In May 2007, the United States Postal Service hiked the cost of a first class stamp by two cents. Right before that, they issued “forever” stamps you could buy at the existing price a first class stamp and use, quite literally, forever – no matter how much the stamp prices rise in the future.

Well, the USPS has announced that this May, there will be yet another one penny increase. They will continue selling Forever stamps, too. You can get them now and you may as well stock up. There seems to be no end in sight for the annual stamp increases.

When I was in high school, I remember 15 and 20 cent stamps. Long gone are those days. I do almost all I can to avoid sending a letter in the mail. I pay bills online, I send e-mails more than regular letters, and I even sent out my daughter’s birthday invitations via the internet last year. The only time I really use a stamp is Christmas and the occasional bill.

The fact is that Congress has not actually approved the tax rebate plan that weould give people between $600 and $800 back on their taxes.

Nonetheless, scammers are already hard at work trying to use the expected rebate as a way to trick people into giving out their personal information.

The scammers are making phone calls and sending out e-mail offering their services to assist people in getting their rebate check. All they are looking for is your personal information so they can get into your bank account, or worse.

One example of what they scammers will attempt: a company calling itself the Federal Commission Refund Department offers to help you get your refund for a $29 fee that they would deduct from your bank accounts. Or, there are those claiming to be IRS agents and ask for your social security number and other information that would then allow them to get a credit card in your name.

If someone offers to help, hang up. If and when the rebate plan gets approved, the government will supply more than enough information to the public to make sure you get what you have coming to you. In most cases, you won’t have to do a thing except walk to your mailbox.

What?

Yes, you heard me right. Allstate is saying that things like the “warming oceans” need to be taken into consideration when setting home insurance prices. They are bringing this argument to the table to try and justify why they want to raise home owners’ insurance prices in Florida even after Florida put new laws into place that should LOWER insurance rates.

Allstate is desperate to raise our prices, even though it’s been years since a major hurricane has hit the state. And this is even in light of the highly controversial “McKinsey documents” that outline how the insurance company plans to increase profits by doing things like lowballing insurance settlement offers to desperate car crash victims.

Allstate, just one of the many insurance companies being run by complete tools.

You can’t turn on the TV, listen to the radio, or browse the net without seeing an ad telling you about how to get a free credit report. When I had my identity stolen several years ago I contacted each credit bureau individually, but that was decidedly time consuming and confusing. That’s why these ads for free credit reports are so tempting.

Legally, we are entitled to see a copy of our full credit report once a year at no cost. The confusion comes from companies who automatically enroll you in their paid monthly service once you request your initial free credit report. You have to go slow, read the fine print and make sure you understand what you are signing up for before you hit submit.

Experian, for example, has a small disclaimer that many people miss. It says:
“When you order your free report here, you will begin your free trial membership in Triple AdvantageSM Credit Monitoring. If you don’t cancel your membership within the 30-day trial period, you will be billed $12.95 for each month that you continue your membership.”

If you hunt around, you will find a link to the actual free site AnnualCreditReport.com.

As for free monthly monitoring of your credit score, there is actually a no cost option.

Credit Karma offers you access to your credit score for free, with no hidden fees. You can check your score from month to month and watch for patterns. Is it going up or going down? What can you do to improve your score? There are tips and articles to help you build your rating and credit strength.

The cool twist is that they also show you consumer offers based on your preferences and it is these Karma Offers that are enabling the Credit Karma system to be totally free for your use. By selling advertising on their site, Credit Karma does not have to charge you for the cost of pulling your credit score. Unlike other companies who tell you that your credit report score is free, Credit Karma is not going to ask you to enroll or pay after 30 days. Their services start out free and stay free. You can also be sure they are not selling your personal information. They maintain a TRUSTe approved privacy policy.

Credit Karma is still in Beta, so you will need an invitation code to sign up. Lucky for you, I have a code right here: CKFRND

Money and finance is more important to most Americans now than ever before. Our economy is in flux and investment options wax and wane. People who invested heavily in the stock market found themselves burned a few years back. The real estate market is in the well and mutual funds have become more details than I can ever remember.

It’s important to do as much research on your preferred investment strategy before you actually put the money into play. I have always invested in mutual funds and had decent luck with them, until about five years ago when I began having trouble keeping track of how my fund was investing and then it suddenly started to leak like the Titanic. I was going down and pulling out was the only way to save the little money I still had left in the investment.

A fantastic way to get tabs on any mutual fund is by using the tools at Stock Tips – TheBuyList.com. They can show you which fund bought or sold any given stock, analyze all of the funds buying a stock or what percentage is actually invested in funds in general, and give you a comparison of your portfolio based on transactions on the stocks in your portfolio, among a host of other tools and the ability to set up watch lists and full stock reports.

Their accounts are free, so there is no risk at all and what you gain is valuable information about your money matters.

I have a cousin, many times removed, who won the lottery up in West Virginia years and years ago. I was still a teen when this happened. He and his wife opted to stay in the same house they lived in before they won, but they made sure all of their immediate family had all their homes paid off and never really had to work again. I think they were wise with their spending, though I was not keen on their decision to take structured settlement payments. When you do that, you end up with far less money in the long run than if you had just waited things out.

Their house is just up the hill from my grandparent’s home, but I don’t see them all that often anymore because now that both of my grandparents have passed away my uncle decided to rent the family home out to some friends. It made me kind of sad, because the land has been in the family for hundreds of years and the house my grandparents were living in was the original farmhouse, albeit updated. I even found one of the original square nails that were used to build the house in a box of old photographs.

I never saw any of that lottery money, by the way – not that I’m entitled.

Do you want to know what has me stressed out right now? Car insurance.

Florida took away the need for people to carry PIP (personal injury protection) last year, then they put it right back on as of January 1. I’m OK with that, but I am not OK with how my car insurance company handled the situation.

When PIP came off, my insurance did not go down. Instead, the company reabsorbed the coverage into other categories and my cost remained the same. BUT, when they added PIP back on they raised the coast, citing the need to add PIP coverage to my policy. Do they think I am a complete idiot? The law changed a few times and my insurance company makes a quick buck. What asses.

Of course, I am piling up info about other car insurance carriers now and next week is dedicated to getting quotes. I am absolutely switching, even if it ends up costing more. I will not give my business to a shady company.

Gas prices are prohibitively high in some areas. I know that I do a lot less shopping and recreation now that gas has been way over $3 a gallon for as long as it has now. I just cannot justify driving all over town when gasoline is eating up my disposable income.

Now analysts say that gas prices in the Tampa Bay area could go up as much as 75 cents a gallon. This time last year, we were paying an average of $2.34 for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline. Prices are above $3.15 now, even though gas prices typically go down over the holidays.

February is when we typically see a spike in prices and by May, gas prices in the area are projected to be $3.50 and $3.75 a gallon. When gas prices go up, so do prices for most other goods and services. In response, consumers begin to spend less on non-essential goods.

I’ve been divorced over a year now. Nonetheless, I still have several financial ties to my ex and I’m not comfortable with that fact. He has yet to actually get our house on the market and until it’s on the market, it’s not going to sell. Until it sells, we still own it together. I’m stuck paying for half the repairs as he lives in it with his girlfriend. That’s not a great deal for me, but even though he is contempt of court by not having it for sale yet – who can afford to go to court over every single infraction of an agreement? Not me.

There is also the issue of our car loans. The loans for both our cars are still in both our names. I have mine about paid off, but his is a much more expensive vehicle and there is still a way to go in getting that loan completed. I’m urging him to move the loan, but when he does he will no longer be able to obtain rates for new car loans and that is what is keeping him from moving his feet. I’ve told him that there are bad credit auto loans available from multiple sources, but I suppose it is going to come down to me actually doing the legwork to get the information. That’s fine with me. I’m just looking at any way to cut financial ties where I can. ? I won’t go into the other ways we are still connected financially. I can only hope they will resolve soon.

I’m no expert, but in the process of buying and selling houses in the course of my marriage, I learned a lot about the real estate game and the other industries that feed off of it.

One of the aspects of the whole buying a house process that was new information for me was the concept of title insurance. I’ve bought and sold two houses now, with one last house on the market. So, all of the little expenses and legal aspects of the process are still important for me to understand. It’s complicated, to my ears. Title insurance basically insures against losses caused by title problems that have their source in past events, like liens or deeds of trust still attatched to the property. You need to know if you are buying your home free and clear.

TGenerally, title companies work along with your lender or real estate agent. When we sold our house in Gainesville, we happened to like the title agent we had used to buy the house and asked to use him again in the process, since the buyers were from out of state and had no preference.

What I focus on is my rights in the arena of title insurance. The homeowner has the right to choose the title insurance companies they wish to work with, though more often than not the bank or attorney involved in the purchase or refinance will choose the company., Nonetheless RESPA laws say that it is not legal for a homeowner to be forced to use any one company. In the end, you still have a say. Obtaining a clear title is usually not a problem, but title insurance provides you with assurance that you are not going to lose valuable property in the future if there is a problem.

I’m not sure how it will be before I venture out into the current housing market again once we sell our house, but I can say that I’m much more educated in the process than I was when we bought our first house.

When a church is asked to hand over financial information, it is in their best interest to comply fully and do so with a smile. If the organization has nothing to hide and has indeed been using tax exempt monies properly, that organization will be more than happy to let the world see their paperwork. If a church refuses to disclose or becomes defiant, you know they are hiding something. You know it with every ounce of your being.

Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, ranking member of the Senate Finance committee, gave six ministries until December 6 to turn over information about finances, board oversight and perks for pastors and staff. Some of the ministries complied.

David and Joyce Meyer of Joyce Meyer Ministries of Fenton, Mo., met the deadline, saying they were confident their information exceeded.

Kenneth and Gloria Copeland of Kenneth Copeland Ministries had representative deliver documents at the senator’s office.

Benny Hinn of World Healing Center Church of Grapevine, Texas, indicated they would indeed comply, but need until January 30. Grassley said he was happy to give the ministries more time if they need it, as long as they comply.

On the other hand, some churches made a massive issue out of the request, vowing to fight. Do they realize how that makes them look? It makes them look guilty, shady and arrogant.

Tampa ministries Without Walls International Church and Paula White Ministries failed to comply. Randy White spoke to his congregation, placing Grassley on par with the devil. “When the enemy wants to attack the church, he attacks the character and the finances. The devil is a liar” he proclaimed. White insisted his church uses checks and balances. Checks and balances not open to the public, assumingly.

The Whites were specifically questioned about 28 areas of church and personal finances, including the compensation paid to the Whites and the reported tax-exempt purchase of a Bentley convertible for Paula White’s spiritual adviser, T.D. Jakes.

Creflo Dollar of World Changers Church International told Grassley to talk to the Internal Revenue Service or get a subpoena. The organization remained defiant, saying they will only comply with a “proper” request from the IRS. Have they ever hear of humility, I wonder?

Eddie Long of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church initially agreed to comply, but subsequently declared the inquiry as an attack on religious freedom.

Grassley pinpointed ministries shadowed in complaints and media reports that non-taxable donations might be paying for lavish lifestyles. Some of the ministries preach “prosperity gospel,” which says that wealth is a sign of God’s blessing. Again, I have to question the concept of humility.

I am grateful to the ministries that complied. They showed the kind of transparency I feel a religious organization is meant to have. If there is truth and lawfulness in the finances, then the books should proudly be open for the world to see.

As to those who refused to cooperate, I am ashamed of them. These are the people who give Christianity a terrible reputation.

I have a letter in front of my from my car insurance agent asking me to give her a call about some additional information she needs for my upcoming renewal. I keep putting it off, because once January rolls around I am going to be switching carriers. I would have already switched, but Florida keeps changing up their laws on PIP (personal injury) coverage and other insurance companies are unable to quote me accurately until then.

My current insurance carrier took off the PIP when the FL law said we no longer had to carry it, but they reabsorbed the costs into other aspects of my premium. Now that FL says we have to put PIP back on our policies, they are simply raising my premium, rather than putting it back to what it was before they removed the PIP and did not lower my rate. The PIP changes were a headache for those of us using car insurance and a windfall for the carriers. It just gave them the opportunity to raise rates. Add

Add to that the fact that even though I have been on the phone with customer service twice before about having my ex husband’s name and car accidents removed from this policy now that he is not on it, they have apparently failed to have done so thus far.

So, I am not staying with them, mostly on principle. That is unfortunate for them, since now that I am on my own again, I am looking for both home insurance and life insurance policies. I will initially look for one carrier for all of my insurance needs, but I am pretty sure it will not be this carrier I am using for auto currently.

I went to the bank today to deposit some checks and to have some temporary checks printed. Somehow I ran out before noticing I needed to re-order. While I was there, the teller pointed out that my ex-husband’s car is still on a Car Loan attached to my account. Not that it isn’t information I’m not totally aware of on a daily basis. He is reluctant to move the loan, since he got such a good rate. Refinancing, he says, would not yield such a reasonable rate. I’d pretty much have to take him to court to force him to move the loan, unless he would just find a better rate on his own.

There are, I’ve told him, entire sites that cater to Bad Credit Loans. The bad credit would be his, not mine. Now that he does not have my score anymore to help get a better rate, he really needs to look into some of the financing options available to people with issues just like his own. It’s not as though he cannot find a new loan, or even one with a good rate. It’s just a matter of knowing where to look.

It’s time to weed out my checking accounts. I have too many! I have the one I love from my credit union, as well as one I use for most of my checking activity since it pays smocking hot interest rates on my balance, and I still have the joint checking account from back when I was married. We were using it to send child support back and forth, but we have found a new method so I really need to get my rear end to the bank and see how to close it out, since both names are still on it. I have no business doing business with three different banking institutions.

My problem is that I am always looking for the next best deal. There is a bank out there right now that round up all your check card purchases and moves the remainder to savings. That always tempts me. There is yet another bank that pays you back for all ATM feel incurred by using other banks’ ATMs. I have to be careful or I might actually end up with more accounts instead of cutting back.

Google is a hot topic online lately. For weeks, the screaming has all been about the sudden Page Rank drops many websites were experiencing. In the last few days this hit fever pitch as more and more blogs and static websites saw a final bottoming out to PR0.

Now, it seems stockholders are becoming nervous. All over the internet, there are whisperings that the best stock market tip of the day is to sell Google. And, if you need proof that work of mouth drives the stock market faster than an old guy in a sports car in Florida, just look at how Google’s share price has been dropping steadily the past couple of days.

Wow. How the mighty have fallen.