​2. Order your credit report.


An estimated 80 percent of consumers have at least some negative
information on their credit reports, and one in four reports contain errors
significant enough to cause consumers to be denied credit, a loan, an apartment,
a mortgage, or even a job, according to a study by the Massachusetts Public
Interest Research Group.

Under the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions
Act passed by Congress in 2003, consumers can order their free credit report
from all three major bureaus to check for mistakes. You can request the reports
by visiting AnnualCreditReport. com www.annualcreditrep ort.com; by calling
(877) 322-8228; or by sending a written request to Annual Credit Report Request
Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.

Although you'll receive a free report, you still have to pay a fee to get your actual credit score. Be sure to obtain these reports directly from the bureaus; don't provide personal information to any third parties who offer to get free reports for you. 

(You need to give the bureau your name, address, date of birth, and Social
Security number to retrieve the report.) Any inaccuracies should be disputed in
writing with the credit bureau immediately.

3. Adjust your withholding.

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The average refund among taxpayers who have already filed their 2008 tax return is $2,578, according to the Internal Revenue Service. Lots of people celebrate when their tax return yields a big check. But it should really be taken as a sign of
poor planning: Instead of earning interest on that money during the year, you
gave Uncle Sam an interest-free loan.

It may be time to adjust your
withholding -- the amount of money taken out of your paycheck during the year.
To change your withholding, ask your employer for a new W-4 form. The reason
many people get large refunds is that they don't bother to fill out the
complicated worksheet on page 2 of the W-4 form. This is where you can list your
mortgage interest and real estate taxes, entitling you to more personal
allowances.

Similarly, to avoid a big bill next April, ask that an additional amount be taken from your paycheck. Simply take the amount you paid the IRS and divide it by the number of pay periods in the rest of this year. 

(Another option is to reduce the number of personal allowances on your W-4.) For
more help with your W-4, check out the IRS's withholding allowance calculator.


4. Review your tax return with your spouse.

Whether you, your spouse, or your accountant is the financial guru in your life, take the opportunity after you file your taxes to go through your return together. Make sure both of you understand all of the assets in your marriage.

Both partners should maintain a careful record of the names of financial
institutions