Melissa's blog

Yahoo wrote a nice article on Unclaimed Funds this morning (on their homepage). I've reprinted the article below, and posted my comments in there with links to related information in WealthofHelp.

It was great to see we have everything (and more!) they were talking about. It also underscores how important it is to regularly check if you have unclaimed funds, especially during these hard economic times. It's like finding lost money! Here's the article:

BusinessWeek's David Bogoslaw wrote an interesting article on Unclaimed Property. What I found interesting was that there is an enormous amount of bonds that are unredeemed, and can be claimed by the original holder of the bond -- or their hiers. Each year, according to the Bureau of Public Debt, over 15,000 savings bonds and 25,000 payments are returned to the Department of the Treasury as undeliverable. More than $16.6 billion worth of unredeemed U.S. savings bonds have matured and are no longer earning interest. So what can you do about it? Well, the U.S.

Last August, Dateline NBC helped states crack some of their toughest, unsolved cases with the result of nearly $2 million being returned to average Americans. Now NBC News' Tiki Barber and his team, including NBC News' Peter Alexander and MSNBC's Tamron Hall, are back at again, finding ordinary people who are unaware they have money coming to them in "You Might Be Rich!". See video here.

I just ran into a tax-related article that some of you may find very valid and useful. You could save thousands on your 2008 tax return, or you could wind up with a couple extra thousand dollars to spend this April.

As a quick overview, here's what's up: as part of the latest stimulus plan, Obama has officially allowed certain individuals the right to claim a $4,000-$8,000 tax credit for buying a home in 2009 (and before April 1, 2008) on their 2008 tax returns.

You can haggle your way to discounts just about anywhere. Here's a basic, instructional video on how to get everything, even health care, at a reduced rate.

Do you enjoy free stuff? Do you like samples of free stuff, or simply free merchandise without all the hassle, promotion, and hidden obligations?

At Miller Farms, Colorado in 2008, when the harvest was over and there were left over crops on the 600 acres farm, the owners decided to turn the farm over to anyone whose household could benefit from extra food.

Many big name companies, in advertising and pushing out a new product onto the market will desire feedback and reviews before the launching of their products. These products could range from snacks, toys, electronics, to pet food. For you, the opinionated consumer, this is a golden opportunity.

With a slumping economy and the highest unemployment rate in years, many individuals cannot afford to pay for certain services or luxuries. Good thing that there are alot of websites and services out there close to being absolutely free.

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation has announced $125,063,230 in new grants to 214 organizations. These grants are distributed to organizations focused on several key areas: “global development, education, performing arts, philanthropy, the environment, and population”. The interesting concept behind these grants is that they are not only for American based organizations.