Prepaid Card Available for Your New York State Income Tax Refund

In an effort to improve services to New York's taxpayers, the Department of Taxation and Finance announced a new option for taxpayers with regard to how they may receive their State income tax refunds. Beginning in 2012, a prepaid card will be available as an alternative to paper checks. The cards will be available at no cost to taxpayers, and no bank account or credit check is required to enroll. Read More.

Open a 529 College Savings Account!

One easy way to stretch some of your hard-earned money while investing for the future is by opening a New York 529 College Savings Program Direct Plan and making year-end contributions. Contributions to the Direct Plan are tax-deductible for New York State residents while future withdrawals are exempt from federal income tax as long as the money is used for qualifying educational expenses. Read More.

Welcome to Your Money New York, part of a multi-faceted initiative at the Office of the State Comptroller to promote financial knowledge and education. This program is designed to give New Yorkers the information and tools they need to face the broad variety of money-related issues that may arise over the course of their lives -- whether it is getting out of debt, looking for a job, saving for college or retirement, or buying a car or home.

These are difficult economic times. Confidence in our financial system has been shaken. Fewer employers are offering traditional pension plans with guaranteed retirement income. Scams and frauds designed to separate you from your hard-earned money are on the rise. These things contribute to making our financial lives more complex, and make it more important than ever that we take steps to protect ourselves and secure our future.

New Yorkers need access to useful and reliable financial information. The goal of Your Money New York is to serve as a centralized, coordinated access point for this information, and to connect you with programs and resources to meet whatever financial challenges you may be facing. Please consider Your Money New York as your partner in pursuing your financial goals. Working together, we can make a strong, bright economic future a reality for all New Yorkers.

For the most up-to-date information from Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, please visit the Office of the State Comptroller's Newsroom.

Comptroller DiNapoli has launched an online claims system to make it easier for New Yorkers to recover money held by the State. The improved website will help many New Yorkers claim their funds in six easy steps. See if you are owed some of New York's $9.9 billion in Unclaimed Funds at events statewide.

New York's 529 College Savings Program Direct Plan representatives are available to talk about investing for college at College Savings Events across the State.