Consolidation

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your $
A magazine from WEA Trust Member Beneﬁts

WINTER 2009

Consolidation:

}
Comfort, simplicity, and economic advantage

your money
Seven money lessons every member should know
your account
The 2009 guaranteed rate of return is…
your kiosk
weabeneﬁts.com Reduce your expenses with free goods and services
{ your$ CONTENTS WINTER 2009

3 YOUR ACCOUNT you
- New regulations change what
can do with 403(b) accounts.

- Find out if you qualify for the
Saver’s Tax Credit.

- Midterm policy exam now online.

- NEW! Increased coverage limits
for service vehicles and sewer
4 6
and drain backup.

4 YOUR MONEY lessons 10 YOUR complicates
Finances 101: Seven money
- Market turmoil
KIOSK
retirement planning.
every member should know.
- Free stuff!
6 YOUR participants Carol
Find out what
STORY - Still time for ‘08 IRA
contributions.
and Terry Leaman did to simplify - Little known facts.
management of their retirement
savings accounts.
10

{ president’s letter
Dave Kijek, President/CEO, WEA Trust Member Beneﬁts

Good news in uncertain times
Welcome back to member Mary Dawson, Library Media
another issue of your$, Teacher at Kenosha Uniﬁed. She was
and thank you for all the winner of an Apple iBook—part of
the positive feedback. our anniversary celebration held at the
Despite the negative WEAC convention.
economic events of As your member beneﬁts organization,
the fourth quarter, we it is incumbent upon us to assist you with
are hoping to start the programs and services that will help you
new year oﬀ on a high and your family achieve your ﬁnancial We hope that you will think of us
note. We are delighted goals—in good times and not-so-good as a resource to help you achieve your
to oﬀer 5.25% annual times. Whether it’s oﬀering an attractive ﬁnancial goals.
rate of return in our TSA and IRA guaranteed rate, presenting educational
guaranteed accounts. seminars, evaluating your auto and Sincerely,
We announced the rate at the home coverages, answering questions
WEAC fall convention, where we also about your investments, or providing
celebrated more than 36 years of service money saving tips in this magazine, we
to members. Congratulations to WEAC are here for you.

2 weabeneﬁts.com
{ your account Insurance News

IRA and 403(b) News
New IRS 403(b) Regulations Twists and Turns
Exam
Effective January 1, 2009: If you are receiving distributions from your 403(b)
account and you decide to go back to work, even brieﬂy, you may no longer be
eligible to receive a penalty-free distribution and may have to discontinue pay-
ments. Exchanges, transfers, and rollovers have changed dramatically and are
now administered per school district plan directives.
Time
One of the services we provide our
If your school district hired a third party administrator (TPA) to help them policyholders is the Midterm Policy
with their 403(b) plans, you are required to complete additional forms from the Exam.
TPA in order to process most transactions or account changes. Please contact There is no need to cram for this
the TPA or your payroll ofﬁce for the additional forms and/or approval. Even if exam. Your Midterm Policy Exam is a
you are retired from a school district, you are affected by the district’s plan. joint effort between you and us. Your
The staff at WEA Trust Member Beneﬁts is eager to help. Call us at answers determine if you are exposed
1-800-279-4030 for help navigating the changes. to any unnecessary risks. We provide
an evaluation of how well your policies
Watch for your 1099R manage your
If you took a reportable distribution from your WEA Trust Member Beneﬁts risks.
retirement account during 2008, we will send you a 1099R to the address we We also
have on ﬁle on or before January 31, 2009. verify
Do you qualify for the Saver’s Tax Credit? that your
The Saver’s Tax Credit allows retirement plan participants with annual ad- policy infor-
justed gross income of up to $26,000 (ﬁling individually) or $52,000 (ﬁling mation is
jointly) to save on their federal income tax. The maximum annual contribu- up-to-date
tion eligible for the credit is $2,000 per person. The rate is based on your and that
income in the taxable year for which you claim the credit. you are receiv-
ing all available
WEAccess user ID and passwords discounts.
A PIN was assigned to you when you opened your TSA or IRA account. For For your convenience, you can com-
a PIN reminder, call the Account Information Line at 1-800-279-2490 or go plete the Midterm Policy Exam online
to weabeneﬁts.com and click on Access Your Account. at weabeneﬁts.com.

IRA Charitable Rollover Extension
The IRA Charitable Rollover has been extended allowing individuals age
70½ and older to donate up to $100,000 from their IRAs to charities tax-free.
The extension is retroactive, applying to distributions made throughout both
the 2008 and 2009 tax years.
NEW!
Sewer and Drain
Backup Limits
Increased
The coverage limit for damage to
property resulting from water back-
ing up through sewer and drains has
been increased to $20,000.

Please call us at 1-800-279-4010
if you would like to increase your
current coverage.

weabeneﬁts.com 3
{ your money

Finances 101:

Lesson #1:

G
o ahead—ask your colleagues if “Evaluating what is coming in and what
they think they’ll get rich working Spend less than you earn is going out each month is fundamental
in public education. After the We’ve all heard this before, but this is to ﬁnancial success,” says Echeverria.
raised eyebrows and the “you’re sound advice that will serve you well.
kidding, right?” reaction, it’s almost certain “The idea of spending less than you Lesson #2: Create a budget
that most, if not all (yourself included), will earn is one of the most important Do you cringe at the thought of taking
answer “no.” ﬁnancial concepts to understand and live the time to track how you spend your
Most likely, money isn’t the primary by,” says Brenda Echeverria, a Retirement money? Kick aside the frustration and
reason why you or your colleagues went into Savings Consultant at WEA Trust fear by changing the way you deﬁne the
teaching. It’s the love of the profession—the Member Beneﬁts. “However, this simple word “budget.” Think of it as “telling your
sharing of knowledge, making a diﬀerence concept can be diﬃcult for some people money where to go instead of wondering
in kids’ lives, seeing your students’ eyes light to follow.” where it went.”
up when something “clicks.” Spending less than you earn on a “A budget allows you to take control of
The truth is, Wisconsin public school consistent basis is the key to increasing your ﬁnancial future. Although it may seem
employees can do very well for themselves. ﬁnancial stability. You can’t increase your tedious and unnecessary, budgets are smart
However, building ﬁnancial knowledge and savings, make investments, reduce debt, and necessary road maps for members to
good habits is essential. or even make wise spending decisions reach their ﬁnancial goals,” Echeverria
Follow this lesson plan to learn seven if you’re consistently outspending your notes.
key principles that will help you achieve income. “I was always pretty good at saving and
ﬁnancial success. budgeting, but I realize the importance of

4 weabeneﬁts.com
it even more now. When it comes time to aﬀord not to save. learn, and unless it is a passion for you,
replace my car or buy a house, I know I’ll Participate in your district’s 403(b) it can easily become overwhelming. I
be thankful,” says Kiley Bohen, a third year retirement plan and open a Roth IRA to would recommend contacting WEA Trust
spanish teacher at Monona Grove High help secure your ﬁnancial future. Member Beneﬁts. They can help you
School. “It is essential that members begin create and manage a retirement portfolio
that works for you.”
“I was always pretty good at saving and budgeting, Lesson #5:
but I realize the importance of it even more now. Have enough insurance
When it comes time to replace my car or buy a It only takes one incident to destroy
a person’s ﬁnancial future. “Not being
house, I know I’ll be thankful.” properly insured exposes you and your
family to ﬁnancial risks,” says Marty
- Kiley Bohen, Monona Grove School District Richards, a Worksite
Beneﬁt Consultant
Lesson #3: saving for retirement early in their career.
at Member Beneﬁts.
Establish an emergency fund The more time you have to save, the
Review the coverages
Expect the unexpected—this is the motto more time you have to take advantage of
of your insurance
behind an emergency fund. Financial compounding interest,” notes Echeverria.
policies—do you
emergencies can come in the form of a job Jarred Gerl, an art teacher in the Fond
have the right
loss, unexpected auto repairs, signiﬁcant du Lac school district, notes, “When it
amount of insurance
medical expenses, or worse. The last thing really comes down to it, I ﬁnd it diﬃcult
for your auto and
you want is to be forced to rely on credit to make time for regular check-ups on my
home? Those who
cards or a loan which could compound the retirement ﬁnances. There is so much to
Continued on page 9
problem.
“Most experts agree that you should
keep between three to six months worth
of your living expenses set aside in your CREATING A BUDGET
emergency fund,” advises Echeverria. Budgets are the only practical way to get a grip on your spending—
While it may seem an overwhelming and to make sure your money is being used the way you want it to
task, Echeverria notes that the key is to
be. Consider these tips when creating your budget.
start small. “Accumulating one month’s
worth of expenses will take time, let alone
Identify how you’re spending money now.
three to six months worth of expenses. Track your expenses for a month. Be sure to record every purchase no matter how
Setting small and manageable savings small. Once you know where your money is going, you can decide how to best allocate
goals will give you a better chance of your money. See page 11 for information about a free online budget service.
reaching your goals.”
Paying yourself ﬁrst each time you get Automatically save.
This means saving for both your short-term (i.e., new car, kids, paying off student
a paycheck is also a helpful strategy. If
loans) and long-term (retirement) future. Have a certain amount from each paycheck
possible, have a portion of your paycheck automatically transferred into a savings account and 403(b) and/or IRA retirement
deducted and put into a savings account savings account. Automatically having the money set aside before you even see it puts
before you even see the money. your savings on autopilot.

Lesson #4: Get your priorities straight.
Save for the future Food, entertainment, clothing, vacations—these are all discretionary expenses that you
have control over. That’s where priorities come in. We can’t have everything we want,
Buying that new car, planning that next
but we can direct our money toward things we want the most.
vacation, or purchasing your ﬁrst home
takes ﬁnancial planning. “These short- Pay down debt.
term savings goals are most likely at the The secret to paying off debt is to determine how much you can afford to pay each
forefront of younger members’ minds. month and make those payments consistently. It’s important to keep sending the
However, many of them do not fully maximum amount you can afford to send. Don’t make the mistake of reducing the
amount you send when you see your balance going down.
realize their responsibility in saving for
their long-term goals, namely retirement,” Stick with it.
says Echeverria. Once you’ve determined how much to set aside for saving, spending, investing, and
Don’t allow yourself to think that you paying off debt, it’s time to consistently stick with your budget. Maybe this means
can’t aﬀord to save for retirement, but you only pay for purchases with cash. Or maybe you need to visit your budget often to
rather convince yourself that you can’t remind yourself of your spending rules. Whatever it is, consistency is the key.

weabeneﬁts.com 5
{ your story
Sometimes
LESS
is really

MOREHaving more retirement accounts is not the same as having more money. Consolidation
may actually give you more control and security because it simpliﬁes management of your
investments. At the very least, you may eliminate redundant fees.

S
everal years ago, Terry and Carol his accounts into an IRA Guaranteed Simplicity
Leaman made a big ﬁnancial Account. “The rate was 5% at the time— A common reason people consolidate
move—literally. They moved a darn good rate.” is convenience, according to McCalla.
all the money they had saved Rob McCalla, a Retirement Income “Convenience means diﬀerent things to
for retirement to one place—WEA Trust Consultant at WEA Trust Member diﬀerent people. It can mean controlling
Member Beneﬁts. Beneﬁts, agrees that as you approach and understanding your ﬁnancial
“There were three reasons we retirement, you need to consider reducing situation, it can mean easier management
consolidated: comfort, simplicity, and your risk. “Most people approaching of contributions and withdrawals, or just
economic advantage,” says Terry. Terry retirement have more to lose and less being able to call one place to get help.”
and Carol were preparing to retire. “We time to make up for market losses before Easy reading. Managing multiple
sat down with a consultant [from Member they will need the money.” accounts can be a lot of work. If you
Beneﬁts]. She evaluated our situation and Considering the recent economic have ﬁve diﬀerent accounts, you receive
told us what we could expect income-wise debacle on Wall Street, the Leamans ﬁve diﬀerent quarterly statements. Each
when we retired. We even found I could are happy with their decision. “I have reports the quarter’s activities diﬀerently,
retire earlier than I expected. Moving the an adversity to risk now. In retrospect, so it’s no small feat to get a glimpse at
money made sense for us. Carol had her it was absolutely the right move for us. your overall situation.
403(b) with WEA and we felt comfortable We have a good life, and I can sleep at With your assets in fewer places, you
with the organization.” night.” get a clearer snapshot of where you are
ﬁnancially. The Leamans agree. “We really
“There are three reasons we consolidated: wanted to make life simple,” says Terry.
“We put our money in one place so we
comfort, simplicity, and economic advantage.” only receive one set of statements, and we
- Terry Leaman know exactly where we’re at.”
McCalla points out that consolidation
Comfort Feeling comfortable with the level also makes tracking contributions and
Terry had two 401(k) accounts from of risk you take when investing is key. withdrawals easier. Because there are limits
previous employers and an IRA, all McCalla suggests that you revisit your to how much you can contribute to most
heavily invested in stocks. “We went asset mix periodically to make sure your retirement accounts—penalties will apply
through the hi-tech boom and the bust tolerance for risk matches how you are if you go over—multiple accounts require
and wanted to get out.” He rolled over investing your money. you to more closely monitor where and
6 weabeneﬁts.com
how much you contribute. Economic Advantage
Headache-Free MRDs. The Internal Consolidation may save you money by What can go where?
Revenue Service (IRS) requires you to eliminating or reducing fees. The number Rolling money from one retire-
start withdrawing money from certain one factor in determining your rate of ment savings account to another
types of accounts, such as a 403(b) and return—after asset allocation—is cost. is fairly straightforward. Gener-
Traditional IRA, generally at age 70½. Fees eat into your bottom line, so to make ally, the IRS allows you to directly
These withdrawals are called minimum the most of your invested dollar, you will rollover money from one qualiﬁed
required distributions (MRDs). want to minimize the fees you pay. account to another qualiﬁed ac-
“Retired people with multiple accounts “Ask for a list of all the fees that apply to count as long as they are the same
struggle with this,” says McCalla. When each of your accounts, including mortality ﬂavor—meaning before-tax ac-
calculating your MRD, you must consider and expense fees, surrender charges, and counts may rollover into another
all of your accounts. And although you administrative fees. You may reduce your before-tax account and after-tax
have control from where and how you expenses by consolidating your accounts,” may roll into after-tax. You can roll
want your MRD to be taken, you are McCalla suggests. over 401(k), 457, 403(b), or IRA ac-
also responsible for communicating your
counts (including SEP and Simple
withdrawal plans to all your account Rolling money during market
IRAs) into a 403(b) or IRA. However,
providers. “Failing to make your intentions unrest: Is it a good idea? rollovers from some account types
clear can go bad in two ways. Either too Generally, if you move money during may require a qualifying event such
much money will be distributed to you a volatile time in a lateral way—to a very as separation from service or turn-
or not enough, which results in an IRS similar set of investments—chances are you ing age 59½.
penalty of 50% of the MRD amount that won’t see a large change in your account
was not distributed,” he explains. balance, according to McCalla. Who can rollover?
Rollovers into a WEAC IRA ac-
“Ask for a list of all the fees that apply to each of count offered through Member
Beneﬁts are open to WEAC mem-
your accounts. Chances are you can reduce your bers and their immediate family
expenses by consolidating your accounts.” or employees of districts partici-
pating in our Trust Advantage pro-
- Rob McCalla gram. This means your spouse,
dependent children, parents, and
One point of contact. Consolidation “However, moving money heavily parents-in-law are eligible to take
gives you a single point of contact. invested in stocks to a ﬁxed investment advantage of our low fees and the
Questions about your statement or your is a diﬀerent story,” he says. Here’s the 5.25% guaranteed rate.
asset allocations can get answered with diﬀerence: Money that remains in the If you have questions about roll-
one phone call. And account changes, stock market has the potential to make up overs, call us at 1-800-279-4030.
such as address or beneﬁciary changes, are
a breeze. Continued on page 8

{ MEMBER PROFILE
Terry and Carol Leaman live in Oshkosh. Carol taught
second, fourth, and ﬁfth grades in three different elemen-
tary schools during her 30-year career in the Oshkosh
Area School District. She saved for retirement through
her employer’s 403(b) plan with WEA TSA Trust. Several
years ago, in preparation for retirement, Terry consoli-
dated his 401(k) and IRA accounts into one account with
Member Beneﬁts. “All of our retirement money is in one
place. We’re very happy with our decision. It’s been noth-
ing but positive.”
The Leamans have enjoyed spending time in their re-
tirement (and several years before) restoring their 1929-
era tutor revival home which overlooks Lake Winnebago.
They also enjoy their two German Shepherds (Zeke and
Libby), as well as yoga, kayaking, tennis, and gardening.

weabeneﬁts.com 7
{
Continued from page 7 ﬁxed account, you are locking in the 25%
loss in value in the account.
some or all of your losses when the market
rebounds as long as it maintains essentially Regardless of market conditions, take WANT MORE?
the same mix of investments (small cap to care when moving money. “If you decide What’s your risk proﬁle?
small cap, large cap to large cap, and so to roll over money, be careful to avoid
common and costly mistakes,” McCalla Risk Assessment Tool
on). Moving that same money into a ﬁxed
warns. (See sidebar.) weabeneﬁts.com
account locks in the losses.
Example: You have $100,000 in a Before investing in any mutual fund,
Ask Rollover Questions
moderately aggressive portfolio (80% call WEA Trust Member Beneﬁts at
Call 1-800-279-4030
stocks and 20% bonds). According to 1-800-279-4030 to request a prospectus. We
your latest statement, your account advise you to read it carefully and consider the
balance is down 25%—your new balance fund’s investment objectives, risks and charges gain or lose value. To the extent you elect
is $75,000. If you are rolling the $75,000 and expenses carefully before investing. The to invest in mutual funds as opposed to the
to another account with basically the same prospectus contains this and other information guaranteed investment, you increase your
investments (80/20), you may recover about the investment company. risk and potential for loss. Past performance
some or all of it when the market goes Keep in mind that mutual fund is no guarantee for future results. Future
up. If however you move the $75,000 to a investments are not guaranteed and may performance may be lower or higher than
past performance.
This article is for informational purposes
only and not intended to be legal or tax
Costly Rollover Mistakes advice. Consult your tax-advisor or attorney
before taking any action.
Avoid these 6 common rollover mistakes.
Missing the 60-day deadline. The biggest mistake people make
1 when rolling over money from one retirement savings account to another is
missing the 60-day deadline, at which point penalties and taxes apply. Avoid this VOCABULARY
costly mistake with a direct transfer from company to company. Unrealized Gain or Loss:
a proﬁt or loss that results from
2 Falling in the 20% withholding trap. If you are rolling over a 401(k) holding on to an investment rather
from a previous employer and the check is made out to you instead of the than selling it. For example, if you
new 401(k) company, the check issuer is required to withhold 20% for federal purchased an investment at $10
taxes. You will have to come up with the missing 20% or pay income taxes (plus per share and it is currently valued
a 10% penalty on the withdrawal if you are under age 55). You won’t receive the at $15 per share, the increase in
withheld money until you ﬁle taxes the following year. the share price is not paid out to
you until the investment is sold and
3 Losing beneﬁts/features. Rolling over retirement accounts may not thus considered an unrealized gain.
be the best move if you will lose features or beneﬁts offered in your existing If the same investment is valued at
account—such as a death beneﬁt or any income guarantees. Rolling over may $5 per share, and again you hold on
not be a good choice for you if you lose access to speciﬁc funds or asset types to it, you would have an unrealized
you want in your retirement portfolio. loss.

Activating surrender fees. Moving money when a surrender Dollar Cost Averaging:
4 an investment strategy where you
fee applies can be costly. There are ways to rollover a portion of your
account without activating the surrender fees. Call a retirement consultant invest the same amount of money
at set intervals regardless of the
for details.
share price. As the price rises,
Rolling into new surrender charges. Make sure you understand fewer shares are purchased, and
5 as the price falls more shares
what fees are charged before you move your money. Rolling into an account
are purchased. The goal of this
with a surrender period means you will be penalized if you move the money
investment approach is to buy more
before the surrender period has expired (typically 7 to 20 years).
shares at a lower average cost per
Market timing. If you decide to move money based on where the market share over time. It is also a strategy
6 that is intended to reduce exposure
is on a given day, recognize that the transaction is not instantaneous. Some
to risk associated with making a
providers can take weeks to process the transfer of funds. Your selling and
single large purchase.
purchase power is set on the day of the transfer, not on the day you initiate the
transaction.
8 weabeneﬁts.com
“Don’t be afraid to learn about your district’s
beneﬁts and goals for its teachers.”
- Kiley Bohen, Monona Grove School District

teachers,” advises Bohen. “I often felt If you don’t contribute, you’re giving
shy about not knowing much about my up money that’s coming to you in an
Continued from page 3 employer match. This is an employment
beneﬁts. I found answers by involving
rent should purchase renters insurance. myself in district and union activities beneﬁt you can’t aﬀord to pass up,” says
It’s a very economical way to protect your and asking knowledgeable colleagues.” Echeverria.
stuﬀ. Even if you feel your possessions are When evaluating your employee
fairly modest, losing even one big ticket beneﬁts, Echeverria advises each member Lesson #7: Watch your fees
item or many smaller possessions at once ask themselves these questions: Financial companies, including banks,
could be ﬁnancially devastating. Do I understand my group insurance brokers, and credit card companies, make
plans (health, dental, short- and long- money by charging fees. Make sure you
Lesson #6: term disability, long-term care, life understand exactly what fees apply and
Understand your beneﬁts insurance, etc.)? shop around for the best deal.
While there are many reasons people Do I understand Wisconsin Retirement Avoid additional expenses that you
decide to accept a job, salary is probably System (the state pension plan)? have control over, like late fees, ﬁnance
one of the biggest considerations. How can I start contributing to my charges, and over limit fees. They can
However, ﬁnancially speaking, it’s not all district’s 403(b) retirement savings take a large chunk out of your hard

{
about salary. Echeverria notes that beneﬁts plan? earned cash.
should go hand in hand with salary. “In Does my school district oﬀer ﬂexible
some cases, the value of the beneﬁts can spending accounts? Do I understand
more than make up for a diﬀerence in how it beneﬁts me? WANT MORE?
salary when considering two employment Does my district oﬀer payroll
Salary guide and cost
opportunities.” deduction for auto and home insurance
Employee beneﬁts can be confusing, and IRA contributions through the Trust of living information
but don’t let this scare you away from Advantage program? rileyguide.com
trying to understand them. “For those with spouses in the public Financial resource
“Don’t be afraid to learn about your sector, make sure to take advantage of bankrate.com
district’s beneﬁts and goals for its 401(k) employer matching contributions.

No. 1 rated health plan in Wisconsin
CAHPS® survey results, 2008
For more information, visit weatrust.com

weabeneﬁts.com 9
{ your kiosk
Market turmoil complicates
retirement planning
TWO
Average number of weeks
people spend in their lives at
trafﬁc lights.
Careful planning is more critical than ever
The year 2008 will go down in history as one of the most diﬃcult for ﬁnancial markets.
Stocks, bonds, money market funds—investments of all types were aﬀected in ways that will
resonate for months and possibly years to come.
For those of you who are considering retirement, recent market turmoil has complicated the
planning process and added considerable uncertainty. Can I still retire on schedule? If not, what
60,000
The number of miles long your
do I have to do to get back on track toward a ﬁnancially secure retirement? Are my investments system of blood vessels is. That’s
properly positioned to help me through these uncertain times? Will I need to go back to work long enough to go around the
to make ends meet? world more than twice.
Careful preparation can help ensure that you remain ﬁnancially secure. Wisconsin public
school employees and members of WEAC-Retired are eligible to receive a Retirement Income

eleven
Analysis oﬀered by WEA Trust Member Beneﬁts. This fee-based service can provide you with:
• Knowledge of whether you are on track to meet your goals.
• Suggested adjustments to meet your goals.
The number of pounds of
• Your Wisconsin Retirement System projection. chocolate the average American
• Your Social Security projection. consumes per year.
• A retirement distribution and cash ﬂow analysis.
• A tax analysis to help you anticipate your future income tax liability.

To learn more or to schedule an appointment,
call 1-800-279-4030, Ext. 2513 or 6769. 15,210

{
Investment advisory services offered through WEA Financial Advisors, Inc. The number of miles Wisconsin
boasts of snowmobile trails.
WANT MORE?
For the “do-it-yourself” types:
etf.wi.gov/calculator.htm
ssa.gov/planners/calculators
weabeneﬁts.com,“Retirement Projection” calculator
Or, WEAC members may set up a free ﬁnancial consultation with:
266
million people in the United
Bob Moeller, CFP®, RIA, CPA States have cellphones.
WEAC Member Beneﬁts Financial Planner 1-800-362-8034

{ FEEDBACK
Do you have a story to tell? Do
you want to tell us what you think
about the magazine, or suggest
an article idea?
Send an e-mail to
memberbeneﬁts@weatrust.com.
Please type “your$” into the
subject line.

10 weabeneﬁts.com
Free stuff
Feeling pinched? It may be time to tighten the proverbial ﬁnancial
Still time
for 2008 IRA
belt. But where to start? This list of freebies may help you identify
ways to reduce your expenses by taking advantage of free stuff.
contributions!
There is still time to make
FREE SOFA PLUS According to their Web site, contributions to your IRA—or
One person’s trash is Wesabe can help you organize your open one—for the 2008 tax
another’s treasure. You’ll information and pinpoint areas year. Contributions for 2008
ﬁnd all sorts of free stuﬀ on where you could improve, all while
your local Craigslist site, protecting your passwords, identity, must be postmarked by April
including couches, chairs, and other sensitive information. 15, 2009.
entertainment centers, and You can also get feedback from Be sure to indicate the year
tables. Many are in heavily other Wesabe users.
used condition but will work ﬁne to for which you are contributing.
furnish a dorm or ﬁrst apartment. FREE HELP WITH Contribution limits for 2008
There are now 11 Wisconsin Craigslist HOME IMPROVEMENT are $5,000 per year for those
sites. Just Google “Craigslist To save money on a home renovation
Wisconsin.” project, it’s a no-brainer to do the work under age 50 and $6,000 for
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