Free From Broke

A Personal Finance Blog for Regular Folks

Glen Craig

Groupon Barnes and Noble National Deal

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Groupon has another of their great national retail deals going.  This one is for Barnes & Noble.

$10 for $20 Worth of Books, Games, Toys, and More at Barnes & Noble!

This deal is good for purchases in-store as well as online.  What is really nice is this deal is also valid on sale items as well as their popular e-reader the Nook! (Though not valid at B&N College locations).

You know what is coming up soon, right? I’ll tell you – Valentine’s Day! I’ve always found that Barnes & Noble had a great selection of cards and small gifts for Valentine’s Day (including the yummy Godiva Chocolates).  Here’s a way to make V-Day a little less expensive.
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Love and Taxes – Tax Filing Date Changed to February 14 For Some Tax Filers

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Ahh, love is in the air! Valentine’s Day is just around the corner.  What better way to celebrate than by filing your taxes…

What?!?

No, I don’t seriously expect you to celebrate Valentine’s Day by filing your taxes (unless that’s your thing, then hey, by all means).

Due to late changes in the tax laws at the end of 2010 (the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act Of 2010 enacted Dec. 17), the IRS will be delaying the first day to file taxes for some taxpayers to February 14th, 2011.  The IRS needs extra to update some of their systems to accommodate the tax laws.
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The 8 Least-Evil Banks as Determined by CNNMoney

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CNNMoney has put together a list of the 8 least-evil banks.

What do they mean by least-evil?

Since legislation passed not long ago to reign in bank fees and unfair practices, more and more free banking is disappearing and many banks have been implementing all sorts of fees to make up for lost revenue from the new laws.  Some banks offer ways to avoid their fees but you have to jump through hoops to figure out how to qualify.

Why is this important? Bank fees can drain your account!  You can easily find yourself paying a good amount of money in bank fees every month.  According to a Wall Street Journal article (The New Bank Fees: How to Fight Back, June 19, 2010), the average fee for falling below the minimum balance on an interest-bearing account is $12.55 while the average overdraft fee was $29.58.  Add to that the fact that banks will be looking to either limit debit card transactions or add fees to the transactions and you can see how it’s getting expensive to bank!
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More Money in Your Paycheck – The Payroll Tax Cut (Social Security Tax Cut)

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In late 2010, Congress and President Obama passed new tax laws that take effect in 2011 (Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010).

The Making Work Pay tax credit is gone.

As a result, most people will benefit from a cut in Social Security taxes (also known as Payroll Taxes).

Previously, people paid 6.2% toward Social Security.  Under the new law, people will be paying 4.2%, a reduction of 2% in their Social Security tax withholding rate.

That is good news for many Americans as it essentially means a 2% increase in your paycheck.
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How to Make Your Financial Goals a Reality

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Do you have a solid plan that will make your financial goals a reality?

Craig has recently written some excellent articles on how to create SMART goals.  These are goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound.

However, setting financial goals is just the first step.  Once you have your aspirations properly identified, you’ve got to follow a concrete, actionable plan to move from where you are to where you want to be.

You need a map and directions to reach your desired destination, one that lays out your path in a step-by-step manner.

Financial Goals without a Plan are Pointless

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