What Is the United MileagePlus Program? The United MileagePlus program is the frequent flier program for United Airlines. United officially launched the MileagePlus program in 1981. You can earn MileagePlus loyalty miles in a lot of ways, such as flying on United Airlines or partner airlines, using a United Airlines credit card, or even eating at certain restaurants. You can redeem your miles for award flights, hotel stays, cruises, gift cards, and more....

This gap can be covered through scholarships, student loans, or personal savings. Some families have saved money for this purpose through UGMA (Uniform Gift to Minors Act) and UTMA (Uniform Transfer to Minors Act) custodial accounts. Converting UGMA/UTMA to Section 529 UGMA and UTMA reigned supreme over the college savings market until the creation of Section 529 accounts in 1996. Since that time, most families choose Section 529 plans rather than UGMA or UTMA funds, as they offer a combination of tax benefits and parental control over the fund’s assets....

The unique supply chain focus could make VeChain an interesting part of your cryptocurrency strategy. Keep reading to learn more about how VeChain works, the special features it offers, and whether investing in VeChain could make sense for your cryptocurrency portfolio. What Is VeChain? VeChain is a cryptocurrency network focused on supply chain and logistics needs. The VeChainThor blockchain—the public blockchain behind VeChain—runs the VeChain token (VET) and the VeThor token (VTHO)....

It is also one of the most challenging steps because what is a need vs. a want can vary from person to person. It is also easy to miscategorize wants as needs if you are so accustomed to them that you have trouble imagining living without them. Learn how to budget more successfully by separating your expenses into needs and wants. What Are Wants vs. Needs? When you fill out a budgeting worksheet, you categorize your spending as either wants or needs....

If you aren’t sure how your deposit will be handled, ask questions at the time you make an offer. Ask to see the wording in the contract that guarantees the return of your deposit, and addresses how long it will take to get your deposit back. Not every purchase contract affords this type of protection. Learn more about earnest money deposits, how they work, and how to keep yours safe....

Learn what DPS is, how to calculate it, what DPS can tell you about a company, and how DPS differs from earnings per share (EPS). What Are Dividends Per Share? To understand DPS, it is necessary to understand dividends. Dividends are cash payments to shareholders that are paid from a company’s profits. Determining a company’s DPS is the most accurate way to determine how much income one can expect to receive from an investment on a per-share basis....

Some of the types of insurance companies are: Standard linesSurplus linesCaptivesDirect sellersDomesticAlienLloyd’s of LondonMutual companiesStock companies Here is a brief explanation of each of these types of insurance companies. Standard Lines A standard lines insurance company is licensed to operate and sell certain types, or lines, of insurance in a particular state. This type of insurer is also known as an “admitted” or “preferred” carrier. State laws and state insurance departments govern standard lines insurers, including the rates that these insurers charge....

XD is one of many ticker-symbol extensions. The extensions originated when shares traded on actual tape that streamed through brokerage offices and were listed in newspapers. In addition to dividend information, these extensions can show when a seller is offering preferred shares, shares of a bankrupt company, or if the stock is trading over the counter, among other things. For example, let’s say you own shares of Home Depot (HD) and it declares a dividend....

Comdex Ranking Defined By averaging the ratings of financial strength rating agencies, a composite score on a number scale of 1 to 100 is produced. The higher the number, the better the ranking. The number is a percentile ranking of all the major insurance rating organizations combined. An insurance company must have ratings from at least two rating organizations to have a Comdex ranking. Alternate name: Comdex rating Example of a Comdex Ranking Suppose the ABC company earned a rating in the 90th percentile from AM Best, the 95th percentile from Moody’s, and the 85th percentile from S&P....

Learn when you might want to use a DBA and how to register one. What Is a DBA? A DBA is a name by which a company is doing business and the name it presents itself as to the public. This name may be different from the legal name, or entity name, of the business as registered with a state. You may be required to register your DBA to let the public know who is operating a business and how to get in contact with that person....

If you’re happy with your current lease, you may opt for a lease extension. This means you extend the terms of the current lease agreement, although the additional time frame is typically shorter than the original time frame. For example, let’s say you’re renting an apartment and your current lease is set to expire in the coming months. If you’re happy with the apartment and your monthly rent, you may want to extend the rental agreement for a little while longer....

How Does the Roth IRA Phaseout Limit Work Roth IRA phaseouts are the income levels at which your contribution to your Roth can be reduced or eliminated completely. With a Roth IRA, you fund your account with after-tax dollars, meaning there is no upfront tax deduction in the year of your contribution. Roth IRAs provide some other helpful benefits, including: The ability to receive distributions tax-free during retirement. Your earnings grow tax-free....

Find out the meaning behind a shoestring budget, how it works and what it could mean for your financial life. Definition and Example of a Shoestring Budget A shoestring budget is a type of budget you create when your money is limited and you need to keep a tight rein on your spending. The most significant difference between a shoestring budget and any other budget is that there’s not enough incoming money to comfortably cover your expenses....

Squatting commonly starts when a piece of property is unoccupied and isn’t monitored by the owner. Someone breaks in and begins living there. There have even been reports of people refusing to leave an Airbnb they rented, or moving into an unoccupied condo unit and paying the maintenance fees as if they were the actual owner. Squatters can have rights for similar reasons that tenants have rights—to ensure that a landlord or property owner follows a legal process when removing someone from their property....

The federal government, municipalities, and corporations issue bonds as a way of financing debt. When you invest in a bond, you become a creditor and the issuer is the debtor. The issuer agrees to make interest payments, known as coupons, and repay the principal—often referred to as the face value or par value—when the bond reaches its maturity date. Alternate names: Tap sale, bond tap, additional placements, reopenings With a tap sale, the issuer authorizes an issue of a bond, but then a portion of that issue is held back for future sales....

Undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students can receive up to $16,000 over four years, while graduate students can receive up to $8,000 over two years. To get the full amount, you must be enrolled full-time in an eligible program at a participating school. How the TEACH Grant Works The TEACH Grant exists to help aspiring teachers afford the costs of higher education while also filling high-need teaching positions at low-income schools. Essentially, you get the grant while you’re a student, and you agree to either repay the grant or work as a full-time teacher for four years within eight years of graduating from or leaving the school where you received your TEACH Grants....

Seller-financed mortgagesPersonal property loansLease-to-purchase agreementsLand contracts Seller-Financed Mortgages In this kind of agreement, a homebuyer borrows money from a homeowner. This eliminates the need for an outside lender. At the beginning of the deal, the buyer gains complete ownership rights. State and federal laws give limited protections to a borrower in a seller-financed mortgage deal. Personal Property Loans In many cases, buyers of manufactured homes rely on personal property loans. These loans frequently come from home manufacturers, although some traditional mortgage lenders issue them....

In this case, if the total outstanding value of the accounts receivable was $50,000, the maximum amount of the loan would be $35,000. Lenders set advance rates to ensure they are protected from risk. It’s especially important for lenders to do this when the value of the collateral is uncertain or when the value of the collateral could change. The goal is to make absolutely sure the collateral is actually worth enough to guarantee the loan will be paid back in full....

Acronym: EA How Being an Enrolled Agent Works Like CPAs and tax attorneys, EAs can handle all types of tax matters and can represent their clients’ interests before the IRS. The client does not necessarily have to be present. EAs are authorized to appear in place of their clients. EAs have limited client privilege under the terms of the IRS Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998. The Act provides for confidentiality between the agent and their client under some circumstances involving audits and collections....

What is an Experience-Based Interview? In an experience interview, the interviewee answers questions about his or her actions in a past employment situation. The interviewee demonstrates his or her skills and abilities by describing past achievements or experiences. This is similar to a behavioral interview where an interviewee is asked about how they would handle a specific workplace-related scenario. Most job interviews will have at least some experience interview questions. They can be simple or fairly complex....