Bank Loan Officer vs. Mortgage Broker Bank loan officers at a bank or a credit union or other lending institution are employees who work to sell and process mortgages and other loans originated by their employer. They often have a wide variety of loan types to draw from, but all loans originate from one lending institution. The loan officer takes your application and works to find a home loan that suits your needs....

When you do find a listing, taking certain steps can help ensure that the process moves forward as seamlessly as possible. Short Sale Listings: What to Look for Most short sales are listed by real estate agents. You’ll find these listings on local websites and in MLS feeds to various sites. The first step in identifying short sales is to find where the term “short sale” appears if you have access to search terms....

It’s always a good idea to have a list of references ready to provide to hiring managers when you’re job searching. It’s also important to contact your references for permission to use them and to advise them that they may be contacted. This way, you won’t have to round up a list of reference givers at the last minute. When and Why Employers Want References During the job application process, you will most likely be asked for references who can attest to your qualifications....

Like traditional FHA loans, FHA construction loans are good options for buyers with less-than-perfect credit scores or who don’t have much saved for a down payment. They can also be used by existing homeowners who are looking to update their properties. However, getting one of these loans can be time-intensive, and you’ll have to meet a number of requirements to be eligible. Learn more about FHA construction loans and how they work....

How to Handle Cash Sale Journal Entries Here is an example of how to handle a double-entry bookkeeping journal entry for the cash sale of product or service. It is important to note that when customers pay with credit or debit cards, it affects the retailer’s cash account and not their accounts receivable account. You are the bookkeeper for a small Midwestern-themed clothing store, XYZ Apparels. A customer has just shopped in your store and purchased the following items with cash:...

Employers understand that entry-level employees may not have a whole lot of career experience. They will often look at your coursework and academic experiences to help determine whether you have the knowledge to fill the open position. What Courses and Projects to Include Add Relevant Coursework When creating a resume, you can add a section titled “Relevant Coursework." In it, include the courses directly related to the position you are applying for....

If you want to join the ranks of Bitcoin investors, you have several options to buy the world’s biggest and most popular cryptocurrency. Here’s a detailed look at the required steps to buy Bitcoin. How to Invest in Bitcoin in 4 Steps The easiest way for most people to buy Bitcoin is through a brokerage account or cryptocurrency exchange account. You can buy Bitcoin using most digital wallets as well, but in this section we will focus on the easiest way to buy:...

This guide will discuss some of the benefits of investing in farmland, as well as some of the risks. You’ll also learn a few ways you can invest in farmland. Whether you’re looking for an active investment or something more hands-off, farmland investing might be an option for you. Why Invest in Farmland? There are plenty of reasons someone might want to add farmland to their investment portfolio. First, investing in farmland is a way to provide diversification to your investments, which is a cornerstone of portfolio management and can help reduce your risks....

With this guide, get the tips you need to make sure your materials arrive in the mail on time and looking professional. When to Mail a Resume Even though most people apply for jobs online or via email, sometimes an employer will ask applicants to mail resumes and cover letters. Other times, job applicants who want to stand out from the crowd mail in their application materials to prospective employers to make sure their resumes and cover letters don’t sit unread in a general email inbox....

The reality of trading is quite different from the sales pitches most people hear. That’s because it is hard to be consistently profitable and most traders lose money in the early stages of their experience. What is not hard, however, is actually opening a brokerage account. Choosing a brokerage is more meaningful if a beginner has actually tried out several different forex demo accounts. Typical Requirements to Get Started The first thing you’ll do is set up an account with a forex broker....

For small businesses looking to grow quickly, the Express loan can be an important source of funding worth considering. Learn more about what this loan program entails and how to qualify. What Is an SBA Express Loan? SBA Express loans are a subset of the 7(a) loan program. While they are very similar to standard 7(a) loans, as the name suggests, Express loans can expedite and streamline the process of acquiring lines of credit or working capital....

What Is an FSA? Flexible spending accounts (also referred to as FSAs or flexible spending arrangements) are savings programs designed to help you pay for necessary expenditures like: Medical and dental expenses, such as copays, deductibles, and prescriptions, including insulin Medical equipment, such as crutches, hearing aids, eyeglasses, or blood sugar testing kits Childcare expenses, such as daycare payments FSAs must be set up through your employer, so you can set aside pre-tax dollars to help pay for these necessary expenses....

The Effect on Profit The National Association of Realtors (NAR) indicates that 47% of owners who choose to go the FSBO route do so because they think they’ll pay a lot less in commissions and likewise see more of a profit. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work out that way. NAR also reports that FSBOs represent only about 7% of all home sales and that each brings in about $65,000 less than comparable homes that are sold with the assistance of an agent....

Futures Markets Day trading natural gas is speculating on its short-term price movements. Physical natural gas isn’t handled or taken possession of, rather all the trading transactions take place electronically and only profits or losses are reflected in the trading account. There are a number of ways to day trade natural gas. One way is through a futures contract. A futures contract is an agreement to buy or sell something—like natural gas, gold, or wheat—at a future date....

Debt Collectors Can Call You at Work, but There Are Rules Debt collectors are allowed to call you at work, but only under very specific circumstances. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act governs what third-party debt collectors can and cannot do when collecting a debt. It says that debt collectors aren’t allowed to call your place of employment if they know or should know your employer doesn’t approve of them calling your job....

Here’s how you can use the Directional Movement Index to analyze trading opportunities. What Is the Directional Movement Index? The DMI is a technical indicator that is typically shown below or above the price chart. It is calculated by comparing the current price with the previous price range. DMI then displays the result as an upward, positive directional indicator (+DI or +DMI) and a downward, negative directional indicator (-DI or -DMI)....

Learn How Your Digital Wallet Works To begin using digital payments, download a mobile wallet app to your smartphone or mobile-compatible device and create an account. Once your account is set up, decide which credit and debit cards you want to keep in your digital wallet and load their information into the app. Once your cards are loaded into your mobile wallet, you can start making purchases. If you’re trying to maximize credit card rewards, it’s important to know which card is set as your “top of wallet” payment option....

But there’s a lot to learn before you start investing in bitcoin. Learn what it is, how to buy it, how to use your holdings, and everything else you need to know. Understanding Bitcoin Bitcoin is a type of cryptocurrency created by an anonymous individual or group known as Satoshi Nakamoto in 2009. It’s just one of the many types of cryptocurrency, which are digital currencies that exist on decentralized finance networks using blockchain technology....

You might not have to find a new job to make it work. Nearly half of all U.S. employees work from home some of the time. If your employer doesn’t already offer telecommuting or flexible scheduling, you can present a compelling case to make it an option with a work-from-home proposal. A well-researched proposal can convince your supervisor that working from home is a beneficial arrangement for both you and your employer....

They can also help you in a number of other ways. A thank-you letter can help you maintain contact with someone in your network. It can help you remind a hiring manager why you are a good fit for a position. It can also show your supervisor that you are professional and polite. Make sure you know both what to say in your letter, and also whether to send your note as an email, letter, or card....