with a divorce rate of around 50% and many people not marrying until they are in their thirties, it is surprising to find that there are still many wo who aren't financially educated. most of this can be traced back to two factors: upbringing at home and society. in both cases, have often been given much more training and many more resources than have and the effects are damaging wo financially today as they face a world in which they have to take care of monetary issues on their own but have never developed the skills to do so.

the safe, secure 1950's

in the 1950's most wo quickly married and settled down to raise families. very few of them worked outside the home, and finances were handled by the . it was a financially prosperous time and wo were expected to focus on the home and child-rearing. this focus on home-making was ped on to daughters while sons were groomed to the "breadwinners" of the family.

the obvious separation between and activities also managed to keep "sheltered" from financial concerns. they weren't expected to pay for anything on a date and parents didn't often expect them to hold down jobs. , on the other hand, were expected to get a job at a young age, even if it was merely a paper route. the expectation was that a young man needed to "take on some responsility" and "contribute."

as the generation raised in the 1950's grew up and raised families of their own, they ped on the financial ases that had been instilled in them to their own children. many of today's parents have made the same mistakes their own mothers and fathers did, ignoring the obvious need for wo to understand and learn to handle their own finances in favor of hoping that their daughters wouldn't have to face the harsh financial facts of life.

the belief that would take care of wo's financial needs was so ingrained that many of the "g picture" financial lessons were overlooked. wo tended to learn how to shop for bargains at the grocery store, stretch the budget at the holidays and that was about it. more complex lessons such as long-term investts, retiret planning and stock portfolio developt were not a part of the picture.

learned how to manage their money, save for a rainy day, and make smart investts and a host of other financial strategies.

play and school contribute to gender gap

interestingly, more than tend to develop hats that are more geared toward understanding numbers and how they relate to finances from a very young age. while tend to be "collectors," says joline godfrey, founder of independent means, " develop informal economies based on relative value from the age of six on while trading cards and other items. by the time start trading stocks and bonds, it's just another form of the game." independent means is a company which promotes economic independence and growth for and wo aged 14 to 24.

even in school settings, are rewarded more consistently for being risk-takers, and investing is often perceived as a risky venture. aren't encouraged to take risks and aren't rewarded for these types of behaviors and instead are likely to be cautioned to be careful. when faced with the prospect of learning about investing in the stock market or learning about retiret options, these same - now wo - are more fearful of making decisions and less sure of themselves in making choices for themselves.

statistics show gender as

a recent survey showed some startling discrepancies even today between teenage and and how much education they have received in the very basics of finance. some of the findings include:

* many more teenage than report understanding of how to write a check and how a credit card works, including accrued interest. * teenage are much more likely to be in debt than , with almost 50% reporting credit card debt as opposed to less than a quarter of teen having any debt. * are more likely to report that learning about investing is boring, while report a real interest in learning about it. when asked to elaborate, often pointed out that this wasn't something they would be doing in the future, while indicated that it was important to learn so that they could be successful.

the perception that shouldn't have to worry about their financial future in the long term (based upon the faulty premise that a man will take care of her or that she can hire a financial consultant to handle all of the boring stuff) is still present in many homes. fortunately, the balance is beginning to shift as more parents realize that wo who are successful in their careers must also be able to guide their own financial futures, not rely on others to do it for them.

programs aim at closing the gap

today's are more likely to learn how to handle money at a young age. cautionary tales in the news and on talk shows about wo left desute and the fear that social security can no longer support an individual in their golden years has, perhaps, contributed to this. after all, with most wo outliving their spouses and more than half of wo divorced, it's likely that today's will be supporting themselves in their retiret years - understanding roth iras suddenly bes very important.

companies and organizations are also stepping to the forefront with programs designed to educate in general and in particular. and clubs of america, in collaboration with charles schwab, offer money matters: make it count programs in cities across the country.

visa works with girl scouts of the usa to provide two resources, the cashin' in workbook and the makin' cents web game, to teach aged 13-17 financial responsility. the web game specifically challenges players to find real-world solutions for characters' financial challenges.

with such programs increasingly popular and the need for wo to understand finances now a topic, it's to be hoped that this generation of fathers will teach their daughters as much about finance as they teach their sons.

carrie carter: author of: think your way to riches kids' style

for more information or to arrange an interview with carrie carter at 810.252.2281 e-mail: carrie114cr@aol.com or visit: www.thinkyourwaytoricheskidsstyle.com

carrie's pion is to help people on their inner journey to discover their personal road map for abundance, peace, and happiness. her main pion is to give children worldwide the "tools" which are lacking in the normal educational system and understanding to create the abundant lifestyle they are all worthy of. experience carrie's educational seminars, workshops, and private life coaching.

about the author

carrie's pion is to help people on their inner journey to discover their personal road map for abundance, peace, and happiness. her main pion is to give children worldwide the "tools" which are lacking in the normal educational system and understanding to create the abundant lifestyle they are all worthy of. experience carrie's educational seminars, workshops, and private life coaching.

essentially, leasing is just an alternative way to finance a new vehicle. we know that when purchasing a new vehicle the down payt, sales tax and license fees are required to be paid up front. however when leasing a new vehicle you are required to pay only the first monthly payt, a security deposit (usually same as monthly payt), and the license fees. the sales tax (which is based on the capitalized value of the vehicle) is actually amortized over the term of the lease in most states. in other words, the taxes are included in the monthly payts.

capitalized cost

essentially the capitalized cost of a new vehicle is the actual price you have agreed to pay for the vehicle.

gross capitalized cost

the gross capitalized cost of a new vehicle includes the selling price of the vehicle (which is the capitalized cost plus acquisition fees, extended warranty, accident & health insurance, dealer le fee, payoff on your trade-in, credit life insurance, gap insurance and any other fees the dealer decides to charge you). buyer beware; that most people really don't ever know what their capitalized cost is because it is buried within the gross capitalized cost and the dealer doesn't actually reveal this number unless he has to. most car deals made at auto dealerships are negotiated on the basis of payt rather than price. this applies to both leasing and purchasing. don't get caught in this trap! make the dealer reveal the selling price for every payt offer he makes you!

adjusted capitalized cost

the adjusted capitalized cost of a new vehicle is the gross capitalized cost minus (-) your down payt, net trade-in amount, rebates, license fees and taxes along with any other deductions given.

depreciation/residual

when purchasing a new vehicle your payts are based on the full value or selling price, plus extended warranty, tax & license, minus (-) rebate, down payt and net trade-in value. however, when you lease a vehicle your payts are based only on the "depreciation or your use" of the vehicle during the entire term of the lease. the depreciation is actually only a portion of the capitalized cost of the vehicle and is determined by the term of the lease, number of miles driven and condition of the vehicle at the end of the lease. the payts on a lease are based on the deprecation money factor (which is a form of interest rate) and the amortized taxes. therefore, you can actually drive a more expensive vehicle with a lower payt if you lease. please note that the depreciation is actually estimated and set at the inception of the lease.

the residual is the portion or balance of the adjusted capitalized cost after the deprecation has been deducted. the residual is just put aside in limbo until the end of the lease. the higher the residual - the lower your monthly payt. at the end of the lease you have two options. you can either turn the vehicle back into the bank or leasing company, or you can buy the vehicle outright for the residual balance. you can even refinance the residual. but keep in mind if you turn in the vehicle with more mileage than allowed on your contract, you will be charged any where from .12¢ to .25¢ for each extra mile. in an auto lease you are limited to a specific number of miles in your lease contact. the average would be from 12,000 to 15,000 miles per year. you may drive any number of miles in any given year but you cannot exceed the number of allotted miles or you will be penalized. if you purchase the vehicle the charge for the extra mileage will normally be waved. most banks and finance companies will allow you to add an extra 15,000 to 20,000 miles to your lease contract depending on the term of the lease. however, the cost of the extra miles will be added to your gross capitalization cost and your monthly payt will be increased accordingly.

ownership

when you have entered into a lease contract you cannot terminate the lease or turn-in your vehicle prior to the ending date of the contract. if you do this the bank will report this as a voluntary repossession on your credit record. on an auto lease the vehicle is actually registered and led to the bank or leasing company. therefore you do not own the vehicle, the bank does. you get to use the vehicle and are legally responsible for the upkeep and maintenance. please note, if you don't maintain the vehicle during the lease you will be penalized for all excessive wear-and-tear when you turn it in. also, if you really needed to get out of your lease you can buy out of the lease if you can get the financing or you can get someone to take over your lease. of course, they will have to qualify.

vehicle warranties

the average new car warranty is 36 months or 36000 miles, which ever s first. it is not recomded that you enter into a 4, 5 or 6 year lease contract because they are not economical. even with a four-year lease it is common for the residual to be higher than the actual value of the vehicle at the end of the lease which makes it very hard to refinance. if you are like a lot of people you can lease a new vehicle every 2 to 3 years and never have to buy an extended warranty. the only time it would be beneficial to buy an extended warranty is if you knew you were going to buy the vehicle outright at the end of the lease.

gap insurance

gap insurance is basically insurance coverage on the difference between the actual value of your vehicle and the balance you owe on the lease including the residual. this kind of protection is needed in case your vehicle is involved in an accident and is declared a total loss. gap insurance is important especially for people who lease vehicles. the lease on a vehicle is actually designed for the balance owed to be upside-down in relation to the actual value of the vehicle until approximately the end date of the lease term. at this time the residual should fall in line or be equal to the vehicle's actual value. gap insurance is good for purchase financing as well. the gap is not as large as in leasing, but you still stand the chance of having to put out a great deal of money.

final advice

remember, there are two main factors you must consider when you are thinking about leasing an automole. the first is how long you intend to keep the vehicle and the second is how many miles you travel annually. if you intend to keep the vehicle a maximum of three years and you only average 15,000 miles a year, then you should definitely consider leasing. if you want to keep the new vehicle for more than three years, you should consider purchasing.

when you lease a vehicle, you very rarely have to put any money down, so lease a new vehicle every two to three years and you won't owe any money on the old vehicle, plus you'll never have to buy an extended warranty. also, you will have spent a ton of money less for each vehicle than if you had purchased them. if you want to keep a vehicle longer just buy it at the end of the lease.

remember, don't let the dealer try to sell you on the basis of payts. negotiate on the price only and when you have agreed on the price then tell them you have a trade-in. when you have agreed to your trade-in value then tell them you want to lease the new vehicle. now you know what to do from here. also, dealerships have a tendency to quote lease payts without the monthly tax. this makes a g difference in the monthly payts. if you don't control this you will be sadly surprised when you go into the finance manager to sign the paperwork. one more thing - when you are signing the lease contract, be sure to verify that the trade-in value you have agreed upon is actually deducted from the capitalized cost. otherwise the dealer could wind up purchasing your trade for pennies and you would never know.

visit my site http://www.autopurchasesecrets.com for more free information on the secrets the dealerships don't want you to know.

about the author

brad spent thirteen years in the automole business, specifically auto sales and worked for several dealerships. he held positions from retail salesman up through new car manager and fleet manager. during this period brad received an excellent education on what goes on inside the automole dealerships. you can visit and communicate with brad at his website http://www.autopurchasese

wel to the penultimate edition of the metal gear solid 4 character countdown! we're roughly a week away from the launch of what's shaping up to be a game of the year contender and the excitet level is officially at fever pitch. before we wrap this article series up, we'll be giving you a break from all the serious stuff.

we've already had a run through such metal gear solid 4: guns of the patriots icons as liquid ocelot, vamp, otacon, roy campbell, the wo of metal gear, raiden, and the patriots. this week, it's time to sit back and have a good laugh.

you probably guessed by now that we were saving solid snake in his faded glory for last, but have you contemplated who heralds his arrival? oh on, you've been calling him out for weeks! due to insistent public demand, let's all give it up for the incredible johnny sasaki!

character history: what makes johnny different from all the other characters featured in the past is the fact that he's not a major one. he has never impacted the storyline in a g way, and his appearances never last for very long. so, why does he deserve his own feature? because to many people who have played the series, he is simply unforgettable.

johnny sasaki was introduced in the first metal gear solid as a soldier in shadow moses who was tricked by meryl and robbed of his uniform. if you can recall a butt-naked fellow who's out cold inside the base, then you've already seen him in his rthday suit.

that wasn't the best part of the sasaki chronicles in mgs1, though. the highlight was having him as a prison guard in between torture sessions with revolver ocelot where he appears as a clothed guard suffering from colds and diarrhea.

tricking him into letting you escape was one of the nicest challenges that kojima brought up. from time to time, he'll leave you alone to rush to the toilet where he does his thing while you listen and plan your prison break via ketchup.

while his name wasn't tioned in-game, it appeared in mgs1's ending credits. the origin of johnny's character was even explained in the metal gear integral expansion release.

it turns out that johnny sasaki was patterned after laid-back mgs1 character model designer hideki sasaki. both apparently were mild-mannered whose other things in common remain unspecified to this day.

in metal gear solid 2, encounters with johnny weren't as up-close as before. there were still two incidents where people can experience his trademark diarrhea attacks, but you'll have to whip out your directional microphones to listen in.

if you missed those two encounters, it's perfectly understandable because they were hidden pretty nicely. don't worry - you don't have to play through the game again. just watch these clips and be n away:

first encounter in mgs2

second encounter in mgs2

that second one where you have to provide cover fire for emma emmerich was particularly hard to spot if you're just playing to finish the game and not hunting for easter eggs. still, it's easily one of the most informative and interesting conversations in the series and no fan should miss it. you'll notice that this sasaki is the same one from the shadow moses crisis, but he seems to be nicer to people now.

it's really cool that konami has allowed johnny to live on because his head was closer to the chopping block than most people realized before mgs2 was released. it was reported that in earlier versions of the game, he was supposed to be a spy for the patriots scheduled to die after contact with raiden. fortunately, richard ames took the bullet for him and we'll be seeing him real soon.

in mgs3, we were treated not only to a meeting with solid snake's predecessor, but also to johnny's own. it was here that we learned more about the sasaki lineage as naked snake came into contact with johnny's grandfather who was serving under col. volgin. the sasakis were apparently from the us originally, but grandpa johnny decided to go red for some reason. the unique digestive disorder that afflicts the sasaki family really goes way back. the older sasaki lets us hear some old school poopin' in the clip below:

johnny's insane survival instincts that saw him through shadow moses and g s seem to have paid off as he's now getting what looks to be his ggest role yet. he'll be back in mgs4 in a g way as he joins meryl's rat patrol team 01 in an unprecedented jump to the side of the good guys. he's been featured in several trailers already and we know it's him because of the trademark voice and hats.

yup, he's still got an uncontrollable tummy, but more than that he's the only member of his squad who doesn't have nanomachines in his body. this makes him immune to liquid ocelot's hijacking of sop systems in soldiers, setting him up for what could be a defining mot in his career.

the johnny sasaki we've seen in mgs4 taking some cqc from old snake seems to be the same one from previous games. he spoke of being a 10-year veteran which snake could barely believe. he'll be getting a new nickname, by the way, and it'll be akiba. that's shorthand for akihabara, the popular japanese district where high-tech gadgets are peddled at the best prices. he was given this moniker because of his fascination with gizmos.

that's about all the time we have for johnny. stand by for more metal gear madness that we'll be bringing you soon.