Money@MSN advertises 'Economic Stimulus Rebate' as "free money"

[Earth_First]

6 smarter ways to spend your rebate

Well, you could always save it. Absolutely everyone needs at least $500 in the bank. If you've got nothing between your finances and the wolf at the door, now's the time to do take action.

Go a step further and consider starting a savings account – you'll find the online banks pay several percentage points more than most brick-and-mortar operations.

Retire. Remember, the journey to your $1 million golden years starts with the first $100. Throw $300 into an online savings account paying 5% , add that much every year until you retire and you'll have $40,000. (Run the numbers yourself.) Enough to retire on? No, but a lot better than retiring with nothing.

Throw it at your credit cards. It's free money that can go toward very expensive money.

Save it for one of your irregular bills. Got money for your next insurance payment? Car registration? Snow tires?

Use free money to get more. If you've been afraid to enroll in your workplace 401(k) plan because of the hit on your take-home pay, use your rebate to ease the transition. Most employers match at least 50% of your contributions up to a certain point. See how it would grow here.

Make an extra mortgage payment. $1,000 today on a 30-year, 7% mortgage would save you $4,000 over the life of the loan.

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http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SavingandDebt/Advice/SmarterWaysToSpendYourRebate.aspx?GT1=10827