It's finally time to start paying all those college-related expenses you've been saving for all these years. Be sure to take maximum advantage of the various tax breaks available to you for education expenses - they're free money too!

(Originally posted 2/28/2008). A few weeks ago we promised to review all of the free federal tax software that the Internal Revenue Service and 19 tax companies provide taxpayers who make $54,000 or less a year ($56,000 in 2008). True to our word, three FiLifers who qualified for the Free File service gathered together their tax ...

Here are some volunteering ideas for how to help people with their housing situation.

Before deciding on a specific charity, figure out which causes are most important to you — pick something you’re passionate about. Be proactive and do the necessary research so that your dollars are spent exactly as you want them. There are several ways you can focus your interests. You can start by asking around. Local ...

Remember, you don’t have to be Bill Gates to be a philanthropist. If you can’t give a lot of money, give a little. If you can’t give money, try to buy things from a retailer that donates their proceeds to charity or adopt a dolphin for your aunt for Christmas. If you can’t give money or buy stuff, give an old ...

How can I donate stuff to charity? To donate clothing, furniture, a car or other stuff visit Salvation Army (satruck.org) or Goodwill.org. These sites will give you a center near you, tell you what they accept, how to donate and will often come by and pick up your things at no charge. Both sites also offer lots of tips — ...

From saving money on prescription drugs to finding free help for doing your taxes, use your phone line or go online to find valuable information just for you. We’ve gathered this list of resources for seniors for you to use.

Gitf-tax limits apply to 529 college savings plans...sort of. There is a loophole that lets you give more than $13,000 to a 529 plan in one year.

Most bond interest income is taxed at your ordinary income tax rate. But when you start to move into different types of bonds and accounts, you'll realize that bond income taxation is anything but standard.

Tom Herman recommends using tax-preparation software to figure out how to value donations of used clothing. Used clothing has to be in fairly good condition, and the fair market price is typically "far less" than the original price.