BUT, it doesn’t take a whole caboodle of cash to generate website traffic for your site.

Ever wonder how does big hit sites drive traffic top their site? Most of them are spending tons of money to drive the traffic to their sites, investing in many advertising campaigns and different forms of marketing schemes and gimmickries. This is all worthwhile because, well, they are what they are now, high earning, big hitting websites.

You don’t have to do this if you don’t really have their resources. There are many ways to generate low cost website traffic without having to spend what you don’t have or can’t afford. Many people have banked on high cost methods and have ended up losing their shirt over it.

Here I present to you the Top five ways to generate low cost website traffic that could help your site a whole lot. Even if you only get a small percentage of successful visitors in to client ratio it still works especially if you get a high number of website traffic.

Exchange Links

This is a sure and proven method. Rarely would you see a site where there is no link to another site. Many webmasters are willing to exchange links with one another so that they could produce more public awareness about their sites. You’ll soon see and feel the sudden upsurge of the traffic coming in to your site from other sites.

A major prerequisite in exchanging links with other sites is having the same niche or content as the other site. They should share a common subject so that there is continuity in the providing of service and information to what interests your target traffic.

Exchanging links also boosts your chances of getting a high ranking in search engine results. It is common knowledge that search engines ranks high sites that have inbound and outbound theme-related links. With a good ranking position in the search engines, you will generate more traffic in your website without the high costs.

Traffic Exchange

This is like exchanging links but on a different higher level. This may cost a bit more than exchanging or trading links but could be made cheaper because you get to earn credits. You can use those credits when viewing others traffic, while you earn credits when someone views yours.

Traffic exchange services are the viewing of another’s site or page. This is done vice versa where a site can use your sites contents and so can you to his or her site. You both benefit from each others efforts to generate traffic. The other sites visitors can go to your pages and know more about your site as well as theirs. Once again the public awareness of your sites existence is boosted.

Write and Submit Articles

There are many e-zines and online encyclopedias in the internet which provides free space for articles to be submitted. If you want to save costs, you can do the articles yourself. There are many freelance writers who are willing to write for you for a small fee, but to save money, it is wise to do those articles yourself.

Write articles that are themed along with the niche of your site. Write something that you have expertise on so that when they read it, they can feel your knowledge about the subject and will be eager to go to your site. Write articles that produce tips and guidelines to the subject or niche your site has.

Include a resource box at the end of your article that can link them to your site. Write a little about yourself and your site. If you provide a light, information-laden and interesting article, they will go to your site for more.

Make a Newsletter.

This may sound like hard work because of all the articles you may need to use to build a newsletter but on the contrary, this is not so. There are many writers and sites that are willing to provide free articles as long as they can get their name in on your newsletter. This will also provide free advertising for them as well.

As your newsletter gets pass around, you can widen your public awareness and build an opt-in list that can regularly visit your site.

Join Online Communities and Forums

This only requires your time and nothing else. You can share your knowledge and expertise with many online communities as well as your website. You can get free advertising when you go to forums that have the same subject or niche with your site.

Share your two cents and let them see how knowledgeable you are with the subject. As you build your reputation, you also build the reputation of your site, making it a reputable and honest business that could be frequented and trusted by many people.

*Step 1*   Target a large group of people

First you need to research your intended market. You need find a reasonably large number of targeted individuals who have money to spend and a problem that

needs solving. To make money online you need to offer a great product, or service, that solves a problem for them.

You need to research:

(a)          What are people searching for online?

(b)          How many people are searching online for a solution to their particular problem?

First though, what should you be marketing in your proposed new online business?

Ideally, you should market something that you have a keen interest in, this will keep you motivated. You can find out what people are searching for at Google here: https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal and at Wordtracker.com who currently offer a free trial at

http://freekeywords.wordtracker.com

*Step 2*   Locate a great product

Once you have researched your target market, it is time to quickly locate your products or services. If you have your own product great, if not then there are plenty of options to sell, or resell other peoples products.

There are thousands of products you can find quickly. However, marketing and selling a really good product needs a little more attention (you could create

your own but you want to get started fast, right?)

Next…locate your products

You can choose to promote physical products or digital online products. Digital products cover many different areas of interest and are incredibly profitable. There are no delivery costs with digital download products they are a good choice to promote as most offer good margins.

Here are some prime resources for sourcing digital products:

1.            www.paydotcom.com

2.            www.clickbank.com

3.            www.cj.com

There are other resources but the above sites are a great place to start for all types of fast selling digital download products.

*Step 3*   Market to your target audience

Now you have researched your chosen market, and located great products you can sell, it’s time to reach out and grab those targeted individuals.

So how are you going to attract your hungry buyers at little or no cost?

You MUST reach your target market in a way that allows you still to make a good profit. There are many ways to achieve this (that is another book in itself) but I’m going to show you the most cost effective way to market almost any product or service online. In fact it is so cost effective it won’t cost you anything (just a little time set aside to complete it).

So what is this free method?

Articles. Yes… article marketing is THE most powerful way to attract ready made buyers to your site for little or NO cost. You basically write something that is informative and of interest to readers of your target market, then submit your articles to directories to get them published.

The links contained within your published articles will point back to your website and they will lead targeted visitors to your product. Articles can also be a major factor in giving any well optimized site higher rankings in search result pages.

*Step 4*    Offer a very tempting low cost (or free) product

When someone visits your site you must offer a FREE or relatively low-cost product to ‘hook’ your potential buyer from the outset. The aim is to get the prospect to ‘buy-in’ to you, so that you can start to establish a business relationship. A getting to know you stage if you like.

Make your initial offer very difficult to turn down and at the same capture their email address so that you can follow up if they don’t buy the first time (1 per cent or less buy on their first visit to a website).

Once your customer has bought into your first product, this could be a free email course, a “How to” ebook, a mini report or a cheap $27 intro product, you must then begin to build up trust and offer more expensive products.

The only way you can make a long term profit, and make money online, is by building on that first low margin sale. After the first sale you then follow up by offering ever more expensive products each time.

As long as the products or services you offer are good and deliver what they promise, you will be giving value for money. That’s what we all want when we buy something. That is how all successful companies and individuals make a success out of their businesses.

*Step 5*   Follow up and offer more expensive products

Repeat the process over and over again with successful products and services and drop the unsuccessful ones. These simple steps may seem really obvious but guess what, most marketers don’t do it.

When you follow up with your customers you should be offering them related products to their first purchase. Use an autoresponder to automate your communications.

Follow this simple 5 step formula, research your idea thoroughly and you will make money online.

Internet websites are often developed for personal or business use.  What once may have been considered a personal site may now even be used to make money.  Affiliate programs, commonly referred to as associate programs, are a way for website owners to make money through internet marketing.  Affiliate programs work by connecting people to another website.  There are a wide number of well known national companies who use affiliate programs to increase the traffic to their website.

Individuals who have their own website will generally display a banner or link to a certain website.  The linking website is often a business that sells something.  Affiliate programs are profitable to website owners because whenever an internet user signs up for something or buys a products, they are paid commission.  Affiliate programs are an effective marketing technique that offer benefits to everyone involved.  Website owners are paid for their participation and the businesses on the other end are promoting and selling their products.

Deciding to participate in an affiliate program is a fairly easy process and can sometimes involve little work.  If you are a website owner, the more work you do on your website, the more likely you are to receive affiliate clickers.  This is due to search engine optimizations.  Many articles or topics inside a website contain keywords that search engines may pick up.  If an individual is searching for information on popular children’s toys and your website has articles or information concerning them, they may be linked to your site.  Internet users love to see new articles, information, or products.  For this reason, constantly updating your website may bring in new visitors and also keep existing visitors coming back.

Developing a website can be for fun or a part of home employment.  Home employment is on the rise and many individuals are making the decision to work from their home.  Home employment allows parents, elderly, or disabled individuals to work from the comfort of their home.  Although these individuals are common work from home people, just about everyone has the ability to work from inside their home.

A work from home internet business can including selling merchandise or offering a service.  For instance, many individuals sell homemade or wholesale merchandise or some offer their web design or writing skills.  Affiliate programs are an effective tool in obtaining additional profits for a work at home internet business.  Although affiliate programs are used and are widely popular among internet businesses, they are also successful with personal websites.  Blogging has greatly increased in popularity.  In fact, a large number of internet users have a blog.  It is possible to link up affiliate programs with a blog.

Affiliate programs are becoming extremely popular among website owners or bloggers.  It is a fairly simple way to acquire additional profits through an existing work from home internet business.  It is great programs, such as affiliate marketing programs, that allows many individuals to successfully work from home and make a profit.

“While businesses may not be hiring a whole lot next year, they won’t be firing a whole lot either,” says economist Joel Naroff.

Most economists agree that the worst is behind us, and that new job creation will pick up modestly as the year wears on. But worries about the slowpoke economy and the possibility of a double dip will keep companies from adding enough positions to make a serious dent in joblessness.

The consensus among 46 forecasters recently surveyed by the National Association for Business Economics is that the unemployment rate will end 2011 around 9.2%, from 9.6% now. It’ll take another six years for unemployment to get back to pre-recession levels, according to estimates by the Congressional Budget Office.

Still, if you’re a valued employee, the outlook is much brighter, as employers will focus on retaining and developing top talent rather than new hiring.

“Raises are back and for good reason,” says Catherine Hartmann, a principal with Mercer’s rewards consulting business. “The risk of losing key employees is top of mind as the economy recovers.”

Nearly all companies intend to increase salaries this year — by an average of 3%, according to Buck Consultants — and to reward the best and the brightest with pay hikes nearly double the going rate. More employees can look forward to bonuses, too, with the amounts awarded going up.

[See Jobs with the Greatest Gains]

Meanwhile, the draconian cost-cutting measures adopted during the downturn are becoming history: Nearly all companies that slashed their 401(k) match say they will have restored all or a portion of it by next summer, according to Towers Watson. Salary freezes are fading fast too, the Buck survey found.

If you’re among the 14.8 million Americans who are still unemployed, however, 2011 continues to look bleak, but not hopeless. Though little new hiring is planned for the first half, openings should expand later in the year — as long as the economy encounters no major hiccups.

Wildcard: A double-dip recession would put the brakes on any gains, says California State University Channel Islands economist Sung Won Sohn. Mass layoffs won’t necessarily return, but raises and bonuses could suffer.

What to Watch: Track the monthly jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics at bls.gov. The forecasted pickup of 153,000 jobs a month on average (fewer than 150,000 early in 2011, as many as 175,000 late in the year) should bring the unemployment rate down to 9.2% by the end of 2011.

Action Plan 1: Angle for that promotion. Tired of meekly accepting skimpy raises (or none at all) because you’re grateful just to keep your job? If you’re a valued employee, this is the year to press for more.

“Employers will be looking more than ever to differentiate between star performers and people who are contributing, but not at a high level,” says New York City executive coach Alicia Whitaker.

Up to half of companies that are changing how and when they award raises have reallocated merit funds to give more to top performers than regular Joes and Janes; less than 10% used this strategy a year ago, according to Buck.

And as always, the best way to earn a big raise is to get promoted. Those pay bumps are budgeted for about 7% on average — vs. 3% for the usual merit raise.

How to get ahead in this environment? Schedule separate meetings with your boss and a mentor to discuss your prospects for advancement. Be prepared to outline noteworthy accomplishments that helped the company (especially if they added to the bottom line) and specific contributions you hope to make in the future. And make the moves that follow.

Develop a new expertise. In planning compensation for next year, employers say “specialized industry knowledge” is the top reason they’ll offer a bonus.

“People could become obsolete very quickly if they don’t keep learning,” says Whitaker. If you work in health care, make yourself familiar with the health care overhaul.

In finance, a deep knowledge of how the new reforms apply to your product could set you apart. Master the latest in your industry, whether it’s technology solutions or marketing tools, even if your company has yet to adopt them.

Action Plan 2: Toot your own horn. Keep a portfolio of your best work to bring to your annual review, including testimonials like thank-you notes from colleagues or clients. “A lot of people think only artists have portfolios,” says Laurence Shatkin, author of 2011 Career Plan, “but anyone can develop one.”

Action Plan 3: Raise your visibility in-house. Make yourself known as an expert by sharing links to news about your field with your colleagues, posting insights to industry groups on LinkedIn, or volunteering to write for your company intranet or newsletter, says social-media strategist Diane Crompton. “It shows that you’re relevant and up-to-date,” she adds.

Action Plan 4: Nurture your network. Networking isn’t just for job hunting. Tapping your well-oiled web of contacts to fill job openings at your company could impress your boss too, especially if you prove you have a good eye for talent. What’s more, helping others means your contacts will be primed to help you down the road.

If you find yourself falling deeper into credit card trouble, it’s time to take a hard look at what’s coming in, what’s going out and see where you can free up some cash quickly to start hacking away at your debt.

Some trims may seem small, but if you package several of them together, you can soon get started on a respectable payment plan.

Here are some ideas for places to turn first.

1. Cell Phones

“For $9.88, you can buy a TracFone (prepaid cell phone) with pretty decent coverage and pay by the minute,” says Mike Sullivan, director of education at Take Charge America in Phoenix. “And if you’re careful, you can end up saving $40 to $50 a month off a typical $80 cell phone bill.” He also recommends canceling your land line unless you have medical issues that may require emergency calls.

2. Cable/Satellite

Most people can save money just by getting rid of the extra pay packages they have — such as premium movie channels and extra services. “If you’re really in trouble, cancel the whole package,” Sullivan says. Check out the library for free movies, DVDs and CDs to bridge the entertainment gap.

3. Homeowners Insurance and Car Insurance

By increasing the deductible of your policy from $500 to $1,000, you can see big decreases on your premium, says Michael Barry, vice president of media relations for Insurance Information Institute in New York. “People pay about $880 a year, so if I can knock $88 off, it’s a start.” Regarding auto insurance, take a look at your collision insurance if you have an older car. If you have even a fender-bender, sometimes the cost to repair the car would be more than it’s worth, so perhaps you could cancel the collision insurance altogether. First, look up the value of the car at Kelley Blue Book, Edmunds.com or the National Automobile Dealers Association, then check the collision line on your auto insurance bill and see what it’s worth to you to keep that insurance. Also, if you don’t drive that car much, look for a discount. “If you drive from 7,000 to 7,500 miles a year, you can often qualify for low-mileage discounts,” Barry says.

4. Transportation

Americans are increasingly finding alternatives here. In fact, consumers spent 11 percent less last year in this category, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 2009 Consumer Expenditures Survey released in October. If you have more than one car, this may be the time to look at downsizing to just one car and getting around with better planning, carpooling, bike riding, public transportation or car sharing. Car-sharing companies such as Zipcar operate in a growing number of cities and on many university campuses. You can rent a car by the hour when you have to have one without the expense of insuring and maintaining your own car.

5. Utilities

“People often overlook programmable thermostats,” says Edward Tonini, director of education of Alliance Credit Counseling in Charlotte, N.C. “You can spend $20 to get a programmable thermostat and if you set it right, it can save you $100 over the course of a year easily.”

6. Food

Households spent an average of just more than $300 a month on food eaten at home and about $215 per month on food outside the home in 2009, the BLS survey reported. “Maybe eating out isn’t necessary for you,” Tonini says. “Packing lunches and eating at home will lower your discretionary spending.”

7. Gym Membership

Are you really using it multiple times a week? Divide your monthly dues by the number of times you go in a month and get a realistic picture of what you’re spending on a one-hour workout. Park districts or community centers often have low-cost or free programs. Also check into exercise videos or a piece of home exercise equipment that you would use regularly. If you decide to keep the membership, check to see whether the facility offers discounts for coming at off-peak times.

[See Tips to Beat the Post-Holiday Debt Blues]

8. Movies

A family of four can quickly rack up nearly $100 on one movie with popcorn, drinks and maybe even parking fees. “Instead of going to the movies, have a game night at home. It sounds kind of corny, but it will be more meaningful than sitting in the dark when you can’t talk to each other,” says Dave Gilbreath, a regional director with Apprisen Financial Advocates in Yakima, Wash.

9. Tax Relief

Wendy Burkholder, executive director of Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Hawaii in Honolulu, says, “Many of the families we work with are struggling with credit card debt because of loss of income. One of the first things to do is re-evaluate your tax withholding on your paycheck (if your spouse or partner has lost a job). If you don’t make the change, you end up with a whopping refund. You don’t need the money a year from now, you need it now.” If you’re overpaying taxes, you’re also giving the government a free loan and are likely putting off paying for your own bills, which can lead to fees and penalties, she says.

10. Health Insurance for Dependents

“If you’re struggling with loss of income, you may no longer be able to afford $600 being deducted from a paycheck to cover your dependents,” Burkholder says. She suggests checking to see whether you now qualify for a state or federal coverage plan for dependents, such as the Children’s Health Insurance Plan, or coverage by health care providers that may offer reduced prices for basic health care for children.

Deciding what to cut first will be different for every consumer, but whatever the choice, it should be sustainable, rather than a one-time quick fix, Tonini says. Sometimes it’s cutting out the daily $4 coffee, but “they need to figure out what their ‘latte factor’ is.”

Question: I’m planning to buy a house in about six months, so I’d really like my credit score to be in the 800s by then. I already pay my bills on time. How can I make my credit score off-the-charts great?

The good news is that 750 is more than “pretty good.” Many lenders say they offer their best rates to customers with scores of about 720 or better.

However, in today’s credit market, it’s better to have a higher score than is absolutely necessary. And most of the tactics you’ll use to raise your score make good financial sense anyway. I think working to improve your credit score from good to great is a very worthy goal!

Credit scores are no longer any mystery. They’re based on how you pay, what you owe, how long you’ve been paying and other factors. Here’s what affects the widely used FICO credit scoring model and by how much:

Making all your payments on time accounts for 35 percent of your FICO score. You’re doing great on that. However, even having a 100 percent perfect payment history would leave 65 percent of your score to be determined by other factors.

Thirty percent of your FICO score is calculated from debt levels in proportion to the amount of credit you have available. Even if you never go over your credit limits or miss a payment, if you’re constantly almost bumping against your credit limit, you’re at a higher risk of default — from a creditor’s perspective.

Fifteen percent of your score — a significant amount — is based on length of credit history. There’s no way to change this number quickly, which is why it’s impossible for younger people to have perfect credit scores.

Ten percent of your credit score is based on any recent applications for credit. The more recent the applications, the lower your score. The credit scoring model’s reasoning is that people who are running short of cash often start looking for more sources of credit.

The last 10 percent of your score is based on your credit mix. That’s your history of carrying various types of credit; for instance, a car or home loan in addition to credit cards.

When you know what affects your score, you can concentrate on the changes that will have the biggest impact. Here’s how you can have a higher score in just six months:

Month 1: Get a copy of your free credit report. Then, correct any errors you find on your report. Start this process now — not all mistakes are fixed on the first try.

Month 2: Improve debt levels by paying down credit card balances. Your balances at any time during the month should be no more than 30 percent of your available credit. If necessary, apply now for one additional credit card or request higher limits on your existing cards. New applications temporarily ding your score, but it should recover before you need your home loan. (Don’t open a slew of new cards, and by all means, don’t spend that new available credit!)

Month 3: If your credit report only shows credit cards, improve your credit mix by asking other creditors to report your information to the bureaus. According to myFICO.com, creditors such as student loan lenders, credit unions and local retailers are not required to report credit information, but it never hurts to ask.

Do not buy a car or anything else just to improve your credit mix score. It doesn’t help your score enough to be worth the money you spend.

Revive any old accounts you haven’t used in awhile so they will be reported and improve your length of credit history score. One transaction every six months is enough to keep an account active.

Month 4: Set up automatic payments. Even one late payment can hurt a decent credit score. Depending on your normal checking account balance, set up an automatic payment just large enough to keep you from ever making a late payment, or create multiple payments to keep your card balance close to zero throughout the month. When your bill comes, pay what’s left.

Month 5: To make sure your credit card balances are reported as low to the credit bureaus before you go loan shopping, start using mainly cash as much as possible now. You can also go online and check your credit card balances before the credit card statement period ends and pay it off early to keep from having your balance reported at its highest point.

Month 6: Do all your rate shopping for a mortgage loan within a short period of time so you don’t get dinged for multiple credit inquiries.

Good luck and enjoy your new home!

Avoid Immediate Disasters
Don’t be afraid to request bill extensions or payment plans. These requests are often granted. If your biggest worry is eviction from your apartment, talk to your landlord, but, also, see if you can get extensions on any other expenses to free up money for keeping your home. For instance, suppose that your rent is $650 and you’re $200 short. Your bundled phone bill and cable bill is $60, your electric bill is $100 and your cell phone bill is $40. If these bill payments are postponed until your next paycheck, you can pay your rent now and avoid eviction.

Review Credit Card Payments and Due Dates
If you are only making the minimum payments on your credit card(s), you are flirting with a disastrous credit score. However, avoiding credit card payments will only worsen your debt.

For example, suppose that your minimum payment on a $1,000 balance is $40. You fail to pay $40 on time, so you are charged a $35 late fee. In addition, your interest on future charges is charged at the default rate of 25%. Now your credit card is even more difficult to pay off. Before you know it, you have an overwhelming collection of piled up late fees and missed payments.

Prioritizing Bills
Go over all your bills to see what must be paid first and then set up a payment schedule based on your pay days. You will want to leave yourself some catch-up time if some of your bills are already late. If this is the case, call the bill companies to see how much you can pay now to get back on track toward positive status. Tell them you are catching up and going on a stricter budget. Be honest about what you can afford to pay. Sometimes it’s instinctual to say you’ll pay the full amount on your next paycheck, but you may not have the full amount available after other expenses take their cut.

Ignore the 10% Savings Rule, For Now
Stashing 10% of your income into your savings account is daunting when you’re living paycheck to paycheck. Balance your budget before starting incremental savings. It doesn’t make sense to have $100 in a savings plan if you are fending off debt collectors. Your piggy bank will have to starve until you can find stability in your finances.

Review Your Past Month’s Spending
Online banking and online budgeting software help you categorize spending so you can make adjustments. For instance, with online banking, with a few mouse clicks you can categorize your money for expenses, such as dining, food and utilities.

Negotiating Credit Card Interest Rates
If you have good credit, call your credit card companies and ask for an interest rate reduction. If you don’t ask, you won’t know, as it’s unlikely that credit card companies are going to initiate a reduction on their own.

Eliminate Unnecessary Expenses
Do you need to cut back on coffees? Or movies? Or do you often have spoiled groceries? All cutbacks should start with items you wouldn’t miss, such as switching car insurance companies to get a cheaper rate, or reducing your fresh food purchases if you find food spoiling before you can eat it. Eating out is even more costly, so examine how much and how often your really need to do this.

Journal New Budget for One Month
Once you’ve gone through the first eight steps, monitor your progress by journaling for one month. You can do this by noting everything you spend in a notebook, budgeting apps on your phone, or with financial software. How you track your money isn’t as important as how much you are tracking. Focus on ensuring that every cent is tracked by dividing your expenses into categories, such as rent, food, clothing and utilities.

Adjust Spending as Needed
If, after journaling for one month, you’ve found your budget isn’t where it needs it be, get prepared to make changes. Look at how much you are over budget and decide where you can cut. Don’t rule out items that are viewed as basics, such as groceries, utilities or rent. Cooking from scratch can eliminate the cost of pre-packaged foods, and opting for generic brands over brand names will equal big savings on a cart of groceries. Utilities can be reduced by turning off lights when you leave the room or using a lamp instead of elaborate track lighting. You may be able to negotiate better rent the next time your lease is up, or you could always move to a less expensive place.

Seek Out New Sources of Income
If your current budget doesn’t balance or you’re barely scraping by, you may need to look at working overtime, getting a second job, or possibly getting a new, higher-paying job. Often there is work that pays more, but the nature of the work is unattractive. You may need to decide if it’s better to be unhappy at work or unhappy with debt.

Conclusion
When you’re short on cash, a strict budget is your best tool for correcting your situation. Employing sound money management can mean the difference between financial disaster and financial stability.

U.S. Postal Service delivery bags are overloaded right now with statements from employers, banks, stockbrokers and other institutions and agencies that were involved in taxpayers’ financial lives last year. Each of these groups has, by law, until Jan. 31 (or the next business day when that date falls on a holiday or a weekend) to get their annual tax statements in the mail to taxpayers.

The one bit of relief for postal workers is that many taxpayers now receive these documents electronically. So be sure to double-check your e-mail, not just the curbside one for these statements that should be on their way.

Common Income, Deduction Statements

Most taxpayers depend on the same basic data to file returns. If you work for someone else, the IRS expects you, and the agency, to get a statement detailing that income. The data are slightly different, depending on whether you get paid a salary or do contract work, but there’s a form for either case.

W-2 — This is the key form, and you need one from each employer you worked for during the past year. Your W-2 shows how much money you made, how much income tax was withheld, Social Security and Medicare taxes paid, and any benefit contributions — retirement plans, medical accounts and child care reimbursement plans.

1098 — For most homeowners, mortgage interest is tax-deductible, and this document will tell you how much you paid last year. Your lender is required to send you one of these forms if you paid at least $600 interest. Actually, your mortgage company probably won’t send you an official Internal Revenue Service form, but a document of its own design that contains the same data. In addition to the mortgage interest, other information often found on this statement includes amounts paid toward points to get the loan and escrow disbursements for real estate taxes (also deductible) and property insurance (not deductible).

1098-E — Are you paying back a student loan? The interest on your educational debt is reported on this form; your lender must send you one if the interest tally is at least $600. You may be able to deduct your student loan interest and possibly other loan-related amounts, such as origination fees and capitalized interest. To figure the deductible portion of the interest amount found here, use the work sheet in your Form 1040 or Form 1040A instructions.

1099-INT — If you earned more than $10 in interest on a bank account or a certificate of deposit, you’ll get one of these forms for each account. Don’t dismiss this statement if you reinvested the interest. Tax law says you received the income even if you didn’t actually have it in your hand, and reinvested earnings are still taxable income. 1099-INT statements also are issued to people who cashed in savings bonds.

1099-DIV — Earnings from individual stocks and mutual funds are reported on Form 1099-DIV. This will show dividends and capital gains distributed over $10. As with reinvested interest, if you used the dividends or distributions to buy additional shares of the stock or mutual fund, you still have to pay taxes. However, the distributions and certain, qualified dividends are taxed at the lower capital gains rates.

1099-B — If you sold stocks, bonds or mutual funds, you will receive a 1099-B from your broker or mutual fund company. This will tell you the number of shares sold, when they sold and the amount you got for the sale. You’ll need this information, along with the date you bought the shares and the amount you paid for them, to figure your taxes.

1099-G — Taxpayers who got a refund of state or local taxes last year will get this form. If you used those taxes as a deduction on your previous year’s federal income tax return, you’ll need to report the 1099-G amount on this year’s return. You don’t have to worry about reporting this refund as income, however, if you took the standard federal deduction instead of itemizing.

1099-R — If you received a pension or a distribution from an individual retirement account or retirement plan, the 1099-R provides the details of these transactions. The form is issued by your broker, pension plan manager or mutual fund company. You’ll also get a 1099-R if you rolled over money in a retirement plan, usually a 401(k) to an IRA, or if you converted a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. A rollover usually is not a taxable event, but a pension payout may be.

1099-MISC — Self-employed individuals who earned $600 or more should get a 1099-MISC from the employer. You should get a separate 1099-MISC for each independent job you had during the previous tax year.

Late-Arriving Forms

There are a couple of statements you might need for your tax records, but because of the intricacies of the financial arrangements they cover, the documents do not always arrive before the April filing deadline.

Form 5498 — Any contributions made during the calendar year to any individual retirement accounts are reported on this form. The 5498 shows traditional IRA contributions that might be deductible on your tax return, as well as any rollovers, including a direct rollover to a traditional IRA, made during the last tax year. It also reports amounts recharacterized from one type of IRA to another. It notes any amounts converted from a traditional IRA, simplified employee pension or savings incentive match plan for employees to a Roth IRA.

Because these savings plans allow contributions up until the April 15 tax filing deadline, Form 5498s for these accounts aren’t due to taxpayers until May 31. You should, however, get a statement of each account’s fair market value in early February. You don’t need it to file your return, but keep it for your records. It will be helpful when you begin taking money out of these accounts and need to calculate any taxes.

Form 5498-ESA — Contributions to Coverdell education savings accounts, formerly known as Education IRAs, previously were reported on Form 5498, but these plans now are tracked on this statement. The youngster named as account beneficiary should get a copy of this document by April 30.

Schedule K-1 — Finally, if you received money from an estate, trust, partnership or S corporation last year, you should get a Schedule K-1. However, because of the complexity of many of these arrangements, account managers tend to send out K-1s later in the tax season — sometimes not until after the April filing deadline.

Because you do need to know this amount of K-1 income to file your return, consider getting IRS Form 4868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File. Filing this form, along with any tax you estimate you might owe, will give you six more months to get all your tax statements in hand.

When They Arrive, Check Them!

As your various tax statements come in, don’t just stuff them in a drawer and forget them until April. Take a few minutes to look over all your tax forms as you get them. This will give you an idea of what your tax liability — or refund — will be, and you’ll be reassured that you’re getting all the right information you need to complete your return.

You also need to check for errors as soon as the forms arrive so you can get them corrected in plenty of tax-filing time.

If a W-2 or 1099 statement is wrong — erroneous income, more interest on a savings account than was actually received, a pension payout listed as taxable when it shouldn’t be — you’ll need to contact the form issuer and get the information corrected as soon as possible.

Just as important, make sure they send you — and the IRS — a copy of the corrected document. Without it, any IRS questions on your tax return could result in post-filing headaches.