So many places to go.

Every year, CNN’s Money Magazine names the best places to live. Today, the list of the 100 best small towns in the United States were published at money.cnn.com.

“Small towns,” according to Money Magazine, are places with populations of 50,000 or fewer. Rather than just rehash the top few places, I’ve chosen some random selections from the top 100 Money Magazine best places to live.

Something new in Nebraska

The No. 3 city on Money Magazine’s best places to live is Papillion, Nebraska. It has an unemployment rate of just 4.5 percent, and there are plenty of places to get an easy payday loan. Money Magazine says:

It’s rare for a town to rack up great scores in both economic performance and housing affordability. This friendly community outside Omaha delivers both.

Papillion has acres of open space, traffic jams are unheard of, and par­ents feel comfortable letting their kids ride bikes unsuper­vised.

The knocks on Papillion used to be a tired-looking downtown and few things to do. But the town has been working hard to fix both problems. It is $750,000 into a multiyear downtown revitalization project that in­cludes new sidewalks and antique lighting.

Near the Great Salt Lake

No. 14 on the list of Money Magazine’s best places to live is Farmington, Utah. This town has 16,500 people, and the report says:

A one-stoplight town squeezed between the Wasatch Mountains and the Great Salt Lake, Farmington has a quaint, quiet downtown with few shops.

Most Farmington residents commute south to Salt Lake City, but some travel north to Hill Air Force Base, Utah’s sixth largest employer.

Go west

No. 17 on the Money Magazine best places to live is Newcastle, Washington. This town has only 9,800 people, but it’s a favorite getaway for golfers.

Once full of coal miners, Newcastle now has a much more diverse jobs base: The town is 15 minutes from both Microsoft’s Redmond headquarters and Boeing’s 737 plant in Renton.

But the biggest draw here may be The Golf Club at Newcastle. Built by former Microsoft exec Scott Oki, the massive site includes two 18-hole public courses and a 44,000-square-foot clubhouse.

An inkling about Iowa

The town of Urbandale, Iowa, is ranked No. 42, and it has gotten some support from residents in the comments section.

Attracted by a strong local economy and low taxes, some 35,000 people have made this Des Moines suburb home since its 1917 incorporation date.

There is much to do within city limits, including exploring 900 acres of parkland and hiking 36 miles of trails.

Go for the ribs

In the home state of the president, Batavia, Illinois, makes No. 56 on the Money Magazine best places to live. The article doesn’t mention that Batavia is near Naperville, which holds a competitive rib-making festival each year. That sounds like a selling point to me.

Here’s what Money Magazine did have to say about Batavia:

Lined with 19th-century limestone buildings, Batavia has an old-town feel despite its location 35 miles west of downtown Chicago and easy access to commuter trains. … Batavia is also home to nearly 200 manufacturing, research, and warehousing firms as well as the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, a world-renowned center for physics research.

Cash advances can offer temporary relief to taxpayers needing quick funding. Although the stimulus package is set to revive the economy, it will take some time for individuals to benefit. Lay-offs, home value decline and unemployment rates are all taking their toll on the average families’ budget. Proactively searching for funding is the only thing that can help people while they wait for economic improvement. Cash advance lenders can offer immediate assistance to those who qualify by extending cash, giving people a way to make it to their next payday. Sure the stimulus is working its way through the system, but predictions are that the average American household won’t see real results until well into next year.

States are realizing the stimulus will cost them

The government gave out $787 billion in stimulus money, however recipient states are realizing it will cost them. For example, Nebraska’s governor told the media that over the next two years, the state will spend $1.2 million in disbursing the $1.5 million they received from the stimulus package. U.S. states are quickly realizing the same thing. Nebraska’s Chief of Staff Larry Bare states, “I don’t really have a good solution of where to come up with the money.” Unfortunately, like all other states though, if they miss a deadline or don’t disburse the cash in the specified ways , they lose it.

The government is warning that if states misappropriate funding, there will be no second chance any time in the near future. For the time being, Nebraska is left to figure out how to include salary expenses for two additional accountants, four new staff members, an information officer and a budgetary analyst. Knowing a budgetary shortfall is highly probable, the state’s governing body has to struggle to make it work, or risk losing funding altogether.

States are bustling to find ways of coming up with funds for disbursement. Last month the White House hosted a conference to suggest methods of allocating the stimulus efficiently, suggesting reporting templates and information sharing among states. A spokesperson for the White House states that the government wants “states to have resources and flexibility…to make sure that Recover Act funds are invested smartly to create jobs today and build a foundation for the country’s long-term economic growth.”

What this means for taxpayers

Until the stimulus money works its way down through the market, taxpayers are on their own. Cash advances, juggling debt and downsizing lifestyles are all options they need to explore. Taxpayers are left to watch and wait. Hopefully, by this time next year the economy will be on an upswing, but no one knows for sure. More than ever Americans have to assess their own needs and find realistic options to carry them through the next year.

Ideally, the stimulus package’s affect will saturate down to the workplace and start creating jobs. More jobs mean smaller unemployment lines, a decline in unemployment pay and ultimately revival of the economy. Rough estimates say that it won’t be until mid-2010 that taxpayers see a true improvement and can enjoy the fruits of the stimulus.

Until help comes

More than ever Americans are on their own. People felt the economic crash and are trying to find their ways out from under their individual financial issues. One way to bridge the gap between now and next year, when the stimulus is expected to bring change, is to use the cash advance loan. It’s quick and easy and meets a growing need in taxpayer’s finances. Hopefully by next year, the economy will be on an upswing and life will be back to normal for the U.S.

The United States Treasury is busy bailing out banks with TARP funds.

The Treasury seems to be determined to make good on its promise to report all the cash advances it gives to banks using bailout money. Today it reported that it has dispersed $1.15 billion between 42 banks within the United States.

Biggest cash advances

Banks in 25 different states got a piece of the Troubled Asset Relief Program funds. Flagstar Bancorp of Michigan received $266 million. The Treasury gave PrivateBancorp of Illinois $243 million. W.T.B. Financial Corp. of Washington and Anchor BanCorp of Wisconsin each benefited from the TARP money to the tune of $110 million.

Grand total

The Treasury started out with $700 billion in TARP money, which was approved last fall. Initially $350 billion was released to help stabilize the financial system, stimulate the housing market and encourage banks to start lending again. Congress granted President Barack Obama access to the remaining $350 billion last month.

“The Treasury said it has now invested $195.3 billion in 359 institutions in 45 states and Puerto Rico,” according to CNN Money.

New states take cash advances

Banks in two new states joined the ranks of financial institutions taking advantage of cash advances from the TARP funds. Nebraska threw its hat in the ring with Farmers and Merchants Bank. The Nebraska bank’s customers are mostly farms and rural businesses.

Wisconsin also made its first appearance on the bailout list with two local banks. Anchor BanCorp and Legacy Bancorp both received cash advances through TARP investment funds.

Related articles

• Review Board For Massive Financial Bailout Program Promised By Obama (huffingtonpost.com)
• The Bank Bailout is Broken (businessweek.com)
• New Bank Bailout Could Cost $2 Trillion (huffingtonpost.com)