Rebecca Surran's Blog

A Gentle Reminder

It's one of my favorites, the Memorial Day weekend.  And I like it not for the reasons you might think; the unofficial start to the summer, the barbques, maybe even, if I'm lucky, a day at the beach.  No, for me its the parade.  I know, I'm a geek, but the parade for me is a rich reminder of what makes this country great.  Children dressed in patriotic red, white and blue, all with smiles as they watch the march before them. The road ahead for them is filled with possibilities.  And why?  Because of those that led the trek; the soldiers, from the symbolic colonial fife and drum troop to actual veterans from WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Gulf 1, Iraq and Afghanistan.  All in uniform and marching proudly, eyes dead ahead as the crowd cheers. No words are spoken, but the message is profound; these men and women put their lives and dreams on hold so we could pursue and enjoy ours. A gentle reminder that serves us all well.

To Mom

There aren't enough hours in the day to describe what moms do.  From kissing the boo-boos to driving the carpools, the job is both exhausting and rewarding.  A good friend of mine, who also has four kids, sent me an e-mail.  It was one of those never-ending "forwards" that I dread.  I reluctantly opened it only to read a charming little essay.  Here's a portion:

"Somebody said being a mother is boring. That somebody never rode in a car driven by a teenager with a driver's permit"

"Somebody said "good" mothers never raise their voices.  That somebody never came out the back door just in time to see her child hit a golf ball through the neighbor's kitchen window."

"Somebody said the hardest part of being a mother is labor and delivery.  That somebody never watched her "baby" get on the bus for the first day of kindergarten or on a plane headed to military boot camp."

"Somebody said your mother knows you love her, so you don't need to tell her.  That somebody isn't a mother."

So to all you moms out there that wipe the tears, listen to the problems, and worry through the nights I say, "Happy Mother's Day!"

Deep and Going Deeper

We Americans love our stuff!  We shop and shop and shop.  But the problem is many of us have shopped ourselved into a deep dark hole.  I interviewed US Senator Chris Dodd this week about a bill he' has co-sponsored that would impose new restrictions on credit card lenders.  In laying the groundwork for why he believes the bill is necessary he mentioned a number that really stunned me.  He said the average American household is carrying more than $9,000 in credit card debt. WOW!  Couple that with mortgage debt, student loan debt, healthcare debt, etc. and many of us are drowning in a sea of red.

Financial author Jordan Goodman, who is a regular guest on "12 On The Money," joined me with some suggestions on ways consumers can get their finances back on track.  Here are some of his tips.  Jordan says first and foremost know your credit score and review your credit report.  Not only will you know exactly where you stand in the lenders' eye, but you'll also see if anyone has attempted to steal your identity.  Jordan suggests going to www.guardmycredit.com to look up  your info.  He also says make sure that your credit card balance is with a company that offers the lowest interest rate.  He says you can compare rates at  www.creditcardperks.com to find the card that best suits your preferences. 

If you'd like to see more of Jordan's tips on paying down credit card debt just tune to "12 On The Money"  May 31st and June 1st.