Welcome to the October 2004 edition of the Federal Citizen Information Center's FEDINFO e-letter! These subscription e-letters from Pueblo are sent 6-8 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 at our websites: pueblo.gsa.gov and www.USA.gov.
This issue includes:
On October 28, 2004, the Check 21 law (the Check Clearing Act for the 21st Century Act) will take effect. This new law allows banks to replace original paper checks with "substitute checks" that are made from digital copies of the originals.
Check 21's biggest impact on consumers will be that checks will clear sooner, making it difficult to "float" checks. The faster processing time increases the risk that a check may bounce if the funds are not in your bank account when you write a check. Make sure that the funds are already in your account each time you write a check.
Substitute checks under Check 21 are different than checks processed through electronic check conversion. Under electronic check conversion, the check is used only as a source of information to create an electronic fund transfer and is not processed as a check. You must receive notice that your check may be processed this way. Electronic fund transfers are governed by different laws and have different consumer rights than check payments.
Click here to learn more about your rights under Check 21.
What would you do with a few extra dollars every month? Start your kid's college fund, save for your own home, or add to your retirement nest egg?
Make your financial goals realities with mymoney.gov, the federal government's new website dedicated to helping you understand more about your money, and the informative "My Money" Tool Kit. This new, free package of publications from the Financial Literacy and Education Commission and the Federal Citizen Information Center is chock-full of useful tips that will help you manage your money and gain financial security.
The first step to reaching your goals is creating a financial plan. The "My Money" Tool Kit gives you the information you need to organize your finances and plan for the future. Learn how to protect your credit record, set up a budget, and manage your credit or solve credit problems.
Did you know that your retirement is probably the most expensive thing you'll ever buy? With topics ranging from employer-based retirement plans to Social Security benefits, the "My Money" Tool Kit provides valuable tips and resources that will help you make the most of your retirement savings.
Visit mymoney.gov to place your order online or to read or print out more than 100 helpful financial publications from 20 different federal agencies free of charge.
You know it’s fall when:
For those who love to take in the fall foliage, the USDA Forest Service’s Fall Colors for 2004 website is a great way to get your fix of fall foliage. The site provides foliage reports at national forests and regional areas, plus links to state websites that provide fall foliage information. Some of the reports provide pictures and detailed information on where visitors may go to see the best foliage for that week. You can also call the Forest Service’s Fall Color Hotline to get predictions about leaf color, foliage peaks, scenic drives, and other fall activities.
Did you know there are nearly 100,000 homes per year that federal agencies end up owning because of borrower defaults and foreclosures?
The three federal agencies that control the bulk of these properties – the Departments of Housing and Urban Development, Veterans Affairs and Agriculture – have joined to offer these homes for sale in one place for buyers and shoppers nationwide. Where, you ask? At homesales.gov.
HomeSales.gov allows you to search in cities or states where you might be interested in purchasing a house. You’ll find what's on the market at that moment. Each listing will indicate if there are any problems with the home, such as mold or flooding, and some listings will also give an estimate of repairs needed to get the house up to code.
Anyone can buy a home for sale by Uncle Sam, but you need a real estate agent or broker to submit an offer or bid for you. Find out more information at homesales.gov.
It's almost that time of year when we move our clocks backone hour and "gain" an extra hour. Daylight Saving Time ends on the last Sunday of October each year. This year, time reverts to standard time at 2:00am on Sunday, October 31, 2004.
Did you know that the states of Arizona, Indiana, and Hawaii have never adopted Daylight Saving Time? Neither has Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, or American Samoa. Let’s see how much you know about Daylight Saving Time with this short quiz (courtesy of familyeducation.com).
1. Why do we have Daylight Saving Time, anyway?
a. To save energy.
b. To prevent jet lag for summer travelers.
c. To make up for the day we gain in leap year.
2. On the Fourth of July, if it's 3 p.m. in New York City, what time is it in Phoenix, Arizona? (Be careful, it's a trick question!)
a. 1 p.m.
b. 5 p.m.
c. Noon.
3. Some people want the first day of Daylight Saving Time to be set aside as National Nap Day. Why would we need that?
a. We'd be tired
from the hour of sleep we lost.
b. We'd be groggy from the extra hour of sleep we gained.
4. Who first divided hours into 60 minutes and minutes into 60 seconds?
a. Leonardo DaVinci.
b. The Egyptians.
c. The Babylonians.
5. What is the study of time measurement called?
a. Seconding.
b. Minutia.
c. Horology.
ANSWERS (Each correct answer is worth 20 points)
1. The answer is a – to save energy. Daylight-saving time was started during World War I to save oil and other energy resources needed for the war. It was used again in WWII, and then became a law in 1966. We start Daylight Saving Time at 2 a.m., the first Sunday in April, and go back to Standard Time on the last Sunday in October. With an extra hour of daylight after dinner in the summer, people don't need to use their lights as long, so they use less electricity and that saves energy.
2. The answer is c – noon. New York is in the Eastern Time Zone. Next comes Central Time, then Mountain, then Pacific. Each one is one hour earlier than the one before. Arizona is in Mountain Time so it should be 1 p.m. But, remember, this is a trick question. July falls during Daylight Saving Time (April to October). Arizona is one of the few U.S. states or regions (along with Hawaii, eastern Indiana, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa) that do not follow Daylight Saving Time. Therefore, it would be noon in Phoenix. They didn't "spring ahead!"
3. The answer is a – we'd be tired from the hour of sleep we lost. In April, we "spring ahead" and lose an hour while we sleep. The hour between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. doesn't exist that night!
4. The answer is c – the Babylonians. The Babylonians were the ones to divide up the hour by 60. They used the base-60 system (called sexagesimal) for their astronomy. Since 60 can be divided by 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 10, it simplifies large calculations. That made it a reasonable choice to divide up the parts of the hour as well.
5. The answer is c – horology. From hora, the Greek word for time, horology is the science of time measurement.
So how'd you do? Compare your score to the ranges below:
0-20: Go back
to bed, sleepyhead
40-60: Typical Clock Watcher
80-100: Way to go Time Traveler!
We hope that you have found this e-letter valuable. If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, please contact us at: http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/emailus.htm.
Click here for previous issues of the FEDINFO E-newsletter.
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Issue
2004-6