Here are seven ways to spend your tax-refund money that you should avoid—and what to do with that money instead. Unneeded Material Things When you have a large sum of money coming in, it can be tempting and splurge on a television, gaming system, or clothing, but these items aren’t a good investment. They don’t have a lasting positive financial impact. Putting it simply, splurging this way is effectively blowing a lot of money on material items that won’t improve your financial situation....

These and other questions can cause paralysis. As the familiar mantra says: It’s not about timing the market; rather, it’s about time in the market. That means it’s important to set clear investment objectives, open a brokerage account with a trusted firm, and start investing with a long-term view. You’ll gain knowledge over time. While your investment strategy may change, getting started sooner rather than later is a good first step....

This beginner’s guide to online stock trading will give you a starting point and walk you through the basics so you can feel confident choosing stocks, picking a brokerage, placing a trade, and more. How To Choose an Online Broker First, you need to open a brokerage account with an online stock brokerage. Take your time researching the reputation, fees, and reviews for different options. You want to feel sure that you are choosing the best online stock broker for your situation....

QQQ is a very popular ETF. At the end of 2019, QQQ was the second-most traded ETF in the U.S. What Is the Nasdaq-100 Index? It’s always a good idea to research the underlying index before you consider any index ETF for your investing strategy. The Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX) is a collection of the largest 100 non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq exchange. It includes both domestic and foreign firms....

Revocable living trusts come with both pros and cons, from avoiding probate to the costs associated with setting one up. Deciding if one is right for you can depend on your personal concerns and circumstances. Advantages of a Living Trust Avoid Probate Assets held in a trust avoid probate because the trust itself doesn’t die with its creator—called the “grantor” or “trustmaker” in legal terms. The trust remains up and running after the death of its grantor, and it can transfer its property to anyone the grantor has provided for in the trust’s formation documents, according to the grantor’s own terms....

This type of inventory management provides many benefits, but is not without its downsides, and relies heavily on factors such as a strong, fast and efficient network of suppliers. The Purpose of JIT Ordering inventory on an as-needed basis means that the company does not hold any safety stock, and it operates with continuously low inventory levels. This strategy helps companies lower their inventory carrying costs, increase efficiency, and decrease waste....

To find out what benefits your card provides, start by looking over your credit card’s terms and conditions. Most banks send a benefits guide of some kind in the mail, but you can usually find the same information online. Note: For most of these services and perks to take effect, cardholders must have made the relevant purchase with that specific card. When that washer you bought with cash breaks down the day after the manufacturer’s warranty expires, don’t expect your credit card issuer to treat you to an extra year of warranty protection....

Using paycheck and benefits data from a financial services provider called Earnin, the researchers compared individual employment, income, and spending levels in 19 of the 22 states that withdrew from federal benefit programs in June against those in 23 states that planned to participate until the programs expire on Sept. 6. The study found the chances of getting a job in the first 19 states were in fact higher, but noted that still only 13% of those who lost unemployment benefits because of their state’s early cutoff found jobs by the first week of August....

The cost of health care has been on the rise for many years. It is estimated that between 2019 and 2028, health care costs will increase at a rate of 5.4% per year. Your health care costs will vary depending on whether you have health insurance or not and where you get your health insurance from. A healthy family of four spends an average of 12% of their total income per year on health care....

What Is B2B Marketing? B2B marketing is directed at people who will purchase a product on behalf of a business, typically a key decision-maker. This type of marketing is primarily concerned with: The people who will be using the productThe business goals the product will enableThe return on investment (ROI) that the purchase will deliver There is little to no personal emotion involved in the purchasing decision, so you want to focus on understanding your buyers and how they operate within the confines of their organizations’ procedures....

His proposal, which may or may not make it into a spending bill being hashed out between Democrats and Republicans, would require banks and other financial institutions to report the total annual amount of money going in and going out of financial accounts, such as checking and savings accounts, held by most Americans. The banks would report the information at the end of the year, so the IRS would have it at tax time....

In 2018, the developer upgraded the software again, releasing Banktivity 7, which provided support for new macOS features such as Dark Mode and improved other financial tools, including reconciling and calendar view. Banktivity 7 remains as powerful a personal finance tool as iBank was, and added improvements to its functionality increased its strength in the field of native-Mac financial software options. Review the features below to see if Banktivity 7 is the right money management software for your Mac....

Planning for Income The average life expectancy was 77 years in the U.S. in 2020. If you retire at 55, you’ll probably need your assets to generate income for at least two decades. If you want to have enough income, you’ll need an accurate estimate of how much you plan to spend each year. Then, you’ll need to compare that to your current sources of retirement income. To learn how long you may live, the Social Security Administration has a simple calculator to give you a rough estimate....

Retirement Income Fund Definition Retirement income funds are portfolios typically consisting of a conservative asset allocation of stocks, bonds, and cash and are most appropriate for investors who are already retired or nearing retirement age. The primary objective of income funds is to provide investors with steady income that may include dividend income from stocks, or fixed income from bonds. Types of Retirement Income Funds There are several types of funds investors can use to generate income in retirement....

With this in mind, we take a look at six funds you should pay attention to. How We Selected the Best Mutual Funds Using a long-term investing philosophy, you can try to figure out which are the best mutual funds to buy and hold—now and for the next decade, and beyond. Here’s how we chose the best funds to buy for 2022. Low expenses: When choosing the best funds to buy, no matter how long the holding period, it’s smart to choose among the best low-cost, “no-load” funds, sold without a commission or sales charge....

But don’t be discouraged. Finding the best no-load mutual funds for $100 or less can be easy if you know where to look. Mutual Fund Minimum Initial Investments Mutual funds are without a doubt the best type of investment for the majority of beginning investors, but many funds have minimum initial investment amounts of $3,000 or higher. As a result, beginning investors have to save hundreds or thousands of dollars just to get started investing in mutual funds....

There are three basic types of professional resume formats: Chronological Functional Combination How to Choose a Resume Format Some resume formats will work better than others for your situation. For example, if you have a gap in your resume, a history of job-hopping, or a career path that’s taken some strange twists and turns, a functional resume might be the best choice because it emphasizes skills over linear job experience....

What Are Technology Mutual Funds? A technology mutual fund is one that invests mostly in the tech sector. This includes tech-related businesses, such as makers or providers of: Computer hardware Software Electronics servicesTechnology servicesInformation technologyBusiness data processingEntertainment streaming Why Invest in Tech Mutual Funds? Perhaps the best reason to buy these funds is that you can gain access and exposure to dozens—or even hundreds—of technology stocks in just one fund. You don’t have to spend time researching the stocks one by one....

Method of Purchase There is a slight difference in the way you can purchase mutual funds compared with ETFs. Mutual funds are often bought through the issuing company or a financial advisor, but you can also get them through brokerage accounts. While many funds have no load or up-front purchase charge, an investor who does pay this sales charge may have a hard time keeping up with the earnings of ETFs once this fee is factored into their returns....

However, you typically won’t earn as much interest as you would with a bond. A bond is an investment that pays interest income, usually at a fixed rate. You may also be able to make money from a bond by selling it for more than you bought it for before it matures. What Are the Differences Between a Bond and a Savings Account? In order for a company or government to issue a bond, it has to agree to pay you a specific interest rate for the life of the bond....