At the core, most dealers aren’t out to rip you off. But they employ experienced and aggressive salespeople who have a bag of tricks designed to maximize the salesperson’s cut and the dealer’s profit.

Here are ploys that some dealers — even the most scrupulous — may try to run on you when it comes time to buy:

1. The credit cozen: A dealer may say something like, “With your credit score, you won’t qualify for competitive financing rates.” This may be true. However, some dealers will imply your credit is worse than it is so you think you’ll have to pay a higher interest rate. That’s why it’s important to know your credit score before you head to the showroom.

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Rat out a tax cheat, collect a reward

If you knew coworkers, former bosses or exes who cheated on their taxes, would you turn them in? The Internal Revenue Service is hoping your greed will make you turn people in no different then the Feds.

As tax season nears, we all want to get as much money back from the IRS as possible. And while taking advantage of this year’s new tax breaks will put some extra money in your pocket, snitching on a tax cheat could make you richer but remember no one likes a snitch.

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People line up at job fair for convicted felons

More than 3,000 people turned out in downtown Houston, Texas, Wednesday for a job fair designed for convicted felons.

Organizers of the Road to Re-entry Employment Fair, created to help those with criminal records find work and reintegrate into society, had expected a few hundred job people. The line of job seekers, which ran for a few blocks and tied up traffic, as reported by CNN affiliate KHOU, took the planners by surprise.

“These were not individuals trying to get concert tickets or a free dinner,” said Jarvis Johnson, a Houston City Council member who helped sponsor the inaugural event. “They were individuals who were waiting in line because they want to be productive members of society.”

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New state law reduces drug penalties in school zones

A new bill signed into law by Governor Jon Corzine last week rolls back mandatory minimum sentences for some drug offenders caught within school and park zones. While the law has been praised by groups that claim the old law had a disproportionate effect on minorities, some local law enforcement officials are concerned whether it sends the wrong message.

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What the hell is going on in Switzerland? I am not sure if they are being proactive or encouraging 12 years to have sex. Whatever the case they are getting ready to sell extra-small condoms marketed at 12 year-olds.  Called the Hotshot, the condom has been produced after government research showed 12 to14-year-olds did not use sufficient protection when having sex.

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Know What Sex Offenders Are Around You and Your Children!

Although technology and information is available at your fingertips…many of us don’t use it. Which is unfortunate when you think about the many “things” that happen that may have been prevented had you done your due diligence. Its a joke around my house that my son can’t go on a play date at a class mates home until I do a background check on the other kid’s parents. People make light of my paranoia but guess what? I am not playing.  There is no excuse for not keeping your children safe when the information is at your fingertips. If your child’s babysitter, little league or friends parent is a sex offender there is NO REASON you should not know this before they start spending time around your child.

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Be careful with your passwords and your information, because cyber-criminals are selling hacked Twitter accounts and passwords online for up to $1,000. The accounts and passwords are traded on hacker forums, with prices ranging anywhere from $82 for a Gmail account to $1,000 for Twitter accounts. The cybercriminals then use those accounts as stepping stones to infect others’ computers with data-stealing malware.

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If you’re financially stressed, card issuers may be willing to cut you some slack by adjusting payments, fees or interest rates. But don’t wait too long to ask for help.

As more people lose their jobs or otherwise come under financial stress in this economic crisis, many credit card companies are granting one or more types of forbearance to hard-pressed cardholders.

What is forbearance? The most important thing to remember is that it’s not forgiveness; you still must repay your credit card debt. But forbearance programs can offer temporary reprieves from your obligations.

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It seems like getting a young person in this day and age to WANT to go to college isn’t as easy as it once was. With the economic recession paying for college is even more difficult for parents who do have kids that want to go on to college. Financial Aid is a must for most, however in addition to government aid and student loans parents and students need to become more diligent in seeking out scholarships. There are hundreds if not thousands out there, however you have to find them, they won’t come looking for you.

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