Monthly Archives: May 2012

CPD23 Newbie

I signed up this week for CPD23, which translates to “23 things for continuing professional development” for the uninitiated. It took me a while to find out what it meant, which made me feel not a little foolish. It started three weeks ago: Thing One was to create a blog for this whole process, which, luckily, I already have. Thing Two was to investigate other blogs by people also engaging in CPD23. I’m still working on that one, as time management is still something that I struggle with. I’ve read (and been inspired) by one or two blogs, and I’m working on reading more of them today. Thing Three was to Google yourself and see what kind of electronic footprint you’ve created, and how you want your personal brand to reflect on you. I discovered that there is a Heather A. Steinmiller, Attorney at Law, who lives in Philadelphia and who has some major accomplishments to her name. I did find myself over three or four Google pages; my Facebook and Twitter accounts, as well as LinkedIn and some of the other groups to which I belong. There are photos that I’ve shared, and you can find my home address, phone number and maiden name. Kind of scary, that last. All in all, though, my footprint pales in comparison to Heather A. A good thing? A bad thing? Just a thing? I want to be “profersonal” by keeping some things private and sharing others in a way that portrays me in a positive light.  Anyway, something to keep in mind as I continue this journey with some very fascinating and desireable companions.

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Information Literacy infographic

Financial literacy pays off. With nearly 20 percent of Americans living beyond their means, education about personal finance is critical. Research indicates that teaching finance to students yields greater money-management skills that carry well into adulthood. 1 out of 5 Americans lives beyond his or her means. Half of Americans do not maintain a budget. Teens spent more than $75 billion in 2011. 35% of high school seniors use credit cards. One in nine people ages 18-24 uses more than 40% of his or her income to pay off debt. Financial literacy can help. High school students who received personal financial education are able to: manage their money better because they have fewer maxed out credit cards, have higher savings, do more comparison shopping, pay debts on time. Between ages 30-49, achieve significantly higher savings and net worth. Sources: Federal Reserve Board, Survey of Consumer Finances 2007. Bernheim, Garrett, & Maki 1997. National Foundation for Credit Counseling's Consumer Financial Literacy Survey 2011. Teen Research Unlimited 2012. JumpStart Coalition Survey of High School Seniors and College Students 2008. Demos and Young Invincibles, The State of Young America 2011. Gutter, Copur, and Garrison 2010. Danes, Huddleston-Casas, and Boyce 1999. Varcoe, Martin, Devitto, and Go 2005.

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