal Finance in Your Twenties and Thirties by Beth Kobliner, 2009 edition, paperback, $16 

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Juleyka Lantigua is a writer whose work has appeared in books, magazines and newspapers around the world.

By Juleyka Lantigua

Every year, the third Saturday in April is officially “Husband Appreciation Day.” This year, it falls on the 18th.

Wives, you have a few days to plan something nice for your “adorado tormento” (beloved torment), as a veteran wife I know calls her one and only.

Husbands, here’s your chance to show off to you single friends. Below are a couple of lists that detail just how good being married is for you. Feel free to hit forward and add “Told you so!” to the message.

“The 7 Benefits of Marriage for Men”

1. Healthy children
2. Healthy marriages lead to strong relationships with children
3. Better family finances
4. Fuller, happier lives
5. A Long, healthy life
6. More, better, and safer sex
7. Increased faithfulness

From the National Fatherhood Initiative. For the full article, visit: www.centraltexasfatherhood.org

“The Benefits of Marriage for African American Men” by Claudia Sitgraves

Some excerpts:

“Married black men have higher incomes and are less likely to experience poverty. They enjoy better physical and mental health than their unmarried counterparts, and are less likely to engage in unhealthy or antisocial behavior. Moreover, the benefits of marriage are transmitted from married parents to their sons, and these boys do better in life from childhood into adulthood.”

“Evidence suggests that African American men benefit economically from marriage to a greater extent than other men, because married black women are more likely to be employed than other married women.”

“Married African American men are more likely to be employed than never-married or divorced men, and they work longer hours and earn higher wages than unmarried men with similar characteristics…Studies focusing on black men estimate that married men work two-and a-half weeks more each year on average and earn wages between 14 percent and 18 percent higher than never-married black men…”

“Married African American men have higher household incomes than never-married African American men, hold higher levels of assets, and are less likely to live in poverty. Households headed by a married black couple earned almost two-thirds more than the average black household, and black men are 30 percent less likely to live in poverty once they marry.”

“Evidence suggests that African American men benefit from resource sharing within marriage to a greater extent than other men…married black households earn 31 percent more than their never-married counterparts, while married white households earn only 23 percent more.”

“African American men also change their behavior after marriage in ways that are beneficial to their health. The social and emotional support that married black men receive from their wives is instrumental in encouraging healthy activities and protecting men’s emotional health.”

“Married African American men receive more support from their extended families and religious communities, and in return contribute to the social functioning of their neighborhoods and communities. In this way, married black men are more socially integrated into their communities than their unmarried peers.”

Check out the article at: www.center.americanvalues.org

“Benefits of a Healthy Marriage for Men”

1. Live longer
2. Physically healthier
3. Wealthier
4. Increase in the stability of employment
5. Higher wages
6. Emotionally healthier
7. Decrease risk of drug and alcohol abuse
8. Have better relationships with their children
8. More satisfying sexual relationship
10. Less likely to commit violent crimes
11. Less likely to contract STD's
12. Less likely to attempt or commit suicide

From the Family Dynamics Institute. Check out the complete list: www.familydynamics.net

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Juleyka Lantigua is a writer whose work has appeared in books, magazines and newspapers around the world.

Almost as interesting as Microsoft's recent accounting glitch, now comes word that American Express's latest offer involves sending select customers $300 pre-paid American Express cards if they pay their balance in full and close their accounts. The only issue we see is that if you owe $10K why would you try to pay that off in one shot for $300 bucks?

Company spokeswoman Molly Faust went on to say, "We sent the offer out to a select number of card members, we are looking at different ways that we can manage credit risk based on the costumers overall credit profile."

The company did not say how many card holders would receive the offer and did not disclose the total of their card balances.

Card holders have until the end of February to accept the offer and must close their accounts in March or April.

If anyone has the offer, we would love to see what it looks like.

[ Source: www.reuters.com ]

The other morning at 8:45AM, after my wife had left for work, as I was getting ready to leave, I get a text from her saying "oh, by the way, the car needs to be moved" today. I had a brief "arghhh" moment as I had to be in Soho by 10AM and finding parking in my neighborhood at 8:45AM is a one hour ordeal. I simply did not have the time to go find parking, then hop on the A train for 45 minutes and still make my 10AM in time.

So, I had no choice but to take the car with me. Fortunately, I wasn't in the mood to get taken advantage to the tune of the forty bucks it was going to cost, as I had to be down there from 10AM-7PM. So in the midst of that brief "arghhh" moment, I hopped on my computer and googled "nyc parking rates" and lo and behold, second from the top in my search was  nyc.bestparking.com where I found a $16.00 rate for all day parking in Soho, guranteed!

This site is a great resource for those of you that live in Boston, New York, DC and Philly!

Founded in March 2006, BestParking.com (formerly NYCGarages.com) is a free tool that enables drivers to find parking garages and lots, compare daily and monthly rates, and book "Reservations" and/or "Rate Guarantees" at participating facilities. By using the site, it is possible to quickly narrow a search to a particular New York City (Manhattan), Boston, Philadelphia, or Washington DC neighborhood or address and then view the best parking deals on both a map and sortable list.

For more info visit: www.nyc.bestparking.com

It is undeniable that consumerism is experiencing hard times as shoppers scale back on their purchases this year. Below are some retail sector companies that have either closed, are closing or are scaling back in '08 and '09.
If you have any gift cards, store money cards or credit slips from retailers that maybe shuttering all-together, it might be wise to you use them right away lest you lose them.

Here are some of the retailers along with links to the respective news source(s):

Circuit City; Ann Taylor; Lane Bryant, Fashion Bug; Cache; Eddie Bauer; Talbots; J.Jill; GAP; Footlocker; Bombay; Zales; Disney; Home Depot; Linens and Things ; Pacific Sunwear; Pep Boys; Sprint/Nextel; Ethan Allen; Wilson Leather; Sharper Image; KB Toys; and Dillard's.

[ Additional Sources: www.risnews.com ; www.associatedcontent.com ; www.ireport.com ]

By Juleyka Lantigua
Forget about your parents' dreams of you becoming a doctor or a lawyer. That's so last century. If you'd like to have a say in, and a nice chunk of the proceeds from, the U.S. economy post-bailout, you must become skilled at trading in the real currency of the coming decades: information.

Yes, folks, we are witnessing the demise of money (actual, physical and printed on paper) as the unit that determines the real-world value of goods and services. As the global economy resettles, the really valuable stuff will be information, loads and loads of it. With that in mind, I have compiled a list of 10 very hot careers that savvy folks will want to get into on the ground floor.

Forensic Accountant -- this is the guy who finds the money people and corporations try so cleverly to hide. Salary: $45,000 to $100,000

Economics Professor -- she's the one who gets the call from the Speaker of the House to make sense of a meltdown, on a global scale, of course. Salary: $54,000 to $89,000

Financial Newspaper/Magazine Editor -- he's the one who gives the rest of us a vocabulary and finance primer when stuff hits the fan. Salary: $45,000 to $75,000

Data Security Analyst -- he's the gatekeeper at the big financial houses, who keeps the hackers at bay. Salary: $67,000 to $84,000

Bank Auditor -- she's the watchdog stationed at major banks, but works for the Federal reserve. Salary: $45,000 to $55,000

Corporate Appraiser -- he's the guy who tells companies what they're worth, based on assets, liabilities, working capital and everything in between. Salary: $72,000 to $90,000

Internal Auditor (Corporate) –- she's the one who makes sure the company stays on this side of the law. Salary:  $77,500 to $101,500

Compliance Executive –- he's the one who reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission about how well the company is following corporate governance requirements. Salary: $132,500 to $181,250

Data Miner -- she's the one who uses software to dig through massive databases, crunching numbers and spotting trends used for market research, and even money-laundering rings. Salary: $60,000 to $120,000

Intellectual-Property Attorney -- he's the one who makes sure the people who manipulate the information get to own that information, and reap all the rewards. Salary: $60,000 to $86,000

"Juleyka Lantigua is a journalist and editor whose work appears in national newspapers and magazines. For more info visit: www.juleykalantigua.com."

By Juleyka Lantigua

Shame on some of the nation’s largest banks. They have stopped issuing student loans to community college students, a decision that will have dire effects on poor, minority and immigrant students. JPMorgan Chase, Citibank, SunTrust, HSBC and Citizens Bank all have indicated they are cutting the purse strings to community colleges. This is an injustice based on a stereotype—that students enrolled at two-year colleges are somehow below average, less worthy of financing, and riskier borrowers.

Those assumptions could not be further from the truth. I have had the privilege of working as an adjunct at one of the finest junior colleges in the City University of New York system—LaGuardia Community College in Queens. I have seen how exceptional these students can be. These are young men and women who work full time and carry a full academic load. Many are parents or spouses or the primary earner in an extended family. They are former professionals in their home countries ready to start over and follow the American system so they can continue to work as nurses, electricians, computer engineers, accountants and teachers. They make untold sacrifices just to walk into class every night or on weekends. These are not at-risk students, but students whose perseverance and discipline allow them to balance an array of responsibilities that would challenge the most accomplished Ivy Leaguer.

Colleges like LaGuardia are first chances for many minority and immigrant students—and second chances for some U.S.-born Americans who struggled in high school or earned a GED or took time off to raise children or care for ailing parents or came back as veterans after serving their country.

These colleges offer redemption, support and encouragement; here it does not matter what you did or did not do before, but what you intend to do next. Everyone has had to carve out space, time and money from their demanding lives to be here. They all want to be here and expect to work hard. And they excel, often surpassing established standards. LaGuardia's 2007 nursing graduates received a 97.47 percent pass rate on the national nursing exam, the first step in becoming a registered nurse. Compare that to New York State's average of 75.61 and you get a clear picture of the work these students put in.

Schools like LaGuardia are also quietly forging the truly multi-ethnic world we're all tiptoeing towards. Over 160 countries are represented in its student body. In my classroom I had students from Colombia, the South Bronx, Bangladesh, Korea, New Jersey, Dominican Republic, the Middle East, Africa and Ecuador. But these students do not fear each other. They have one unifying thing in common: They all clawed their way to school, fighting against unsympathetic bosses, grueling double shifts and dwindling funds. They know that in their backpacks and shoulder bags they carry the destiny of entire families and communities.

Banks should not be allowed to crush their dreams and stand in destiny’s way. Compared to the astronomical costs of traditional colleges –from $15,000 to $45,000 per year—the average community college loan of $3,200 seems miniscule. But for someone earning minimum wage or less, it's an insurmountable amount. It's the difference between staying at a dead-end job and becoming a full professional.

About 6.2 million students attend community colleges, adding up to 40 percent of all undergraduates, according to the College Board. As a nation, we cannot afford to undervalue their potential. If the banks won’t provide the loans, Congress must step up and make sure the government does so.

"Juleyka Lantigua is a journalist and editor whose work appears in national newspapers and magazines. For more info visit www.juleykalantigua.com ."

With gas at an all-time high, the housing market is in the crapper and airlines jerking customers left & right, Wired Magazine is doing the right thing by offering strapped consumers a quality informational product at a discount. Here's how it works: Hit this link: www.discountmags.com and upon checkout enter the code FD-WIRED. According to www.slickdeals.net, the coupons do stack and the offer is good for multiple years.

[Gizmodo via Discount Mags via Slickdeals and BBGadgets]

To celebrate 10 years of making deals, Priceline has unleashed an exclusive Sunshine Guarantee just in time for your summer vacation. For a limited time, when you book vacation packages to more than 100 destinations in the U.S., Canada, the Caribbean and Europe, if it rains a half an inch (0.50 inches) or more on at least half of your vacation days Priceline will pay for you vacation.

The Sunshine Guarantee is absolutely FREE to Priceline vacation customers and is not available on any other online travel site.

How Do I Get the Sunshine Guarantee?
Just book your summer vacation package to any one of our top 100+ vacation destinations before July 17th 2008. Make sure your vacation departure date is between 7/1/08 and 9/7/08 for the Sunshine Guarantee to apply. Your vacation can be anywhere from 3 days to 8 days in length. Advanced purchase requirements apply.

For more info on this offer visit: www.priceline.com

American Express's small business division OPEN has has partnered with non-profit organization Count Me In (which supports women’s economic independence) to start the “Make Mine a Million $ Business” program.  The “Make Mine a Million $ Business” is a nationwide program open to women that provides a combination of resources - money, mentoring, marketing/public relations and technology tools - to grow their businesses from micro to $millions.  (FYI - the women-owned business must have an annual revenue of at least $250K to qualify for this program.)

The best part of all of this is that the “Make Mine a Million $ Business” program wants to assist one million women entrepreneurs across the country to reach an annual revenue of $1 million dollars by the year 2010. Spread the word.

For more info visit:  www.makemineamillion.org