FED INFO E-Newsletter
March/April 2009
From the Federal Citizen Information Center
Visit our family of websites: Pueblo.gsa.gov, USA.gov, ConsumerAction.gov, Kids.gov, and GovGab.gov.
This issue includes:
- Refinancing Opportunity May Help Millions
- It’s Your Money
- Smaller Withholdings, Home-Buyer Tax Credits, and Other Silver Linings
- 2009 Consumer Action Handbook
- DTV Transition Update
- Celebrate Earth Day
- Ah, Spring!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Refinancing Opportunity May Help Millions
A new refinancing plan unveiled by the President will help millions of homeowners who have made their monthly mortgage payments on time but are struggling with high interest rates. The plan will allow these homeowners to refinance at current low rates, despite decreases in their property value.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It's Your MoneyThe President pledged to let us see how every dollar from the economic stimulus package—the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act—is being spent, and Recovery.gov will let us do that. Currently, we can see things like how many jobs are expected to be created or saved in each state. As the money begins to reach state and local governments, the web site will be updated with detailed state maps showing how it’s being spent in each area. Check back often for new information.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Smaller Withholdings, Home-Buyer Tax Credits, and Other Silver Linings
Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, people will see bigger paychecks as the government cuts tax withholdings to most Americans.
Many retirees and other Social Security beneficiaries will be receiving stimulus payments of $250 per individual starting in May.
New home-buyers may be eligible for an $8,000 tax credit for homes purchased in 2009. Unlike 2008’s $7,500 tax credit, which was really an interest-free loan, this one will not need to be paid back.
Still wrestling with your tax return? Check out FCIC’s latest helpful article titled Tax Filing Year 2009. It’s packed with information on 2008’s tax law changes, including answers to questions about job loss or home foreclosure.
Go to FCIC for more on avoiding foreclosure and sustaining financially healthy homeownership from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Coming soon: your updated guide to getting the most for your money, and handling consumer complaints effectively. The 2009 Consumer Action Handbook includes an expanded housing section, more corporate consumer contacts, updated information about filing for bankruptcy and sections on cars, employment, healthcare and many other useful topics. Pre-order your copy today and see our consumer news and features at ConsumerAction.gov.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you watch an analog TV using an indoor or rooftop antenna and have not yet set up a digital TV converter box, you should know you’ve been given a brief reprieve. The analog-to-digital transition date has been delayed till June 12. You can place your name on a waiting list for $40-off converter box coupons if you haven’t ordered any before, and you will soon be able to request replacements for lost or expired coupons.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It’s hard to believe but April 22nd marks the 39th anniversary of Earth Day. Visit the Environmental Protection Agency’s Earth Day site to find ways you and your family can get involved and celebrate Earth Day. Check out the National Zoo’s Green Team Tips for environmentally friendly living suggestions.
March is Women’s History Month. Get ready for Earth Day by reading about women who have led the environmental movement.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Enjoy the season with these helpful resources:
- Learn how to treat and prevent sports injuries.
- Recognize and deal with hay fever.
- Spring clean your home to reduce allergy and asthma symptoms.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From the Archive
FEDINFO
e-letters
Consumer Focus articles
Sign up for e-mail alerts and RSS Feeds
Sign up for free FCIC e-mail alerts for new Consumer Focus articles, Recalls, Scams & Frauds and more. Or subscribe to RSS Feeds for the latest info from FCIC and USA.gov.
You can change your subscriptions, password, or e-mail address or remove yourself from this free service at any time on your User Profile page. For questions or problems with this subscription service, e-mail updates@pueblo.gsa.gov. For inquiries related to FCIC, email us.