Members of Facebook, take note: You can now alert designated loved ones of your last wishes all from the convenience of your Facebook account.

As lovers of Scrabulous well know, Facebook offers extra applications that let members of the social networking site play games and share photos and favorite movies with one another. And now, blogger Joel Schoenmeyer of the Death and Taxes Blog alerts us to another application that lets you share personal information with your online friends: "My Own Last Wishes." Just as the name implies, My Own Last Wishes helps members let their (online) loved ones know:

• Their preferences for funeral service, including flowers, songs, readings and epitaph
• Who they want to care for their pet
• Whether they have a will or trust
• What investment or insurance accounts they hold
• Any other final instructions or special messages

Online reaction to the program has been mixed...  Read more

Bosses, want loyal employees? Give them access to employer-sponsored backup childcare and elder care referalls.

That's the conclusion of a new poll conducted by LifeCare Inc., a company that -- coincidentally -- provides these services to employers. Eighty-eight percent of working parents who responded to the poll said that these types of benefit programs would make them more loyal to their employers. Only 6 percent of respondents said such a program wouldn't make them any more loyal.

Backup elder and childcare can also help reduce employee absenteeism and productivity losses, noted LifeCare CEO Peter G. Burki in a statement. That's a nice way of saying that employees who have access to backup care providers don't have to skip work to take their parent to the doctor or spend hours on the phone keeping tabs on their kids when they're supposed to be working.

Burki says that the number of employers offering these types of benefits has doubled in recent years, although he didn't give any numbers...  Read more

Starting in May, taxpayers will start eagerly looking for their rebate checks in the mail. But some of our parents won't get their check for one simple reason: They haven't filed their taxes in years and don't know that they need to do so in order to get their rebate check.

Blogger Deirdre Wheatley of the You and Yours Blawg reminds us that many low income and retired people don't file yearly federal income taxes. But if they make $3,000 a year -- whether it comes from earned income, Social Security, or Veteran's benefits, among other sources, they may qualify for the minimum rebate of $300 for individuals and $600 for couples (most other taxpayers will receive up to $600 for indivdual filers and $1200 for couples.) The only catch? They have to file a return this year.

If your parent hasn't filed in years but doesn't want to miss out on our government's little gift to taxpayers, here's a few...  Read more

Reverse mortgages--a loan for people ages 62 and older that pays homeowners based on the equity they've built up in their house--can be a great way for our parents to pay off medical bills, pay for home improvement projects, or take that trip they've been dreaming of for years.But the loans aren't right for everyone, as the New York Times reminds us in an article about the pitfalls of reverse mortgages. Although the loans are highly regulated (homeowners are required to meet with an independent counselor before even applying) some lenders still deploy sleazy sales tactics including:

• Rushing through the fine print and glossing over closing costs and interest rates
• Offering financial incentives to so-called independent mortgage counselors
• Pushing homeowners into questionable investments with the proceeds of the reverse mortgage

If you're concerned because your parents are thinking about taking...  Read more