B105 TODAYS BEST COUNTRY » Financial

Gas Prices Continue To Soar Out Of Control in Duluth Superior Area, $4.39 A Gallon

Ken Hayes — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:39:32 +0000

This is getting ridiculous. Gas prices have soared now to $4.39 a gallon in some parts of Duluth, and it can only be expected to keep climbing. According to Minnesota Gas Prices, as of 11:25 am Friday, at least 3 stations raised the price to $4.39 a gallon for regular unleaded. Visiting the site will [...]

My 2013 Motorcycle VS Gas Prices Battle

Ken Hayes — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:28:28 +0000

I've owned a motorcycle now for 10 years. In the last few years with the gas prices soaring I've told myself every spring that I'm going to ride to work no matter what to save money on gas. My truck gets 13 mpg in town, my bike gets 55+ mpg. It's a no brainer, taking the bike. Eventually, every year I get lazy and instead of taking the time to put on rain gear or warmer clothing, I hop in the truck. NOT THIS YEAR. Here's my challenge:

Does Money Buy Happiness? New Study Says "Yes"

Ken Hayes — Thu, 02 May 2013 15:17:09 +0000

We’ve always heard money doesn’t buy happiness. Well being poor doesn’t buy happiness either. A new study shows that wealthier countries (like the U.S.) have more satisfied people than poorer countries. The study found here on the week.com, shows that the more money people make, the happier they are. But how can this be? Most [...]

Netflix Will Begin Offering "Family Plan" For Subscribers at $12 a Month

Ken Hayes — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 15:05:33 +0000

I've been a Netflix subscriber for quite a few years now. I use Netflix a few times a week, primarily when I work out and want to watch something interesting, instead of stumbling on a cable channel. I stuck with the company when they divided the mail in option and the streaming option into two separate plans. Considering I always forgot to mail in the DVD's anyway. But, there are new changes coming to Netflix.

5 Tips for Filing Taxes as a Newly Married Couple

Ken Hayes — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 15:21:35 +0000

It wasn’t that long ago where I could file a 1040ez and be done with it in 2 minutes. However, in the last 3 years, I’ve had some pretty significant life changes. Taxes became ridiculously complicated overnight, and boy have we made our mistakes. I’ll share a few with you, so you don’t make the [...]

New Tax Deed Timeline Could Cost Douglas County Property Owners Substantially

Cathy Kates — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 11:51:42 +0000

If you live in Douglas County and are delinquent in your taxes you should take note. The timeline for payment is changing and it could cost you considerably. In previous years, properties in Douglas County that were delinquent in tax payment by nearly four years were taken by tax deed on the third week of October. With the new timeline the date has changed and beginning in 2014, tax deeds will be taken at the end of June.

Minnesota and Wisconsin E-File Information, One Month from Today Taxes are Due

Cathy Kates — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 16:35:35 +0000

We are exactly a month away from when your taxes are due. Yup, the dreaded April 15, 2013 midnight deadline. Instead of procrastinating, get busy and get those taxes done, then e-file. It’s faster, easier and free. Here’s some important information you should know if you live in the states of WI or MN. [...]

5 Ways to Save Money on Your 2013 Taxes

Maura Chwastyk — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 17:56:25 +0000

It's hard to believe it's already the middle of tax season. 2013 is off to a fast clip, and unfortunately this means that Tax Day is right around the corner. You could bury your head in the sand until you hit April 14 panic mode, or this year you could give yourself a burst of energy and self-confidence knowing that you met your taxes head-on. Here are money savers to get you started:

US Postal Service Looking to Stop Saturday Mail Delivery Beginning in August [VIDEO]

David Drew — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 16:21:11 +0000

The United States Postal Service has been losing money for years, but they have a plan they would love to implement later this year that could help save money. With government approval, they would stop delivering the mail on Saturdays. Our partners at the Northlands News Center are reporting that cutting one day of mail [...]

$500 Million Powerball Jackpot is Not a Fluke, It's Part of a Plan That Appears to be Working

David Drew — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 23:56:51 +0000

The Powerball jackpot for Wednesday has soared to about $500 million, which is obviously an amount that will only further ticket sales. Nobody has won the Powerball since October, but there’s another reason the jackpot has hit legendary status. StarTribune.com is reporting that the main reason is that Powerball tickets doubled in price in January [...]

Northlands Non-Profits and Individuals Get $500,000 Grant to Help with Flood Relief

David Drew — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 05:26:28 +0000

Great news that should help speed up some of the rebuilding that is still taking place since the summer flooding in the Northland. Non-profits and individuals will both benefit from a $500,000 flood relief grant. According the Northland’s NewsCenter, the money is donated by the Margaret A. Cargil Foundation and will be distributed among three [...]

Duluth Area Gains Over 2,000 Jobs In September

David Drew — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 20:21:27 +0000

Some good news for our local economy. While we generally see a boost in jobs in the month of September with the return of college students, the 1.8% increase in jobs recently is even higher than normal. The Northland’s NewsCenter is reporting that jobs numbers released on Thursday from the Minnesota Department of Employment and [...]

Northlanders Help Neighbors Keep the Heat On with Salvation Army's Heat Share Program

Cathy Kates — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 15:19:03 +0000

It's hard to picture a family living in conditions that are without heat, but that happens in the Northland. As our temps drop, and the economy worsens, people begin to wonder if they can keep the heat on in their homes. The Salvation Army has a program to help, it's called Heat Share and you can help.

Time is Running Out for Wisconsin Residents, Deadline to File Your Tax Extension is Next Week

Cathy Kates — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 16:45:54 +0000

Wow, I can't imagine not having taxes done for 2011, I'm already starting to try and get papers organized for our next filing period. If you are a resident of Wisconsin and you are still planning to file an extension for your taxes, time is running out. I want to help! Here is some information provided by the State of WI Department of Revenue that may be helpful.

Time to Schedule Your Organization to Volunteer to Ring Salvation Army Red Kettle Bells

Cathy Kates — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 00:40:54 +0000

The Salvation Army says it only takes 5 teams of 2, working 2-hour shifts from 10a-8p to manage a red kettle for a day. It does the heart good to volunteer. Ringing dates are between November 9 and December 24. Can you spare 2 hours of your day to help?

Relax! Predicted Bacon Shortage an Internet Hoax

Ken Hayes — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 14:31:45 +0000

Don’t worry, the bacon shortage predicted is hogwash. In the age where you can’t believe anything you hear now over the internet or social media, another hoax had us all fooled. It basically started with a press release that bacon prices may rise slightly: It all began, strangely enough, with a press release from an [...]

Now Is A Good Time To Think About Budget Billing For Utilities

Ken Hayes — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 16:19:45 +0000

Your utility bill is one of those few bills that can change drastically from one month to another. With living in the Northland, we know this first hand. In the summer time in our house, or bill can range usually between $100-$160 a month. In the winter, it can reach nearly $500 a month. The nice thing is that most utility companies offer budget billing.

Would You Pay a Surcharge for Using Your Credit Card? — Survey of the Day

Jeremy Taylor — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 16:50:12 +0000

When you use plastic to make a purchase, the credit card company bills the vendor a surcharge between 1.5 and three percent. Previously, Visa and MasterCard had banned vendors from passing on any of the fees to the customer, but thanks to the settlement of class-action lawsuit it looks like vendors will soon be able [...]

Duluth Group Voices Support Of Raising Minimum Wage [VIDEO]

David Drew — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 04:24:16 +0000

Currently the federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, but many groups around the country believe it is time to raise that amount. More than 30 events took place across the country to voice support of raising the minimum wage, including one in Duluth. Our partners at The Northland’s News Center reported that Take Action [...]

Hollywood Studios Will Withhold Box-Office Numbers For The Weekend

David Drew — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 01:05:02 +0000

Normally on Sunday, Hollywood studios release their box-office totals for the weekend to see which movie rakes in the most money. While it is expected that "The Dark Knight Rises" will clearly be the winner this weekend, with estimates of over $160 million being made in its 3-day opening weekend, the studios are withholding numbers until Monday following the tragic events in Colorado.