We haven’t had a Free Money Friday for frequent travelers lately so here’s a great one: Citi and American Airlines are offering a 30,000 AAdvantage mile bonus for new cardmembers which can equal quite a few free flights!

We had just returned from our last vacation… but I have a confession to make… while we were there, I convinced Scott that we should squeeze in just one more summer vacation before Labor Day weekend rolls around and our oldest heads back to preschool.

Losing your job can be psychologically and emotionally draining, as well as can suck the life out of your bank account. Unemployment insurance is typically a few hundred dollars a week, which is a fraction of what you used to make, and equates to a salary considered under the poverty line in the United States. <!--2cf272f318d34e7481fbace218c887e9-->

The marriage tax penalty is set to make a comeback in 2011. Lets take a look at the marriage tax penalty, an often confusing and overused term, to see what it really means and why it’s coming back.

What is the Marriage Tax Penalty?

Ten years ago, married couples had to pay more than double the taxes they would if they were two single filers. Owing more tax as soon as you married became known as the marriage tax penalty.

A year ago, I moved into a new apartment building. It’s a luxury building, and I was the very first tenant to occupy the 600 square foot space with granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. At the time, the brand new building was offering 2 months free rent, bringing the pro-rated monthly total to just within my price range. Fast forward 12 months and my lease is up. The rent is going up $90 per month and my two free months are last year’s news. Needless to say, the apartment is no longer renting for a price I feel comfortable paying.

I just reserved at 5% CD at Pentagon Federal Credit Union, aka Penfed.

Ironically, last week, I also refinanced our mortgage (again) to 3.625% at Penfed. It’s a little funny that they’re loaning money cheaper than they are borrowing it, but they’ve been known to do so, so it’s a double win for us.

They’re currently letting people reserve $240,000,000 worth of CDs at this rate; as of this morning, there was $207,000,000 left… and it usually goes fast!

Since we all have WT Direct accounts from their huge bonus offers back in the spring, it’s time to beef up the amount of money you have in your account for some extra bonuses!

Citi is really keeping up with some great offers. Their latest $50 statement credit is this week’s Free Money offer!

The 2011 tax calculator is finally here, even though we still don’t know exactly what the 2011 tax brackets will be.

The Tax Foundation has a 2011 tax calculator that helps you project your 2011 income taxes based on all the options Congress is considering.

2011 Tax Calculator

The 2011 tax calculator has 4 scenarios based on what Congress decides to do: