So why do I LOVE Digsby?

So why do I LOVE Digsby?

1) Multi-Protocol IM: Do you have friends, family, co-workers and contacts using multiple IM clients like AIM/AOL, YIM/Yahoo, MSN/Windows Messenger, Google Talk, ICQ, Facebook Chat, Myspace Chat and/or Jabber? Do YOU use more than one client of those IM networks to communicate? What if you could combine the same person that uses more than one service (say YIM or AIM and Facebook) into one contact listing?

2) Social Networking: Do you use Facebook, Myspace, Twitter or LinkedIn? Do you like to stay on top of notifications and feeds (and only those you select) and be able to respond or post easily?

3) Email: Do you use another client (like Outlook or Thunderbird) to notify you of new email messages or like being able to delete, mark as read or mark as spam on the fly? Would it be nice to compose an email straight from an IM message window? Would you like to be notified of emails from free services (like Yahoo! & AOL) that won’t link with your PIM client unless you pay for their premium service?

4) Search: Do you like to search on Google, Wikipedia, Bing, eBay, Amazon, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, iTunes, OneRiot or Technorati quickly and easily?

5) Interface: Do you like an IM client than you can change the skin on, the look of the IM windows, customize notifications, enable to auto-dock and auto-hide?

6) Twitter: Are you interested in a kick-ass Twitter client or currently use an external client for Twitter? Would you like your Tweets to be in chronological (rather than reverse) order to make them easier to follow? Would you also like to create Twitter “groups” to organize those that you follow like you have with the “lists” feature on the Twitter website? Would you like an auto-suggest/auto-fill feature when attempting to tweet someone you are following, but can’t quite recall their exact user name?

7) Status Updates: Would you like to be able to set your status across multiple Social Networks and/or IM Client Networks from one place?

Three important caveats to using Digsby:

1) If you are on an Apple/Mac, Linux/Ubuntu or any NON-Windows PC then Digsby is, as of yet, unavailable. Other excellent options include Trillian, Pidgin/Adium or simply web-based Meebo or mobile-based Nimbuzz.

2) If you use IRC a lot then Digsby also, as of yet, does not support that protocol. Again try Trillian or Pidgin/Adium… both excellent choices.

3) If you are on Windows, don’t use or care about IRC and are interested in installing Digsby be VERY careful upon installation to check and untick any options Digsby might attempt to install toolbars, spyware, “news feeds” or idle bandwidth for SETI projects if you don’t want them. Sadly this is one of their ways of funding the software.

http://www.digsby.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16grAzndW9w

TOP FINANCIAL WEBSITES

The Following Sites are More Academic and Less Media:

1) https://www.annualcreditreport.com/

2) http://www.bankrate.com/

3) http://www.cardratings.com/

4) http://www.choosetosave.org/

5) http://www.federalreserveeducation.org

6) http://www.investopedia.com/

7) http://www.irs.gov/

8) http://www.lendingtree.com/

9) http://www.savingforcollege.com/

10) http://www.socialsecurity.gov/



Very good site for financial management: http://www.mint.com/



The Following Sites Are More Media, But Still Useful:

1) http://www.pbs.org/nbr/

2) http://www.suzeorman.com/

3) http://www.daveramsey.com/

4) http://www.morningstar.com/

5) http://www.smartmoney.com/

6) http://www.kiplinger.com/

7) http://money.cnn.com/

8) http://www.marketwatch.com/

9) http://www.businessweek.com/

10) http://www.ft.com/home/us

I avoided mentioning the Wall Street Journal directly as they have recently migrated to a pay only site.

From Dave Ramsey's Website: "Start a Legacy Drawer"

Part three in our series of getting your life organized is about the Legacy Drawer. If you've listened to Dave for any amount of time, you've heard him talk about the Legacy Drawer. So what is it? Basically, it's a drawer that houses all of the important information your family needs in case something happens to you. Preparing for when you are no longer here is not a fun task, but it's crucial to do this for your family.

Every household needs a Legacy Drawer. It doesn't matter if you're single with no kids or 76 and have 12 grandkids—you need a Legacy Drawer. It's the last gift you will give your family, so make it a good one. If you truly care about your loved ones, you will take the time to create a Legacy Drawer.

The drawer should be somewhere in your home and contain everything your spouse or family needs to know if you aren't around—anything that has to do with your financial life should be in that drawer. You must organize it in a way that anyone can find a specific document in 30 seconds. All files should be clearly marked, in order, and easy for a grieving family member to find. There's no need to go into extreme detail when creating your Legacy Drawer. Simply include the appropriate documents in an easy-to-understand format, and you're good to go!

We recommend that your Legacy Drawer contain 11 things. Although it may seem daunting to gather all of this material together, you will be happy you did once the Legacy Drawer is created:

1. Cover Letter. This is simply a letter stating the purpose of the Legacy Drawer. Nothing fancy, just a way to introduce your loved ones to the contents of the drawer.


2. Will & Estate Plans. All information pertaining to your will and estate, including names of the executor and Power of Attorney should be located in one file.


3. Financial Accounts. Anything that has money in it and your name on it should be listed in the Legacy Drawer. This includes account names, amount and account numbers.


4. Funeral Instructions. All details and specifications for funeral plans should be listed so the family can fulfill your wishes. If you are married, you need one for you and one for your spouse.


5. Insurance Policies. All insurance information, including health, car, disability, term life, etc., should be combined into one single document for easy reference. List the type of insurance, who the policy is for, contact information and policy numbers.


6. Important Documents. Any legal or other important documents you have should be noted in the file. This includes deeds, birth certificates, Social Security cards and titles.


7. Legacy Letters. Since the intention behind the Legacy Drawer is to keep your legacy going after you've passed away, it's a great idea to include letters to your loved ones.


8. Monthly Budget. Add a copy of your written budget, so your spouse or loved ones know how to operate your household once you're gone. This will help your family keep track of bills and focus on more important things.


9. Tax Returns. Keeping tax returns in your Legacy Drawer is like an insurance policy for yourself in the event that you get audited from the IRS. Hopefully you never have to pull them out, but if you do, at least you are prepared.


10. Safe Deposit Box. Keep copies of all your Legacy Drawer papers in a safe deposit box—you can never be too careful. Include information in your Legacy Drawer on where your safe deposit box is and who has access to it.


11. Passwords. Write down all passwords, combinations, usernames and PIN numbers. This information allows your loved ones access to any documents, money or information that is left when you are gone.

If you put your mind to it, you can create your Legacy Drawer in 30 days! It's tedious to gather all of the documents and paperwork that goes into the drawer, but it's a necessary task in order to protect you and your family.