It’s that time of the year.  Taxes are due on April 17th, so I thought I would round up a few items that might prove helpful if you’re scrambling to meet the deadline.

1. Don’t be a Hatch: Richard Hatch’s shrewd dealings got him past the other Survivors and a prize of $1,000,000.  But he couldn’t convince the IRS - Hatch is now in jail for failing to report that money.
2. Tax Avoidance, too good to be true?  The IRS warns about tax scams.
3. Patience is a virtue:  refund anticipation loans.
4. What I do when it’s time to do my taxes.
5. I recieved (and spent) a big refund this year.  I actually want zero refund next year.

As with everything on this site, keep in mind that I’m not an attorney, tax advisor or financial advisor.  Every situation is different, so what I say might not apply to what you’re doing.  But consider this as general information that you can consider and talk over with whoever advises you.

1. Attack on midhanders.  Will real estate agents become a thing of the past?
2. Making the case for cold, hard cash: The Myth of the Cashless Society.
3. I’ve been laid off twice.  Once due to 9-11 and once due to a product line cancelation.  But I’ve never been fired.  Here’s how to avoid it.  Oh, and don’t blog about your job online or you might get “dooced” - another term for fired. 
4. Money can’t buy you happiness.  It didn’t seem like such a cliche when Forbes agreed.  See the special report.
5. Life is good.  Stocks are up and oil is down.

1. Let’s leave record setting to the Olympians, OK? U.S. Sets record trade deficit.
2. Taxes: Forbes Special Section
3. The last blue chips I touched were at a poker table.  Michael Sivy tells us why he likes three of the other kind of blue chips.
4. Rampant Speculation: People are betting on Enron, Lay.
5. Rising Interest Rates: Not just an American thing.

1. Stuck in the Middle: That’s where most of us are when it comes to retirement.
2. Tax time: Deducting the Home Office - debunking false myths of the home-office deduction.
3. Cash Value or Term?  An Expert Answers.
4. Will OPEC turn off the oil faucet? Jim Jubak doesn’t think so.
5. GM’s struggle: Cuts Dividend and Executive Pay to try to return to profitability.

1. Make Money at Home: Sounds like a spam email title, but here’s 4 real jobs you can do from home.
2. Bush presents new budget: Brother, can you spare $2.77 trillion?
3. Oil up, Stocks down.
4. Or are other things to blame for the stock drop?
5. Ben Stein writes about people like me - and maybe you.