If you were to look for a new job while toiling at your old one, you certainly wouldn’t be alone. According to a survey from Willis Towers Watson, about a third of U.S. employees are actively looking for work. You can bet that many of them do so while on the clock with their current employers. You don’t want to get fired for looking for a new job—and you could be....

The Market Is Down. Should I Sell All My Stocks? Although individual situations may vary, the average retirement saver should probably stay the course, experts say—but there are safer investments available if you can’t risk riding the ups and downs of the stock market. There’s no doubt the stock market has taken a beating this year. As of October 3, the S&P 500 stock index was down 23% since the beginning of the year, which hits individual investors hard....

Marketing vs. Sales The difference between marketing and sales lies in how close you are to converting a potential customer to an actual customer. Marketing encompasses the strategies you use to reach new leads and generate interest in your business. Depending on your business, marketing could include: Print, TV, or digital advertising Public relations Social media use and partnerships Relationship marketing Brand marketing Viral marketing Cold calling or emailing Direct mail...

You’ll need a reference from your boss to hand to your new employer. Word of negative attitudes can spread, especially in fields where people are well-networked. You could find yourself working at the company again if better opportunities arise or a counter-offer is made. So what should you exclude from your resignation letter to avoid burning bridges? Important: always keep your letter of resignation professional. The easiest way to answer that question is to consider the tone....

Following up with an email is always an option, of course, but calling may get you directly in touch with the hiring manager. It shows that you’ve taken a little extra initiative. It will also give you an opportunity to make your case one more time. Here are some tips to get you ready to make that call. How Do HR Managers Like To Be Contacted? Interviewers and human resources managers usually prefer a handwritten or emailed thank-you note, but a phone call is also acceptable....

Make sure you really want to return to the company. You left for a reason, after all. If you are only going back because it is the easiest option, think hard before sending a letter or email to ask for your job back. Keep in mind that if you were to be rehired, you most likely would be starting over as a new employee. Your salary and benefits package may not match what you were earning before....

The average rate offered for a conventional 30-year fixed mortgage stayed at 5.83%, the same as the previous business day, while the average 15-year rate rose to 4.85% from 4.82% the previous business day. Rates for major types of mortgages have generally been on an upward trajectory for more than a week, slowly climbing back toward the peaks they reached in April. The 30-year had spiked as high as 6....

You’ll have to know the answers to these questions if you begin investing. Many people didn’t know that the top line and the bottom line don’t always move in tandem. Long-term investing success requires understanding the top and bottom lines, and everything in between. Reading the Lines on an Income Statement The income statement, or profit and loss (P&L) statement, reports a company’s financial performance over a set time. You may recall that these statements are broken down into revenues and expenses if you’re familiar with how to analyze one....

But what, exactly, counts as an unexpected expense? Some expenses are irregular but predictable, while others are truly impossible to foresee. Once you understand what unexpected expenses actually are, you will be better able to plan your savings and manage your budget. Annual Bills vs. Unexpected Expenses Some expenses do not occur monthly, but you can still predict them because they occur on an annual or semi-annual schedule. They aren’t unexpected because you know they will happen once or twice every year....

When the ceiling is reached, the U.S. Treasury Department cannot issue any more Treasury bills, bonds, or notes. It can only pay bills as it receives tax revenues. If the revenue isn’t enough, the Treasury Secretary then must choose between paying federal employee salaries, Social Security benefits, or the interest on the national debt. Congress already knows how much it will add to the debt when it approves each year’s budget deficit....

This year’s rising borrowing costs—which swelled the average monthly mortgage payment on new loans by $270 even before the March spike—could be a game-changer for the pandemic-era housing market. Home sales and mortgage applications have already started to slow, and the Federal Reserve plans to keep raising its benchmark interest rate to combat inflation that hasn’t been this high in decades. Less interest from homebuyers might actually help bring some balance to real estate listings, where home sellers have held all the cards and prices have soared to record levels....

New home sales dropped 12.6% since June to an annual rate of 511,000, 29.6% lower than July 2021, the Census Bureau said Tuesday. Sales came in well below the 585,000 economists had anticipated, and the slow pace means that the number of homes on the market would take about 11 months to sell out at the current rate—the longest period of time since 2009. The housing market is in the midst of a pivot away from the extreme seller’s market that’s prevailed during the pandemic, improving the outlook for potential buyers....

A buyer typically takes out a bridge loan so they can buy another home before they sell their existing residence, to raise the cash for a down payment. How Bridge Loans Work To get a bridge loan, you’ll have to apply for it with a lender. Not all lenders have set guidelines for minimum FICO scores or debt-to-income ratios for bridge loans. Funding is guided by more of a “Does it make sense?...

Neobanks don’t integrate new technology solely for the sake of being cutting-edge. By getting rid of physical branches and moving everything online, neobanks often save on the costs of banking, allowing them to cut fees and expand services to the underbanked. Neobanks aren’t identical in their offerings or structure, but they typically differ from credit unions and traditional banks (including online banks) in that they: Aren’t chartered with state or federal regulators as banks Provide a streamlined process designed mainly for mobile devices Partner with traditional banks to federally insure customer deposits Don’t extend credit (such as overdrafts)...

Each of the three funds includes a unique set of companies. Britain’s FTSE 100 Index The FTSE 100 is an index created by the FTSE Group. It represents the 100 most highly capitalized companies in the UK listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE). U.S. investors who are looking to invest in the FTSE 100 can purchase foreign exchange-traded funds (ETFs), such as the iShares FTSE 100 (LSE: ISF), or they can buy individual components in the FTSE 100 using American depository receipts (ADRs)....

How Employer Health Insurance Works Many employers offer health insurance benefits for employees, and 50% of civilian employees participated in a workplace medical care plan in 2022. New employees are generally offered benefits after they’re initially hired, but they may have to wait until after a probationary period for insurance and other benefits to start. You’ll have to wait until open enrollment to sign up for benefits or make any changes to your existing benefits package if you’re not a new employee....

What is Equivalent Experience? If you have the required equivalent experience, you may be considered for employment without the required bachelor’s or other college degree or certification. A job may require a high school diploma or the equivalent. In this case, the equivalent is typically a GED or another equivalency certificate. For example, a job announcement may state a required certification, a high school or college degree, or some defined experience in the field....

Short-selling is generally a technique used to avoid foreclosure, which is what happens when you can’t afford to pay your mortgage, and you can’t seem to sell your house. Knowing the difference between short-selling and foreclosing, and how the battle for money will be carried out, can help you determine your negotiating strategy with lenders if you’re faced with this choice. Positions Between Multiple Lienholders It doesn’t matter if you take out a second mortgage to help buy the home or if you have secured a home equity loan after the fact....

Definition and Examples of a Chip-and-PIN Card A chip-and-PIN card is a payment card that has a smart chip and typically requires that you enter a PIN into a card processor as an added security measure. For purchasing, it works similarly to the chip-and-signature cards that are currently used more widely in the United States. To verify your identity, you “sign” with a PIN instead of with your written name on a receipt....

Your bank may issue you a debit card or credit card, but these plastic payment options don’t function the same way. The major difference is that a debit card is a type of bank card that is linked to your checking account. Alternate name: Bank card You can use a debit card to withdraw cash at ATMs or make purchases at the brick-and-mortar and online stores where credit cards are accepted, all without having to write a check or carry cash....