Are you among the 45 million taxpayers who've
already filed their tax returns, and are in line for
an average $2,182 federal refund (according to the
latest IRS statistics)? Don't be tempted to spend
all of the dollars at retailers offering to cash the
government checks. Some Wal-Mart customers are
apparently doing this with electronics, Easter
merchandise, and lawn/garden goods, according to the
retailer's latest sales report. Why not use some of
the money to pay off high-interest credit cards,
contribute to an IRA for your retirement, or open a
529 plan for your children's college education? It's
better to build wealth for the future, than to spend
all the money on something that can become outdated
or used up.

To find the status of your refund, the Internal
Revenue Service has set up this easy way to check:
www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=96596,00.html