The state put the question of switching over to a progressive tax system to voters on the November 2020 ballot. But the measure was defeated, and the flat tax remains. How To Calculate Your Illinois Income Tax The starting point for your Illinois tax return is your federal adjusted gross income (AGI). You’ll find your AGI on line 11 of your Form 1040. Your AGI represents your income after adjustments are made to it....
Compassionate Eye Foundation/Natasha Alipour Faridani/Getty Images Is American Family Insurance Right for You? American Family Insurance has tailored offerings for a wide range of potential insurance buyers, including those who want to bundle their life, auto, and home insurance, and individuals who are tech-savvy and want easy app service, plus smart-home discounts. Anyone participating in the sharing economy, such as if your home is a short-term rental or you use your car for ridesharing, can also enjoy discounts....
Learn more about arm’s length transactions and how to make sure you are carrying one out if you need to. What Is an Arm’s Length Transaction? An arm’s length transaction is one that takes place as if the two parties involved had no pre-existing relationship. If two people are at arm’s length from each other, they aren’t too close for the sake of a fair deal that is priced in line with market expectations....
Learn more about the basics of capital structure. Capital Structure—What It Is and Why It Matters The term “capital structure” refers to the percentage of capital (money) at work in a business by type. Broadly speaking, it comes in two forms: equity capital and debt capital. Each type of capital has its pros and cons. A balance is needed to sustain business growth. A large part of wise corporate stewardship and management is the creation of a capital structure that offers the ideal balance of risk and reward for shareholders....
Purpose ASEAN’s purpose is to form a common market similar to the European Union. The ASEAN Economic Community was established in 2015. It is working toward free movement of goods and services, investment and capital, as well as skilled labor. It will also create common standards in agriculture and financial services, intellectual property rights, and consumer protection. These are all necessary to attract foreign direct investment and promote growth. AEC has identified 611 measures it must implement to achieve its goals....
Learn about how assets work, how they can be categorized into different types, and why keeping track of them is important for both individuals and organizations. What Are Assets? Assets can be anything of value owned by individuals or organizations, and they can be categorized in different ways. Personal assets usually include cash and cash equivalents; real estate and land; personal property such as cars, boats, and jewelry; and investments....
Average Expense Ratios By Mutual Fund Type Comparing expense ratios of mutual funds is like comparing apples and oranges—average expenses tend to vary by mutual fund type. Therefore, when analyzing mutual funds, it’s good to know the average expense ratio for the particular type of fund you are analyzing. Once you know the average expenses for the type of fund you want to buy, you’ll be armed with an important piece of information to help find the best funds for you....
Behavioral interview questions are designed to give hiring managers insight into your behavior and personality, and to learn how you would handle work-related situations. Find out more about this type of interview question and review the most common behavioral interview questions employers ask. Plus, get tips on how to prepare and respond smoothly when you’re asked to give examples of how you handle workplace situations. What Are Behavioral Interview Questions?...
What Are Financial Funds? Also known as financial sector funds, financial funds invest primarily in stocks of companies that are in the business of providing financial products and services to consumers. Examples of businesses in the financial sector include banks, credit card companies, insurance companies, and brokerage firms. Examples of financial stocks include JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Bank of America (BAC) and Berkshire-Hathaway (BRK.A, BRK.B). The Outlook for Financial Funds Now may be a great time to invest in financial stocks....
Jobvite’s 2019 Job Seeker Nation Survey reports that 50% of respondents heard about jobs from friends, 37% say they also learn about open positions from professional networks, and 35% found out about jobs from social media. According to Monster.com, 80% of employers are using social media as a recruitment tool. Jobvite’s 2020 Recruiter Nation Survey reports that social media channels most used for recruiting are LinkedIn (72%), Facebook (60%), Twitter (38%), Instagram (37%), Glassdoor (36%), and YouTube (27%)....
Total Stock Market Index Fund Definition A total stock market index fund is a mutual fund or exchange-traded fund (ETF) that invests in a basket of stocks that passively tracks the performance of a broad stock market benchmark, such as the Wilshire 5000, the CRSP U.S. Total Market Index, Russell 3000, or the Dow Jones U.S. Total Stock Index. Like S&P 500 Index Funds, total stock market index funds are market-cap weighted....
Basics of 401(k) Allocation When you allocate your 401(k), you can decide where the money you contribute to the account will go by directing it into investments of your choice. At a minimum, consider investments for your 401(k) that contain the mix of assets you want to hold in your portfolio (stocks and bonds, for example) in the percentages that meet your retirement goals and suit your tolerance for risk....
In an executive order Wednesday, Biden directed federal agencies to explore various regulatory measures for digital assets, including cryptocurrencies, with the goals of protecting consumers and investors, ensuring the stability of the financial system, and curbing illicit activity, among other things. When the first cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, was created in 2009, it was supposed to be a way for people to transfer money outside the established financial system. Since then crypto has exploded in popularity, often as more of a speculative investment than as a practical or widely-used way to make purchases, as originally intended....
There are also many subsets of technical and fundamental analysis, such as the use of chart patterns when using technical analysis. You can take a bottom-up or top-down approach in fundamental analysis. Top-Down Investing Using a top-down investing approach would involve starting your analysis by looking at macroeconomic factors before working your way down to single stocks. You might look at what countries have the fastest growing economies. You might then look at individual sectors within these countries to find the best options....
Below, we’ll dive into how breaks and lunches work for exempt and nonexempt employees. What Is Considered a Break for a Nonexempt Employee? Breaks and lunch periods are times, specified by the employer, during which nonexempt employees are not actively working on the job. Nonexempt employees are those who are entitled to minimum wage and overtime pay (as long as they meet certain requirements). Employees use break time, which generally lasts from five to 20 minutes per four hours worked, to eat, visit the restroom, read, talk with friends, smoke, and handle personal business....
Whether you’re budgeting for the first time or updating your existing spending plan, it’s essential to account for your income sources and your expenses. Every month, you probably spend in these categories: Fixed expensesVariable expensesDiscretionary expenses Let’s look at each of these different expenses. Fixed Expenses Fixed expenses are necessary ongoing costs that don’t change in amount or frequency. They might arrive monthly, twice a year, or once a year....
MoMo Productions / Getty Images Business owners may need a fair appraisal for many different reasons, from preparing for a sale to making an initial public offering. Any time an owner or prospective buyer needs an unbiased, outsider opinion of the business’s value, they would hire a business appraiser. Learn more about what these specialists do and when you might need their help. What Is a Business Appraiser? All types of property have value, including business property, and the value of that property is best determined by hiring an expert called an appraiser....
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) describes a bear market in both a broad and specific way: It’s nice to know exactly what a bear market is, but it’s even more important to have strategies you can use year-round, including when stock prices drop, no matter by how much or for how long. Here’s what to do with a stock market that doesn’t only go up. What Happens to Stocks in a Bear Market?...
While this double-taxation can often be recouped via foreign tax credits, international investors should still familiarize themselves with foreign tax rules and regulations. These regulations differ from country to country, but with information, you will become a more knowledgeable investor. Albert Einstein once said, “The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax.” Do You Have to Pay Foreign Taxes? Investors looking for exposure to foreign markets have several options that include mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and American depository receipts (ADRs)....
What Is Return on Invested Capital (ROIC)? A company’s ROIC is the ratio of its earnings before any interest expense on debt or taxes to the sum of its debt financing and equity financing. Earnings before any interest expense on debt can be determined by analyzing the company’s income statement. This element of the equation is also called net operating profit after tax (NOPAT). The sum of debt and equity financing is known as the capital structure of the business....
