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Happy Memorial Day!

Article: Online Resources for Free Samples & Deals!

The Best Online Resources for Free Samples and Coupons
"A look at the top websites offering free samples, coupons, and other great deals."
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1519039/the_best_online_resources_for_free.html

Free Tax Help from the IRS

Super Saturday - Get Free Tax Help March 21! http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=204165,00.html

"In these difficult economic times, the Internal Revenue Service and hundreds of its community partners want to go the extra mile to assist taxpayers. On Saturday, March 21, 2009, approximately 250 IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers and hundreds of community free tax help sites nationwide will open their doors to assist people. People who earn $42,000 or less are eligible for free tax return preparation at either the IRS TACs or the community partner sites.

"Super Saturday also is an opportunity for people, regardless of income, who may have a tax issue or who may be unable to pay their tax bill to visit an IRS TAC. The IRS can work with people to set up payment option plans that will prevent even greater penalties and interest. The IRS is committed to doing what it can to help financially distressed taxpayers who have played by the rules."

(Follow the link to find a location near you.)

Protecting Against Identity Theft: Monitor

Rule #3: Monitor Account Activity and History

Periodically review your account histories for accuracy of your purchases and activities. If anything looks suspicious, contact the companies you deal with. By catching misconduct early, you can preempt further damage. Review your credit report every few months as an extra measure in preventing identity theft and/or catching it early on.


Following these steps and taking additional precautions to protect ourselves from identity theft means more work for us, yes. But the payoff is incalculable when it comes to minimizing the damage that could otherwise take place with identity theft.

Protecting Against Identity Theft: Vary

Rule #2: Vary the Information You Divulge

The principle of storing the financial documents of various accounts separate to minimize damage is most effective when separate accounts actually have varied personal information. No, I’m not talking about using a different name and birth date. How many of us use the same username and password for everything? And the same security questions and answers?

In order to protect our accounts, we should be varying the information we use for each one. This way, even if someone knows how to break into our credit card account, he or she would have an extremely hard time accessing another account without extra information.

Protecting Against Identity Theft: Separate

Identity theft--the stealing of someone’s personal, private information--can happen to all of us, regardless of how cautious and conservative we are with our personal information. However, taking certain precautions will greatly decrease our chances of falling victim to such a painful and distressing crime.

Rule #1: Keep Usernames and Passwords Secret and Separate.

It is important to keep private your usernames and passwords for financial accounts. Work with secure sites only when making transactions, and don’t give out your personal information to third parties. If you’re going to write the information down in case you forget, record sensitive information as cryptic as possible. Use clues to remind yourself rather than explicitly spelling everything out. If your helpful reminders were to ever fall into the wrong hands, you would want the papers to be as useless to others as possible.

Financial documents with sensitive information should, within reason, be stored separately—passwords separate from usernames and one account separate from another. Keeping information about all of your financial accounts together is always asking for trouble. If someone finds your banking information, you should feel comfortable that they won’t understand what the password is from simply having hold of your username. Similarly, you should be able to feel comfortable that just because your banking information wais stolen, your credit card accounts weren’t also included on those records.

What Should I Put in My Holographic Will?

Depending on your estate, you will obviously want to include different directions in your holographic will. But in general, the following terms are included. (Note:
If you wish to include very specific and complicated terms in your will, it really might be best and/or necessary to contact a lawyer.)

(1) An Introduction. “I, Joe Smith, being of sound mind, wish to now declare my last will and testament, this being my official holographic will, written on December 22, 2008. (2) Body. “I name my daughter, Susie Smith, the executor of this will, giving her full rights in carrying out these instructions. I wish for all burial costs to be taken from my bank account prior to totaling the value of my estate. I then wish to leave the equally divided estate to two beneficiaries: one half of my estate to said Susie Smith and the other half of the estate to my younger daughter, Claire Smith. They may use the property and funds in whatsoever ways they see fit.” (3) Signature. Print you name in full along with leaving your dated signature right below your printed name.

Keep your holographic will in a safe place and notify your executor where you have placed your will. Be sure to update your holographic will if your circumstances become different and any changes need to be made.

(Legal Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and in no way should replace the contacting of a lawyer for definitive legal advice. I am not a legal representative and take no responsibility in the efficacy of decisions made based on the information contained in this article.)

What is a Holographic Will?

Every adult should have a will and testament describing where assets should be directed upon his or her demise. This process can be very expensive and involved or can be free and fairly simple if you write your own holographic will.
A holographic will is handwritten by a testator--the person whose will it is. No witnesses need to be present when these types of wills are written and signed by testators. Holographic wills are the cheap and uncomplicated alternative to hiring a lawyer and having official documents notarized. However, holographic wills are not valid in every state so be sure to double check the law where you live.

If holographic wills are legally accepted in your state, the three specifications that must be met are as follows. (1) The will must be verifiably created by the testator. Having the will written in the testator’s own hand is generally evidence enough. (2) Intellectual capacity of the testator to write a will must be possessed. This is assumed unless proven otherwise. (3) The content of the document must contain instructions on how to allocate a testator’s estate. The will, indeed, needs to be an actual will.

(Legal Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and in no way should replace the contacting of a lawyer for definitive legal advice. I am not a legal representative and take no responsibility in the efficacy of decisions made based on the information contained in this article.)