Does it seem like the cost of a postage stamp just went up? That’s because it did: Last year, the Postal Service last increased the price of a first-class stamp to 44 cents, up from 42 cents in 2009. Yesterday the Postal Service met to discuss a new rate increase and they have agreed that it’s time to increase rates once again. Technically, the law prohibits a price increase that’s greater than the rate of inflation, which for the last year has been 0.9 percent. But under “unusual circumstances,” the Postal Service can sidestep the law and increase postage rates by more, which is what they plan on doing.

Why is the post office increasing rates greater than the rate of inflation? “The Postal Service faces a serious risk of financial insolvency,” postal vice president Stephen M. Kearney said. The post office lost $3.8 billion last year, despite cutting 40,000 full-time positions and making other reductions, and Kearney said it is facing a $7 billion loss for this year and the same for fiscal 2011, which begins in October. The rate increase would bring in $2.5 billion, meaning there still would be a large loss for next year.

How Much and When Rates Will Increase

The most noticeable increase will be the first-class stamp with another 2 cent increase to 46 cents. That’s about a 5% increase. While your average letter will be going up a few cents, everything else is increasing as well. Priority mail, express mail, addtional first class postage, media mail, and so on. Across the board, most services will see about a 5% increase. One noticeable increase comes to the mailing of periodicals. Those mailings are slated to see a whopping 8% increase. The new rates still need to be approved, but with almost certainty they will be, and then the new rates will take effect on January 2, 2011.

How This Will Affect You

I know what you’re thinking. You don’t send letters and use email instead, you pay all of your bills online, and the increase won’t really matter to you. It’s true that an extra two cents for a stamp isn’t going to break the bank for most people who only mail a handful of items a year, but these postage increases don’t stop there and even if you don’t mail anything these days you may still feel the pinch.

Think about the companies that rely on the postal service to ship their products to consumers. What does a 5% increase in postage mean to a company that already spends tens of millions of dollars a year on postage? Amazon, anyone? An even bigger player has to be Netflix. Their core business model resolves around sending you movies in the mail. In fact, media mail, which Netflix mailings fall under, is slated to get a 7% increase. This would end up costing Netflix upwards of $50 million more on shipping costs in 2011. That’s on top of the already hundreds of millions being spent on shipping.

So, while you may not fret over the two extra pennies you need to stick on an envelope, don’t expect companies who rely on the post office for shipping to just eat the cost. Instead, it will likely get passed down to you in some form or another.

The Forever Stamp

Finally, the one bright spot is that forever stamps are still being sold and that means you can still effectively lock in the lower first class postage rates. A lot of people ask whether or not the forever stamp is a good investment. Well, considering you can essentially get a 5% return on your money in a year, yes, on paper it’s a good investment. But you have to look at how much you really stand to make. For example, if you use 50 stamps a year, the 2 cent savings is one dollar a year. It’s still about a 5% return on your investment, but in the end it’s still only a dollar. So, you have to ask yourself whether or not it’s worth it to stock up on forever stamps just to save what could be a matter of a dollar or two in the coming few years.

In my opinion, it’s a good idea to buy a healthy supply that will last a year or so, but I’m more concerned about the savings I see by not having to go to the post office as frequently. As far as I’m concerned, the amount of time I save by not having to go into a post office is priceless. I don’t really care about saving a few cents on postage, but I do care about not wasting a half hour of my time standing in line at an understaffed post office.

About the Author: Jeremy is a retirement planning specialist and founder of Generation X Finance and the guide to Financial Planning at About.com. To learn more, follow Jeremy on Twitter.

Postage Prices Set to Increase Yet Again in 2011

You may have heard from various sources this week that Hulu is going to start charging a monthly fee to access some of their premium content. We knew this was coming eventually, but now that it has been officially announced it has people talking. Hulu has been a staple for those who wanted to ditch their expensive cable or satellite bill, but it looks like the free ride could be coming to an end.

Hulu Plus costs $9.99/month and is supposed to open up a lot of older content for past seasons of popular TV shows. Hulu already offers the trailing five episodes of current shows, but now if you want to go back even further you can if you buy a Hulu Plus subscription.

From the Hulu blog:

As a Hulu Plus subscriber, you’ll now also have access to back seasons or full runs of some of TV’s greatest shows. All nine seasons of The X-Files. All three seasons of Arrested Development. Ten seasons of Law and Order: SVU. All five seasons of Ally McBeal. Seven seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and three seasons of Roswell. Every episode ever of Grey’s Anatomy and Desperate Housewives. Classic skits from the first five and most recent five seasons of Saturday Night Live. The list goes on. This is all on top of hundreds of shows already on Hulu.com today. It’s a treasure chest in the cloud for TV lovers.

If you’re a big fan of some of these shows and want access to old seasons you may have missed or forgot about, that is probably a pretty good value. Of course, you can already do this with a subscription to Netflix or possibly even via on demand features with your cable provider, but with the new Hulu Plus you have many more places to watch your content. No longer are you bound to your computer. Fire up that new iPhone and catch a show on the go or even use that new Blu Ray player to stream the content right to your TV.

Is Hulu Plus Worth It?

This is the big question. Is it worth paying another $10 a month just to have access to more TV content? I guess that all depends on your TV usage. I don’t see that many people rushing out for a subscription just to watch past seasons of the shows they’ve already seen, but maybe that’s just me. I suppose if you can get by without a cable or satellite TV subscription and rely on something like Netflix and Hulu combined for all your viewing needs it would be a pretty decent savings.

Personally, as much as I love Hulu, I don’t see any need in subscribing to the Plus service. Sure, it would be nice to fire up an old favorite episode of Family Guy any time I want, but that alone isn’t enough to make me want to spend an extra 10 bucks a month. For me, having cable with on demand, Netflix, and a TV card in my computer operating as another DVR I already have access to more TV than I could ever use, so I’ll just sit this one out.

The Future of Free TV

Even though this simple $10 subscription is just a small addition to the otherwise large free TV universe, I’m afraid it’s just the first of many steps that will be taken in coming years to lock down free TV to a point where you’ll almost have to buy a subscription to something just to watch what you want. It’s only $10 now for old content, but before long I assume you’ll have to pay a little more to get the newest episodes. Then if you want to watch live sports you’ll have to pay for another package, and movies will of course be yet another. Will streaming TV from the web ever be the same?

It will likely end up just like cable is today and by the time you pay for everything you want to watch, the way you want to watch it, you’ll be dropping $40 or $50 a month just to get your TV content online. Hopefully I’m wrong, but that seems like the only logical progression as more people want to watch their TV online and anywhere.

So, what do you think? Will you be signing up for Hulu Plus? Do you think this is just the beginning of a slippery slope where we have to start paying for even more online content separately?

About the Author: Jeremy is a retirement planning specialist and founder of Generation X Finance and the guide to Financial Planning at About.com. To learn more, follow Jeremy on Twitter.

Hulu Plus is Putting The Brakes on Free TV

Even though birthdays come only once a year, businesses make your “big day” one to remember by offering you complimentary meals, gifts, and free admission.  Here are a few things offered to birthday club and mailing list members:

Cedar Point Amusement Park’s exclusive indoor waterpark resort, Castaway Bay, has a Birthday Club for children 12 years of age and younger.  By registering their children online, parents will receive “a day pass valid during the month of the child’s birthday or a Birthday Fun Pack that can be redeemed when you stay overnight for a free color-your-own t-shirt, free personal pizza and free arcade card.”  The resort is located in Sandusky, Ohio and is within driving distance of Cedar Point, America’s Roller Coast.

Sign up for Baskin Robbins Birthday Club and receive a 2.5 oz scoop of your favorite ice cream on your special day.  You will also be able to access coupons, special offers, and a sneak peek at new flavors and treats.

Firehouse Subs will send you a certificate during your birthday month for a free sub of your choice.  Meatball, Smokehouse Beef and Cheddar Brisket, Tuna, and Italian are a few of the items on the menu.

Denny’s gives you an Original Grand Slam platter with proof of birthdate.  Load up on pancakes, eggs, bacon, and sausage for free.  Don’t forget the maple syrup!

Become a Sephora Beauty Insider and receive a free Beautiful Eyes Kit.  Inside of it, you will find everything you need to make your eyes party-perfect—long-wearing eyeliner, pretty shimmery shadow, and volumizing mascara.

Lonestar Steakhouse will send you a coupon for a free entrée (a $15 value) when you join their e-club.  Grab a friend or two and make this year’s birthday memorable.

Discovery Cruise Line offers birthday boys and girls a free one-day cruise to the Bahamas with each paid adult.  In addition to a generous breakfast and dinner buffet, guests enjoy all types of amenities including free drinks, a game room, and movies.

Moe’s Southwest Grill will serve up a certificate for a hot, fresh burrito of your liking straight to your email box.  Add a couple of dollops of guacamole and red hot salsa for a real spicy meal.

Benihana gives all members of the Chef’s Table a complimentary birthday dinner.  You must provide email certificate and proof of ID to take advantage of this offer.

Get your feast on by registering online with Medieval Times’ Birthday Fellowship.  In addition to seeing a fantastic show for free, gorge yourself on cuisine fit for a King or a Queen.

Celebrating your birthday has never been more fun or economical.  Take advantage of everything offered to you and make this your best year yet.  From free meals and day cruises to full-blown entertainment, there are numerous opportunities awaiting you via the web.  For a complete list of restaurants in your area offering perks to their e-club members, visit FreeBirthdayTreats.com. What are some of the free things you’ve seen offered for birthdays?

Charissa Arsaoui is a freelance writer for ChickSpeak, Buzzine, DisFUNKshion Magazine, Student Stuff, and a guest contributor for Wisebread.  She loves thrift related topics and can spot a bargain a mile away.

About the Author: Jeremy is a retirement planning specialist and founder of Generation X Finance and the guide to Financial Planning at About.com. To learn more, follow Jeremy on Twitter.

Birthday Freebies Worth Checking Out

Do you dream of a Disney vacation but can’t justify paying full admission for every member of your family?  Well, this year you won’t have to.  Disney’s Give a Day, Get a Day Program allows up to eight members of your family to sign up via its website for free.  In exchange for a day of volunteering at a local charity or non-profit organization in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada, each individual that participates will be given a ticket valid at the following Disney parks in Anaheim, California or Orlando, Florida in 2010:

• Disneyland Park
• Disney’s California Adventure Park
• Magic Kingdom
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom
• Epcot
• Disney’s Hollywood Studio

Tickets are not valid for Disney Water Parks nor can they be used at DisneyQuest Indoor Interactive Theme Park or Wide World of Sports Complex. They cannot be used for Walt Disney World Resort: March 29 – April 8 and July 4, 2010 and at the Disneyland® Resort: February 13-14, March 21, June 21-22, July 4, November 21, and December 11-12, 2010. A number of restrictions apply and the tickets have to be used by December 15, 2010 or they will expire.

In addition to enjoying a fun day with your family, you can also give back to your community.  The HandsOn Network is the largest volunteer network in the nation with more than 250 centers that reach 83% of the population.  Their mission is to provide support to non-profit organizations who want to better manage their volunteer resources.  Volunteer Canada has over 161,000 volunteer opportunities throughout the country and relies heavily on volunteer efforts to successfully complete tasks.

Choose from a list of volunteer opportunities after typing in your zip code or the area of service that you are most interested in helping out with on the Disney Promotion page.  You can opt to spend a day at the local animal shelter, an afternoon feeding the homeless, or an evening visiting with an elderly person in a nursing home.  Give the personal information for each member of your family who wants to help out, select and confirm a designated time with the non-profit of your choice, perform the service, and then go back to Disney’s website to verify completion of the program.  Once everything has been confirmed, you will receive one ticket for each person in your family that volunteered.

You can use the tickets to extend the length of your vacation by having one free day of admission at your chosen Disney Park.

In a world that thrives because of the kindness of others, there is no better way to spend your new year than giving back to the community that you live in by providing your family the opportunity to be a part of the process.  Besides scoring free tickets, you will undoubtedly feel a great deal of satisfaction knowing that “one person does make a difference”.

Charissa Arsaoui is a freelance writer for ChickSpeak, Buzzine, DisFUNKshion Magazine, Student Stuff, and a guest contributor for Wisebread.  She loves thrift related topics and can spot a bargain a mile away.

About the Author: Jeremy is a retirement planning specialist and founder of Generation X Finance and the guide to Financial Planning at About.com. To learn more, follow Jeremy on Twitter.

Earn Up to 8 Free Disney Passes with Disney’s Give a Day Get a Day Program

Is the 401(k) a Scam?

If there’s one thing I love about checking the Yahoo! Finance columns it’s that I know every time Robert Kiyosaki posts something I’m going to either laugh out loud or shake my head in disbelief. This past week has proved no different, and the self-proclaimed financial guru who shouldn’t be offering financial advice has done it again. This time he says that the 401(k) is the biggest scam ever.

Seriously? Kiyosaki is going to go as far as call the 401(k) the biggest scam ever, steer people away from them, and then provide no viable alternative? Sometimes I have to wonder how he’s still writing this column. So, let’s take a look at his arguments against the 401(k) and see if any of them are valid or if they are just little tidbits and stats taken out of context.

Guaranteed Return

Let’s start right from the top when Kiyosaki references both a recent article out of Time Magazine and More Magazine. Time talked about some of the problems with the current 401(k) system, but Kiyosaki quickly jumps to Jean Chatzky’s More article. She wrote an article about using low-interest savings to pay off high-interest credit cards. In the article she states, “There’s no better guaranteed return on your money (except, perhaps, a 401(k) match).” Before jumping to Kiyosaki’s analysis, this is common sense, right? I mean if you take some of your money sitting in a savings account earning 1% and pay off a credit card charging 20% APR that’s a guaranteed return on your money since you’re going to be avoiding all of that costly interest.

Not so fast. Instead of taking the point of that article at face value Kiyosaki latches on to the “except, perhaps, a 401(k) match” part and blows everything out of context. He goes on to say:

Countering Jean’s wisdom of “no better guaranteed return,” the “Time” article stated, “At the end of 1998, the average 401(k) balance was $47,004. By the end of 2008, the average balance was down to $45,519.” If that is a great guaranteed return, I’m glad I don’t have a 401(k).

Huh? Jean’s point was in regards to using money earning little to no interest to pay off debt that’s charging high interest. Then she adds that getting a 401(k) match is also a guaranteed return that might be even better. So why does he jump into the fact that over the past ten years the average 401(k) balance is down slightly. Where did Jean say that the 401(k) is a guaranteed return? Nowhere. He simply picks up on a few words that don’t even relate to the underlying article and runs with it to try and prove a point.

Look, I can prove a point, too. Vanguard points out that 60% of 401(k) accounts are higher in value today than they were pre-stock market crash in 2007. People were saying it would take a decade or more to recover from this two-year market slump, but here we are just two years from the start of the meltdown and more than half of investors have recovered nicely. Hooray, look at all the good news! But I digress. My point is that anyone can cherry pick any data set they want to make their argument look good.

Riskier As You Get Older

He likes to point out one more little tidbit from the Time article that says: “The older you are the riskier a 401(k) gets.” This blanket statement is just plain dangerous if people read it without thinking about what it means. Of course, Kiyosaki doesn’t bother to explain how a 401(k) can become riskier as you age, but instead leaves it hanging so that it can strike a little fear into readers.

First of all, a 401(k) is only as risky as you make it. Period. Nobody is forcing you to put 100% of your nest egg into a small-cap fund. Nobody restricts a 60 year old from allocating their 401(k) into a no- or low-risk fund. Can a 401(k) become riskier as you age if you leave yourself completely exposed to stocks? Of course. But this has nothing to do with the 401(k) itself and has is the result of people making poor decisions. You can’t argue that the 401(k) is the biggest scam ever simply because some people take on unnecessary risk late in their life and get burned when the stock market has a drop right before they want to retire.

It doesn’t matter what type of account your money is in: 401(k), IRA, Roth IRA, taxable brokerage account, CDs at the bank, or real estate. If you don’t take the proper measures to adjust your exposure to risk as you age and your situation changes you can get burned. The 401(k) is just a few lines of tax code and there’s nothing in the code that says these accounts will get riskier as you get older.

A Few Good Points

Kiyosaki then goes on for a few paragraphs rambling about how he’s concerned for the baby boomers, predicts the economy will collapse, and points out how the Fed continues to print money. These are legitimate concerns and something we all need to consider going forward. But really, he’s just restating what he does in almost every column. He loves to point out how we’re all doomed and the rich are going to just keep getting richer without giving any actionable tips on how to do what the rich do. Sounds like a good salesman to me, lure people in so they will buy your books and attend your seminars.

One item worth pointing out was in regards to those who are counting on their home as their biggest asset. It’s true that this is going to be a huge problem going forward as many people, especially boomers, have sunk most of their wealth into their homes and are going to be faced with the prospect of having far less wealth than they expected. And as he mentioned, even if home values don’t continue to decline there’s a good chance that local municipalities are going to need to raise property taxes. This can put people in quite a bind, especially those who are already retired and now suddenly have more expenses.

So What is the Alternative to the 401(k)?

In typical Kiyosaki style, he comes out swinging with wild accusations and doesn’t provide any real answers. The 401(k) is such a scam, you shouldn’t save money in one, and we’re all doomed! So, where do we turn, Mr. Kiyosaki? He of course alludes to “the rich” many times, thus hoping to get people to buy his very own products making him even richer, but for the rest of us we’re left wondering. If the average person shouldn’t be putting money into a 401(k), how are they going to be able to afford retirement?

Kiyosaki’s primary teachings revolve around generating passive income, primarily through real estate and businesses. This is great and all, but what is your regular guy making $40,000 a year going to do? Can this person go out and pick up a few rental properties? Should they try and become an entrepreneur? Betting your retirement on income generating rental properties alone or giving up your job to start a business is just as risky as betting your retirement on the stock market, and it takes far more capital and opens you up to other risks you don’t have when simply investing your money. If you don’t have the cash to buy real estate outright what do you do? You borrow money. Now you’ve taken on debt to purchase something that is not guaranteed to go up in value and not always guaranteed to generate income. How is that less risky than a 401(k)? All of Kiyosaki’s methods for generating passive income and building wealth are good ideas and great ways to earn an income, but it isn’t feasible for 99% of the population and is not a substitute for simply saving money for retirement.

Is the 401(k) Really the Biggest Scam Ever?

I still don’t know how someone can make that assertion. The 401(k) in its current state is certainly not without faults, but calling it a scam is just plain silly. How is a tax-advantaged account that allows you to optionally enroll and then allow you to choose from various investment vehicles a scam? Sure, we have issues right now with some companies charging higher fees, not offering the best investments available, and some employers not offering the plans at all, but those things don’t make the 401(k) a scam.

It doesn’t matter if you have a 401(k) or not, but you need to plan for retirement. If you aren’t saving in a 401(k) you still need to be accumulating assets to provide for you in retirement. It doesn’t matter if you’re saving money in a savings account, dumping it into a 401(k), buying stocks in a brokerage account, or putting money into real estate. If you aren’t saving and subsequently investing that money somewhere, you will end up retiring broke and unhappy. It’s not the investment vehicle that’s the problem. It’s the simple fact that people don’t save enough, period. And even if they do, they can often still end up in bad financial shape in retirement because they made foolish investment choices. So, is the 401(k) a scam? I don’t think so. The only scam here is the one Robert Kiyosaki is operating by getting people riled up in an attempt to generate more sales of his own product so that he can laugh all the way to the bank. His underlying message that people should become more entrepreneurial and put their money to work for them is a good one, but telling people that 401(k)s are a scam is the wrong way to go about it.

About the Author: Jeremy is a retirement planning specialist and founder of Generation X Finance and the guide to Financial Planning at About.com. To learn more, follow Jeremy on Twitter.

Robert Kiyosaki is Off his Rocker (Again) – Is The 401(k) Really the Biggest Scam Ever?

Tis’ the season to be thrifty and these eco-friendly gifts won’t force you to spend a lot of green in order to be “green”.  From water powered alarm clocks to hand cranked blenders and electric cars, there is a perfect gift out there for everyone that you are buying for.  In no particular order, I have compiled a list of some of my favorite environmentally conscious products and services and listed their prices so you can stay within your budget.  They are:

• FreeCharge 12V. Retails for $30.00.  Available through FreePlay Energy.  Items with a cigarette-lighter adapter like cell phones, PDAs, iPods, and GPSs can be plugged into the device which when cranked produces enough energy to charge your electronics.  Never miss an important call or take the wrong road again!

• Cooking Green by Kate Heyhoe.  Da Capo Lifelong Books, 2009.  Retail Price: $17.95.  Available through Perseus Books Group.  Reduce your carbon footprint in the kitchen (aka cookprint) with Heyhoe’s New Green Basics Way of cooking.  Released in the spring of this year, Cooking Green teaches readers fuel-efficient ways to prepare their favorite dishes.  In addition to providing information about cookware, the book offers mouth watering recipes that anyone can whip up easily and affordably.

• Cassette Tape Dispenser. Sold through Uncommon Goods.  Retail Price: $25.00.  Old cassette tapes find new life as a valuable office supply.  Rather than keep a bulky, black tape dispenser on your desk, use this product to start conversations.  Scotch tape is not included in the price of the dispenser.  You can pick that up inexpensively at any office supply store.

• Eco Books: Inventive Projects from the Recycling Bin by Terry Taylor.  Lark Books, a Division of Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.  Retail Price: $22.95.  Love the look of custom made journals but not fond of the price?  Why not pick up a copy of Eco Books and try your hand at covering, stitching, and binding handcrafted gifts using old license plate, egg cartons, board games, and shopping bags.  Step-by-step instructions make reducing, reusing, and recycling fun for the whole family.

• Soda Bottle Glasses. Found on ETSY.  Set of 4 selling for $30.  Can’t stand to part with your collection of soda or beer bottles?  Purchase a set of glasses from Yava Glass and break them out the next time guests come over.  Upcycled wares are some of the hottest selling items today. You can find more items made from recycled materials in the company’s online store.

• Global Sun Oven. Available for purchase from the Peddler’s Wagon.  Priced at $275.00.  Cook all your meals naturally by using heat from the sun.  This 21 pound, portable oven can be transported to and from different locations and does not require propane or charcoal.  It comes with a thermometer but does not come with a set of pots and pans.

Finding conscientious gifts at prices you can afford is possible through the vast array of retailers on the web.  The following phrases are used in items that are better from an environmental standpoint than their competitors:

• Biodegradable.
• Made from Post Consumer Waste.
• Fair Trade.
• Organic.
• Sustainable.
• Unbleached.
• Solar and Wind Powered.
• Carbon Neutral.
• Process Chlorine Free.

Every dollar that you spend is one dollar that supports a company and its mission.  By taking the time to find businesses that sell products and services that help the environment rather than hurt it makes you a better informed, more responsible consumer.

Charissa Arsaoui is a freelance writer for ChickSpeak, Buzzine, DisFUNKshion Magazine, Student Stuff, and a guest contributor for Wisebread.  She loves thrift related topics and can spot a bargain a mile away.

About the Author: Jeremy is a retirement planning specialist and founder of Generation X Finance and the guide to Financial Planning at About.com. To learn more, follow Jeremy on Twitter.

Green Gift Giving Guide: How to Save Green By Giving Green

Do you want to become a millionaire? Stupid question, I know. Who wouldn’t want to be a millionaire? Well, I’ve shared my 5 steps on how to become a millionaire in the past, but there are a few unconventional methods as well. One of those is to win big on a game show — namely, the Who Wants to be a Millionaire show.  The clip below features a college student who would like to become a millionaire, but from the results you can see why he may want to rely on the basics such as spending less than you earn, avoiding debt and saving for retirement rather than count on his own intelligence. In fact, he might want to focus on studying a bit more while in college, getting some sleep, and not being hopped up on caffeine.

Want to become a millionaire? Step one: don’t be like this guy.

About the Author: Jeremy is a retirement planning specialist and founder of Generation X Finance and the guide to Financial Planning at About.com. To learn more, follow Jeremy on Twitter.

Want to Become a Millionaire? Don’t Be Like This Guy

I suppose it probably doesn’t come as much of a surprise, but Microsoft is discontinuing their money management software at the end of the month. They had a good run, but it’s pretty hard to keep up with so many free money management platforms and the long-standing top finance package that Quicken offers.

The writing was on the wall since last fall Microsoft announced they were going to stop selling Money in retail stores and offering annual updates. I know that buying software in the store as a whole might be slowly becoming a thing of the past, but you usually don’t see major titles stop offering their products in stores unless there are plans to discontinue it entirely at some point.

Microsoft did post an official announcement on their site today. It isn’t long, but the important part states (emphasis mine):

Microsoft Money Plus will not be available for purchase after June 30, 2009. All purchased Money Plus products must be activated prior to Jan. 31, 2011. With banks, brokerage firms and Web sites now providing a range of options for managing personal finances, the consumer need for Microsoft Money Plus has changed. After suspending annual updates of Money Plus in 2008, Microsoft is announcing today that we will no longer offer Microsoft Money Plus for purchase after June 30, 2009.

Some things have certainly changed as you have companies like Mint providing a unique personal finance package for free. But I’m not sure what banks and brokerage firms are offering that compete with what Mint, Money, or Quicken have to offer. Sure, they may provide some added features that can help consumers with their money, but nothing nearly as comprehensive as their software.

I think the main issue is that people know that they can get virtually the same level of service without paying by using Mint or Quicken Online. Sure, if you have more complicated finances or need more granular levels of reporting you might still opt for a more robust package. But most people are just looking for something simple, and Microsoft has been lagging in that department for years.

Are You a Money User?

So, I’m curious if there are any MS Money users out there. I’ve used it occasionally over the past few years for testing purposes, but I always fall back on Quicken. It’s not that Money is bad software, but I got my start on Quicken. Like the saying goes, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. It’s hard to get out of a rhythm. But if you are using MS Money, how did you like it, and is the cancelation of it going to force you to look for an alternative?

About the Author: Jeremy is a retirement planning specialist and founder of Generation X Finance and the guide to Financial Planning at About.com. To learn more, follow Jeremy on Twitter.

No More Microsoft Money After June 30

If you’re reading this, you’re using a computer. Computers have become a necessity for most of us, and in many cases, we have even more than one. Unfortunately, computers can also have costs associated with them as technology continues to advance and software gets updated. If you’re like the millions of others out there using a PC with Microsoft software, you know just how costly it can be to upgrade to a new version of Windows, Office, or any of their other programs. In many cases, these software packages can run well into the hundreds of dollars and the license is only valid for one computer. If you want to upgrade multiple computers in your home it’s often not feasible to do so.

Then there’s open source software. Obviously, you’re free to install whatever you want on your computer so you can go ahead and grab a copy of Linux or any other free operating system and then use a number of the free applications to get your work done. This is a great way to keep costs down, but unfortunately it has a bit of a learning curve for the novice computer user and you may encounter some odd hardware or software incompatibilities. For people who may not want to learn a new system and stick with what’s familiar with Microsoft products, the options are usually to pay or pirate. Paying can be expensive, and pirating is illegal so the options are limited. And if you’ve ever been burned by dropping a few hundred bucks on a new version of software only to find it sucks or doesn’t work with your hardware, you know how frustrating that can be.

Introducing Microsoft TechNet Plus

Actually, this is nothing new. Microsoft TechNet is designed for IT professionals. TechNet Plus provides convenient access to full-version Microsoft evaluation software-without time limits. The annual subscription also includes Professional Support incidents, a technical information library, and many other resources for evaluating, deploying, and maintaining Microsoft software.

But you’re not an IT professional you say? You don’t have to be. There’s no test or qualifications you need to have in order to subscribe to TechNet Plus. You do, however, need to follow a few changes to the licensing terms since this is evaluation software. The main thing here is that this license isn’t meant for a live production environment. So if you run a business and are thinking about installing a bunch of software on your employee’s computers, you can’t. And if you’re a programmer, you’re not supposed to use this software in a software development environment.

According to the Microsoft FAQ:

Can I use evaluation software received in my TechNet Plus subscription at home?

The license grants installation and use rights to one user only, for evaluation purposes, on any of the user’s devices, this may include devices at home. Keep in mind that you may use the evaluation software only to evaluate it. You may not use it in a live operating environment, a staging environment, or with data that has not been sufficiently backed up. You may not use the evaluation software for software development or in an application development environment.

TechNet Plus Subscription Benefits

Microsoft software licensed for evaluation purposes. Evaluate full-version commercial products without time limits or feature limits, including Microsoft operating systems, servers, and Office System software. With full-version software, you can make informed decisions about new technologies and deployments at your own pace.

Beta software. Receive pre-release versions of Microsoft operating systems, servers and business applications.

Professional Support Incidents. For the toughest technical questions, a TechNet Plus subscription includes two complimentary Professional Support incidents and a 20% discount on additional purchased support incidents. Talk to a Microsoft Support Professional to help resolve mission-critical technical issues fast.

Managed Newsgroup Support. TechNet Plus provides unlimited access to over 100 Managed Newsgroups. Exchange ideas with other IT Professionals and get expert answers to your technical questions within the next business day-guaranteed.

Technical resources for Microsoft products. Access the Technical Information Library containing the Microsoft Knowledge Base, security updates, service packs, resource kits, utilities, technical training, and product documentation to keep systems and IT skills up-to-date.

Microsoft eLearning courses. To prepare for certification or simply to help build your technical skills, TechNet Plus includes a selection of Microsoft eLearning courses for free each quarter.

Online Concierge Chat. Chat with a Microsoft Search Assistant online for help finding the technical resources you need or for assistance with non-technical questions.

Subscription to TechNet Magazine. Receive a free one-year subscription to TechNet Magazine which provides hands-on information to help IT Professionals maximize their system’s security, reliability, scalability and interoperability.

How Much Does It Cost?

Ok, so this all sounds great, but how much does it cost? Well, the first year subscription is $349 and renewals go for $249 a year. Sounds like a lot, but consider how much just one copy of Microsoft software costs. One copy of an OS, one copy of Office, or far less than some of the server products. Obviously, if you have ever went out and bought a new copy of Windows or Office or something only to find out you hate it or that it doesn’t work right you can see how this could be helpful.

The good news is there’s a coupon code out there right now that gets you $100 off new subscriptions. That brings your first year subscription down to $249, or just over $20/month. The coupon code is: TW7OBA. I’m not sure how long it will last, so you may want to act fast if you’re considering this.

It’s Not for Everyone

It probably goes without saying that this service isn’t for everyone. If you’re someone who just buys a new computer and is content with the software they give you, then it could be a waste of money. But if you’re a bit of a computer geek like I am, the TechNet subscription can pay for itself quickly.

I build my computers from scratch and I’m constantly experimenting with hardware and software configurations and trying to get the most from my computers. And with multiple PCs at home, it just isn’t feasible to go out and buy new software every time I want to try it out or see if it works on my setup. Having the ability to download and install almost any Microsoft application available is a huge benefit and it allows me to plan my future computer and software purchases accordingly instead of wasting money on an upgrade that isn’t worth it.

So, consider how you use your computers and see if this is something you may be able to take advantage of. If you can, it could save you some good money. Obviously, using free open source software can save the most, but if you rely on or just like Microsoft applications, this is the best way to get your hands on it. If you already use TechNet, feel free to chime in and let us know if you’ve found it useful or not.

About the Author: Jeremy is a retirement planning specialist and founder of Generation X Finance and the guide to Financial Planning at About.com. To learn more, follow Jeremy on Twitter.

Consider a Microsoft TechNet Plus Subscription to Keep Computing Costs Down

A List of Free Online Antivirus Software

Keeping your computer safe and secure these days can be quite a task. It seems that everywhere you look, people are trying to steal your personal data, infect your computer with a nasty virus, or trick you into clicking links that aren’t legitimate. As you are probably using your computer to tackle a number of increasingly personal tasks, it’s more important than ever to make sure you’re protected. If you’ve ever been a victim of a devastating virus that wiped out your hard drive or received a strange email that secretly emailed all of your contacts, you know the importance of keeping your PC safe.

While there’s no substitute for an updated real-time virus scanner installed on your computer, there are times when you may not have antivirus software installed, or it may be costly to purchase an additional license for a computer that isn’t often used. So, luckily there are many free online scan utilities out there available to you. In addition to being completely free and easy to use, you’ll also get a feel for how many of the different types of programs work. If you’re thinking about purchasing antivirus software for your computer, you can get a better idea of which one might be best for you after trying the online versions.

Trend Micro HouseCall

Trend Micro HouseCall is an online application for checking whether your computer has been infected by viruses, spyware, or other malware. HouseCall performs additional security checks to identify and fix vulnerabilities to prevent reinfection. HouseCall works with most versions of Windows, and Mac OS 10.4 or higher and can be used with IE 6+ and Firefox. Scan your computer with HouseCall now.

BitDefender

BitDefender Online Scanner is an on-demand virus scanner which incorporates the award-winning BitDefender scanning engines. You can use it to scan your system’s memory, all files and drives’ boot sectors, and to automatically clean infected files. You will need Internet Explorer to run this scan. Use BitDefender today.

Symantec Norton Security Scan

Symantec offers two different scanning options. You can scan for security problems or just do a virus scan. In addition, you can also opt to download a free version of the basic software to your computer so it runs automatically without requiring you to go online and manually run the scan. You will need IE 5+ with ActiveX in order to run the online version. Try Symantec now.

F-Secure Online Scanner

F-Secure Online Virus Scanner is a free service. Use it to find out if your computer is infected, and disinfect your computer if needed. To use this scan, you will need to be running Windows and use Internet Explorer with javascript and ActiveX installed. In addition to the online virus scan, you may find the F-Secure Health Check useful as well. The health check will scan your computer and applications to determine if there are any outdated software or other vulnerabilities detected. Use the F-Secure online virus scanner.

McAfee Free Scan

McAfee FreeScan helps you detect thousands of viruses on your computer. Based on the award-winning McAfee VirusScan engine, FreeScan searches for viruses, including the latest known “in the wild” viruses, and displays a detailed list of any infected files. Should viruses be found, FreeScan even provides links to more information about the viruses and what you can do to clean your system. Try McAfee Free Scan now.

CA Online Virus Scan

Similar to the other scanners, this is a quick online tool that can scan your files for harmful files. The tool allows you to select specific drives or files if you don’t want to scan your entire computer, which is great if you just need to run a quick scan on something in particular. This tool also requires IE with ActiveX installed. Try the CA virus scanner today.

ESET Nod32 Antivirus

The ESET Online Scanner claims to be the best free virus scan. “A user-friendly, powerful tool, our online antivirus utility can remove malware—viruses, spyware, adware, worms, trojans, and more—from any PC utilizing only a web browser. No installation required. The scanner uses the same ThreatSense® technology and signatures as ESET NOD32 Antivirus, which means it is always up-to-date.” I personally use NOD32 as my personal scanner and have purchased their scanning software. The online version does require IE with ActiveX. Try the free online scan now.

Panda ActiveScan

Panda’s ActiveScan is a robust online virus and malware scanner that goes beyond most conventional scanners. Collective Intelligence (scanning in-the-cloud) that detects malware that traditional security solutions cannot detect. If you create a free user account, you can also create custom scans and access your scan history. And even better, this is one of the few online scanners that will work with Firefox. Try Panda’s ActiveScan today.

About the Author: Jeremy is a retirement planning specialist and founder of Generation X Finance and the guide to Financial Planning at About.com. To learn more, follow Jeremy on Twitter.

8 Free Online Virus and Spyware Scanners – Scan Your PC Right Now for Free