The best guidance is usually to save as much as possible if you’re in your 20s. Then, you begin looking for a better way to track your progress over time as you grow older. Certain benchmarks, such as those provided by Fidelity, T. Rowe Price, and J.P. Morgan Asset Management, can help you determine how much you should have in your accounts by the time you reach age 30....

Preparing To Shop for Houses Before signing up for that online house-hunting tool, contemplate how you spend your time at home currently, how long you plan to stay in your new home, and any changes you foresee during that upcoming period. Will this be a starter home or a forever home? Homeowners tend to live in their homes for six to 18 years in the U.S.’s 100 largest metro areas. Typically, homeowners live in their homes for shorter periods in fast-growing areas....

Know Your Strengths Using your strengths can help you excel in any business, but the reverse is also true. While your business will most certainly push you to grow, if the business requires you to go way outside of your comfort zone, you might be fighting an uphill battle. Consider your greatest strengths and find something that more closely mirrors your skills. Match Your Passion With a Consumer Need There is a common saying “do what you love and the money will follow....

By focusing on small wins, making automatic deposits, and resisting the temptation to “borrow” from yourself, you can get on the path to financial stability. Here’s how to go about establishing habits of saving more money so that it becomes second nature. Celebrate the Small Savings When you’re just starting out with saving, it’s easy to discount your efforts. Even if you’re only able to set aside $5, focus on the fact that you’re saving something....

It’s important to be prepared to provide a list of employment references who can attest to the skills and qualifications that you have for the job you are applying for. You might even want to have a few letters of reference on hand as well. Keep in mind that a positive endorsement can help you clinch a job offer, and a negative reference can hurt your chances. Be sure to have a strong list of references who know all about your strengths, and about the jobs you are applying for....

Shopping Around for Your Mortgage You wouldn’t buy a new mattress without first trying out a few, right? You’ll maybe lay on a couple and talk with the sales representative to get details on pricing and what’s included. Well, the same goes for getting a mortgage. If you want the best product at the best price, you have to shop around. Shopping around for the lowest mortgage rate entails: Researching and vetting potential mortgage lenders....

Kate / Getty Images This article will provide an overview of when you should collect sales taxes for out-of-state sales. Learn how to keep track of everything along the way. When to Charge Your Own State’s Sales Tax As a business owner, you would generally collect your own state’s sales tax on orders placed from within your own state or delivered there. You should not collect local sales tax on out-of-state orders in most states....

Stocks in Russia are traded on the Moscow Exchange, which is the result of a merger between the Russian Trading System (established in 1995) and the MICEX Group (the oldest exchange in Russia) in 2011. Since then, the exchange has expanded to include financial instruments ranging from cash equities to commodity futures. Learn more about investing in Russian stocks. How To Buy Russian Stocks The easiest way to gain exposure to the Russian stock market is by purchasing U....

SPACs can provide potentially profitable investment opportunities, but they’re also highly speculative. Learn how to invest in SPACs, about the benefits and risks associated with SPACs, and how to decide if including them in your portfolio is right for you. How To Invest in SPACs in 4 Steps A SPAC, or special purpose acquisition company, is a publicly-traded company that has no specific business purpose, serving as a sort of shell company....

To help you save money, here are some ways to reduce your car insurance premiums. Try one, two, or the whole list to see how much you could save. Consider Seasonal Driving Habits Are your insurance needs the same year-round, or do you drive less in certain seasons? Do you have a vehicle you only drive in the summer, like a convertible or a motorcycle? Use these questions as a starting point to think about how your driving changes during the course of a year....

Completing and Filing Your Business Tax Return Most small business owners pay taxes on their company’s income through their personal tax returns (Form 1040 or Form 1040-SR for seniors.) Corporations must pay tax on business income through a corporate tax return—Form 1120. A single-owner business (sole proprietor or single-owner LLC) reports business income on Schedule C. A partner in an S corporation, a partner in a partnership, or a member (owner) of a multiple-member LLC reports their share of business income on Schedule K-1....

Keeping track of your business’s cash receipts in a timely manner is necessary for efficient financial management. Proper accounting procedures for cash receipts allow you to maintain adequate records for financial statement development and income tax preparation, so it’s critical to learn how these receipts work and how to manage them. What Are Cash Receipts? Cash receipts are proof that your business has made a sale. A cash receipt should be generated whenever you receive cash from an external source and record an increase to your cash account on the balance sheet....

Selling yourself can feel uncomfortable, but it’s truly essential. If you don’t point out your best qualities as a candidate, who will? To get past any feelings of shyness, modesty, or discomfort, think like a marketer. Develop a marketing and sales campaign for your job search exactly as if it was one of the many toothpaste options in the drugstore aisle. Doing this will help you assess your strengths, strengthen your performance throughout the application process, and develop a strong brand that will make you stand out from the sea of applicants....

To help you tackle your balances, we’ll cover how to build the foundation you need to eliminate your debt and share some tactics you can employ right now to succeed. We’ll also explain strategies that may be appropriate for people who are feeling financially strong, as well as a few techniques for people who are having a harder time. Let’s get started. Take Control of Your Budget Basic financial stability is an essential part of paying off debt....

The good news is that even if your finances aren’t perfect—maybe your credit score is below average or you don’t have 20% saved for a down payment—you still can qualify for financing. Here’s what else you need to know so that you can be financially and emotionally prepared for the homebuying process. Down Payment Recommendations When you finance a home, you’re required to put down some money upfront. Although you may be able to put down as little as 3% on a conventional mortgage, experts often recommend at least 20%, because this allows you to avoid paying private mortgage insurance (PMI) and to qualify for better terms....

The statement of retained earnings is a sub-section of a broader statement of stockholder’s equity, which shows changes from year to year of all equity accounts. Why You Need a Statement of Retained Earnings Businesses need to prepare a statement of retained earnings for both internal decision making and for the dissemination of information to external interested parties. Internal Decision-Making A statement of retained earnings is necessary for business owners to keep track of their accumulated retained earnings or the portion of net income allocated to retained earnings since the beginning of the life of the business....

However, making an Airbnb successful can be a challenge. While it may be a boon to some hosts, it can be a very risky investment for others. Read below to understand the basics of Airbnb hosting, how to get started, and whether it’s right for you. What Is Airbnb Hosting? Airbnb is a very popular short-term rental app. It lists photos and details of short-term rental properties, and guests can browse through the options and book a stay for their next vacation....

An inverse head-and-shoulders pattern occurs in all markets, on all time frames, and is associated with the reversal of a downward trend. Identifying Inverse Head-and-Shoulders Patterns The inverse head-and-shoulders pattern is used as an indicator. This pattern is associated with a reversal of a downward trend in price. It is one of the more common reversal indications. As price moves back downward, it hits a low point (a trough) and then begins to recover and swing upward....

Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of using a home equity loan for a remodel, when it makes sense to do so, and how to go about using a home equity loan wisely. Pros and Cons of Using a Home Equity Loan for a Remodel Pros Explained Lower-interest method of financing a remodel: There are many different ways to finance a remodel, but using a home equity loan for a remodel can save you money in interest compared to using a personal loan or credit card....

Enter Amex Send & Split, a service designed to help you in scenarios such as these, all without added fees. Here’s how it works. What Is Amex Send & Split? Amex Send & Split is a partnership with Venmo and PayPal that lets you do two things: Use your Amex card to send money directly to friends and family from your Amex card, and make one purchase and split it with others....