I set off to my father’s accountant and proudly put down my W2 ready to hear the big news on how much I would be getting. Then heartbreak… the accountant looked up at me and said, “Unfortunately you owe this year.” Oh the horror! Turns out a clerical error at the office turned my claim of 0 dependents to 10! Yikes, I was now 16 and somehow had 10 dependents. Needless to say, that’s the last time that happened. The following year I finally got my precious refund. For weeks I checked the mail every day to see if that check came.

Fast forward to today. I no longer wait by my mailbox checking for my refund check. In today’s world of right-here-right-now I’ve opted to get my money faster with direct deposit. To get your refund you don’t have to wait for the check to be printed, then mailed and potentially shredded up in the machines like my W2 from this year was (that’s a topic for another post.) The government gives you a great option of having your refund electronically deposited into your account. This means you get your money faster and there is no trip to the bank or ATM required.

The benefits to setting up direct deposit for your Federal or State refund are endless. After all, according to the IRS it is the safest and fastest way to receive your tax refund. If you e-file and setup direct deposit you could get your refund in as little as 10 days! Unlce Sam has laid out some reasons why direct deposit for your tax refund is the optimal choice:

1. Security Thousands of paper checks are returned to the IRS by the U.S. Post Office every year as undeliverable mail. Direct Deposit eliminates the possibility of your refund check being lost, stolen or returned to the IRS as undeliverable.
2. Convenience The money goes directly into your bank account. You won’t have to make a special trip to the bank to deposit the money yourself.
3. Ease When you’re preparing your return; simply follow the instructions on your return. Make sure you enter the correct bank account and bank routing numbers on your tax form and you’ll receive your refund quicker than ever.

If you don’t have a checking account, or you can’t do direct deposit with your current account don’t forget that you can use your moneto prepaid MasterCard to electronically receive your Federal or State Tax Refund. Once the money is received you can use your lottery winnings refund to pay for upcoming bills with our online bill pay feature, go on a shopping spree wherever MasterCard or debit are accepted, or you can access your cash 24/7 at any ATM nationwide!

This year, get your 2012 refund without moving a muscle and have it sent to your moneto prepaid card! After all, it’s your money… don’t you think they’ve had it long enough?

For direct deposit instructions and information for your tax refund to your moneto account login and click “Direct Deposit” under the “Add/Remove Funds” tab.

When I travel it feels less like a holiday and more like an extended period of time where everyone and everybody is making a move for my wallet. With baggage fees, standard legroom fees, foreign exchange fees, tips, tips, tips and more tips, I spend more money on everything that comes with travel that the actual vacation itself. Two days in and  I’m surprised if I have any money left for that fancy drink in a pineapple.

However, I’ve finally discovered a way of avoiding leaking cash while on the road. The answer? Prepaid cards, especially moneto. After all, this is the moneto blog. While the blood suckers  banks and credit cards were charging me up to 3% on top of their foreign exchange rate (that never really worked in my favor,) turns out moneto doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees. Yes, you heard me right… moneto charges zero, zip, zilch, nada when it comes to foreign transaction fees. Those fees can add up and be the difference between selling my first born and throwing my feet up for an extra day of vacation. So what about exchange rates? The exchange rates offered by moneto were better than anything I saw being offered in those glass box currency exchange setups and definitely 1,000 times better than anything you could get at an airport.

While that alone made my week there were additional reasons why I fell more in love with my moneto card. I may not walk the runway in Paris but something about strapping plastic around my body in 90 degree weather, fumbling with my shirt and digging into a modern day fanny pack just to buy a coke didn’t sit right with my fashion sense. With moneto I’m not walking the streets with loads of cash, wearing ridiculous travel belts or spending 20 minutes writing a travelers check while people behind me in line contemplate my demise. Also, the moneto prepaid card comes with MasterCard’s Limited Liability Guarantee so I’m not liable for fraudulent charges.  This means I can carry my card in my purse or wallet and if by some series of unfortunate events my card is stolen I simply call moneto, they freeze the card and they have my back for any fraudulent charges. (Legal stuff: Some restrictions do apply be sure to review these before you travel)

So you may be thinking this sounds all nice and good but how to do you get to the hotel from the airport without any local currency when you arrive? Well, the truth is I always travel without local currency. The second thing I do after I land in my destination is to hit up an ATM at the airport since you can access your funds with the moneto card 24/7 at any ATM worldwide. I have yet to visit an airport big or small without an ATM right in the middle of it. What is it that I do first? Well, I get a non-fat vanilla latte at Starbucks, on my moneto card of course!

How to get moneto:

You can get moneto for free just by downloading the app to your iPhone or Android. Then in a few days we’ll mail you your prepaid card to your doorstep. Pretty easy.

GIntroducing moneto X for iPhone 4S & iPhone 4!

The latest mobile wallet solution to join the family is the moneto X. An ultra slick mobile wallet solution for the iPhone 4S and the iPhone 4. Not only does this protective case enable your phone for mobile payments but with a 1200 mAh removable extended battery, you can do more with your phone for even longer. See why everyone is excited about moneto X and order yours today! This mobile wallet includes:

• $10 pre-loaded in your account and ready to use
• prepaid microSD to enable your iPhone
• linked prepaid debit MasterCard® for ATM access
• Extended battery moneto case (1200 mAh)
• USB cable

moneto iCaisse 4 for iPhone 4S & iPhone 4

The ultra sleek moneto mobile wallet for iPhone 4 enables your iPhone for mobile payments and looks so good doing it! Use your phone to make in-store purchases at MasterCard® PayPass™ merchants nationwide. Plus, enjoy features such as free instant card-to-card transfers, online banking, and direct deposit. This mobile wallet includes:

• $10 pre-loaded in your account and ready to use
• prepaid microSD to enable your iPhone with NFC and account access
• linked prepaid debit MasterCard for ATM transactions
• Sleek and Durable moneto case
• USB cable

moneto microSD for MetroPCS

Leave your wallet at home! With the moneto mobile wallet for MetroPCS, your Android phone is all you need to make everyday in-store payments. Use your LG Esteem or HTC Wildfire as you would any debit prepaid MasterCard® and pay for groceries, gas and clothing with a tap of your phone. Simply launch the moneto app, hit “pay” and tap your phone against the payment terminal. It’s that easy! This mobile wallet includes:

• 2GB prepaid microSD to enable your Android
• linked prepaid debit MasterCard for ATM access
• Sticker applicator and booster sticker combo

moneto microSD for Android

Leave your wallet at home! With the moneto mobile wallet, your Android phone is all you need to make everyday in-store payments. Use your phone as you would any debit prepaid MasterCard® and pay for groceries, gas and clothing with a tap of your phone. Simply launch the moneto app, hit “pay” and tap your phone against the payment terminal. It’s that easy! This mobile wallet includes:

• $10 pre-loaded in your account and ready to use
• 4GB prepaid microSD to enable your Android
• linked prepaid debit MasterCard for ATM access
• Sticker applicator and booster sticker combo

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is a United States government corporation operating as an independent agency. It provides deposit insurance, which guarantees the safety of deposits in member banks, up to $250,000 per depositor per bank. This means that if I bank were to close down, the money you have in your account will still be paid out to you.

This is why having a prepaid account be FDIC insured is so crucial to customer protection. An example of why FDIC is so important is back in 2008, during the height of the credit crisis, American Express had to become a bank so it could take money from the Federal Reserve to stay afloat. Today, the BlueBird prepaid debit card by American Express is not FDIC insured. That means the money sitting in the account that you haven’t spent yet would be lost if they were to go under.

So keep yourself safe and choose an FDIC insured prepaid card like moneto.

In addition to providing NFC capability, moneto is also a prepaid financial solution that offers:

More on the moneto release can be found here >>

Now moneto users can get instant rewards and cash back just by paying with their moneto account! Just make sure you download the latest moneto app in order to see the different offers.

The new moneto Android app is published on Google Play and the iPhone app will be available by the end of the month. As of today, everyone with a moneto account (activated before 11/13/12) on an Android phone can get the new app available in Google Play (moneto v2.2.x), and should be able to see live rewards as soon as they launch that version of the app. Any account activated after the magic cutoff date of 11/12, will be eligible starting next week. This new version of moneto (v2.2.x) also has password reset capability built directly into the app and a faster startup time!

As you can see from the screenshot below, some of the exciting deals include cash back from merchants and retailers such as the iTunes store, Sears, and more! And all just in time for Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and holiday shopping!

Well Slickdeals has one of the most comprehensive shopping guides around to help you navigate all the door-busters and online shopping frenzy including ad scans, editor’s best picks, and discussion forums. That’s right, they have streamlined deal hunting for everyone! Now all you have to do is show up with your card (moneto of course!) to pay.

Happy shopping!

Slickdeal’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday Guide

Remember to also consider using a prepaid debit card such as moneto to pay for all of your holiday shopping. It’s easy to get caught up in all the giant sales everywhere and go over budget or even overdraft. By loading your prepaid card with your allotted budget, you can keep your spending under control without the fear of overspending. moneto also let’s you set up email or text alerts for when your funds are running low or when your deposit it available.

Don’t wait until it’s too late, get set up now and be ahead on your finances this holiday season!

Best Time to Buy Anything Chart