• savingsbonds.gov - info on EE and I bonds
• quicken.com - budget tools
• bankrate.com - free budget spreadsheets

how would you like to be a researcher who spends decades on a study of human beings and their behavior. One researcher in New Zealand monitored 1,000 children born in 1972 and 1973. He tracked them into adulthood, visiting them every 24 months in their homes. The subjects didn’t know why they were being studied, but the results are amazing. By age 26, about half of them were significantly overweight or obese. The key contributing factor was how much television the children watched. If they watched a lot of TV, they were almost certain to be obese. Diet and physical activity did not correlate at all. According to the International Journal of Obesity, children who watch a lot of TV tend to snack a lot and don’t get outside as much. So, by all means, don’t put TVs in your kids’ bedrooms. They’ll be more healthy because of it.

Clark has been using Internet telephone service for 3.5 years, and he’s been thrilled with it. That’s why he was stunned to read that very few people are using it. Only 10 percent of the American people have even heard of “Internet telephones,” according to the Kansas City Star. Maybe when people hear the term Voice Over Internet Protocol, their eyes glaze over. But VOIP costs a fraction of what traditional monopoly phone services charge. It’s not perfect. Christa, Clark’s executive producer, has had problems with her service, which is different from Clark’s provider. So, be ready for some trials and tribulations. It’s up to you to decide if it’s worth it.

The American Red Cross has received millions of dollars in donations since Hurricane Katrina hit, and that money is still being used for immediate, emergency relief needs. Several other organizations are also assisting with the relief effort and they need your help too. The Salvation Army and Habitat for Humanity, for example, are helping restore and rebuild the city of New Orleans. Clark is afraid people will get donor fatigue and forget about the long-term needs of these hurricane victims once they’ve found shelter and have clothes on their backs. Giving your effort and time are still very important and very much appreciated.

The Federal Reserve continues to increase rates every so often. Basically, they decide what will happen with variable interest rates, which could include your mortgage, car loan or credit card. So, if you have good credit and have a home equity line of credit, you were paying 4 percent last year and will probably pay 6.75 percent this year. It’s even more severe if you have poor credit, about three points higher. And they’re going to get higher. If you’re in any kind of floating mortgage, you could see tremendous “adjustments.” The same is true with credit cards. So, if you can, get into fixed rate loans as soon as you can.

There are a ton of “young” used cars sitting on dealer lots right now. The marketplace is overrun, in fact, and prices have dropped significantly. So, if you like a car that is a couple years old, you have found the sweet spot in the market. Even more fantastic are the deals on used SUVs. Of course, you’ll be paying a lot more for gas. But the SUV market is overrun with vehicles. The average price on a three-year old SUV is about $13,000! If you do buy one of these used vehicles, just remember to have it checked out by an independent mechanic. What about buying new cars? Well, GM has come up with a program to get more women in the door. Women hate the car buying process because of the way they’re treated and they talk about it openly. At the same time, women influence 85 percent of all car purchases, whether they are the ones buying or are the partner of someone who is. So, GM has started “Girls Day Out.” When women arrive there are massages, makeovers and cooking classes, along with cars that women can test if they want to. Clark thinks it’s crazy. What needs to change is how dealers do business, not adding fluff around it. Carmax has the business model other dealerships should emulate.

Did you know that it’s dangerous to carry your social security number on your person? Many states used to publish a SS# as a driver’s license number, which was quite dangerous. You should change your license if that’s the case. Private health insurance companies also used to list the number on your insurance card. Thankfully, that doesn’t happen anymore since California got a law passed preventing that. But one organization – Medicare – refuses to take social security numbers off people’s Medicare cards. No, it won’t be easy or cheap to do. But other organizations have managed to get it done. Identity thieves could have a field day with this, yet Medicare is too arrogant to do anything about it. One Congressman has proposed a bill that would prevent the number from appearing on cards in the future. It’s in the House right now, and we’ll let you know what happens. In the meantime, protect yourself and NEVER fill out the line asking for your SS# when you visit the doctor. Congress needs to step in and remove SS#’s as a tracking feature. It would prevent so much ID theft.