Patti's Blog - Advocate for Elders, People with Disabilities and Their Families

J.R.R. Tolkien's Ring On Display At Estate's Exhibit

Excerpt from: NPR (click for full article)

 

J.R.R. Tolkien's trilogy Lord of the Rings is filled with fantastical stories of elves, hobbits and wizards. But the ring at the center of his tale may have been inspired by a real ring. Owners of The Vyne, an English estate, say they possess the ring that inspired Tolkien's "ring of power."

U.S. Savings Bonds: Still a Great Way to Save

Excerpt from: WISER (click for full article)

 

One of the most “American” ways to build savings is through U.S. Savings Bonds. But most people think of them as old-fashioned—the birthday gift you got from your grandmother (and as a 10 year old, you thought booooring!) U.S. Bonds, however, are still a very good way to save, and the way you can purchase them is changing.

To bring attention to this opportune time to buy a bond, there is a national sweepstakes being held called “Save Your Refund.” Through a very simple on-line application, if you buy a savings bond through your tax filing, you can enter a weekly drawing for $250 (five winners a week) AND be included in the $25,000 grand prize drawing on April 19, 2013. This makes buying a bond not only smart, but fun. Check it out at www.saveyourrefund.com 

When you purchase a bond via your tax filing, a paper bond will be mailed to you. This is now the ONLY way to get a paper bond because in January 2012, the U.S. Treasury stopped issuing them. This means the old-fashioned savings plan has gone electronic, and you must create an account on TreasuryDirect.com to buy bonds. It is not as easy as walking into the bank to get a savings bond, but in our next post, we’ll walk you through how to become a saver via TreasuryDirect.