Sometimes, managing your finances can seem overwhelming—there are so many factors to take into consideration. Here’s a quick, easy look at three bits of personal finance news/wisdom from around the web.

American Express & Taxes

A post from CreditBloggers.com reports on some odd tax-season news: American Express has apparently decided to allow customers to use their rewards points to pay for taxes this year. Here’s the deal:

• If you’re a qualified cardholder interested in using your rewards points, you visit one of these web sites: OfficialPayments.com or Pay1040.com.
• You fill out the information required on the page, indicating the amount you wish to pay and to satisfy which taxes.
• You cash in your rewards points for money you owe Uncle Sam.

But before you rush off to cash in, note the catch: each tax dollar costs 200 points, a rate of exchange that is, according to sources, not that great. Other rewards items available from AmEx come to fewer points-per-dollar.

So, if you’re looking to get rid of rewards points, this may be an option for you. Otherwise, no big loss.

Savings from Verizon and AT&T?

If you’re looking for expenses to cut as part of a new budget, you may be in luck if you have a cell phone plan with either Verizon or AT&T. A post from Five Cent Nickel indicates that both companies have been cutting prices on their unlimited plans by up to 30 percent.

All you have to do to see if you qualify is visit your provider’s website, call their customer service number or go into a store. Whichever option you choose, make sure you have your account details handy to make any changes as easy as possible.

Learn more about your bankruptcy options.

Maximize Your Warehouse Membership Benefits

If you shop at warehouse-style retailers that require membership payments, a post from Wise Bread is a must-read. It offers sixteen tips for making sure you get all the benefits the warehouse has to offer.

Highlights include:

• Crunch the numbers: Make sure you know what fees are. Determine how much money you’re likely to save in each visit and see how many visits it will take to make a membership worthwhile.
• Check per-unit prices: If you don’t already read per-unit prices in the grocery store and elsewhere, now’s the time to start. They’re listed below the retail price and will let you know whether or not you’re actually getting a bargain in an apples-to-apples comparison.
• Be realistic: Remember to take into account your family’s eating habits and storage capabilities. If something will go bad before you can eat it, it’s not a good value!

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