Dear Mary: With all the news in the past few weeks concerning the bankruptcies of banks and the Federal Reserve's decision to lend AIG $85 billion to save the company, I am looking for advice concerning 401(k) money that I have in an AIG retirement fund. Should I move the money elsewhere or leave it where it is because the government is pretty much in charge of things there now? I do not know what to do. Any advice you could give would be appreciated. Thank you. — Glenda F., e-mail

Dear Glenda: First, let me disclose that I am not a licensed investment professional. While I cannot specifically tell you what to do, here's what I would do if I were you. I would stay put, realizing that the ownership details of the firm do not directly affect my account. I still would watch carefully my choice of funds within that retirement account, and once a year, I would meet with a qualified financial planner whom I trust to advise me on my investment choices. As for AIG, like it or not, it now is owned not by the federal government but by the Federal Reserve Board, which has the power to print the national money supply. It is a private banking corporation. It's owned by a consortium of private banks. That means the private banking industry just bought the world's largest insurance company. They just used American taxpayers' money to do it.

Dear Mary: Are spices safe to use indefinitely? What about condiments? We tend to take a long time to use these. The spices have no date anywhere on them. Most of the condiments do, but I wonder whether it's safe to use them past those dates. I hate throwing out perfectly good items if they're safe to use. — Leroy, e-mail

Dear Leroy: Spices do not "go bad" like milk or meat, but they lose their pungency. Most spices used in the home kitchen should be considered less than ideal after six months. Don't worry, though. That 10-year-old jar of cinnamon isn't going to poison anyone. It just won't taste that great. As for condiments, keep them in the refrigerator once they're opened. Unless you purchased a five-gallon container of mustard, I don't think you have a thing to worry about. Ketchup contains a lot of vinegar (a preservative), as do pickles. If you are keeping these items for years rather than months, perhaps you need to rethink your buying habits.

Do you have a question for Mary? E-mail her at [email protected], or write to Everyday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2135, Paramount, CA 90723. Mary Hunt is the founder of DebtProofLiving.com and author of 17 books, including "Debt-Proof Living." To find out more about Mary and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.