It’s not even New Year’s Eve yet, but that doesn’t mean it’s too early to start thinking about that 2010 tax return.

Our partners at WalletPop have compiled a comprehensive list of ways you can get free tax help, regardless of whether you want to file electronically or the old-fashioned paper way.

The list includes everything from volunteer tax assistance for low- to moderate-income families to tips for getting free basic tax preparation software.

The full list can be found here.

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The tax man is moving online

Some millionaires says, ‘Tax me, please!’

Here’s another sign of how bad the job market has become: the Labor Department is extending how long people can report that they have been unemployed.

Starting with the information collected for January's unemployment data, the Bureau of Labor Statistics says it will report unemployment durations of up to five years.

Previously, it only recorded unemployment durations of up to two years.

The Labor Department said it expects that change will affect the table that measures average duration of unemployment.

Already, that figure is shockingly high. In November, the BLS said it took unemployed workers an average of 33.8 weeks — or more than seven months — to find a new job.

For older workers, the job search generally is taking even longer.

And for the so-called “99ers,” the situation is even more bleak. These workers have exhausted the maximum 99 weeks of unemployment benefits offered under state and federal plans, and yet they still have not found work.

The BLS said the new data will be incorporated into its unemployment report beginning with the release of the January data, which happens in early February.

Looking back years from now, 2010 will probably not turn out to be the year when lots of employees focused on their work/life balance.

The uncertain economy and high unemployment rate left many Americans nervous about the job market and anxious to hold onto their jobs. For many, it also meant doing more work and perhaps even taking less personal time, according to a survey from the jobs website Careerbuilder.com.

About half of the more than 3,000 workers surveyed in August and September said their workloads had increased in the past six months. A little more than one-quarter said they had not taken a personal or sick day in the past few years — the same amount that reported health issues tied to work stress.

We all know that cell phones, laptops and other devices are blurring the line between home and work, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that many people are working even when they aren’t at work.

About one-third of workers surveyed said they bring home work about once a week, and about one quarter said they still think about work when they are at home or out socially.

Many also seem to be staying late at the office. About half of those surveyed said they work more than 40 hours a week.

Of course, for some of us, focusing more on work and less on home may have been a welcome trend. For 15 percent of respondents, being at work was preferable to being at home.

The debate over the Bush-era tax cuts made for great political theater. But now that President Obama and Congressional Republicans have cut a deal, it’s time to think about what it will mean for you come tax time.

Earlier this year, when bickering over the tax cuts was in full swing, the Tax Policy Center came up with a handy, customizable calculator that allowed people to see how the plans Democrats and Republicans were proposing would affect taxes.

Now, the calculator has now been updated to reflect the compromise plan. Obama signed the new tax bill into law earlier this month.

The tax bill extends tax cuts for the rich and benefits for the unemployed. It also adds a Social Security payroll tax cut for all workers.

The new calculator lets you compare what your bill will be under the new tax deal to what it would have been if the tax cuts had either been extended or allowed to expire.

The tool also allows you to customize based on age, income level, marriage status and how many children a family has.

Take a deeper dive and you can also alter details such as childcare expenses, charitable contributions and mortgage interest.

Door busters. Early shopping hours. Buy one, get one free.

It's déjà vu all over again for shoppers who didn't get enough buying before the holidays, or for those dying to use gift cards they received. Retailers will be going after your dollars the day after Christmas on what some merchants call the second Black Friday,  even though it's actually Sunday.

JCPenney, Sears, Best Buy and Target are among the big retailers opening at 7 am on Sunday; and Target stores will be open until 11 pm. For those of you who want to shop from home, many retailers are extending free-shipping deals that were big before Santa arrived. Almost every store is boasting deep discounts. Unfortunately, expect to find slim pickings on the shelves because consumers reportedly shopped up a storm for the holidays. You might not find the color or size or brand you want, but you're sure to get a pretty good deal if you find something you like.

TINA FINEBERG / AP

There's a great story from The Associated Press on how to shop smartly the day after Christmas; and it looks like clothing, especially winter-wear, will be your best bet.

Who said the holidays have to end?

Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

An Apple employee holds a new iPod Touch.

The big iPod Touch offer this week from a host of retailers hasn't been price cuts but gift cards. Basically, you buy the iPod and the merchant throws in a store card so you can buy more stuff from them.

Best Buy has the best deal offering a $50 gift card when you buy the iPod for $229.99, making the total cost $179.99. If you don't want to stand in line, you can get a deal for a penny more from Amazon, which is offering the iPod for $205 plus a $25 gift card but at this point you may not get the device before Christmas.

It may all come down to whether you're buying the iPod as a gift or for yourself.

This holiday season, we’re sorting through dozens of websites, Twitter feeds and Facebook pages to find a standout deal every day that can save you a bunch of money. Check back daily for our latest updates and share your shopping tips in the comment section below.

AFP - Getty Images

Christmas is popular in many Asian countries, including South Korea.

Christmas is just around the corner, and by now all your presents are no doubt wrapped and ready to go, but have you received a seasonal gift from your employer?

Probably not, because fewer than half of U.S. employers are likely to hand out Christmas gifts to their employees, according to a global survey of workers.

The practice apparently is far more prevalent in other countries, especially in northern Europe but also surprisingly in Asia, according to Randstad, a Dutch-based global staffing and human resources company.

In the United States, only 13 percent of those surveyed “strongly agreed” that their employer normally hands out Christmas gifts, while 31 percent “agreed,” for a total of 44 percent. A total of 41 percent expected to receive a gift this year from their employer.

By contrast in the Netherlands, where the practice appears to be widespread, nearly 80 percent of employees surveyed said they expected to receive a Christmas gift from their employer. The practice also appears relatively common in Scandinavian countries, Poland and Greece, according to the global Workmonitor survey.

But the country where year-end largesse seems most likely this year is China, which is known for its culture of gift-giving, if not for Christmas. A total of 88 percent of Chinese employees surveyed agreed or strongly agreed that they are likely to get a Christmas gift from their employer, and 95 percent said they expected to get a year-end financial bonus.

In India, 66 percent said they expected to get a Christmas gift. But in Japan only 12 percent of workers said they expected to get one.

We don’t want to draw any huge conclusions from this data, but we will simply note that the Netherlands also is the home to some of the world’s most satisfied workers, with 80 percent satisifed or very satisfied, according to the survey. In Japan, where economic growth has been virtually non-existent for a decade, only 6 percent of workers are very satisfied and another 33 percent say they are satisfied. U.S. workers rank fairly high on the satisfaction index, while Chinese workers rank low.

The quarterly Workmonitor, which has been around since 2003, covers 27 countries, with a minimum of 400 workers surveyed in each country. You can find recent editions at the Randstad website.

Checkers

At this point in the holiday shopping season everyone's wallet is probably on the light side. So, what could be better than free food right about now?

Sweetie Freebies tweeted this morning about a free fry offer at Checkers and Rally's. To get the deal you'll have to head over to the fast-food company's Facebook page and "Like" it. You'll be asked if you want to play a game, but you don't have to do that. Just click on the section that reads "claim your fries." You'll then be asked to include your name, zip code and e-mail; and you can then print out the coupon. I didn't include my full name and it still worked. The free fries can be redeemed when you make a purchase at any price, and the coupon lasts until December of next year.

There was just one catch: I had to click on this pledge before I could get to my coupon:

By filing out this form and clicking submit, I hereby declare my love for the most amazingly delicious fries on the planet. Hey what can I say? I have a thing for Checkers and Rally’s Fries, especially when they’re served up hot and free.

In all honesty, I'm partial to McDonald's fries, but I'm also all about the free.

This holiday season, we’re sorting through dozens of websites, Twitter feeds and Facebook pages to find a standout deal every day that can save you a bunch of money. Check back daily for our latest updates and share your shopping tips in the comment section below.

If you’re sitting down to Christmas dinner this Saturday, chances are you’ll pass the vegetables.

Vegetables are No. 1 on the list of top 10 foods and drinks Americans eat for Christmas dinner in all regions except the central U.S., according to data from market research group NPD.

There, potatoes take the top spot.

Americans seem to generally agree that a holiday dinner should have traditional items including potatoes, vegetables, poultry, ham and salads. But there are definitely some regional variations to the Christmas spread.

In the East, Italian dishes ranked ninth, while they are nowhere to be found elsewhere in the country. Similarly, tea took the ninth spot in the South but was absent elsewhere. And in the West, alcoholic beverages ranked ninth, but they didn’t make the cut anywhere else.

NPD compiled the data on Christmas eating habits using its database on in-home eating trends in the U.S.

America's student loan debt is more than $870 billion and on a pace to surpass a trillion dollars by 2012. In financial terms, the amount is staggering. In personal terms, the impact is widespread.

People are defaulting on their student loans at an alarming rate; the total doubled over the last five years. And it begs the question: Are we witnessing this country's next economic crisis?

In this video, CNBC correspondent Scott Cohn shares the story of a Midwest couple - both unemployed at the time of his interview - that has more than $250,000 in unpaid student loans. With the accrued interest, they are facing a total bill that's more than twice the original loan. It's a heartbreaking tale from a family - with three small kids - trying to survive.

Cohn hosts a documentary tonight on CNBC called "Price of Admission" and could be worth a watch.

Paul Sakuma / AP

A customer shops at a Gap store in Palo Alto, Calif.

When it comes to percentage-off sales, there's a threshold number that typically gets shoppers salivating and that number seems to be 40 percent.

Today only, the Gap is offering shoppers 40 percent off on all products with no minimums. You'll need to print out a coupon here and take it to the store with you. This deal is not available online.

Fashion blogger and Times Union Feature writer Kristi Gustafson was one consumer who was all over the Gap deal. "I went in this morning, as soon as they opened, and picked up a $348 leather coat for $110 (it was already on sale before the 40 percent)," she wrote in a blog post today.

If you're more of a Banana Republic fan and can move quickly, you can also get 40 percent off on items at the retailer until 2 p.m. local time today; but the offer is only on sale merchandise.

This holiday season, we’re sorting through dozens of websites, Twitter feeds and Facebook pages to find a standout deal every day that can save you a bunch of money. Check back daily for our latest updates and share your shopping tips in the comment section below.

When we think of medieval times we don’t exactly think of prosperity.

But new research finds that the medieval Brits may not have been so bad off financially – and may have been better off than residents of some of the poorest nations today.

Economists at the University of Warwick found that per capita income in England during the late Middle Ages was likely around $1,000 in 1990 dollars.

That’s far higher than the previous per capita income estimate of around $400, which is considered to be enough for a bare bones existence.

It also means that the medieval Brits were actually better off than people living today in nations including Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and Haiti.

“Our work sheds new light on England’s economic past, revealing that per capita incomes in medieval England were substantially higher than the ‘bare bones subsistence’ levels experienced by people living in poor countries in our modern world,” Stephen Broadberry, the University of Warwick economist who lead the research, said in a statement.

Broadberry said that by the late Middle Ages, English people were able to afford the occasional luxury, and a diet that included meat, dairy, produce and ale.  

For a full copy of the paper, called British Economic Growth 1270-1870, click here.

Target

Flat-screen, HDTV prices have hit record lows this holiday season because of an overabundance of supply. But finding a 30-inch plus system for under $300 since Black Friday has been tough until now.

In its flier over the weekend, Target included a 32-inch Westinghouse flat-screen LED HDTV for $275. The regular price at the retailer is $389.99; and the lowest price I could find for the unit was from eBay for $340. The deal is available in stores only, and the flier specifies that quantities are limited.

Keep in mind that a low price tag may not be the only reason to choose one HDTV over another. It's wise to take some time and do some research on what's available out there; and check out this story on HDTV buying tips published last month on msnbc.com.

This holiday season, we’re sorting through dozens of websites, Twitter feeds and Facebook pages to find a standout deal every day that can save you a bunch of money. Check back daily for our latest updates and share your shopping tips in the comment section below.

It’s that time of year when people think about sharing, and a new survey finds that for many of us that includes charitable giving.

The poll, conducted by Harris Interactive for the online giving platform Causes.com, found that 85 percent of Americans have donated to charity. Of those who do give money, about one-third are more likely to do so during the holidays.

Older Americans were most likely to have donated money, with 94 percent of those 55 and over reporting that they had donated at some point. Women were also slightly more likely to have given than men.

Why do people donate to nonprofits?

About half of the donors surveyed said they were motivated by wanting to do something positive for the community. The same percentage said they donated because someone they knew was fundraising for a specific cause, and 41 percent said they gave in response to a natural disaster. (Respondents were allowed to give more than one answer.)

Apparently, very few give for more selfish reasons: Only 17 percent said they did it to feel good about themselves during the holidays, and only 10 percent said they needed the tax write-off.

The recession and weak economic recovery has crimped giving to some charities, even as many nonprofits have said that the need for their services has increased. Last month, the Urban Institute and other organizations released their annual Nonprofit Fundraising Survey on giving so far this yaer.

Of about 2,500 charities surveyed, the report found that 36 percent had seen a rise in giving, while 37 percent had seen a decrease. The rest reported that giving had remained about the same.

The report said international giving was most likely to see an increase, as donors responded to disasters.

If you haven't gotten sick of listening to holiday tunes where ever you go, you can now buy some for 69 cents at iTunes through Dec. 27.

You have a choice of 15 well-known holiday ditties including Frank Sinatra's "Jingle Bells," Faith Hill's "Silent Night, Holy Night!", and The Chipmunks' "The Chipmunk Song: Christmas Don't Be Late." Most of these tunes would set you back $1.29 without the deal.

Believe it or not, I had 70 cents left in my iTunes account so I downloaded "Happy Xmas: War Is Over," by John Lennon, The Harlem Community Choir, Yoko Ono & The Plastic Ono Band, which was part of the deal, leaving me with a penny to spend. Unfortunately, there's not much you can buy for 1 cent on iTunes.

Here's hoping Santa replenishes my account.

This holiday season, we’re sorting through dozens of websites, Twitter feeds and Facebook pages to find a standout deal every day that can save you a bunch of money. Check back daily for our latest updates and share your shopping tips in the comment section below.

If it seems like health insurance costs are eating up a bigger chunk of your paycheck than a decade ago, here’s one reason why.

The cost of family health insurance premiums grew much faster than most workers’ wages between 1999 and 2009, according to new data from the Economic Policy Institute.

The think tank compared the rise in premiums to the increase in wages for nonsupervisory and production workers, the bulk of the private sector work force.

They found that the health insurance premiums more than doubled over the 10-year period, while workers' earnings rose by about 38 percent. Overall inflation rose by nearly 30 percent during the period.

Most companies share the burden of health premiums with their employees, so it’s likely both you and your boss are grappling with the disproportionate jump in costs.

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