Homebuyers who decide to buy before selling often write contingent contracts to purchase. The contingency is that the buyer’s home must sell before the buyer is obligated to complete the purchase transaction on the new property. Contingent contracts are usually a good deal for a buyer and risky for a seller. Many state realtor associations have devised legal documents that buyers and sellers can use to address contingent contract situations and protect the rights of both parties....

When writing cover letters, your paragraphs should be concise, grammatically flawless, and should focus on your qualifications for the job. Ideally, they should also convey an impression of your own unique personality. Cover Letter Paragraph Guidelines A cover letter should include three paragraphs: First Paragraph The first paragraph explains why you are writing. It is your first impression and should contain a basic explanation of who you are and why you are writing....

Discrimination Against Older Workers And while the Age Discrimination Act in Employment Act means that discriminating against older employee and job candidates is illegal, we hear from many unemployed job seekers who feel that their age is an issue. They say things like: I have learned that age does matter in employment.My age seems to be my biggest enemy.I think my age is my downfall right now. Age-Proof Your Cover Letters It’s true—despite legal protections, being considered an older job seeker can hinder your chances of finding employment....

What Is Licensing? The term “license” has two meanings—one in common terms (like a driver’s license, for example), and the other in business and commerce. A license in its most general sense is like a permit to enable someone to do something. In business, licenses are typically given by a company that wants to give rights to its property in return for payment. Usually, these rights are to make, sell, or use something the business owns....

Oil Prices in the 1960s and 1970s Global oil prices in the 20th century generally ranged between $1.00 and $2.00 per barrel (/b) until 1970. That’s about $10/b to $30/b when adjusted for inflation. The United States was the world’s dominant oil producer at that time, and it regulated prices. Domestic oil was plentiful. Cheap oil and gas expanded interstate highways, interstate trucking, and auto ownership became part of the American Dream....

In an inter-commodity spread, when one item costs more, the other becomes cheaper. Buyers are always seeking lower prices and higher supply. How Are Crude Oil and Natural Gas Linked? Many companies that produce crude oil also produce natural gas. Finding and producing natural gas and crude oil are often related. This is because the release and capture of natural gas can occur during the oil drilling process. The link between crude oil and natural gas changed around the turn of the 21st century due to more natural gas reserves being found in the U....

Bookkeepers and accountants use debits and credits to balance each recorded financial transaction for certain accounts on the company’s balance sheet and income statement. Debits and credits, used in a double-entry accounting system, allow the business to more easily balance its books at the end of each time period. What Are Debits and Credits? Debits, abbreviated as Dr, are one side of a financial transaction that is recorded on the left-hand side of the accounting journal....

According to a survey of 25,000 Americans by McKinsey and Ipsos in spring 2022, 58% said they could work from home at least one day a week. And more than a third (35%) said they could work from home every day. The perks of working from home are clear. Many people like having no commute, and they find they save money when they don’t go into the office. But there are downsides to working from home, too, ranging from distractions, to technology issues, to feeling like you never stop work....

Businesses that produce hazardous waste emissions during manufacturing—including oil, agribusiness, construction, excavation, waste depositories, and asbestos abatement contractors—benefit from pollution liability coverage. Policies cover bodily injury claims and property damage, along with clean-up costs caused by contamination from toxic waste materials. Pollution liability insurance policies cover claims from third parties against bodily injury and property damage caused by hazardous waste materials released during a company’s business operations. This insurance covers you while you are completing a job, and it also covers your completed operations....

Then there’s the housing market—one of the few bright spots throughout the pandemic economy. It’s finally coming down to earth, with surging sale prices and a massive shortage of homes for sale finally taking its toll on demand. Even the latest thinking on rising inflation may be starting to turn, at least in the Federal Reserve’s eyes. Plus, as households digest the massive government stimulus packages of the last year, people are spending more on travel and eating out (and cars) and less on things like clothing and furniture....

That’s where a lift chair can help. These motorized devices help those with mobility issues move between sitting and standing. A lift chair can make a difference in allowing someone to live independently in their own home. However, they are costly. The good news is that if you have Medicare, your plan may cover some of the lift chair cost. What Is a Lift Chair? A lift chair looks like a recliner, but the chair’s base contains a motorized device that raises and lowers the seat when needed, making it easier for someone to move between sleeping, relaxing, sitting, and standing....

So far this tax season, 2021 tax returns that were e-filed have been processed even faster than the agency’s anticipated time frame of at least 21 days, according to Erin M. Collins, the National Taxpayer Advocate. The IRS said last week that the average refund as of April 8 was $3,175, up from $2,888 at this time last year. This year’s filing deadline for most taxpayers was April 18. Unless the tax return includes an error, e-filed returns “are sailing right through the system,” Collins said....

Reserve Requirement The reserve requirement refers to the amount of deposit that a bank must keep in reserve at a Federal Reserve branch bank. On December 30, 2010, the Fed set it at 10% of all bank liabilities over $58.8 million. The lower this requirement is, the more a bank can lend out. It stimulates economic growth by putting more money into circulation. A high requirement is especially hard on small banks since they don’t have as much to lend out in the first place....

There’s no fee to apply for an Employer ID Number from the IRS. What Is Form SS-4? Form SS-4 is a request made to the IRS to assign an EIN to your business. The EIN is nine digits, similar to a Social Security number for individuals but assigned to businesses. Submitting Form SS-4 establishes a tax account for your business tax with the IRS. Who Uses Form SS-4? Corporations, partnerships, estates, and trusts can use Form SS-4 to request a business tax account and EIN....

Grace Cary / Getty Images Gas prices in March rose 9.1%, dwarfing the overall 0.6% increase in consumer prices as measured in the inflation-tracking Consumer Price Index (CPI), the BLS said in a report this week. The gap has been almost as stark for four months as rising demand for gas and higher crude oil prices pull pump prices further away from their pandemic hole. Nationwide, gas averaged $2.89 a gallon (for regular) on Friday, over $1 more than at its lowest point since the pandemic began, according to AAA....

Build a Money-Management System It’s easy to blow through your paycheck if there’s no rhyme or reason to your spending. Creating a systematic approach to everyday spending and saving through these tips can stretch your dollars further. Change Your Mindset About Money Even with a budget in place, you’re liable to slide back into bad money habits if you don’t alter your day-to-day spending philosophy. These saving tips can help you replace negative spending behaviors with positive ones....

Find out more about the kinds of group interviews that take place, what questions to expect, and how you can shine during this type of interview. Types of Group Interviews Panel Interview There are two types of group interviews, and your experience will vary, depending on which one you’re participating in. Both can be challenging for candidates. In one type of group interview, multiple interviewers (sometimes called a “group” or “panel”) meet with and interview a candidate....

The Surviving Family Members of a Deceased Person Here is what will happen under the Alabama intestacy laws if the deceased person is survived by a spouse and/or descendants (children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, etc.) and/or parents: Survived by a spouse and children all of whom are children of the spouse – In this case, the surviving spouse will inherit the first $50,000 of the probate estate plus one-half of the balance and the children will inherit the remainder, per stirpes....

They’re Outpricing the Competition As a seller interviews agents, home value estimates often creeps upward. Maybe the first agent knows there will be two other agents competing for the listing, so the first agent names an astronomical figure. The second agent, on hearing the first agent’s price, beats it. The third agent comes in higher yet. A seller who chooses an agent based on which estimate is highest without considering other factors is the ultimate loser....

Here’s an overview of the U.S. federal tax system throughout American history. Taxation in the 1700s Prior to the Revolutionary War, there were no income taxes and no federal government—at least not in America—but the people still had the British government to contend with. Individual colonies made ends meet by taxing a variety of things other than income, such as the mere existence of adult males. Men had to pay a “head” tax in some colonies....