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• Fewer tax holidays this year

  Posted Jul 28 2009, 09:33 AM by Teresa Mears
  Filed under: hot deals, taxes, policies, shopping, bargain, tax breaks, Teresa Mears
  Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money

  The first back-to-school tax-free holidays start this weekend, enabling residents of participating states to buy school clothing, supplies, books, and other goods free of local and state sales taxes. That's a savings of roughly 6% to 9% in most areas. Some states set a cap on how much individual items can cost to be included. Some states even allow computer purchases tax-free during the holiday.

  But the economic hard times for state and local governments mean that several states, including Florida and Maryland as well as the District of Columbia, aren't having the tax-free days this year. Massachusetts, which also decided not to do a sales tax holiday this year, estimated the state lost $14.9 million in revenue last year, The Associated Press reported.   Read More...

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• Long-term-care insurance is a cost she won't cut

  Posted Dec 10 2008, 06:32 AM by Karen Datko
  Rating:
  Filed under: insurance, health care, long term care, retirement planning, insurance rates, health, policies
  Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money

  This guest post comes from "vh" at Funny about Money.

  MetLife sent a notice inviting me to designate someone who can be alerted if a payment on my long-term-care insurance is missed. Good thought: Obviously, if you get into a predicament where you need long-term care, you may not be competent to pay your bills. I have the premium, which comes to about $75 a month, paid electronically, and so it's unlikely the bill will go unpaid unless my son has to take over my affairs and he changes things around.


  This policy, which I originally bought from TIAA-CREF but was sold to MetLife, will not cover the exorbitant cost of nursing home or nursing care 100%. However, it does cover enough that my Social Security and (if my mutual funds ever recover) a 4% drawdown from savings will take up the slack.   Read More...

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