The plant nurseries that were jammed in the spring with shoppers this spring eager to turn over the newly-thawed soil, are now quiet, and few owners want to go into winter with a stock of landscaping plants vulnerable to freeze and disease. This makes September, October and even Novemer months to watch for some great deals on trees, shrubs and ground cover, often more than 50% off.

In mostly zones of the U.S., fall is a great time to plant new landscaping. The threat of parching heat is past and a deep, prolonged freeze still a couple of months away. Most plants will respond well if planted in the proper soil, with some compost or other nutrients and adequate water. The slow cool down of fall will allow them to slip into dormancy and return in the spring ready to add color and interest to your yard and garden.

Be sure to check the latest revision of the USDA Hardiness Zone Map for what plants will thrive in your area, and learn to recognize a promising tree or bush from one on life support. If you're not confident, stick to shopping at reputable nurseries rather than mass merchandisers.

After twenty years of enslavement to Microsoft's software, I swore I would never let another company gain too much of my loyalty. But Google is making it damn hard, turning out product after product that I find makes my computer life easier. Those I use daily include:

Google Reader: For gathering RSS feeds (the sometimes-truncated posts from the many blogs I follow so I don't have to visit each one individually) this reader is the most convenient I've found. It allows me to tag, forward, and group interesting content in a logical, pleasing layout.

Google News Alerts: This service allows me to create search terms (Tom Barlow, for example). Each day (or more often if I choose) it searches the internet for new content in which my name appears, and sends links to each in a consolidated email. Very handy for tracking hot topics.

Google Notebook: When researching topics for posts, I often visit a number of internet sites. Notebook allows me to clip out relevant text/pictures from those sites and compile them in my notebook tagged with the address from which the info came. This makes assembling the final story with proper attribution a snap.

Google Maps: In the novel I'm currently working on, the heroes ride a motorcycle from Seattle to Ohio. I was able to create the route on a Google Map and keep track of time and distance. Using the Google Earth feature, I was also able to virtually drive the route to see what my characters would have seen.

This post is part of a series where personal finance expert Dan Solin provides 10 insurance tips no one else will tell you. See all 10, plus one bonus tip!

Whose interests does your insurance agent represent?

You might think the answer is obvious: Yours, of course.

Not so.

The issue is whether or not your agent has a "fiduciary" obligation to you. If so, she accepts the highest duty of loyalty and care. She cannot have any interests that conflict with yours.

In most states, however, insurance agents are not fiduciaries. They have no obligation to place your interests above their own or above those of the insurance companies they represent.

In those states that impose a fiduciary obligation on insurance producers, the industry has strongly resisted being held to this higher standard. The California Department of Insurance issued a legal opinion imposing a fiduciary duty on insurance brokers. The industry strongly criticized the opinion, calling it "erroneous."

The insurance industry spends mega advertising dollars to convince you to "trust" its agents. Most consumers believe that their agents are acting solely in their best interest -- and I am sure that many are.

While feeding the family must take precedence in any household, a home does not run on bread alone. Sometimes the phone cord gets crackly or you blow a fuse. Prices on some of these things can be absolutely shocking, so I headed to the dollar store, Home Depot and The Source to compare prices. Please compare prices in your area.

• Whether you want a night light with an auto sensor or an on/off switch, Dollarama has Sunbeam night lights for a buck each. At Home Depot, the exact same style of sensor night light by Philips cost $4.99.
  
• Fuses cost $2.49 for two at Home Depot and $1 each at the dollar store, so you save almost 50 cents on the cost of two fuses.

Ken and Daria Dolan, America's First Family of Personal Finance, answer your money questions every Friday.

Click here to ask Ken and Daria your question.

We have always recommended that you check your credit report annually and be on the lookout for bad marks that could drag your credit score down. If you do find negative reports, don't freak out and don't get scammed by those credit companies offering a quick fix either.

Here's the right way to remove any blemishes from your report and keep it that way for years to come.

Dear Ken and Daria,

I have several negative marks on my credit report, but I am working hard to raise my score. What can I do to remove those bad marks?

-Matthew

Did you check your annual credit report and not like what you found? Ken and Daria show you how simple steps can effectively raise your credit score on Dolans.com.