LIFELines

Keeping Safety in Mind on Halloween!

2011-10-27T08:57:00.000-07:00

By LIFELines Staff Writer

Falling Down will Wreck the Night!

Falling is the number one accident on Halloween night - by a four to one margin - according to the State Centers for Accident and Disease Control. The next is pedestrian auto accidents. The reasons are obvious; improperly fitting costumes, masks that block vision and hearing, and children crowded together, pushing, in a hurry to get to the next house. There are basic safety tips that can insure your family has a safe Halloween night. And, since Halloween is up there in the top five most magical and exciting holidays, it’s a good idea for parents to know what to say to their children about safety.

Halloween night, however, is not the time to spring a list of safety tips on your children. Because of the excitement of the night, the sugar they may have consumed before going out, and the natural ability of children to tune adults out, you may want to begin addressing this issue long before then. It’s easy to sneak in a safety tip here and there throughout the week before.

Watch out for those Spooks!

Let’s start with costumes the leading cause of falling accidents on Halloween. This can be alleviated by making sure the costume doesn’t drag the ground or tangle the legs. This is not weeding day. Let your spook try on his or her costume before the big night.
Check to see if it needs hemming. If you plan to buy a costume check the label and make sure it’s either flame retardant, or flame resistant. Polyester is generally the best choice of material.

Other safety measures include making sure your child’s mask is easy to see out of. Better yet, skip the mask and use makeup. All of the major chain stores carry plenty of Halloween makeup at reasonable prices.

Have your child carry a flashlight, even if you’re going out with them, or one of the many glow sticks available. By going with children you are insuring their safety, but when you can’t, always make sure children travel in a group and there is someone old enough to supervise.

Managing Your Thrift Savings Plan

2011-08-05T15:57:00.000-07:00

By LIFELines Staff

For many Navy and Marine Corps families retirement programs means Military Thrift Savings Plan (TSP). With all the volatility in the financial markets (more than $2 trillion in retirement investments lost) it is imperative that service members know what their Thrift Savings Plan is doing.

The Military TSP is the equivalent of a 401K program for military families. Contributions to the plan are tax-deferred, or deducted off-the-top of your pay-check, before your state and federal taxes are deducted. TSP funds are not taxed until they are pulled out at retirement when families are in lower tax bracket.

A cottage industry has developed around the Thrift Savings Plan with several organizations that are tracking the funds. These organizations include everything from bloggers who are watching the activity of the TSP Board to companies that are using sophisticated market analysis (for a fee) programs to advise users about which funds they should be investing in and what percentage of their investments should be allocated to the funds.

The TSP Center, a Thrift Savings Plan Community, provides tracking (year, month, daily) charts for all of the funds available in the TSP. Check it out.

Managing Your Thrift Savings Plan

2011-08-05T15:54:00.001-07:00

By LIFELines Staff

The TSP Center, a Thrift Savings Plan Community, provides tracking (year, month, daily) charts for all of the funds available in the TSP. Check it out.

Repairing Credit

2011-07-30T16:19:00.000-07:00

By LIFELines Staff Writer

The media is replete with offers to repair your credit, improve your credit score and make borrowing for a home, a car or other consumer products easy. The approach is the same and sounds something like this:

“Credit problems? No problem!”

“We can remove bankruptcies, judgments, liens, and bad loans from your credit file forever!”

“We can erase your bad credit — 100% guaranteed.”

“Create a new credit identity — legally.”

Check out the federal consumer departments at the FTC,HUD or the Federal Reserve to find out more about these so-called credit repair programs. They are among the most predatory scams preying on those who are already in or near financial difficulty.

Lawyers at the nation’s consumer protection agency say the fact is there’s no quick fix for creditworthiness. To improve your credit report legitimately takes time, a conscious effort, and sticking to a personal debt repayment plan.

SOME FACTS ABOUT BACK-TO-SCHOOL HOLIDAYS

2011-07-24T21:22:00.000-07:00

By LIFELines Staff

Tax holidays have become routine during peak buying periods like back-to-school, but maybe not this year.

According to the National Retailers Federation, spending on back-to-school supplies, clothing and electronics related has reached $50 billion annually despite up-and-down turns in the economy. As a result, children returning to school are a critical period for retailers and a time for families and teachers to watch their spending. The average savings on sales tax, because of tax holidays, is 5-percent. However, because of economic conditions, State and local governments are questioning the tradition.

The good news; you can still count on the Navy and Marine Corps Exchanges for school related purchases. This year’s savings are expected to run at 23% below the market, and, there is NO sales tax.

Best numbers by the Retail Merchants Association and the National Retail Federation, show families with school-age children will spend over $500 on school supplies and clothes this year. College bound spend more, over $600, not including the standard price of books and fees.

Obviously, shopping for back-to-school is better at the Exchange.

BACK-TO-SCHOOL, BACK TO THE NAVY AND MARINE CORPS EXCHANGE

2011-07-24T20:55:00.000-07:00

By LIFELines Staff

For several years, Navy and Marine Corps Exchanges have offered $1 deals on necessary school supplies based on school lists in their regions. In addition, kids clothes are cut as much as 50% for back-to-school and sales continue through Labor Day. Levis, underwear, school supplies, all sold at bargain basement prices, according to the Navy Exchange.

Back-to-school sales are a major source of funding for the Exchange system, accounting for more than 30 percent of the business for the year.

In addition, the Navy & Marine Corps Exchanges work with the Navy-Marines Corps Relief Society, operating thrifts shops at several bases that enable service members and their families to purchase used clothing and other school items at minimal cost.

Recently, the Navy Exchange Service Command hired an independent research firm to conduct a survey on how much customers save when they shop at their NEX. The group shopped for 400 products in various departments including audio, clothing, shoes, cosmetics, greeting cards, hardware, appliances, sunglasses, and toys. The results showed that customers save an average of 23%, plus NO sales tax.

What to Know About Debt Management Plans & Companies

2011-07-18T10:33:00.000-07:00

By LIFELines Staff Writer

Nonprofit Debt Management Plans (DMP) have a federal legal obligation to provide counseling using certified credit counselors trained in consumer credit, money and debt management, and budgeting.

All Navy and Marine Corps official credit counselors are certified and accredited after years of training. For this reason make sure you check with your Fleet and Family Support Center for debt management and credit counseling before going to the open market. These services are part of your benefits as a Sailor or Marine.

According to the Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Protection Division,

“If you are going to use a for-profit debt management organization you will pay fees, not all of which may be disclosed,
or you may be urged to make “voluntary” contributions that will add more to your debt load.” The best practice is simply to find a reputable, state or federally regulated Debt Management Program, preferably sponsored by the Navy or Marine Corps. Once you make arrangements to manage your debt stay with it. Failure to do so may have negative impact on your career and personal reputation.

Ways to Cut Personal Spending

2011-07-18T09:08:00.000-07:00

By LIFELines Staff Writer and the Iowa State University Extension Service

Record prices at the gas pump are followed by rising grocery prices. Energy costs are followed by anything else that requires fuel for delivery. Looking for ways to cut, try these:

Along-time military tradition; car pool when shopping. Use the commissary and exchange for quick savings. Where available, use base shuttles.

Track spending in a notebook or ledger. You will see where to cut when you write it down, like cutting calories in your diet.

Check out “Money Mechanics - Record Keeping and simple worksheets for tracking spending. The publications are available to download.

Follow the restaurant approach. Prepare meals with what you have on hand with products that are approaching the expiration. Think about portion sizes. Fix what will get eaten. Resturants call these "specials."
To generate cash, hold a garage sale or sell stuff on e-Bay. Pickup the cash and reduce your vehicle insurance fee by selling that unused motorcycle, car, or trailer.
To control energy costs, check out these linked ideas.Turn off lights, unplug appliances when not in use, close heat/cool vents and and rooms that aren’t used.

Entertainment costs add up. Cut cable/satellite television premium channels, rent DVD's don't buy, downgrade Internet speed, buy pay-as-you-go cell phone plans and phones, cancel unread newspapers and magazine subscriptions – these things are not necessities.

Your Bank May Not Be Your Good Ol’ Bank

2011-07-16T10:00:00.000-07:00

By LIFELines Staff

Along with the anxiety we are all facing by the current financial crisis, consumers have something else to worry about – “Your bank may not be the bank you signed up with.”

Wachovia, Washington Mutual, National City Bank, Countrywide and many others have been bought or traded to larger banks. The rules and benefits may not be what you think.

Here are some of the benefits that may change:

1.    Free checking – If your bank changed hands you’d better check it out.
2.    Free Online Banking – New fees may be attached.
3.    ATM Fees – No ATM fees may change to as-much-as $2 per use.

4.    Bank Credit and Debit Transaction cards may be outsourced.
5.    Online Bill Payment may add new per transaction fees.
6.    Weekend hours, early morning and evening hours may be eliminated.

7. Check holding may change without question.
8. Direct Deposits/Direct Withdrawal – Check your account frequently. Direct deposits from any source, particularly the government, can be taken back without notice.

The Navy says the most serious problem facing service members and families is poor money management.

The New Navy-LIFELines

2011-07-15T20:47:00.000-07:00

By Navy-LIFELines Staff

The Navy-LIFELines quality-of-life, military family, self-help site is back online, with the same managers, writers and content providers that invented the award-winning product when it was Navy sponsored. The new and independent site is now online as Navy-LIFELines Blog.

For 10 years, LIFELines was the most popular military self-help site on the web averaging millions of visits a month, but budget constraints closed the doors.

Now, the Navy-LIFELines Blog is on the air with news, articles and self-help information in 10 categories that will appear on the site, updated hour-by-hour to help you with the military lifestyle. Most importantly, your comments will be vital to the success of the new project and are most welcome.

LIFELines will continue to be “The Place to Go When You Don’t Know Where to Start.”

The site will be under construction as we bring you all of the reliable LIFELines content in the public domain, plus independent articles, comments from knowledgeable and credible sources and contributions from our users.

Welcome home, and welcome aboard.