Preparation for SAT : March 12

Many parents and their high school kids throughout the nation are now
canceling all funs of their life to prepare for the SAT exam which is
appearing in its new format on March 12th. What are new this time?

Starting this year students will get one score (between 200-800) each for
math, critical reading and writing; a perfect score is now 2400 :

o Mathematics: There will be more emphasis on graphs and visual
interpretation and representation of data. Concepts like notation of
function and exponential growth will be tested and there will be some
questions from higher level, Algebra II. Quantitative comparisons, which
used to count for 25 percent of the math score, are taken out of the test.

o Critical Reading: This is a new format of the verbal portion of the test.
We think no student will complain about new changes in comprehension
test: in addition to traditional long passages for comprehension questions,
there will also be shorter passages to read. No more "Analogies" but
probably you cannot escape it. It might appear in some other format in,
say, some comprehension questions.

o Writing. This entirely new section is generating lot of anxieties among
young minds and adult minds of their parents as well. The "essay" part
seems to be the greatest headache for most: But it will count for only 30
percent of the writing score. The rest would be 49 multiple-choice
grammar questions. The multiple choice questions will ask students to
identify errors, and the best ways to improve sentences and paragraphs.
We think grammer questions will be more challenging part to students
throughout the nation where, unlike in UK, literature is given more
emphasis than nitty-gitty details of correct construction of language.

The concerned students must know that "Essay" constitutes only about
one-tenth of the whole score and test-time. Students will tackle the essay
first, for 25 minutes. After that, they'll have three hours, 20 minutes to go
for the rest of the Writing section and other 2 sections.

Practicing is very important and if you spend money to go to a
preparatory class, they may just make your kid to do that. A free,
full-length practice test is available at CollegeBoard.
For fun ... parents may also try that!

Federal Tax 2005 Forms: Three kinds of 1040

It's tax time again. There are 3 kinds of Federal Tax forms: 1040EZ,
1040A, 1040. Which one should you use?

If you can not decide you can always use the most general purpose
one: 1040. On the other hand, you must use it if you (i) claim
numerous tax credits, (ii) own rental property, (iii) Are self-employed
(iv) have sold a stock or bond in the past year.

If your case is not so general, you may as well use one of the other
two kinds depending on the following:
Conditions for both 1040EZ and 19040A:
(i) Your adjusted gross income is less than $50,000 (after
deducting a maximum of $7,950 if single or $15,900 if married).
(ii) You are not itemizing your deductions.

You must choose, 1040A, if: You have income only from wages,
salaries, tips, taxable scholarships or fellowship grants, pensions or
annuities, taxable Social Security benefits, withdrawals from your IRA,
unemployment compensations, interest and dividends.

Or, select the easiest one, 1040EZ: If
(i) You are single or married (filing jointly); No dependents.
(ii) You have income only from wages, salaries, tips, taxable
scholarships or fellowship grants, unemployment compensation,
dividends from the Alaska Permanent Fund and qualified state
tuition program earnings.
(iii) Your income does not include more than $1,500 of taxable
interest income from investments and other financial accounts.
(iv) You are not receiving any advance earned income credit.
(find if you have any at Box 9 on your W-2 form)
(v) You are not claiming any adjustments to income of tax credits.
Such adjustments to income would include deducting student loan
interest, IRA contributions or childcare expenses.

Car Warranty: Do you need dealer's service?

While buying a new car, some dealers might tell you that you have to
get the recommended service items regularly done 'at their shop' to
keep your warranty in effect. The subtly-forwarded incorrect part of
this statement is 'at their shop'. You do not need to follow this, if you
do not want. You can get service done anywhere; you can even do it
yourself. Just keep records and receipts, should any questions arise
over a warranty claim.

The part of the statement which holds true and you must keep in mind
is that: If you do not follow the scheduled maintenance like oil changes
and filters at recommended intervals, that can void a warranty.

Visa Restrictions after 911 for students

Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, heightened
security concerns have led to more intense security for visa
applicants, many times resulting in delay or denial.

Especially for international students and research scholars, the
situation has become more complicated mainly due to an
increased attention to the Technology Alert List or TAL which is
a list of technologies that may be put to dangerous use, or are
otherwise sensitive. Many areas in Aeronautics, Chemical
Engineering and Biotechnology have been included in that list.

Currently Visa delays usually take about 2 months and outright
denials are also done quite often. All these are of course needed
to ensure the safety of citizens but for US universities which
depend largely on international collaboration and availability of
bright young students from abroad, this turned out to be a big
problem.

Documentary Film on Bullying by Girls

Film: "Mean Girls: Mind Games"
Director: Patricia Ivins Specht
Commentary By:
Dr. Nicki Crick, the first researcher to study the relational aggression
between girls
Rachel Simons, the author of "Odd Girls Out: The Secret Culture of
Aggression in Girls"

This film was released in 2003 but we still recommend it especially
if you have young daughters. We usually ignore the fact that bullying
might exist among girls. Most often, the term "bully" evokes images
of a large boy threatening to take away a small boy's lunch money.
Girls usually carry that sober image of love and care for others.
However, while males show off their aggression in a blunt demonstration
of their power, girls resort to more intricate and complex paths of
school ground politics.

Even if you have never concerned your mind by these problems that
might have happened to your daughter's school life, it is worth
seeing it and open your mind to these aspects of your dear children.

Change Oil of Your Car. How Often?

Nowadays most of the automakers specify 5000 or 7500 miles'
interval for oil change. But most of the shops in the business of
car repair still recommend 3000 miles' interval.

It depends on your driving habit if we wish to decide who is right.
Even if your auto-manufacturer recommends longer interval, it
could be that they are actually meaning it for a driving habit that
does not involve wondering around the city with too frequent
starts and stops or carrying excessive loads. Short (like 1-2 miles)
intermittent trips in too cold weather and long (above 25 miles)
continuous trips in too hot weather (say in California desert) or
any trip in muddy roads may also go against such recommendations.

On the other hand, if your driving habit is quite normal most of
the days, it is good to have oil-changing trips at longer intervals.
This saves your money and wait-time and also prevents some
significant amount of pollution to the environment.

Fuel Efficient Cars: Best and Worst

Last November the Environmental Protection Agency and the
Energy Department released their annual list of the most and
the least fuel-efficient cars.

With gas prices not going down much from its peak ... we thought
we must remind our readers that list again, which they might
have forgotten or misplaced:

Most Fuel Efficient: (city/freeway miles per gallon)
1. Honda Insight (manual, hybrid) 61/66 mpg
2. Toyota Prius 60/51
3. Honda Insight (automatic, hybrid) 57/56
4. Honda Civic Hybrid 48/47

Least Fuel Efficient: (city/freeway miles per gallon)
1. Dodge Ram Pickup (2 wh dr auto) 9/12 mpg
2. Lamborghini L-147/148 Murcielago 9/13
3. Dodge Ram Pickup (2 wh dr manual) 9/15
& Lamborghini L-140/141 Murcielago
4. Bentley Arnage LWB 10/14

Where to put your money for short time?

Federal reserve is supposed to increase overnight interest rate
more in coming months. So, it's not the right time to invest in
long term CDs and block your money. Invest in 3-months or
6-months CD and reinvest after that with better interest rate.
For knowing best rates you may visit www.bankrate.com

Or, the BEST is put your money in a Savings account of the
follwing bank and enjoy 3% rate with the extra advantage of
accessing your money anytime you wish:
www.Emigrant-Direct.com
[You may also expect this rate to increase from 3% with more
hike in Fed rate in coming months]

Telephone Bill: Do not pay fake 'collect calls'

This is a common nuisance but you may not know if you do not
check your phone bill with care. You may find in your telephone
bill a charge from nowhere for "collect calls" although your sharp
memory tells you that you never accepted any such call. You
suspect your spouse might have accepted it but you must be
confident that your spouse usually have much sharper memory
than you!

You call you local telephone company and they ask you to contact
that company (may appear in you bill beside that charge for the
collect call). You contact them and they say - NO WAY! YOU
HAVE TO PAY! or ..OK! WE ARE GIVING YOU A CREDIT FOR
SOME AMOUNT.

HERE is your SOLUTION: If you are unable to resolve your
dispute, contact your local telephone company and ask confidently
to offer you a "recourse adjustment". A recourse adjustment will
remove the charges from your local telephone bill. However, the
service provider (for that fictitious collect call) may pursue
collection of the charges directly from you. BUT Usually they will
not bother you because they at least know that it was fictitious in
the first place. If they contact you - it's your turn to reject them!

Shoplifting: Avoid That Temptation

Our last post last week was on Words.
Our first post this week starts with another word -Kleptomaniac
- people who feel compelled to steal at any opportunity.

According to an estimate, every year US retailers loose about
10 billions due to shoplifting. The ratailers of course make sure
that the amount is extracted from average consumers like you
and us through higher prices for their merchandise.

People steal things that they want to have but cannot afford like
fancy cosmetics or apparels or the latest CD/DVD or things that
they are forbidden to purchase like cigarettes. Some do this just
out of fun. However, survey says that majority (about two-third)
of shoplifters resort to this simply because they see the
opportunity of doing that, even though they were not predetermined
when they entered the shop.

Some retailers like Walmart takes quite tough stand about this.
Many retailers keep plain-cloth security people in aisles and exit.
Walmart, for example, charges a high amount from the arrested
person irrespective of the outcome of the court. The high cost of
the procedures in court and complexity of expunging the act from
the criminal record may take peace away from the arrested
person's mind.

So, never get into such a temptation and make your friends
and family members, especially young people, aware of this.
One evening's temptation may haunt them and their career for
a long time.

Go to Dictionary to hear Words

Can you pronounce words like "connoisseur" or "entrepreneur"
correctly?

Do you know how "desert" and "dessert" sound differently?

If you feel uncomfortable sometime (especially if you are new
in USA and probably coming from a non-English-speaking country)
the best way to improve your pronunciation is to visit the
website of Merriam Webster dictionary www.m-w.com and click
on such word or any word you like and hear and practise the
correct pronunciation!

Garage Sale: Weekend trips to Surprises

Most Garage Sales are boring: people just dumping their
old clothes, shoes and God knows what on their backyard
and you need to go through that ...

But if you are a good hunter and looking for Books, Paintings,
or some fancy items ... quite often it brings lot of surprises.

...And if you are new in USA and may not stay here for a long
time, you may get great bargains in Furnitures.

Follow these rules of thumb if you are looking for some good bargains:
(i) Select some rich areas and never miss an estate sale.
(ii) Search for next weekend's sales in internet: like
www.PennysaverUSA.com, www.GarageSaleHunter.com or your local
newspapers and get maps and shortest routes to there.
(iii) Select the best target and arrive there 5 minutes beforehand.
(Usually they all start at 8 am and you cannot afford to loose
the best one. It does not take much time for good things to
vanish)
(iv) Always Bargain. Buy good things at low price. Usually most of
the sellers are in a hurry to finish it off.

Deals on Electronic Goods

"TigerDirect", "Crucial", "SlickDeals" are some names which
are too familiar to a few but rather unknown to vast majority
of US consumers of elecronic products.

For most of the people on street, "Circuit City", "Best Buy",
"Fries", even "Walmart" and "Target" are destination for their
car trips to bring the latest gadget home.

You may, however, save a lot if you check out the websites
of www.TigerDirect.com for a better deal. www.Crucial.com
is for memory upgrades for your computers and gives
excellent deals. And you may also check www.SlickDeals.net
for electronics and even apparels!

Block Illegal Credit Application in Your Name

It's always a good idea (before your identity is theft and you find
yourself in trouble without committing any sin) to block any
illegal application to credit cards by someone out there using your name.

You can instruct the credit bureaus to make it mandatory for
credit cards to verify any such application by calling you at your
residential number.

You can do this by going online to websites of all 3 bureaus or just
by calling them (through automatic service).
All contact information are given below.

REMEMBER: To instruct the bureaus again if you move from your
old place and get a new telephone number. Otherwise,
your own legitimate applications will be unnecessarily delayed...

Three Credit Bureaus:

Equifax
Equifax Credit Information Services, IncP.O. Box 740241Atlanta, GA 30374
To order report: 1-800-685-1111 To report fraud: 1-800-525-6285
Web site: www.equifax.com

Experian
National Consumer Assistance Center PO Box 2002 Allen, TX 75013
To order report: 1-888-397-3742 To report fraud: 1-888-397-3742
Web site: www.experian.com

TransUnion
Consumer Disclosure Center P.O. Box 1000 Chester, PA 19022
To order report: 1-800-888-4213 To report fraud: 1-800-916-8800
Web site: www.transunion.com

Carpet cleaning: Do it yourself

You can clean your carpet in the best way by renting
a machine for only 20$ (for 24 hours) or 14.95$ (for
12 hours) from Home Depot. The shampoo costs
about 6$ for 64oz bottle.

The machine is not too heavy and can be folded and
put into your trunk of your medium-sized car.

It's very easy to operate and at least I found it fun
to clean my home myself rather than bargaining
with carpet cleaners.

3.0% in Savings Account!

I just came to know from a fellow blogger
http://MyDollar.blogspot.com

that Emigrant-Direct bank is offering 3.0%
in Savings account.
That is the best deal in USA now and is better than
many rates you get by blocking your money in CDs.

Check out that link.

How to STOP unwanted telephone calls

Want to get rid of those nagging calls in the evening
and weekend from mortgage banks, phonecards etc?

Register your telephone number in
http://www.donotcall.gov

You'll see big reduction in those types of calls. You may still
get such calls from charity etc. but avoiding charity calls
is easier than people trying to sell you interest-only mortgages
and trying to extract your social security number.

Those 'Collect call' bills!@!#!

This is a common nuisance but you may not know if you do not check your
phone bill with care.

You may find in your telephone bill a charge from nowhere for "collect calls"
although your sharp memory tells you that you never accepted any such
call. You suspect your spouse might have accepted it but you must be
confident that your spouse usually have much sharper memory than you!

You call you local telephone company and they ask you to contact that
company (may appear in you bill beside that charge for the collect call).
You contact them and they say - NO WAY! YOU HAVE TO PAY!
or ..OK! WE ARE GIVING YOU A CREDIT FOR SOME AMOUNT.

HERE is your SOLUTION:
If you are unable to resolve your dispute, contact your local telephone company
and ask confidently to offer you a "recourse adjustment". A recourse adjustment
will remove the charges from your local telephone bill. However, the service
provider (for that fictitious collect call) may pursue collection of the charges
directly from you.

BUT Usually they will not bother you because they at least know that it was
fictitious in the first place. If they contact you - it's your turn to reject
them!

What will we post here?

We'll post regularly tips and information about running
a smooth daily life anywhere in USA.

It could be related to your telephone bill, your credit,
a good offer or ,may be, a discussion about planning your
finance.

So, Check out from time to time.
We hope you'll enjoy it!