The Affordable Care Act, often called Obamacare, provides health care subsidies for middle-income individuals, families, and small businesses. It also expands free Medicaid for low-income households. It taxes higher-income families and businesses that don’t provide health benefits. Factors That Determine Costs First, your cost depends on the plan category you choose. All health insurance plans fall into one of four categories. They all offer the same 10 essential health benefits....

Witthaya Prasongsin/Getty Images How Points Work Points are calculated as a percentage of your total loan amount, and one point is 1% of your loan. Your lender might say you can get a lower rate by paying points, and you need to decide whether the cost is worth it. For example, suppose you’re getting a loan for $100,000. One point is 1% of the loan value or $1,000. To calculate that amount, multiply 1% by $100,000....

Prepare a New Deed To Avoid Probate Ideally, you won’t just “add” your child’s name to your existing deed. Instead, you’ll create a new deed with a group of owners, perhaps you, your spouse, and your child. You’ll become joint tenants with rights of survivorship. If you simply add your child’s name to your existing deed, they won’t necessarily have rights of survivorship. They won’t automatically inherit your share of the property when you die....

This is a tricky question because there is no one right answer. Your answer will be as individual as you are. But that doesn’t mean that you should answer this question on the fly, without preparing a thoughtful response. What the Interviewer Wants to Know The interviewer wants to know whether your goals are a match for the company. Your answer also allows an interviewer to see whether your skills and interests make you a good candidate for the job at hand....

Use this question as an opportunity to mention a few skills related to your chosen major that would also be relevant in the workplace. Since this is a common entry-level interview question, it’s a good idea to think through how you would respond before you head out to your job interview. What the Interviewer Really Wants to Know Your answer to this question is a window into your personality and interests....

When someone views your LinkedIn profile, they will see an online version of your resume complete with references if you have recommendations in your profile. Learn how to get LinkedIn recommendations, who to ask for references, and how to manage the recommendations you’ve received. Tips for Getting Great LinkedIn Recommendations Do take the time to request recommendations from your LinkedIn connections. Recommendations from people you have worked with carry a lot of weight....

How to Avoid Ancillary Probate in Florida So how can out of state residents or foreigners who own real estate located in Florida avoid ancillary probate in Florida? There are really only four options, putting the property in joint ownership, listing it as a business entity owner, using an enhanced life estate deed, and placing the property in a trust. Joint Ownership The Florida real estate can be titled in joint names with one or more other owners with rights of survivorship....

It can be challenging to calculate how much you’re going to owe, particularly if you’ve just started freelancing or you aren’t sure how much you’ll be earning this year. Learn more about what taxes you owe as a freelancer and how to budget for your quarterly estimated tax payments. When To Pay Estimated Taxes The IRS receives payments at regular intervals throughout the year when you have taxes withheld from your paychecks....

However, to effectively and successfully manage your restaurant’s financials, you’ll need credit. Without it, you’ll have to use whatever cash you have on hand to pay expenses as they come up—even before you’ve had a chance to earn any money selling your coffees, scones, and croissants. Worse off is that your cash might not be enough to support your growth especially when the business is successful. Growing businesses need time to produce positive cash flows....

One of the calculations you’ll want to learn when you start investing in real estate is the after-tax cash flow, which is the cash flow that’s left after debt service, operating expenses, and taxes. In most years, you would hope to see an after-tax cash flow that’s positive, but it’s not unusual for it to be negative in a year where you’ve made large investments into the property. Determine Net Income The most important first step in calculating after-tax cash flow is to determine your net income for the year....

A fixed charge is a recurring fixed expense, like insurance, salaries, auto loans and mortgage payments. If you can’t meet these expenses, you’re not likely to remain in business for long. A way of measuring your company’s ability to meet these fixed charges is the fixed charge coverage ratio (FCCR), an expanded but more conservative version of the times interest earned ratio. The fixed charge coverage ratio, or solvency ratio, is all about your company’s ability to pay all of its fixed charge obligations or expenses with income before interest and income taxes....

Each state has a different rate, and benefits vary based on your earnings record and the date you became unemployed. Once you find out whether you are eligible, you can file a claim for unemployment benefits. If you’re not sure about your eligibility, check with your state unemployment office. You don’t want to lose out on unemployment compensation because you didn’t think you would qualify. Review information on eligibility for unemployment, how much compensation you’ll receive, and how long you can collect benefits....

A marketing plan is a business document outlining your marketing strategy and tactics. It’s often focused on a specific period of time (i.e. over the next 12 months) and covers a variety of marketing-related details, such as costs, goals, and action steps. But like your business plan, a marketing plan is not a static document. It needs to change and evolve as your business grows, and as new and changing marketing trends develop....

Keeping Trading Risk Small When it comes to trading risk, most people have it all wrong. Risking small amounts on each trade, such as 1% of the account balance, is more likely to produce big returns over the long run than risking 20% of the account. The reason is that no matter how good a trader gets, losing trades happen, sometimes several in a row. The more risk on each trade, the higher your “risk of ruin,” which is the possibility that you could lose everything....

Check out these fun ways to save: Create a Savings Competition Call someone else who’s in a financial pinch: your sibling, your best friend, or your gym buddy. Challenge them to a save-off. The person who can save more money over the next month, or the next six months, wins the game. You can negotiate how you define “saving more.” Is it measured by a raw number—awarded to whoever saves the highest amount of money?...

Since a reference letter is one of the few pieces of an application that isn’t directly provided by the candidate, it can carry a lot of weight. Letter readers look to references for insight into a candidate. The template below shows the format of a typical reference letter. How to Format a Reference Letter This reference letter format shows the structure for a typical reference letter. Your letter should provide information on your connection with the person you are recommending, why they are qualified, and the skills they have....

Since condos are individual units in a community-owned building, lenders look at them differently from single-family homes. This doesn’t mean they look at condos unfavorably, just that there are different criteria they must follow when lending to condo buyers. What Makes Condos Different? In a condo building, owners have full control over the interior of their homes. But the common areas, such as yards, halls, pools, meeting spaces, and other areas, are jointly owned and managed by the condo association....

The good news is that there are ways to get a good job without a college degree, even if the job listing says it is a requirement. In fact, some hiring managers simply say this because it’s easier to ask for a college degree than to dig down into which skills are most valuable for the job. If you can demonstrate that you have the skills and experience needed for the job, some employers will overlook your lack of a degree....

While the industry has seen a steady upward trend since its lowest point in April 2019, many airlines have had to make drastic moves to help salvage their businesses. Various airlines canceled flights at a record rate, some opted to ground a portion of their fleets, and others cut routes amid plummeting demand. As a consumer, it can be difficult to know what your rights are when an airline cancels your flight—both during the pandemic and in normal times....

Keep reading to learn more about the documents the IRS can provide you with and how to get them. What Is a Tax Transcript From the IRS? Your tax transcript is a document that includes all the same information that appears on your tax return, although it’s not laid out in the same format. You’ll see your filing status, income, and any deductions and credits you claimed. However, your personal information won’t appear on the transcript—at least not in its entirety....