Congratulations on your teenager landing a job this summer! Now that summer is almost over, this may be the perfect opportunity to teach them the benefits of saving, that is, if there’s any money left from their earnings.

Your teen may not be inspired to save, as the money is probably burning a hole in their wallet as I type. However, if there is something special they want to purchase (like an iPod or a Nintendo Wii), help them do the math so they can attain the goal of purchasing that big-ticket item and saving at the same time. If you can afford it, perhaps you can match their savings for additional compound growth.

The sooner we can teach our children the value of money, the better their financial future will be. Why not start with your teen?

From getting a mortgage to your credit score, to credit and debit cards, loans, and more; you owe it to yourself to find out how this news will impact your financial future. With tighter regulations coming, now is the time to be aware and to improve your financial situation. Don’t wait. Get online to find out how the different financial areas of your life could be affected.

It’s easy to sign for a loan when we want something. With today’s rise in foreclosures, we need to be prudent. Think through what you can really afford to pay for a mortgage before you sign. Here are some tips to consider:

1. Add up all the costs. The total amount of all of your debt payments including the mortgage, other loans, credits etc., should not exceed more then 36% of your income. Some lenders will go up to 40%. I prefer the more conservative number.

2. Understand what it is you’re signing. Is this a fixed rate loan or adjustable? What are the terms? If it is an adjustable rate loan, what is the cap (sealing) on the loan? In other words, how much could your monthly payments rise over time?

3. Always have a reserve. Create a financial cushion to protect yourself on a rainy day. Have at least six months of living expenses in a money market or savings account. You just never know…

Recently, my daughter and her family moved from New Jersey to South Carolina, due to job relocation. These tools helped her and her husband assess the area before they got settled:

www.cnnmoney.com/tools/costofliving – Cost of living in their new city
www.homefair.com — Neighborhoods for them to investigate
www.schooldatadirect.org — Picking the right school district
www.zillow.com — Home prices

If you are in the same boat, these sites may be valuable resources, as they proved to be for my daughter and her family. I hope they will be helpful to you too. Happy Hunting!

1. Turn the lights off if you are leaving a room for more than 10 minutes.
2. Turn off your computer and monitor when leaving for the day.
3. Use recycled paper.
4. If possible, car-pool or take public transportation to and from work.
5. Stay away from plastic. Use reusable cups instead of buying bottled water.

Have you ever asked yourself, how much is enough?

This usually happens when one goes unemployed, or has a major life change such as illness, death of a loved one, etc. But more and more, I am finding people in their middle age asking themselves, just like the song: “Is that all there is?”

Good question. Is there a connection between wealth and happiness? I believe we need balance. Our value systems are as individual as we are. I have spent the last several years working harder than I have ever worked in my life. I have worked so hard it has affected my health at times, and I have been told to slow down. I did not listen.

It took a major life event for me to finally recognize what I missed: Myself. This was not an easy or happy realization, when I finally discovered that life is more than working. Many of us view our work as our identity. The purpose of today’s blog is to help you take a step back and ask yourself what’s important.

Are you in the rat race? Buying a new toy will bring you immediate fulfillment, but in the long run was it worth it? As for me, I’m taking Pilates, which has helped a lot! I am back on the right track, and I hope you can get there too.

HAPPY 4th Of July from all of us at Wise Women Investor! Enjoy the weekend!

Banks are not showing the love these days. Homeowners trying to secure loans, even with high credit scores, are failing to do so. Businesses who depend on bank credit lines are getting the off switch. As a result, person-to-person lending clubs are showing up on the Internet.

The top three of these are:

1. Prosper.com

2. LendingClub.com

3. Peer-Lend.com

All of these web sites post lending guidelines, limits, and other information like minimum credit score needed in order to qualify for a loan through them. Make sure, like anything else, that you investigate these sites and do the diligence necessary. You should know what you are doing before you apply, so you can get the best deal possible.

The latest scam (as if we have nothing else to worry about), recently written up in AARP magazine, is one I would have never thought of: Stealing medical records. Yes, medical records.

Medical record theft is on the rise. Why? Medical records contain everything that is needed to establish someone else’s identity. They include social security numbers, addresses, credit card information, and sometimes even payroll records. According to a recent 2010 Identity Fraud Survey, medical identity theft has more than doubled since 2008.

How do you protect yourself?

1. Ask your healthcare provider if they ask to see a photo ID for patients with an insurance card.

2. Get a copy of everything in your medical file (there will be a cost for this).

3. Read all correspondence you receive from your insurance company, and review all billing.

4. Pull your credit report annually (you can use a site like www.annualcreditreport.com) to make sure the reporting is accurate.

5. If you lose your insurance card, report it immediately to the insurance company.

I am starting to think that nothing is sacred anymore. Your identity is you, do everything you can to protect it!

Article courtesy of Charlie Brown and Forbes.com:

Historically, governments, philanthropists and corporations–mainly led by men–have attempted to solve the world’s problems by imposing solutions upon the masses. This persistent top-down approach often fails to engage with citizens, and is particularly ineffective when confronting the most challenging tasks. It also ignores the critical foundation for stable markets and governments–women–who have become increasingly isolated and vulnerable.

Recent studies by the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) and the World Bank show us that women are the key stakeholders for establishing strong, stable communities. As such, their companies and countries in turn make important global partners in creating efficient and functioning economies. Unfortunately, when it comes to developing these emerging markets, women are often ignored or treated as aid recipients, excluded from the actual process of product and service development. It is rare that we stop to ask those in need how they would solve their problems.

Luckily, the winds are beginning to shift. Over the last decade the initiative and inventiveness of millions of women has been unleashed through a focus on finding solutions to the world’s problems by working with those who are directly affected.

Recent efforts like the Girl Effect, a global campaign to build momentum around adolescent girls as change agents, and research by ICRW, which highlights how technology can economically advance women around the globe, are at the forefront of the push to address the needs of women. Likewise, the Clinton Global Initiative is encouraging its members to see empowering women and girls as a key element in their development toolbox. And global innovations such as micro-finance are broadening entrepreneurial opportunities–though there’s still a long way to go.

One example of where the role of women has been prioritized is in the rebuilding of Rwanda. President Kagame has mandated that 30% of parliament be women (women represented over 50% after the 2008 elections) and promoted efforts to increase the number of women entrepreneurs. This strategy, which recently won Kagame the African Gender Award issued by the Geneva-based African NGO Femmes Africa Solidarite (FAS), is setting the foundation for Rwanda’s peaceful recovery, and infusing the process with decision-makers who place the highest value on children, nutrition and education.

While Rwanda is a far from perfect place, it serves as an interesting case study. Along with prioritizing women, the country is being highly selective about accepting international aid, taking only that which is absolutely necessary. The country is demonstrating a fundamental shift in the aid mentality, and a new approach to nation building–one that focuses on building local competencies, entrepreneurs and markets.

This is a reminder that the greatest societies were founded not by handouts, but by communities solving their own problems. These societies are not built by faraway entities, but from the bottom up, by citizens who are incentivized to develop the best solutions, and provided the means to bring them to reality. If business is expected to blossom in emerging markets around the world, ensuring the entrepreneurial empowerment of women must be one of our highest priorities. The most successful markets are hotbeds of engaged citizens that have the drive and enabling environment to innovate the future of their countries. People need to have a voice at every stage and on every stage where problems are identified and solved.

My organization, Changemakers.com, helps organizations explore ways to create social innovations, and we’re seeing some interesting new efforts to engage women and support their entrepreneurial vocations. ExxonMobil’s “Women | Tools | Technology Challenge” asks innovators and experts from the around the world to submit transformative solutions for promoting women’s economic advancement. Entries range from new distribution models for solar technology to agriculture training and technologies for rural farmers, and will be evaluated on their potential for impact and sustainability.

ExxonMobil and Ashoka committed to launch the Changemakers challenge at the Clinton Global Initiative’s Annual Meeting last year, because CGI recognized that empowering girls and women is crucial to development efforts. They know that organizations cannot create a healthier environment, expand access to health services, improve education, or alleviate poverty without engaging women and girls.