Web Wealth: Stimulus plan, health plan and more
Stimulus programs. Financial industry reforms. The health-care debate. These are some of the big issues facing families and businesses, and here are a few good sites for making sense of them.
Stimulus programs. Financial industry reforms. The health-care debate. These are some of the big issues facing families and businesses, and here are a few good sites for making sense of them.
An article from CNNMoney.com tries to explain "how Obama wants to transform your finances." In explaining some of the key reforms under way or sought by the president - including the proposal for a consumer watchdog, and sharper regulation of financial markets - it's clear that consumers and investors will still need to be on their toes, and that most of us will be on our own to regroup from 401(k) and other retirement fund losses experienced through the meltdown.
Clunker central. The "Cash for Clunkers" program may be the first major success story of the stimulus. Formally known as the Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Act, it's already exhausted the initial $1 billion allocated for paying up to $4,500 to new-car buyers who trade in a low-gas-mileage vehicle. But federal officials vowed to keep the popular payments coming. Details are set out at the cars.gov Web site. The site notes that if you bought a new car on or after July 1, but before the rules for the rebate program were out, you might still be able to get the credit. Also this year, any new-car buyers may deduct state sales taxes on the purchase.
Health care. There's a slew of proposals for health-care reform, and setting them side-by-side is difficult. But this site by the Kaiser Family Foundation attempts to do just that with an interactive approach that could help you begin to sort out the details. Visitors may compare how 11 plans - put forward by the Obama administration, congressional members and committees - address up to 17 different issues, such as premiums, public costs, and long-term care. The Kaiser foundation says it seeks to be a "nonpartisan source of facts, information, and analysis."
Home buyers. One program aimed at boosting the housing market is the $8,000 federal tax credit for first-time home buyers. You can imagine the joy with which this is being touted by homebuilders and others in the beleaguered real estate industry. The FAQ at the site of the National Association of Home Builders provides plenty of answers on this stimulative element of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.