Mortgage Tips for 2010

Getting a home mortgage in 2010 is going to be a whole new ballgame. The real estate market and banking environment have changed dramatically over the course of the past couple years. The good news (for buyers at least) is that home prices are still dropping all over the United States, there are still helpful tax incentives available to purchasers, and mortgage rates have remained low... below 5 percent! Still, banks have really tightened things up in the past 15 months or so. Factors such as your personal credit score, your ability to put down a decent down payment, and your current employment status are going to play a much bigger role than they did in the last decade. US News recently interviewed several top housing experts and mortgage loan professionals to help people show plan to shop for a home -- and a home loan -- in 2010.

Here they are: Getting a Mortgage in 2010: 10 Things to Know

Exercise = Smarter Kids

Here's yet another reason to make sure your child gets enough exercise: young people who are fit tend to have significantly higher IQs and are more likely to attend college. That's according to a new study out of Sweden, which showed a clear link between being in good physical fitness and getting better results on IQ tests. The strongest links were for logical thinking and verbal comprehension abilities. Some experts believe that since regular exercise increases heart health and improves lung capacity, it leads to the brain getting more oxygen. This, theoretically, leads to healthier, smarter brain.

So get your kids of their butts and have them get some real exercise every day!

Learn some mo': Young Adults Who Exercise Get Higher IQ Scores

Joblessness is THE Big Issue

In a week full of very big issues, the huge joblessness problem is by far the biggest in America. The real unemployment rate right now is hovering near 18%... slowly creeping toward levels last seen during the Great Depression. This is without a doubt the most-important issue to people living in the United States (and even to many of those who live in other countries that produce the products we buy).

Joblessness is bigger than the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. It's bigger than health care reform. It's bigger than the values of gold or the US dollar. It's bigger than energy. It's bigger than Swine Flu. It's bigger than cap-and-trade. It's much bigger than the United Nations Climate Change Conference taking place next week. It's even bigger than Tiger Woods crashing his car!

The reality is that, until we get a handle on the unemployment problem in the US, nothing else really matters. Especially not to the out-of-work American citizen who's struggling to pay his or her bills.

Learn some mo': In a Big-Issue Week, Joblessness Remains the Biggest Issue

Tags: joblessness

Cyber Week Deals

We love deals... especially deals that happen during Cyber Week! Yes, Black Friday has passed. Cyber Monday was here and gone. But we've still got another whole week of great deals to find the hottest products (like the Zhu Zhu hamsters!) at super low prices. Online retailers are offering once-in-a-year bargains like "25% off" sales and free shipping deals. In fact, we've even seen a few incredible "40% off" deals on everything from Nike shoes to Canon photo printers to Lands End outerwear.

Now, it's true that in this down economy many retailers are going to continue offering great buys for the entire month of December ("Cyber Month" anyone?). But many of the most-popular products will be gone before the end of this week. So fire up your PC or Mac, jump online fast, and go grab those Cyber Week deals while you still can!

Learn some mo': Are there good cyber deals to be had all week?

Tags: cyber week

YOU Can Help Your Kids Lose Weight

In 1990, an important study on childhood obesity revealed that overweight kids have a much better chance of losing weight and keeping it off if their parents are directly involved in their weightloss and fitness efforts. Yet, 20 years later, obesity levels have skyrocketed in the United States and many other parts of the world. This has led to a huge jump in diabetes cases, heart disease, and other health issues related to having too much body fat.

The good news is that it's not too late to reverse the trends. Today's parents can still help their kids lose weight, reduce body fat, get fit, and enjoy good health. All it really takes is some realistic goals, a healthy eating plan in the home, and some fun exercise that (ideally) the entire family participates in.

Visit the links below to find out what you can do to help your child lose weight and keep it off:

5 ways to help your kids lose weight

7 Ways to Help Your Child Lose Weight

Tags: childhood obesity