Sienna Miller does the shimmy shake in a vintage dress at the New York premiere of her film Factory Girl on Monday. "I love the clothes!" the actress told PEOPLE about the movie's '60s-inspired wardrobe. "I haven't actually gotten to keep any yet, but I'm working on it. --Sienna Miller in People
"Step 1: Ask friends and colleagues for recommendations. Then interview one or two candidates; look for someone who's been preparing returns long enough to anticipate problems or IRS challenges.
Step 2: Be sure to mention any special circumstances, such as a recent divorce or a large lump-sum payment from a retirement plan.
Step 3: If you think your return will be audited, ask if the preparer will represent you before the IRS.
Step 4: Find out whether the preparer will handle your return personally or delegate it to a less-experienced associate.
Step 5: Ask for an estimate of the fee before the return is prepared.
Step 6: Select an individual who will be available if you have questions months, or even years, after your tax return has been filed.
Step 7: Avoid any tax practitioner who claims that he or she can get you a larger tax refund than other practitioners, or whose fees are based on a percentage of your refund.
Step 8: If your tax situation is complex, consider hiring a certified public accountant (CPA) who concentrates on tax work to prepare your return. Take the tax package you receive in the mail to the practitioner so he or she can use your forms and peel-off identity label.
Step 9: Be sure that your preparer signs your return. You should receive a copy of the completed return. Never sign a blank tax return. Be sure you are satisfied with the prepared return. It is still your tax return and you are responsible for its contents.
Step 10: Do additional research: Check out the free AICPA Web site: www.360financialliteracy.org for additional information on this topic as well as other articles, calculators and tools you can use on this topic or other personal finance issues."
"I think it's smart for kids to get a pay as you go phone. Then they can realize how much they are really using the phone and how costly it can be. When they pay for it themselves, they know not to blow all their minutes and to only use it when it is important or an emergency"....Michelle
"1- Age depends, some 18 year olds are less responsible than 13 yr olds
2- Make them pay for it or at least half if they don't have a job
3- Pay as you go is the best deal, that way they keep track of the time they have left- budgeting." --Dawn at Frugal for Life
"I believe in starting them out early with a cell phone as long as it has GPS tracking for safety reasons.
That far outweighs a lot of the other considerations in my opinion.--Lazy Man and Money "
When Lind Weaver opened her mailbox one day in early 2004, she was surprised to find a bill from a local hospital for the amputation of her right foot. Surprised because the 57-year-old owner of a horse farm in Palm Coast, Fla., had never had worse than an ingrown toenail.
After weeks of wrangling with the hospital's billing representatives, Weaver stormed into the medical center and kicked her heels up on the desk of the chief administrator. "Obviously, I have both of my feet," she told him. source: BusinesWeek
The trip was going to cost approximately $2200.00. There was no way my parents could have foot the bill for that much money on top of my private school tuition and college tuition for my sibling --Mapgirl
I understand the value of jumping at the opportunities life throws at us.I am of the philosophy that everywhere you are there is an opportunity to improve yourself and most probably to make money.--Money and Investing
Stop buying expensive household cleaners. All you really need is some baking soda and some vinegar. --Binary Dollar
I was SLIGHTLY TICKED! IDIOTS! I realize some people are going to argue. But, when you start driving across MY yard, that’s where it stops! If they want to act like hillbillies, they should buy a place out in the country.-- All Financial Matters
keep your eyes peeled when driving by apartment complexes or dorm area or trash day in the suburbs. -- Frugal For Life
' President Bush likes to say that his health-care proposal would "level the playing field" between people who get health coverage through their job and those who buy it on their own.
But experts said yesterday that it would tilt that field toward a kind of health insurance that Bush has long favored -- a high-deductible plan paired with a special tax-exempt health savings account, or HSA.
"I think it would be a big push for HSAs," said Mark B. McClellan, a health economist and former top health-policy adviser to Bush.
While McClellan thinks that would be a good thing, other experts said it would benefit the wealthy and undercut Bush's goal of bringing fairness to the private health insurance system.
In contrast with traditional health plans that typically charge $20 co-payments for visits to the doctor, high-deductible plans require consumers to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars out of pocket for medications, physicians' services and hospital care before most insurance coverage kicks in. The deductibles are steep, at least $2,200 for family coverage, compared with about $220 in a traditional plan. But the special savings accounts enable people to accumulate a tax-free pool of their own money to pay the deductibles and other uncovered health bills, rolling over any unused funds to the following year. And premiums for high-deductible plans tend to be lower.' --Washington Post
"ONE of Bradley Ziegler’s favorite days is the day after Christmas, when the bargain bins at Toys “R” Us and Wal-Mart are filled with marked-down DVDs and GameCube games. As he has done for the past two years, Bradley will pick up an armful of $3.99 games and movies and then auction them for up to 10 times that on eBay to regular customers from Kentucky to Cyprus." --source: New York Times
"You can save thousands of dollars over the lifetime of a car by selecting a model that combines a low purchase price with low depreciation, financing, insurance, gasoline, maintenance, and repair costs." www.66ways.org
Consider purchasing a used car from an individual you know and trust. They are more likely than other sellers to charge a lower price and point out any problems with the car. www.66ways.org
-- 1. Respect differences: Look for common ground while appreciating each other's differences.
-- 2. Speak naturally: Like any first date, you want the conversation to flow naturally and spring from issues and ideas that matter strongly to you. Don't try to trump your partner by talking like Alan Greenspan.
- 3. Don't fall into the common-interest trap: Avoid the joyful "You like tomatoes? I like tomatoes, too!" response to superficial points of common interest that first daters fall into. A false sense of commonality can poison a relationship.
-- 4. Compromise, compromise, compromise: Just because one of you voiced an opinion or has strong feelings about something doesn't mean that the other must or will give in or tiptoe around an issue. Workable compromises are still necessary in order to make your partnership more solid and your financial life more effective.
-- 5. There are no winners and losers: Winning an argument is not the objective here, there are no right answers, just workable compromises.Frugal Duchess: From interviews to dates, I wish that I had listened more and talked less. And I've learned to listen to silence also.
-- 6. Listen up: Show that you're listening and that what your partner is saying is important to you.
"Last year I saved $1453 from clipping coupons and signing up at designated driver booths at Giants Stadium, Continental Arena and Shea Stadium.
Why pay $4 for a coke when they’ll give you one free if you just show a driver’s license and promise not to booze it up (which I wouldn’t do anyway? For Kathy [Tom's Wife] and me, do the math. 50 games per year times $8 per game = $400. That pays for several playoff tickets!
And most stadiums have such booths. They don’t advertise them but if you ask an usher or at an information booth they’ll direct you to them.
Feel free to use this if Ugly Betty was a rerun tonight." --Tom Lamont, Institutional Investor News editor
"He is a self-professed skinflint. Arnold says he does not need a cell phone because he doesn't make that many calls and anyway, 'it's cheaper to use a pay phone.' He doesn't drink soda...[waste of money.]"
Jerry O'Connell and fiancée (and newly minted Ugly Betty star) Rebecca Romijn keep their fitness regimen in sync while pedaling the mean streets of Calabasas, Calif., recently.-- source: People
1. Crisis Cash: Set aside regular amounts in an emergency fund. Start by saving $1,000. Then, increase that amount. Eventually, you should have enough to cover three months of living expenses. --Dayton
2. Automate: Don’t rely on good luck to pad your finances. Set up an automatic withdrawal of 10% of your paycheck that will go directly into your savings. --Dayton
3. Family Huddle: Agree with your spouse on a regular, weekly time to assess and maintain your family spending plan.
--Dayton
4. Stall to Save: Require yourself to wait two full days before buying something you’ve seen in a catalog, on the Internet, or in a store. --Dayton
5. Debt Repayment: Cut small expenses like cable, a morning cup of coffee or video rentals and put that money directly into paying off your debts, starting with the smallest and working your way up. You’ll be amazed at the results as you gain momentum. --Dayton
TJX said customer information was stolen from a computer network that handles a wide range of financial information, including credit cards, debit cards linked to checking accounts and transactions for returned merchandise. It didn't provide details of the breach, saying only that it discovered in December that an "unauthorized intruder" accessed its computer systems. Some drivers' license numbers also were stolen. --WSJ
The company urged customers to review their account statements for potential fraud and set up a toll-free number (866-484-6978) for those with questions about the situation. TJX also said it would provide tips on preventing credit- and debit-card fraud and steps customers can take to protect their personal information at www.tjx.com. --WSJ
In our march onward out of debt, Dan and I are selling my 2003 Saturn Ion 3. We never drive more than one car at a time now that we live in Midtown Atlanta, so it doesn't make sense to keep both of our cars. My car works and looks great, so I would never consider selling it if we weren't serious about dumping our debt. (I'm so sad, but it is for the best.)
If you know people in the greater Georgia area who might be in the market for a perfectly functioning, attractive used car at a great price, please forward this email or send them to my page about my car. It has all the specs and photos.
Currently the lucrative celebrity deals are being ironed out in the casting for an all-star NFL Network promo to air during the Feb. 4th football finale.
"She's too much of a train wreck," says the unnamed Daily News source said to be an "insider." "Besides, we already have Paris Hilton." One trainwreck of a blonde is enough for the NFL. Source: Stone Martindale Jan 16, 2007 -- Monstersandcritics.com
Ferrera said she hears every day from girls inspired by her character, Betty Suarez, saying it "truly brings a new face to television." --source: Associated Press
When America Ferrera won for best actress in a television comedy, she was more animated, tearfully saying that the ABC series “Ugly Betty” was “truly bringing a new face to television.” And that brought tears to the eyes of even some of the oldest, best-preserved faces in the business. --New York Times
"When you see the commitment my parents exhibited ... it was not for fame or fortune," Yolanda King said. "The best sermons are those that are lived.-- source: Associated Press
The eldest daughter of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King evoked the civil rights movement while reminding those remembering her parents that America has not yet reached the promised land of peace and racial equality.
"We must keep reaching across the table and, in the tradition of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, feed each other," Yolanda King said Sunday at Ebenezer Baptist Church during a presentation that was part motivational speech, part drama.
--AP report
All game long he had struggled. His range was off, he underthrew and overthrew, he was hurried and sacked. But after each failed drive or turnover, he would return to his sideline and study his charts, imperturbable.
"You know it's just not letting anything get to you," Brady said. "It's staying focused no matter what's swirling around you. Just continuing to mentally fight through whatever obstacles there might be." --Washington Post
I think the most important thing is, we have a bunch of mentally tough guys in here who don't give up, regardless of the situation," New England defensive back Ray Mickens said. "I think that shows today, that we didn't get down on ourselves just because we were down by 11 points, but just kept hammering away and being mentally tough." Source: Washington Post
"Set aside time for you and your spouse to sit down and reveal any money secrets that you may have been keeping from each other. Agree in advance that you will forgive whatever is revealed so long as the behavior stops." --The Financially Intelligent Parent
Tied neck and neck with Yahoo.com is MSN.com
another 24.5% of all web page views going to Microsoft's portal -- and that's up 4% from five months ago.-- CNBC.com
