A GUIDE TO YOUR MONEY AND YOUR FINANCIAL FUTURE

Getting Fit…

Managing Your Financial Life

It starts with a dream, the dream of a secure retirement. Yet like many people you may wonder how you can achieve that dream when so many other financial issues have priority. Besides trying to pay for daily living expenses, you may need to buy a car, pay off debts, save for your children’s education, take a vacation, or buy a home. You may have aging parents to support. You may be going through a major event in your life such as starting a new job, getting married or divorced, raising children, or coping with a death in the family.

How do you manage all these financial challenges and at the same time try to “buy” a secure retirement? How do you turn your dreams into reality?

Start by writing down each of your goals on a 3″x 5″ card so you can organize them easily. You may want to have family members come up with ideas. Don’t leave something out at this stage because you don’t think you can afford it. This is your “wish list.”

Sort the cards into two stacks: goals you want to accomplish within the next 5 years or less, and goals that will take longer than 5 years. It’s important to separate them because, as you’ll see later, you save for short-term and long-term goals differently.

Sort the cards within each stack in order of priority.

Make retirement a priority! This needs to be among your goals regardless of your age. Some goals you may be able to borrow for, such as college, but you can’t borrow for retirement.

Write on each card what you need to do to accomplish that goal: When do you want to accomplish it, what will it cost (we’ll tell you more about that later), what money have you set aside already, and how much more money will you need to save each month to reach the goal.

Look again at the order of priority. How hard are you willing to work and save to achieve a particular goal? Would you work extra hours, for example? How realistic is a goal when
compared with other goals? Reorganize their priority if necessary. Put those that are unrealistic back into your wish list. Maybe later you can turn them into reality too.
We’ll come back to these goals when we put together a spending plan.

How to Improve Gas Mileage

Whether you are shopping for a new car or just trying to maintain the one you have, you can take some steps to get the best mileage out of your gas purchases. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, offers these tips to use fuel efficiently:

On the Road: Drive More Efficiently
• Stay within posted speed limits. Gas mileage decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 miles per hour.
• Stop aggressive driving. You can improve your gas mileage up to five percent around town if you avoid “jackrabbit” starts and stops by anticipating traffic conditions and driving gently.
• Avoid unnecessary idling. It wastes fuel, costs you money, and pollutes the air. Turn off the engine if you anticipate a wait.
• Combine errands. Several short trips taken from a cold start can use twice as much fuel as one trip covering the same distance when the engine is warm.
• Use overdrive gears and cruise control when appropriate. They improve the fuel economy of your car when you’re driving on a highway.
• Remove excess weight from the trunk. An extra 100 pounds in the trunk can reduce a typical car’s fuel economy by up to two percent.
• Avoid packing items on top of your car. A loaded roof rack or carrier creates wind resistance and can decrease fuel economy by five percent.

At the Garage: Maintain Your Car
• Keep your engine tuned. Tuning your engine according to your owner’s manual can increase gas mileage by an average of four percent. Increases vary depending on a car’s condition.
• Keep your tires properly inflated and aligned. It can increase gas mileage up to three percent.
• Change your oil. According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), you can improve your gas mileage by using the manufacturer’s recommended grade of motor oil. Motor oil that says “Energy Conserving” on the performance symbol of the American Petroleum Institute contains friction-reducing additives that can improve fuel economy.
• Check and replace air filters regularly. Replacing clogged filters can increase gas mileage up to ten percent.

At the Pump: Use the Octane Level You Need
• Your owner’s manual recommends the most effective octane level for your car. For most cars, the recommended gasoline is regular octane. In most cases, using a higher octane gas than the manufacturer recommends offers no benefit. Unless your engine is knocking, buying higher octane gasoline is a waste of money.

In Advertising: Check Out Claims About “Gas-Saving” Gadgets
• Be skeptical of claims for devices that will “boost your mileage by an extra 6 miles per
gallon,” “improve your fuel economy up to 26 percent,” or the like. EPA has tested over 100 supposed gas-saving devices — including mixture “enhancers” and fuel line magnets — and found that very few provide any fuel economy benefits. The devices that work provide only marginal improvements. Some “gas-saving” devices may damage a car’s engine or increase exhaust emissions. For more information and a full list of tested products, check www.epa.gov/otaq/consumer.htm.

In the Showroom: Consider the Alternatives
• Alternative Fuel Vehicles (AFVs) operate on alternative fuels, such as methanol, ethanol,
compressed natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, electricity, and others designated by the DOE. Using these alternative fuels in vehicles may reduce harmful pollutants and exhaust emissions. FTC Rules require labels on all new AFVs to give the vehicle’s estimated cruising range and general descriptive information. Find out how many miles a new AFV travels on a tank or supply of fuel because, gallon for gallon, some don’t travel as far as gasoline-powered vehicles.
• Hybrid Electric Vehicles offer another option for car buyers. According to DOE and
EPA, these vehicles combine the benefits of gasoline engines and electric motors and can
be configured to achieve different objectives, such as improved fuel economy and increased power.

The following information has been compiled from various sources to aid law information, bank investigators, law firms and researchers who are in need to obtain checking account information for investigatory reasons only. This file originally appeard at the National Check Fraud Center

1. Send the Defendant a Check This involves sending the defendant a check in a small amount. The defendant deposits the check in his account. When the check is returned to you it should have the defendant’s bank account number on the back. This is an old trick and it is usually used with some corresponding literature, such as a gift certificate, rebate, refund or survey. The more professional looking the literature, the better the results. There are a number of other facts you gain by using this method. The cashing of the check by your subject gives you proof he or she receives mail at the address you sent the check to. The canceled check will have a signature of your subject. This is a good way to obtain an otherwise unobtainable sample of your subject’s signature. Additionally, the subject’s drivers license number may be listed on the back of the check.

2. Buy Something from the Defendant Have someone purchase something from the defendant’s store or business. Be sure to pay by check. Naturally, this procedure works best if the defendant runs a business or service operation. If he or she does, it is a relatively simple matter to purchase something from the defendant. If the he or she performs a service, simply hire him or her to work for you. If, as an attorney, you think your subject will not fall for this method, use a third party in your place. I warn you not to involve a third party in an undercover operation if you believe there is the slightest chance for violence. This seemingly simple task can lead to some unusual situations. I had a case against a debtor who ran a small retail establishment. My goal was to simply go into the store and purchase something with a check so I could obtain the store’s bank account number. The business was located close to Martin Luther King Boulevard in a predominately black area of town. It was quite a challenge for a white guy to look inconspicuous under these circumstances. Sure enough, in my next bank statement was the debtor’s bank account information on the back of the check I had written him for merchandise bought in his store.

3. UCC Filings - File Copy from the Secretary of State A search should be made of Uniform Commercial Code filings. The bank that loaned the defendant money may be the same bank he or she uses personally. The debtor will probably obtain financing from a bank that he or she normally does business with. This makes sense. The debtor will usually have a better chance of obtaining a loan from a bank he or she already has a banking relationship with. Once the debtor’s probable bank is identified, you have at least two bites of the apple in obtaining the debtor’s bank account. The debtor may have applied to the same bank for a loan.

4. UCC Filing - Loan Application from the Secured Party Keep in mind what purpose that a UCC-1 filing serves. It is to provide notice to the public that the secured party has an interest in the debtor’s property. This is generally from the secured party loaning money to the debtor. The debtor does this by filling out a loan application and financial statement. This information should contain the debtor’s bank account information.

5. UCC Filings - Check from the Secured Party to the Debtor In a loan situation the bank will issue a check to the debtor. The debtor will deposit the check in his or her bank account. As the check makes it’s way back to the issuing bank the debtor’s bank account number will be on the back of the check issued by the bank. If you subpoena the secured party for a copy of this check it will show the document trail including the name and account number of the bank the debtor actually deposited the check.

6. UCC Filing - Copy of the Debtor’s Checks The debtor is obligated to pay the secured party back for it’s loan each month–presumably with a check. All you have to do is subpoena the targeted bank for the above information–any loan applications and/or financial statements of the debtor, any checks the bank issued to the debtor, and the debtor’s checks over a period of several months.

7. Previous Landlord– Rental Application Subpoena the previous landlord of the defendant for a copy of the rental application to see where the defendant banked. Most people are usually creatures of habit. Once a banking relationship is established, it generally remains the same.

8. Previous Landlord– Security Deposit, Canceled Check Now, the above information may be outdated. However, there are two additional sources of records that the landlord has regarding the debtor’s bank account. One is the security deposit and cleaning refund check that was given to the tenant / debtor upon move out. The debtor may have deposited this check in his bank account. The landlord or the landlord’s bank has a copy of this check. The debtor’s bank account information should be on the backside.

9. Previous Landlord– Copies of the debtor’s Rent Checks During the rental period the tenant/debtor probably paid the landlord by check. The landlord may cooperate or you may have to subpoena him to obtain this information. The landlord will claim he does not have access to these checks. This may be a true statement. The fact of the matter that the bank microfilmed every check the landlord deposited in his account. This includes the Debtor’s rent checks.

10. Blanket Levy This technique involves serving a Writ of Execution and a Bank Levy on every bank in the area. This procedure assumes that you will hit an account eventually and that the debtor will bank within only a few mile radius of his home or work. It is rumored that the IRS has used this tactic in the past. For obvious reasons, this technique works best in a small town.

11. Debtors Examinations At this proceeding you can demand that the debtor tell you where his bank account is. The unfortunate effect of this procedure is that the defendant can take most (if not all) of his money out of the account before you can get to it. However, do not dismiss the usefulness of the examination too quickly. Not all debtors are Einstein’s. Some debtors do not think to empty their bank accounts. Additionally, there is actual value in finding a bank account with only a few bucks in it or even one that has already been closed. The value is in the microfilmed records the bank will retain on the account. Just think about it for a second. What documents would a debtor deposit in his bank account? If you answered any of the followings: the debtor’s payroll check, the debtor’s spouse’s payroll check, stock dividend checks, rental income checks, you would be right! Each category of information is extremely valuable to a creditor enforcing a judgment. What is more, the debtor will probably take the funds from his now defunct account and–probably in the form of a check from his old account–deposit it in a new account.

12. Employer If you know the debtor’s employer you may consider serving a Business Record Subpoena on the employer to obtain a copy of a payroll check the debtor has “cashed”. The check should have the defendant’s account number and possibly the name of the bank on the back of it.

13. Current Landlord–Rental Application The current landlord probably has a rental application on file that show the defendant’s bank account.

14. Current Landlord–Past Check Subpoena from the current landlord a copy of the defendant’s past month’s rent check.

15. Current Landlord–Current Rent Checks Subpoena from the current landlord a copy of the defendant’s current month’s rent check.

16. Trash Search Some investigative agencies such as the IRS, FBI, local law enforcement agencies, and private investigators will conduct trash searches. The information obtained will reveal the bank where the defendant has an account in addition to probably more information than you ever wanted to know about the defendant. In fact, a trash search tells so much about a debtor that it is absolutely scary. Think I am kidding? Tell you what, to every person who reads this and for an instant thinks this technique will not work, I have an exercise for you. Go through your own trash for a one week period. Write down everything that you can conclude about your household–likes and dislikes in foods and cosmetics, medications, personal correspondence, etc., etc. Are you now considering incinerating your own trash?

17. Yard Sale This is an unusual procedure reserved for the stout of heart. It will not work if the defendant knows you on sight. The way it works is to send post cards to everyone who lives on the defendant’s block. The post card should read something like, “Block yard sale this weekend”. Put up a few signs directing traffic on the appropriate day. The defendant will be caught up in the excitement and open his garage to sell his unwanted items. First, this is a great chance to view the defendant at home, up close and personal. Take covert inventory of the defendant’s assets. Second, buy something from the defendant and pay by check.

18. Telephone

19. State Sales Tax Permits The application for a Sales Tax permit requires that the business list it’s bank account. This is certainly true of the current sales tax permit for California. It is probably true for other states as well.

20. Employment Development Department Permit The Employment Development Department application, an permit that allows an employer to hire employees, normally requires that the business list it’s bank account.

21. Divorce records, community property settlement Sometimes these records contain a wealth of financial information, including: the name and account number of checking, savings, brokers, stocks, credit cards and bonds account. Often the description and address of private property and the make, model and license number of vehicles also are included in the divisions of property papers.

You can use this calculator to see how much federal income tax should be withheld from your monthly payment. Answer the following questions and press Calculate for your results.

Web site Just One Club Card lets you condense up to 8 different discount club cards onto one front-and-back card, meaning your back-breaking wallet is about to go on a big diet.

Just enter the barcode numbers and choose the store for each card you want to get rid of and Just One Club Card will convert them to a printable, one-card format. Fold, laminate, and enjoy. There are about 100 stores in the drop-down, but if a store you need is missing, you can contact the site and ask for its inclusion or try your luck with the advanced page. If you’re not keen on getting rid of your cards, you might still consider a better method of organization.

List of stores:

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