Kansas.com: News2Use

House hunting? Keep eye on your credit score now

AMY HOAK — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 22:05 CST

If you're planning on waiting out this housing downturn, intending to buy a home when the coast is clear, you better start checking your credit reports now. There may be some surprises waiting for you.

Credit card companies are reducing credit limits on some borrowers. And for some people, that may cause a drag on their credit score.

Here's why: A major factor in calculating a person's credit score is credit utilization, said Barry Paperno, consumer operations manager for Fair Isaac's myFICO division. When your total available credit shrinks, the percentage of credit that is being used goes up -- and that has the potential to do some damage to your credit score.

"That will become a problem for some consumers, and it's something that they need to be paying close attention to," said Steve Ely, president of Equifax Personal Information Solutions. Equifax is a credit reporting agency.

A good credit score is necessary to get the best loan rates, and for more than a year now lenders have been requiring higher scores as mortgage underwriting standards tightened.

Should preschool be about playing or learning _ or both?

LAURAN NEERGAARD — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 01:40 CST

Should preschool be more about ABCs or learning to play with others? With the help of Twiggle the Turtle, scientists found out that youngsters do better if they do both.

So concludes a major study in Head Start programs in Pennsylvania, research with implications for preschools and parents everywhere.

Face it, 4-year-olds are lovable but self-centered, impulsive and prone to meltdowns. Teaching them not to whack a classmate who snatches a toy is a big part of preschool socialization.

But growing awareness that early learning is important to future school achievement has put more pressure on preschool's academic side, especially efforts to eliminate achievement gaps between low-income and wealthier students.

Both skills are intertwined, said Penn State University psychology professor Karen Bierman, who led the study.

Explore options to avoid foreclosure

Sun, 09 Nov 2008 01:38 CST

Many people having trouble keeping up mortgage payments and facing a home foreclosure may feel as if the walls of their home are falling in around them.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development offers a number of suggestions and steps a homeowner can take to cope with a potential foreclosure.

• Contact your lender as soon as you realize you have trouble making mortgage payments. The further behind a homeowner becomes on a mortgage payment, the harder it will be to reinstate a loan.

• Open and respond to all mail from the lender. The first notices you receive will offer good information about foreclosure prevention options. Later mail may include important notice of pending legal action.

• Understand your mortgage rights. Locate your loan documents and read them so you know what your lender may do if you can't make your payments. Learn about the foreclosure laws and timeframes in your state by contacting the State Government Housing Office.

How to deal with 'Sunday night syndrome'

JEFF HERRING — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 01:38 CST

Picture the following scene:

It's Sunday evening, the weekend is winding down and you're beginning to think about the work week ahead. What are your feelings?

Do you find yourself excited and challenged, looking forward to another week of doing something you love? The most fortunate among us get to feel that way on a regular basis.

Or are you instead feeling something else, perhaps anxiety or even dread? That's a special kind of anxiety and stress I call "Sunday night syndrome."

All of us experience some form of SNS from time to time. What's important is how often and how severe it is.

What you eat can affect your mood

JULIE DEARDORFF — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 00:41 CDT

Chocolate cake is a popular home remedy for depression, but it comes with some unwelcome side effects. Sweet treats don't just pack on the pounds; they give us a sugar high that's inevitably followed by a demoralizing crash.

Still, there's growing recognition in the medical community that the right food choices can improve your mood. Though drugs are often considered the first line of treatment for depression, a dietary change might be all you need, says James Gordon, a psychiatrist who advocates non-drug approaches to depression.

Gordon, a clinical professor at the Georgetown University School of Medicine, thinks what we eat affects how we think and feel. "It's a wake-up call to let us know our body is out of balance."

Food can help restore that equilibrium, Gordon wrote in his new book, "Unstuck" (The Penguin Press, $25.95). The trick is knowing which key nutrients to include, and which foods to avoid.

Nutritional changes aren't a magic bullet; they're subtle pieces of a treatment plan that might also include therapy, exercise -- one of the most effective depression busters -- and stress-reduction techniques.

Employment sites target workers 50 and older

DAVE CARPENTER — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 01:41 CDT

While looking for work in an economic downturn can be challenging, it's easier today than it used to be -- and that may hold truest of all for the retirement set.

Those who are in or near retirement and looking for work can find abundant online resources aimed at them, which may prove invaluable as the ongoing financial crisis drives many back to the workplace or keeps them there longer.

Many in fact steer clear of mainstream job-search Web sites such as CareerBuilder and Monster because they think their chances are better when their "maturity" is specifically targeted, according to Scott Wingerter, chief operating officer for RetireeWorkforce.com, a job board for retired workers.

Here are some online resources for retirees looking for part-time or full-time work, many of which target anyone 50 or over:

• RetirementJobs.com (www.retirementjobs.com) has more than 30,000 listings nationwide from companies specifically seeking candidates older than 50. A combination job board, adviser and coach for boomers and seniors looking for work. RetirementJobs also is a partner with AARP.

Computer makers plan instant-on PCs

MATT RICHTEL AND ASHLEE VANCE — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 01:39 CDT

It is the black hole of the digital age -- the three minutes it can take for your computer to boot up, when there is nothing to do but wait and wait and wait some more before you can log on and begin multitasking at hyper-speed.

Some people stare at their screen and fidget. Others pace or grab a cup of coffee.

"Half the time, I go brush my teeth," said Monica Loos, 40, who is starting a business selling stationery online from her home in San Francisco.

Now the computer industry says it wants to give back some of those precious seconds. In coming months, the world's major PC makers plan to introduce a new generation of quick-start computers, spotting a marketing opportunity in society's short attention span.

"It's ridiculous to ask people to wait a couple of minutes," said Sergei Krupenin, executive director of marketing of DeviceVM, a company that makes a quick-boot program for PC makers. "People want instant-on."

How to regain joy you've lost

JUDI LIGHT HOPSON, EMMA H. HOPSON, R.N., AND TED HAGEN, PH.D. — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 01:39 CDT

Does life feel overwhelming and weird these days?

Has it been years since you felt a sense of peace and harmony?

Many people say they feel locked into a life struggle that leaves them without joy.

A woman we'll call Katherine told us, "I don't remember feeling happy in a long time."

The truth is that too much responsibility, too little relaxation time, and a sense of urgency can erase one's joy.