Kiva loan update #3

We'd like to give you a repayment update on the loans you've madethrough Kiva. A total of $2.77 has been newly repaid! Your funds are now available as Kiva Credit.

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Karla Vanessa Montiel Barahona in Nicaragua (Activity: Housing)
You Loaned:$25.00
Newly Repaid:$2.77
Total Repaid So Far:$5.55 (22.20% of your loan)
Best wishes,
Kiva Staff

woot woot

House downpayment fund cleared 6,000.00!

$6,002.96 (yeah for interest)

Updates on my Review

Magically, my performance review came on Monday... It wasn't as good as I was hoping... I've been really distracted at work lately with all the stuff that's been going on in my life... (and i can't blame them for my not so great performance review....)

I like to keep really busy when there is a lot of drama going on... and this past year has been really full of emotional drama... and work has been really slow... I have to admit, I've been "in my own little world too much."

I don't think my not stellar review will effect my pay raise though, so hopefully by the end of November i'll see it reflected in my paychecks.

But I'm going to be making a huge effort at work to turn my attitude around and be productive when were slow...
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In other news... and in the gearing up for frugal November...
I finally switched all my electronic divises on power surge strips. I"ve been meaning to do it for a long time... but i just haven't gotten around to it... and I finally did it. I've also been going through boxes of stuff in my apartment... (as well as things in my closet) that I really don't use, or need, or want anymore... and i'm making a box full of them because my church normally does a rummage sale in January. (if not, then I'll take the stuff to good will).

Someone asked me about florescent light bulbs... All the bulbs in my apartment have been changed to the fun eco friendly bulbs (if they make it for that type of lamp.) one of my lamps has to use regual bulbs for some reason.)

I may also not be participating in the Memory ALZ walk... The team one of my friends made is slowly falling apart and no one's really been able to do any fundraising (including the captin)... So I may just be passing on the team and spending the day with my handsome boyfriend instead.

As for my No more spending for the rest of this month... I've been pretty good. My roommate gave me her 10 bucks for the e-bill and i used that money to buy safety pins and some chips (i was going to a pot luck kinda dinner...) so it all worked out using that money.

Roth Woes...I wish I could buy now...

I'm kind of sad i'm not purchasing anymore money in my Roth for the year. Shares are worth 7.85 as of fridays closing and I purchased some of them for $12.00-$13.00 when I first opened the account. (almost half the price.)
Honestly, part of me still wants to contribute some more cash for 2008--- but i'm not sure how much it will cost me to "buy back" some of my old CAL time (and that's an investment I can't afford not to do now--- since it will cost me somewhere in the ball park of 900-1500 to buy a year... instead of 5,000 + to buy a new un worked year-- I can't pass that up.)
Either way, my entire portfolio (minus cal PERS) is down 20%. It's hitting around $7400.00 (Roth Ira Cd, Roth Ira mutual funds, and the money in my old work account.)
I won't be able to do anything now. Extra money is going toward the plane ticket and the ALZ walk (if it's still on... there was a rumor going around that the team I joined has dissolved basically.) after that, i'm stock piling cash for the buy back... Depending on how much that costs... I may through in some more money and possible max the thing out-- only $600.00 more to max it out since I took $1,000 and opened a seperate Roth IRA CD.
Who knows... I may be able to use the 1036.00 I have in my old account to fund my buy back... and that would be just swimmingly grand. I'm still waiting for my perspectives to come in the mail so I can make new choices with what to do with the money. Apparently it's just been sitting there earning 1%. (that's just sad... poor money... not really earning anything.)

interesting...

I called AAA and asked for a new quote (with the same coverage I have now)... Apparently its only $1,063 a year or 89 a month....

I forgot that i wasn't saving enough in the beggining of the year to cover my car insurance, so I had to bump it up to make the difference. So apparently, i'm a dummy and its $88.00 a month... not 96... I just have to pay 96 to catch up.

Farmers Insurance: $82

• My Farmers insurance quote is taking into consideration that I can take a driving safety class. (the on-line form asked if I would be willing to take a driver safety class and i clicked yes to see the rate difference. it went from $106 to $82)

AAA: $88

• I do nothing and just renew when it come in the mail.

I'll wait for the farmers insurance lady to call me back. if she can't make the $82.00 deal stick-- then i'm keeping AAA... if she can, i'll switch and save 72 a year.

On another note, gas was 3.19 a gallon at the regular mobile by my work... =) but no, i didn't fill up... i'm keeping my no spending montra till the end of Oct! Nov 1st i'll get gas.

Auto Insurance Hunt

Farmers Insurance: 82
All State 91
State farm 95
AAA 96 (old rate)
Mercury 96
21st century 104
Geico 108.70
progressive 116.65
Esurance 154


looks like i need to make a call to AAA and to Farmers...

lets see if the internet quote likes me

Being pro-active

I sent a non threatening e-mail to one of the ladies in the HR department about my annual review and e-mailed myself a copy of it. (I also have all the e-mails from my boss about the subject as well.)

She's out of the office until thursday so i'll have to wait for a response. If I don't recieve on by the first week of November-- I'll be contacting the director of the whole recreation department. (my bosses bosses boss)

I'll also be on my bestest behavior at work... keeping busy... and prepaired to take the flack from my boss for going over his head and letting others know how crappy he really is.

When ever I go over his head and refuse to accept his poor leadership--- i get stuck doing the weirdest things at work... Like scraping gum off the entrance way pavement with a screw driver... (i bet my boss has forgotten about that one-- I haven't and I continue to hold the same montra.... One of these days, i'll do his job better then he does.)

Taxen from MSN Market Dispatch...

Light, sweet crude was down $4.69 to $63.15 this morning, despite an announcement from OPEC that it will cut production by 1.5 million barrels a day to try to stem crude's recent slide. Three months ago, crude was selling at an all-time high of more than $147 a barrel.


Why??? I Like the way gas prices are going... cheaper... and I love how I still see people taking the bus. (it's always got a crowd at some places and a good 6 months ago all the places were empty.)

I'm doing my part to use less gas... I just hope the price doesn't skyrocket again.

Frugal November

I just cut out $90.00 from my monthly budget in an effort to get that darn plane ticket gone and done with....

I have 9.5 hours of overtime on my first november paycheck which I get on Nov 7th... (approx: 134.00 take home)

So, if I can stick with a really frugal holiday month, i'll be able to put back the money I borrowed for the plane ticket... and then re-borrow part of that money for the ALZ walk i'm doing. (Now I wouldn't be having this problem if my work actually processed paper work in a timely fashion. All I can say is retro active to May 20th.)

Here's what i'm going to try and live on for the next 37 days.

~*~*~*~*~ Paycheck 1~*~*~*~*~
Laundry $20.00
Food and Basics $100.00
Water $16.00
Gas $100.00
Car Insurance $96.00
Electric Bill $40.00
Cell phone $55.00
Fun Money $50.00
House Dp Fund $622.20
Plane Ticket $90.00
Overtime Plane ticket $134.00
~*~*~*~*~ Paycheck 2~*~*~*~*~
Rent $795.00
House Downpayment Fund 394.20

too much spending...

I went over budget this month. I forgot to write down a purchase I made and so i ended up spending too much.

Thankfully, there was some overtime to cover everything (yeah for pay day)-- but it looks like i'm the pantry and no spend girl for the next 7 days.

House DP Fund: $5,976.97 (i really hope with interest that this might squeak past the 6,000.00 mark...)

and my raise still was not on my paycheck... and I haven't even seen my copy of my review yet. Sad Sad...

Which means it won't make my first november pay check... which means i won't have the extra money to set aside for the ALZ walk i'm doing... So I have two options...

1. Not donate, but go walk...
2. or borrow the money from my emergency fund and put it back when the cash comes back in... (knowing full well that I still haven't put the money I took out for my plane ticket back yet... I only have $100.00 of it so far... )

and i doubt i'll be able to come up with 217.50 by Nov 8th... If I can... then i'll I can put all the plane ticket money back... and then borrow the $200.00 for donations... that's a plan I like... Now how to make it happen???? What about a really frugal November....

Kudo's to "Gonna Make IT"

I have to give huge Kudos to Gonna Make It right now. She posted an article link on one of my comment sections of my blog... It said the following:

SAN FRANCISCO -- The California Public Employees' Retirement System said Wednesday that employers may have to increase contributions to the pension fund because of a decline in asset value, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday on its Web site. The nation's largest public pension fund said asset values have declined by more than 20% since June 30, which may lead to increased employer contributions of 2% to 4% beginning in 2010, according to the Journal.

http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/markets/industries/finance/calpers-says-employer-contributions-rise-wsj/

What I meant when I said my retirement is secure.... Is that the amount I get at my retirement is guaranteed. They cannot change my formula... but what they can change is the amount of money I must pay each paycheck.

Currently, I pay 1 %.
My City Elects to pay the other 7%

The city used to cover the whole amount... and they just recently moved to have us pay 1%. If Calpers makes my employer pay more... I'm not sure if that will trickle down to my paycheck. But I'll be prepared if it does. If they do ask me to pay more then 1% towards it... it won't change the amount i'll recieve in retirement.... But I never was counting on the city footing the bill forever after that 1% change they made when I got hired.

I hope they won't... but it could happen and thanks for the heads up!

exhausted...

I've been attending a bunch of seminars for work... with the red cross. I've had two 11 and 12 hours days back to back.. the result?

1. November will have some nice overtime in it.
2. I'm CPR, & AED Certifed for the professional rescuer
3. I'm Lifeguard Certified and first aid certified...
4. blood borne pathogens...

and I can Teach others!!!! I got my instructor certs for:

• Blood borne pathogens
• Lifeguard and First Aid
• CPR/AED
• Title 22
• water safety courses

and a few others that I probably won't teach. To keep my certs active I just need to teach 1 LG course and one Title 22 class every 2 years. Bueno!

Kiva loans 1 & 2

We'd like to give you a repayment update on the loans you've made through Kiva.


Eal Nub in Cambodia (Activity: Fish Selling)
You Loaned:$25.00
Newly Repaid:$1.57
Total Repaid So Far:$4.69 (18.76% of your loan)

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Atim Irene's Group in Uganda (Activity: Medical Clinic)
You Loaned:$25.00
Newly Repaid:$4.17
Total Repaid So Far:$20.83 (83.32% of your loan)

CALLING ALL READERS.... NEED SOME FINANCAL ADVICE

Apparently I can pay for my retirement using pre tax dollars after all. (I verified with HR when I dropped off my forms to buy my old retirement years from back when I was 16.) So, It's actually in my best interest NOT to pay the lump sum and lock in the cheaper rate by purchasing as soon as i'm vested (next year June) and take the pretty tax break.

I went ahead and did A LOT of math, but i figured out the “final cost” for the retirement purchase. The "Final Cost" does not include discounts I’d receive on STATE taxes… and since I’m in California… I can get up to 6-8% depending on income...

My Calculations assume:
GROSS: $43,000; AGI: 34,050.00 (minus standard deduction and personal exemption)
I used the current tax rates for 2008. Running with these numbers, I’d owe the government: $4,856.25 a year in taxes if I didn't have the retirement deductions.

• 2 years: $517.42 a check for a total of $26,905.84
  Tax Write off: $13,452.92 a year
  Taxable income becomes: 20,597.08
  Taxes owed: 1885.81+ 802.50= $2,688.31
  Save: 2,167.93 x2 years = $4,335.87
  FINAL COST: 22,569.97
• 3 years: $357.65 a check for a total of $27,896.70
  Tax Write off: $9,298.90 a year
  Taxable Income becomes: 24,751.10
  Taxes owed 2,508.94+802.50= $3,311.41
  Save 1544.83 x3 years = $4,634.50
  FINAL COST: 23,262.20
• 4 years: $277.98 a check for a total of $28,909.92
  Tax Write off: $7,227.48 a year
  Taxable Income becomes: $26,822.52
  Taxes owed 2819.62+802.50= 3622.128
  Save 1234.12 x4 years =4,936.48
  FINAL COST: 23,973.44
• 5 years: $230.36 a check for a total of $29,946.80
  Tax Write off: $5,989.36 a year
  Taxable Income becomes: $28,060.64
  Taxes owed 3005.34+ 802.50= 3807.84
  Save: 1048.40 x5 years = 5,242.02
  FINAL COST: 24,704.78
• 6 years: $198.76 a check for a total of $31,023.72
  Tax write off: $5,167.76 a year
  Taxable income becomes: $28,882.24
  Taxes owed 3128.58+ 802.50= 3,931.08
  Save 925.16 x6 years= 5,550.98
  FINAL COST: $25,472.74
• 7 years: $176.32 a check for a total of $32,090.24
  Tax Write off: $4,584.32 a year
  Taxable Income becomes: 29,465.68
  Taxes owed 3216.10+ 802.50= 4018.60
  Save: 837.64 x7 years= 5,863.53
  FINAL COST: $26,226.704
• 8 years: $159.59 a check for a total of $33,194.72
  Tax Write off: $4,149.34 a year
  Taxable income becomes: 29900.66
  Taxes owed 3281.34 +802.50= 4083.84
  772.40 x8 years= 6,179.20
  FINAL COST: 27,015.51
• 9 years: $146.68 a check for a total of $34,323.12
  Tax Write off: $3,813.68 a year
  Taxable income becomes: 30,236.32
  Taxes owed 3331.70+ 802.50 = 4134.198
  Save: 722.05 x9 years = 6,498.45
  FINAL COST: 27,824.65
• 10 years: $136.43 a check for a total of $35,471.80
  Tax Write off: $3,547.18 a year
  Taxable Income becomes: 30502.82
  Taxes owed 3,371.67 +802.50= 4174.17
  Save 682.07 x10 years = 6,820.77
  FINAL COST: 28,651.03
• 11 years: $128.12 a check for a total of $36,642.32
  Tax Write off: $3,331.12 a year
  Taxable income becomes: 30,718.88
  Taxes owed 3404.08+ 802.50= 4206.58
  Save 649.66 x11 years = 7,146.34
  FINAL COST: 29,495.97
• 12 years: $121.27 a check for a total of $37,836.24
  Tax Write off: $3,153.02 a year
  Taxable income becomes: 30,896.98
  Taxes owed 3430.78 + 802.50 =4233.29
  Save 622.95 x 12 years= 7,475.43
  FINAL COST: 30,360.80
• 13 years: $115.54 a check for a total of $39,052.52
  Tax Write off: $3,004.04 a year
  Taxable income becomes: 31,045.96
  Taxes owed 3453.14 +802.50= 4255.64
  Save 600.60 x 13 years =7,807.87
  FINAL COST: 31,244.64
• 14 years: $110.68 a check for a total of $40,287.52
  Tax Write off: $2,877.68 a year
  Taxable income becomes: 31,172.32
  Taxes owed 3472.098 +802.50= 4274.59
  Save 581.65 x14 years =8,143.12
  FINAL COST: 32,144.39
• 15 years: $106.52 a check for a total of $41,542.80
  Tax Write Off: $2,769.52 a year
  Taxable income becomes: 31,280.48
  Taxes owed 3488.32 +802.50= 4290.82
  Save 565.42 x15 years= 8,481.42
  FINAL COST: 33,061.38

What I'm leaning towards right now is taking it over 14 years... that way only 225 a month goes to out of my paycheck a month (which will keep me outta the 25% tax bracket) but will leave plenty of money to be saved incase of an emergency, for the house downpayment... or incase my contributions to my retirement change. [Currently i pay 1% pre tax--- the city pays 7% pretax. If this is ever going to change... it will be sooner rather then later with all the budget craziness that's been going on. ]

What do you think?

I signed the Declaration... have you

ING has created a declaration for everyone called "We The Savers".

It is a 10-point plan to help us get out of this insane economic situation and ensure it never happens again.

http://www.wethesavers.com/

Check it out..

I can't wait for my free bumper sticker (I save... LOL)

396 and counting from 34 states!

retirement update:

My forms are filled out and it looks like i can purchase around a years worth of Cal PERS credit for 1300-1400.

This will make my retirement go up around $30 a month. (i'd get all this money back by age 59)

Woot woot.

I'll submit the papers on Thurday and wait for the real calPERS estimate for sure, but it looks like I have all the money right now to cover the costs. (1,000 i set aside for 2009 Roth... and 600 left from mutual funds I won't be buying.)

I'm going to see if I can use the money in that retirement account that I found to make the purchase. I'll save the paperwork (since i asked them to mail me my options and updates) and wait for the official statement... then call around HR to get answers.

Retirement funds grow... woot woot

LOL!!!

In digging up my past accounts at 16... Apparently before I was vested my work set up a small retirement account... when i became vested they stopped contributing to it... but it has 1000.00 in it!!!!!

muahahahahahahahahahahaha I have a grand more then i did the day before!!!!!

I wonder If I can use this money to purchase my retirement from when i was 16... I'll find out... cause that's just cool. I called the company and verified with them that the account still exists and it does. They are going to send me papers... but apparently it was just in an account earning 1% interest and wasn't affected by the market crash.

=)

Retirement looking BRIGHT

The website I need to run with my personal information is under maint. But i ran some figures with my guessing....

• With the purchase of buying retirement from my 16 year old days... it will cost anywhere from $1,000 to $5,000.00 and i get at least 1 year of service... maybe even up to 3. Either way, it's worth it. Assuming the worst and it increases my monthly pension by $70.00 a month and costs me 5,000.00 I'd get all that money back in my first 6 years of retirement. (by the time i'm 61). after that its profit!

Why the gap in price with my calculations??? Well some weeks I work only 10 hours when I first started out... other weeks I worked 15, 25, or 30 around the holidays. They have a formula where so many hours worked equals a year. So i won't know until the forms are officially done. Plus, my part time work has already automatically vested me 1 year's worth of retirement for free. (can't beat that).

HR has all that information down to the hour... But I won't find out how much it will be until all the forms are filed. I need to call up HR and have them tell me all my start dates for all the part time temp posistions I've had since I became full time.

So assuming at max that I get an additional year of service by the end of the year... That means I'll have 4.55 years of service as of DEC 08. Once I reach 5 years I can then purchase an additional 5 years of service at my current salary (minus benefits). Which means come June I can buy more time at June's salary rate:

• June's Estimated Salary: 18.47 an hour.
• Ultimately buying 5 years will increase my pension 320.15 a month or $3,841.80 a year

here are the payment figures:

• 2 years: $517.42 a check for a total of $26,905.84
  2.5 years: $421.51 a check for a total of $27,398.15
  3 years: $357.65 a check for a total of $27,896.70
  3.5 years: $312.09 a check for a total of $28,400.19
  4 years: $277.98 a check for a total of $28,909.92
  4.5 years: $251.50 a check for a total of $29,425.50
  5 years: $230.36 a check for a total of $29,946.80
  5.5 years: $213.11 a check for a total of $30,474.73
  6 years: $198.76 a check for a total of $30,006.56
  6.5 years: $186.66 a check for a total of $31,540.54
  7 years: $176.32 a check for a total of $32,090.24
  7.5 years: $167.38 a check for a total of $33,2639.10
  8 years: $159.59 a check for a total of $33,194.72
  8.5 years: $152.74 a check for a total of $33,755.54
  9 years: $146.68 a check for a total of $34,323.12
  9.5 years: $141.27 a check for a total of $34,893.69
  10 years: $136.43 a check for a total of $35,471.80
  10.5 years: $132.07 a check for a total of $36,055.11
  11 years: $128.12 a check for a total of $36,642.32
  11.5 years: $124.54 a check for a total of $37,237.46
  12 years: $121.27 a check for a total of $37,836.24
  12.5 years: $118.28 a check for a total of $38,441.00
  13 years: $115.54 a check for a total of $39,052.52
  13.5 years: $113.01 a check for a total of $39,666.51
  14 years: $110.68 a check for a total of $40,287.52
  14.5 years: $108.52 a check for a total of $40,912.04
  15 years: $106.52 a check for a total of $41,542.80
  

But there is a lump sum payment idea:

• $24,957.95 till May 20th 2010.
• $26,201.11 Till i get a promotion.....
  

I wrote till I get a promotion... because I'll top out of my pay ladder when i get my raise in may of 2010. So unless I get a promotion... the lump sum option might save me money and sanity in the long run.

If i start saving for it now, setting monthly amounts aside from each of my paychecks-- saving extra paychecks completely and tax returns... I could come up with the money in a few years and then buy it and save all the interest... plus the account would grow interest too... and i'd have the cash in case something huge happened.

If i only pay $26,201.11 for 5 extra service years... it's an extra $320.15 in retirement money each month, I'll get all of my money back by age 62, after that it's a great investment.

Looks like I have a new savings goal: $26,201.11 (unless i can use pre- tax dollars to fund it monthly... then i might want to look into something on the monthly deductions-- maybe.)

kinda sad i opened that Roth IRA CD... I could have used that cash to pay for part of my contributions now... pitty... oh well... But first I need to buy back my old time and then start saving like mad...

Go to a retirement planning meeting!

I went to one of mine and I found out A LOT!!!

1. Apparently I can go and buy back some time worked before I was vested. (so apparently those years as a sixteen year old shmuck aren't wasted after all. I can buy them back --at full cost to me... which i'll be finding out later.)
2. I learned that CalPERS is guaranteed dispite market fluxuations. My pension isn't affected
3. and I can buy an additional 5 years of service (the cost of less then one years salary) over 180 months if I want. Based on whatever rate i'm currently earning... So once i'm vested i'm in

I'm going to figure out when I was officially vested, how much it will cost for 5 years to purchase, and how much it will cost to purchase my old time back.

I don't think i'll be putting anymore money into a Roth... I won't need to WAHOO!

pay day!

and no retro pay.... guess its going on my next check... ($803)... with 7 hours of overtime... and i'll just sit and I'll watch it get robbed by taxes... lol

House DP Fund: $5,574.60

Mission... Budget cuts.

I was looking over some idea's for next month's budget... and I noticed my car insurance bill is really insane...

especially since i realized that my AAA membership card isn't even included in my monthly preminum (which will go up because they have me listed as a good student discount and i'm not a student anymore.)

So i'm going to make some phone calls.

I think I'll call Farmers and State Farm insurance (since I still have their ads sitting in my apartment) and see what they will do for a gal who only drives about 300 miles a month max...

I'll keep a record of the offers and by January 1st I want to have a new insurance provider-- if not sooner. I know State Farm gives discounts if you have been with them 3 or more years... so i'll have to factor that in. Plus I believe I can keep my AAA card just for road side assistance (and therefore my 10% discount from the dealership for car repairs since it's a different bill.) But i'll call to double check.

Lots of Overtime coming in...

I should get my retro pay tomorrow or the next week. (my co-worker got her review back-- she gave hers after i turned in mine.... I'm a little ticked off, but i just hope that money comes in soon.)

*** crossing fingers for tomorrow***

If it doesn't come tomorrow, its just going to get slammed by the tax man even more..... especially since I have a couple of hours of overtime on friday's paycheck...

and my paycheck on the 24th has about 7 hours scheduled overtime...

and so will my first check on Nov.

Where's the OT coming from??? i'm going on training session, 3 days total (one on the 24ths paycheck... 2 days on the Nov check) ... to be a lifeguard instructor.... so they have to pay me to drive a few cities away to the cite... plus the 8 hours lectures.... and then the drive time home is all on the clock. so its 11 and 12 hour days for me.

and they haven't opened the new jobs we need to fill (they are trying to make due...) so were trying to piece stuff together and were all working crazy hours that don't make any sense. I don't get up for work the same time any day at all... and i've been doing it for over a month... But I have a job... so no complaints from me.

Retirement numbers after the plunge

At close today, the majority of my shares (i have almost all of my money in one mutual fund except for $300 that i accidentily bought of the wrong fund) were down to $9.00 a share....

• Mutual funds are currently worth $6,228.61
• Roth Ira CD is worth $1,000 (earning 4.5%)
• Regular account $700

That puts my retirement income (minus my city pension) at $7,928.61/$9,000.00 invested for a loss of $1,071.39

My game Plan:
I'm going to basically wait until mid november and see what the mutual funds are worth. I won't buy in October. I invested too much in september banking on the government bail out plan NOT going into effect. But it was signed and that means this mess gets worse not better. The last time the government poured money into the market was around the Y2K/ dot com era... because people were worried there would be market glitches and the like with the new year..... and while they told people they would eventually take the money out when the markets recovered... they never really did take all of it out... (believe it or not, but this contributed to the housing bubble...)

Now Uncle Sam is pouring more money into the market INSTEAD of letting the market begin to correct itself and contact during this period.... So what's a gal to do???

Dunno, but this is my plan 2008:
I'm not buying in October-- which will be a first for me and that dollar cost averaging thing. It's going to take weeks (kinda like 6 at least) for the bail out money to start trickling in. I think the market price will go down from now till then... So i'll wiat for it to drop.
Come november I think the market will start to show light losses (not huge) to stabability around November and a slight gain in December as holiday spendings starts to spike things up.

So, mid november (about 4 weeks away the bail out cash won't be in there... and the holiday spending won't be too severe...) I'll buy more funds at this time... but only up to $700.00 IF its a good deal. if not, Hello CD

If the smart financial guys (who's analysis's i read) are putting their portfolio's in at least 40% cash--- (since they tollerate more market risk then my liking) I'm keeping my retirement money safe... and my safe, i mean smaller guaranteed returns.

My money plan 2009: (which I may change/ adjust as i see if my predictions are correct.)

• Roth IRA CD's or savings acounts (depending on yield) ($4,000.00)
• Keep $1,000.00 for mutual funds. If funds are crapy (or too erratic for my liking), move to CD's or Savings accounts.

more sad news...

Since i'm not speaking to my mother... and frankly haven't been for months... I didn't even notice that I missed her birthday... My sister called me the day of to ask if i was planning on calling and frankly I told her I wasn't...

I had plans to go up with my sister and my mother to my grandfather's house on Tuesday to pick through some pictures and memento's from him.... I was going to be civil for one day in honor of my grandfather... a man who did so much for us... a man i was honored to have apart of my family.

Well, i've now been dis-invited

There is no funeral... no memorial service... and this was supposed to by my opportunity to get to say goodbye.

All i have from my grandpa and my grandma (who died many years back) is one photo of each of them... that I took from an old album and my mother has no clue I even have that.

Thankfully my sister is going to get a few memento's for me... hopefully a picture of both of them together and maybe a random garden knome (he really liked those things)...

but I can't believe she is so childish to do something like that... and there isn't anything I can do.

Updated Blog Links...

Hey Everyone.

I went ahead and linked to a few different blogs that i'm browsing... I used to have more but they all got deleted and I can't seem to find a lot of the good ones out there.... So i'm looking for more 20 something bloggers out there.

Feel free to add your own PF blog link in the comments (or become a follower) and i'll check it out.

Ha!

I feel better already.

I opened my Roth IRA Savings account at ING Direct, transfered $1000.00 into the account and then immediately rolled that into a 2 year CD at 4.5%

My retirement will officially have something growing in it.

Come January 2008, I'll take that $1,000 i have sitting at IGOBANKING and transfer that sucker into my Roth IRA Savings account and I'll check out the CD rates again. If there good, then that chunk gets into a CD. If not it will earn the savings account rate. -- Currently 3.0%

Changing my retirement

They made me move my roth ira (from ING DIRECT) over to share builder... and i don't really like it. The annual maint fee is more... and its costs money to have an automatic investment plan.

So I'm thinking of a new plan. i'm going to sporatically buy $700.00 worth of mutual funds over Oct, Nov, and Dec for 2008 using the sharebuilder to bring the amount i've contributed in total to 8,000. I'll have $1,000 more to contribute for 2008 so I started browsing the website for other retirement avenues (I really like ING for some reason and i'd like to stay there and keep it simple.)

Well on the website I read up on their Roth IRA savings accounts... So I'm going to start a Roth IRA savings account with the remaining $1,000.00 that i have left to invest for 2008. That still keeps my contributions for 2008 to $5,000.00 for IRA's.

I'll then use that money in the Roth IRA Savings account to purchase Roth IRA CD's. I'll get a small guaranteed return... but my money will grow slowly.... I figure i'm young (22) and I have 2 years of contributions mostly floating in mutual funds (not insured so i could technically loose it all). But I also have the ability to make some money when the market rebalances in a few years.
I can handle that... I bought some high... and some low. Hense keeping the last 700 for investments because the market is only going to go down from here. It will drop the average amount i need to stock to reach before i see a profit again.

But I also want compound interest on my side. I'm 22 and I have a good few decades to make that interest my friend... Yes, i could theoretically double my money in mutual funds over time and not pay a dime in interest down the line... But I want gains... not losses... I've never been a risk taker... (but i'm very good at the game of risk because i take things over slowly...)

I guess i figure if i start early (most retirement calculators say to start at 25 and I got a few more years on that too. ) that compound tax free interest will be pretty. I like pretty.

Kiva Loan # 4

I went back and they posted new loans.

Rashidat Mumuni sells smoked and frozen fish. She has been in this business for the past six years. Rashidat buys cartons of fish from the market. She has sales girls that assist her in smoking the fish on a fire. She pays the girls weekly. Rashidat is the lady standing in the photo, and the others are her sales girls. Rashidat has a shop where she sells fish; she also has a deep freezer for selling some frozen fish to those who prefer it. Rashidat needs the loan amount of $850 to buy more cartons of fish to sell.

About the Entrepreneur
Name: Rashidat Mumuni
Business Name: Iya sikiru stores
Location: Lagos State, Nigeria
Primary Activity: Fish Selling
Loan Requested: $850.00
Repayment Term: 8 months
Loan Use:
Purchase of more cartons of fish to sell


I Donated $25.00 towards

Kiva.org

I went to make a loan on KIVA.ORG since i got another credit card rebate. (this would have been my 4th KIVA loan this year.)

but... There were not any loans to fund...

Special Note from Kiva
Thanks Kiva Lenders! You've funded EVERY loan on the site!!
To date, Kiva has enabled lenders to send $45,214,335 to the working poor around the world.
Currently, we are experiencing a traffic spike and all previously fundraising loans have been fully funded. Our team is working with Kiva's Field Partners around the globe to approve new loan applications every day.
While you're waiting for an entrepreneur you'd like to fund, please help support Kiva by donating to our operating expenses.

guess i'll have to check back tomorrow or later on today...

But that makes me really happy that others are out there supporting KIVA!

Kiva Loan # 3 update!

A total of $2.78 has been newly repaid!

Karla Vanessa Montiel Barahona in Nicaragua (Activity: Housing)
You Loaned:$25.00
Newly Repaid:$2.78
Total Repaid So Far:$2.78 (11.12% of your loan)


Best wishes,
Kiva Staff