Online credit card calculators provide some helpful numbers, but if they only show you a final dollar amount or “time to pay off the note” figure. You don’t learn where those numbers come from or their calculations. Perhaps you’re considering putting a major purchase on your credit card or strategizing a debt payoff plan. Either way, you’re a wiser consumer if you go behind the numbers. Fortunately, the process of calculating your payments (and costs) by hand is not too difficult....

Learn more about what the golden state takes when it comes to taxes. California State Income Tax California has 10 personal income tax rates, ranging from 1% to 13.3% as of 2022. The highest rate of 13.3% begins at incomes of $1 million or more for single filers as of 2022. The 13.3% rate is referred to as the “millionaire’s tax.” It’s an added 1% surcharge over the top 12....

This tax-free growth means investors want to earn the highest returns they possibly can while investing within their Roth IRA, which leads some to consider day trading in the account. However, Roth IRAs aren’t designed for day trading and you’ll likely be better off with other strategies. A Roth IRA Makes Day Trading Difficult Day trading means buying and selling the same security, on the same day, using a margin trading account, which allows the investor to borrow against the value of their existing holdings....

Job security is mostly a thing of the past. The median employee tenure hovered around four years in 2020, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Very few workers will retire having worked for the same employer for most of their careers. Can You Get Fired for No Reason? Unfortunately, getting fired without a reason can happen to just about anyone. If you are an at-will employee, like most Americans, your employer doesn’t need a reason to fire you....

We’ll review types and examples of career paths and how to develop a career path. What Is a Career Path? A career path is a series of jobs that help you progress towards your goals and objectives. Your career path includes the jobs you’ll need to hit your ultimate career goal, but it doesn’t need to follow a straight line. There’s no blueprint or timetable for climbing the career ladder....

The “Made in China 2025” plan recommends advances in technology, specifically big data, aircraft engines, and clean cars. China has become a world leader in solar technology. It is cutting back on steel and coal production. If you understand this blueprint for economic reform, all the warnings about China’s slowdown or collapse will be less alarming. That includes the 3% drop in the yuan to dollar exchange rate and the July drop in China’s stock market in 2015....

Citi said Thursday it would stop charging altogether for both main types of overdrawing: an overdraft fee when they cover a transaction on an account that doesn’t have enough money to cover it, and a non-sufficient funds (NSF) fee—also called a returned item fee—when they block it. The bank has been charging $34 for each of these. Citi joins a wave of banks that have relaxed, reduced, or eliminated overdraft fees in recent months....

Below is information on how to write a successful management-level cover letter. It includes an example, a template to download, and a list of management cover letters sorted by job type for inspiration in writing your own. What Employers Look for in a Cover Letter Companies want to see evidence of what you have accomplished in your previous positions. It’s important to highlight your credentials that are a close match for what the employer is seeking in the ideal candidate....

Every strategy should tell you where and when to get into a trade, but you need to wait for that moment of truth to arrive. The trader in this example not only lost on a trade they jumped into prematurely, but they also missed the real entry point by being impatient. Impatience Throws off Your Timing Losing money because you bought right before a price drop and then sold before a price rise because you were frustrated or disheartened is a terrible feeling....

As you uncover these different types of real estate investments and learn more about them, it isn’t unusual to find a reference to someone who has built a fortune by learning to specialize in a particular niche. In your quest for financial independence and passive income, you might decide this is an area in which you want to devote significant time, effort and resources. Getting Started in Real Estate Investing It goes without saying that each type of real estate investment has potential benefits and pitfalls, including unique quirks in cash flow cycles and lending traditions....

The truth is that some buyers and sellers could manage very well on their own. An A-rated agent can bring added value to a transaction, but for some consumers, it’s not necessary. Those who prioritize a quick transaction and the ease of representing themselves may prefer to go without an agent, but many will find that it’s more work than they want to handle. This decision depends on your circumstances, along with how much time and money you have to spend on buying or selling your home....

Car insurance can help replace your automobile, while certain policies can pay to replace stuff like a cell phone, laptop, or designer clothes in your gym bag. It may sound tricky, but it’s easy to understand once you know which types of coverage you need. And you might be surprised to know your renters insurance policy could help recover some of your auto-theft losses. Does Renters Insurance Cover Theft? Renters insurance won’t pay to replace your stolen vehicle, but it may cover stolen personal items, even when they’re outside your home....

Andreas Kuehn / Getty Images Driver’s License Points Most U.S. states have a system for adding points to your state driving record if you’re convicted of violating motor vehicle laws at the state, county, or city level. The purpose of points is to encourage safer, better driving habits and to protect drivers, passengers, and others who share the road. Each legal violation has a fixed point number assigned to it....

While more expensive options include eating out or getting take-out, even cooking at home can be expensive, depending on the ingredients you choose to buy. It can be even more costly if you are focused on eating healthy and organic options instead of the less healthy, cheaper options at the grocery store. But just think of all the different ways you could spend the money if you successfully cut your food bill....

Grocery prices overall have surged as part of a general inflation trend that has bloated costs for consumer items since spring 2021. Egg prices, however, have more than doubled over the last year for a reason separate from broader economic trends. An outbreak of bird flu has decimated poultry flocks, killing 43 million egg-laying hens in 2022, according to the Department of Agriculture. The ensuing egg shortage drove the price of a dozen grade-A eggs to $4....

The good news is that employment verification letters are usually fairly simple documents, and easy to write or obtain. If you need to request or write a letter, reviewing templates and examples can help you get started. What is an Employment Verification Letter? An employment verification letter is written by a current or past employer to confirm that an employee or former employee worked at the organization. The request may come from the employee, government agencies, prospective landlords, mortgage lenders, prospective employers, or collection agencies....

Huddleston had to move fast to update her mother’s will and power of attorney, and get her mom’s finances in order before the dementia progressed to the point where she would be declared incompetent. The problem was that Huddleston was asking for details that her mother couldn’t remember. “I waited too long to talk to my mother about her finances, and then I had to scramble and play detective to find out stuff,” Huddleston said....

The saver’s credit, also known as the retirement savings contributions credit, provides these taxpayers with a special tax break. They can claim the credit for a portion of the income they contribute to a qualifying retirement plan. Tax Credits vs. Tax Deductions To better understand the saver’s credit, it’s important to distinguish before tax credits and deductions. A tax credit is a dollar-for-dollar reduction of your gross tax liability—the total amount of taxes you’re responsible for paying as you finish your tax return....

There are ways to do it and ways not to do it if you’re contemplating cutting your offspring out of your last will and testament or other estate plan. Controlling an Heir’s Behavior Don’t use the threat of disinheritance as a way to manipulate an heir’s current behavior. You might want your child or to do or not do something, and you think that threatening them with disinheritance will make them act or not act in that way....

In many cases, family loans are successful—but success requires a lot of open conversation and planning. You need to handle the administrative matters and the (possibly more complicated) emotional side of things. You’ll also need to navigate the potential financial and legal pitfalls. Basics of Family Loans A family loan, sometimes known as an intra-family loan, is any loan between family members. It can be used by one family member to lend money to or borrow it from another or as a means of wealth transfer—the purpose doesn’t matter....