This year I waited until the last day to file my 1040, which is pretty stupid considering we’re getting a refund. It should include last year’s stimulus, which we’ve never gotten due to some complications with filing (IRS apparently never received my 2007 return even though TurboTax swears they did). That’s a lesson I’ve learned the hard way, and from now on I decided to file paper, not bits and bytes, keep meticulous copies, and send with proof of sending.

Well, the income tax we did pay during the year apparently went to fund the wars.

Income Tax Fiscal Year 2009

So, between the human resources and wars, where’s the money for, you know, what we THINK taxes pay for, like police, roads, firemen, schools, etc?  Easy — all that other life-supporting stuff is paid out of our local and property taxes, which last year amounted to about $5,000 where I live.

This is not any kind of a call to action, but I’m inviting you to think about where your taxes go.  And now some featured stuff …

Finding a good bank account is not as easy as it once was. Some banks will offer good certificate of deposit rates but in today’s economic climate, you have to be sure you can find a sturdy financial institution as well.  Bromoney blogs about the latest bank rates and offers ratings on the banks with each post. They also give reviews on the best credit card offers with a full breakdown of the rewards and rules that go along with the cards.