Places to Buy Money Orders When you’re deciding where to get a money order, think about fees, service, and location. Each option will have tradeoffs; your choice will depend on which factors matter most to you. Retail Stores Grocery stores, big-box stores, pharmacies, and convenience stores often provide money orders. While you’re out running errands, look for a MoneyGram or Western Union logo at stores such as CVS, Kmart, Safeway, Publix, Kroger, Meijer, and 7-Eleven, among others....

Debts Discharged in Bankruptcy “Taxpayers who file for bankruptcy are generally not required to include the canceled debts in their taxable incomes,” said Cindy Hockenberry, an enrolled agent and tax information analyst with the National Association of Tax Professionals. This is the case even if you receive a Form 1099-C from a lender showing the amount of the debt that’s been canceled or discharged. “Attach Form 982, Reduction of Tax Attributes Due to Discharge of Indebtedness (and Section 1082 Basis Adjustment), to your income tax return....

Why Business Startups are Risky To understand why new business startups are risky for business lenders, take a look at the four C’s of Credit (collateral, capital, capacity, character). Lenders expect the borrower to have: Capital - Business assets that can be used to create products or services and which can be turned into cash to make payments on business loans. A new business, especially a service business, has few business assets....

Boston metro area homes fetch the biggest midweek premium among the 25 metro areas tracked, at $7,100 more, compared to Minneapolis and Kansas City, which were the lowest, with $400 premiums. St. Louis-area homes listed midweek paced the 25 metros in terms of speed gained, selling 3.5 days quicker, versus Sacramento, California, where the speed advantage was the smallest among the metros, with homes there going 0.7 days faster on average if they were listed midweek....

What Makes Up Your Estate? Your “estate” is everything you own—all your property and property rights, even assets with loans against them. They don’t die when you do. They have to move into the ownership of a living beneficiary, because a decedent can’t own property. The Statistics on Who Has a Will The number of people who have wills has been steadily declining in the millennium, according to a 2020 survey by Caring....

The share of employees who quit—2.9% of all those on payrolls—was the highest since the Bureau of Labor Statistics started keeping track in 2006 and marked the third record-breaking month for quits this year, according to the BLS’s monthly report Tuesday. The food service industry saw a record 6.8% of its workers walk off the job as the delta variant’s onslaught made in-person jobs seem like a riskier proposition. Meanwhile, the number of job openings fell for the first time this year from a record high in July, although the 10....

The Beige Book, released eight times annually, surveys the likes of economists, businesses, and community organizations to provide insight into economic conditions across the nation’s 12 Federal Reserve districts. For the last 19 months, pandemic-related restrictions around the world at differing times have caused massive supply chain disruptions as businesses closed temporarily or curtailed production to slow the spread of COVID-19. The situation was exacerbated by strong demand, fueled by government stimulus, and employees’ reluctance or inability to return to work, resulting in labor shortages....

Like any relationship, partnerships are fraught with opportunities for disagreement and misunderstanding. Without clear guidelines as to how the business will operate (and how profits, assets, and liabilities will be shared), you could be exposing yourself to more liability than you realize because partners are typically jointly and severally liable for partnership obligations. This means that you could be personally liable for the actions of your partners—even if you are unaware of their actions....

The pay hikes, ranging from 23 cents an hour in Michigan to $1.50 an hour in Nebraska, will benefit 8.4 million workers, according to a recent estimate by the Economic Policy Institute, a progressive think tank. On the other hand, many states still effectively have a minimum wage no higher than the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour, either because they have no minimum wage or it’s set at or below the lowest wage allowed by federal law....

Start With Your Bank The simplest solution is to visit your bank or credit union when you need to withdraw cash, although that’s not always the most convenient option. Your bank’s ATM should be free for you to use, but customers from other banks most likely have to pay fees at the same machines. Whenever possible, plan ahead and withdraw cash that you’ll need for upcoming events while you’re at your bank....

Instead of thousands of choices, you have maybe 20—and those 20 might have fees associated with them that are ridiculously high. As more people become sensitive to investing fees, some employers are now offering 401(k) accounts with a brokerage window. A brokerage window allows you to take advantage of the many other investment options outside of a normal 401(k). Yes, that includes stocks, ETFs, bonds, and even some lower risk trading....

So what drives demand? In the real world, a potentially infinite number of factors impact each consumer’s decision to buy something. In economics, however, the equation is simplified to highlight the five primary determinants of individual demand and a sixth for aggregate demand. The 5 Determinants of Demand The five determinants of demand are: For aggregate demand, the number of buyers in the market is the sixth determinant. Demand Equation or Function This equation expresses the relationship between demand and its five determinants: qD = f (price, income, prices of related goods, tastes, expectations) As you can see, this isn’t a straightforward equation like 2 + 2 = 4....

In an age where the focus on business is purpose rather than money, shareholders and stakeholders want to know what large businesses are doing to help the current world-wide environmental crises. Analysts have begun to classify investment opportunities with ESG ratings, to assist investors. Mutual funds have long been known for their diversity and stability. To continue being an attractive investment to ESG investors, mutual funds need to be socially responsible in their ability to create returns on investment....

When it’s time to choose a name for your business idea or an existing business, gather your trusted family, friends, and/or colleagues for a brainstorming session and work through these guidelines. A Brand Should Be Memorable and Easy to Spell Your potential customers need to be able to recall the name of your business in order to easily find it when searching online. Choosing a business name such as “Crychalwellyn” is a bad idea....

Learn some of the tax, financial, and immigration issues involved with being a U.S. citizen living abroad and working or running a business. Find an Experienced Tax Professional Look for someone who is knowledgeable about tax issues and reporting for ex-patriates (those living outside their native country). You may be able to find tax software that will help you file the right tax forms, but if your situation is complicated, even just a little, you should have someone to guide you through the process of working abroad....

That’s why it’s important to have a plan that helps you avoid common holiday shopping errors like overspending and waiting until the last second. Learn what some of those mistakes are and how you can avoid them. No Holiday Budget Before you buy a single present during the holiday season, create a budget that provides boundaries for how much you want to spend. Here are some steps to take:...

With some planning, creating a work and home support network, and managing your expectations, you can have a less emotionally taxing transition back. Follow these seven tips from experts and working parents to make your post-leave return to work successful. Crunch Your Leave Numbers Early “The seeds of a successful and less stressful return are best planted earlier on,” said Daisy Dowling, founder and CEO of Workparent, a coaching, education community-building firm for working parents, in a phone call with The Balance....

This type of account can be a great way to save for retirement. To make sure you’re getting the most from your account, let’s look at the most common mistakes people make with Roth IRAs. Avoiding these missteps can help you keep more of your money. Why Invest in a Roth IRA? Compared to other types of retirement plans, a Roth IRA has several advantages. Since you’ve already paid taxes on the money you contribute to your account, you can withdraw money tax-free when you retire....

According to Bernadette L. Harris, Atlanta-based author, speaker, forensic accountant, and founder of accounting services firm By The Book Accounting, establishing a good bookkeeping system should actually be a top priority from the start. “Many new business owners underestimate the importance of having good recordkeeping systems in place from the beginning,” she told The Balance via email. “It’s not something you put in place when you start making money, it’s something you should have in place before you open your doors....

It makes sense. Americans at modest income levels (less than $40,000) who work from age 20-60 have a career valued at over $1 million. A midlife career change that extends the life of that career can substantially improve their future wealth, thus providing more income and more security for when they retire. The key to extending the life of your career: having what Cali Williams Yost, author of “Work + Life: Finding the Fit That’s Right for You,” calls “a better work-life fit....