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According to Bankrate, "Legislation has virtually eliminated the grace period for bill payers." That means most check writers, especially the ones whose bill-paying schedules depend on payday schedules, are going to need to buy some "check floating" time to avoid bouncing checks and earning late fees.

Bankrate (via this handy AOL Money & Finance slideshow) is offering up six ways to buy that time. Some of them are pretty simple (Sign up for direct deposit), some are somewhat technical (Sign up for account alerts), while others are downright OCD (Customize your due dates). Color coding might help, as well.

If you ask me, No. Five is the way to go: Use online banking. You'll never bounce another check. The computer just won't let you.

B. Brandon Barker also writes for Political Machine.

The City Café Bakery in downtown Kitchener, Ontario serves hot coffee, bagels, croissants, tarts and brick oven pizza with a quirky, outgoing staff and a neighborhood atmosphere. However, it does not have a cash register.

According to Bakers Journal, owner John Bergen, a former ceramics designer, wanted to open a bakery where he could "walk in anytime and it's a place where I can belong." For Bergen, that kind of business would involve simplicity and the honor system.

Bergen says. "What irritated me about going into [other bakeries], for example, was waiting in line for something as simple as getting a donut and a coffee. So the thought was, someone can pour his own coffee, grab his own bagel, cut it himself, throw the money in, and walk out. We don't touch 60% of the transaction."

Customers order their items, tally up the total and put their money in a fare box from an old bus. To make things simpler, prices are rounded off to the nearest quarter with taxes included. They do not take credit cards.

Every six months they check the numbers, and only once did they come up short. But, Bergen believes that customers are more likely to overpay than underpay. "Some people come in and want a $2.75 loaf of bread," he says, "but they see we're busy so they throw $3 in and walk out." The City Café Bakery also discourages tipping and they don't answer their phone, so that customers won't have to wait for service while an employee is on the phone. Woo hoo!

But, how's business? According to Bergen, every week the City Café Bakery dishes out 3,000 bagels, 1,300 croissants, 1,000 desserts, and an untold number of pizzas, sandwiches and loaves of bread.

Not too shabby.

B. Brandon Barker also writes for Political Machine.

[Thanks to Kottke.org]

Scrolling through Forbes' new slideshow of America's Fastest Dying Industries can easily get the mind wandering on a Big Lebowski tangent. Okay, maybe that's a stretch. But, the fact that our nation may suffer a dearth of bowling alleys and beer seems a little disconcerting.

As part of this new feature, in conjunction with AOL Small Business, Forbes lists 10 U.S. industries that will most likely see a drop in output, revenue and employment in the next four years.

According to Forbes, the industries that had the foresight to adjust to change and diversify are doing the best. "While technology is changing the face of many industries," writes the magazine's Joshua Zumbrun and Brian Wingfield, "the firms within them are often doing quite well." AT&T and Verizon, for instance, are not worried about their outdated "land lines" since their wireless subscriber numbers are surging.

Though most Americans consider themselves pretty astute when it comes to brands, how many of them actually know where their favorite brands are based? I know, it's kind of baffling. Kind of like the title of this post.

Take Volvo, for instance. Everyone knows Volvo is a Swedish. The company has been based in Gothenburg since it was founded in 1927. However, technically, it's an American-owned company since Ford bought it in 1999.

And how about your local filling station. Did you know that Shell Oil is a Dutch company? Maybe you did. And how about good old American 7-Eleven? Yep, Japanese.

Before I give the whole thing away, you can take the country-of-origin quiz yourself. It's really tough, so don't say I didn't warn you.

B. Brandon Barker also writes for Political Machine.

As expected, inflation rose last month due to higher energy prices. Diesel costs, in particular, are sending food prices soaring, and everyone is feeling the pinch. Which is the really bitter part of this quasi-recession: We've already resigned ourselves to stay away from new watches, cars and other luxury items, but now the essentials (food and gas) are turning on us.

According to the Labor Department, food prices rose 0.2 percent in March and 4.4 percent over the past year. Some food staples have really surged: Over the last year, bread has risen 14.7 percent and milk 13.3 percent. French toast, anyone?

Right now the best approach, aside from watching the mail for those stimulus checks, is to shop smart at the grocery store. If you buy cheap, you'll get cheap. However, the expensive brands don't always deliver great value. Consumer Reports, which is subscription-only, has teamed up with AOL Money & Finance to present a free, whopping-long list of supermarket products that combine high quality with great value. Testing a wide range of products, including BBQ sauce, hot dogs and olive oil--not to mention storage containers, insect repellent and sunscreen--the gallery will not only help you make the best purchase decision, it may also introduce you to wonderful new products. Like, Black Magic "Wet Shine" Liquid Car Wax.

Just because you can't afford to fill it up doesn't mean you can't make it look good.

B. Brandon Barker also writes for Political Machine.

According to George Will, we're not in a recession. Or at least we won't be for another eight weeks. In his Sunday column he points out, "The 9.9% first-quarter decline of the Standard & Poor 500 barely ranks among the 40 worst quarterly losses in the index's history." So, chill everybody.

As the financial world -- including housing, credit, energy and lattes -- tosses and turns, there's really nothing you can do. However, you can make a few moves to ensure a little security in coming years. AOL's latest Top Five! covers smart money moves you can make right now. As in, now.

Before we begin, just remember one thing: This won't be fun. Whenever these what-to-do-with-your-money lists come up, you always hope to see something that justifies your latest whim; like, "buy a new snowboard" or "splurge on an inflatable hot tub." But, no. That never happens. So, brace yourself for practicality, frugality and savings. Yep, it's that kind of year. And here we go:

Several things struck me while reading Pamela Paul's child-rearing article in The Washington Post: (a) Children are expensive; and (b) some people spend $13K on diaper bags. But, hey, some people spend the same amount on NBA season tickets, which is no bargain either.

Ms. Paul, the author of "Parenting Inc.: How We Are Sold on $800 Strollers, Fetal Education, Baby Sign Language, Sleeping Coaches, Toddler Couture, and Diaper Wipe Warmers -- and What It Means for Our Children" (a book you don't have to read because the title literally says it all) makes the point that people are not having three or more children these days because they just can't afford it. According to the Department of Agriculture, the average American child costs approximately $204,060 to clothe, shelter, entertain and educate from birth to age 18. And then there's the wedding.

The first thing that struck me--halfway through AOL Money & Finance's Corporate Logo Quiz--was the realization that, wow, I really know corporate logos.

For someone who doesn't pay attention to the subtle evolutions of the GE, Disney or BMW branding, it turns out that I actually know them like the back of my hand. And, for some reason, that makes me very afraid.

But before you launch into the quiz, take a deep breath and try to relax, because it's not as easy as you think. Like, for instance, do the sun rays in the Dole logo stretch outside the "o" or stay inside? Is the familiar Pepsi globe red-on-blue or blue-on-red? Does the circular Starbucks logo actually have stars in it? How many circles are in the Target "target"? Does the Playboy bunny have a outlined or solid-white tie?

See? You're hooked.

B. Brandon Barker also writes for Political Machine.

Looking back on the old days of bidding wars, same-day sales and million-dollar tear-downs, you just knew this day would come: All of a sudden, it's a buyer's market. And doesn't it feel great?

Wherever you live, there are literally thousands of homes available for under $250,000. But, I know what you're saying. Sure, it may be a good time to buy a house, but is there a convenient way to peruse these fabulous deals? Like, I don't know, an online slide show? Funny you ask: AOL Real Estate's new Buyer's Market gallery sends you right to the doorsteps of these homes, with photos, details, features, maps and directions. They also highlight 10 amazing properties from around the country, including up-and-coming hot spots like Raleigh, North Carolina, Madison, Wisconsin and Boise, Idaho (trust me, Boise is a hot spot).

During the boom years, if you were one of those wise and patient people who either balked at the high prices or decided to wait for lower prices, your time has come. Call your lender, break out your check book and choose your dream home.

B. Brandon Barker also writes for Political Machine.

Most entrepreneurs probably don't consider now a good time to launch a big enterprise. In spite of Bernanke's claims that we're not in Vietnam anymore, inflation numbers are up and people are bracing themselves for months of high gas prices, low wages, political uncertainty and overall doom. Which, come to think of it, is the ideal time to throw some money into a start-up.

But, where is the money going to come from? Check it: Business reporter Matt Alderton has a handy 5-point plan for securing small business financing. And here's the clincher: They all start with M!

1. Mojo: If you want to impress the bank (or any lender) you're going to have to suck it up and break out the PowerPoint. And it doesn't hurt to roll up your sleeves, look people in the eye and if possible crack your knuckles.

If you're in need of some extra cash right now, you're not alone. Today, The New York Times reports that the family budget is getting pummeled by--yep--gas prices. Pump tallies of $4 a barrel are coming at a very bad time.

"The effect of high oil prices today could be the difference between having a recession and not having a recession," said Kenneth S. Rogoff, a Harvard economist.

Energy increases have normally been absorbed by consumers, but this time not so easily. The housing crisis and credit crunch have made household budgets even tighter, creating a real need for extra emergency cash.

AOL Money & Finance's new feature--Top Five Ways to Get Extra Cash Fast--could help your situation, offering up some familiar (and unfamiliar) ideas for scoring some extra bills.

B. Brandon Barker is the author of the novel Operation EMU.