April is Financial Literacy Month, when the focus is on learning smart money habits but also how to protect yourself from fraud. One problem on the rise in the Southeast is the "impostor" scam, when scammers represent themselves as fake government agents or bogus businesses. They are really on the prowl for your cash and personal info, costing victims in North Carolina almost $190 million last year alone. .
Florida residents can now file their simple income-tax forms for free and save time through the Internal Revenue Service s Direct File pilot program. It s estimated the simplified filing process could eventually save Florida taxpayers more than $530 million in filing fees every year. With the April 15 income-tax filing deadline right around the corner, Adam Ruben, vice president for campaigns and political strategy at the Economic Security Project, said you can easily use the program by visiting the website Directfile.IRS.gov. .
As out-of-state, and sometimes disreputable companies offering solar installations crowd the market, a local effort called Solarize aims to connect residents and small businesses with pre-screened solar contractors, while also providing discounts on installation. Nick Hartnett, Pure Power Solar and Solarize partner, said residents considering solar should find local companies, read reviews, and talk to customers who ve had systems installed, adding the Solarize program is designed to do the legwork. "There s a lot of aggressive sales techniques. " .