If you’re a credit card user, it’s more important than ever to pay close attention to credit card statements. Beginning today, new credit card rules go into effect. Users shouldn’t expect things to stay the same, but the changes could be good news for many consumers.

Read the rest of this entry »

NEWS STORIES:
1. Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks/ war on terror
The moment that changed the world. And every American. A quick attack to Afghanistan and, two years later, an invasion of Iraq that divided a nation united after 9/11.

2. Hurricane Katrina
A devastation matched only by the devastating images of the dead and homes lost — and the devastating government response.

3. Global recession
Greed and bailouts became the buzzwords of the decade. Apparently, we hadn’t quite had enough nostalgia for the 1980s.

Read the rest of this entry »

The 2000s were a lot of things. Why not make up your own decade-lib journey? Have fun! Contest instructions at the bottom

So, the (your own nickname for the decade) are coming to an end. Wow, what a (adjective)decade it was!

Total ups and downs like crazy!! After the Sept. 11 attacks, I helped heal the pain by producing some of my awesome DIY-(common product). I needed the extra money, because of gas prices and the global recession.

Thankfully, I hear that next decade (a small country), will bail out the United States big time.

Read the rest of this entry »

Hello all. I’ve been away for a while but I make my return just in time for “Follow Friday.”

For the unfamiliar, “Follow Friday” is when I tell you about a blogger or Twitter user you should follow. This week, it’s Natalie McNeal who is both a blogger and on Twitter. Her site, “The Frugalista Files,” offers important information about getting the most bang for your buck. Natalie often shows that stretching dollars isn’t about being cheap,but rather about being responsible and fiscally frugal. Also be sure to take advantage of her money mind by following her on Twitter (@frugalista).

Natalie’s most recent post centers on how to make a year-end review of your finances. So head on over to “The Frugalista Files” and make sure your financial house is in order.

Happy Friday, and happy Internet searching.

If you had asked him two weeks ago, Zach Brown would have said he didn’t think marijuana legalization would happen in his lifetime.

Things have quickly changed. Brown, the president of the University of Maryland, College Park chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, now is optimistic the country will see significant change in perhaps two decades.

“It seems up until this point, we’ve been working against the wind in a way, pushing our goals to hard opposition,” Brown said. “But there’s now a rapid growth of support. The winds have changed, and we’re riding with them now.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Walking to work today, a sign caught my eye.

“Reflecting the current economy, we are accepting Euros.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Hip-hop producer/artist/mogul/etc. Pharrell Williams probably hasn’t been penny pinching lately. A known fan of haute couture, Pharrell’s collaborated with Hermés in the past (his purple tote, made exclusively for him, costs as much as a high-end Mercedes Benz). Skateboard P skipped another travel bag and went with a hooded sweatshirt this time around. It’s one of one, and made of crocodile skin. Oh yeah, its cost has been pegged between $18,000-$75,000, according to streetlevel.com.

Dude, that’s kind of expensive. Nice looking, though!

For most of my life, I’ve been taught the importance of giving back. I went to a Baltimore Jesuit middle school where our teachers hoped to make us “men for others,” attended a private school in Owings Mills (where community service was valued) and graduated from a Catholic college that ingrained service in its students, to the point it became as much a social experience as anything else.

I also spent three years on the board of Youth as Resources, a youth-led grantmaking organization made up of young people fiscally rewarding peers who’ve created solutions to community-based problems.

It’s been four years since I sat in the YAR board room, but even despite the economy, the organization is still going strong. I’ll never forget feeling empowered as a teenager to take leadership, find ways to help my communities and knowing that I was truly giving back.

The Baltimore Sun took a closer look at the organization which is still going strong after 15 years of teaching youth the importance of philanthropy and giving back.

A week and a half ago, while at a journalism convention in Tampa, Fla., I had the opportunity to sit in on a finance workshop sponsored by MetLife.

For me, it was an opportunity to sit down take notes, and take stock of the importance of financial literacy.

Learning how to better manage my money is something I’ve really wanted to do since graduating from college a year ago, but I must admit it’s not something I’ve actually put a whole lot of effort into these last 15 or so months.

Read the rest of this entry »

Maryland’s senior United States Senator Barbara Mikulski is staying on top of the BRAC funding plans, the Base Realignment and Closure program is expected to bring thousands of jobs to Maryland.

Read the rest of this entry »