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- Wu. •> . -Vv. • "•5 Tax Preparation Guide STOREWIDE CLEARANCE SAVE 20%to 40 Upholstery*Dining Room Sets*Dinettes Adult & Childrens Bedroom Sets*Tables Chairs* Bedding*Much More!! CRVtKMMKB "The Store That Cares To Save You Money" Rome fturnishinfiif 815/4552370 •r 455-2371 19 Berkshire Near Virginia Crystal Lake FREE SET UP & DELIVERY Start teaching money management at early age ByRobertP.Studer Copley News Service Every Dad and Mom can tell you straight out -- money just doesn't grow on trees. But that fact may not be quite so clear to their offspring. The ability to stretch out money to cover not only the luxuries in life -- but also the necessities -- is not a lesson learned easily. It can be taught, however, and the best way to do it is to let children begin learning early, according to a Universi­ ty of California at Riverside Cooperative Extension consumer economics and management specialist. "The sooner that they have direct ex­ perience in money matter and how family spending decisions are made, the better," says Karen P. Schnit- tgrund. "By including your offspring in discussions on how the family income is spent, they'll learn to realize that your money doesn't grow on ever­ bearing trees." But put it into terms they can unders­ tand, she adds. "By telling your children that a tune- up for the family car will cost as much as a new bike, you give them an ex­ planation to which they can relate. It gives them a more realistic understan­ ding of what the family income can and can't buy." Schnittgrund suggests these ways of teaching money realism to kids: • "Explain to your children that spending money without getting something worthwhile in return is wasting it. Expect them to make mistakes, but help them to learn from them and praise them when they have used their money well. • "Give them money to spend for necessities as well as some for toys, shows, extra clothes or tools. They may disagree with you as to what are necessities because learning to make choices is not mastered in a single ef­ fort, and no two people ever have the same money needs. Set some money limits at first so that the sum involved won't be enough to cause an unhappy situation if your children err in their judgment. • "Avoid being overly critical of your children's spending mistakes. It may discourage them from making decisions." Having an allowance and staying within it can be a valuable experience for a child, Schnittgrund adds. "Start as soon as your children are capable, even as early as 3 or 4 years. Give them guidelines as to how their allowance should be spent. "When children help decide their allowances by listing their needs and ranking them in importance, they learn that income first should cover needs, that money is limited and that the fami­ ly's financial situation determines the amount each member can use." Protection against credit card fraud can be easy ^By Judith G. Rhoades Copley News Service Fraudulent transactions made with credit cards seem to be occurring more regularly. One of the best things you can do is to examine your monthly statements, bpnk charges, etc., as soon as they ar­ rive. Otherwise, it is possible you already have cost yourself money on fraudulent charges. Bankers say that automated teller machines have eliminated much of the fraud because users need a personal identification number to enter the banking system. You face a greater liability, however, if someone uses your number wrongfully. : Credit cards have only a $50 max­ imum if you notify your bank within two days. After that your liability is $500. If your bank statement has unauthorized charges and you fail to report them within 60 days, your liabili­ ty then becomes unlimited for future charges. Don't write your secret code number anywhere that someone easily could find it, especially not on the card itself. Also, should your bank allow you to select your code number, don't use your address, birth date or Social Security number. Those are all the numbers that a pickpocket will try first. When you are making a transaction, keep your eyes open. Watch that your card isn't being used to imprint moe than one transaction slip. Make certain that yor card is returned to you and that the card returned is yours. Safeguard your cards as you do your cash. This means don't leave your cards sitting out in your hotel room or even in your own home. Make certain any expired cards have been destroyed by cutting in halves or quarters. If you should receive a phone call asking for your credit number, don't give it. Many companies are perfectly legitimate, but there are also some fraudulent ones. Don't give your card number or loan your card to anyone. You won't know for weeks afterward what has been charged on your number. You also might want to consider tear­ ing up any carbons, as there have been counterfeiting activities.