MoneyCafe.com

On May 11th, the price of a first class stamp will increase by about 5% to 44 cents.  It may a good time to save some money and stock up on the forever stamp which sells for 42 cents but can be used after the May price increase.

Another option for a postage solution is to try Stamps.com.  They have some creative and convenient products that allow you to print postage directly on your PC.  They also have Photo Stamps which are fun and expressive.  Throughout 2009 they are offering some deals.   To receive $45 in Free Postage (the current $25 offer plus an additional $20) use coupon code “COUPON1″.  For Free Shipping on Photo Stamps, use coupon code “CJ2009″. 

From now until April 15th, you can get up to a $500 cash credit for rolling over your 401(k) into an E*Trade Securities IRA.  The cash credit depends upon the initial deposit.  Deposits over $250,000 receive $500; deposits between $100,000 and $249,999 receive $250; deposits between $50,000 and $99,999 receive $100; deposits between $25,000 and $49,999 receive $50. They have a tool to help with roll over information.

E*Trade is really making a push for IRA business.  Last month we mentioned their 100 Free Trades Offer.  That is still available as a separate offer.

See:
https://us.etrade.com/e/t/jumppage/viewjumppage?PageName=individual_retirement_account
https://us.etrade.com/e/t/plan/retirement/irarollovertool
http://moneycafe.com/blog/2009/02/etrade-ira-get-100-free-trades/

The tax filing deadline is less than a month away.  If you plan on using TurboTax (the program most people who self-prepare will use) you may want to get a jump on it this week.  As they do every year, they raise the price at the end of the tax season to encourage people to file earlier and not all show up at once on April 15th.  This year the price increase will take effect on March 28th.   Save some money and get started today.  They have  TurboTax Tools and Calculators and a Tax Preparation Checklist to help get started.

If you are undecided about which solution is best for you, we took a look at the major do-it-yourself tax solutions back in December.  The link is: http://moneycafe.com/blog/2008/12/time-to-look-at-tax-software/.

Here are some excellent articles courtesy of TurboTax to help with your taxes this year. 

• TurboTax – The 11 Most Overlooked Tax Deductions
• Turbo Tax – 10 Oddball Tax Deductions
• TurboTax – Should You Itemize?
• TurboTax – Tax Law Changes

See:
File online with TurboTax: #1 rated and #1 selling tax software
http://moneycafe.com/blog/2008/12/time-to-look-at-tax-software/

Google has a service called Google Tip Jar that allows people to share information and tips.  They have a Finance category where people share tips for saving money and dealing with your finances.  The Tip Jar is powered by Google Moderator software, which allows people to vote upon and rank the best tips.  Ideally, the best and most effective tips will rise to the top of the list.

See:
http://moderator.appspot.com/#15/e=3cfc&t=16fdf

MarketWatch has a number of investment newsletters currently offering free trials.

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The Wall Street Journal has a good article about the opportunities for first time home buyers.  Good homes in good areas are affordable again for regular working people.  That is definitely a silver lining in the crash of home prices.  There is also a new tax credit to help first time home buyers which is further explained in a CNN article.   CNN explains the current program, the proposed program in the Stimulus Bill and some of the limitations. 

See:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123431356988570855.html
http://money.cnn.com/2009/01/29/real_estate/tax_credit_near/