For those of you have already filed, congratulations! Give yourself a pat on the back.

For the rest of you, best of luck as you try to meet today’s filing deadline. Don’t think you can make it? You can always file an extension but you’ll also need to do this by today.

• How to File a Tax Extension [IRS]

Tax day is also a great day to do some spring cleaning of your financial and personal documents. A few tips from Beth Givens, Director of the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse:

1. You’ll need to keep a few files indefinitely: examples include birth certificates, marriage certificates, divorce and adoption papers, citizenship records, and military service papers.

2. Also keep records of things you own until you sell them: deeds for real estate, other mortgage papers, automobile titles, bonds, and stock certificates.

3. How long should you keep tax records? The IRS has 3 years in which to audit your income tax return. However, this limit does not apply if you failed to report more than 25 percent of your gross income (the limit then is 6 years). There are no time limitations if you filed a fraudulent return or if you failed to file a return.

For a complete guide to tax recordkeeping, see IRS Publication 552, Recordkeeping for Individuals or call 1-800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676) to obtain a free paper copy.

Welcome to the last day of our Car Care Month Series!

We’ve gotten your car ready for the summer, prepped you and your car for driving and even (hopefully) helped you keep car costs down. But what about when the unexpected occurs and you find yourself in a car accident? What then?

Learn about the steps you’ll need to take after a car accident now before it happens:

1. Print out our Help - Car Accident page and forms. These are tips directly from police officers and other drivers who’ve been in an accident. Keep the forms in the glove compartment for easy access.

2. Also put a disposable camera, pen and paper, and the number for your insurance agent in the glove compartment along with these forms. Documentation is HUGE after a car accident and can make a big difference on your auto insurance claim.

3. Choose a mechanic and body shop now rather than later. This will ease your mind after a car accident, knowing you’ve selected a good mechanic rather than just going with the first one you’ve found. NOTE: Some car insurance companies may prefer you work with certain mechanics - ask your insurance agent now about what you’ll need to do after an accident.

That’s it for our Car Care Series! Have a car care tip you just can’t live without? Post it in the Comments section below!! Have a great weekend! 

Welcome to Day #3 of our Car Care series - read Day #1 and Day #2!

Cars can be quite expensive toys and utilities to have: insurance, parking, maintenance, gas…it really starts to add up!

If you’re pinching your pennies, here are a few extra tips to save a few more greenbacks:

Cutting Car Care Costs 

1. Keep your car well-maintained. Just like your would for your own health, taking extra measures now can prevent extra wear and tear down the line. Having the oil changed regularly at $30 every so often can save you a $5000-$10000 engine replacement down the line. Read Day#1’s blog entry for a easy to-do list to get your car back in shape.
2. Need to replace a car part but want it cheap? One reader suggested searching the “junkyard” or used car parts sites online - these parts can sell at half the wholesale price. Just purchase the part, have it delivered to your auto mechanic (let them know!) and have them install it for you - you can save big if you find great deals!

3. Set up a meeting to review your auto insurance policy with your agent. Make sure you’re not under-covered or over-covered. Not sure what to ask? We’ve got a great list to get you started…

4. Practice safe driving. Many auto insurance policies offer discounts to safe drivers and some offer discounts after the completion of defensive driving programs, so ask your agents about your options.

5. Save money while driving. Gas is certainly getting to be more expensive and those prices aren’t dropping anytime soon. The number one tip? Check your tires. “When tires aren’t inflated properly, it’s like driving with the parking brake on, and can cost a mile or two per gallon,” according to the Car Care Council. So next time you head to the pump, pump a little air into your tires if needed. Read more tips here.

Welcome to Day #2 of our Car Care series! Missed Day #1? Read it here.

Now that you’ve got your car all checked out, it’s time to hit the road, right? Not so fast!

Spring weather brings along a lot of road hazards - do a quick brush-up on your driving skills with these top tips from mechanics and safety experts:

1. Make sure you’re well-rested and alert. According to a 2005 Sleep in America poll, 37% of respondents (representing 103 million U.S. residents) reported that they had fallen asleep while driving during the preceding year. Learn the warning signs of drowsy driving…

2. April showers? Get your car and your mind ready to face the elements. Top tips on driving in the rain from mechanics and fellow drivers…

3. Make your own car emergency kit. You never know when that roadside emergency’s gonna happen…

4. Got kids? Use the correct safety seat for your child and install it properly - local hospitals or fire and police departments in your area might offer free car seat safety inspections. Talk to your kids about proper seatbelt usage as well as staying safe in and around cars.

5. Do all your administrative tasks BEFORE driving. Make all your phone calls, eat your food, put on your makeup, read and memorize the directions or look at the map BEFORE hitting the road. Inattention or distracted driving is the number one cause for accidents - if an important phone call comes in, pull over to take it or wait until you reach your destination.

6. Do a last-minute run through before hitting the road. To be really safe, check:

• all four tires
• test the horn
• tail lights, brake lights, indicator lights, headlights
• mirrors and windows
• gas and oil gauge
• windshield wipers and fluid

7. Have a great drive!

Welcome to another WhatHappensNow.com blog series!In honor of National Car Care Month, we’re cruising through the top tips to help your car run a little smoother and what to do should you run into a few speed bumps.

First things first: Tackling those pesky car maintenance tasks!!

1. Check your owner’s manual or your car’s maintenance schedule. You know that booklet shoved in the back of your glove compartment? Pull that out and give it a read. It should have a list of the suggested maintenance tasks and when to tackle them.

2. Don’t feel like doing all that work? Have a site remind you instead! We highlighted a “Neat Site” called ServiceBeacon.com back in February - it’s a free and easy-to-use program that helps you keep track of your car’s regular maintenance needs like when to check your timing belts, when to get your tires rotated or how long it’s been since your last oil change. Visit their site here.

3. After checking your schedule, you’ll probably be due for a few important tasks so call your auto mechanic to make an appointment. HINT: Car mechanics are least busy on Tuesdays and Wednesdays so try for those days if you can. More car mechanic tips here.

4. Lastly, while you wait for your appointment, run through a few maintenance tasks on your own to save a few bucks or to add to the repair list for the mechanic. Don’t know much about cars? Ask a knowledgeable friend to come over and help you out. Look for:

• Any weird sounds or smells coming from any part of the car, especially the engine
• Check your fluid levels - your oil and your coolant
• Inspect your engine (be careful!!). Look at the condition of your belts and your hoses
• Check to see if your lights all work properly - tail lights, brake lights, head lights, indicators (this is where your friend can come in handy - have them stand outside and check while you test them out)
• Check your tires for wear and tear, check the tread and also check the air pressure

5. Need more? We’ve got some additional maintenance tips from top mechanics here.

No parents means no rules, right?!? Lauren W., our College blogger, recently learned that college life isn’t as free and liberating as it’s cracked up to be. Here’s her story:

Incoming freshmen come to college with images of freedom from their home lives. No parents and no rules are a dream come true. No parents is a reality, however no rules…not at all.

One Friday night I found myself being wrongly accused of committing dorm violations: over occupancy, breaking of quiet hours, guest violations, consumption of alcohol, and being in the presence of alcohol were all under three friend’s names and mine. However, on this night we were wrongly accused of all of these.

Two friends and myself were at a different college for the night and returned to our dorm around 1:30 A.M. Upon returning, our goal of the night was to eat Ramen and go to sleep. We knew one of our friends had a plethora of Ramen in their room and it was free for our taking. Instead, we unknowingly walked into a situation with almost every possible room violation we could be accused of: there was alcohol everywhere and our friend’s roommate hosted two illegally checked-in guests. The Resident Assistants (RAs) spotted us walking into the room and preceded to follow us, and write us up despite the fact they saw us enter seconds before them. We were so furious with these RAs because we knew were completely innocent.

A few days later, we all received e-mails telling us we had a date with the judicial court and they would decide what our punishment would be. All involved, the roommate, his friends, the four innocent bystanders, and the girl who aided in sneaking in the guests, were called in. We sat and explained our story for two hours in front of a board of other students. Thankfully, us four innocent bystanders were let off the hook. Despite getting away without any form of punishment, it was a hassle to deal with the whole thing and easily could have been avoided.

Headed to college? Here’s what you can do to avoid such situations:

Read the Handbook!: Yes, the handbook is boring and full of unnecessary rules, but in a case like this it helps to know what you can and cannot be held responsible for. Going into the hearing we had an idea of how serious our punishments could be because the violations and consequences were laid out right in front of us. We knew how important it was to state our case.

Know What is Happening: Know the room you are walking into. We had no idea of anything going on in this room, and that was our downfall. It was our fault that we walked into a room full of illegal activity. Had we actually talked to our friend before waltzing in, we would have known not to go in.

Keep your ID and friends close: One of the girls in our hearing received a fine because she gave our ID out for another student to use. Although she was not actually present in the room, she was held responsible for the outside guests she supposedly checked in. It’s appealing to trust all the really great people you meet, but it is important to watch out for yourself first.

Thanks Lauren for such a great story! Have tips or topic ideas for Lauren? Post them in the Comments section below!

You might have read about this in the news but the American Heart Association is saying that you can skip the mouth-to-mouth step when administering CPR: hands-only CPR — rapid, deep presses on the victim’s chest until help arrives — works just as well as standard CPR for sudden cardiac arrest in adults.

Another technique used after heart attacks is something known as an automatic external defibrillators or AEDs. You might have seen them in the hallway of office or medical buildings (usually with a heart symbol). But, according to a recent study, AEDs are often going unused because people don’t know how to use them.

You never know when skills like CPR may come in handy but it’s better to be safe than sorry. Your local Red Cross probably offers classes in CPR, AED use as well as disaster preparedness and emergency first aid.

Want to learn more? Listen to our podcast with Courtney Johnson from the Minneapolis Red Cross about AEDs and first aid/preparedness classes.

In the next few weeks, expect to see more pictures of cute fluffy kittens and puppies…we’re getting ready to launch our new Pets section!

But first we need the best of the best advice from you pet owners out there. Have a dog/cat/small animal tip? Post it in the Comments section below or shoot me an email!

We need YOUR advice on:

• Choosing a Pet
• Choosing a Vet
• Handling a Pet Medical Emergency
• Choosing Pet Insurance
• Lowering Pet Costs
• What to Do if You’ve Lost a Pet
• Traveling With Your Pet
• and any other top advice you’ve got. Share away - post your tips below!!

By now you’ve probably heard about all those April Fools jokes Google is playing today (rickrolling on YouTube, anyone?)!

But some Internet hoaxes just aren’t funny, especially identity theft and phishing scams. If you have become or think you’re a victim of an identity theft crimes, here are some tips to help you through:

1. Contact your credit card companies, if you think your personal information or credit card number was compromised.

2. Report it to the authorities. The FTC has a complaint form you can complete online. Additionally, you can also file a police report with the local police. More here.

3. Order a free credit report and monitor your scores. Keep an eye out for unauthorized activity and contact the credit companies to remove the charges.

4. Want more? Additional identity theft recovery tips from experts and victims…