If we have not heard enough about scams using the free online classified site Craigslist to operate, there appears to be yet another one. It is called the Craigslist vacation rental scam. The idea of renting a home or condo has become a popular option for individuals planning to vacation in an area for several days. Many times a private home can be rented for about the same cost per day as a hotel room. If you have a large family, want a little more privacy, or just want to cook your own meals, this can be an attractive option.... Read more →

In these days of rising gas and food prices, we are receiving countless e mails from people searching for ways to make additional money. Paid blogging is a becoming a popular way to earn money working part time from home. Paid Blogging, What Is It? Thousands of companies are hiring individuals to write reviews of their products and services and post them online. There are more than a dozen paid blogging websites that match up advertisers with bloggers interested in writing product reviews. Paid reviews are a new way for companies to draw attention to their product. A well written... Read more →

I received my cell phone bill last week and was a little concerned that the balance owed was about $60 more than usual. I began poring over the bill looking at each one of my four phone lines to try and see where the excess charges were. The fees were not due to calls, data, or even texting. Under my teenage daughter's line at the very end of the itemization was a section called 'monthly subscriptions.' There were four items listed with very odd descriptions. One was a puzzle of some sort, another was wallpaper (the computer type), another for... Read more →

The IRS has announced that those filing a Schedule A (about 45 million Americans that take itemized deductions), should not file until mid to late February this year. Due to end of year wrangling over tax rates by the Congress, the IRS says it will need several weeks to make the necessary changes to their computer systems. It is likely that tax preparation services will continue to operate as usual and simply hold your return and not submit it until they receive a green light from the IRS. TurboTax has already announced that their software is ready to go, but... Read more →