Gifts Get Personal Survey: Getting Financial Advice Pays Off (NAPSA)—If you want to give a present worth remembering, make Jazzing Up Traditional Holiday Baking Favorites (NAPSA)—According to a recent your gift as personal as possible. (NAPSA)—It is the time of survey, nearly 84 percent of Ameri- That’s the advice from gift- cans believe they are in either excel- year for holiday baking—the giving gurus who say it’s smart time of year when friends and lent or okay “financial fitness” to take a few minutes to consider shape. Eleven percent believe they family gather in the kitchen to the personalities on your gift share recipes, treats and laugh- are in troublesome shape. Yet when list, before you shop. asked if and how they seek financial ter. Whether painting smiles on For instance, if you’ve got a freshly baked gingerbread men assistance, 67 percent of consumers foodie in your life, he might appre- had never received advice on their or enjoying cocoa and cookies, ciate something as simple as families gather around the personal finances; only 31 percent being taken to dinner, while a gar- had sought advice. kitchen table to share their holi- dener might love some new tools day traditions and treats. Overall results of the survey, or a book about seeds. Candy Cane Kisses add a splash conducted on behalf of the Finan- You can create some taste- of seasonal color and a twist to a cial Services Roundtable—repre- tempting new traditions this holi- traditional cookie favorite. senting 100 of the largest inte- day with easy variations on 1 grated financial services companies favorite family recipes. With a ⁄4 teaspoon salt splash of seasonal color and a providing banking, insurance and Americans who get financial 2 tablespoons milk twist of winter’s mint, Hershey’s investment services—indicate that advice tend to be in better shape Red or green sugar holiday candies turn cookies, financial advice for consumers with regard to “financial fitness.” crystals, granulated sugar equates to a better understanding cakes and other treats into flavor- or powdered sugar of finances, which results in better actions that might prevent them filled delights that neither Santa money management and fewer from having to consider a bank- nor his elves will be able to resist. Heat oven to 350°F. Remove bankruptcies. ruptcy path at all, men and A twist on the traditional wrappers from candies. Nearly 78 percent who consider women alike would be wise to con- Peanut Butter Blossoms cookie, Beat butter, granulated their personal financial situation sider exploring the reliable Candy Cane Blossoms are a color- sugar, egg and vanilla in a to be in excellent or pretty good resources available at their finger- ful, delicious cookie that guests large bowl until well blended. financial shape work with or have tips—from trustworthy credit Gift For Giving—The more per- will long remember. The classic Stir together flour, baking worked with someone offering counseling to credible online sites. sonal you can make a present, candy cane flavor of this new soda and salt; add alternately them financial advice. Conversely, Each can play a significant role in the more memorable your gift chewy-crisp Blossom is the perfect with milk to butter mixture, only one in 10 of those who felt educating us on how to better will be. complement to a cold glass of milk beating until well blended. manage our money. or a steamy cup of coffee. Shape dough into 1-inch they were in terrible shape had If you’re shopping for a wine or The Roundtable has launched balls. Roll in red sugar, granu- actually sought or received advice. spirits connoisseur, check out a Web an aggregate resource, www. Candy Cane Blossoms lated sugar, powdered sugar Testing by the National Founda- site called www.yourgiftlabel.com. mymoneymanagement.net, to pro- Yield: About 4 dozen cookies or a combination of any of the tion for Credit Counseling (NFCC) It lets you personalize labels for vide consumers with information sugars. Place on ungreased shows a significant improvement some of the finest spirits in the in consumer financial knowl- on everything from balancing bank Ingredients: cookie sheet. world. Personal messages will be ® ® accounts to protecting against nat- 48 HERSHEY ’S KISSES Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edge—by as much as 10 to 40 per- featured on exact label replicas that ural disasters. The Web site con- Brand Candies—White edges are lightly browned and cent—when a person receives fi- easily adhere over the bottle’s exist- tains content from a variety of con- Chocolate with Cane Mint cookie is set. Remove from nancial counseling or advice. ing label. Given this data, some sort of sumer groups, credit counseling Flavor oven; cool 2 to 3 minutes. Press The service is simple and free, 1 agencies and financial services ⁄2 cup (1 stick) butter or a candy piece into center of credit counseling or financial and the labels can be as clever or organizations. It will also facilitate margarine, softened each cookie. Remove from advice seems to play a role in the sentimental as you want. Plus, all easy access to pre-bankruptcy 1 cup granulated sugar cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool overall financial health of Ameri- orders will be delivered within 15 can consumers. NFCC also found credit counseling assistance. 1 egg completely. business days. 1 that “poor money management” If you’re in financial distress, 1 ⁄2 teaspoons vanilla extract For more holiday recipes, (67 percent) was the top reason credit counseling can help. If 2 cups all-purpose flour crafts or baking tips, visit 1 that consumers were considering you’re not sure of your stability, ⁄2 teaspoon baking soda www.Hersheys.com/recipes. bankruptcy. basic guidance from your lender As we continue to evaluate how or a financial advisor can also bet- all American consumers can take ter prepare you for the future. *** Working Effectively To Find Common Ground When you cannot get a compli- (NAPSA)—If your community ment any other way pay your- has issues to discuss and is look- self one. ing for a constructive way to Crime-Fighting Kim Gets In The Game —Mark Twain explore them, you may be inter- (NAPSA)—If you thought sav- *** ested in learning more about a ing the world was impossible, community forum program. you’ve never met Kim Possible. A For 25 years, National Issues new game offers fans a way to Forums (NIF), a nonpartisan, save the world with this favorite *** nationwide network of locally spon- crime-fighting TV character. Many of life’s failures are peo- sored public forums, has encour- Since debuting on the Disney ple who did not realize how aged people to discuss tough issues Channel in 2002, “Disney’s Kim close they were to success when and seek common ground. Possible” has developed a global they gave up. NIF forums meet in libraries fan base from the hit show, two —Thomas Edison and community centers and have Forums can have an enormous TV movies, a soundtrack and, of *** been described as the antidote to course, handheld video games. polarization. The national net- effect on how people look at the Until now, the spunky redhead work of neighbor-bringing-neigh- issues and how the media has has never made an appearance on bor offers a chance for people and addressed these issues. a video game console. *** community to get engaged and and trade-offs. “Disney’s Kim Possible: What’s We act as though comfort and share ideas on national issues at a For example, in recent forums the Switch?,” however, finally luxury were the chief require- grassroots level. in Centre County, Pennsylvania, a brings Kim Possible to the “NIF is a growing movement of community program focused on ments of life, when all that we PlayStation 2 computer entertain- committed individuals and organi- both national and local issues Kim Possible can now fight crime need to make us happy is some- ment system. on a popular entertainment con- zations who have witnessed im- including immigration, emergency That’s good news for the own- thing to be enthusiastic about. portant outcomes resulting from preparedness and life and death sole. That’s good news for the —Charles Kingsley ers of the more than 100 million character’s many fans. forums,” said William Winter, issues. The forums have even PlayStation 2 systems in homes *** National Issues Forums Institute taken deliberation into the county’s worldwide. Both the Sony console In the new game, Kim teams chairman and former governor of high schools. Research has indi- and Kim Possible have so many up with her nemesis, Shego, to Mississippi. cated that when citizens get to fans worldwide that it’s only nat- restore normalcy after the minds The forums are led by trained, know each other, they can build a ural the character would appear of Ron Stoppable and Dr. Drakken *** neutral moderators and use issue better civic life. It’s also a positive in a PlayStation 2 system game. are switched. I take a simple view of life: keep discussion guides that frame way to explore and temper explo- “Now those fans have the op- Playing as either Kim or Shego, your eyes open and get on with issues by presenting the overall sive issues. While no one can prove portunity to save the world in an players will defeat enemies and it. problem and three or four broad a direct correlation, the forums all-new Kim Possible adventure— use a variety of gadgets through- —Sir Laurence Olivier approaches to the problem.