Dog and cat lovers will want to stock up on the new stamps released by the post office! The 44-cent first class stamps have pictures featuring dogs and cats promoting adoption of animals from shelters. The campaign “Stamps to the Rescue” raised funds to buy food for animals in shelters as well as brings awareness and reminds people to adopt their furry friends from a shelter. The stamps have pictures of 5 cats and 5 dogs that were all adopted from a shelter located in New Milford, CT.

California is seeing an increase in home remodeling projects, something this economy hasn’t seen since 2007. Home owners are feeling more confident about the economy and 62% of homeowners surveyed indicated they plan to spend an average of $6,200 on enhancements. California saw consumer spending decrease 27% in 2007, but 2010 shows an estimated 5% growth. This could potentially be the first year of growth for this sector since 2006.

Home Depot and Lowe’s are projecting an average 2% same-store sales growth for 2010, a great sign of an economic recovery. Contractors are experiencing an increase of inbound calls for new jobs.  While it’s still nowhere near it use to be, business is picking up.

In anticipation of the rebound of the Home Services sector, Leadpile is launching it’s new home improvement website.  Watch for the website to be available in the coming weeks where you can find a certified contractor near you.

Wisconsin, a state that has until recently not regulated payday loans has now restricted lending. Payday lenders are now restricted to limiting the loans to $1,500 or 35% of the consumers monthly income whichever is less. The borrower will only be able to renew the loan once. Auto title loans will be limited to half the value of a vehicle. Title lenders will be required to notify borrower before seizing their vehicles, the borrower can be charged a storage fee for the repossessed vehicle. If the vehicle is sold for more than the amount of the loan, the consumer is entitled to cash back from the sale.

It seems that there is some controversy going on with the recent news that a potential Apple iPhone prototype was stolen from a California bar. The controversy started when photos of the stolen iPhone supposidly ended up on a blog. The question is, how exactly did this happen… Who forked over the recovered phone to this blogger? Should the blogger be protected to not have to disclose his source of how the lost phone ended up in his hands, or is he protected to not have to disclose his source?
NPR points out that the individual that got the phone turned over to him for a reported $5000 is now under investigation, but the question is….. should he be required to release his anonymous “source” of where the phone came from, or is he protected by the same rights as California journalists are? Your call!

Are you managing and in control of your credit? Checking your credit report is the first step in the right direction and helps you understand your credit history and current standing – it is also a good idea to watch and make sure nothing out of the ordinary pops up that you were not aware of.

According to Adam Levin, the chairman and co-founder of Credit.com there are five ways for better managing your credit:

1. Only use a fraction of your available credit
2. Use online banking tools to keep a close eye on your accounts
3. Open credit card mail and read the fine details
4. Manage your credit portfolio like an investment portfolio
5. Remember that credit seeps into every layer of your life

To read in detail about each of these tips:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36654400/ns/business-consumer_news/page/2/

To receive a free yearly credit report visit AnnualCreditReport.com.

LeadPile generates credit repair leads, matching consumers in need of help with companies who specialize in helping to repair poor credit.

It looks like the payday “police” have hit Colorado. There is a proposed payday loan bill that would put an interest rate cap on payday loans. The reasoning behind this bill is that some Coloradans believe, “that excess interest rates can lead Colorado families into a debt trap of repeat borrowing”. There are three separate proposed bills. One would put the rate cap at 18%, another at 28% and another proposed bill putting the rate cap at 36%. The unfortunate thing about these sorts of bill is that the potential rate caps would hurt the payday lenders and potentially not allow them to stay in business. This would then hurt consumers who are looking for a much needed payday loan. We will all be watching the outcome of these proposed bills.

Happy Earth Day! Today is the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, a day that brings awareness and educates about energy efficiency, renewable energy, going green and reducing your carbon footprint.

Here are a few suggestions for small changes you can make to help the earth:

• Using old paper for rough work to save paper
• Hanging clothes to dry, instead of using your dryer
• Ride your bike instead of driving on short trips
• Reuse water bottles
• Take a reusable coffee mug with you to get your daily caffeine fix
• Turn off lights when you’re not in the room
• Turn off running water while brushing your teeth
• Plant a tree
• Buy local produce when possible to reduce carbon from the transportation of non local foods

To learn more about how you can make a difference visit earthday.org .

LeadPile is a paperless company and makes an effort to reduce our carbon footprint whenever we can!

The $100 bill has a fresh new look after its recently revealed makeover! In an effort to make the bill harder to counterfeit, the bill has been updated. The $100 bill still will be represented by Benjamin Franklin, but will now also feature a Liberty Bell and a bright blue security ribbon composed of thousands of tiny lenses that magnify the objects in “mysterious ways”. The new version will not hit the streets and enter circulation until February 10 of 2011 giving the government time to educate the public in the US as well as around the world. It is estimated that 2/3 of all $100 bills are currently circulating outside of the US.

The $100 bill is the most common attempt to counterfeit outside of the US, while in the US the $20 bill is the most frequently targeted.

The $100 note is the last to undergo redesign. In 2003 adding color and updates began with the $20 bill with the $50, $10 and $5 following. The $1 bill will not be receiving any updates.

A group of 50 colleges (and this number is growing) are pledging to do fund student financial needs through grants and work-study programs rather than with loans. Limiting loans with the “Project on Student Debt” will help in the efforts of reducing graduates debt amounts leaving them in large financial debt when leaving school.

With the economy in poor standing, this affected all schools – particularly private schools, resulting in tuition hikes and budget hikes.

With student aid, few students will pay the full tuition price for example. Financial aid is defined as the total cost of attendance (tuition, books, room & board) minus a family’s expected contribution. Public colleges threshold for receiving need-based aid is typically $60,000 or less.

For example according to money.cnn.com:

Full estimated tuition price at Harvard per year is $50,000. A family with an income of $120,000 can expect to pay after Harvard’s financial aid $16,000 per year. This same family would pay an estimated $15,800 at Yale and $34,000 at Stanford after receiving financial aid help.

The financial commitment to attend college may be intimidating. Researching your options for financial aid in addition to merit-based scholarships and grants can be a great way to lessen the financial burden. A complete list of schools participating with the “no loan” financial aid packages can be found here: www.ProjectOnStudentDebt.org .

LeadPile is adding Online Education to our list of lead types and will soon be generating leads!

Whether it was a plotted marketing scheme or a mistake that one Apple engineer will never be forgotten for, the newest model of the iPhone was left in a bar in California and sold to the tech site Gizmodo. The iPhone, which was not to be formally unveiled for a couple of months has now been dissected and photos posted by the technology news site. Over a million people visitors had made it to the site to view the iPhone just an hour after it had been posted.

Apple has not formally made any comments regarding the technology leak, however late Monday evening Gizmodo received a letter from Apple’s senior VP and general counsel requesting the phone be returned.

If you are currently renting, you may occasionally question if you are able to buy something for similar cost – and right now, this might be possible. According to the associated press, the gap between monthly rent cost and mortgage payments is at its lowest level in almost 20 years!! If you are able to purchase by April 30th, you may also qualify for the tax incentives. Incentives for buying a home include capital gains deductions for property taxes and loan interest as well as diversifying your assets, builds equity and provides a means of forced savings as you slowly pay down the principal.

With the potential to appreciate in value owning a home can seem like a win-win situation, however there is also a flipside that owning a home can bring hefty and unexpected repair bills and there is no guarantee that the value will go up.

Weighing the pros and cons of buying vs. owning is something everyone has to figure out for themselves but if buying is an option for you, it might be a great time to take advantage!

So the dreaded April 15th has come and gone, the last thing you are probably thinking about is your 2010 taxes. It is always good to be thinking ahead of the game in regards to deductions and knowing what your options are.

Tax deductions & credits available for 2010:

Homebuyer maximum credit of $8,000 valid on new home purchased until April 30, if the binding contact was entered by April 30, you have until June 30 to close on the property.

American opportunity credit for college expenses – a credit of $2,500 annually can be used by eligible students in the first 4 years of college..books and supplies are also qualified as eligible expenses.

Tax credit for installing storm windows or making energy-saving improvements to your home. The credit covers 30 percent of the cost up to a maximum credit of $1,500

If you have the opportunity to get a little bit of help from Uncle Sam, take advantage!