Product Review: Mennen's Speed Stick Vs. Arm & Hammer's Ultra Max

We’re all adults here. And since this particular posting might be considered somewhat touchie for some, allow me to say that we all tend to get that less-than-fresh feeling at sometimes inopportune times—and I’m not talking about feminine hygiene products. I’m speaking about getting the best bang-for-your-buck when it comes to deodorant.
One of the advantages of having a position which becomes occasionally labor intensive (read: physically-demanding) at times is that it tends to test the limits of the products we use to help us remain hygienic. Last week I learned—much to the dismay of my nasal sensitivities—the limits of a named-brand deodorant.
At the risk of sounding like a television commercial, I thought that changing from the brand that I normally use would cut my wallet some slack.

This is not to say that the brand that I normally used was bad (it’s actually far better to my downgrade), but trying to upgrade (to use the term loosely) to a better-known but cheaper deodorant was a bad decision. What I substituted for my regular far-superior brand was Mennen’s Speed Stick (it’s “Active Fresh” variety).

Speed Stick boasts slick television commercials—complete with the obligatory handsome male lead. But quite often, what sells a product is slick marketing, not the effectiveness of the product. And I found Speed Stick’s Active Fresh product to be anything but effective. At the end of my 9-hour workday, I smelled like I had spent a week in the “hotbox” on a Southern prison farm from the 1950s—not a condition you want to find yourself in on a hot August day. Speed Stick’s Active Fresh is not a product I would recommend if you are looking for all-day (or even effective) protection from offending yourself when you lift your arms.
On the hand, the deodorant that I kicked to the curb for this failed experiment in named-brandology, Arm & Hammer’s “Ultra Max” was and is the best-performing brand that I’ve used to date. I can both work and load a lot longer, without having to keep my arms down below head level! In fact, I’ve never had any issues with odor using Ultra Max. Yes, it goes on a little thick. But personally, I like “thick;” it kind of reassures me of being protected (call it “reverse-paranoia” if you will).  No, you won't smell like a field of lilacs in the springtime, but you will smell respectable around others.

The takeaway here is that slick advertisements and brand names do not what a good product make. My suggestion is to do what I did—throw out the Speed Stick and go with what works. Use a deodorant whereby you can get your money’s worth of good protection (and no…this wasn’t a paid endorsement).

Where The Jobs Are Springing Up...

Recently, Cable News Network (CNN) and Money Magazine did a piece on the top 25 local job markets listed by counties (See: “Where The Jobs Are.”). With job markets in many areas still exhibiting slim pickings, I thought it would be of a benefit for those seeking viable employment to know exactly where the best (current) job market are. In order to get right to the point, I opted to simply list the first 10 of these counties (see the link for the entire list), the major municipalities, the rate of (projected) growth, and the major employers in these hot job market counties, and the major employers therein—without the commentary.

1. Columbia County, GA
Towns include: Evans, Martinez Job growth (2010-2012): 14.1% Major Employers: John Deere, Georgia Iron Works Foundry, Fort Gordon.

2. Rockwall County, TX
Towns include: Rockwall Job growth (2010-2012): 13.0% Major Employers: Bimbo Bakeries, Rockwall Technology Park (various aerospace, logistics, defense and manufacturing companies ), Hatfield and Co.

3. Falls Church, VA
Towns include: Falls Church Job growth (2010-2012): 12.6% Major Employers: Technology Catalysts International, Viget Labs

4. Guadalupe County, TX
Towns include: Cibolo, Schertz Job growth (2010-2012): 12.2% Major Employers: Caterpillar, Amazon.com (distribution center), Continental Automotive

5. St. Johns County, FL
Towns include: Fruit Cove, Palm Valley, Ponte Vedra, St. Augustine Job growth (2010-2012): 12.1% Major Employers: 2G Cenergy, Northrop Grumman (planned production center)

6. Utah County, UT
Towns include: Alpine, American Fork, Cedar Hills, Eagle Mountain, Highland, Lehi, Lindon, Orem, Payson, Pleasant Grove, Provo, Saratoga Springs Job growth (2010-2012): 11.6% Major Employers: Novell, Nuskin, Ancestry.com, Adobe Systems

7. Madison County, AL
Towns include: Huntsville, Madison Job growth (2010-2012): 11.5% Major Employers: Redstone Arsenal (Army Base), Yulista Management Services, SAIC, Huntsville's International Airport, Cummings Research Park (various defense-related and high-tech contractors).

8. Prince William County, VA After a day at the office, golfers can hit the links at a Jack Nicklaus-designed course in Dumfries.
Towns include: Dale City, Sudley Job growth (2010-2012): 11.4% Major Employers: Berkley Net, MCL Systems Ltd

9. Gwinnett County, GA
Towns include: Lilburn, Snellville, Suwanee Job growth (2010-2012): 11.3% Major Employers: Mitsubishi Electric, Primerica, National DCP

10. Santa Rosa County, FL
Towns include: Midway, Navarre, Pace Job growth (2010-2012): 10.9% Major Employers: Avalex Technologies, Priton, WTEC

 Click here for the remainder of the list

Investment 101: A Stocks And Bonds Primer

Years ago, I took the time to teach myself about investment basics--namely what stocks and bonds are.  I know that we hear these terms being tossed around in the news within different contexts, from municipal bonds to a poor performance in the stock market within a given week.  But there are still some people out here who don't understand just what these terms and their encompassing principles are.
This morning on NBC's "The Today Show," a piece was presented from the show's "Investment 101" segment.  The piece focused on presenting a basic understanding of what stocks and bonds are, as well as the underlying investment principles they represent.  Since the financial reporters presented the concepts in such simplistic terms, I thought it would be a great post for this week.
I have taken the liberty of embedding 2 videos below relating to the show's investment focus.  The first video demonstrates how to budget for investing disposable income (a rare thing to be sure nowadays) and the second gives an explanation of what stocks and bonds are.  Please watch and take away an understanding of basic money investment concepts.

Investment 101:  "How To Create A Budget For (Future) Investments

Investing 101: The best places to put your money (Stocks & Bonds Defined)

Dealing With Student Loans

Apologies to my regular readers for the length of time between this post and my last.  It's somewhat difficult to put these pieces together when working so many hours in addition to maintaining my other blogs.  I will endeavor to return to a regular posting schedule beginning with this piece.

With all the talk about student loans and rising monthly payments expected due to the increase in interest rates, I thought it would be timely to reprint a recent piece from American Public Radio's daily program, "Marketplace Money." The piece, "How To Get Rid Of Your Student Loans Without Paying," is pretty self-explanatory in it's subject matter (especially since I only recently completed an obligation with my own student loans).
In addition to reprinting the advice-filled story, have taken the liberty of embedding the audio for the story in this week's blog contribution. I hope you will find this helpful.
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How To Get Rid Of Your Student Loans Without Paying

by Daryl Paranada 

Marketplace Money for Friday, July 5, 2013 

Students hoping to become public defenders, work in the health field, or hopeful veterinarians in the state of Kentucky specializing in large food animals -- you're in luck.

You might be eligible for a number of programs that will help to repay your student loan debt. (Problem is, these programs aren't easy to find out about.)

"The information can be really buried within a website or can be fractured," said Betsy Mayotte, director of regulatory compliance at the nonprofit organization American Student Assistance. "You kind of have to dig for the details."

With the interest rate on new subsidized Stafford loans doubling from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent on July 1, 2013, students taking on debt to pay for their graduate degrees might consider researching the different programs out there. To help guide students interested in forgiveness programs, ASA has put together an eBook called "60+ Ways To Get Rid Of Your Student Loans (Without Paying Them)." The organization divides the programs into two broad categories.

"Forgiveness programs are generally programs where you are rewarded for something that you do. Generally it's some sort or volunteer or a specific working profession where there's a need for people to work in that profession," said Mayotte. "Unfortunately, discharge is for when something bad happens to you."

The loan forgiveness and discharge programs were instituted by the federal government (as well as some state governments, organizations and private businesses) to eliminate all or part of a student’s loans if he or she qualifies. Borrowers who give back to their community, work in fields or areas of need, or face unpredicted, extenuating circumstances are eligible for these different programs.

To apply for forgiveness, you may need proof that you've worked for the required number of years at the location or profession that makes you eligible for the program.

The types of loan forgiveness programs available can be divided among these broad categories:

Community service 

One community service option is applying for an AmeriCorps. award. It repays part of a person's student loans based on their service in the AmeriCorps program. The U.S. federal government program is meant to engage adults in intensive community service work with the goal of "helping others and meeting critical needs in the community." Other volunteer organizations offering loan forgiveness include the Peace Corps. and Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA).

Military 

Perhaps one of the most well-known ways to forgive your student debt. Generally there are two types of programs -- ones that pay for school while you're in school and then programs relating to existing loan forgiveness. You should speak with a recruiter about the different plans out there. Find out more information at Military.com.

Profession 

The most common professions eligible for loan forgiveness tend to be in the health and teaching fields. Mayotte says some states are really thirsty for nurses, doctors, teachers, or public defenders -- and may have forgiveness programs to attract those types of workers. You can find more career-based forgiveness programs with an online search or by talking to your employer. Find out more information at FinAid.org.

State specific You may be eligible for a program in a particular state if you are a legal resident in that state, work in one of the selected jobs, have a license for one of the jobs in the state, or went to school there. Search online to see what programs are available to you. Go to the state's website and search around. State specific programs can change or be eliminated based on budget, so keep an eye out.

The types of loan discharge options include:

Closed schools/school errors

Borrowers may be eligible if their school closed while they were attending or within 90 days of leaving it. They may also be eligible if they withdrew from school and were not refunded the correct amount. Borrowers are only eligible if they received their loans on or after January 1, 1986.

Disaster

There's a discharge option for spouses of eligible public servants or other eligible victims who died or became permanently and totally disabled due to physical injuries suffered as a result of the September 11, 2001 attacks. Financial hardship Borrowers who face financial hardship based on income or debt could be eligible for these options:

Financial hardship 

Borrowers who face financial hardship based on income or debt could be eligible for these options: 

Bankruptcy 

Contrary to popular belief, you can get rid of your loans in bankruptcy. But it's difficult to do so. You must prove to a bankruptcy judge that repaying your loans would be an undue hardship. This standard generally requires you to show that there is no likelihood of any future ability to repay. Learn more. 

Income-based repayment  

To qualify you must have a partial financial hardship, which means that payments to your eligible loans exceeds 15 percent of your discretionary income. After 25 years -- 10 working in public service -- any student loan debt left over is forgiven. Learn more. 

Income-contingent repayment 

Similar to the income-based repayment program, but payments are capped at 20 percent of discretionary income. Learn more. 

Pay as you earn forgiveness 

Only for newer borrowers. You must be a new Direct Loan borrower as of October 1, 2007, with a disbursement made after October 1, 2011. Any Direct Consolidation loan made on or after October 1, 2011, that does not include a Parent PLUS loan or a loan made prior to October 1, 2007 is eligible. Learn more. 

Fraud 

If someone fraudulently obtained the loan in your name you may be eligible to have your loan discharged. 

Medical 

For borrowers who suffer from physical or mental impairments or have died. Mayotte said it's important to note that for many of these loan programs, the amount that's forgiven can be taxed as income. She says the best way to find out what programs are available to you is searching online and asking. "Ask a potential employer if student loan repayment is part of a benefit. Ask a school that you're attending if the school is aware," says Mayotte. "I wouldn't be surprised if there were some super secret programs out there that weren't online."

Overdraft Protection -- Yes or No?

This week, an article came to my attention regarding overdraft fees imposed by banks. The article, from Time Magazine was a brief revelation about how and why people were dumping overdraft protection offered by banks in favor of closer self-management of their checking accounts. While traditional overdraft protection keeps costumers from getting hit with late fees that are higher than the protection, it does add up for a financial boon for banks (see the video below).

 What the Time article reported was the conclusion of that “people who did not opt into ‘overdraft protection’ spent far less on fees than those who did opt in.”  The general lesson behind the piece was the idea that if left to their own devices, people became a lot savvier when it came to closely monitoring their money and bank accounts when the "training wheels" of overdraft protection was removed as an option.
because overdraft rules tend to vary between banks--leading to confusion which pads the coffers of large banks who rely on the confusion and ignorance of account holders--the alternative or becoming smarter money managers allowed account holders to save more money in banking.
The upshot is that if you are a bank customer who tends to use their checking account on a regular and routine basis--and you have trouble maintaining a balance that doesn't leave your account depleted of funds from month-to-month, overdraft protection might be your best friend.  But if you are more of an independent banking customer, who is able to closely monitor their money usage to the point where overdraft protection is rarely used and the fees might be an unnecessary drain on your account every month, consider dumping overdraft protection.

7 Simple Ways To Save Money Fast!

For this posting, I thought that I would just 7 proven (and quick) ways to create savings around the house.  These advantages of these particular strategies is that they will yield immediate savings.

1. Avoid Daily Food Purchases Pack your own your lunch (from food in your house) every day for work and you could easily save $25 or more per week. This tactic saves—at a minimum—of $1,300 per year. or more than $50,000 over a 40-year career!
2. Gasoline Many automobile experts agree that using a higher grade of gas than the manufacturer recommends is a waste of money—especially at current prices. Premium grades cost about 20 cents to 40 cents more per gallon than regular unleaded. My personal advice is to use either a mid-grade or regular gasoline, but combine them with gasoline performance-improving additives (which you can purchase at any store) every other week. The potential savings are obvious.
3. Renting Books, Magazines, DVDs and More OK, I admit, I am guilty of this one (book are a personal vice). I buy a lot of books. In fact, the average American household spends about $200 per year on books, either traditional or E-books (U.S. Census Bureau). Many newly published books (along with movie rentals and much newer music) can be borrowed for free from any of the nation's 17,000 public libraries.
4. Alternative Transportation If you live close enough, try walking to work. You will not only get free exercise (something truly needed considering the collective American waistline), but also save a tremendous amount of money. According to data, the average America worker commutes by car to the tune of about $4,000 per year (gasoline, repairs, wear, etc.). Imagine having that extra money in an interest-bearing account…
5. Skip the Convenience Store This is a big one. Avoid convenience stores if you can. Many of the products purchased at local convenience stores and gas stations are routinely more expensive compared to the same item purchased at a local supermarket. In fact, if you were to make a shopping list of the same items, and purchased the same items at a supermarket and a convenience store, the spending difference could be as high as 45% cheaper for the same exact items!
6. Save your change I honestly don’t know where I got this habit, but for quite a long time, I avoid spending pocket change unless I absolutely have to. Instead, I stash my change—sometimes even single dollar bills—in a plastic jug in my bedroom. Not only does this help reinforce the habit of saving in general, but it comes in handy for those trips to the Laudromat, through the toll booth, to keep feed parking meters, and the various other situations requiring change-at-the-ready.
7. Break a Truly Bad Habit On occasion, I have mentioned the monetary benefits of maintaining good health (such as healthy food purchases and their long-term benefits in saving potential medical costs). But don't overlook the financial benefits of quitting a bad (and costly) habit. Buying a single pack of cigarettes per day will cost you on average about $2,000 a year; consider the amount over a multiple-year time-frame. Not only will quitting yield immediate monetary savings, but could quite reasonably save your life.

Catchy New K-Mart Ads...Laugh Out Loud Good!

As a child, I remember that K-Mart was the Walmart of the day. It was simply the place to go for people on the lower-end of the economic scale (which we were growing up). You could go there, and buy toys, electronics, and clothes (of course this was before the advent of clothing lines that were meant to convey status and/or popularity). K-Mart was the lower-end competitors to (then) higher-end stores like J.C. Penny, Sears, and the like. I can personally attest to the retail store saving many a Christmas growing up for my family as well as many others.
However, later came competition from other discount retail chains such as Target, Walmart, and the various “dollar only” stores. Because of these later competitors, K-Mart found itself on the economic ropes in recent years, even agreeing to merge with now fellow struggling chain store Sears…to less than stellar sales.
But K-Mart might have just redeemed itself from its years-long economic spiral into retail irrelevance with two new edgy television ads that even makes me want to go back to the retailer to see what deals I might be able to find. Take a look at the ads posted below as you struggle to try to avoid smiling, laughing out loud, or jump into your vehicles and see if the deals are as appealing as their new ad campaigns!

Needless to say, I will be reporting right here any values and deals that might be the result from this new-found interests in the age-old (and suddenly more interesting) retailer.