What Caused Japan’s Lost Decade? Most economic crises follow economic booms when the valuation of companies disconnects from the real value of these companies based on fundamentals. For example, the dot-com bust and the Great Recession in the United States immediately followed record U.S. stock market valuations. At times like these, it is commonly said that Wall Street has become disconnected from Main Street. Similarly, Japan’s lost decade was largely caused by speculation during a boom cycle....

I know one applicant who was caught off guard—during an interview for a teaching position at a challenging charter school—when the principal asked, “You seem like a sweet girl. How could someone so nice be able to deal with students acting out?” She said it was the hardest question she’s ever been asked during a job interview. It’s not an easy question to answer because there is such a thing as being considered too nice....

While that may not be realistic, there are some simple things you can do right now to improve your money situation. Try these five steps for successfully managing your personal finances. Another bonus? If you stick to these five tips, your financial problems may start to diminish, and you can start reaping the rewards of lower debt, saving for the future, and a solid credit score. Detail Your Financial Goals Take some time to write specific, long-term financial goals....

Primary Factors Affecting Millionaire Status The most significant factors working against your millionaire status are debt and time. Becoming a millionaire is possible, no matter your situation, so long as you can keep these two factors on your side. If you can avoid consumer debt and start investing every month when you’re in your 20s or 30s, you can be a millionaire by the time you retire. If you have managed to avoid debt but haven’t started saving, your first step should be to put your investments into a tax-deferred account, such as a 401(k) through your employer....

Don’t be shy about letting people know you’re job searching. Instead of keeping your job search a secret, inform your network that you’re on the hunt for a new (or first) position. That way, people will be able to recommend and refer you when opportunities arise. One simple way to let everyone know you’re looking for a new job is to send a letter or email message. Read tips on how to send a letter to your network....

The U.S. economy added 194,000 nonfarm jobs last month, seasonally adjusted government data released Friday showed, well below economists’ expectations for a 487,500 increase, according to Moody’s Analytics. Government jobs were the biggest loser, dropping by 123,000, mainly in local government education, as return-to-school hiring was lower due in part to quarantines brought on by the delta variant of the coronavirus. The private sector added 317,000 jobs, paced by leisure and hospitality’s gain of 74,000, up from August’s 38,000 increase....

Do you want to hire yourself as an advisor or do you need to hire someone else? What is the value of your time compared to the monetary cost of using an advisor? Can you look at your money without the interference of emotions? Do you enjoy the process of investment research and financial planning or do you dread doing it? Before Investing for Yourself, Be Honest With Yourself The greatest virtue in the entire universe of personal finance is humility; because the ability to realize you don’t know everything is the trait that precedes all of the other great virtues, such as honesty, simplicity, patience, moderation and frugality—all of which combine for the greatest of success in investing and other areas of financial planning....

Negative amortization is possible with any type of loan, and you might see it with student loans and real estate loans. How Does Amortization Work? To understand negative amortization, it’s helpful to review the standard amortization process—and then compare and contrast. Amortization is the process of paying down a loan balance with fixed payments (often monthly payments). For example, when you buy a home with a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, you pay the same amount every month—even though your loan balance and interest costs decrease over time....

These terms are the most important ones you will encounter as you begin to work on employee paychecks, which signifies the start of the payroll process. These paychecks are used for two main purposes: Even if you have an accountant to do your payroll accounting, or you use payroll software or a payroll service company, you’ll need to be comfortable working with the common terminology. Payroll Payroll is a general term, and it has several meanings....

All borrowers with a mortgage have to pay for property taxes and insurance, although not everybody does that through their mortgage payment. Owners who buy a home in a planned unit development or a townhouse/condo complex also pay a homeowner association (HOA) fee, which may or may not include insurance for their individual unit. Principal and Interest? Principal is the part of the mortgage payment that applies directly to the amount of money you borrowed from your lender....

Why Do People Like Gold So Much? First of all, it helps to understand why some investors like gold so much, by looking at its history. In many cases, it has to do with the idea that gold is, well, gold. It’s been valuable for thousands of years. Unlike so much of our money today, which we access via card or by making information transfers, it’s possible to touch gold. It’s easy to look at gold and see the tangible value....

What Is a Qualified Written Request? A qualified written request, also called a QWR, is an official piece of correspondence sent from a mortgage borrower to their mortgage servicer—the company that accepts and processes monthly mortgage payments. You can use QWRs to report an error or request information. QWRs are allowed for under the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, which protects mortgage applicants and borrowers. There are 10 potential errors you can report using a QWR....

What’s the Difference Between a CPA an an Accountant? An accountant deals with bookkeeping and accounting issues for individuals and businesses, preparing tax returns, advising business clients on financial issues, and auditing financial statements. A CPA (Certified Public Accountant) is an accountant who has experience and education in accounting and has passed an examination to be certified by at least one state. What Are Your Fees? Ask how the firm bills clients and about billing options....

New employees always do well when they take the initiative to learn. There are some questions that it’s important to get answered, so you can start the new job on the right foot. Best Questions to Ask When Starting a New Job While many of these questions might be answered in a new employee orientation, some of them may not. Take note of the questions not covered in training. If they aren’t answered during your first few days on the job, approach your peers and immediate supervisor, so you’re as informed as possible....

The Raise the Wage Act would lead to increases in the price of goods and services as employers paid higher wages, and would also cause the federal government to have to pay more for workers like those who provide long-term healthcare, the CBO said. However, it would also have to spend less on certain welfare programs including those for food, according to the study published on Monday. The act could cost the government $54 billion over the next 10 years, the report said....

The benchmark stock index, which reflects a wide range of industries and companies, finished down 151.23 points to close at 3,749.63—21.8% percent off the record high it reached on Jan. 3. Investors call it a “bear market” when an index falls at least 20% from its latest high point. The sell-off came after Friday’s inflation report showed consumer price increases were accelerating instead of abating. The May inflation rate rose to 8....

Business School Recommendation Letters These letters show the admissions staff that you have the skills, experience, and qualifications it takes to be a success, both during and after the program. For example, in order to get into Stanford Business School (one of the most prestigious business schools in the country), you’ll need two letters of reference. The school says that stories about a student’s behavior, impact, and personal qualities (as told by others) play an essential role in the evaluation of each application....

Effective work-life benefits encourage employees to work harder and discourage them from quitting their jobs, according to research by the Corporate Executive Board. Contrary to conventional wisdom, men and women hold similar views of work-life benefits, the board found in a survey of over 50,000 global workers. Moreover, star employees assign almost as much importance to work-life balance as other employees and have similar work-life preferences. The report found that people who are happy with their work-life benefits...

A Sample Contingency Clause Contingency clauses can be customized, but the language is usually standard boilerplate, consistent with any state laws and regulations. This clause is widely used in North Carolina. The wording can vary from state to state, but the substance is typical: This contingency clause spells out the rights and responsibilities of both parties. The seller can elect to repair problems found by the buyer, or they can pass on the option to do so....

One way to overcome the perception that your age is an issue is to “age-proof” and carefully edit your resume. Your resume isn’t your CV, so it doesn’t need to include everything you’ve ever done. Learn what to include on your resume, what to leave off, how to choose the best resume format, review examples and get a resume template for older job seekers. How to Age-Proof Your Resume Limiting what you include on your resume, from a chronological perspective, can help job seekers avoid the stigma of being considered “too old” by a prospective employer....