Considering the number of bills the average American household pays each month, it is hardly surprising if you make an error and send a payment in late.

Don’t, however, simply pay the fine and resolve to do better next time. Some companies have ratcheted up late fees – some are as high as $39.

Also, if you are a customer in good standing and this is the first time you’ve been late, the company will most likely waive the fee if you call a customer representative and request it.

“I would say the very first (sales) representative will waive that fee, but if they don’t, ask for a supervisor,” says Scott Bilker, author of “Talk Your Way Out of Credit Card Debt” and founder of debtsmart.com. “I haven’t had one instance in which I’ve had a first-time late fee that has not been waived.”

Remember, most companies are only willing to forgive a fee once.

Hospital billing mistakes



Hospital bills can appear so dense and unintelligible that many Americans simply pay them without bothering to carefully check the details.

Hospital bills, however, can have errors – errors that can cost you large amounts of money.

Financial Web site bankrate.com recently listed some of the most common mistakes. They include:

Being double-charged for the same procedure, tests or supplies. Paying for too many days. Be aware that most hospitals won’t charge for the discharge day.

Being charged for a private room, when in fact you only had a semiprivate room.

Paying for a test that was ordered but never given.

Paying for a high-cost brand-name medication when you were given a far cheaper generic version.

Preparing for next tax season

With this year’s tax season over, this is no time to become complacent. Rather, you should take this year’s lessons and start applying them now.

Did you find you owed more tax than you expected? Or, on the other hand, maybe your refund was large, meaning you gave the government an interest-free loan. Adjust your withholding.

Investigate and record every possible legal deduction you can over the next year. Catalog each deduction properly, such as a receipt for some expenditures or charitable donations, and store it carefully.

Consider some software to help you fill out your forms.

or make your personal budget.

says David Yeske, chairman of the Financial Planning Association. These programs can help you keep track of your deductions during the year, making it relatively easy to calculate them when you’re preparing your return. PC World magazine recently recommended TurboTax, TaxCut and TaxAct.