Mining Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies is expensive and incredibly energy-intensive. It also often requires special hardware. Over time, these barriers to entry have centralized a lot of cryptocurrency mining to a relatively small number of nodes, overriding one of blockchain’s original tenets. Ravencoin is a cryptocurrency that works to accomplish blockchain and Bitcoin’s original vision of decentralization—but not without some hitches. What Is Ravencoin? Ravencoin is a fairly new cryptocurrency created from a fork of Bitcoin in 2018....

After the inspection is done, you can begin to make repair requests with the seller; you generally can’t start making requests before that. Once you have the inspection report in hand, you can ask the seller to repair the items/situations found. They may agree or decline; or, in some cases, they might offer you “repair credits” instead. These essentially lower the selling price, giving you more cash to do the repairs yourself once you own the home....

Investors were panicking after Monday’s bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers. They were taking out their money too fast. They worried that the Fund would go bankrupt due to its investments in Lehman Brothers. That bank had invested a large part of their holdings in mortgage-backed securities and other derivatives. Those investments were losing value because housing prices had started falling in 2006. That meant mortgage-holders couldn’t sell their homes for what they paid for them....

While switching jobs is largely considered acceptable, there are exceptions. If your resume is dominated by short-term stints exclusively, and you have a pattern of leaving positions regularly, hiring managers may see you as a job hopper. That’s a label you want to avoid—companies generally don’t like to hire job hoppers. If you have moved from company to company frequently, staying only a short time in each job, here is how to make sure your resume looks strong and how you can avoid the dreaded job-hopper label....

Retail sales edged up 0.3% from October to $639.8 billion, the Census Bureau reported Wednesday, falling short of the 0.8% growth that economists expected. Worse yet, it was actually a 0.5% decline once inflation was taken into account. Electronics and appliance stores took the biggest hit out of all the major categories, posting a 4.6% decline. Bars and restaurants saw a 1% gain in spite of the emergence late in the month of a new COVID-19 variant....

Retail Sales Retail sales increased 0.3% between January and February, much less than the 4.9% growth seen the month before, but only slightly less than the 0.4% economists had forecast, according to data from the Census Bureau. Compared to January, people shopped less online and spent more at restaurants, a sign the recent decline in COVID-19 cases made people feel safer to go out to eat, economists said. Monthly retail spending is still up 25% from pre-pandemic levels, but that figure is less impressive—only about 10%—when you account for today’s rampant inflation, according to economists at Oxford Economics....

When the FOMC meets, it sets a target range for the fed funds rate. It can’t force banks to use this target, but the entire financial system typically follows the fed funds rate as a guidepost for setting interest rates. The fed funds rate affects all other interest rates. It directly affects rates for savings accounts, certificates of deposit (CDs), and money market accounts. Banks also use it to guide short-term interest rates....

Allowable Medical Expense Deductions The IRS defines qualifying medical expenses as those related to the “diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of a disease or condition affecting any part or function of the body.” To be tax deductible, a medical expense generally must be legal and meet IRS conditions, which include: Any medical services from physicians, surgeons, dentists, and other medical professionals related to the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of diseaseAny costs for medications prescribed by a medical professionalAny costs for medical devices, equipment, and supplies prescribed by a medical professional, such as eyeglassesExpenses associated with transportation to and from medical careLong-term care servicesInsurance for medical care or long-term care...

The maximum deduction is $2,500 and is subject to income limitations. This deduction is actually an adjustment to your taxable income, which means you do not need to itemize your other deductions to get it. You can take the standard deduction and still deduct your student loan interest. Eligible Interest Payments The rules for what amounts you can deduct are strict. You can deduct only the portion of each loan payment that represents interest....

While you’re allowed to dispute credit report errors online, you may prefer to do so by mail. Writing a letter to dispute credit report information gives you a record of your dispute that you can use if you later have to file a lawsuit against the credit bureau. For example, you may be able to sue a collector who fails to update your credit report or who does not correct your information within the time frame outlined in the Fair Credit Reporting Act....

Especially if you’re unemployed or have been eager to make a change for some time, you may have started off eager for a job—any job. And now, here you are, trying to figure out how to leave the interview process with a prospective employer, before they’ve even extended an offer. You may be wondering if it’s rude to drop out in the middle of the process, or if you’ll burn your bridges with the employer by leaving after they’ve invested time interviewing you....

However, many real estate brokerages, hoping to capitalize on the growing realization among consumers that real estate commissions are negotiable, have created market niches for themselves that promise to save sellers money and rebate commissions to buyers. How Do Discount Brokers Operate? In Minneapolis, for example, the traditional brokerage fees are as high as 6% of the sales price. The average co-brokering fee, the fee paid to selling agents who cooperate, is often as low as 3....

With a country in a recession, enrolling could improve your job prospects significantly. Research from the last recession revealed that individuals with associate or bachelor’s degrees maintained higher levels of employment (and smaller earnings reductions for women) than those without degrees. Recently, people with at least a bachelor’s degree have had far lower unemployment rates compared to those without a degree, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Of course, school tuition and books add up....

As a result, focusing on long-term goals such as retirement may seem like a distant priority. However, it’s important to save for retirement even when you are paying off student loans, and it’s more possible than you might think to accomplish both. Paying Off Loans vs. Saving for Retirement For recent graduates and those in their 20s, deciding whether to prioritize contributing to your 401(k) or paying off your student loans can be a daunting decision....

Paying your credit card bill early may seem like the perfect way to get in good with your credit card issuers, ensure your payment is on time, and build a better credit score. While paying early can be helpful, it’s not completely necessary in terms of timely payments and staying in good standing with your creditors. Mailing your credit card bill early—a few days before your due date—is the best way to ensure your payment arrives on time....

According to the credit watchdogs at Experian, $1.57 trillion in student loan debt was spread across an estimated 165.2 million accounts in 2020, so this a pretty significant concern. Explore whether it’s better to save for a down payment or pay off student loans first, or how you may be able to do both. Saving for a Down Payment vs. Paying Off Student Loans The right financial move for you depends on a few factors, but your debt-to-income ratio (DTI) may be the most important....

Although it’s simple to set up and it’s tempting to redeem your rewards at checkout, there are some things you should know to decide if it’s a good redemption choice for you. Learn more about how Pay with Rewards works, which cards are compatible, and the pros and cons. What Is PayPal’s Pay With Rewards Program? PayPal’s Pay with Rewards lets customers checking out with PayPal apply rewards from their linked credit cards....

This situation made me realize that many sellers have no idea how real estate agents work. After I picked my jaw up off the ground, I wrote back to the seller to say that I rarely represent buyers. My work is primarily focused on taking listings, representing sellers of homes in East Sacramento and surrounding neighborhoods. I let her know that I would pass on her information to my buyer’s agents who work on my own listings....

To understand what that means, here are seven specific things you can look for that might indicate you are dealing with world-class people who are looking out for your investment. While shareholder-friendly management can’t save a terrible business from its doomed fate, it can tilt the odds in your favor. All else equal, it can help make you richer with less risk. Having a Clearly Articulated Dividend Policy Allocating shareholder capital is one of the most important jobs management has....

Most of the budget for the fiscal year 2010 went to $701 billion in Social Security benefits, $815 billion on the military, and $446 billion on Medicare. The interest on the debt is $196 billion. It leaves little for investments in the country’s future. These include education, NASA, and infrastructure. Summary The plan recommended the following six steps: The Committee suggested waiting for two years before cutting spending or raising taxes....