How Can Colorado Certified Divorce Financial Analysts (CDFA’s) Help You During Your Divorce
In today’s economy, it is more important than ever to explore and understand the outcomes and potential pitfalls of various settlement options. All members of a Certified Divorce Financial Analysts group are also Certified Financial Planners and are uniquely qualified to help with most financial issues that may arise during your divorce in Colorado.
These issues may be as simple as the basics of creating a household budget to more complex issues such as:
1 – Calculating the impact of income tax on maintenance for both parties,
2 – Calculating the impact of maintenance on income tax for both parties
3 – Dividing pension plans,
4 – Continuing health insurance coverage, and Splitting stock options.
CDFA’s are trained to act as your financial advocate, or when working with couples, as your neutral expert. Some members of Certified Divorce Financial Analysts groups in Colorado are also experienced in mediation services and are professional mediators registered with the Colorado Council of Mediators.
Along with earning the Certified Financial Planner designation, all members have graduated from the Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts and must complete extensive annual continuing education in the areas of divorce, taxation, and finances.
Divorcing couples find it immensely helpful to have a financial expert providing them with information to make better decisions. Moreover, people who have a mediator mediate their divorces are more likely to abide by the terms of their settlement because they have contributed and have helped create the arrangement and settlement.
Having a divorce financial analyst plus a mediator can help turn a traditionally unpleasant occurrence into a less costly, win-win situation for both spouses.
In addition, the cost of your divorce in Colorado depends primarily upon the complexity of your financial situation and the ability or inability for you and your spouse to work together to agree to the terms of your settlement. A CDFA can help with calculating all the costs and can help find a financial solution that works for all.
In Colorado, the majority of couples go through the divorce process, “pro se,” meaning without legal representation. Because the parties are entering into a contractual agreement, obtaining financial guidance before agreements are finalized is critical.
The fees that a CDFA helps identify for you include: Court filing fees, Mediation and/or fees for divorce financial consultation, Business and property valuations, (as needed), Agreement review by attorneys, and Preparation of a Qualified Domestic Relations Order (if dividing pensions and some retirement plans).
The cost of your Colorado divorce depends on the amount of time the professional is working with you on your case, both in meetings, in the analysis of financial data and in drafting the final Agreement.
While it may be difficult to estimate what your particular divorce will cost, working with a mediator and/or a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst will be a fraction of the cost as compared to a case litigated in court.
R Bathallo states that the services of the Colorado Divorce Financial Analysts (CDFA’s) of http://www.coloradodivorce.org provide affordable divorce mediation and financial divorce consulting services for the entire Colorado Front Range (Boulder, Denver, Arapahoe, Summit, Eagle).
A Primer For Parenting Success
Parenting can be hell. Think about it. Parenting requires an adult to “control” and “correct” a child’s natural impulses and desires, for at least eighteen years! “Don’t do what you want, do what I say because I know best.” Good luck! This dynamic inevitability results in conflict, frustration and strained relations.
There is nothing in life that gives more pleasure or a greater sense of purpose than being a parent. There certainly are unparalleled joys in being a parent, but parenting itself can be hell.
In contrast with the very real challenges of parenting are the idealized images that culture imposes upon our collective psyche. Images of super-nurturers, unfailingly patient and wise, always understanding and never losing their cool; always knowing what to say or do. Sound familiar? This is embedded in art, advertising, music, books, movies, and television. It’s even in those “mushy” greeting cards that children give parents on Mother’s/Father’s Day, thereby perpetuating the myth. Consider the typical Mother’s Day card and the more realistic version.
** A Typical Mother’s Day Card **
Dearest Mom,
Words cannot express my thankfulness for all
that you have done. Your unending patience,
understanding and ability to make us laugh
through the tough times, taught me so much.
While no one deserves a parent as perfect as you,
I can only count my blessings and say…
Have a wonderful Mother’s Day!
** A Realistic Mother’s Day Card **
Mom-
Remember when I would do stuff that drove you nuts and
how crazy you got?
I mean like those times I would push your buttons and
your neck veins would pop out?
Remember?
Anyway I do love you and appreciate most of what you
did for me, but we sure had some wacky times when
I was growing up.
Have a wonderful Mother’s Day, you deserve it!
***
We internalize the myths of the perfect parent, developing unrealistic expectations of our parenting experience and ourselves as parents. As a result, parenthood not only supplies us with immense challenge, frustration and failure, but offers tremendous guilt as well! What a deal! This brings us to a large step towards becoming a more effective parent:
Go easy on yourself! Parenting is an impossible job to always do well!
As parents, the best you can do is to try to screw-up less and enhance your emotional survival while enduring the challenges of parenthood. This is a very important point. The “goal” of being a good parent is to try and screw up less. It’s impossible not to make mistakes because no one can always be successful at parenting. What’s really crucial is being more realistic about the rigors of parenthood and open to more effective parenting techniques.
If you’re like most people, you probably have a neighbor or acquaintance who appears to have an idyllic family existence: Smiling parents with obedient children, who seem effortlessly in control. Now that is abnormal! I bet that behind closed doors, there are problematic things going on; Dad’s a cross-dresser or perhaps Mom’s on heavy doses of Prozac. It’s normal for family life to be a series of struggles and challenges. I’ve never met anyone, child or adult, who gave their parents “straight A’s” on their parenting report cards. That’s why we all strive to be better parents than ours were. Of course, it’s not long before we find ourselves saying the very things to our children that we hated hearing our parents say to us!
The key is to focus less on your parental imperfections and mistakes, while putting more emphasis on your efforts to improve your parenting skills thereby increasing the positive experiences of parenthood. Book will provide you with some of the tools necessary to do just that. The simple fact that you are reading this is an indication that you care about your parenting skills and want to improve them. That in itself deserves recognition and entitles you to some sense of self-satisfaction. As we will see, it’s natural for all of us to emphasize the negative and minimize the positive. It is very important, however, that you make a conscious effort to shift this pattern as it relates to your self-perceptions as a parent. Revel in your accomplishments and try to learn from your mistakes. Go easy on yourself.
It is also important to take care of yourself as a parent. This is especially true for at-home parents. It is quite common for working parents to underestimate the difficulties endured by at-home parents. They’re little kids, what’s the big deal? Being at home all day, everyday with your children can be a very stressful, tedious and draining experience. Here’s a cute story t illustrate:
A daughter was born in late May. The industrious wife returned to work after just three weeks, despite a six week paid maternity leave. At the time the husband, a school psychologist had the summer off. Given that he was a child “expert”, who’s better suited to take care of the newborn than he! He frequently videotaped the daughter that first summer. He didn’t watch the tape until the fall and when he did it was a great documentary of the child’s early development and the emotional deterioration of the parent! By late August, he was making finger puppets into the camera and she wasn’t even in the room!
That’s why parents are advised, especially at-home parents, to take care of themselves as part of improving their overall parenting.
As a parent, you need to make time for yourself and relax by doing something that you enjoy. Even if it’s just a couple of hours a week. Otherwise you’re not going to have the endurance to handle all of the ongoing stresses of parenting. If not for yourself, do it for your child.
An overly stressed parent cannot be as effective and will lose their temper more often and make poorer disciplinary decisions. Similarly, it is important for parents to rediscover dating. Going out for a nice evening together to relax, and getting to know each other again is very important, even if it’s just once a month. It’s not being selfish, it’s being smart.
Taking better care of yourself will help you to take better care of your children.
Richard Barthallo’s life experiences with his children has given him keen insight on resolving parenting/children conflicts. Personal metal health, family life including teen depression are other areas that parenting affects.
Electrical Codes – Each Room Has Different Requirements
Electrical codes are in place to protect you, the homeowner. These general guidelines apply to new installations and will give you the basics of what electrical inspectors are looking for and what you need to know. Be sure to check with your local electrical inspector because local electrical codes may vary from the list provided. In the case of existing housing, the codes will apply if you are updating a home, and it requires an electrical update. You should also think of up-dating the wiring in your home if it is old and unsafe and it has become a danger to your family. Faulty wiring has caused many fires and even fatalities.
Bathrooms use a lot of power and may need more than one circuit. Mainly, because you may have a curling iron, razor, hairdryer, and the combination light, fan, and heater all running at the same time. The combination fan, light, and heater should have its own 20-amp circuit. Likewise, the outlet should have its own 20-amp circuit. All outlets in bathrooms should be GFCI’s. Light fixtures should be covered with lenses or globes and moisture resistant if placed in a shower or tub area.
A kitchen should have a separate circuit for each appliance with a motor. The microwave, refrigerator, garbage disposal, and dishwasher would be the major appliances included. Generally, the code requires that you install a minimum of two receptacle circuits in the area above the counter top. An electric range, cook top, or oven must be wired to a dedicated 240-volt circuit.
The living room areas and bedrooms require that a wall switch be placed beside the entry door of the room so that you can light the room before entering it. It can either control a ceiling light, a wall light, or an outlet connected to a desk lamp. The ceiling fixture must be controlled by a wall switch and not a pull chain type light. Wall receptacles should be placed no farther than 12 feet apart. Dining rooms usually require a separate 20-amp circuit for one outlet used for a microwave, entertainment center, or window air conditioner.
Special care is needed in stairways to ensure all of the steps are lighted properly. Three-way switches are required at the top and bottom of the stairs. If the stairs turn, you may need to add additional lighting to accommodate the area to be lit.
These areas can be long and need adequate lighting. Be sure to place enough lighting so shadows are not cast when walking. Remember, hallways are often escape routes in the event of inclement weather and emergencies. A hallway over 10 feet long is required to have an outlet for general purpose. Three-way switches are required for the two ends of the hallway. If there are more doors throughout the hallway, say a bedroom, or two, then you may want to add addition four-way switches to the circuit outside the door of each room.
Closets must have one globe-covered fixture controlled by a wall switch. Exposed bulb fixtures, like pull-chain fixtures, get hot and come in contact with clothing or other combustible materials stored in closets. Although your existing home may have these fixtures, it is recommended that you change them for safety reasons.
In the laundry room, the washer and dryer should have its own 20-amp receptacle. In the case of an electric dryer, a separate 240-volt circuit should be installed.
Inside the attached garage there should be at least one switch controlling the lighting. It is recommended that three-way switches be installed for convenience between the doors. This lighting should be in addition to any garage door lighting that you may have. Garages need a separate circuit for at least one outlet. This is generally required to be a GFCI outlet. You should check your local code to be sure. When in doubt, make it a GFCI. Any outside outlets connected must be either a GFCI outlet or an outlet connected to a GFCI breaker.
Remember that the electrical codes are in place for your safety. Although you may believe that they are overkill at times, these practices save lives everyday. When it comes to electric safety, don’t become a statistic! Follow all the rules detailed in the codes and be sure to have your local electrical inspector give you the green light on your wiring for the safety of your family’s sake.
Richard Barthallo’s house and life experiences has taught him about electricity and what a skilled NYC electrician can help with and that on call emergency electricians are needed alot.
Save Electricity In Your Home With Air Duct And Vent Cleaning
One thing to consider when you’re thinking about vent and duct cleaning is the fact that your electricty costs increase as your indoor air quality is decreasing. This is due in part to the popularity of high-efficiency windows, doors, and increased insulation that reduce the amount of air transfer between inside and outside.
Though these fixtures are great when it comes to reducing energy costs and making a room more comfortable, they are often not supplemented with any additional ventilation, causing pollutants that enter the home to remain inside instead of leaking out through drafty windows and gaps. This is why duct cleaning, maybe one of the least memorable tasks you have, is very important.
There are two ways of duct and vent cleaning. One system is connected into the ducting to provide suction. A high-pressure air hose is passed through the ducting to remove the particles from the interior.
The other system uses a large specialized vacuum attached to a hose and a brushing system that is run through the ducting. Both systems are effective when operated by properly trained personnel.
The proper cleaning should include the following: cleaning of all registers, inside the ducting, and the interior of the heating and ventilating system. In addition, any exposed wiring and electrical components need to be cleaned too. Dust accumulation of wiring can lead to electrical shorts on the HVAC control board and the wires themselves.
The furnace fan must be cleaned, and if you have air conditioning or a heat pump, the coils inside the system must also be thoroughly cleaned. Finally, a disinfectant can be fogged through the cleaned system to eliminate any mold, bacteria, and dust mites that might remain.
Proper cleaning of a home should take a minimum of three to five hours, depending on the size of the house. If the home has more than one heating and cooling system, or the system is located on the roof, it can take longer.
Most duct cleaning companies base their price upon square footage and/or the number of registers, systems, and levels to be cleaned and charge between $90 and $125 per hour to properly clean a duct system.
If a much lower price is offered, a consumer needs to make sure that the price includes a thorough cleaning, including registers, the inside of the ductwork, and all the fans and coils. Charging extra for cleaning fans and coils is unreasonable because those steps are mandatory for having a properly cleaned system.
Remember, a clean system cuts down on how hard your heating appliances will work and how much electricity they draw. A clean duct system will lead to a large electrical energy savings.
This author recommends that readers reduce electricity costs by using local licensed electricians. Green generated electric power along with Energy Star appliances installed by trusted electricians service helps minimize problems and reduces your long term energy costs.
The Foundation For Language Literacy
The foundations for language literacy, (meaning proficient reading and writing of a language) requires a firm foundation on the language as it is spoken and as people listen to it.
The following are some required language areas on which to build a foundation for literacy.
A. Vocabulary
The meaning of a language’s words and is basic to all aspects of language and communication. Those who know many words or have “good vocabulary skills” are usually the better writers/readers and will do better on tests, especially standardized ones. Increasing a vocabulary in a language is huge in learning the learning. New words are learned best by hearing and using them in daily conversations, too.
Words are easier learned and understood when integrated into interesting communication and lively conversations. Motivation is a large factor too. Look around for fundraisers or program that will reward for learning vocabulary words. Schools usually know of programs like this.
Understanding the historical roots of words helps us learn and remember new words. For example, most of the English words used for science come from Greek and Latin. The “forms” used in Greek and Latin allow them to be hooked together to form the scientific terms we use today. That explains why many of scientific terms end with “-ology”. “ology” translates loosely to “the study of.” Knowing this fact or observing it in action helps us understand a little better.
B. Spelling and Reading
Words must be read and spelled with sufficient accuracy and speed for mental resources to form for comprehension and expression of a language. When people have a lack of fluency in a language, the quality of reading text and writing the language is reduced.
C. Grammar & Syntax
Communication of complex ideas in a language requires more than words. The use of words in a manner that shows rules are in effect (grammar) allows the expression and understanding of complex ideas and through established, formal education, students learn those rules of speaking and writing. These “rules” form over time and learning these rules over time help build literacy in a language. D. Speech Sounds & Phonics
Phonemes (the sounds of speech) are helpful but it is not enough to achieve proper literacy of a language. Children can read many printed words as whole units (beginning speech for example) but when questions about the individual words themselves, they faultier. One must be able to handle and read unknown words and to accomplish this; the reader must understand that that letters represent the sounds of speech and that they must develop a way to understand that speech sounds are represented by letters (the phonics) of the language.
Students should to be able to read novel type stories by about 10 years of age. When encountering words they have never before they can add these new words to their vocabulary without by themselves without the involvement of an adult.
The best phonic skills form during the first two-three years of a school education. Phonics skills is not a measure of general intelligence, but it does depend on some neurological abilities, including speech & sound awareness and the association of those speech sounds with the letters associated with them. The truth is that some intelligent people find it difficult to read and spell but that means that this very important literacy skill can be improved over time with practice.
E. Expression and Comprehension (Talking & Writing)
Language skills are primarily based on expressive oral language skills (speaking and that must be combined with the ability to associate the sounds with the letters of the language, the spelling, and the grammar rules (syntax sentence syntax and its punctuation), and paragraph organization. These elements for expressing a language can and should be separate and setup for directed, specific practice. A hierarchal sequence of complexity should be followed”
V. Language Comprehension (Listening & Reading)
Comprehension is what reading is all about. If you read it but do not comprehend it then your literacy gain is negligible. Good listening, comprehension, and analysis of grammar rules are required for proper comprehension. When
With good reading and listening comprehension “critical thinking” can occur and when that happens the establishment of literacy in a language is usually assured.
Literacy of a language is critical nowadays for one’s growth. Many companies and websites offer language disability services for children and adults with disabilities. This author suggests that you always look first for a local language literacy company before looking elsewhere.