Thursday, January 26, 2012

W-2's in the mail

You should receive your Form W-2 by January 31. If you do not receive it, or have questions about the information on your W-2, contact your employer or the IRS.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

January is the month we all begin with our earnest New Year's Resolutions.  I found a list on line of Financial Resolutions which have helped me add to my list.  The 15 Simple financial resolutions listed on practical money's site are worth a read.   http://www.practicalmoneyskills.com/personalfinance/tipsandtrends/15resolutions.php
I also think the list should include revisiting our Record of Important Papers:  Updating our home inventory list;  Making sure our insurance coverage is still adequate;  Updating contact information in our address books and  electronic address files(backing them up).  Changing batteries in our home alarms.    In my financial literacy classes I remind my participants that those of us who live away from our family,  need to create a list within our address books of who they should notify should they are having to wrap up our affairs upon our death.  None of us are planning to die, but unfortunatley might.    This advise came close to home for me this past year when my brother died, I had no idea of who his friends and coworkers were and I felt badly about that.   His life had included working and residing in four different states.   Mine has been in yet another.   We saw each other at family events and talked regularly on the phone, yet I didn't know who all the people were that made up his life.     I certainly could have been more honoring of him, had I had a list of those that mattered to him ( outside of his  immediate family).  A final  suggestion---take a finacial literacy class  and learn how to use a financial literacy tool.