Your Money: Oct. 5, 1998

WORKERS PLAYING HOOKY

More Americans may have jobs these days, but a growing number seem to be skipping out on work. According to a report released last week, the rate of unscheduled office absences, owing primarily to personal needs, stress or illness, hit a seven-year high in the past year. Small businesses were hit especially hard by the problem, which can cost companies a pretty penny.

GET BILLS WITH LESS PAIN

Tired of digging through junk mail to get to your bills? Net surfers will soon be able to enjoy electronic bill presentment, which "sends" digital copies of bills to websites for easy payment. Users of Quicken or Money, and customers at banks like Wells Fargo or Citibank (which just invested in Microsoft's online-billing venture) can get billed by utilities and telephone companies without any paper cuts.

ROTH ROLLOVER SAVES TAXES

If you converted from a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA earlier this year when the market was sky high, why not do it again? You have to pay taxes on the value of your portfolio at the time of the big switch, so now that the Dow has gone south, it might be wise to roll back into a traditional tax-deferred IRA and then instantly reconvert into a tax-free Roth, potentially lightening your tax load come next April 15. But don't wait too long to roll over: the IRS could amend the rules this fall to restrict the tricky savings maneuver.

--By Daniel Eisenberg