Since it’s such an in-demand skill, employers will look for you to demonstrate your ability to listen during job interviews. Discover why good listening skills are vital in the workplace, along with how to build good listening habits while avoiding bad ones. What Are Listening Skills? Listening involves receiving sound, understanding the message conveyed in the sounds you hear, evaluating the message, and responding to it. People with good listening skills are able to comprehend what they hear and respond appropriately....

The Deficit Reduction Act of 1984 established the Mortgage Tax Credit Certificate program. Mortgage credit certificates are not loans, nor are they a tax deduction—they are a federal tax credit to help increase housing affordability. They may even help reduce monthly mortgage payments. The federal government caps the amount of mortgage tax credit you can receive each year at $2,000. Any mortgage interest that doesn’t fall under the mortgage credit certificate is still deductible on your standard tax return by completing an itemized deduction....

Alternate name: OTC stocks Pink sheet stocks are thinly traded, which can result in higher trading costs. There can be longer waiting periods before a seller can find a buyer. For example, some small-cap penny stocks are pink sheet stocks because they trade at very low prices. How Do Pink Sheet Stocks Work? You can find quotes for pink sheet stocks through the OTC Markets Group. The OTC operates three tiers of trading marketplaces....

New York: opens at 1 p.m. GMT and closes at 10 p.m. GMTSydney: opens at 10 p.m. GMT and closes at 7 a.m. GMTTokyo: opens at midnight GMT and closes at 9 a.m. GMTLondon: opens at 8 a.m. GMT and closes at 4 p.m. GMT How Does the Forex Market Stay Open 24 Hours? To make it easier to understand when exchanges are open, you should view the opening and closing times at each location worldwide with a common base reference time....

Despite the growing popularity, there are few consumer protections and regulations for cryptocurrency. Generally speaking, the Commodities Futures Exchange Commission (CFTC) regulates the trading of cryptocurrency futures and spot markets, while the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) monitors emerging cryptocurrency, including initial coin offerings (ICOs), to make sure they are not designed as securities. We’ll take a look at the issues involved in cryptocurrency laws, and what’s in the wings for regulation....

It’s useless, just an empty vessel, if you overlook this vital step, or if you acquire new assets over the years that you neglect to transfer into the trust’s name, and this can prompt a variety of problems. The Need for an Ancillary Probate Ancillary probate involves two separate but simultaneous probate proceedings in two or more different states or jurisdictions for the same estate. Your heirs and beneficiaries might have to deal with two or more probate processes if you neglect to fund assets into your trust....

In December 2020, the European Commission announced its support to establish several asset management companies (“bad banks”) to help banks throughout the European Union remove nonperforming loans from their balance sheets in an effort to staunch the blow of a severe economic downturn. How Bad Banks Work Typically established during times of financial crisis, bad banks’ purpose is to restore stability to the banking industry, allow credit to flow, and reestablish investors’ trust....

Alternate names: sucker’s rally, bull trap, dead cat bounce The most recent example of a bear market rally took place in 2020. The S&P 500 Index dropped more than 20% between Feb. 20 and March 12, closing at 2,480.64 and officially entering a bear market. The next day, the index rose 9%, but those investors who jumped back in were suckered when the index sank to 2,237.40 just 10 days later, wiping out the gains as the market continued to head down....

Jose Luis Pelaez Inc / Getty Images An investor could put cash into CDs, which can earn even more interest than typical bank accounts but lack the same liquidity. For example, a person might put some extra cash they don’t plan on needing right away into a five-year CD (CD terms vary from a few months to several years). If the CD holder can wait the full five years, then they will earn more interest than they would in a traditional bank account, without facing the volatility that other investments such as stocks could have....

PeopleImages / Getty Images The Uniform Retail Credit Classification and Account Management Policy sets standards for when certain consumer loans and credit card accounts must be classified. In some cases, though, individual financial institutions are allowed to be more conservative in their classification rules. In general, if open- or closed-ended retail loans are at least 90 days past due, the loans should be classified as substandard under the Uniform Policy....

Let’s take a look at what conditional offers are, how they work, and how contingencies can impact buyers and sellers. Definition and Examples of Conditional Offers Common in real estate, conditional offers are offers made by buyers to sellers that include one or more contingency or “condition” that needs to be met for the sale to occur. Alternate name: contingent offer Both buyer and seller must agree to the conditions....

What Is a Cash Advance? A cash advance on your credit card is an amount of cash borrowed against your credit limit. It’s like withdrawing money from the ATM with your debit card, except the cash comes from your credit limit rather than your bank account balance. That means you have to pay it back with interest. Cash advance transactions can be performed by using your PIN at an ATM or by using a convenience check mailed by your credit card issuer....

Alternate names: interest rate, annual percentage yield (APY), rate of return When you think of interest rates, you probably think of them as the fees you pay for borrowing money. However, with the deposit interest rate, you also have the opportunity to earn money. How much money you will earn is based on a percentage of the principal balance in your account. The deposit interest rate is typically quoted as an annual percentage yield (APY)....

Definition and Examples of Judgment Liens A creditor may petition in court for a judgment when a debtor fails to repay their debts. A judgment will be issued that will force the debtor to pay off this money if the court makes a decision in the creditor’s favor. The court does not collect the funds on the creditor’s behalf when a judgment is issued, but it does issue orders that allow the creditor to immediately begin collecting the debt....

In 1864, money orders were introduced by the U.S. Postal Service as a secure way for soldiers and citizens to send money over long distances for a nominal fee. Prior to that, cash sent via mail was often stolen. How Money Orders Work A money order is an alternative to cash or checks. Like a check, a money order is designed to be sent to a specific person, and cannot be cashed or deposited by anyone....

Public adjusters typically work with residential or commercial property losses. They may also represent and negotiate an insured for car damages. State regulations usually require public insurance adjusters to take coursework, pass an exam, earn a license, and participate in continuing education. For example, if a tree falls on your house and causes roof and structural damage, you could enlist the help of a public insurance adjuster for a fee....

When you short a stock, you’re essentially borrowing shares using a margin account. You then immediately sell the borrowed shares in hopes that the share price will drop. If you’re right, you can buy the stock for a lower price and return it to the owner. Your profit is the difference between the price you sold the stock for and what you paid to buy it back. If you’re wrong, though, your losses are often unlimited....

Examples of Variable Expenses Let’s talk about a big variable expense—food. How much you spend on food depends on your lifestyle and diet. Here are some examples of variable expenses related to food: Eating out: This could include anything from fast food to going out for a nice dinner. If you eat out often, it can really add up.Groceries: This is what you need to buy to cook at home. The cost of groceries can vary depending on where you shop and what you like to eat....

JGI/Tom Grill / Getty Images Because adjusted closing price accounts for information that isn’t included in the closing price, it’s considered a more accurate representation than closing price. However, it’s also more complicated to calculate and understand. How Adjusted Closing Price Works Often, the closing price and adjusted closing price will be the same for a trading day. But when certain events occur, like a substantial dividend or a stock split, these numbers can differ significantly....

Here’s a closer look at how add-on CDs work and where to find them. Definition and Examples of an Add-On CD An add-on CD is a type of certificate of deposit that lets you make additional deposits over time. In other words, you can keep “adding on” to your account even after it’s open. For example, may offer an add-on CD with a 24-month term that requires at least $500 to open an account, and you can deposit additional funds at any time....