Urban Views Weekly, January 11, 2017

Jan. 11, 2017

Scholar of the Week - Kedejha Pryor

Calvin McIntyre, Owner and Personal Trainer, Bodies & Beyond Gym and Fitness Center

Personal trainers can play a key role in helping to keep fitness resolutions

Get updates throughout the week

Civic Beat FUNdraising Good Times

Define Your Giving Priorities in 2017 Part One of a Two-Part Series

As 2016 came to a close there was an avalanche of well-crafted requests to give to nonprofits. These came in the U.S. mail and via email. They were on TV, radio, Facebook, Twitter… everywhere! So many were compelling. They combined emotion with facts. They communicated impact. They spoke to us personally. They let us know that our gift – no matter what size – would make a difference.

It can be easy to get caught up in giving because of a pull on your heart-strings, or because your friends or coworkers are giving to a specific nonprofit. Here’s our recommendation: define your giving priorities.

“Your giving makes an impact: you get to define the impact...”

THURSDAY

January 26, 2017 6:30pm-8:30pm

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As fundraising consultants we were impressed. As human beings we knew that our family had only so much we could give. And, we suspect that you – our readers – are not that different. We all want to make a difference, especially in those areas that are important to us on a personal level. And we want to connect to our community, to pool our resources and help transform our neighborhoods and the future for our youth and elders. But there is only so much each can give.

Letter To The Editor

Here are three ways to define your giving and three benefits to doing so.

Three ways to define your giving.

Examine your values as an individual and as a family.

Take time to reflect on your values, write them down, and discuss as a family. Your values should drive your giving. For example, if education is a value you can further refine this to early education, high school mentoring, scholarships, college support, or another aspect of education that is important to you.

The next step is

continues to page 11

If you would like to respond to Viewpoints, your submission should contain your name, a full valid address and a daytime phone number. We cannot acknowledge submitted letters. We reserve the right to edit for accuracy, clarity, legality and taste. E-mail (without attachments) to editor@urbanviewsweekly.com. Mail letters to Editor Urban Views Weekly.

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Urban Views Weekly | January 11, 2017

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The Deal

By Nathaniel Sillin

Resolve to Replace Your Bad Financial Habits Most people have at least one bad financial habit.

Whether it’s impulse shopping, forgetting to pay bills on time or putting off building that emergency fund, balancing what you want to do and what you “should” do is never easy. The new year is the perfect time to identify potential financial weak points and replace bad habits with productive ones.

Start by identifying your bad habits. Sometimes a bad financial habit is easy to identify. For example, there might be a growing stack of bills in the kitchen that you willfully ignore. Others may be subtler, or perhaps they’ve become so ingrained that you do them without thinking twice.

Not sure where to start? Looking through your previous months’ expenses can help you identify expensive trends or one-off purchases that are part of a larger theme. Online or paper bank statements can make this particularly simple.

If you have a budget, you likely already compare projected spending with actual spending on a monthly basis, if not, this might be a good time to start.

• Impulse shopping or “retail therapy.”

• Not keeping track of how much debt you have.

• Taking on debt to pay for something you don’t currently need.

Ultimately, all of these lead to spending more than you earn and in some cases, bad habits can have a cascading effect.

You might recognize a few of these common bad financial habits in your life: • Paying bills after the due date.

• Paying only the minimum required on bills.

• Ignoring bills and letting them go to collections.

• Putting off saving for retirement or for a rainy day.

Try to figure out what’s driving your behavior. You might need to figure out what triggers your behavior and the reward you perceive afterward before you can change a habit. However, triggers and rewards aren’t always obvious.

For example, you might buy big-ticket items when they’re on sale because you want to feel like you’re accomplishing something by “saving” so much. Perhaps you could foster a similar feeling of accomplishment by investing the money in a tax-deferred retirement account Continues to Page 11 and calculating how much it’ll be You are a miracle.

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Urban Views Weekly | January 11, 2017

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ViewPoints

By Dr. T

Watch What You Say… Actions speak louder than words, is an ageold idiom that has huge significance when taken to heart. Some may look at it as a rather cliché expression, but in these days and times it speaks volumes. My grandmother would always say it this way, “Watch what you say because I’m sure gonna SEE what you Do!” The utter truth of those words ring crystal clear once you have invested your time, energy and trust in someone who completely disappoints you because what they said did not match up with what they actually ended up doing. There were all of the promises of things that were to come, big plans about what was going to happen with proposals and visions galore, but when the time came for the actualization of those promises to materialize…nothing happened. Nada. Zippo. Epic nothingness. The disappointment begins to evolve into feelings of betrayal and then resentment because the trust you invested was denigrated seemingly without a thought or acknowledgement of any accountability. You are left holding the empty promises feeling foolish for having trusted in the promises made or in the person who made them.

in hopes of some kind of reconciliation and take on the risk of being misunderstood or worse blamed for ever trusting them in the first place.

None of these are good options. And yet, being human and imperfect as all human beings are, we could just forgive them.

We could choose to forgive them because, had we so offended someone we cared for or violated their trust whether intentional or not, we would want to be forgiven. We would hope to receive that same benefit of the doubt and not be completely cut off and utterly cast aside. We would want to be given another chance to restore our reputation and fractured integrity within that relationship or community. When we forgive we release ourselves from holding on to pain, doubt and misunderstanding. We then give ourselves the freedom, the liberty to heal from our injuries, to begin the process of recovery rather than staying in those uncomfortable, life-draining spaces. We can let go of bitterness, doubt, and resentment and move on with our lives recognizing the past but not allowing it to stop us or keep us in bondage.

“....simply DO what you say you’re gonna DO or don’t SAY anything at all.”

How to recover from the great disappointment we often We must remember to be careful of where we put our feel when we put our belief in certain people? How do trust. Ultimately, we cannot control what other people do we move beyond the letdown we are now experiencing or don’t do and sometimes we inadvertently set ourselves because of the hope we had in those we trusted or belief up for disappointment. Remember people are fallible and in people we ascribed with tremendous integrity or will, at times, disappoint you. Don’t dwell on that point character? We could retreat from everybody altogether; or you might become afraid of allowing yourself to be hold on to the growing resentment until it turns into vulnerable or authentically human. Just recognize all you bitterness and anger that can do is watch what you begins to eat away at us say…cuz other folks are Tawnya Pettiford-Wates, Ph.D. from the inside out. We SEEING what you DO! could avoid placing our Let your WORD be true Founder and Artistic Director trust in people from here to who you are…simply The Conciliation Project and Associate Professor on out! We could confront DO what you say you’re Virginia Commonwealth University the person or people gonna DO or don’t SAY DrT@Margins2theCenter.com | www.theconciliationproject.org with the betrayal we feel anything at all.

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Urban Views Weekly | January 11, 2017

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Hidden in Plain Sight! Math Heroes Amongst Us.

By Dr. Hollee Freeman, Director, MathScience Innovation Center

It seems as though we are on the cusp of another great space race.

Countries are vying for rights to colonize Mars and are placing their bets on who will be the first to go there.

South African-born engineer, inventor and founder of Shelia Scott SpaceX Elon Musk and many others are using their considerable resources to change our very humanity. For these innovators, interplanetary life through a human colony on Mars is unavoidable and all but ensures that humans never face extinction.

colleagues, shared the story of how she came to love math. I knew instantly that I wanted to write about her story.

This renewed interest in life outside of our planet is timely given the recent death of Astronaut, engineer and Statesman John Glenn, who was the first American to orbit the Earth, circling three times! Even more timely is the movie, Hidden Figures, where we will be able to not only relive amazing moments in space travel but also get a glimpse into the contribution that three African-American women played in the success of John Glenn’s mission. This one event, singlehandedly, boosted the morale of the United States, showed us as competent and qualified competitors in the great Space Race and brought the eyes of the world to our doorstep.

Freeman: What is one of your earliest memories doing math?

The lives of the women mathematicians working at NASA who made this and other space travel events possible–Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson–in many ways reflect the lives of our current female mathematical heroes, whether they work for NASA or for the Richmond Public School system.

One such math hero is Shelia Scott. I met Principal Scott several years ago, before her retirement, when she was the Instructional Leader at Miles Jerome Jones Elementary School in the southside of Richmond City. Principal Scott invited me to serve as a member of her school’s Strategic Planning Team.

During the Strategic Planning Team session, Principal Scott, who was highly regarded by her staff and

Many years later, I am able to tell a portion of the Principal Scott’s math story, in honor of her and the mathematicians that helped to send Astronaut John Glenn into space and the countless young mathematicians that we see in schools every day.

Freeman: Where did you get your love of math?

Scott: I grew up on a farm where my father was a sharecropper. I got my love of math from my father, who was a math wizard. He could figure out how many pounds of fertilizer per acre were needed for his crops without even using paper and pencil. Our success in school was very important to my parents. Every night after dinner, mom would have us all sitting around the dining room table to get our homework done or just to study. As we did our homework, my father would always make time to come to the table to give us his assistance with the math problems. He just had a knack for it.

Scott: When I was little, I can remember my father counting with us as we played games. We would skip count by all numbers just for fun as we worked in the fields on the farm.

My father would ask us simple things such as, “What makes 10?” He would go around the table and no one could repeat a fact combination. He would continue, “How many 6’s are in 12? What makes a dozen? How many ounces are in a pound?

How many cookies do I need so all of you can get 2 a piece?”

We would all try to be the one that could give the

correct answer first. We laughed, gave high fives and cheered.

It was so much fun and we always looked forward to this fun time together. Even after working hard on the farm all day, he made time for us during study time. We always wanted to make him proud and show him how well we could do math in our heads. With a 6th grade education, my father made math fun and we all learned to love it!

Freeman: When did you know that you loved math?

Scott: I knew early on that I loved math. I excelled in it all through school. I loved to figure things out differently. In grade school, I learned things by heart and not by using my fingers. I took great pride in using mental math all the time.

Freeman: Tell me about your work in Richmond Public Schools?

Scott: I came to RPS at the beginning of my fourth year of teaching by the way of an opening for a Title One (Chapter One at that time) Math Teacher position in 1978. My job was to work with the students who scored below 40th percentile on the state assessment. I taught math for 19 years. It was a pivotal time in education as changes were being made around the idea to teach mathematics. The new “hands-on” concept was right down my alley! Using some of my father’s techniques, I would ask my students, “What makes 8?” Then I would ask, “Okay, so what makes 100?” Kids started to enjoy the way that we did math. We made up chants, clapped beats for times tables, sang songs, and wrote about math. I accepted answers as long as the students could rationally explain how they came up with the answer. Those who were skeptical about their abilities in math, soon began to enjoy it.

Teaching math was my passion. Even before STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics) was STEM, I was cooking in the classroom with my students. I even wrote a grant for the Virginia Department of Education to make math kits for the kids to take home so parents could do fun math activities with them at home. These activities came with a journal so that students and their families could write about what they were doing.

Fairfield Middle School students at Girls in Math Day at MathScience Innovation Center show off calculators given by Capital One

During this time, I also had a part-time job with the Adult Career Development Center. The ACDC needed a math teacher for the students who were trying to obtain their GED. I worked with them for several years at night. Since I had always worked with elementary children, this gave me an opportunity to impress upon older students the joy of becoming successful with math.

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Urban Views Weekly | January 11, 2017

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A Healthier, Happie Every January, local gyms see a surge in new member doesn’t matter if you’re stepping foot into the gym for the registrations. Heading into the new year ready to become first time or have limited mobility; your trainer develops a a newer version of themselves, regimen that meets you exactly we see men and women set goals where you are and helps you hit to be leaner, or more muscular, your target head-on. or faster and stronger. You name it, they’re aiming for it.

Calvin McIntyre, Owner and Unfortunately, by February, the Personal Trainer at Bodies & new member registrations drop.

Beyond Gym & Fitness Center, The line for the treadmill returns has served the Petersburg and to its normal length, and the surrounding areas for 16 years, walk from the parking lot and assisting clients of all ages and into the gym isn’t as long and abilities to live their healthiest frigid. Like clockwork, people lives through both personal give up on their resolution to and group training. Aside from make the gym a priority and the incredible bodily change it reach new heights in their fitness brings about, McIntyre believes journey. Why is this? Why do personal training serves as the Calvin McIntyre people who’ve set the goal to best educational tool when improve their lives through physical fitness throw in the embarking on a new fitness journey. towel so early on?

“If you don’t have any knowledge about working out, This year, commit to living your healthiest life and personal training educates you about what’s going on,” sticking to the goals you’ve set for yourself. Find the he explains. “It’s very easy to get lost in the gym. There’s gyms, trainers, and fitness regimens that not only make so much equipment that you’re eventually just grabbing working out enjoyable, but will encourage a sustainable machines and working on the same body part. Personal lifestyle change. Not sure where to start in your quest to training educates you and helps you put together a routine make your life great and your body healthy? We’ve got you for yourself. Gyms can get intimidating, so when it comes covered. to those just starting out, personal training is the way First, ask yourself: “What do to go.”

I want to achieve?” Do you want to sculpt your body? Are Another benefit of personal you looking to lose weight? training? A built-in Maybe you’re being proactive in accountability buddy. combating hereditary diseases Embarking on a more active like diabetes or hypertension. lifestyle with a friend who’s Whatever the reason, first also a complete novice can establish your goal and then be a slippery slope; one decide on a course of action. person falling off can derail the entire operation. Personal For those looking to sculpt your trainers look for you to be body, personal training is an there and keep you on track McIntyre puts a member’s strength to the test until you’re able to go off on excellent option. The one-onone, personal component ensures your own. They’re training that your goals and individual needs are at the forefront wheels, if you will, who teach proper form, provide vital of each training session, with an individual program information, and equip you with all the information dedicated to you and only you. With personal training, it you need to sustain the lifestyle long after your sessions 6

Urban Views Weekly | January 11, 2017

“...your workout pro and should fit your sc are over. They also help you manage expectations while maximizing your potential.

For those who gravitate more towards group activity, group fitness classes are an excellent option, as members can enjoy exercising without the added pressure of being the focal point.

Donovan Woolridge, Ace Personal Trainer & Wellness Coach at the Manchester YMCA, notices that more introverted gym members prefer the anonymity that comes with larger group fitness classes.

“In my experience, more reserved members gravitate towards the group classes,” he says. “They’re able to disguise themselves among other participants without abandoning

er You–It’s Possible!

by Janna M. Hall

build relationships with members who share common goals and can hold you accountable. Exercising with buddies, whether inside a class or out, keeps you focused on your goals and keeps you a part of something bigger than yourself; you’re contributing to others’ success as they contribute to yours.

Once you’ve established your goals and chosen the course of action you’d best like to take, decide which gym is the right one for you. Are you looking for a smaller, more intimate center or do you think the larger facility is more your speed?

Decide the type of workout atmosphere that would help you thrive best before committing to one. Both have their perks.

ogram is about you, chedule and abilities.” their fitness goals. Each person’s level of comfortability with being in the spotlight is often what determines whether they choose personal training or the group classes we offer.”

Classes are also a great option for those who prefer to work at their own pace. While the instructor typically sets the pace, most provide modified versions of the workouts. Regardless of the class type, you’re able to move at the speed and intensity you’re most comfortable with, and your overall health will improve thanks to a steady aerobic routine that keeps you up and active regularly.

Group classes also allow you to

certain amount of cardio, larger gyms allow you to alternate between all the machines they carry. You need variety to spice it up. It’s like dieting—eventually you get to a point where you’re like, I can’t eat another boiled egg! I need more options!”

For example, if you’re in between sessions with your trainer, you can take a day to enjoy a Zumba class or step aerobics. You can cool down with the evening Yoga class. If you’re on a budget and would like to create your own program without a personal trainer, you have the equipment to do so.

Johnson has seen gym members over the years customize their Donovan Woolridge Smaller gyms provide a level of intimacy and own workout schedules, doing (Top), Jalisa Johnson attention that you may need to kick-start your free weights on Mondays, workout journey. Like with Bodies & Beyond and other Wednesdays, and Fridays and taking aerobics classes on boutique fitness centers, the training is extremely handsTuesdays and Thursdays. on. You often get the ear of the owner or—in their case— trained by the owner. Even better, everyone knows you Above all, your workout program is about you, and should by name and may even be aware of your goals; you’re so fit your schedule and abilities. Don’t fall into the thinking much more than a key swipe at the front desk. that there’s only one way to be active and a “one size fits all” approach to living a healthier life. You owe it to At the same token, larger gyms provide a similar level of yourself to live a healthy life that you enjoy. familiarity. While you may not have the ear of every staff member, your frequent attendance will render you a familiar face, and you’ll begin developing a tribe of your own, from front desk staff to wellness coaches.

Jalisa Johnson, M.S., Certified Personal Trainer serving the Chester and Colonial Heights areas, has years of experience training clients in larger fitness centers.

She believes that while more intimate facilities provide undeniable perks, large gyms offer those same perks, plus more.

“In my experience, clients like large gyms because they prevent you from getting bored,” she explains. “After a while, you feel like, I’ve already done this workout. So if your program calls for a www.UrbanViewsWeekly.com

7

Cervical Cancer: Guard Against a Silent Killer Often there are no symptoms of cervical cancer, so by the time it is detected, it has spread and is difficult to treat. But cervical cancer is preventable through the HPV vaccine and regular Pap tests. The HPV vaccine protects against the HPV virus, which causes most cervical cancers. Pap tests can find precancers that can be removed, stopping cervical cancer before it starts.

Learn more at MasseyCervicalCancer.com

Expand your network and Grow your business.

Central Virginia African American Chamber of Commerce

8

Urban Views Weekly | January 11, 2017

www.CVAACC.org

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Living the Dream in 2017 A panel discussion on Economics and Black Wealth

TanyaFree.com/ Urban Views Weekly Poll The Affordable Care Act appears to be on the chopping block fulfilling a Republican promise to repeal and replace. Viewing Obamacare as a disaster, repealing it will be the first order of business, according to Vice President-Elect Pence, even though Republicans disagree on what a replacement health care program would look like.

What’s your take? Do you support the repeal of The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act known as “Obamacare”?

Check out the story and respond to this week’s poll at TanyaFree.com and the Urban Views Weekly FACEBOOK Page. Listen to the Tanya Free and Friends Talk Show Wednesdays @ 2pm on WCLM1450AM streaming LIVE @ TanyaFree.com and BlackTalkRadioNetwork.com. You can now watch us LIVE at TanyaFree.com and ustream.tv

This year, as the nation honors the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Howard University Alumni Club of Richmond and the Ebenezer Baptist Church College Ministry are coming together to sponsor a community discussion on the influence of economic power in the black community.

Jackson Ward was known as “Black Wall Street” in Richmond, VA prior to the 1950s. Black businesses thrived in this community and now there are few remaining black businesses in the Jackson Ward area. How do blacks in Richmond regroup and

build a community of black economic empowerment to enrich the culture in our rapidly changing city?

Panel guests will seek to answer these questions, and more at “Living the Dream in 2017”, taking place Tuesday, January 17th, at 7 p.m. at Ebenezer Baptist Church, 216 W. Leigh Street, Richmond, VA 23220.

This community discussion is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Amie McLain Carter at amie.j.mclain@gmail.com.

Let’s talk about growing your business.

Ask us how: (804) 441-6255 Follow us! www.UrbanViewsWeekly.com

Urban Views Weekly | January 11, 2017

9

Scholar of the Week

Kedejha Pryor of John Marshall High School

GPA: 3.3 College(s) of Interest: Virginia State University Major Community Service: VCU basketball games concession stands and local Recreation Center Strong Interests: Nursing and cheerleading Favorite Activities: Cheering, cooking, listening to music and working

By Janeal Downs

One thing that Kedejha Pryor has been interested in ever since she was a little girl is cheering. Not only does she enjoy the sport, but she noticed that since going to high school and joining John Marshall’s cheer squad, being a cheerleader has kept her out of a lot of trouble. “A lot of people looked at me as a leader because I was captain a lot of times and I’m captain now,” Kedejha said about her experience. “So it was something that I felt like I needed to do to keep my head focused.” From being a captain and serving in a leadership position, Kedejha has learned how important it is to hear other people’s point of view and how any learning experience can be beneficial for the team.

Kedejha loves cheering so much that she hopes to continue after high school by cheering in college.

Her top choice is Virginia State University. Originally, she had a big interest in pursuing a career in nursing. “I hate seeing people down and out, basically sad and hurt, so that’s what influences me to become a RN in the future,” Kedejha wrote in an essay. She would be interested in working with all age groups, but she particularly respects elders. She first experienced caring for others when she helped care for her grandmother. Whether it was helping her eat, get out of bed or go to the restroom, Kedejha was one of the people there to help her grandmother.

“I played a big role in that before she passed away,” she said.

Though she originally wanted to pursue nursing, if she attends VSU, Kedejha will pursue another degree related to the health field. She is also considering pursuing pharmacy. Other schools

she has applied to and is considering include Old Dominion University, Hampton University and Radford University.

Outside of preparing for college and cheering, Kedejha plays softball and has been considering volleyball for her last year of high school. She also works part-time; an experience she said taught her how important it is to put your responsibilities first.

In regards to volunteer work, she has gone with her cheer squad to a local recreation center where they have helped the children put together fun and concise cheers. She has also volunteered to work the concession stands at college basketball games.

One of Kedejha’s biggest inspirations in life is her mother.

Watching her mother be a hard working woman and the single parent to six children is one of the reasons why she’s an inspiration. As the oldest, Kedejha knows how much her mother is looking forward to her graduating high school, going to college and pursuing her dreams.

With the support of her mother, Kedejha is looking forward to pursuing a career in the health field. “I love to see people smile, I love to be the one who puts a smile on everyone’s face,” she stated. “Or even be the reason they visit the doctor for a checkup or to get shots without hesitation.” Whether she goes into nursing, pharmacy or another direction in the health field, Kedejha said her number one goal is to work hard and be something in life.

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Urban Views Weekly | January 11, 2017

Do you know a High School Senior who can meet the following criteria?

1. Have a 3.0 grade point average or better 2. Participates in extracurricular community service activities 3. Attends public school in Central Virginia Go to UrbanViewsWeekly.com for application and details.

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FUNdraising from page 2

to learn which nonprofits fit with your online gift, or a check you write. values, and to research them. Look online using GuideStar.org or your state Benefits of defining your giving attorney general’s webpage. These provide priorities. information about nonprofit programs, When you define your giving priorities finances, board leadership, mission and you can make an impact that is in line more. You can also phone a nonprofit and with your values. You can give on your talk with someone about their work. Make terms without having a “giving hangover.” a visit and observe the nonprofit in action, And you can be comfortable when saying or attend a public event. Check out their “yes” and when saying “no.” website and social media, and talk with people you know and trust to see if they Your giving makes an impact: you get to know of the nonprofit and its work. define the impact that your giving makes both on nonprofits and your budget.

After you decide which nonprofits you want to give to, determine how much Copyright 2017 – Mel and Pearl Shaw you are able to give. Once you know the Mel and Pearl Shaw are authors of four amount decide if you will give monthly, books on fundraising available on Amazon. every paycheck, or perhaps once a year. com. For help growing your fundraising Put in place a system for actual giving that visit www.saadandshaw.com, or call (901) works for you. It could be an automatic 522-8727. withdrawal from a bank account, an Shelia Scott from page 5

Freeman: What was your biggest joy as principal?

Scott: I was a principal for twelve years and every day, I loved going to classrooms and working alongside teachers, often sharing some of my little tricks of the trade to help the students understand a difficult math concept. This helped the teachers learn new concepts, as well as allow me to work with students. I conducted many in-house staff development trainings with teachers and I presented at many local, state and national math conferences. My main focus was mental math and hands-on learning. I related math to everyday situations and told the participants how important it is for them to see the importance of math in everything that they do. My former students continued to come back to the school years later to relate how much they enjoyed math.

Freeman: What are your tips for families?

Scott: It is important for families to instill

a sense of joy of learning math skills at an early age. When you are going to the store, let the kids see you weighing the produce.

Ask them how much does this cabbage cost per pound? Allow them to compare items to determine which item is lighter and which is heavier. Even before your children enter pre-school, have them sit in the kitchen with you while you are cooking. Do not tell your children that you are not good at math! Make learning what it should be for children: Exciting. Let them explore! It’s how you present the subject that really makes the difference. If you are excited, children will be excited as well.

As we celebrate the three brilliant mathematicians who helped get a person on the Moon, let’s also celebrate our local heroes as well. Thank you, Shelia Scott, for your inspiration. Who knows? The first person to inhabit Mars may be sitting in a classroom at Miles Jerome Jones Elementary School right now.

Central Virginia African American Chamber of Commerce www.UrbanViewsWeekly.com

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The Deal from page 8

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Aim for these healthy financial habits. What habits should you try to adopt? Budgeting is certainly a worthy activity, but also consider the following mix of behaviors and specific objectives that can help keep your finances in order.

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• Pay bills on time. In addition to avoiding late-payment fees, making on-time payments is one of the most important factors in determining your credit score.

• Make paying down debt a priority. Rather than accruing interest, make a point to pay down debts as quickly as possible.

• Build and maintain an emergency fund. Having three to six months’ worth of living expenses in savings can help cushion the blow from a financial or personal setback. You could start with a goal to put $1,000 aside and then build towards the full emergency fund.

• Save for retirement. You can put aside a percentage of your income for retirement and invest the money within a tax-advantage account, such as a 401(k) or IRA. Find a comfortable contribution amount to start with, and then try to increase it at least once during the year.

• Plan your large purchases. To help prevent impulse shopping from draining your budget, resolve to wait at least one day before buying anything that costs over $100 (or whatever amount makes sense for your budget). If you know there’s a large purchase coming up, start saving early by setting a little money aside from each paycheck.

You might consider asking others for input during this process. Especially if you’re having trouble identifying a bad habit or finding the motivation to change, sometimes an outside perspective can help.

Bottom line: Make a resolution to replace your bad financial habits with healthy ones this year. Start by identifying the habits you want to change and trying to figure out the trigger and reward that surround the behavior. Then, try to replace that behavior with something positive. After identifying and trying to change your personal financial habits, you might want to consider the financial practices you share with a spouse or significant other.

Nathaniel Sillin directs Visa’s financial education programs.

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Urban Views Weekly | January 11, 2017

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Urban Views Weekly | January 11, 2017

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