Your Money: Homebuyer Credits and Tax Refunds

And most examinations, almost 78%, simply involve letters sent to taxpayers seeking more information. This is called a "correspondence audit" in the industry.

The possibilities for why a return is kicked back are endless, but some of the most common problems are mathematical mistakes; numbers entered on a return that don't match up with a document like a W-2 form; Social Security numbers for dependents that are missing or incorrect, or a request for documentation to back up a charitable or medical deduction. Such problems can typically be handled through the mail.

Until the letter is received, it's impossible to know if the problem the IRS detected is a major one or a minor one.

-- Eileen AJ Connelly

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Q: I used to get 3 or 4% interest from my online savings account with HSBC (HBC Quote) but it's been coming down for months and now it's at 1.85% APY. Why have rates fallen so much?

-- M.L.E., Milwaukee

A: This trend has its roots in steps taken to try to fix the ailing economy.

The Federal Reserve spent the last part of 2007 and all of 2008 cutting benchmark interest rates, essentially to zero. These interest rate moves served as the catalyst for lower rates on savings accounts and certificates of deposit at banks and credit unions nationwide. Online banks are no exception.

You may not be able to do much better elsewhere, at least not for a while.

"Shopping around can net higher returns, but keep in mind that the interest rate winds are all blowing in the same direction, and that means returns are likely to fall further," says Greg McBride, senior financial analyst at Bankrate.com, which provides data on the latest bank interest rates.

On the bright side, inflation has fallen to essentially zero. So these lower savings returns are still attractive in terms of buying power.

-- Dave Carpenter