wedding gift: cash toward

MSN Money - A practical wedding gift: cash toward a home MSN Home My MSN Hotmail Shopping Money People & Chat Sign In W eb Search: Money S earch MSN Money: Help Home News Banking Investing Planning Taxes My Money Portfolio Loans Insurance Planning Home Retirement Savings Insurance Family/College College Tools Scholarship Search College Search Resources Decision Centers Commentary Index More Tools Related Links Message Boards Print-friendly version Send this to a friend Get market news by e-mail See if refinancing works Personal finance bookshelf Find It! Article Index Finance Q&A Tools Index Site map Related Articles Marriage means updating important documents Romance can wait; first, talk cold, hard cash Tie the knot without busting your budget Related Resources Decision Center: Essential homebuying guide Decision Center: Love, money and marriage See if youre carrying too much debt Stay at home or work? Try our calculator Related Sites Bankrate.com The Basics A practical wedding gift: cash toward a home advertisement If anyone asks what you want for a wedding present, you might try 'cash for a down payment.' Its legal, if you follow the rules, and asking for cash even meets the Emily Post test for politeness. By Bankrate.com June is the busiest month for weddings, and a forest's worth of invitations either already has been mailed or soon will be sent. A lot of couples want money for wedding gifts. A wedding-day cash infusion can make putting a down payment on a home easier. With prices appreciating rapidly in much of the country, lots of couples need all the help they can get. There are formal and informal rules governing gifts of money to help newlyweds buy a house. First, the informal rules: Is it OK to ask one's wedding guests for money? "It's not rude to request money as a wedding gift," says Peggy Post, author of Emily Post's Wedding Etiquette. "However, it's extremely important to ask politely." Peggy Post is Emily's great-granddaughter-in-law, the wedding etiquette expert for WeddingChannel.com and the main spokesman for the Emily Post Institute. She says one of the most common challenges that couples face is how to request money as a wedding gift. Doing so is acceptable, if done politely. If you seek down-payment money, get the word out through family and friends, Post recommends. Just don't include that info in the same envelope as a wedding invitation. "If you are asked point-blank what you would like for a gift, you might say, 'Whatever you choose will be wonderful, I'm sure, but money for a house down payment is on the top of our wish list,'" Post says. It's OK to say what it's for Go ahead and tell people what you want the money for. Who knows? If you let people know that you plan to spend the money on a down payment, rather than on a honeymoon in Tuscany, they might be more willing to open their pocketbooks. Wedding guests who insist on giving you yet another toaster or wicker picnic basket or a set of rosewood corn holders should be thanked anyway, even though they aren't helping you buy a house. "You should always accept any gift graciously, and remember that the choice of what to give really belongs to the gift giver," Post says. With the etiquette question out of the way, that brings up how to get the money from your guests' pockets and into the hands of the folks who eventually sell you their house. It's not simple, because mortgage loan programs have differing rules on the use of gift money in making a down payment. So know the gift rules Generally, you are expected to be able to make a down payment of at least 5% from your savings, excluding gifts. But what if you are too impatient to wait that long? Some mortgage programs allow you to use gift money if you can't scrape together that 5%. Loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration allow you to use money from gifts to make a down payment of as little as 3%. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the two biggest purchasers of home loans, offer similar programs through lenders. Fannie Mae's program is called "Flex 97" and Freddie Mac's is called "Alt 97." If there is a problem with these loan programs, it is that they limit whose money you can use. The FHA, Fannie and Freddie allow you to use money from family members. In the FHA's case, givers have to be members of your "immediate family." It's up to the loan officer to figure out who is family and who is immediate family. What about friends? Can you use gift money from, say, the woman who has been your mother's best friend since kindergarten? Technically, no. The money has to come from family (or from a nonprofit or government agency, but they don't give wedding gifts). It wasn't always this way. In 1996, the FHA encouraged lenders to offer "bridal registry accounts," where couples could stash gifts from friends and family. "Then, when the newlyweds purchase their new home, the money will be available and documented through a lender-supervised account," the FHA said. A few lenders responded enthusiastically, establishing account programs specifically for newlyweds complete with gift cards that could be returned to the bank with a check enclosed. One such lender is SunTrust Mortgage, a subsidiary of SunTrust Banks. Through SunTrust Mortgage, you can open a bridal registry savings or checking account at SunTrust Bank. When a wedding guest makes a deposit, the bank sends a card to the bride and groom to let them know. Ready to find a mortgage? "When they're ready to go ahead and make that first home purchase, they access those funds and we get a mortgage for them -- and we hope they remain a SunTrust banking customer," says Cheryl Nolda, senior vice president of marketing for SunTrust Mortgage. In the last few months, about 500 brochures have been given to prospective couples, Nolda says. The lender usually sees an upsurge in interest in the two months before June and October, which tend to be the busiest months for weddings. Despite their success at SunTrust, bridal registry accounts never really caught on. You can always open a regular old savings or money market account to hold your down payment fund, but you might need to document where the money came from. That's easy enough when the money comes from your paycheck. If some of the money comes from gifts, be prepared to document the source. Encourage gift-givers to give checks from their personal accounts. And don't forget to write those thank-you notes. Editor's Choice 3 legal papers you can't live without Your own business, your tax shelter Brush: The 5 most overpaid CEOs Are seniors gambling away retirement? Cut your taxes by going solar Readers' Choice Ratings Top 5 Articles 9.34 Zombie debt collectors dig up your old mistakes 9.33 10 ways to stop identity theft cold 9.31 10 ways to avoid outrageous hospital overcharges 9.22 The tricks and traps of debt consolidation 9.17 Safeguard your Social Security number View all top rated articles More Resources · E-mail us your comments on this article · Post on the Your Money message board · Get a daily dose of market news S earch MSN Money tips advertisement MSN Money's editorial goal is to provide a forum for personal finance and investment ideas. Our articles, columns, message board posts and other features should not be construed as investment advice, nor does their appearance imply an endorsement by Microsoft of any specific security or trading strategy. 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College Gift

Skidmore College - Gift Planning - Life Income - Donor Recognition Search | Calendar | A-Z Index Thu Sep 22 5:37 PM EDT Skidmore Home | Admissions | Current Students | Faculty & Staff | Parents & Friends | Alumni Wills and Bequests Life Income Gifts More Gift Options Breaking News To Honor Donors Bring Legacy to Life! Scribner House Contact Our Staff Gift Planning Home STANDARD MAIL 815 North Broadway Saratoga Springs, New York, 12866 GIFT PLANNING PHONE 518-580-5655 E-MAIL CONTACT Gift Planning Gift Planning To Honor Donors Josephine Young Case served as a Skidmore College trustee from 1938 to 1971. Josephine Young Case Associates are individuals who, in the spirit of this selfless Skidmore advocate, have established a deferred gift arrangement to benefit the College. Gifts qualifying for membership include bequest intentions and retained life income arrangements. Case Associates sustain a tradition of vital importance by ensuring the future growth and welfare of Skidmore College, its students and graduates. Members are invited to Skidmore to attend a reception held each year in their honor. All members receive a certificate of appreciation signed by the president of Skidmore College and a distinctive lapel pin featuring the College seal. Josephine Young Case Josephine Young Case served as a Skidmore College trustee from 1938 to 1971. From April 1964 to July 1965, she served as acting president of the College following the sudden death of Skidmore's third president, Val H. Wilson. Elected chair of the board of trustees in 1966, she served in that office until her retirement in 1971. With unswerving commitment, Mrs. Case used her philanthropic spirit and her profound leadership abilities to help nurture the growth of Skidmore into one of the nation's leading institutions of Liberal Arts learning. Josephine Young Case's foresight was evident in her oft-quoted "Charge to the Architects and Planners," written in 1961 to lend higher vision to Skidmore's plan to build a new campus, the Jonsson Campus. She wrote: One thing we do not want for our new campus and that is walls or gates. For we want the world to enter. These students would not and should not have isolation from the immediacy of current problems, however dire. Their concern will reach out far beyond the campus to others everywhere; for awareness will be a virtue of this place. Bring Legacy to Life! Philanthropy • Legacy • Security The Office of Gift Planning urges donors to consult their legal and other professional advisors when considering charitable gift giving. Our staff is always pleased to work directly with donors and their advisors during the process. Creative Thought Matters. Skidmore College · 815 North Broadway · Saratoga Springs, NY · 12866 Skidmore College Main Links ©2005 Skidmore College · Contact Information Skidmore Home | Admissions | Current Students | Faculty & Staff | Parents & Friends | Alumni

Birthday Present ¶ 166

Birthday Present (Quarter Life Crisis) Quarter Life Crisis The world according to Sven-S. Porst « Coffee break • Main • In the paper » Birthday Present ¶ 166 words This morning Leif and me went shopping for a birthday present for Carola , who is having starting her quarter life crisis now as well. Well it was frustrating. We wanted to get a Rolodex file - but thought over 50 were a bit steep for a few bits of metal, plastic and paper. So, with time running out, we simply panicked. After lunch Stephie and me went on another trip and we got a nice large cooking knife. A very nice one indeed. Chopping vegetables is a lot of fun with it. In the shop we could try out the different knives on the salesperson’s lunch - which sort of compensated for the frustration. By now it seems, giving the knife was a good idea - so it was worth the hassle. We had a cake party this afternoon - I made a baked cheese cake and there were many other cakes as well. Later we ordered some pizza. Now I feel a bit sick. September 13, 2002, 2:15 Feedback Add your comment ← your name ← your e-mail ← your web page Remember me You can use _underscores_ to emphasise bits of your comment – and any other feature that Markdown offers. Use your news aggregator to track all comments on this post . Please note that I'll have to approve your comment before it definitely appears on the site. I will not approve any commercial or otherwise meaningless comments. « Coffee break • Main • In the paper » Comments on Wir sind Helden by: Terry . Anja . Keith . Terry . ssp . Make your own 'virus' by: Zer0 Cool . Jomon . Jomon . Jomon . omeed . Family by: chelsie macfarlane . De-Metallifise! by: . Shay . ssp . Shay . Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by: Albert Einstein . Categories Uni Software iTunes Bugs X.4 (10.4, Tiger) earthlingsoft Patches eBay Books SZ Bibliothek Travel Music Adam Green German Music Wir sind Helden Patrick Wolf Live German Media Films German Films Asian Films Wong Kar Wai Takeshi Kitano Photos T-Shirts Food Me Quarter Life Crisis Archive Web page Send E-mail This page Read post Feedback Write comment People Richard Dave Walker Gummi 2lmc spool Juha Haataja Pierre Igot David Simmer Chris Clark Buzz Anderson Michael McCracken Bill Bumgarner Alf Eaton Dan Wood Nicholas Riley Michael Tsai Martin Pittenauer Brent Simmons Chris Heathcote John Gruber drunkenbatman Richard Anderson Beyond Brilliance & Stupidity Linkage Die Zeit The Guardian ( Comment ) die tageszeitung Ars Technica The Register The Joy of Tech TWAS Kino in Göttingen Zartbitterparty Popscene Vera No Logos Syndication feed Delicious links Scrobbler music Flickr photos T-Shirt mania GeoURL neighbours amazon wishlist HTML , sometimes CSS hooray Credits These pages are made by Sven-S. Porst. Feel free to quote stuff but be sure give a credits and references where they are due. This site is powered by Movable Type and looks prettier on a Mac. Additional goodness thanks to John Gruber's SmartyPants and Kalsey Consulting's SimpleComments . The layout for this site started from The Blue Robot's three column layout . It works like a charm and all the messy additions are my own fault. Better check out the original if you want to learn CSS. Quarter Life Crisis •The world according to Sven-S. Porst • [top]

unique gifts for people

Gifts for Men and Gifts for Women | Xmas Gifts Login Register Help Unique Gifts for Men and Women Hard2Buy4 helps you find unique gifts for people who have everything. We've found gifts for men ranging from Ferrari driving to virtual reality goggles and gifts for women from celebrity fashion to a belly dancing lesson . Whatever his or her tastes we've searched to net to find the best gifts so you can quickly browse and search over 83,000 Gift Ideas . We don't sell any of the gifts, we just help you buy better gifts in less time . Best Selling Gifts for Him and Her Belly Button Brush 10 From Alt Gifts Desktop Star Wars Cut-outs (Set of 4) - Save 5 12.95 From Boysstuff Chocolate Fondue Fountain 50 From Alt Gifts Giant Inflatable Boxing Set 19.95 From Boysstuff Shocking Tanks 40 From Alt Gifts Double Sided Wire Game 7.47 From Gadget Storm Antworks 19.99 From I Want One of Those Poker Table 49.99 From I Want One of Those Monster Truck Driving 129 From Buyagift Rhythm Sticks 12.99 From I Want One of Those Oggz 36.95 From Prezzy Box Wild Sling Water Bomb Launcher 15 From Alt Gifts Candy G-String & Bra 13 From Needapresent Tank Driving Experience 185 From Boysstuff Robopet 59.95 From Boysstuff Shocking Tanks 39.99 From I Want One of Those See The Top 50 Gifts Menu Activity Gifts Driving Days Fashion Accessories Food and Drink Gadgets Health and Beauty Hobbies Home & Garden Gifts Ladies Fashion Menswear Popular Gifts Sex Toys Sporty Gifts Technology Unique Gifts Whats New The latest hot gifts Inflatable Football Chair 11.95 Talking Doll Daffyd 19.95 Talking Doll Vicky Pollard 19.95 Voodoo Knife Display 59.95 Reindeer Adoption Experience 52 Celebrity Hamper with a Helicopter Thrill X774 89 Times Past Hamper with a Steam Train Journey for Two X772 149 Indulgence Hamper with Champneys Spa Day X770 165 Best of British Hamper with London Eye Trip and River Cruise for Two X768 149 More New Gifts Gifts Search Popular searches Gift Guides Gifts 4 Men Gifts 4 Women Anniversary Gifts Traditional Gifts Birthday Gifts Wedding Gifts Valentines Gifts Valentines Gifts Fathers Day Gifts -- Halloween Gifts Xmas Gifts for Men Xmas Gifts for Women Shops Directory Offers and Sales Top 50 Gifts New Gifts Popular Gift Ideas Off Road Driving Romantic Experiences Very Unique Animal Encounters Classic Car Driving Drinking Gifts Flying Thrills Health Spa Remote Control Toys Romantic Gifts Super Car Driving Unique Experiences Unique Gadgets Wining and Dining New Technology Sunglasses MP3 Players Halloween Gifts Remote Control Cars Adrenalin Experiences Gifts On Sale There are 2113 products currently on sale from 9 shops! More Special Offer Prezzy Box 5 off! Receive a 5 gift voucher when you register your details with Prezzybox. Save Now! More Offers 1999 - 2005 Hard2Buy4.co.uk, part of Invendium Ltd Help Contact Terms of Use Privacy Bookmark Us Partner Links Feedback Report an Error List Your Site

Golf Gift Cards &

Golf Gift Cards & Certificates Home | Calendar | Do Business | Live & Work | Play | Departments | Services | Payments | Translate County of Milwaukee" name="logo_placeholder" width="210" height="46" border="0" id="Img2" Milwaukee County Park System About Us The Park System (map) Animals/Wildlife Community Centers Friends & Partners Gardens & Nature Golf Golf Club & Cart Rentals Golf Courses Golf Discount Card Driving Ranges Golf Gift Cards & Certificates Golf Dome Golf Outings Golf Lessons Nite "Glow" Golf Golf Promotions Tee-Time Reservations Tip from the Pro Parks Calendar of Events Permits Rentals Special Events Sports Facilities Trails Water-based Recreation Milwaukee Portal City of Milwaukee County of Milwaukee Sitemap Printable Version Home > Milwaukee County Park System > Golf > Golf Gift Cards & Certificates Golf Gift Cards & Certificates On-line Reservations | Promotions | Discount Card G ive a golf gift card or certificate to the avid golfer in your family. Golf gift cards make great holiday, anniversary, or birthday gifts. Cards are available in any amount from $5 to $1,000 and are valid at all Bronze through Premium courses, any day of the week. Cards are currently available at the Bronze through Premium courses and the Golf Office. Certificates in $5, $10, and $25 denominations can be redeemed at Oak through Premium courses for greens fees, golf merchandise, and even the Milwaukee County Parks Golf Discount Card. Frequent Golfer Coupon Books For County Golf Discount Cardholders who have Senior, Junior, or Disabilitystatus, the Frequent Golfer Coupon Book is a great deal – 16 $5-couponsfor $70 (an $80 value). Coupons are good for greens fees, reservations, andcart rentals at any Premium, Gold, Silver, or Bronze course, Mon.–Fri., excluding holidays. -- Where to Purchase Golf Certificates Year round during regular office hours at these locations: Golf Office, 9480 Watertown Plank Rd. The Mitchell Park Domes, 524 S. Layton Blvd. Wilson Recreation Center, 4001 S. 20 St. During the regular golf season Premium, Gold, and Silver courses . To order a golf gift card or certificate by mail, send your request to Milwaukee County Parks, 9480 Watertown Plank Rd., Wauwatosa, WI 53226. Be sure to include: your check made payable to Milwaukee County Treasurer a note explaining the quantity of each denomination you would like. If ordering gift cards, indicate the number of cards and the dollar amount to be associated with each card. If ordering gift certificates (Quantity) $25 Gift Certificates (Quantity) $10 Gift Certificates (Quantity) $5 Gift Certificates the address to which the certificates should be sent Milwaukee County Parks Golf Office 9480 Watertown Plank Road, Wauwatosa, WI 53226 (414) 257-8024 © 2005 County of Milwaukee. All rights reserved. County Executive ::: County Board ::: Contact Us ::: Web Policies