As we all know, the US government has started to send direct payments through a stimulus effort to help those affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

If you have not received your payment on April 15, additional electronic payments are being released throughout April. These payments are based on 2018 and 2019 tax filings. Individuals who did not file for electronic returns for 2018 or 2019 filings will not receive direct deposit payments via direct deposit. Instead, these qualified individuals will receive payment by check in the mail in the coming weeks.

If you need to register your account to receive your Economic Impact Payment, you can do it through the IRS website:

So now the question for many people is, “WHAT SHOULD I DO WITH THAT MONEY?”

Here are the six things people are advised to do with their stimulus check:

Prioritize:

  • Focus on the bills that keep a roof over your head, the lights on and food on the table.
  • Check with your utilities and communications providers.  Many are working with consumers to waive fees, keep the power on and your internet connection working.

Speak:  

  • With Ocean Financial to find out about our Visa Skip-A-Pay options, Hardship Loans and Emergency Assistance Loans as well as loan modifications and other sources of help so you can use your payment for what you need now.

Save some of it:

  • If you set aside a few hundred dollars, that can provide a cushion for bills that are coming in a couple of weeks.

Don’t hoard cash:

  • Keep it in Ocean Financial. It’s safest here!

Protect: 

  • There are a lot of bad guys out there trying to use this crisis to get at your stimulus check and your money.
  • Watch out for suspicious emails, texts or phone calls. 

Pay your taxes: 

  • The deadline for filing and paying income taxes has been extended to July 15th.
  • If you haven’t saved to pay your income taxes, you may want to consider using the economic impact payment to pay your taxes.