In all the kerfuffle over the big $700 billion bail out, you may not have noticed that the House of Representatives passed a bill that may be more important to you and your pocket book. We’re talking about HR 5244, a bill of rights for people who use credit cards.

The bill, which now moves to the Senate, would block a lot of those pesky, sneaky things that credit card companies do to jack up your interest rate, or charge you late fees, or slip credit cards into the hands of your college-age children.

And to prove there’s no such thing as too much of a good thing, the Federal Reserve has also introduced a reform bill to deal with consumer rights. It may take a federal scholar to winkle out the differences between these bills, but it is reassuring that the banking industry is against the Federal Reserve bill, calling it, “an unprecedented regulatory intrusion into marketplace pricing and product offerings.” And the credit card industry is against the House and Senate bills.

Basically, if banks and credit card companies are against such moves, regular people should assume they are for them.

Meanwhile, you should protect yourself. As you read your credit card bills, beware of the following terms, listed by Credit Card Reform:

• Universal default The term means is that a credit card company may monitor your credit report and increase your interest rate if they think your credit score is declining, or you are making a big ticket purchase, like a car. This can happen even if you pay their credit card on time.

Here is one argument about what causes the pay gap between men and women. Men do what they have to do, even if the job is dirty, even if the work is hard, even if it means missing their son’s school play. Women choose cleaner jobs in a more pleasant environment, jobs that don’t require as much physical labor, and make room in their schedules for their son’s school play.

Therefore, women earn less.

“Women and men make 25 different work-life decisions,” says Dr. Warren Farrell, the author of “Why Men Earn More: The Startling Truth About the Wage Gap, and What Women Can Do About it”.

“Each of those decisions leads to men earning more money and women leading a more balanced life.”

That is not a bad thing, he says. Since a balanced life, and time for family and friends, is worth more than high pay, “men have more to learn from women than women from men.”

That is, unless you are divorced, and have to support a family on one salary – yours!

In that case, Farrell has tips for FWW on traveling what he calls the “toll road” to better pay.

One goal for a divorced woman with children, he said, is keeping your ex in the picture. “The more he’s involved, up to 50 percent, the better the children do, academically, socially, in terms of physical health, educationally,” Farrell says.

If the father shares child rearing 50 percent, that will free a woman to be more active in the workplace. And, he says, “men who are involved with their children are 92 percent more likely to pay their child support.”

Your resume says you’re CEO of domestic affairs at your house, a multi-tasker who can juggle carpooling, cooking, homework, and dressing up for a date. You are a true financial wizard, one who can stretch $10 to pay for several meals, a baseball and discounted nail polish. But those skills – as resourceful as they are – don’t always translate to earning big cash in the workforce as a divorced woman.

Dr. Warren Farrell has solutions in his book Why Men Earn More: The Startling Truth Behind the Pay Gap – and What Women Can Do About It, where he cites 85 jobs with the most payback.

By payback, we mean you get what you deserve.

In fact, in the following jobs, you actually get paid more than men.

10 Careers Where Women Earn More Than Men:

Sales engineers:  Women: $89,908   Men: $62,660
Statisticians:  Women: $49,140   Men: $36,296
Legislators:  Women: $43,316   Men: $32,656
Automotive service technicians and mechanics: Women: $40,664   Men: $31,460
Library assistants, clerical:  Women: $23,608   Men: $18,512
Baggage porters, bellhops, and concierges Women: $26,468   Men: $21,684
Financial analysts Women: $69,004   Men: $58,604
Aerospace engineers Women: $78,416   Men: $70,356
Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping Women: $30,420   Men: $28,028
Advertising and promotions managers Women: $42,068   Men: $40,144

With the exception of Christmas time, I generally dislike red roses. There is something about them that feels like someone is trying too hard. What is worse is day old red roses...they evoke images of old graveyards in upstate NY with Rip Van Winkle headstones. I just do not like them. Every birthday my ex sister-in-law and father-in-law send me red roses. My birthday is smack in the middle of May when all the gorgeous pale spring flowers are blooming and I long for some yellow tulips or bright pink pansies. Well, here come the half dead read roses. It is particularly painful for me because I worry about them spending that money on me, yet so appreciate it. Often it is the only set of flowers I get in Spring. I really wanted to say, "I love the flowers but I hate red roses". I held my tongue for the last few years and this year something changed...

This past birthday the box came. and I drew in a deep breath and opened the box. Inside were the most exquisite roses in white, yellow, and pale pink. I could not stop looking at them and they were the joy of my birthday week. I was able to lavish praise and thanks to my sister-in-law and father-in-law and tell them how much I love pastel flowers.

Similarly, with our ex-husbands, we can bite our tongue when they are doing something wrong, especially with the kids. Set our intention to what we would really like and then lavish praise as he gets warmer to meeting our needs. Does that make sense? People respond better to positive affirmations than criticism. Ex-husbands are the most sensitive to complaints and view it completely as nagging and a personal attack on them.

Getting what you want through legal action is very expensive; getting what you want through nagging is ineffective. Drawing out what you want through positive feedback and kind words feels great and works like a charm. Try it.

Smart, attractive, talented women everywhere are falling victim to “The Good Girl" Syndrome. If you have been feeling inhibited — whether it be with regard to your career, relationships, or parenting your kids — it is likely due to unconsciously trying to remain "the good girl."

So ask yourself this…

Question: What is the adult version of "the good girl?"

Response: We remain "the good girl" every time we say yes when we want to say no. We are "the good girl" when people hurt us and we don’t say a word about it. We are "the good girl" when we totally disagree with a situation yet go along with it anyway.

Question: Why do we succumb to being "the good girl?"

Response: This happens in those times or areas in our lives where we question ourselves. We question whether we could get a better job or intimate partner. We question if we what we have to say has merit. When these things are in question, though, what we are really in doubt of is our own value. Doubt of our value can lead us to look toward others for validation of our worth. "Being good," or trying to please and meet the needs of others is is one way by which we try to achieve that validation.

Question: What impact can this have on us in the long run?

Response: Being "the good girl" can leave a successful and attractive woman struggling to find her ideal partner. Being "the good girl" can leave a strong intelligent woman stuck in an unfulfilling career. Being "the good girl" can leave this fabulous woman to in a perpetual struggle with a particular member of her family.

Question: How can we avoid reverting to being "the good girl?"

Response:

Divorce is a time when many physical, emotional and spiritual changes occur. You can use these changes to help guide you into a new phase of your life.

As a life coach, I believe these changes can have a positive momentum to lead you to a better place. GoGirlCoach is a place to put on your red shoes, get soulful and stay spirited. You can identify your passions, clarify your dreams and go after them in “haute” pursuit!

Exercise your option for beautiful changes. GoGirlCoach is designed to facilitate your own co-creation of life experience. It's not about advice, therapy or direction. It's about living your questions, finding your voice and trusting the presence of grace in the process.

Are you ready to …

• fuel your ideas?

• get unstuck, or minimize stress?

• write a book?

• meet the love of your life?

• find a more fulfilling job?

Do you want to …

• transcend limitations?

• do away with mundane habits?

• dig deeper to access your latent spiritual wisdom?

Are you wondering what’s possible?

Through a process of artful inquiry and focused reflection…

• GoGirlCoach can help you define what you really, really want.

• identify what may be holding you back.

• plot a path forward that’s consistent with your personal style.

You can do this at any age:

•In your 30s, begin to assess your goals and strategies in order to live your dreams.

•In your 40s, gather inner resources and move with awareness through perimenopause.

•In your 50s, get gutsy and begin to release energy for a burst of productivity.

•In your 60s —the cocktail hour of life — dress up and throw a party, travel beyond borders, participate in a mission, write your life story.