Those with disabilities or caring for people with disabilities, limited English speakers, those living in rural areas and those whose employment or marital status changed in 2011 are at the highest risk of overlooking the refund.

To help rectify this problem, WE Connect has created a quick and easy online EITC calculator called the WEb Connector EZ. Developed by Intuit, Inc., this program asks four easy questions and within minutes lets taxpayers know whether they qualify. After using the calculator, enter your zip code and locate free tax assistance programs available from the IRS and local community agencies.

Click HERE to connect to the WEb Connector EZ in English or Spanish.

Research the return policy
Retailers with websites usually post their return policies under links for Customer Service, FAQ, or Help. You’ll find lots of small type, but it’s worth reading through all the mouse scrawlings to know exactly what you’ll face.

Keep an eye on the date
Some stores have extended the number of days during which you can return holiday gifts, but most still hold to their standard policy. Remember the expiration date is from the time of purchase. In “Return rules at 8 big retailers” published last year, Consumer Reports found the average return period ranged from 30 to 180 days.

Keep the gift receipt
Keep in mind that because gift receipts don’t indicate the purchase price, the retailer will most likely reimburse you at the going rate.

No receipt, no problem
Even if you don’t have a receipt, be sure to bring your ID. More than 60 percent of retailers require a customer to show ID when returning an item without a receipt. This is because some stores limit how many times you can return purchases within a set time period.

Avoid shipping charges
Many major retailers — but not all — will accept returns of online purchases at their brick-and-mortar stores. You may have to wait in line, but you’ll save a bundle on shipping and the hassle of re-boxing a gift and mailing it out.

Resell gift cards
You don’t need a receipt to exchange unwanted gift cards for cash. Visit GiftCardGranny.com, where you can resell gift cards to several companies for a percentage of the face value.

Don’t open what you don’t want
Since merchants can’t resell opened items as new, you could be charged a hefty restocking fee just for cracking the lid. Amazon cranks up the charge to 50 percent for software, used books and DVDs; but Overstock takes the cake at 60 percent for open or used products.

1. Monitor all merchants to see when they run sales.

2. Use a shopping caparison website to find the merchant that has the items you want for the cheapest.

3. Apply for a cashback credit card. Some credit cards can give you 1-4% cash back on your purchases.

4. Use the cash back credit card to purchase gift cards to your favorite merchant at CardCash.com. The average savings is 15% off with some merchants and can go as high as 35% off.

5. Browse online to find coupons for that merchant. Coupons can be combined with the gift cards purchased at a discount from CardCash.com to save you even more.

6. If placing an order online, first go to a cashback website such as Extrabux.com where you can get cash back from the purchase you make online. These cashback sites can give you an additional 2-4% cashback which is part of their affiliate commission they get from the merchant for referring you.

7. Use the gift card from CardCash.com with the coupon you found to pay for your order online.

DailyDeals.com has given us a sneak peek to upcoming deals on their website:
1. On Black Friday, the site will be featuring Fashionplaytes.com, a website where young girls can design their own clothing.($40 for only $20)
2. On Cyber Monday, they will be featuring Jewelry.com for sitewide jewelry.($100 for just $49)

Here are 5 tips for holiday shoppers from Steve Schaffer, CEO of DailyDeals.com:

Shop online
You’ll get a much better value and selection shopping online than going into a store. Also, online coupons offer extra discounts that are often not found in stores. And of course, it allows you to spend more time with your family and friends during the holidays instead of battling long lines at the malls.

Determine your budget and make a list
Prevent overspending by setting a budget for holiday gift purchases. Make a list of people you are buying for and exactly how much you want to spend. Online shopping also helps with setting a budget because you are less likely to impulse buy when shopping online. Also, don’t forget to make room in your budget for holiday cards, parties, office secret Santa gifts, and holiday travel expenses.

Do your research
We recently completed a national telephone survey, conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs and commissioned by Offers.com, asking consumers about their holiday spending. The survey found that 87% of consumers plan on spending the same or less than they did last year. With many large retail stores releasing their Black Friday deals early, consumers will have many opportunities to save money by finding the best deals and which stores are offering them. Consumers should check out sites like Offers.com where it is easy for holiday shoppers to find all the best Black Friday 2011 Deals and Cyber Monday 2011 Deals.

Shop all year
The survey also found that 49% of shoppers have been spreading their holiday purchasing out all year, looking for online coupons, special sales and deals – anywhere they can save. Only 18% plan on waiting to shop on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. By stretching gift budgets out year round, consumers can save money and take less of hit on their wallet in November and December. This year is almost over, so if you haven’t been doing this, you can try this idea out for next year’s gift shopping.

Don’t forget about daily deals sites
Nearly 30% of consumers have used daily deal sites to save on purchases. With sites like DailyDeals.com , which provides up to 60% off from national and online-only stores, consumers can get substantial discounts on hot gift items. For example at DailyDeals.com, consumers can purchase a voucher and use it to purchase a specific item for someone on their gift list, or they can gift the voucher to someone else. As the holidays get closer, there will be more deals on the daily deals sites that are geared to being good holiday gifts.

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Diversify Investments
The safest portfolios are those diversified by several factors, including sectors and industries. This kind of portfolio has the ability to withstand a multitude of unpredictable events, such as impacts to international industries and markets caused by droughts, storms and fire. Diversification may not ensure a profit or protect against a loss in declining markets, but a widely diversified stock portfolio can help you weather downturns and even take advantage of markets as they improve.

A portfolio that includes a mix of overseas investments is another way to protect your investments in times of international financial stress. If a major disaster reduces the value of a currency in the international marketplace, having your portfolio anchored in various international currencies can keep your plan on the right path.

Establish Access to Liquidity
For a country in crisis, quick access to liquidity is vital. The same is true for the investor. In light of recent market events, having a strategy for cash allocations is key. A portfolio of financial assets that consists of cash, bonds, listed shares or listed property securities can be an important source of liquidity. Work with your financial adviser to determine the size of the cash holdings in your investment portfolio, should a disaster trigger a market downturn.

Don’t Panic
When a disaster occurs, and they will occur, it is important to think rationally, not emotionally. Do not panic – pulling assets out of the market without strategic consideration can exacerbate any existing problems. If your portfolio is well-designed to support your short-term needs and long-term goals, allow time to calm your emotions rather than immediately plunging into an overly conservative mindset. According to the Merrill Lynch Affluent Insights Survey released in January 2011, 64 percent of affluent Angelenos who describe themselves as conservative investors invest conservatively to avoid losses resulting from market turbulence. Don’t let a bad market experience spook you from rebalancing your portfolio and reassessing your options – staying invested in equities can help position your portfolio to take advantage of markets as they improve.

Review Your Portfolio
Take a fresh look at your portfolio at least once a year. This can help ensure that your portfolio is properly diversified, accounting for your needs and the current state of the global economy. How are international markets doing, and are your investments properly aligned? When markets move strongly in one direction, the result can take your investment plans off course if you aren’t properly prepared. Examine the news to understand if there are current and anticipated events that prompt a reassessment of your portfolio. With your financial advisor, conduct a sensitivity analysis of your portfolio and re-adjust it for any potential issues.

Organize Documents
Have your paperwork in order by keeping copies of important personal documents and scanning and storing them electronically. This includes social security cards, birth certificates, passports, and insurance forms. If you do come face-to-face with a disaster, having these papers in place will be the most important step toward recovery.

J. Crew
First Lady Michelle Obama loves this brand and now you will too! J. Crew is now offering free shipping on all purchases over $175.

Staples
The popular office supply store reduced it’s free shipping purchase minimum from $75 to $45 on most orders, making it even easier to stock up on business and student necessities.

JCPenney
Already a steal, this apparel and home furnishings giant is now advertising free shipping on orders over $49.

Try Redbox
Redbox has $1 rentals and locations in just about every neighborhood.

Discount Gift Cards
If you actually want to go out to the movie theater, cinemas like AMC and Regal both have more than 100 discounted gift cards available at GiftCardGranny.com.

Dial Into Daily Movie Deals
Check out deal of the day sites like Groupon and LivingSocial, which occasionally offer discounted movie theater tickets for as little as $2 per person.

These tips are courtesy of consumer savings expert Andrea Woroch.

Honesty is the best policy
Be honest about your financial situation and history, including debt and assets. Consider the type and amount of debt being brought into the marriage and its implications. For example, is the debt related to financing a home, student loans, or from credit cards? A financial advisor can help determine the best strategies to plan for and pay off this debt moving forward.

Money management
Decide on whether or not you want to keep separate bank accounts, credit cards, and day-to-day spending. Some couples combine all their assets, while others create separate spending accounts and share a joint household account to pay bills. Do you want or need to tell your partner about the new purse or iPad you bought? Or are these items okay if set within a budget? There isn’t one right way, so figure out what works for the two of you.

Create a financial blueprint as a couple
Minimize the “financial strain” on your relationship by working with a financial advisor, who can evaluate your overall financial situation and helps put the pieces in place for tomorrow’s financial needs. This will incorporate your risk tolerance, asset allocation, concentration issues, fragmentation, and more. Be sure to come to the table with any upcoming goals and milestones in mind. Also keep in mind that 20 percent of your gross income should be saved before you take on other expenses.

Designate financial roles
It’s important that you both participate and understand how all aspects of the household finances work so that the other can take over in the event of an emergency.

Update important documents
Review insurance plans such as disability, life and healthcare insurance and work with your financial advisor and attorney to update any important documents for your future together, including wills, living trusts and beneficiary designations.

Hold a yearly savings summit
As your one-year anniversary approaches, invite your spouse to ‘date night’ to re-visit goals and priorities from career changes to home renovations. Use this time to also determine wants vs. needs. Do you really need a new cell phone or just want the latest model? Is a lavish summer vacation necessary or will a local trip do the trick? This is also a good time to re-examine automatic payments like gym memberships to determine if they are still worth the value.

Consumer savings expert, Andrea Woroch, shares her top tips for making your dollar go further the next time you shop for foods.

So what can you do to get the best bang for your buck? Here are some ways to combat rising food prices.

Shop warehouse stores
Not all prices are better at membership stores, particularly if you tend to go overboard, but there are some really good deals to be had. Look for great buys on perishable items and shop towards the end of the day, when department managers want to unload extra inventory.

Use coupons
Now’s the time to get in on the extreme-couponing trend, particularly since there are so many ways to access them these days. You’ll find coupons online in both Internet-code or downloadable (IP) form. Mobile coupons are as close as your cell phone. CellFire is a great source for grocery savings. Don’t overlook the coupons that print out with your receipt at the register. Known as Catalinas, these coupons are targeted towards the purchases you’ve made that day.

Some stores, like King Soopers, also allow you to stack manufacturer and store coupons for additional savings. Not all supermarkets allow you to stack, however, so check first. Doubling up or stacking refers to when consumers use more than one coupon on the same product to multiply the savings potential. Usually this works by using a store coupon along with a manufacturers coupon. Most store’s only accept manufacturer coupons that have valid expiration dates. You can search the manufacturer’s website for coupons or print coupons online at sites like CouponSherpa.com.

In fact, anytime you are about to go shopping, you should read the store’s coupon policy which is available online. Walmart recently updated their coupon policy and now accepts manufacturer coupons which they didn’t offer before. This is a smart way to save extra cash when shopping at these discount department stores. Don’t forget that you can find discount gift cards for stores such as Target, Walmart, Kmart, etc. at sites like GiftCardGranny.com to stretch your dollars even further. Since these stores also offer produce, other foods and even organic products, it’s a smart option when looking to save money.

Here are further details about which big discount stores accept coupons so you can navigate your cart to greater savings:
1. Walmart accepts: Manufacturers’ coupons, valid Internet printable coupons (IPs) that include “Manufacturers’ Coupon,” an expiration date and scannable bar code on the face of the coupon, competitor’s coupons that specify a specific product for a certain price, soft drink container caps, and Catalina coupons (the coupons printed at the register) from competitor’s stores.
2. Target accepts: One manufacturer coupon combined with one Target coupon for the same item, Super Target coupons, if the store carries the item, and IP coupons.
3. Dollar General accepts: Manufacturer coupons, Dollar General store coupons, and IP coupons.
4. BJ’s accepts: Manufacturer coupons, and BJ’s members-only coupons.
5. Kmart accepts: Manufacturer coupons, Kmart Savings coupons, Kmart store coupons, and printable coupons.

Hit dollar stores
Whether you cruise the narrow aisles of Dollar General or hit one of the smaller chains, dollar stores offer “ka-ching” savings on boxed, bagged and canned goods. Make sure you check the expiration dates, however.

Take advantage of cash back programs
Sign up for loyalty reward programs through grocery stores to enjoy instant discounts and coupons at check out, cash back or gift card rewards based on a points system, and even gas rewards.

In an effort to get consumers to start using their credit cards in more places like grocery stores, credit cards are now offering great reward programs with rebates on those purchases. For example, Blue Cash from American Express offers 5% cash back on eligible purchases at supermarkets and Discover More Card offers 5 % Cashback Bonus for groceries too. Some credit cards offer a higher reward for an introductory rate only while some may be linked to a specific store so make sure to read the card’s benefits first before applying. Here is a good reference – CardBenefit.com.

Many grocery stores have also partnered with gas stations to offer reward programs. For example, every time a Ralph’s customer makes a purchase with their Ralph’s rewards card, they not only save money on their grocery bill but also earn Fuel Points that can be used at the pump. Ralph’s customers have the opportunity to redeem 100 points per visit to save 10 cents per gallon instantly at participating Shell stations. This offer is valid up to 35 gallons of fuel per purchase.

Buy generic
By and large, store-brand generics can be much cheaper than manufacturer products with the exact same quality. In fact, generics come off the same assembly line before being slapped with separate labels so skip the brand name items.

Use discount gift cards
Shop websites like GiftCardGranny for discount gift cards from Kmart, Walmart, and other major chains that sell food goods and produce. Paying just a portion of the card’s face value gives you an instant savings on your grocery needs.

Make a list
Avoid impulse purchases by making a list before you leave home and sticking to it when you hit the store. Knowing specifically what you need also helps avoid duplications of products you already have at home.

Buy food online
Not only is shopping online for food convenient and less time consuming but this allows you to cut gas spending by limiting the commute. Sites like Amazon.com offer groceries online but you can find internet services for many local grocers too like Shoprite, Safeway, Vons, Ralph’s, and many others.

Plan your meals
It’s a lot easier to make a list when you have a plan. Creating a weekly menu also helps you avoid quick trips to the supermarket that ends up costing you more in many ways. For last minute meals, create a gourmet dish at a deep discount by buying meats, produce and other food items that are on sale at your local grocery store.

One-stop shop
Save gas, time and money by shopping stores like Target that allow you to buy everything on your list within one visit.

Avoid out-of-season produce
To every vegetable and fruit there is a season and a better price. Squash is cheaper in the fall while asparagus can be a bargain in the spring. Wait until prices are at their best and plan your menu around seasonal produce to save big.

Buy organic foods
If eating healthy is a priority but organic food seems to be out of your budget, there are several ways to keep costs down”
1. Grow your own produce if you have the resources (yard and good soil). You can seek assistance at your local gardening shops.
2. Buy lots of fresh fruits and vegetables that are in season to enjoy lower prices. If you aren’t sure which produce is in season near you, click on your state on the Sustainable Table website. If possible, freeze or preserve produce for later.
3. Read the labels. Only shop for labels with “USDA Organic,” “Certified Organic,” and “100% Organic” stickers as these claims are made by the Department of Agriculture. Other products with labels that claim “natural,” “cage-free,” or “free-roaming” aren’t usually approved and could be misleading marketing attempt to get get consumers to spend money on pricier items that aren’t really organic.
4. Consider store brands for organic discounts. Many grocers now offer their own store brand organics i.e. Safeway, Costco Kirkland Signature Organics and more. What’s more, many organic products are sold in bulk so you can buy more and stock up but only if you plan to use/consume the items before expiration dates. Otherwise, you are just wasting it and losing money.
5. Shop online for organic goods. The GreenPeople directory from the Organic Consumer Association is a good place to begin your online search for affordable organic foods.

Buy at the Farmer’s Market
Buying at farmer’s market is a great way to support your local economy but it can be more expensive than buying from the supermarket. You should stock up on fresh herbs at farmer’s markets because they are cheaper and better than what you can get in the supermarket. Also consider working or volunteering at the farmer’s market so that you can score food for free or at a much cheaper price!

1. The average tax refund for 2009 was $3,035. If this was saved each year for 30 years it could provide a significant part of your retirement income. Better yet, reduce your tax withholding at work by $253 per month and save the same amount monthly. Monthly compounding instead of annual compounding grows even faster.

2. Do not defer your income in a 401(k) plan if you are in a 15 percent tax bracket unless your employer matches the amount you save. Save the money in a Roth IRA instead. Tax brackets will probably never be lower than they are now and there’s a good chance they will be higher. Distributions from a Roth IRA will be tax free in retirement.

3. Money saved outside of a retirement account should be invested in stock mutual funds. Most of the earnings on stock funds are either in the form of qualified dividends or long term capital gains. Both types of income are taxed at 0 percent in a 15 percent tax bracket and a maximum of 15 percent in higher tax brackets.

4. Tax-free funds currently offer returns comparable to taxable funds. The average yield on intermediate tax-free fund was 3.6 percent in December versus an intermediate taxable fund at 3.9 percent.

5. Say no to higher health insurance premiums. Start a Health Savings Account with a high deductible policy. The maximum deductible contribution is $6,150 for 2011 for families and $3,050 for single coverage. Distributions are tax free if used for medical expenses and balances can be carried over from year to year. Premiums on a high deductible health insurance policy are typically half the cost of a traditional policy.

6. Taxpayers that are age 70 ½ with IRAs can give money directly to a charity from their IRA this year. Making charitable gifts this way keeps the taxable income off your tax return. This could lower the amount of your Social Security benefits that are subject to tax.

7. If you took money out of a retirement account before age 59 ½, you will owe tax on the distribution but you may be able to avoid the penalty. There are six exceptions to the penalty. Find out if you qualify for any of them.