The Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005 (TIPRA) will take effect January 1, 2010, and with it comes changes that could affect how you deal with any IRAs you may have.

As you likely know, there are two types of Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs), Traditional and Roth. Here’s a short breakdown of each:

If money doesn’t grow on trees, it must come from an ATM, right? From a child’s perspective, that’s logical. Have you ever told a child you were short on cash only to be met with the wide-eyed response, “Just go to the ATM!”

It’s amusing a child would think that money is just dished out for free from a machine, but the deeper issue is, children should be more knowledgeable about how money works and where it comes from. The key to a responsible financial future is a solid educational foundation that starts at an early age.

306,000,000 … and counting. That’s 306 million people, the current population of the United States. The counting part will take place in 2010 with a massive undertaking known as the census, an official headcount of U.S. citizens that happens every ten years.

This counting means census workers are now out in neighborhoods all across the country collecting the preliminary information they’ll need to put together accurate population numbers. Unfortunately, it also means thieves will be out to exploit the situation, posing as official census workers, trying to collect personal information they can use for fraudulent purposes.

MyVantage enrollment continues into week three. Statistics to date:

Number of active accounts:    23,542
Number of members who successfully auto-enrolled:   19,894
Number of e-statements: 24,767

Why is the last statistic such a great success? Because it’s a faster, safer, more efficient way for us to provide your statements. Not to mention, it saves the credit union a lot of money on printing and postage, and, statements remain viewable and available to you indefinitely. The number of e-statements listed above is an increase of 171% over our original number of e-statement enrollees, definitely a step in the right direction for Vantage!

How many times have you heard:
"Mom, I need $20 for gas."
"Dad, can I have $20? Suzy and I are going to the mall."

It goes without saying, when it comes to investing, you don’t want your hard-earned money just sitting around in some afterthought account earning next to no returns. That’s not what investing is all about. You could just as well invest in a few mason jars, a shovel, some elbow grease, and start digging in the backyard. No, you want your money to grow.