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You may have received a tax refund, but there are other ways the government could owe you money or benefits. Knowing where to look and how to proceed if the government does owe you money are your first steps to claiming money and benefits owed to you.

• Not happy with your tax refund? Make sure to double check that the IRS paid you the correct amount of money owed. If you think it is wrong, you can call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040, and if you’re right, you can earn more money back. Be prepared to fill out another tax form, but for a decent size of cash, it might just be worth it!
• The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation says thousands of workers and retirees have unclaimed pensions. Search for your name on their website to make sure you are not owed pension money, which over the years can sometimes add a sizeable amount of money to your yearly income.
• The federal government offers all types of benefits – such as disability assistance, disaster relief, child care or support and much more. Visit www.benefits.gov to see the full list of available government benefits and find out how the government can help you make your everyday life just a little bit easier – and cheaper.
• If your financial institution has been shut down, the FDIC can help you find out if you have unclaimed deposits or dividends. Look to see if you qualify, and if you do, your money could be waiting for you.

Find a full list of ways the government could owe you money and benefits.

Please join us in a National Moment of Remembrance at 3 p.m. your local time today.

Before you fire up your grill or head to a picnic this weekend, check out these food safety tips from the U.S. Department of Agriculture:

Thaw Safely

Completely thaw meat and poultry before grilling so it cooks more evenly. Use the refrigerator for slow, safe thawing or thaw sealed packages in cold water. For quicker thawing, you can defrost frozen food in the microwave if it will be placed immediately on the grill.

Transporting

When carrying food to another location, keep it cold to minimize bacterial growth. Use an insulated cooler with sufficient ice or ice packs to keep the food at 40°F or below. Pack food right from the refrigerator into the cooler immediately before leaving home.

Precooking

Precooking food partially in the microwave, oven, or stove is a good way of reducing grilling time. Just make sure that the food goes immediately on the preheated grill to complete cooking.

Get more tips on grilling and food safety.

The cost of prescription drugs is a concern for many older Americans. Medicare Part D is an optional prescription drug plan that is available to anyone on Medicare. People enrolled in Medicare Part D pay a monthly premium and the program helps cover prescription drug costs. Americans 65 or older, or younger people with certain disabilities, are eligible for Medicare.

Finding a Prescription Plan

There are many prescription drug plans available to people enrolled in Medicare and each plan varies in cost and coverage. Many people still have to pay some of their drug costs out of pocket, even with Part D coverage. Use the Medicare Plan Finder to check prescription plan options.

Lowering Your Cost

There are some ways to lower your drug costs on your own. Talk to your doctor about drugs that cost less, like generics, over-the-counter, or less expensive brand name drugs that could work as well as the ones that you take now. There are also government and private programs that might be able to help you with medical and drug costs.

If you’re not already enrolled in Medicare Part D, joining may help, even if you have to pay a late enrollment penalty.

Mortgage forms from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

When you apply for a mortgage you usually receive two separate forms with information about the loan.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) wants to make the mortgage process easier to understand by creating one form with all of the information about your mortgage.

The CFPB has two draft forms — you can vote on which one you think is the best and then provide your comments on the form.

The deadline to vote is Friday.

Vote now.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) released its Preliminary Annual Uniform Crime Report for 2010 today. According to the report, the number of violent crimes decreased 5.5% and the number of property crimes decreased 2.8% in 2010 when compared with data from 2009.

A few key findings from the report:

• Violent crime declined in all city groups. Cities with populations of 250,000 to 499,999 saw the greatest decline in violent crime (6.9 percent). Violent crime in non-metropolitan counties decreased 6.4 percent, and in metropolitan counties, it declined 6.0 percent.
• Violent crime decreased in all four regions of the country in 2010. There was a 7.5 percent decrease in violent crime in the South, a 5.9 decline in the Midwest, a 5.8 percent decrease in the West, and a 0.4 percent decline in the Northeast.
• All property crime offense categories—burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft—decreased in 2010 when compared with 2009 data. Motor vehicle theft showed the largest drop (7.2 percent), followed by larceny-theft, which decreased 2.8 percent, and burglary, which declined 1.1 percent.

You can read more findings from the report on FBI.gov, and click here to download the raw data used in the report.

Allergy symptoms can include sneezing, and itchy eyes and nose, which are similar to the common cold. Unlike colds, allergies are caused by allergens or things that aggravate your immune system, such as grass and tree pollen, and are not contagious. While colds only last about a week, allergies can last for up to six weeks.

Over time, many people have created their own explanations for the best ways to deal with their allergies. The latest news from MedlinePlus tells the real deal about some allergy myths. Here are the facts:

• Skin tests are more sensitive than blood tests for diagnosing allergies
• Prescription medicines are more effective in controlling an allergy-related stuffy nose than over-the-counter antihistamines.
• Eating local honey will not combat spring allergies
• Over time, allergy shots may be less costly than taking medicine to relieve allergy symptoms

You can take steps to make the spring allergy season more bearable. According to the FDA, you should:

• Check the pollen counts and avoid going out when they are high. During the spring, pollen levels are highest in the evening
• See a doctor if your symptoms interfere with your ability to function or last for a long period.
• Discuss the possibility of allergy shots with your doctor, if you suffer from severe allergies.

Find more tips on when to get treated for spring allergies.

This Saturday is Armed Forces Day. Here are five ways you can show appreciation for our troops:

• Post a message on the services’ Facebook pages or send a tweet using the #ourmilitary or #milfam hashtags.
• Visit the First Lady and Dr. Jill Biden’s Joining Forces web site to send a message of thanks to a military family, find volunteer opportunities and more.
• Sponsor a USO care package or volunteer.
• Follow the advice from the U.S. Postal Service to make sure your letters and packages arrive to our troops intact.
• Show the military members in your life where they can learn more about all their benefits.

Find more ways to help.

Ever wonder what people were dancing and singing to during the “Roaring 20’s” or the Jazz Age? Now you can listen to popular music from the early 1900s on the Library of Congress’ National Jukebox.

Currently the National Jukebox contains over 10,000 clips and more are being added regularly.

You can listen to the recordings for free and experiment with some of the extra features the jukebox offers, such as:

• Playlisting: Just like your MP3 player, you can create a playlist of your favorite recordings. The Library of Congress even shows you how to make one, save it and share with your friends and family.
• Glossary of Terms: As most of history shows us, people spoke in a different way a hundred years ago. To learn some common terms you’ll hear throughout the National Jukebox, such as what “matrix” and “master” refer to, check out the Glossary of National Jukebox Terms.
• Technology: It took a lot of people and technology to digitize over 10,000 recordings for the public to listen to online. To find out how it was made, see The Making of the National Jukebox.

Check out the National Jukebox to experience historical music.

Summer is almost here—and you probably have a list of things you want to do and places you want to see. These tips will help you save money while having fun.

• If you plan to take a summer road trip, make sure to check the cheapest gas prices while traveling.
• Visit one of the 394 parks in the National Park System, like the Grand Canyon or Yosemite. National parks are an economical way to explore since most are free. On June 21, 2011, all of the parks offer free admission.
• Find local events to save money. Search USA.gov for your city name and “summer” to find community events and programs in your area.

Get more tips on making travel easy this summer.

Friday is Bike To Work day and events are being held around the country to encourage bicycle commuting. Riding your bike to work is a great way to save money on transportation costs and improve your health.

Here are ways you can get involved from the Environmental Protection Agency:

• Pick 5 for the Environment! Biking to work is one of those simple steps you can do to make a difference where you live. When you Pick 5, just select “human powered modes of transportation” under the Air category.
• Submit photos! If you take pictures biking to work, submit a few to the State of the Environment photo project!
• Share your thoughts! Check out the Greenversations blog post “Bike to Work Day — Who’s In?” about biking to work, and tell us about your ride to to the office or wherever you go.
• Learn more! Find more ideas you can use on the road to cut greenhouse gas emissions, reduce the nation’s dependence on oil, and save money.

Find more about bike safety and Bike To Work Day events happening in your area.

It’s been a year since the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill devastated communities along the Gulf Coast. The spill affected many aspects of coastal life, like the local economy and safety of the region’s natural resources.

Progress has been made over the past year, but recovery efforts and clean up are ongoing.

You can track the clean-up effort at www.restorethegulf.gov where you can find:

• Information about animals and plant life and the plan to restore natural habitats
• The latest on water and air quality
• Instructions on how to file a claim for individuals and businesses adversely affected by the spill

There is good news coming out of the Gulf: seafood and drinking water are safe to consume. You can still visit these areas to enjoy fishing, boating, and beach activities.

Sign up for email updates if you’d like to stay up to date on restoration efforts.

While sugarless products may be better for our teeth and waistlines, they are not safe for dogs and ferrets. Xylitol, a common ingredient in sugarless gum, candies and baked goods, can cause these pets to have seizures and liver failure.

If you suspect your dog or ferret has ingested xylitol, watch for vomiting, loss of coordination and depression. Your pet may get sick within minutes or days after eating xylitol. If you know or suspect that your pet has ingested xylitol, contact your vet or a pet poison control center right away.

Learn more about the dangers sugarless candies pose to your pets.

Photo taken by Peter Cihelka

By Carolyn Cihelka, Consumer Information Catalog editor, mother of two and avid backyard bird watcher.

I wasn’t expecting Mother’s Day guests, but when I looked out my window last Sunday morning, there they were—two beautiful blue strangers, feeding at my thistle feeder alongside the goldfinches, regulars in my backyard. I quickly found the tiny, iridescent creatures in my bird guide: Indigo Buntings, apparently migrating north for the summer.

They’re one of about 350 species making the annual journey from Central and South America to their North American nesting grounds. In addition to backyards like mine, these birds have probably stopped at a wildlife refuge along their way. In fact, many refuges are holding special events this weekend to mark International Migratory Bird Day.

Happily, some birds don’t migrate. Year-round visitors to my backyard include cardinals, goldfinches and red-bellied woodpeckers. I put out sunflower or safflower seeds for the cardinals, and suet for the woodpeckers.

You can attract many types of birds with just black oil sunflower seed in a house feeder. But, For the Birds advises to attract the greatest variety of birds while minimizing seed waste, try putting out separate feeders for each food:

• a hanging suet feeder (for woodpeckers, wrens, nuthatches, chickadees)
• a house feeder for sunflower (for goldfinches, chickadees, woodpeckers, titmice, cardinals, jays, sparrows)
• a nectar feeder for hummingbirds
• a tube feeder for thistle (for gold, purple and house finches, chickadees, dark-eyed juncos)
• a stationary or tray fruit feeder (for bluebirds, jays, orioles, cardinals, mockingbirds)
• a house or platform feeder for millet (for doves, sparrows, blackbirds)

If you’re plagued by squirrels and grackles emptying your tube feeder, try safflower seed (PDF). Those pests won’t eat it, but cardinals, chickadees, red-bellied woodpeckers, mourning doves and others will.