Alaskans Get $900 This Year in Oil Checks

Nearly every Alaska resident will receive $900 for their share of the state's oil wealth, a nice sum to be sure, but nowhere near the amount of the checks before the recession. The amount of each person's check is based on a five-year rolling average of worldwide markets, which includes the recession years that were more widely felt outside Alaska. This year's amount was a bit larger than last year, but still far from the record payout of $2,069 in 2008.

The yearly Permanent Fund Dividend amount is made with great fanfare in downtown Anchorage. Acting Revenue Commissioner Angela Rodell made this year's announcement, saying nearly 593,000 Alaskans will receive their checks next month. The money, about $576 million total, will be distributed Oct. 3. About 507,000 Alaskans will receive the money through direct deposit that day, and another 86,000 checks will be mailed from Juneau for those that chose paper delivery. (More Alaska stories.)