Once a year, you can pull your credit report for free from each of the three credit bureaus. So why not pull your credit reports before the end of the year? Just go to www.annualcreditreport.com. It's important to check all three credit reports regularly to make sure they don't contain incorrect information. For instance, one of mine says I'm Cara Kemper, formerly known as Kara Patterson and that I was born in Maryland. This actually created a problem when I was opening my ING Direct account because one of the security questions they asked me was, "Where were you born?" I told them Indiana, and they insisted that wasn't correct.

Although the credit reports are free, you do have to pay $7 or so for your credit *score.* But the reports are the important part; they're what contain the information.

Here's a fun fact: Dave Ramsey doesn't have a credit score. A couple days ago, he said that he recently tried to pull his Fico score and received an error message telling him they didn't have enough financial information to calculate one for him. (In part, they look at recently-opened credit accounts and recent debt payments.) If I understand correctly, this basically means his credit score is 0. This is a man who pays cash for houses. Maybe he should finance a car to build his credit. :)

I'm in a great mood. Tomorrow is Friday, and I might get to leave work early. Also, I have a soccer game on Sunday, as usual, and I can't wait to play. And, although I have to calculate life insurance for a hypothetical couple next week, I've completed most of this week's homework already (due Monday night).

I was recently asked in a group setting, "If you could have dinner with anyone (dead or alive), who would it be?" My answer was Johan Norberg, the Swedish libertarian crusader for free markets. Imagining the span of all history, I figured there must be plenty of people more impressive than Norberg and who have made a bigger impact on the world, but that answer seemed right. I still think I'd give the same answer now that I've given it more thought.

Norberg seems like a friendy and personable guy. He seems like the type you could sit and chat with at a coffeeshop. He's very well-travelled and well-versed on issues in today's quickly-changing world. Besides, I am quite shy, and having dinner with Einstein or Dostoevsky or Marx might be a bit too much.

Two people I've recently discovered have given me "A-ha!" moments. They are Dave Ramsey and Johan Norberg. My dad and Shawn S. had both been trying to get me to listen to Dave Ramsey for a while. When I finally did (about a year and a half ago), I was instantly hooked because suddenly someone else was saying the things that I'd been thinking for years. Someone else hated debt and avoided it at all costs, someone else was against credit cards and car payments and believed the average person could get by without them. A-ha!

I had a similar experience when I first read this Reason Magazine interview with Johan Norberg. I realized he said things I'd been thinking for years. Of course, he said them much better than I'd ever thought them.

Dave Ramsey will be on Oprah on Tuesday. The show's title will be "Total Money Makeovers." Check your local listings for time and channel.

I know it's Oprah, but you should watch it anyway!

Tomorrow (Sunday), 60 Minutes will show a profile on Dave Ramsey.

I think it will be on at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time (and Arizona time) and 6:00 Central. But check your local listings.