These three major indexes, along with others, can give you a good amount of insight to use in making more informed investing decisions. Here you’ll learn how to read the numbers, as well as a few tips and tricks to better understand the major indexes. Explaining the Index Numbers First, let’s take a look at what an index number represents. Although there are many different ways to calculate and display index numbers, each will always measure a change from an original or base value....

There are two main types of car insurance coverage: liability coverage and full coverage. While full coverage insurance premiums may be more expensive, this type of coverage will help protect you more fully in a variety of situations. Liability coverage, on the other hand, is more limited in what it covers. Learn more about liability and full coverage, and the differences between the two. What’s the Difference Between Liability and Full Coverage Car Insurance?...

Learn more about how liens work, the protection they provide for lenders, and the different types. What Is a Lien? A lien is a legal right against a property that allows a lienholder to take control of it or take legal action to settle any debt. Liens act as collateral in situations where a person can’t honor their debt obligations and typically last until the debt is satisfied. How a Lien Works Take the case of a lien on a car you buy for your business....

A line of credit may be good for larger purchases that you want to pay off at a lower interest rate, while a credit card is beneficial for everyday purchases. Understanding the differences can help you figure out which type of account is best for your current and future needs. What’s the Difference Between Lines of Credit and Credit Cards? A credit card and a line of credit both offer revolving credit, but they have some key differences....

This article discusses the most common myths about LLCs and gives you a better picture of this business type as an alternative to the corporate structure. Myth 1: An LLC is a “limited liability corporation” and is the same as any other type of corporation. The Truth: An LLC is a “limited liability company.” An LLC is similar to a corporation in its limitations on liability to the owners, but it has a different ownership structure (members instead of shareholders)....

The index currently consists of the following 22 commodities: Burlap, Butter, Cocoa Beans, Copper Scrap, Cotton, Cottonseed Oil, Corn, Hogs, Hides, Lard, Lead Scrap, Print Cloth, Rosin, Rubber, Steel Scrap, Steers, Sugar, Tallow, Tin, Wheat, Wool Tops, and Zinc. Commodities tend to move in long-term cycles lasting about 18 years on average. There was a bull market in the 1970s for commodities that lasted until the early 1980s. Many people will remember this as the time when gold prices hit a monstrous $850 an ounce and the Hunt Brothers drove silver to $50 an ounce....

In this article, we’ll take a look at the benefits and risks of investing in Malaysia, how to invest in the country’s stock market, and take a brief look at its real estate industry as an alternative asset class that investors may want to consider to round out their portfolio. Benefits and Risks of Investing in Malaysia Malaysia has an open state-centric and newly industrialized market economy. Between 1961 and 2000, the country reported gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 7....

For this example, use the Australian Dollar vs the Japanese Yen, AUD/JPY pair. It is showing a strong downtrend and looks like a simple trade. The basic rule for using the 200 EMA is if the price is above the line, it is likely to continue higher if the price is below the line, it is likely to continue lower. The price seems to be moving below the 200 EMA line....

Whenever You Get a Pay Increase, Save and Invest It Many people use pay raises to inflate their lifestyle. If you apply a raise toward boosting your savings and investments instead, you will have a much better chance of winning the game. Maintain a Lifestyle You Can Sustain If you live in a manner that’s far too frugal and deprive yourself constantly, you will eventually counter-balance by overspending. If you maintain a lifestyle that’s sustainable, complete with occasional indulgences in the things you value most, you’ll maintain strong financial habits over the long run....

The original PSLF program came with many restrictions, including that past payments only counted if the loans were through the federal direct loan program (rather than through older, discontinued loan programs such as Perkins and the Federal Family Education Loan Program). But borrowers can now have payments to loans from those older programs count towards forgiveness if they consolidate their loans into a direct loan, the Education Department said. Under the previous rules, borrowers who consolidated their old loans into a direct loan could only count payments that were made after the consolidation....

Launched Wednesday, the new tool was designed to simplify the application process to ensure that millions of families with little or no income don’t miss out on this year’s monthly child tax credit payments. Available at GetCTC.org, the portal was designed by the nonprofit Code for America to fix certain deficits in the IRS’s version, which isn’t available in Spanish, isn’t mobile-friendly, and requires applicants to understand subtleties the government said they shouldn’t have to understand....

Why do some debts go away after a bankruptcy case, but some do not? Often it’s because Congress decided for policy reasons that allowing debtors to eliminate their responsibility for that debt would not be beneficial to society. The benefit to the creditor and society as a whole outweighs the benefit that the debtor would gain if their responsibility for payment were erased. Consider, for instance, child support. The benefit to the child receiving child support is more important to the child and to society than allowing the person responsible for the support to eliminate the debt....

What Is Online Bill Pay? Online bill pay is a service that lets you pay your bills securely from a website or app. Many financial institutions offer this service, so check with your bank or credit union. There are also software companies and apps that specialize in helping you manage your money and pay your bills online, and you can even pay bills online through desktop personal finance software like Quicken....

Under the Biden administration, the U.S. has pledged to reduce greenhouse gas pollution by about 50% below 2005 levels by 2030. Reaching this goal could reduce household energy costs by about $500 each year, according to a report by independent research and analytics firm Rhodium Group. The report claims that government action is key to reaching the 2030 goal, and a lack of congressional action could jeopardize it. Along with energy costs, property value, air quality, and land management may also be major factors in many Americans’ support of climate policies....

In general, the obligation to provide child support does not cease if a parent becomes disabled. However, it’s easy to see how the inability to work will negatively impact one’s ability to provide reliable financial support. Disability and Child Support Payments If your ex is compelled by court order to pay child support, and suddenly experiences a disability that interferes with his or her ability to work, what can you do?...

What’s the Difference Between Per Stirpes and Per Capita? Per capita distributions can only go to the named beneficiaries. They don’t pass on to the next generation. They effectively remain in the estate should the beneficiary predecease the decedent, to be distributed equally among the beneficiaries who are still living. Examples of Per Stirpes Distributions Let’s assume that you have three children: Ann, Bart, and Carl. Ann has two children: Drew and Eve....

Stocks as Proportional Ownership Lynch espoused the concept of stocks being a proportional ownership in operating businesses, with the stock market effectively an auction. He stressed the importance of looking at the underlying business enterprise strength, which he believed eventually shows up in the company’s long-term stock price performance. Also, pay a reasonable price relative to the company’s market value. Price-to-Earnings Ratio In his book One Up on Wall Street, Lynch gives a simple, straightforward explanation about one of his preferred metrics for determining a high-level valuation of a firm’s investment prospect....

Taking investments from angel investors or venture capitalists (VCs) means you need to get familiar with how much your company is valued at, which happens in two different stages: a pre-money and post-money valuation. The main difference between the two is the stage of the funding process you’re in—pre-money valuation occurs before raising external funds while post-money takes place immediately after the investments. What’s the Difference Between Pre-Money and Post-Money Valuation?...

You may wonder if anyone will even notice if you don’t demonstrate professional behavior at work. As long as you do your job well, who cares? It turns out your boss, customers, and co-workers do. They will notice if you lack this quality and it could have severe consequences for your career. To discount the importance of professionalism would be a big mistake. It can affect your chances for advancement or even the ability to keep your job....

Earned Income Tax Credit Eligibility You must be eligible for, and claim, the federal earned income tax credit on your federal tax return to qualify for Indiana’s EITC. Most of the rules for Indiana’s credit follow the rules for the federal credit. You must have earned income, either from an employer or from working in your own business, and the income source can’t be foreign. You must also have a valid Social Security number and be a U....