Refund Mania

Raise your hand if you like giving the government your hard earned money. We didn’t think so. Now raise your hand if you would never give the government an interest free loan. Not so fast, you!

If you’re giddily anticipating a big tax refund soon, stop to consider what that really means. In taking out more money from your paycheck than you owe, the government is using that extra money, tax free, until they give it back to you. Don’t feel bad, lots of people do the same thing—105.9 million taxpayers are receiving an average refund of $2,324 according to the IRS.

Even though a refund feels like this really cool payoff in the spring, your best shot at having more money is to adjust withholding on your W-4 so that you’re taking home more money each paycheck. While it may not seem as fun as anticipating a refund, you’ll be glad for the little bit of extra each month! If you’re feeling really ambitious, you can start thinking of ways to save that excess for retirement. [Wallet Pop]