| Travel: Rest for the soul
We were in Italy on a three-week trip that was a tribute and a memorial to our daughter, Meghan, who died in a bus crash in Peru in May 2006. She was a perpetual adventurer, a fearless and joyful spirit, and she loved Italy. To honor her memory, we knew we had to be on the move; it's the way she would have wanted it. But we also wanted some peace, some quiet, and some room to think. We found all of these things staying at three religious hostels as we traveled across Italy. Monastic accommodations are an ancient tradition among many Christian orders; hospitality toward strangers is written into the gospels, and many orders have made it a part of their practice. In today's Italy, it's also a way to bring in some extra money and to make use of empty chambers -- there aren't as many monks or nuns as there used to be.
Tax refund loan costs lower
Consumers who take out refund anticipation loans this year will probably pay less, but critics of the controversial loans say they are still a big drain on income. Refund anticipation loans, or RALs, are short-term bank loans — usually from 7 to 14 days — secured by a taxpayer's expected refund. They are usually obtained for a fee through a tax preparation company. Tax preparers say RALs offer convenience and a faster way to get a tax refund. Taxpayers can also avoid upfront tax preparation fees by having them withheld from the loan amount. But under pressure from critics, most big-name professional tax preparation organizations have lowered or even eliminated some fees. Fees charged for RALs in the past often amounted to an effective annual interest rate of 50 percent to 500 percent.
Don’t wait ’til the midnight hour
The clock is ticking for the estimated two million taxpayers who have yet to meet the January 31 deadline for handing in their self-assessment forms for the year 2006-07. There are only five days left until the cut-off point at midnight on Thursday, by which time tax returns must have reached the Revenue, along with any money due. The customary last-minute scramble could be made even more chaotic this year by the possibility of a strike by civil servants on January 31, which may result in the closure of some tax offices. In addition, some taxpayers whose homes have been blighted by last year’s floods may have lost their financial records. The Revenue has promised to do everything possible to keep offices open before and on deadline day and to assist those who have lost vital records.
Personal Finance Notebook: Slicing up home equity pie
Question: I recently saw an advertisement from Rex & Co., a San Francisco firm that offers cash, in exchange for a percentage of your home's value when it sells. Could you give me information on this company? I have more than 25 percent equity in my house, which is worth about $300,000. I'm on a fixed income and have other debts I'd like to get rid of without adding another payment. Is a Rex Agreement a good option to lower my debt? Don B., Orangevale .
Reviewer of Subprime Loans to Aid Inquiry
A company that analyzed the quality of thousands of home loans for investment banks has agreed to provide evidence to New York state prosecutors that the banks had detailed information about the risks posed by ill-fated subprime mortgages. Investigators are looking at whether that information, which could have prevented the collapse of securities backed by those loans, was deliberately withheld from investors. Clayton Holdings, a company based in Connecticut that vetted home loans for many investment banks, has agreed to provide important documents and the testimony of its officials to the New York attorney general, Andrew M. Cuomo, in exchange for immunity from civil and criminal prosecution in the state. The agreement, which was confirmed by Mr.
King agrees Latics switch
MARLON KING completed his move away from Vicarage Road today, joining Wigan Athletic on a three-and-half-year contract. Wigan boss Steve Bruce tried to sign King in the summer when in charge of Birmingham, but he finally got his man this afternoon after Watford accepted a bid understood to be in the region of £4.5m. King would ideally have liked to have joined Fulham and remained in the south east of England, but his chances of remaining a Premiership player next season appear to have increased by joining the Latics. .
Already planning their spending
If the money comes, they will spend it.
Most taxpayers in Southern California would be eligible for tax rebates under the economic stimulus plan drafted in Washington on Thursday. Many, it seems, would cash their checks and head to the mall.
"I'm not just going to go out and blow it, but it's unexpected, and that's a pretty good amount of money," said Adam Finer, a 36-year-old lighting technician from Burbank. He and his wife, Mariella, a 24-year-old hotel front-desk clerk, might get a total of $1,200 from Uncle Sam.
If Congress passes the plan and President Bush signs it into law, what will they buy?
"We were just upstairs drooling over iPhones," he said during a break from window-shopping at the Glendale Galleria. "This will make it easier to get one."
For those unsure what to do with their windfalls, retailers would no doubt provide "a little nudge" with sales and special markdowns, said Scott Krugman, spokesman for the National Retail Federation, the industry's largest trade group.
Wood's heroics lead Langham Creek
Instead of hitting a trey, Wood was fouled and sent to the line with no time on the clock. The senior didn't skip a beat as she poured in three free throws to force the District 17-5A game into double overtime. Wood's heroics continued through the final four minutes as she scored 11 points in the second extra period to lead Langham Creek to a 58-55 victory over Cypress Springs on the Lobos' home court. Wood finished the game with 32 points, while going 15-of-17 from the free-throw line. "I just knew I had to make big plays for my team," Wood said. "It's an unbelievable feeling, and I'm glad I could come through." The game was back and forth all night, until Cy Springs (22-7, 6-4) pulled away with a 38-31 lead early in the fourth quarter after they held off the quick-footed Lobos with a two-three zone.
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