SavvySugar

What to Know About the Extended Homebuyers Tax Credit

SavvySugar — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 06:00:09 -0800

Stimulating the economy is the motivation behind many discussions and decisions coming from the White House these days. The original $8,000 first-time homebuyers credit was developed with economic improvement in mind, and the measure's popularity led to President Obama signing an extension and expansion of the credit on Friday.

The tax credit was scheduled to expire on Dec. 1, but the new version comes with a later date and widens the range of those eligible to claim the credit. Learn more about the new tax credit when you read more.

Homebuyers must sign a contract before April 30 and close on the home by June 30.
The previous credit was limited to first-time buyers or buyers who haven't owned a home in the past three years. The new version has been expanded to include those who have owned a home for five out of the past eight years and want to buy a new one.
First-time homebuyers are still eligible to receive the $8,000, while existing homeowners can qualify for a $6,500 tax credit.
The income limits have been significantly raised. With the previous credit, single people making more than $75,000 or couples earning more than $150,000 didn't qualify for the full credit. Under the new version, single buyers can earn up to $125,000 while a married couple can earn $225,000 and still get the full credit.

Are you hoping to take advantage of the extended homebuyers tax credit?

How Your Zero-Balance Credit Card Could Cost You

SavvySugar — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:00:59 -0700

Think you’re avoiding extra fees by being savvy and paying off your credit cards in full every month? Maybe not any more. Some companies, including Bank of America and Citigroup, may start charging credit card holders for not using their cards enough. Good habits like paying off your balance in full, not using your card for a few months, or even not spending quite enough every month could all earn you extra fees.

Credit card companies have just a few short months before new regulations go into effect, and they appear to be getting desperate. Card holders have seen everything from higher interest rates to new annual fees over the past few months, as companies scramble to stay ahead of the restrictions that'll go into effect in February.

If you start seeing these fees, you do, of course, have options. You can call the company and complain (although there’s no guarantee they’ll listen; remember the Debtor’s Revolt woman?), move to another company that doesn’t charge these fees, or cancel your cards altogether. What do you think of these proposed fees? What will you do if your credit card starts charging them?

Worker Wins in Court After Calling His Boss a Bad Name

SavvySugar — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 04:30:56 -0700

You may have called your boss an unflattering name or two - but hopefully you kept those insults to yourself. One Spanish worker got so heated in a money argument with his boss that he said exactly what was on his mind, and told his boss that he was (as translated) a "son of a bitch." He also tossed in a "crazy" for good measure. The worker was fired for his disrespectful outburst and then took the matter to court.

The first court ruled in the employer's favor, but the persistent worker won on appeal with the Superior Court of Justice of Catalonia. The ruling said the worker should either get his job back or receive $9,472; it's unknown which was chosen by the employer. Judge Sara Maria Pose Vidal explained the court's decision and said, "The social degradation of language has caused the expressions used by the plaintiff to become commonly used in certain settings, especially in arguments." Basically, the verdict is that the boss overreacted to the employee's insult.

99 Cents Only Store Weddings Cost $0.99 On 9/09/09

SavvySugar — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 06:30:54 -0700

Novelty dates are always popular for people getting hitched. The date 7/07/07 was especially hot because it was a Saturday, but yesterday got its fair share of nuptial attention thanks in part to the 99 Cents Only Store. In honor of 9/09/09, The 99 Cents Only Store chain hosted weddings for nine couples at its Sunset Boulevard branch.

The newlyweds paid $0.99 at the register and were then presented with $99 and 99 cents in cash, before being taken to an undisclosed "famous romantic Los Angeles" location. Congrats to the happy couples!

To see more wedding festivities, just read more.

View 16 Photos ›

Do You Own One of America's Most Stolen Cars?

SavvySugar — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 04:30:06 -0700

The phrase hot wheels takes on a negative connotation when you're talking about stolen rides. The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) has determined which vehicles were most reported stolen last year, down to the make, model, and year.

The NICB advises car owners to protect their wheels by using common sense and locking their cars; having a visible or audio warning device; getting an immobilizing device like smart keys; and hooking up a tracking device that can monitor the car's whereabouts via computer if the car is stolen. Do you own one of the most stolen cars of 2008? Find out when you read more.

1994 Honda Accord
1995 Honda Civic
1989 Toyota Camry
1997 Ford F-150 Pickup
2004 Dodge Ram Pickup
2000 Dodge Caravan
1996 Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee
1994 Acura Integra
1999 Ford Taurus
2002 Ford Explorer

Submit a One-Minute Video and Win a Free Trip to Thailand

SavvySugar — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 04:30:46 -0700

Inspired by Australia's newsworthy contest for the Best Job in the World, The Tourism Authority of Thailand has launched a campaign it hopes will inspire renewed interest in traveling to the country that so heavily relies on tourism. Submit a one-minute video audition, and you could be one of five couples to win a fully paid trip to Thailand. One of the five winning couples will be eligible for the grand prize of $10,000, a BlackBerry, and a video camera.

Eligibility for the grand prize requires the couples to blog, chat and tweet about their six-day Thai vacations featuring Bangkok, beach resorts Phuket, Samui and Pattaya, and the northern city of Chiang Mai. Video auditions will be accepted on the designated website until Oct. 15 and a group of 25 semifinalists will be selected by a panel of TAT officials. The final five couples and the grand prize winners will be chosen by a worldwide online ballot.

Take a Fall/Winter Trip For Less on Alaska and Horizon Airlines

SavvySugar — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:20:15 -0700

Two more airlines have joined the ring in the fight for Fall and Winter travel business. Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air (both subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group Inc.) announced a fare sale that in most cases covers trips over the next five months - pretty generous. The cheapest flights are those between West Coast cities, which are selling for as low as $29 one way.

Tickets must be purchased by Sept. 10 for travel from Sept. 14 through Feb. 10, except for tickets to Mexico and Hawaii, which are good for travel though Dec. 16. Tickets require a 14-day advance purchase (excluding travel to Mexico and Hawaii), so if you want to get away mid-September then shop the fare sale ASAP. Check out the website for details.

JetBlue All-You-Can-Fly Passes Sold Out Early

SavvySugar — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 04:30:51 -0700

You snooze, you lose. JetBlue's all-you-can-fly pass had its share of haters who questioned its value, but there were more than enough enthusiasts that were gung-ho for the deal. The special passes sold out before the promotion was scheduled to expire, and a JetBlue spokeswoman said, "We wanted to ensure those who bought the pass could get the flights they want, so we capped the number of passes we would sell."

I imagine the passes were popular with business travelers, workers with banked vacation time, and couples in long-distance relationships, and apparently the special brought out some interesting folks who just love to spend time in airports. Time tracked down aerophile and freelance IT consultant Seth Miller who plans to board 10 flights in 60 hours without ever leaving the airport. While JetBlue isn't profiting from people like Miller, overall it expects the promotion will "generate a fair amount of revenue."

Forbes Ranks the 100 Most Powerful Women in the World

SavvySugar — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 12:00:18 -0700

For the sixth year in a row, Forbes has rounded up its list of the world's most powerful women. It measures influence by scoring each female leader on visibility (not to be mistaken for popularity) and the size of the organization or country these women lead. The top spot remains unchanged from the previous three years, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel sits at number one of 100 for leading the fourth largest economy in the world.

Notable American newcomers to the 2009 rankings include Michele Obama who debuted at number 40 (just ahead of Oprah Winfrey at 41 and Britain's Queen Elizabeth at 42); Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor at 54; Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius at 56; Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano at 51; and Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Mary Schapiro at 55. Visit Forbes for the full list, and find out who are the 10 most influential women when you read more.

Angela Merkel: Chancellor, Germany
Sheila Bair: Chairman, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., US
Indra Nooyi: Chairman and chief executive, PepsiCo, US
Cynthia Carroll: Chief executive, Anglo American, UK
Ho Ching: Chief executive, Temasek Holdings, Singapore
Irene Rosenfeld: Chairman, chief executive, Kraft Foods, US
Ellen Kullman: Chief executive, DuPont, US
Angela Braly: Chief executive and president, WellPoint, US
Anne Lauvergeon: Chief executive, Areva, France
Lynn Elsenhans: Chief executive, Sunoco, US

Fly to and From New York This Fall For Less

SavvySugar — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 04:30:12 -0700

There's a little pattern forming in the clouds. After Southwest announced its fare sale to encourage travel during the slower upcoming season, American Airlines came out with its own reduced fare plan. The handful of deals involving travel to and from NYC are pretty attractive.

The airline will sell some seats for $69 each way between Miami and New York; $84 each way from Chicago; $99 from Dallas-Fort Worth; and $109 from San Francisco and Los Angeles. The promotion covers travel from Sept. 15 through Dec. 12, though of course the days around Thanksgiving are excluded from the sale. Tickets are on sale through Friday.