DAYS LEFT

Latest in Taxes: IRS Holding $1.3 Billion in Unclaimed Tax Refunds ---- 10 Expenses You Can't Deduct

The late Billy Mays said it best: "Life's a pitch. Then you buy." That's why more than 30 inventors from around the country came to Los Angeles last week to pitch their ideas, for infomercial stardom. Find out what it takes to make your invention "As Seen on TV." Continue reading...

WalletPop Wire

State sales taxes continue to rise

Kelly Phillips Erb Mar 10th 2010 @ 6:00PM EST Filed Under: Tax

If you flip on the news or thumb through a newspaper these days, it's no secret that the federal government is facing a mounting deficit. Spending has outstripped revenues for years now, and the current recession has cut deeply into the biggest source of income: taxpayers.

What hasn't been touted as much is how the same financial crisis is affecting states. As the federal government cuts back on funding state projects (although many, such as those related to education and homeland security, are mandated by the feds), states are scrambling to make up the difference.

Unfortunately, like the federal government, states are facing a similar dilemma: too much spending compared to revenue. The result? In the current fiscal year, at least 41 states are facing budget shortfalls in the current fiscal year. Even worse? Unlike the federal government, many state governments have laws on the books requiring that states operate in the black. Those "shutdowns" you keep hearing about? It's often because the state isn't allowed to spend money it doesn't have (apparently, a novel concept in government).

Continue reading State sales taxes continue to rise

Bank of America announces new information on overdraft policies

Geoff Williams Mar 10th 2010 @ 5:05PM EST Filed Under: Banks

As you may have read just recently, here on WalletPop and elsewhere, Bank of America is ending the way it issues overdrafts. It is abolishing most of them, ending completely the practice of going into a store and inadvertently spending $20 when you only have $6 in your account and then unleashing a torrent of overdraft fees.

Today, Bank of America held a teleconference, which I sat in on, in order to explain to the media their new overdraft policy, which will go into effect this summer. Susan Faulkner, Deposits and Card Product Executive for Bank of America, ably led the discussion.

Continue reading Bank of America announces new information on overdraft policies

Pfizer extends free aid for unemployed using its drugs

Vanessa Richardson Mar 10th 2010 @ 5:00PM EST Filed Under: Saving Money, Health, Fantastic Freebies, Economizer

In December, I wrote about the drug maker Pfizer offering free prescription drugs to people who lost their jobs and health coverage in 2009. After that, I got an e-mail from a James Walker at APCO Worldwide, Pfizer's public-relations firm, that the company is extending the measure through 2010.

Continue reading Pfizer extends free aid for unemployed using its drugs

Body Shop coupon code for free shipping

Julia Scott Mar 10th 2010 @ 4:30PM EST Filed Under: Bargain Babe

Get free shipping from the Body Shop with no minimum purchase using code FREESHIP10. This code expires today, March 10, 2010. Not sure if it is case sensitive.

If you have some problems with the free shipping code, add it and then remove it to get to the next screen. I did this and I still got free shipping. If this doesn't work for you call customer service at 800-263-9746.

All skincare items (excluding kits) are buy two, get one free. To get the freebie you need to put three skincare items in your cart. The site will charge you for two and give you the cheapest one free. The buy two, get one free sale ends Sunday March 14.

Million Dollar Listing to return for Season 4

Zac Bissonnette Mar 10th 2010 @ 4:00PM EST Filed Under: Extracurriculars, Real Estate

Bravo's hit reality real estate docudrama Million Dollar Listing will be back for a fourth season, according to Madison Hildebrand, one of the Realtors featured on the show.

"GREAT NEWS! "Million Dollar Listing" Season 4 is picked up!!! We start filming now," he posted on his Facebook Fan Page.

Continue reading Million Dollar Listing to return for Season 4

No more free Disney tickets for volunteers

Jason Cochran Mar 10th 2010 @ 3:35PM EST Filed Under: Extracurriculars, Family Money, Travel, Charity, Fantastic Freebies, In the News

Disney Parks has announced that it has met its promised goal of giving away 1 million free passes to people who donate a day of volunteering. Now that the target has been reached, the program will end.

And what a massively successful program it was. As our incisive sister site Gadling pointed out, Disney gave away about 100,000 tickets a month, or 1.2 million total, in 2009, when it let guests in for free on their birthday. But its 2010 program created a much wider frenzy, with 100,000 being given away every seven days.

Just a month ago, it was announced 600,000 passes had been given away, which means that nearly half the allotment was distributed in the space of a mere four weeks.

Continue reading No more free Disney tickets for volunteers

Modifications coming to the Home Affordable Modification Plan

Jean Chatzky Mar 10th 2010 @ 3:30PM EST Filed Under: Banks, Home, Real Estate

With nearly 25% of all mortgage holders in the U.S. underwater - meaning they owe more on their house than it's currently worth - it's no wonder that a new part of the Home Affordable Modification Program (or HAMP) taking effect April 5 is garnering big ink, including a page one story in The New York Times.

This one is called HAFA -- Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives.

What is it? Under the new program, lenders will be offered incentives to allow some underwater homeowners to sell short - selling their homes for less than they owe on their loans and being let off the hook for the rest.

Continue reading Modifications coming to the Home Affordable Modification Plan

Pizza and restaurant coupons prove popular

Josh Smith Mar 10th 2010 @ 3:00PM EST Filed Under: Bargains, Food, Economizer

RetailMeNot shoppers saved roughly $750,000 using the 24,000 printable coupons available for food in January, with 12,000 of those coupons just for pizza. Food coupons are so popular they took the No.1 spot in January, followed by searches for restaurant at No. 3, sit-down restaurants at No. 7 and dining coupons at No. 10.

It's not just printable pizza coupons that are popular; RetailMeNot also has about 500 coupon codes for close to 90 pizza shops, including big names like Domino's, which was the No. 3 most-searched-for store in RetailMeNot's online coupon database; losing out only to Amazon and Victoria's Secret. Papa John's, my favorite chain pizza place, also made the list at No. 7.

Continue reading Pizza and restaurant coupons prove popular

Debt charge-offs not consumer payoffs reducing credit card debt

Lita Epstein Mar 10th 2010 @ 2:30PM EST Filed Under: Credit, Debt, Credit Cards

We've been hearing for the past 16 months that consumer debt is going down. Well, it's not because people are paying off their debt more aggressively.

Instead, we've learned it's because credit card companies wrote down $83 billion of the $93 billion in credit card reductions. Consumer credit card debt declined by just $10 billion with most of that pay down in the first quarter of 2009.

That's what Odysseas Papadimitriou, CEO and founder of CardHub.com, concluded after he took a closer look at the data from the Federal Reserve. Papadimitriou worked for eight years at Capital One's credit card division before starting CardHub.com. He has his MBA from Duke University.

Continue reading Debt charge-offs not consumer payoffs reducing credit card debt

Hot Topics

Markets

U.S. open in 11 hrs, 5 mins

DJIA

10,567.33

2.95

0.03%

NASDAQ

2,358.95

18.27

0.78%

S&P 500

1,145.61

5.17

0.45%

Columns

Features

Personal Finance

Connect

INVESTING

Financial Glossary

SMALL BUSINESS

Favorite SITES

Fruzsina Eordogh

In the latest Savings Experiment, we show you how to save on dentistry, haircuts and dining out by using student service centers.
Visit The Savings Experiment