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Rebates have become increasingly popular in the last few years on a lot of items and certainly on electronic items and computers. Rebates of $20, $50 or $100 are not uncommon.

I’ve even seen items advertised as “free after rebate”. Do these rebates come under the heading of “too good to be true”? Some of them do and there are “catches” to watch out for but if you are careful, rebates can help you get some really good deals.

The way a rebate works is that you pay the listed price for an item then mail in a form and the bar code to the manufacturer and they send you a refund thus reducing the price of what you paid for the item except with a time delay of several weeks.

Rule #1. Rebates from reputable companies are usually just fine.

You can be pretty sure you will get the promised rebate from Best Buy, Amazon or Dell but you should probably not count on getting one from a company you’ve never heard of. If you really want the product and are OK with paying the price listed then buy it but don’t count on actually getting the refund.

Rule #2. Check rebate expiration dates.

Many times products will stay on the shelf of a retailer after the date for sending in the rebate offer has expired so check that date carefully.

Rule #3. Be sure you have all the forms required to file for the rebate before you leave the store.

Rebates will almost always require a form to be filled out, a receipt for the purchase and a bar code.

Rule #4. Back up your rebate claim.

Make copies of everything you send in to get your rebate including the bar code. Stuff gets lost in the mail all the time and if the rebate is for $50 it’s worth the trouble to back up your claim.

Football star Wayne Rooney is the Premier League’s king of cars, owning a host of the world’s most expensive automotive exotica – but he’s struggling to get his hands on a £350,000 Mercedes McLaren SLR Convertible.

So who else has an envious collection? 

Wayne Rooney While most 22-year-olds are happy with a supermini or hatchback, Wayne Rooney isn’t – but then again most 22-year-olds don’t earn more than £100,000 a WEEK. The Manchester United and England star has a Lamborghini Gallardo, Bentley Continental GT, Range Rover, Aston Martin Vanquish and BMW M6 in his motoring stable. But now Wayne Rooney wants a Mercedes McLaren SLR convertible - with red seats. He’ll need to fork out more than £350,000 for the 207mph Mercedes – and according to press reports, he’s struggling to get his hands on one… Money spent:  £750,000 + Claude Makelele Defensive midfielder Claude Makelele (above) – who cost Chelsea £16 million to buy from Real Madrid – has one of the most expensive motors in the Stamford Bridge car park – a £350,000 Mercedes McLaren SLR. The SLR hypercar will hit a colossal 207mph. Other cars in his stable include a Ferrari 360 supercar and a Mercedes SL65 AMG (above) - a £150,000 convertible with a more-than-adequate 612bhp and 737lb/ft of pulling power. Money spent:  £600,000 + Steven Gerrard The man who has helped Liverpool out of so many sticky situations is doing his best to help the UK new car market too. Steven Gerrard – the Champions League-winning attacking midfielder – has owned a Porsche 911 Turbo, Mercedes SLK, Aston Martin Vanquish, BMW X5, Bentley Continental and Range Rover Sport HST. Money spent:  £530,000 + Rio Ferdinand The Manchester United and England central defender is as famous for his cars as he is for his hairstyles. Ferdinand loves American motors, and has owned a Cadillac Escalade 4×4 and a Ford F150 pick-up truck. Rio Ferdinand’s Chrysler 300C was for sale on Auto Trader, a stark contrast from his European cars such as the £190,000 Bentley Arnage, £120,000 Bentley Continental and the obligatory BMW X5. Car collection: £480,000 + John Terry Chelsea and England captain John Terry isn’t afraid to splash the cash, once forking out £80,000 on a watch. He’s owned a £130,000 Ferrari F430 Spider, Range Rover Sport, BMW X5, Porsche 911 Turbo and a Bentley Continental. Money spent: £450,000 + William Gallas A former colleague of Claude Makelele at Chelsea, Arsenal captain William Gallas also counts the Mercedes McLaren SLR hypercar as one of his cars. But unlike Makelele, Gallas also owns a Mercedes ML63 AMG 4×4 – an off-roader which will still accelerate from 0-60mph in five seconds. Money spent: £425,000 + View more images of ultimate footballers’ cars Frank Lampard Chelsea’s high scoring midfielder has a penchant for luxury tourers. Over the past couple of years the England international has had a Ferrari 612 Scaglietti and Aston Martin DB9 parked on the drive of his million pound Surrey home. The Ferrari 612 is a £182,000 four-seat beast with a top speed of 199mph, while the £110,000 DB9 will top out at 186mph. Lampard bucks the BMW X5 trend, opting for a £75,000 Mercedes ML63 AMG 4×4 instead – an off-roader which hits 60mph from standing in five seconds. Money spent:  £375,000 + Michael Owen Liverpool’s past hero and international football star Michael Owen owns a cool collection of cars, including a Jaguar X-type (above), Range Rover V8 Vogue and a Chrysler Voyager. Michael Owen’s garage was also home to a jet black Jaguar XKR 460 Typhoon, extensively modified by Jaguar specialists Racing Green Cars. To top off his collection, an Aston Martin DB7 Vanquish sits outside the Newcastle striker’s home. Money spent: £300,000 + Jermaine Defoe Portsmouth striker Jermaine Defoe owns a couple of top-of-the-range SUVs, including a BMW X5 and Range Rover Sport. The ex-Tottenham lad also owns an Aston Martin V8 Vantage and Mercedes ML63 AMG. Money spent: £250,000 + Cristiano Ronaldo Ronaldo is arguably the world’s best footballer, so fittingly he’s after the world’s ultimate car - the 253mph Bugatti Veyron. Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo raced a Veyron in a recent commercial – and has now got his name down on the list for the £830,000 hypercar, but he’ll have to wait a year before he can show up at the training ground in the 1,001bhp. In the meantime he’ll have to make do with his Audi R8 supercar, which will only manage 187mph. Ronaldo has also counted a BMW X5 and Ferrari 360 among his cars. Money spent:  £250,000 + (+ £830,000 for the Bugatti) But that’s nothing against a particular England legend plying his trade in Los Angeles… David Beckham David Beckham, Goldenballs himself, has had an almost perfect football career, winning a cluster of trophies with Man United and Real Madrid, while picking up 99 caps for England. And David Beckham’s car collection is just as mind-bogglingly brilliant. His motors include a Ferrari 575, Ferrari F430, Lamborghini Gallardo, two Bentley Arnages, a Porsche 911 Turbo, Rolls-Royce Phantom and the retro Aston Martin V8. If he wanted to go off-roading he could take his armour-plated BMW X5, Range Rover and practically every American 4×4 and pick-up built over the past decade from a Ford F150 and Lincoln Navigator to the GMC Yukon Denali and Cadillac Escallade. Plus he owned an Aston Martin DB7 with the registration plate DB7 – saluting not only the car but also his initials and shirt number at Manchester United. Tally in the BMW M3, Mercedes S Classes, Bentley Continental, TVRs, Audi Q7 and Hummer and it’s a hell of a figure. And Beckham’s Mercedes S500 was for sale on Auto Trader last year. But how did David Beckham start his motoring career? In 1991 with a Ford Escort. Money spent: £2 million +

Identity theft is one of the most common criminal acts in society today. Criminals will use your personal information such as banking accounts and passwords, to pretend that they are you. They may take out credit cards in your name, mortgages, or even worse. The internet has opened up a whole world of possibilities for these criminals, and the threat is very real. There are things that you can do to help prevent such a crime. It costs very little to protect your information, and it is money well spent.

The following is a list of tips to help you protect yourself from identity theft. Search around for the best price on these services, to make the most out of your money.

1. Monitor your credit report often. The U.S. government suggests that you check your credit report yearly to prevent identity theft. Every person is entitled to one free credit report a year though http://www.annualcreditreport.com. I would suggest checking your credit report several times a year for the highest level of protection. Look for unexplained charges or activity on your report. You can often sign up for a credit monitoring service for a few dollars a month. They will watch your credit report for you, for signs of foul play. For a good deal, look for a credit monitoring service, you should be able to get a good discount on various services online.

2. Bank with a credible bank. Stick with a financial institution that is well known. No only will they offer you the highest level of protection, but they often have the best interest rate deals around. Get your credit cards through reputable companies as well. Be weary of small companies, with little credentials.

3. Don’t give out your personal information to anyone. A good financial situation will never ask for your login information or passwords. Be weary of anyone that asks you for your mother’s maiden name. This is one of the most common items used for identity theft. Use your birthplace or pets name whenever possible. It will be harder to steal your information.

Protecting yourself online doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. By looking for deals and promotions at coupon websites, you can save a great deal on the services that you need. I would recommend using the free credit report option, coupled with a credit monitoring service for the best protection. The earlier you catch criminal activity, the less damage they are able to do.

Superior business leader and American investor Warren Buffett is often called “Oracle of Omaha” or the “Sage of Omaha” and philanthropist. (Wikipedia, 2007) Buffett is the CEO, and the biggest shareholder of the Berkshire Hathaway Company. Buffett’s has an estimated current net worth of approximately $52 billion in US funds. Forbes Magazine ranks Buffett the third richest person in the world in September 2007 behind Carlos Slim and Bill Gates.

Warren Buffett is known for his economical and plain lifestyle. Buffett still lives in the same Omaha, Nebraska house that he purchased in 1958 for $31,500 with a current value of $700,000. In 1989, Buffett spent $9.7 million of the Berkshire’s funds on a corporate jet. He jokingly named it “The Indefensible” because of his past criticisms of such purchases by other CEOs. (Wikipedia, 2007)

Warren Buffett decided to make a commitment to give his fortune to charity back in June 2006. Buffett’s charity donation is approximately $30 billion, which is the largest donation in the history of the United States. The donation was enough to more than double the size of the foundation with 83% of it going to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Buffett believed that his family had enough money to get started in life so Buffett decided to give his fortune to charity. Buffett’s annual salary in 2006 was only $100,000. In 2007, Buffett was listed among Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World. (Wikipedia, 2007)

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