Why There Is No Exact Price There is a range and not a defined exact sales price because an estimate of market value can vary from individual to individual. Take an appraiser, for example. Take five appraisers and ask each to appraise a home. Odds are each appraisal will be different. An appraisal does not mean the home’s value is predetermined, but between all five of the appraisals, there will be a range of values, hopefully reasonably close to each other....

Stock Mutual Funds A stock fund is an investment company that invests primarily in individual stocks of publicly traded companies. For example, if you invest in a fund that owns shares of GE, Microsoft, Proctor & Gamble, and Dell, then you have invested in a stock fund. Some stock mutual funds also hold bonds and cash, but stock funds will typically allocate at least 80% of the portfolio assets to stocks....

In comparison, national health expenditures totaled $27.2 billion in 1960, just 5% of GDP. That translates to an annual health care cost of $12,530 per person in 2020 versus roughly $150 per person in 1960. Keep reading to learn more about health expenditures and how the Affordable Care Act (ACA) aimed to control costs. What Caused This Increase? There were two causes of this massive increase: government policy and lifestyle changes....

This guide to dividends was designed as part of the guide to investing in stock to help answer all of your questions and walk you through the basics step-by-step, from how to select investments to enrolling in dividend reinvestment programs. A Step-by-Step Guide to Understanding Dividends If you’re new to dividend investing or just want a refresher course, this step-by-step guide is the perfect place to start. It explains the three dates that matter to dividend holders, and it offers explanations for cash dividends, the dividend yield, and how dividend reinvestment programs work....

It’s true that dividends are a great source of return for shareholders, especially when combined with dollar-cost averaging. But a company doesn’t need to pay out dividends to be worth investing in. The following story is meant to help explain non-dividend-paying stocks and how they can benefit your portfolio. Let’s look at why re-investing profits instead of distributing dividends can work out very well for shareholders as the value of the shares increases....

Here are some tips for maximizing your 401(k) investment results by managing the plan over time. What Is a 401(k)? A 401(k) is an investment account offered by employers to their workers. These accounts are designed and managed by financial services firms that are contracted by the employer. These accounts are designed to use the power of compounding returns. They can be built from many types of investments. You will likely see greater returns if you start investing in a 401(k) as soon as you have the chance....

In this article, we will look at three reasons that investors may want to consider investing in Japan over the coming years. 1. Federal Reserve Rate Hikes Japanese stocks received an unexpected boost in November 2016 when ​Donald Trump’s victory sent the U.S. dollar soaring—and the yen toppling. The weaker yen helped bolster Japanese stocks, which outperformed many developed countries in the weeks following the election. Since then, Japanese stocks have underperformed U....

A home that no longer is a good fit for one family can be a dream home for another. Here are some common reasons why people sell their homes. Home-Related Reasons People who sell houses may be motivated by the residence itself or the area around it. This doesn’t always mean there is something wrong with the home or the area, but the situation for the homeowners may have changed, requiring something different....

Learning how mutual funds are categorized can help you choose the best funds for asset allocation and diversification. Types of Stock Mutual Funds Stock funds are first sorted by style in terms of their average market capitalization. This is the size of a business equal to the share price times the number of outstanding shares. Large-cap stock funds invest in the stocks of corporations with a market capitalization greater than $10 billion....

Here are the costs to factor into your budget. Travel If a student is thinking about attending a college outside of their hometown, there may be several trips required before the school year even begins. It is advisable for a student to visit a potential college campus and they may be called in for an in-person interview. Once accepted, there may be some type of freshman orientation weekend, which adds even more costs....

Delta pays an average of $50,000 for each COVID-related hospital stay, the company said in a statement, adding that none of its employees hospitalized with the virus in recent weeks had been fully vaccinated. A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that people who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 were 4.9 times more likely to be infected with the virus and 29.2 times more likely to be hospitalized than vaccinated people....

What Are Bond ETFs? Just like other ETFs, bond ETFs seek to emulate a correlating index or underlying investment product. In the case of bond ETFs, however, it’s not as simple as with other funds like oil ETFs or energy ETFs. Bonds themselves are fixed-income assets that are not very liquid. Most investors hold bonds until maturity and do not typically trade them on secondary markets like stocks and indexes. Also, pricing information is not traditionally transparent for bonds....

If you’re considering buying or refinancing a home, learn what a HUD loan is and if it’s an option for you. What Is a HUD Loan? HUD loans aren’t actually issued by HUD, nor the FHA. Instead, they’re originated by private lenders approved by HUD, then insured by the FHA against loss. Alternate name: FHA loanAcronym: HUD (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development), FHA (Federal Housing Administration) How HUD Loans Work HUD loans work because they’re insured by the FHA....

Alternate name: Current assets Liquid Assets Example You have a small business where you sell handcrafted jewelry. You own the building and land that it sits on. On your balance sheet under assets, you have four accounts: cash, accounts receivable, inventory, and building and land. You use a checking account dedicated to your business to pay your bills. Which accounts are liquid assets? The answer is cash, accounts receivable, inventory, and the checking account....

Core values are intrinsic to form the vision of your organization that you present to the world outside of your organization. Your core values are fundamental to attracting and retaining the best, most contributing employees. Core values define what your organization believes and how you want your organization resonating with and appealing to employees and the external world. The core values should be so integrated with your employees and their belief systems and actions that clients, customers, and vendors see the values in action....

This is just one example of “piercing the corporate veil,” a concept and term we’ll discuss below as well as the impact of this action. What Does Piercing the Corporate Veil Mean? The corporate shield or corporate veil is a term used to describe the separation of a business (not just corporations) from its owners for liability purposes. As a separate entity, a corporation or limited liability company (LLC) is set up to “shield” the owners of the corporation (or members of the LLC) from personal liability for the debts, negligence, or mismanagement of the business....

Death Before the Estate Is Distributed A deceased beneficiary’s share of an estate will typically become part of his or her own estate if the beneficiary survives the decedent but then dies while the estate is still being probated. It can depend on whether the beneficiary is to receive a specific inheritance and is cited by name to receive it in the will. An Example If Sally were to inherit $50,000 from her father, that $50,000 technically transfers to her at the time of his death, even if the estate is still in probate....

Speeding tickets can remain on your driving record for years. A single, relatively minor speeding infraction can lead to a rate increase of 30% or more, depending on your insurer and where you got the ticket. That’s why it’s important to understand the consequences of getting a speeding ticket before you ever get one. How Speeding Tickets Affect Your Insurance Insurance companies consider drivers higher risk when they get speeding tickets because they consider them more likely to have a traffic accident....

Mortgage Originators vs. Lenders vs. Servicers Mortgage originators will either directly or indirectly be compensated for their work with you. This can be in the form of fees or commission from either you or the lender, but not both. Lenders The lender is the entity that actually funds—and thus owns—your loan. This may be a large bank, your local credit union, or another institution, such as a mortgage company. Other types of lenders could include some mortgage bankers or even someone you know....

Don’t worry, though. The IRS is willing to work with you, and offers many options. The IRS may offer you a payment plan, reduce your tax liability, or allow you additional time to pay your taxes. But don’t wait to take action, because the consequences of not paying can be expensive and damaging. IRS Penalties for Failure To Pay Taxes The IRS doesn’t mess around when it comes to making sure your taxes are paid up, one way or another....