For a while there, it was looking pretty certain that Americans were going to get another round of those $1,200 coronavirus “stimulus checks.”
Democrats, Republicans and the White House all said they wanted to give out more money to relieve financial pain and stimulate the economy, and the U.S. House voted in May to provide fresh payments. But stimulus money was missing from a COVID-19 relief bill that was just introduced in the Senate — and promptly died.
find your own sources of cash, to give yourself a stimulus check. Check out these nine ways to create one on your own.” data-reactid=”34″>If you could use another $1,200 right now, why wait around while Washington plays the usual games? Here’s a better game: look around and find your own sources of cash, to give yourself a stimulus check. Check out these nine ways to create one on your own.
1. Curb your car insurance costs
If you’re like most people, your car insurance is due every six months. It’s very easy to get complacent and just blindly keep paying your premiums — which is how you wind up paying too much.
compare rates from several insurers to make sure you’re paying the best price.” data-reactid=”61″>Drivers can save an average $1,127 a year by shopping around regularly for the lowest auto insurance rates, a study by CarInsurance.com found. Each time your policy comes up for renewal, compare rates from several insurers to make sure you’re paying the best price.
Look for advertised discounts — like if your car is loaded with safety features. The insurance company might knock a percentage off your bill for your air bags, anti-lock brakes or even daytime running lights.
Or, you might cut your premiums by agreeing to higher deductibles, which means you cover more of your own losses before the insurance kicks in.
2. Find your long-lost money
You may have some money sitting out there, maybe in an old account, that you’ve totally forgotten about. That’s surprisingly common.
You can search what’s in state databases of unclaimed funds by going to MissingMoney.com. There, you’ll find out if you left any money in an old checking or savings account, or if you’re entitled to life insurance proceeds from relatives who’ve passed away.
buy your own life insurance policy.)” data-reactid=”88″>(You’ll want to be more careful about notifying beneficiaries when you buy your own life insurance policy.)
3. Claim your unclaimed tax refunds
IRS to see if there are any tax refunds you’re missing.” data-reactid=”114″>Check with the IRS to see if there are any tax refunds you’re missing.
The tax agency says the average refund paid to taxpayers in both 2019 and 2020 has been $2,741 — well above that $1,200 coronavirus relief payment amount.
You can amend your previous tax returns for up to three years if you were eligible for a refund but neglected to claim it.
The tax agency recently put out a last call for taxpayers to claim more than $1.5 billion in refunds from 2016 returns filed in 2017.
4. Refinance your mortgage
