Here are three of the week's top pieces of financial advice, gathered from around the web:
A secret retirement tax credit
"Some workers can get a double tax benefit by saving for retirement," said Mark Miller at Reuters. The Saver's Credit lets low-income workers reduce their tax liability dollar-for-dollar by contributing to a 401(k) or IRA in addition to the normal tax deferral benefits of retirement contributions. The credit is worth up to $1,000 for single filers with adjusted gross incomes of up to $30,500, and $2,000 for joint filers with combined incomes of up to $61,000. Even if you didn't contribute to a retirement plan last year, you're still eligible to do so and claim the credit through April 18. Despite its advantages, only a quarter of workers with household incomes lower than $50,000 know of the credit, according to the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies.
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Channel your inner Carl Icahn
You too can be an activist investor, said Catherine Fredman at Consumer Reports. High-profile hedge funds may dominate the news coverage, "but ordinary investors are also shifting corporate strategy" through shareholder proxy votes. If you own stock in a publicly traded company, you'll receive a ballot before the company's annual meeting to vote on proposals submitted by other investors. Don't ignore it. Even small blocks of investors can change company policy. In 2011, for example, 20 percent of McDonald's shareholders came together and persuaded the chain to replace its foam beverage cups with more eco-friendly paper containers. A record 433 shareholder resolutions related to environmental and social issues were filed last year, according to ProxyPreview.org, a site investors can use to look up proposed resolutions at companies.
Not everything is cheaper online
Shopping online doesn't necessarily guarantee a better deal than heading to the store, said Sarah Halzack at The Washington Post. Major retailers have woken up to the fact that consumers are quick to spot different prices online and in-store, and so are moving toward consistent pricing across their inventory. A recent survey of household products conducted by Anthem Marketing Solutions found that 75 percent of the time, there was no price difference between items sold online and in-store. But when there is a price difference, researchers said, online prices are better 75 percent of the time. The best deals are on entertainment items such as DVDs, video games, and board games, with an average saving of nearly 74 percent compared with shopping in-store.
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