Reasons Behind Rising Costs In most cases, both your annual property tax and your yearly insurance coverage will increase each year. Taxing authorities do this to provide for and improve things like roads, sewage systems, libraries, and schools. Insurance providers raise the cost of coverage to keep up with the increasing cost to repair or replace your home—due to inflation. The age of your home will also affect the price of your coverage....

But one area that really gets little attention is the amount of state financial aid that is also available. States are very interested in educating their student population and are often willing to provide substantial amounts of financial assistance, especially for students interested in attending college in-state. Almost every state education agency has at least one grant or scholarship program available to residents, and many have quite a substantial list of student aid programs....

As many as 50% of homes that suffered flood damage had flood insurance, real estate data company CoreLogic said in a report Wednesday. That’s a significant improvement over the 30% insurance rate for homeowners who were flooded when Hurricane Harvey struck Texas and Louisiana in 2017, which was roughly in line with rates for other previous storms. The company’s estimate is based on computer models incorporating storm surge, flood data, and property information....

In this article, we’ll cover the difference between index funds and mutual funds. We’ll explain what to look for in each investment to help you decide which one is best for your Roth IRA. How Index Funds Work An index fund is a type of fund that attempts to track the performance of a market index. Although you can’t invest directly in an index, an index fund allows you to invest in the securities it tracks....

Economists widely expect Wednesday’s report on consumer prices for April to show the first slowdown in the inflation rate in months. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) likely increased 0.2% in April, the least for any month since November 2020 and a significant drop from the 1.2% increase in March, the median forecast shows. That would translate to an 8.1% increase from April 2021, a small deceleration from March’s 8.5% rate, the highest in more than four decades....

That introductory period typically lasts between three to 10 years. After that, the loan converts to a conventional mortgage. The interest rate may increase and the monthly payment must also cover some of the principal. That increases the payment significantly. Some interest-only mortgages require the borrower to pay off the entire balance after the introductory period. Advantages of Interest-Only Loans The first advantage is that the monthly payments on an interest-only mortgage are initially lower than those of a conventional loan....

The interviewer will want to learn about your goals and plans for the future to determine how they fit with the job for which you’re applying. The most common phrasing of this question is, “How do you plan to achieve your career goals?” Here’s information on what the interviewer wants to know, examples of the best answers, tips for giving the best response, and what not to say when you’re asked about your goals for the future....

What the Interviewer Really Wants to Know When interviewers ask this question, they’re trying to get a sense of something practical: the value you’ll add as an employee. In some cases, that might be quantifiable. For instance, if you work in sales, you’ll generate orders from customers. But for other roles, there might be other less concrete ways that you add to the bottom line. For instance, a copy editor will make sure that there are no errors in promotional materials....

It’s hard if you’re a new graduate without much to draw on, and it’s even harder when looking back on a myriad of smaller accomplishments over the course of your career. Tips for Answering Questions About Your Achievements Furthermore, you may not even consider your greatest achievement to be work-related; you might consider it to be an event in your private life like working with an autistic child or overcoming a personal obstacle....

You’ll want to screen your candidates fairly and ask the right questions so that you have the highest chances of determining what bookkeeping candidates will most likely succeed and stay with your organization. Organize the interviews so they are spaced out and you’re not pressed for time for each one; your interviewees will feel more comfortable in the interview process, and you will get a better understanding of their past experiences, technical knowledge, and expertise with your accounting software....

In part, the answer will depend on your appetite for risk and the length of your investment horizon. While there’s no right answer for everyone, there are a few important guidelines that can help guide your decision. Slicing up the Pie One way to begin is to look at the size of the U.S. stock market in relation to the rest of the world. Picture a pie chart of all the stock markets in the world, with each slice representing a particular country’s stock market....

How Often Is Couples Therapy Covered? Couples therapy is not covered under most standard health insurance plans. Here’s a quick guide to different types of insurance. Find out what you should expect under these policies. ACA Health Insurance Mental health services coverage is included in Affordable Care Act (ACA) insurance. It is listed as an “essential benefit.” However, couples therapy for most relationship issues is not offered under ACA policies. Why isn’t couples therapy covered by most ACA health plans?...

The cost to repair hail damage can be shocking because the damage commonly spreads across the entire vehicle. The good news is that hail damage may be covered under your car insurance policy. Hail Damage Coverage If you purchased liability-only coverage on your car insurance policy, you would not be covered for hail damage. Liability coverage only protects other people from damage and expenses that you cause, not you or your car....

Initial claims for unemployment benefits declined to 375,000 in the week through Aug. 7, a decrease of 12,000 from the previous week’s revised level, according to seasonally adjusted data released Thursday by the Labor Department. The drop was about what economists expected, according to a consensus estimate of 375,390 cited by Moody’s Analytics. Claims have hit the pandemic-era low of 368,000 twice this summer, but have struggled to break free of that level, hovering around the 400,000 mark since mid-May....

She spent the years throughout the recession leading consumer, credit card, and collections analytics, risk, and training teams to identify and minimize risk while maximizing consumer opportunities to obtain credit. Following the recession, she was recruited to lead a large mortgage team where she implemented the significant regulatory changes resulting from Dodd-Frank regulations (QM and TILA-RESPA) amid continual real estate economic and regulatory upheaval. During this time, she more than doubled her portfolios and was featured on the cover of MLife (a mortgage industry) magazine....

In a broad sense, credit represents the trust or belief that you’ll repay the money you borrow. You’re said to have good credit when lenders believe you’ll repay your debts (and other financial obligations) on time. Bad credit, on the other hand, implies that it’s not likely you will pay your bills to the creditor on time. Your credit is based on how you’ve handled your previous debt obligations. If you’ve historically paid on time, lenders have more trust that you’ll continue to do so....

However, there are ways to decrease the information you share when you make transactions, and you don’t need to go off the grid and stick to cash-only establishments, either. It is possible to enjoy some privacy if you have the right accounts set up. Keep reading for some ideas that could help people who want to increase their privacy. Strategies for Keeping Assets and Payments Private When it comes to increasing your privacy, there are a few options you can try....

If you have a Roth IRA, you’ll want to understand the annual contribution limits, which are $6,000 in 2022 or $7,000 if you’re over age 50. The IRS also prohibits individuals from contributing to a Roth IRA if their modified adjusted growth income (MAGI) exceeds a cap set by the IRS. Learn more about who qualifies for a Roth IRA, what it takes to open one, and how much can be contributed to a Roth IRA each year....

These options are then traded between investors, varying in price with the asset they are based on. Nadex binary options, however, have fixed payouts—this means the investor will receive either all or none of the profit—and are popular because they are relatively easy to understand. Binary options have complications when purchased outside of the U.S. There is not as much regulation, opening the doors for fraudulent activities. Authorities advise staying away from foreign binary options presented via websites....

Here’s a quick look at the most significant economic indicators of the day and what they tell us. Initial Jobless Claims Last week 187,000 people filed new unemployment claims, 28,000 fewer than the previous week and a new low for any week since September 1969, the Department of Labor said. (In December, new claims fell to 188,000 one week—also the lowest since September 1969.) Economists had expected 210,000 new filings....