As many as 350,000 households are not getting the $300-per-child refund owed as part of economic stimulus rebate payments because of human error and computer glitches, the Internal Revenue Service said Thursday.

An IRS spokesman told The Associated Press in this story that taxpayer error and problems with commercial tax-preparation software were responsible for the problem affecting a tiny percentage of the 130 million taxpayers expected to benefit from the government refunds.

IRS spokesman Terry Lemons said the agency was confident it had identified all the people affected by the mistake. He said the IRS will send letters to those who missed out on the refund and that checks for the child credit will be mailed in July. People need not contact the IRS or file additional paperwork, he said.

Qualified taxpayers are entitled to a maximum economic stimulus payment of $600 per individual and $1,200 for married couples. Some are entitled to $300 for eligible children younger than 17.

The AP says the IRS traced the problems to taxpayers' failing to check a box on their paper tax returns and to two commercial tax-preparation software programs, less than 1 percent of those in use, that were not capturing the information needed to trigger the payment.

Where is my tax rebate? I don't know if it's a sign of the bad economic times or what, but that question has come up a lot in recent weeks. Taxpayers clearly are anxious about getting their stimulus checks.

One reader e-mailed me to say she should have received her tax rebate direct-deposited into her account last Friday. She chose direct deposit and the last two digits of her Social Security number came up on the IRS payment schedule. Instead, she got an e-mail from Turbo Tax, the service she used to file, informing her that she would get the check in the mail in coming weeks. She felt she was being penalized.

Turbo Tax told her:

Recently, you may have received a letter from the IRS advising you when to expect your Economic Stimulus Payment (rebate). That IRS letter may have inadvertently left off some important information. Taxpayers who chose to have their tax preparation fees deducted from their federal tax refund will receive their tax rebate in the mail, not via direct deposit. (my emphasis)

According to the IRS, there are a few cases where taxpayers will not get their tax rebate deposited into their bank accounts even though they elected this method for their tax refund:

If you had tax preparation fees withheld from your refund -- even if you elected direct deposit -- you will get a paper check.

If you chose to split your refund between accounts, you will get a paper check.

If you use a refund anticipation loan (RALs) or enter into any other loans or financial agreements with a tax professional, you will get a paper check.

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Customers of Puget Sound Energy can weigh in Thursday at one of three public hearings on the utility's proposed electricity and natural-gas rate increases and merger.

Thursday's hearing begins at 6:30 p.m. at Bellevue Community College, Room 130 B, 3000 Landerholm Circle S.E., Bellevue.

The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission, which regulates utilities, has already gotten an earful from upset consumers opposing both rate increases. An overwhelming majority of those who sent public comments opposed PSE's proposed merger and rate-hike request, the WUTC said. (Tally on the proposed merger: 20 in favor, 48 undecided, 1,445 opposed. Tally on the rate-hike proposal: 27 in favor, 73 undecided, 2,754 opposed.)

PSE, based in Bellevue, is asking the three-member commission to allow it to raise rates to collect additional revenues of $174.5 million for electric customers and $56.7 million for natural-gas customers. An average residential customer would see electric rates go up about 12 percent, or $10.48 a month. PSE is requesting a $3 increase in the basic monthly charge for electricity customers.

The company also wants to raise the basic monthly natural-gas charge from $8.25 to $18, while reducing the average rate per therm of gas consumed from 31 to 23.7 cents. A typical residential natural-gas bill would rise by about 6 percent, or about $4.60 a month.

My colleague, Bill Virgin, has covered the rate increase issue here and the proposed sale of the utility to an Australian-Canadian investment consortium here.

Two additional hearings will be held: Tuesday, May 20, at 6:30 p.m. at the Bellingham Senior Activity Center, 315 Halleck St., Bellingham; and Wednesday, June 4, also at 6:30 p.m., at the Richard Hemstad Building (UTC headquarters), second-floor hearing room, 1300 S. Evergreen Park Dr. S.W., Olympia.

Add mortgage fraud to the bad news surrounding the nation's housing market. The FBI reports that the number of mortgage fraud "suspicious activity reports" grew 31 percent to 46,717 during the 2007 fiscal year. While the exact total dollar loss isn't known, the FBI says 7 percent of the cases alone cost $813 million.

The FBI's 2007 Mortgage Fraud Report released Monday says:

The downward trend in the housing market provides an ideal climate for mortgage fraud perpetrators to employ a myriad of schemes. Emerging and re-emerging schemes in 2007 included builder-bailouts, seller assistance, short sales, foreclosure rescue, and identity theft exploiting home equity lines of credit.

The report names these states as hot spots for mortgage fraud:
1. Florida
2. Georgia
3. Michigan
4. California
5. Illinois
6. Ohio
7. Texas
8. New York
9. Colorado
10. Minnesota

Airlines are putting the squeeze on pocketbooks this summer, raising airfares, tacking on fuel surcharges and charging other fees.

The folks over at Airfarewatchdog blog offer some good advice on how to cope with travel, from how to snag an exit row or better seat to finding a flight that gives you more legroom than others.

It appears Delta Airlines is one of the few that allow any random Joe to select exit-row seats when they book online, according to the blog. Some airlines charge a fee to reserve exit-row seats, unless you're a member of their elite frequent flier program. Meanwhile, some, like Continental, allow you to snag an exit-row seat ahead of time if you call and ask for it. See the full chart here.

The blog also offers good advice on how to upgrade to first-class seats. Usually, most airlines allow you the option to upgrade for $50 or $150 on the day of the flight if they haven't sold all of the first-class seats. You should ask when you check in, whether with an agent or using one of those self-serve kiosks.

Seattle City Light is warning customers to be on guard against telephone con artists who are posing as bill collectors. They appear to be targeting customers with Asian surnames.

At least four customers reported getting calls from scam artists claiming to be City Light workers. The caller says there's a problem with the bill and asks for credit card information. The customers were suspicious and reported the call sto City Light. The agency has contacted Seattle Police.

"There is no reason Seattle City Light would be calling customers in this manner," customer care director Kelly Enright said in a statement. "We don't do business that way."

Before it turns off your power, City Light will send you at least two written warnings asking you to contact the utility directly. The agency never asks for credit card information over the phone and doesn't call customers on weekends. If you get such a call, don't give out your credit card information.

Call City Light directly at 206-684-3000 to verify the request. Take down the number of the caller and report the incident to police at 206-625-5011.

Thanks, All Consuming!

Nine Inch Nails is making its latest album, The Slip, available for free download.

Here's what the Web site says:

as a thank you to our fans for your continued support, we are giving away the new nine inch nails album one hundred percent free, exclusively via nin.com.

the music is available in a variety of formats including high-quality MP3, FLAC or M4A lossless at CD quality and even higher-than-CD quality 24/96 WAVE. your link will include all options - all free. all downloads include a PDF with artwork and credits.

for those of you interested in physical products, fear not. we plan to make a version of this release available on CD and vinyl in july. details coming soon.

The Federal Reserve released its plans to crack down on credit card abuses and offer consumers some protections on overdraft charges. Here are some of the highlights:

The right to opt out of overdraft protection. Banks would not be able to charge you an overdraft fee unless they've allowed you the opportunity to opt out of overdraft protection. Why is this significant? Critics say banks encourage consumers to overdraw on their accounts, thus incurring big overdraft charges, by routinely approving transactions even when you don't have the money to cover it. Some consumers like the option of knowing their checks and other transactions will be covered, but others prefer that the bank deny the charge rather than having to pay steep $20 to $34 overdraft fees, often to cover small debit purchases.

No fees if your account is overdrawn solely because a credit card or debit card hold was placed on your funds. Such holds typically happen with gas stations, rental-car agencies or hotels. The merchant typically places a first hold for a specific amount since they don't know how much you'll eventually spend. Then they'll charge you the actual amount, but that first hold on your funds can stay on for up to a few days.

More time to make credit card payments. Banks would not be able to treat your payment as late unless they've given you enough time to pay -- at least 21 days prior to the payment due date.

Credit for mailing by 5 p.m. on the due date. The Fed wants to give consumers credit for mailing payments by 5 p.m. on the due date. Some banks have earlier payment cut-off periods, like noon or 3 p.m. EST. The proposal also says that if your due date falls on days the creditor doesn't accept payment, like Sunday or holidays, your payment should be processed the next business day and be counted as on time.

Better payment credit on multiple interest rates. Those promotional interest rates are enticing and great for consumers. What's not so great is when banks apply your payment only to your lowest interest rate balance, making no dent in your higher-interest balances. That would change under this proposal. Banks would have to spread your payment over the balances.

Ends double-cycle billing. Some banks charge you interest based on your balance for two billing cycles. They would be prohibited from doing so under this proposal.

Limits interest rate hikes on existing balances. Credit card issuers won't be able to raise interest rates on your existing balances unless you have a variable rate, your promotional rate expires or you're at least 30 days late on payment.

Submit your comments by clicking here (and scrolling to the bottom of the page).

Were you expecting a tax rebate this week but haven't received it? The Internal Revenue Service has put out a search tool that allows you to track your rebate.

First, check this IRS payment schedule to see when you should expect your stimulus check. Payments go first to those who requested direct deposit, by order of the last two digits of their Social Security number.

If you're overdue for a rebate, use this IRS tool to find out the status of your stimulus check. (Note: the IRS says specific information about your stimulus check will not be available until about one week before the payment is scheduled to be issued.)

The IRS asks for your Social Security number, the number of exemptions you claimed on your 2007 tax return and your filing status (for example, married filing jointly). This page will help you answers question on what information to enter. Click here for help viewing the application with your browser.

The response I got when I checked was this: "Please allow 2 weeks from the date shown on the schedule to receive your payment." Let me know if you got a different message.

Beware that there are some Web sites out there are purport to track your rebate but appear to be phishing for personal information. The sites ask for personal information like your address and phone number. Make sure you are at the IRS Web site before you enter any information.

In case you missed my Q & A on the tax rebate, read this post.

Many consumers say they'll use their tax rebate (economic stimulus payment) to pay off debts, but some retailers are trying to entice them to spend their money at their stores.

TOP Food & Drug and Haggen Food & Pharmacy Stores says it'll give customers a 15 percent credit if they cash their $600 stimulus check for a store gift card. If you exchange your $600 stimulus check for a store gift card, you'll get a 15 percent bonus. (If you got direct deposit, the store says you can purchase the gift card with cash or a debit/credit if you bring the IRS letter verifying your rebate.) A $600 check exchange gets you a $690 gift card. Go to the guest services counter or any primary register at the stores.

TOP isn't the only one to offer a deal hoping to get customers to spend their tax rebates at their stores. Sears, Kmart, Kroger, Albertsons, RadioShack and others are offering 10 percent bonuses if you exchange your stimulus check for a store gift card.

Wal-Mart will waive its normal $3 fee and cash stimulus payment checks for free.

Read the deals carefully, and make sure there aren't any associated fees with getting a store gift card. TOP doesn't charge any fees. Also find out if any products are excluded from the promotion. Some retailers like Sears, Kmart and TOP require that you exchange the entire amount of your stimulus payment. Others like RadioShack will allow you to convert only a part of your check, but require that you put the remaining balance on a Vision Silver Prepaid MasterCard. Be aware that many such prepaid cards carry maintenance and other fees. I checked out Vision Silver (scroll through the fine print) and found the following obnoxious fees: a monthly service fee of $3.95, ATM balance inquiry fee of 95 cents, live agent fee of $1.95 per call and PIN decline fee of 45 cents.

There's good news in store for consumers who have seen arbitrary increases in credit card interest rates for existing balances, or have watched as credit card issuers apply payments only to balances with the lowest interest rate rather the highest rates.

Federal regulators are expected to announced stricter policies to curb credit card abuses at a public meeting Friday. The Wall Street Journal says, "It would mark one of the government's most aggressive efforts to curb credit card practices in decades and could affect more than 10,000 financial institutions."

Quoting people familiar with the plan, the WSJ reported:

One part of the proposal would restrict the ability of lenders to raise interest rates on existing credit card balances. For example, if a borrower was given a 10 percent interest rate when he or she had a credit score of 750, regulators would propose making it harder for banks to unilaterally raise the rate if the customer's credit score fell to 650. The banking industry would likely push back against such a proposal.

Another part of the plan would create restrictions on how lenders apply payments borrowers make on their credit cards, people familiar with the matter said. If a borrower has a $500 balance at an introductory rate of 0 percent and another $500 balance at 10 percent, the lender would be prohibited from allocating payments only to the 0 percent balance first.

OnWallStreet.com reports that the central bank may also require banks to give customers advance notice and the ability to opt out of overdraft programs as well.

Q: When do I get my economic stimulus payment (aka tax rebate)?
A: Some people may actually see their money as early as Monday. Here's the schedule, if you filed your federal tax return by the April 15 deadline and the IRS processed it by then. If you filed jointly, the Social Security number listed first will determine when you'll get your rebate.

If you sign up for direct deposit on your tax return, find the last two digits of your Social Security number to determine when the tax rebate will be deposited into your account:
00 - 20, no later than May 2
21 - 75, no later than May 9
76 - 99, no later than May 16

If you didn't sign up for direct deposit, expect a paper check in the mail during these dates, according to the last two digits of your Social Security number:
00 - 09, no later than May 16
10 - 18, no later than May 23
19 - 25, no later than May 30
26 - 38, no later than June 6
39 - 51, no later than June 13
52 - 63, no later than June 20
64 - 75, no later than June 27
76 - 87, no later than July 4
88 – 99, no later than July 11

Q: Why did I get less than my friends and neighbors?
A: The economic stimulus payment is based on your 2007 income tax return. Most taxpayers qualify for the maximum payment of $600 for singles or $1,200 for married couples. Many parents also get $300 for each qualifying child, born after Dec. 31, 1990.

Here are some reasons the IRS may send you less than the maximum:

You are single and your net income tax liability is less than $600. (On Form 1040, your net income tax liability is Line 57, plus the amount on Line 52.)

You are married and your net income tax liability is less than $1,200.

You are single and your adjusted gross income (AGI) is more than $75,000. (On Form 1040, this is Line 37.)

You are married filing a joint return and your AGI is more than $150,000.

You owe back taxes.

You have federal debts such as unpaid student loans or child-support obligations.

Q: How do I figure out how much I'll get?
A: Use this IRS calculator.

Q: I filed my return on time, but still haven't gotten my rebate. The schedule says I should have gotten it by now.
A. The IRS says the payment schedule (listed above) only applies if your return was received and the IRS finished processing your return before April 15. If you filed your return on time, but close to the April 15 deadline, the IRS may not have finished processing it before April 15. If you're expecting a regular tax refund, the IRS will send that to you first. The tax rebate will follow about a week or two later. If you're not expecting a regular tax refund, your stimulus payment should arrive a minimum of six weeks after you filed your return.

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If you're planning to fly this year, expect to pay more for everything.

Delta Air Lines Inc. said Monday it raised domestic fares in most cases $10 to $40 per round trip as a fuel surcharge. United Airlines earlier announced it was raising its "change ticket" fee from $100 to $150 and requiring Saturday night stays on more discounted flights.

And in case you missed this story by my colleague Dan Richman, Alaska Airlines last week announced several fee increases for services. Starting May 21, expect to pay:

$15 to book flights through reservations and airport sales agents, up from $10

$50 for overweight baggage, up from $25

$100 to transport your pet in the cabin, up from $75

$150 for unaccompanied minors to fly round trip, up from $60

Alaska said it will begin charging some passengers $25 for a second checked bag starting this summer. Starting May 12, six major carriers -- American, US Airways, United, Northwest, Delta and Continental -- all plan to charge $50 to check a second bag on a round-trip flight.

The cost of a first-class U.S. postage stamp goes up a penny to 42 cents starting May 12. In anticipation of that increase, customers have been stockpiling Forever Stamps, buying 30 billion a day in recent weeks.

The Forever Stamp cost 41 cents each until May 12, and essentially are good forever -- if you're mailing a first-class 1-ounce letter. They're good even if prices go up and regardless of when you bought them, according to the U.S. Postal Service. The USPS has sold more than 6 billion since they were first offered in April 2007.

While the charge for the first ounce of a first-class letter rises to 42 cents, the price of each added ounce will remain 17 cents, so a 2-ounce letter will go up a penny to 59 cents.

Here are other changes, according to The Associated Press:

The cost to mail a post card will also go up a penny, to 27 cents.

Large envelope, 2 ounces, $1, up 3 cents.

Money Orders up to $500, $1.05, unchanged.

Certified mail, $2.70, up 5 cents.

First-class international letter to Canada or Mexico, 72 cents, up 3 cents.

First-class international letter to other countries, 94 cents, up 4 cents.

Banking giant Wachovia has agreed to make restitution to consumers harmed by its relationships with several telemarketers and third- party payment processors, under a settlement reached Friday with the Office of Comptroller of the Currency.

The settlement ends an 18-month investigation into practices that the OCC called "unsafe or unsound practices." While the company did not admit or deny wrongdoing, the OCC said thousands of consumers, many of whom were elderly, were harmed and the bank profited in fees from the telemarketing schemes.

Telemarketers got bank account information from customers by offering them a range of "questionable products and services" such as medical discount plans and vouchers for discount travel and groceries. Using the information, telemarketers or payment processors would set up and deposit a remotely created check that didn't require the customer's signature. Most of those checks were returned by customers who said they never authorized them or never received the products or services offered.

Wachovia told the New York Times "this situation was unacceptable and we regret it happened." A company spokeswoman said Wachovia does not currently work with telemarketers. The company must pay a $10 million fine, contribute $8.9 million to consumer education programs and make restitution to victims that could top $125 million.