Apr
10
Government Employees Go on Credit Card Spending Spree
April 10, 2008 | 1 Comment
I’ve said it many times and I’ll say it again: The government is the single biggest threat to wealth in this country. Employees of the federal government are using their government issued credit cards (or purchase cards as they call them) to buy everything from baseball tickets to lingerie to breast implants.
The US Senate released a report on government credit card abuse on April 7th, 2008. Government credit card abuse isn’t …
Apr
30
Economic Stimulus Payment - Child Support Questions
April 30, 2008 | 145 Comments
Many questions about the Economic Stimulus Payment keep coming up. Some of the most common involve child support. The questions fall into two categories: owing and receiving child support.
If You or Your Spouse Owes Child Support
The IRS will withhold your payment up to the full amount, if you owe back child support. If you file a joint return and one spouse owes child support the IRS can withhold the …
Comment by Anonymous: … disagree with them they are my thoughts as you have …
Jul
11
What Happens to My Stimulus Check If I Move?
July 11, 2008 | 2 Comments
Expecting your stimulus check but you've moved since you've filed your taxes ? There are a few things you need to do to make sure you get your stimulus payment.
According to rumors on the internet, the post office is not supposed to forward mail from the IRS. However I have yet to find an authoritative source that supports this.
If you've moved since filing your return, you should put in a change of address with the post office ? You can change your address …
Comment by Chris: … You could contact the IRS. I suspect that since you've …
Jul
10
Close Old Or Unused Accounts
July 10, 2008 | 5 Comments
… If you have old accounts that you no longer use like credit cards, home equity lines or other bank accounts, you should close them. In case you need convincing, I've created a list of the reasons you should close unused accounts.
When ING kept sending me statements via email, I wondered what was going on. I logged into my account and found that I still had a home equity line open with them. I called ING and closed the account.
If you're like me, you're busy. You tend …
Comment by Jeff: … credit score "For the umpteenth time: Closing accounts …
Jul
9
The Stimulus Payment Was a Ridiculous Political Stunt
July 9, 2008 | 4 Comments
Now that most of the payments have been sent, we can analyze the Economic Stimulus Package of 2008. Was the economy stimulated? Did the payment really help people? Was it all worth it?
I've answered so many questions about the stimulus payment that I've quite frankly gotten sick of the whole thing. It's ridiculous how much confusion it caused.
We'll never know what kind of impact the stimulus …
Comment by jimb: I think the stimulus payment was a joke. Bush …
Jul
1
The Economy, Happiness and the Media
July 1, 2008 | 1 Comment
… stories about how unhappy Americans are. We're told that even though we are wealthier now then ever, we're more unhappy than ever. Don't fall for this old media trick.
Newspapers and magazines sell bad news. That's their business. They need to scare people into buying their product. The old media has to keep people in a state of fear in order to continue to sell their product.
It's no wonder the new media, especially websites and blogs, is quickly replacing the old …
Comment by Jeff: … "Don't Worry about the Economy" section, but I would add …
Jun
24
Flood Insurance For Renters
June 24, 2008 | Leave a Comment
… is only for home owners. However, renters are just as vulnerable to flood damage. Here are the reasons renters need flood insurance too.
How much would it cost you to replace everything you own right now? Try to estimate the dollar amount in your head or on a piece of paper. Now compare that number to the amount of money you have in your checking and savings accounts. Do you have enough money to replace everything you own right now?
Most people don't, that's why they need …
Jun
23
Do I Need Flood Insurance?
June 23, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Every year floods damage property and homes. Not all of the damage occurs in flood zones. Find out why FEMA says that you should have flood insurance coverage even if you don't live in a high risk flood area.
Flood insurance is only for people living in Florida or on the banks of the Mississippi river right? Wrong. According to FEMA 25% of flood claims come from areas that have low to moderate flood risk.
The NFIP
Congress …
Jun
18
Americans Are Mad About Sale of Budweiser
June 18, 2008 | 4 Comments
Are Americans mad about political shenanigans on Capitol Hill? Are they upset about dirty deals on Wall Street? No, Americans are fired up about the possible hostile takeover of Anheuser-Busch (maker of Budweiser ) by the Belgian company InBev. Americans love their beer.
Usually when a company is sold to foreign owners, the reaction is mild. When the Germans bought Chrysler, there was some discontent but most realized if someone didn't buy Chrysler, it …
Jun
17
What Is Flood Insurance?
June 17, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Every year people and property are devastated by floods. Floods can strike anywhere. The government established National Flood Insurance Program ( NFIP ) to help deal with the financial cost of flooding. Find out how the flood insurance works.
Even with modern management techniques, floods happen every year. Look at the recent Katrina disaster or the flooding in the Midwest as examples.
Before 1968, the government tried to control flooding with dams and …