In fact many believe that you should never use the ATM machines that are located at convenience stores because they are much easier for people to tamper with and to hack into. According to many security analysts we should be worried about more than just hackers who are trying to steal our pin number. There are several scams that we need to avoid when using the ATM and that can be prevented if it all possible.

One of the biggest scams that everyone should be aware of is called skimming. This is when thieves will insert a device into the card slot on the ATM and will steal the data off your card’s magnetic strip. This is the more popular scam because it is harder for ATM’s to prevent and it makes you more vulnerable to losing money. Most thieves will stay away from the heavily guarded ATM’s because they have surveillance tapes.

Another way to avoid being taken by thieves (besides going to the right ATM) is to change your pin on a regular basis. I would recommend changing it every 6 months or using different accounts. When you are shopping try paying with your credit card or cash instead of your debit. Your credit card will have fraud liability on it while your debit will not.

Avoid using your pin for anything online. There is no reason for anyone to use their pin online because nothing requires it. If something does ask for it than it is a scam.

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“Vacations are usually the first thing to go when people feel job or economic pressure,” says Joe Robinson, a trainer in work-life balance and author of “Work to Live.” He continues, “We’re programmed to believe that free time is worthless, a frill to shove aside, but vacations are as important as watching your cholesterol or getting exercise.”

Not only can this happen – but many employers will find it bad for business if their employees do not take a vacation. Milo and Thuy Sindell, founders of Hit the Ground Running and authors of “Job Spa,” say, “You are not helpful to the company and your coworkers when you are not operating at full capacity. Vacations help you to get rejuvenated to come back to work at full capacity.”

Experts in this field have given us a few tips that will help us to solve our financial problems so that we can take the time off we need:

• Remind yourself: Vacation is not a luxury. “You owe it to yourself, your family, and your company to take care of yourself by stepping out of the office for at least a few days at a time,” says Liz Bywater, president of the Bywater Consulting Group, which helps improve organizational performance.

• Put aside some funds each week. “Even $50 a week [or less] can add up and make your trip happen,” says Robinson.

• Plan leisure activities near home. “Stay at home and read, garden, hike, jog, bike, or whatever you like to do but never have enough time for during the weekends,” say the Sindells. “Or be a tourist in your own city.”

• Try home-swapping. You can swap with someone you know in another city, or use an online service, such as homexchange.com or even vrbo.com (Vacation Rentals by Owner). “It can have the look and feel of a vacation at a much more affordable housing cost than paying for hotel or resort lodging,” says Michael Haubrich, president of Financial Service Group and an expert in financial planning for career issues.

• Keep the itinerary simple. Travel columnist Donald D. Groff recommends selecting a destination within 200 miles (a three-hour drive) from your home. If you’re traveling by plane, fly nonstop whenever possible. “The sooner you get to your destination, the sooner your relaxation begins,” Groff says.

• Give yourself a deadline. “Stop thinking about it and just do it,” says Bywater. “Think of it as ‘doctor’s orders.’”

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Because of this problem and drop in sales many automakers are finding ways to bring more and more people in. Never before have we seen so many deals and incentives for more than just one automaker.

“You have to go back eight and even 16 years ago to see rebates on quality vehicles,” says Alexander Edwards, automotive division president of the market research firm Strategic Vision. “But we have not seen rebates used on quality vehicles to this magnitude.”

Some of the top automakers who are famous for making the highest quality of vehicles are competing with the automakers are famous for selling them at more reasonable and easy to handle prices. Many of these automakers are trying to bolster sales by giving new customers large rebates.

Cash rebates are widespread throughout the industry, says Tom Libby, senior director at J.D. Power and Associates and the Power Information Network. That means no vehicle is “rebate-proof” in this market, and prices are becoming extremely competitive

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In this time of crisis there are ways that we can budget our money and pinch and save when we need it. This means that we need to start with the grocery shopping. After it all food is one of the most important things that we all need and it can also be where most of our money goes.

- Before you leave to go to the store you need to make a list of all the things you have. This will help to prevent you from buying food that you already have.
- Organize your pantry so that you don’t overlook any foods.
- Try buying your vegetables and fruit at the local Community Supported Agriculture Farm.
- Plan what you are going to eat every night before shopping.
- Try to get the more expensive items only when they are on sale or if you have a coupon.
- Write down a list of all the things you need. Only buy what is on the list.
- Try planning to eat leftovers once to twice a week.

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If the IRS has your direct deposit information then your check will be deposited earlier than those who will receive their check in the mail. However, the mailed checks will also be sent a week ahead of schedule and mailings will begin on May 9. All rebates will be distributed according to the last two digits of your social security number as originally stated. While the IRS hasn’t come out with a new schedule, I’ve updated their old one to reflect the newly announced dates. To see an updated estimated schedule below.

Direct deposit payment

Last 2 Digits of SSN Date Check Will Be Sent
00-20 April 28
21-75 May 5
76-99 May 12

Paper check

Last 2 Digits of SSN Date Check Will Be Sent
00-09 May 9
10-18 May 16
19-25 May 23
26-38 May 30
39-51 June 6
52-63 June 13
64-75 June 20
76-87 June 27
88-99 July 4

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1. Dual Presence

Narrow down online banks to those that have a nearby physical location, too, with humans who can help you in case of an emergency. It sometimes beats waiting on the phone for a customer-service rep. And in some cases, face-to-face interaction still works best.
Online banks with no physical location, like www.ingdirect.com, www.everdirect.com, and www.univest.net, have their advantages as well, but they don’t really serve as a sole place to stash your money. They’re great supplementary savings banks. They’re starting to offer high-yield checking accounts, too, but I’ll dive into the pros and cons later in this chapter.

2. Check In With Credit Unions

Since I was 17 years old, I’ve had the same savings and checking accounts with the Digital Credit Union, or www.dcu.org, in Massachusetts. Sounds kind of dorky — credit union. How and why am I choosing such an unfashionable bank? Well, my dad used to work for a division within Digital Equipment Corporation, which had an affiliated credit union offering perks like fee-free checking and competitive interest rates for employees and their families.

Generally speaking, credit unions are not-for-profit institutions, so they don’t have to subject their banking clients to exorbitant fees, like for-profit banks do. And you don’t necessarily have to be an employee or member of an organization to join a credit union. Being a tax-paying member of the community usually suffices. The one caveat to credit unions is they typically have fewer physical branches and ATMs than major bank networks. And now that I live in New York City, it’s impossible to visit a DCU branch.

But I haven’t needed a reason to go inside one during the past 10 years. Instead, if I have problems or concerns, I can get to a phone rep on the spot. The customer-service line is much faster than a larger financial institution’s would be. The bank’s online presence is crucial, and, frankly, I wouldn’t be a member if it didn’t have online checking capabilities.

At www.dcu.org I can transfer money to either my checking, savings, or credit-card account. I can also schedule payments to my mortgage lender and, of course, check my balances. And back before I direct deposited my paychecks, I used to mail in my checks with DCU’s stamp-free deposit slips, which was pretty nice. The only downside was my money would usually get deposited some five days later. But now I can freely route my checks directly to DCU.

3. Free Checking?

If a credit union isn’t convenient or sexy enough, begin your search for an online commercial bank that offers “free checking.” Free checking often means you are not forced to keep a minimum balance in your account and can write as many checks a month as you like. Just because you don’t see free checking doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. This isn’t exactly a perk banks boldly advertise, so call up and speak with a rep to verify.

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The rebate amount starts to phase out for single filers whose 2007 adjusted gross income is more than $75,000 and for married couples filing jointly whose 2007 AGI is more than $150,000. The rebate is reduced by $50 for every $1,000 you earn above the income limit. For a single filer without children, that means the credit phases out entirely at $87,000; for joint filers without children, $174,000. The upper limits of the phaseout zones rise depending on the number of children you have. Children who are claimed as dependents on their parents’ returns won’t get a rebate, even if they work, file a return and pay taxes.

In general, the rebate amount can’t be more than your net tax liability, which is your tax liability before subtracting refundable credits and child credits. But even if you have no net tax liability, you can still qualify for a rebate of $300 as a single filer or $600 as a joint filer if you have at least $3,000 in income from a job or self-employment, or from Social Security or veterans’ benefits.

To get a rebate, most people need only to file their 2007 tax return. (If you request an extension, you won’t get your check until after you file.)
But about 20 million people will have to take an extra step to get their money. Low-income seniors and disabled veterans (and their widows) who have more than $3,000 in income and don’t generally file a tax return need to file to qualify for the partial rebate.

If you (or your elderly parents or relatives) are among those affected, filing the 1040 won’t affect your tax bill. It’s just the mechanism by which you prove that you qualify for the rebate (it doesn’t even matter if the April 15 filing deadline has passed). But note that you can’t use the simplest tax form — the 1040EZ — because you can’t report Social Security or veterans’ benefits on it.

To figure out which numbers to include on the tax return, you should have already received Form 1099-SSA reporting your Social Security benefits. If you receive Railroad Retirement benefits, consult Form 1099-RRB. And if you received disability compensation, a pension or survivors’ benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs, you can estimate your 2007 benefits by adding up your monthly benefits for the year.

Enter your 2007 total on line 20a of Form 1040 or line 14a of Form 1040A. (It doesn’t matter that the line is designated for Social Security benefits.) If you have already filed a 1040 but did not report some of these qualifying benefits, you can file a Form 1040X to amend your return. Listing the additional benefits will not increase your tax liability but could help you qualify for a rebate.

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The tax agency said Monday that community and advocacy groups such as the AARP and United Way of America will also make special efforts on that day to ensure that people who don’t ordinarily file tax returns don’t miss out on the payment. Under the stimulus act, people are eligible to receive at least $300, with married couples getting $600. Many households also can get an additional $300 for each qualifying child younger than 17.

But people must file a tax return to receive the payment, raising concerns that those who don’t usually need to file will be overlooked. The IRS said that this week it is also mailing out packages to 20.5 million people receiving Social Security and veterans benefits with information on filing a return.

The IRS offices open on Saturday will offer assistance in preparing the Form 1040A needed for those filing a return solely to receive the stimulus payment. IRS field officers will also visit nursing homes and similar locations to prepare returns. To qualify, people must have at least $3,000 in earned income and certain benefits from Social Security, Veterans Affairs and Railroad Retirement.

A list of IRS offices and partner sites providing assistance is available on the IRS website, http://www.irs.gov/., or by calling the IRS hotline, 1-800-906-9887. On March 29, people can call 1-866-234-2942 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. local time.

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Strategy #1 - Outrun the Economy

Make yourself indispensable to an employer by enhancing your job skills. Online education can hone the advanced skills that see businesses through tough times: leadership, strategic planning, and innovation.

Here’s how strategy #1 looks through the lens of accounting, business, design, and HR:

Accountant - Financial belt-tightening calls for a good accountant, doesn’t it? Yes - but accounting is not the recession-proof career it once was, reports CFO.com. Outsourcing has taken a bite out of entry-level accounting jobs, a trend set to increase with the coming recession. Accounting clerks topped a March 2007 Wall Street Journal list of workers “most vulnerable” to offshoring. With decreasing margins, companies are prone to outsource collections, data analysis, financial reporting, and other basic accounting activities to offshore providers. In other words, there has never been a better time to advance out of an accounting clerk position and into a secure Certified Public Accountant job. Online universities offer CPA courses, as well as bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting.

Business Operations Manager - When resources are tight, business needs to run as a well-oiled machine. Operations managers coordinate daily operations, formulating policies and procedures to ensure efficient use of all business resources-material, financial, and human. Operations managers typically advance into the position with an MBA. Online MBA programs teach effective leadership and strategic thinking, the skills that differentiate a middle manager from an executive leader.

Graphic Designer - Graphic designers are also vulnerable to outsourcing, according to The Wall Street Journal. Their secret weapon in an economic downturn? Creative development. While entry-level graphic design jobs can be shipped anywhere, creative directors are irreplaceable. Advance into creative responsibility with a college degree in graphic design. Building technical skills is important–but in the current business climate, a creative portfolio and industry contacts really set you apart. Graphic design school fosters creative development and encourages professional networking.

Human Resources Specialist - Human resources specialists are responsible for creating a streamlined workforce–essential in a declining economy. HR assistants recruit, place, and train employees into the positions best suited to their skill set. HR managers maintain a broader outlook on a company’s human resources strategy, in consultation with senior executives. Be part of the human resources solution by upgrading your education. An online degree in HR or an MBA with a concentration in human resources management will help you develop the leadership skills and long-range analytical thinking to address critical business problems.

Strategy #2 - Find a Recession Haven

For some workers, the answer to recession vulnerability is a lateral shift into a recession-proof industry. Health care and education are perennially in demand, even in tough economic times. Here’s how to retrain for three in-demand careers:

Market Research Analyst - In a recession “you need to know more than ever how consumers are redefining value.” Invest in market research: that’s BusinessWeek’s advice to companies planning their marketing budget for 2008 and 2009. Market research becomes all the more important in an economic downturn, as companies target their products or services to an increasingly discriminating consumer. Get into this recession-proof niche of marketing with an online degree in marketing. Research analysts collect and analyze statistical data, creating consumer surveys and studies. Courses in quantitative research, social psychology, and communications are critical.

Health Information Manager - Health care jobs make up almost half of the thirty fastest growing occupations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. One of the high demand fields is health information management. Health information managers maintain and ensure the security of patient records. Computer expertise and knowledge of legal requirements is critical. IT professionals are especially well-positioned to transition into health information management. A degree in health information technology provides the necessary training in medical recordkeeping procedure and technology.

Corporate Trainer - Faced with job insecurity, workers have a powerful motivation to develop their job skills. That translates into increased demand for corporate and vocational trainers during a recession. Corporate trainers enjoy the best of both worlds: a secure, fulfilling teaching job at a private-sector salary. They typically consult with businesses to produce customized professional development courses.

An online bachelor’s degree in Education lays the groundwork for a corporate training career. Many trainers go on to a master’s degree in education or business with a concentration in corporate training. A tough economy can spell opportunity for you-if you plan ahead. Become indispensable to an employer with an advanced skill set, or transition into a recession-proof career. Either way, strategic career training and education could be your ticket to job security.

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As an example I will take you back to two years ago when I was filing my taxes. I was wanting to get them done quickly and I also didn’t have much expertise in the area. Needless to say I was late, had to file two to three times, and told them I owed them when I didn’t. It wasn’t a pretty time for me and left me with so much more work than I wanted. That is why I have provided you with a check list to fill out. This will give you time to make sure that you have everything you need.

1. Update your records

When you changed brokerages last year, or in the last couple of years, were there any securities where the basis didn’t transfer over? Go dig out the original purchase information. Don’t forget to look for reinvested dividends. They will increase your basis in the present investment.

2. Have you qualified for mortgage insurance
Look carefully at your mortgage documents for the cost of qualified private mortgage insurance (PMI). David Mellem, an enrolled agent with Ashwaubenon Tax Professionals in Green Bay, Wis., explains that qualified premiums are premiums paid on a loan used to acquire a principal residence in 2007. This new deduction is in addition to the interest you’ve always been able to deduct. Unfortunately, the deduction phases out when your income is over $100,000 ($50,000 for singles).

The Form 1098 that you get from your lender will report the mortgage insurance premiums received in the appropriate box. In cases where you have prepaid future years’ premiums, those premiums are not presently deductible. They will be deducted in the appropriate year. If your lender doesn’t provide you with the information, this is the time to do some digging. You will find the costs in two places: The HUD-1 escrow settlement statement will have the amount you paid at the time you bought your home, or look at your monthly mortgage statement or the summary of transactions in your loan’s escrow, or reserve, account. Each of your monthly payments includes PMI.

3. Mortgage-debt forgiveness

Look over your loan documents for another new benefit. You’ve heard a lot of talk about the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007. It’s touted as offering a fix for folks who have lost their homes and are facing cancellation-of-debt income. You got one of those 1099-C’s and rejoiced, thinking you won’t have taxable income.

Unfortunately, you may not be off the hook. Look more closely at the law. This is what is says: “Exclusion of up to $2 million of acquisition indebtedness on a principal residence. Effective for discharges incurred on or after Jan. 1, 2007 and before Jan. 1, 2010.” Ideally, your discharge date qualifies. But the problem is your loan may not qualify as acquisition debt. For instance, if you refinanced your loan and added all the fees and points to the new loan, or you refinanced and you took cash out to, say, pay off your credit cards or vehicle loans.

Refinance of original acquisition debt does not change the debt to the extent it is replacement of existing debt or for improvement to the property. This clarification will be a big help for those taxpayers who didn’t think they would qualify for this debt relief.

5. Gather identification numbers for any dependent care

You’ll need the name, address and employer identification number of the child or dependent-care provider in order to get the Child and Dependent Care Credit on Form 2441. If you are missing any of those components, IRS will reject the credit. Your state will probably reject it, too.

Incidentally, did anyone notice when the cost of kindergarten stopped being eligible for this credit? Enrolled agent Doug Thorburn, in Northridge, Calif., puzzled this out and discovered that kindergarten costs stopped being deductible effective 2005.

6. How you will pay

You ran some estimates last month to see where you stand. You realized that you were going to owe money. Have you figured out how you’re going to pay the taxes? This is a good time to start working on funding your April 15 bill. You can draw the money from savings or investments. Don’t draw money from retirement accounts. The taxes on the draws aren’t worth it.

Of course, you can always use your credit cards to pay. Be very careful, advices Liz Pulliam Weston, author of “Your Credit Score: How to Fix, Improve and Protect the 3-Digit Number that Shapes Your Financial Future.”

The big problem is the cost. Most e-pay providers charge a 2.5% to 2.9% fee. If you don’t pay your bill in full when the statement arrives, you’ll have to add finance charges to that. Credit cards are only worth considering when you don’t have the cash to pay your bill, your interest rate is low or zero, and you think you’ll be able to pay it off within a few months.

But if it will take longer to pay than your low rate will hold up, check into payment arrangements with the IRS. IRS’s installment agreements may be cheaper than paying the typical credit card interest rate (which hovers around 14% to 15%).

7. Gather your records

Tougher even than paying the taxes is the task of getting organized and gathering your records. Don’t overlook your deductible cash receipts. Start digging through your pockets, your briefcase, your purse, your luggage. Don’t forget to look into that slot in your car’s visor for all the parking receipts and tolls and fares. What about that kitchen drawer, or desk drawer, or dresser drawer where you’ve unloaded your pockets at the end of the day? Pull them all together and summarize them. Or turn them over to someone to write up the summaries for you.

Not only will you end up with a decent tax deduction, you might find receipts to submit to your employer for reimbursement. After all, getting paid 100% of an expense is worth much more than the 25% to 45% you’ll get back in tax savings.

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