Archive for April, 2009

A few weeks back, I pledged to use cash exclusively for ALL of my daily expenses — basically everything other than my fixed monthly bills. I knew going into the exercise that running off to the bank every time I needed lunch money could become a bit cumbersome, but the whole point was to test if watching cold hard cash drain out of my wallet would curb my spending.

While my results are mixed, I’ve realized something: credit and debit cards have spoiled me. I remember a childhood spent going to the bank with my mom to pick up cash for our errands, and you know what? I am really glad I don’t have to do that — other than the missed lollypops, of course. Read more »

With a chronic shortage of affordable housing in many cities and an abundance of foreclosed properties, advocacy groups for the homeless in some cities have been quietly moving homeless people into vacant, foreclosed homes, often the ones they previously lived in. Some groups operate as a kind of modern-day underground railroad, according to one advocate quoted in a New York Times story, while other groups do their work openly, sometimes with the support of neighbors in low income neighborhoods who are tired of seeing vacant homes become derelict, vandalized and increasingly unkempt. Read more »

A story in the Wednesday issue of Tennessean reported that the bad economy is sending more people to the therapist’s couch. Anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia and other emotional problems are on the upswing as worries about job stability and bills take their toll.

According to a 2008 survey by The American Psychological Association, 80% of Americans say the economy is stressing them out. And that applies even to workers who still have jobs. Read more »

Many taxpayers who owe the IRS money tend to wait until the very last minute to file their taxes.  (San Franciscans, Houstonites and New Yorkers are the three worst procrastinators, according to TurboTax.)

I can’t say I blame them, but for those of you who fall in this category, remember there’s still about five days to dig out your receipts for charitable donations, which can lower your tax bill.

The IRS says you can deduct the “fair market value” of donated clothing and household goods, based on how much your donations would sell for in today’s market. Read more »

Federal regulators want to crack down on “free lunch” investment seminars, where high-pressure sales tactics often cause retirees to make unwise investment decisions.

According to the AARP, three out of five investors over age 60 received six or more invitations to a free investment seminar in the past three years. A free meal (and, often, door prizes) are used to boost attendance, but those who do attend are often subjected to inflated claims by seminar presenters, who suggest they’ll reveal the secret to eliminating taxes, investing without risk or tripling earnings. Attendees are strongly encouraged to bring their spouses. Read more »

Government websites aren’t usually known for their user-friendly design and sometimes come off as too stuffy, difficult to navigate and businesslike for the average person to get past.

That’s why it’s refreshing to check out the new Money Matters site launched by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). It doesn’t look or read like a government site but instead offers commonsense, easily understood advice that focuses largely on basic money management practices and avoiding a wide variety of consumer scams and rip-offs. Read more »

The national unemployment picture is worsening with a recent increase in jobless numbers to 8.5%. In March alone, 663,000 jobs were lost. Since the official start of the recession in December 2007, a staggering 5.1 million jobs have vanished, according to the U.S. Labor Department.

We’ve all seen the news reports showing the lines at job fairs approaching those seen at American Idol tryouts. And I’ve been reading a lot lately about some unusual methods job applicants have used to get a foothold with employers. Some people are blogging for career development about their industry and about their unemployment experience. Some are strolling city streets wearing their resume on a sandwich board or dropping off donuts at their prospective employer’s, along with the traditional thank-you-for-the-interview note. And more people are saying they’re willing to relocate for a new job. Read more »

In this age of heightened fears over identity theft, New York City residents will get an opportunity next month to shred their sensitive documents ⎯ at no charge.

The second annual Shred Fest NYC takes place all day on Sunday, May 3. Residents of all five boroughs will be able to bring their sensitive documents, like old bank statements, paycheck stubs and credit card statements, to 11 locations throughout the city.

The documents will be shredded by truck-mounted industrial shredding equipment, provided courtesy of Code Shred, Brink’s Document Destruction and USA Shred. All the shredded paper will be recycled.

The first five people to arrive with their papers at each site will receive a free paper shredder, donated by Staples.

New York’s Department of Consumer Affairs is sponsoring the event in coordination with the Office of the Criminal Justice Coordinator, the Parks and Recreation Department and the Department of Sanitation.

What a great idea!

Does your town or city offer a similar opportunity to safely destroy personal documents?

In what some call the next wave of the sub-prime mortgage crisis, banks in several older industrial cities hard-hit by foreclosures are declining to foreclose on properties because legal and maintenance costs are higher than the value of the real estate.

Instead of being an unexpected salvation for besieged homeowners, bank “walkaways” only add to homeowners’ problems, partly because they usually learn of their home’s legal status months later, after they’ve moved out of the house. So money-stressed homeowners go through the heartache of believing they’ve lost their home to foreclosure, move out and only later learn they’re still responsible for the mortgage when the sheriff’s sale is cancelled. Read more »

In tough times, it’s not just family that reaches out to help each other. Neighbors help neighbors, and friends help friends. No doubt you know of members of your own community who are going through their own personal tough times during this recession, whether it’s due to a job layoff, unexpected medical bills, an unaffordable mortgage, foreclosure or divorce.

Lending a helping hand to others isn’t always as simple as it seems. Some people, no matter how desperate their straits, are too proud to ask for a handout, or too embarrassed. Read more »