FEDINFO E-Letter
Issue 2008-2

Welcome to the March/April 2008 edition of the Federal Citizen Information Center's (FCIC) FEDINFO E-letter! These subscription e-letters from Pueblo are sent six times a year with helpful updates, practical information, and special offers to make your life a little easier. You can always find the latest information on our family of websites: Pueblo.gsa.gov, USA.gov, ConsumerAction.gov, Kids.gov, and GovGab.gov.

This issue includes:

• Invest in Yourself
• Spring forward March 9
• Sisters Against Cancer
• Time for Taxes
• Prepare for Twisters
• A Final Gift
• Spring 2008 Consumer Information Catalog

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Invest in Yourself

With all the discussion of recession these days, now’s a great time to master the financial facts of life. And that’s exactly what National Consumer Protection Week, March 2 – 8, aims to do. NCPW partners offer a wealth of information to help you with financial decisions of every type. Whether shopping for a mortgage or car loan, choosing savings or retirement plans, deciphering your credit report or comparing health insurance policies, you will make better financial choices if you’re in the know.

And for publications on managing money that you can order or view online, visit the Federal Citizen Information Center website any time.

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Spring forward March 9

Daylight Saving Time begins at 2 a.m. Sunday, March 9 this year. Don’t forget to set your clocks ahead one hour that day, or the night before. So if you’re actually up at 2 a.m., you will reset your clocks to 3 a.m.

Start thinking about evening walks, outdoor concerts and all the other pleasures longer days bring. Plan some special evening events and enjoy the extra light!

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Sisters Against Cancer

If you’re a woman aged 35 to 74 and your sister had breast cancer, the Sister Study needs you. It’s a long-term national study to learn how environment and genes affect our chances of getting breast cancer. The Sister Study is particularly seeking minorities, those with a high school education or less, and women aged 65 to 74 to participate.

Sisters of women with breast cancer are twice as likely to develop it themselves as women who do not have a close relative with the disease.  By looking at cancer-free sisters, the study can collect information on genes and risk factors that it can’t get from women already afflicted with the illness. Learning what leads to breast cancer will help more women to avoid it in the future.

Check out this fact sheet to learn more about breast cancer in general.

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Time for Taxes

If you haven’t filed your federal income taxes yet, use these tips to make the experience faster and easier. Find tax deductions and credits that you might have overlooked, an Alternative Minimum Tax calculator that will tell you if you are subject to the program, tax assistance programs for low- to moderate-income and elderly people, and links to e-file and Free File.

You can track your refund on the IRS web site and have it deposited into up to three accounts (including mutual funds and brokerage programs).

If you’re wondering about your rebate from the recently passed economic stimulus package, see this question and answer  page. It explains who’s eligible for a rebate, how the IRS will notify you if you are, and what to watch out for—identity theft scams involving the rebates are already making the rounds. And visit this page on the IRS web site. It includes a fact sheet, frequently asked questions and answers, scenarios to show you how much you will receive, and special information for Social Security recipients and veterans.

Also check out our blog entry on the rebates.

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Prepare for Twisters

If you live in the South, tornado season is here. Peak season in the southern states is March through May; in the north, it is late spring through early summer. Most tornadoes occur east of the Rockies but no state is immune. Tornadoes come from powerful thunderstorms and can hit with little or no warning.

Do you know what to do should a tornado be approaching?

• In your house, avoid windows.
• If you’re in a car or mobile home, get out.
• Don’t try to outrun a tornado in your car.
• If you’re outside and can’t get to a shelter quickly enough, lie flat in a gully or ditch, away from trees, and cover your head with your arms.

Visit this tornadoes page from the CDC for a look at what to do before, during and after a twister. And check out this publication for how to prepare for any emergency.

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A Final Gift

Nearly 98,000 people in the United States are waiting for organ transplants but only a fraction of them will receive one this year. Last year 26,000 transplants took place. Thousands of people died waiting for one.

If you want to be an organ donor, the most important thing to do is to tell your family. Even if you have a signed donor card, notation on your driver’s license, or a listing with a donor registry, in most states your family will be consulted at your time of death.

Many people assume incorrectly that they cannot donate. There are, in fact, no age limits. And only a few medical conditions, such as active cancer, will completely rule someone out. Most religions support organ and tissue donation.

One donor can save or improve the lives of up to 50 recipients. During National Donate Life Month, this April, spread the word and give the gift of life yourself.

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Spring 2008 Consumer Information Catalog

The Spring 2008 Consumer Information Catalog hit the streets Feb. 18, with lots of new publications including:

• Medicare Basics: A Guide for Caregivers
• The New Climate for Mortgage Borrowers
• Birth Control Guide—Medicines to Help You
• What You Should Know About Buying Life Insurance
• Questions and Answers about Bursitis and Tendinitis
• Fighting Fraud 101—Smart Tips for Older Investors
• Indoor Air Hazards Every Homeowner Should Know About
• For Public Sale! Used Federal Government Personal Property