Tips and resources on how to budget, save and manage money with financial expert, Karen R. Jenkins.  6:30 p.m., Monday, April 22 at the Eastover Park, 1031 Main St., Eastover

No matter your age or stage of life, Richland Library has resources to help get your finances in order. 

If you know of someone who is looking for assistance with 2012 income tax preparation and cannot afford to hire an accountant or tax preparer, Cooperative Ministry's VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) program is the answer.  The VITA volunteers are IRS-certified and provide help in basic income tax return preparation to individuals from families earning less than $50,000 a year.  In the five years of the program's existence, VITA has processed more than eight thousand tax returns, bringing Midlands citizens more than $10 million in refunds and credits.

As you probably already know, the 2% Payroll Tax Cut that was implemented in 2010 expired as of January 1, 2013.  This means that your take-home pay may be slightly less than what it has been for the past few years.  A smaller check may be causing you to think two, three, or even four times about how you spend your money and where you can cut back on expenses.  The first factor that came to mind for me when I began considering how I can save money was eliminating small expenses that add up to larger expenses.  An obvious solution is spending less on fast food and taking the time to cook at home but, during a recent conversation with my sister regarding bank fees, I decided to do a little research and see if I was getting the best bank for my buck.

The first signs that tax season is upon us have appeared...people dressed as the Statue of Liberty dancing on the sidewalks, commercials from tax-preparation firms interrupting the evening news and football games.  This promises to be an exciting tax season as citizens grapple with the changes to the tax code resulting from the new health-care law as well as the recent skirting of the "fiscal cliff."  The Richland Library has available some copies of the basic federal (1040, 1040A, and 1040EZ) and state (1040) tax forms; staff can also print out other forms, such as Schedule A for itemized deductions, on demand at no charge.  (The instruction bulletins for the federal forms can be obtained from the local IRS office in the Strom Thurmond Federal Building on Assembly St.; for the state 1040 instructions, go to the Dept. of Revenue's office at 300A Outlet Pointe Blvd.  You can also print them for yourself by visiting the IRS and SC Dept. of Revenue websites.)

This video introduces the risks and benefits of using a bank to borrow money. It tells the story of Rachel who reaches her goal of publishing an album by making smart decisions based on interest rates and timeframes. The video includes: APRs - the fees involved in borrowing money Basic borrowing plans Risks of borrowing money Avoiding penalties and late fees

On Wednesday 14 November, Governor Haley ordered enhanced security measures for the sixteen state agencies (including the Dept. of Revenue) that form her Cabinet. Their computer networks will be monitored by the Division of State Information Technology, with four employees assigned to 24/7 monitoring duties.