Run right over to Restaurant.com, do not pass go, do not collect $200. But you DO get great restaurant certificates almost FREE. Normally the site sells $25 gift certificates for $10. Through tomorrow, you can get a $25 certificate for only $2 with the coupon code SURPRISE.

It's easy to find certificates if you search by your zip code. Be sure to read the fine print though... Many of the restaurants require minimum purchases or restrict the days on which you can use them. Even still, it's a great deal! And getting your certificates is easy: You simply print them out at your convenience.

Beware... The site is slow because of heavy traffic. And make sure you opt out of any offers at checkout, because consumers have reported finding charges on their credit cards for these special offers. But I completed a purchase today, so I know the site is still working and the deal is still valid. What a great way for those who have cut back on eating out to have a little fun!

If you're not filing your federal income tax returns electronically, you are in the minority. The Internal Revenue Service has seen a big jump in the number of taxpayers using e-file over the last 10 years. In 2008, almost 58% of the 155 million tax returns filed were filed electronically, and it's time for you to get on the bandwagon.

There are plenty of benefits to electronic filing, and probably the most popular is the speed with which you can receive your tax refund. If you opt for direct deposit of your refund, you can usually expect your money in one to two weeks.

If you prefer a paper check, plan on a couple of extra weeks. In contrast, those who file paper returns never know when they'll receive their refunds. It could be several weeks or a couple of months, depending on how busy the IRS is.

The other big benefit to e-filing is accuracy. If you send in a paper tax return, someone at the IRS has to key your data into their computer system to check it against other records they have on file for you, such as W-2s and 1099s. If you file electronically, that manual process is eliminated, and you are virtually assured that the information on your taxes will end up in the IRS computers exactly as you sent it.

The IRS makes it easy for everyone to e-file. Almost every tax preparer around the country (except for a few old school types) offers e-file. And if you make $54,000 or less, you're able to e-file for free with programs in which the IRS participates

Tracy L. Coenen, CPA, MBA, CFE performs fraud examinations and financial investigations for her company Sequence Inc. Forensic Accounting, and is the author of Essentials of Corporate Fraud.

Back in July, I wrote a piece about the yellow pages for a series on things that are disappearing in America. That article brought a fair amount of criticism from industry insiders who said the business was thriving, and that if you include usage of online yellow pages, the business was actually growing. There were some business owners who said the yellow pages were vital to them. And there were plenty of us who said we have no use for the book (or the online yellow pages, for that matter).

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal supports my theory that the yellow pages business is dying a slow and painful death. When it became clear that the Internet was capturing some of their former users, the publishers of the directories started creating online yellow pages. That helped some, but apparently not enough.

One analyst says that spending on advertising in the print and online versions of the yellow pages will fall over 6% next year. That's twice as much as the expected decline in television advertising. The spending in the printed directories is expected to fall 39% over the next four years. Ouch.

Were you convinced that the antics surrounding American International Group (AIG) couldn't get any worse? After all, there was that big $85 billion bailout... which somehow almost doubled within a matter of weeks. Then there were the stories of spa trips and luxury resorts. Taxpayers are rightfully dismayed at the thought of bailing out a company with their money, only to see funds squandered.

(Yes, I understand that the trips were by people in a subsidiary that is a different one than the one that needed to be bailed out... But it's all AIG and when one part of the company spends money, the whole company is spending money.)

But there's another side to the AIG story that hasn't been talked about as much. AIG employees are being harassed and threatened by angry consumers. Stock market celebrity Jim Cramer of Mad Money television fame told his viewers to harass AIG employees in public. Seriously? Most of the employees of AIG aren't to blame for the company's mess. Upper management is. The employees don't deserve to be harassed just for doing their jobs or being a part of a sketchy company.

It should come as no surprise that all kinds of businesses and industries are trying to get a piece of the $3 trillion bailout mess. Why shouldn't they? The Treasury Department basically opened the checkbook and said, "Step right up, ladies and gentlemen." Too bad it was my checkbook, your checkbook, and the checkbooks of current and future taxpayers.

All week long, we've been hearing about how the U.S. automakers "need" some of the bailout funds. The frontrunner in the race to see which automaker(s) can receive money seems to be General Motors. The arguments in favor of bailing out the company? 100,000 jobs will be lost at GM. The company's 1,300 suppliers will be put at risk, along with their employees. Retirees stand to lose pension and health care benefits.

But why should the government bail out an industry that makes no sense? More cash for GM is like flushing money down the toilet. Sales are plummeting and the cash reserve is dwindling. Why? Because American car makers have cost structures to their businesses that are no longer viable. Between union pay, benefits, and retirement plans, the cost for GM (or either of the other domestic makers) is simply too high to be competitive.

Recently, former NFL start Michael Vick filed for bankruptcy while sitting in a Kansas prison. In 2006, Vick made almost $15 million. Now he makes next to nothing working in prison. He bankruptcy filing shows $16 million in assets, but over $20 million owed to creditors. Vick wasted a whopping $18 million over two years, and forensic accountants had to be hired to find out just where all the money went.

What did with the money: Invested in bad business deals like a car rental company, a liquor store, and a restaurant, hired a multitude of financial advisers, gave money away to family members, bought multiple houses and cars, gave extravagant gifts to others, and wrote out lots of checks to "cash." Among the things he has lost: homes, farms, yachts, a bunch of vehicles, and a race horse. The Atlanta Falcons want millions of dollars back from him, and the taxing authorities want $1 million from him for unpaid taxes and interest.

So was it all worth it? Was it worth throwing away a lucrative career to torture some dogs for sport? I suspect not. Vick intends to play football when he gets out of prison, with his release scheduled for July 20. He has told the bankruptcy court he thinks he can still make a lot of money as an NFL quarterback. I'm not sure there's any team out there willing to take a chance on him. He hasn't played in a long time, and may not be physically ready. Even if he is, what team wants the negative reaction from fans for bringing him on?

Tracy L. Coenen, CPA, MBA, CFE performs fraud examinations and financial investigations for her company Sequence Inc. Forensic Accounting, and is the author of Essentials of Corporate Fraud.

Cities are the latest entities approaching the Treasury Department with their hands out, hoping for a piece of the $3 trillion bailout debacle. Philadelphia, Phoenix, and Atlanta are the first cities to beg for money, but many more can't be far behind. They'd be fools to not ask!

The reason the cities are asking for help? They say their tax revenue is down and their pension plans are ailing from the stock market drop. And their point is what? Isn't everyone feeling the pinch these days?

In times like these, all units of government should be looking for ways to drastically cut costs. Sinking more money into them is not the right move. These cities are crying bloody murder, saying they'll have to lay off employees and raise taxes. They may have to lay off employees, but I've always said that governments are overstaffed anyway. And raise taxes? No, that's not the only option. Massive spending cuts are the way to go.

Experts say the cities have little chance of getting any bailout money, but I'm not so sure about that. Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson is committed to doing whatever he wants to do with the money our lawmakers handed over to him, so anything is possible at this point. Where does all the bailout spending end? Your guess is as good as mine, but I think it's safe to say that there's going to be lots and lots of spending before the end is in sight.

Tracy L. Coenen, CPA, MBA, CFE performs fraud examinations and financial investigations for her company Sequence Inc. Forensic Accounting, and is the author of Essentials of Corporate Fraud.

If you didn't get a piece of the economic stimulus pie the first time around this year because you either made too much or too little, you might still be able to get in on it.

To be eligible for a check in 2008, taxpayers had to have a minimum amount of earned income or Social Security retirement income on their 2007 tax returns. There was also a maximum in place to stop high-income taxpayers from receiving a check.

But even if they got shut out on their 2007 returns, taxpayers might still be able to get some money based on 2008 income numbers. So if your situation has changed dramatically -- say you got laid off, or something like that -- you could qualify! What matters is if your 2008 income falls within the parameters set up by the IRS. This is going to mean a little boost for those who may have lost a job or otherwise had lower-than-normal income this year.

How much does the IRS think will still go out related to this twist in the law? Another $10 billion above what's already been paid out. If you didn't receive a check this year but are eligible based on your 2008 income, you'll claim a credit on your 2008 tax return. You won't receive a separate check for it.

Uncle Sam seems to think that lots of you will be eligible to receive this benefit in 2008, so don't overlook it. With slightly higher unemployment numbers this year, it's likely that a number of people will have reduced incomes that will qualify them for the economic stimulus package.

Tracy L. Coenen, CPA, MBA, CFE performs fraud examinations and financial investigations for her company Sequence Inc. Forensic Accounting, and is the author of Essentials of Corporate Fraud.

We've all been referring to the federal government's Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) for banks as the "$700 billion bailout." But last night, BailoutSleuth, Marc Cuban's site created to follow the administration of the bailout reported that our government has spent a whole lot more than that to rescue financial services companies.

How much so far? Try $2.5 trillion.

This comes out as Bloomberg L.P. has filed a lawsuit to force the Federal Reserve to provide more information about which companies are receiving money and what assets have been pledged to get the money. Although the bailout was initially approved amid claims that there would be total transparency, the reality has fallen far short of that.

Here's how BailoutSleuth comes up with its total:

• $170 billion for banks who sold preferred stock to the government
• $150 billion given to AIG -- $85 billion initially, another $25 billion, and another $40 billion
  
• $2 trillion in emergency loans from the Federal Reserve to banks under 11 different programs that are separate from the TARP program, and which didn't require approval by Congress

AIG executives may not be making better business decisions while they're asking the federal government for more money, but at least they're getting sneakier! An ABC News investigation has revealed that a conference last week at the Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort in Phoenix was another chance for AIG executives to frolic (on the taxpayers' dime).

The conference was called the Asset Management Conference, and hotel personnel were ordered to not mention AIG either verbally or on signage. An AIG spokesperson told ABC News that there was no AIG signage because they wanted to lower the company's profile. As consumers, I think we're a little too smart to believe that. Something tells me that the company executives knew they'd get heat for another luxury trip.

There were 150 independent financial planners present at the conference, in addition to several top AIG executives. Yet hidden cameras caught top executives not attending sessions, and also captured images of limousines, fancy cocktail parties, and expensive dinners out.