It’s been a busy week in the office and in my in-box.

My e-mail purging is your gain. Here are the most interesting surveys, tools and stats of the week on topics ranging from identity theft to taxes to retirement.

Need help getting your savings on track? Fidelity launched a Guide to Personal Savings (GPS– get it?!) earlier this week that features several tools. Among them– 500 free seminars available to all Americans, live webinars, and a Savings planner.

Why the big campaign for planning? Fidelity said a recent survey found that more about eight in 10 Americans are worried about their savings, but haven’t contacted a financial adviser for help because they figure they can’t afford it.

Another (cynical) reason might have to do with people being unsure about who to trust these days. A frequent refrain I’ve heard is, “Do financial planners know more about these unprecedented times that I do?” Even so, having someone to bounce ideas off of is extremely valuable, and these folks spend 40 hours a week thinking about these issues.

Companies cutting 401(k) matches to cut costs is a troubling trend. But experts say that there are alternatives to cutting the match.

H&R Block shared a couple of tax myths as we head into the last month of tax season

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To file in the “for what it’s worth” category. Local web developers Blue Earth Interactive designed The Bailout Game as a way to make light of the current economic situation we’re in and give us taxpayers a feeling of control over what’s happening in Washington and on Wall Street.

The developers admit that they have no economic background, not that that’s helped the officials in charge. They also don’t have a crystal ball to see whether your choices about how to dole out money would really save the economy or sink it. So don’t feel badly if you wreck the country as ruler of the financial world. Happy spending!

As I said in my column, we’ve had quite a year on the personal finance front. So going in to 2009, I asked some of my sources to share their nuggets of wisdom for thriving in the New Year.

Here are a few more that I couldn’t squeeze into the column. Add your own below.

Karen Heimdahl, LSS Financial Counselor, Hopkins: There is community building around the fact that most people are struggling and having to make lifestyle changes. Share ideas and think creatively about how to work together.  This could be in the form of casual sharing with groups of friends or co-workers, but also in websites and blogs. Big-picture, I see this as an opportunity for us as Americans to evaluate our actions that got us to this point …  (and) can allow us to seek and implement ways to live more efficiently and with less, which will have greater implications for the wellness of people and our planet long-term.

Dean Junkans, Chief Investment Officer, Wells Fargo Wealth Management Group: From a personal finance perspective, it is now in style to not spend. I knew that if I waited long enough, I would be in style! Unfortunately, it took a weak economy and a difficult job environment to get consumers to rationalize their spending. This is an opportunity for people to stash some emergency savings.

Brian Kompelian, Financial Advisor, Ensemble Planning, Minneapolis: The stock market is like the weather; you can’t control it. But you can take steps to protect yourself. Get organized, make a plan, and stick to it. Focus on the things that you can control: Saving and spending. The storm will pass.

Tara McCarthy, President of Financial Rehabilitation, Inc., Minneapolis: I work with people that are either in the midst of a financial crisis or trying to prevent one from happening. My clients are facing a lot of life changes and need to make some difficult choices that may include being foreclosed upon or seeking legal counsel regarding bankruptcy. For my clients, being responsible does not always mean paying back their debt. They need to take care of themselves and their families first.

There is exactly one time in the year when I don’t feel poor. You guessed it…tax season baby! I normally complete my taxes as soon as I get all my W2s because I want my refund ASAP. Part of it is psychological…want to get the New Year off to a good start. On the flip side, if I knew I owed Uncle Sam money, I would probably wait until April 14.

Thanks to the miracle of E-file and TurboTax (like the George Foreman Grill, I swear by that thing) my bank account was recently credited with a nice tidy sum of $3,000. But what to with the money? This is literally the one time of the year I can play with some coin. But what to do? Man, this is nerve wracking!!!!

Should I put the money in a CD or savings account? Or invest in a Roth IRA or some other investment vehicle? Pay off debt? Be a patriotic American and buy crap I don’t need? Oh wait, that’s what the economic stimulus bill is for…

What makes my dilemma even more crucial is the crappy economy. I want to put away something but still have access to cash when I need it in the event of…say..a layoff? Or as my company calls it, the realignment of expenses to revenues.

Appreciate some advice. Also, tell me what you normally do with your tax refunds.

This is my last blog posting. Your trusty Kara McGuire returns Monday with tales of scandal and intrigue from her vacation in Mexico. Well, I don’t about scandal and intrigue but I guarantee she’s probably a lot more tanned than we are.

Enjoyed all of your comments. Peace out yo!!!!

Oil is up. Stocks are down. But it’s nice to know that even as the economy teeters on recession, your kid can still command top dollar for loose teeth.

Minnesota children receive an average of $2.10 per tooth, a penny higher than the national average and a 44 percent jump from 2007, according to The Tooth Fairy Poll by Eagan-based Delta Dental.

That local tykes are getting more money for their molars seems to fly in the face of history, since the poll normally reflects the state of the economy.

“This direction of change is inconsistent with trends exhibited in other more commonplace indices,” said Marty Weiland, operations analyst for Delta Dental, noting the Nasdaq and Dow Jones Industrial Averages have fallen 7.4 percent and 3.76 percent respectively in the same time period.

“So either the Tooth Fairy is an expert investor or we may be seeing something analogous to the “lipstick effect” where during an economic downturn or a recession, the tendency is for consumers to purchase small, comforting items rather than large luxury items,” Weiland said.

At least kids are getting something for their troubles. The tooth fairy didn’t leave me anything when I was a tyke. Guess the economy sucked back then. Or was it booming? Wait, I’m confused now….