Weekend Images Inc. / Getty Images But here’s what the lenders aren’t so quick to say: Refinancing can be costly. It can cost between 3% and 6% of your remaining mortgage balance. Refinancing costs are made up of several different fees you’ll pay at different points in the process, but you may be able to shop around to save money. Here’s how much refinancing could cost you. How Much Does It Cost To Refinance?...
You’ll need to be prepared to respond appropriately because the interviewer doesn’t want to hear that you never get stressed. After all, everyone feels stressed at one time or another at work. What the Interviewer Wants To Know The interviewer really wants to know whether you can handle job-related stress, and what you do in particularly stressful situations at work. This is especially important if you’re interviewing for a position where stress is an integral part of the job....
What the Interviewer Wants to Know If interviewers are interested in you for the job, they are going to want to know if you are a well-rounded person who will fit in with the company culture. Interviewers will want to know if you are passionate about certain things. They may ask you about your hobbies, interests, and activities outside of work if they are truly interested in you as a candidate....
Learn more about what information interviewers hope to discover through your response, along with some do’s and don’ts for answering this question. What the Interviewer Wants to Know In the interview, your potential employer will likely focus on figuring out whether or not you have the right skills to be successful in the job. However, they’ll also be interested in how motivated you are to perform the job, and whether or not you will be satisfied with the position....
Qualifying for a Credit Card When applying for a credit card, it can be a challenge to determine whether you qualify for the card. When credit card companies issue credit cards, it’s with the agreement that you’ll repay what you charged. Your credit history found in your credit report tells credit card companies how likely you are to keep up with your financial obligations. A good credit history suggests you’re responsible when paying back what you’ve borrowed and whether you’ve paid on time....
But those stories don’t have to be your story. Learn how to level up for homeownership, both before, during, and after the homebuying process. How To Determine the Budget for a House “For someone to be ready to purchase a home, we see the following items as prerequisites: emergency fund built up, retirement savings on autopilot, and no credit card debt,” Certified Financial Planner (CFP) Dan Slagle of Fyooz Financial Planning told The Balance by email....
In this article, we’ll take a look at how the average investor can build a global portfolio using low-cost international ETFs, as well as some automated tools that will do it for them. Determine Asset Allocation The first step in building a global portfolio is to assess your risk tolerance and determine the right asset allocation. Depending on your risk tolerance, you can adjust their exposure to certain classes of equities and bonds that are more or less risky than others....
Maybe you plan to live together in the house as your primary residence, or perhaps you want to buy a shared vacation home. Whatever the case may be, there are a variety of pros and cons to consider before buying a house with a friend. Should You Buy a House With a Friend? Buying a house with a friend can be a great idea. However, it’s important to enter the agreement with caution....
Sourcing is mainly a concern for businesses that ship their products to other locations, such as internet-based operations, rather than retail businesses operating out of physical locations and selling to in-person consumers. What States Have Sales Taxes? The majority of states—45 and Washington, D.C.—impose a sales tax at the state level. Only Oregon, Montana, New Hampshire, Alaska, and Delaware have no state sales tax (but Alaska allows local counties and municipalities to levy sales taxes of their own)....
If your business is selling in Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, or Oregon, no sales tax is charged, so you don’t have to worry about this process (at least for those states). Lucky you. The Complexity of Collecting Sales Tax Sales taxes are, frankly, a mess. There are many taxing localities involved, each with its own tax rate and list of taxable products and services. If you have a tax presence (called a “tax nexus”) in different states, you may have to collect different taxes on different items....
The Effect of 2018 Tax Reform The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) ended many itemized deductions, deduction for unreimbursed employee business expenses, when it was signed into law in December 2017. The TCJA eliminates the deduction for unreimbursed employee business expenses for tax years 2018 through 2025. You can still claim this deduction if you haven’t yet filed your 2017 tax return, however. You might even be able to go back and file an amended return to claim it if you failed to do so when you could have....
The electronic filing software puts your federal and state return data in separate packets when you use this program. The separate packets are then simultaneously submitted to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The IRS acts as a virtual post office for the participating state, which retrieves the state returns from the IRS and processes them. How to Use Federal/State E-File Taxpayers can utilize the Federal/State e-file system through paid tax preparers, such as certified public accountants (CPAs) or enrolled agents, provided that they’ve been accepted as e-file providers by both the IRS and their state....
Perhaps you’re thinking of joining the ranks of workers who hold part-time evening jobs. You may have a day job and simply want the extra money that you can earn working a second job. Or you might have caregiving responsibilities during the day and need a flexible schedule to accommodate those priorities. Students find part-time jobs a good fit for their needs, as do many retirees, working parents, even entrepreneurs who need their days free to launch new ventures....
That shouldn’t be your last point of contact with your reference, however. A relationship that begins and ends with you asking for a favor is unlikely to flourish. Here’s more information on how to follow-up with your references throughout your job search, and why it’s important. References Basics First, a quick review of the basics when it comes to references. Always choose people to act as references who know you well and will speak highly of you....
While it’s true that bankruptcy can stay on your credit record for up to 10 years, what many people don’t realize is what happens to the debt afterward. Learn how quickly you’ll be able to get back into the credit market after you receive your bankruptcy discharge. Some banks and card issuers are so ready to lend to people emerging from bankruptcy that they actively market to them while they’re still in a bankruptcy case....
How a Limited 203(k) Loans Works Before Limited 203(k) loans, when someone bought a home, they applied for a mortgage and a separate home equity loan to fix it up, resulting in two loans. However, many lenders won’t rehab loans, and some won’t fund equity loans at closing, especially if there is no equity. A Limited 203(k) loan is figured into the original loan balance, resulting in one loan. Homebuyers can take advantage of the Limited 203(k) program and finance up to $35,000 into their mortgage to make an upgrade, improvement, or repair....
Even if your finances are on track, don’t get overconfident and assume you have everything under control, warned Melissa Joy, a certified financial planner (CFP) and president of Pearl Planning. “You might lean into things you understand, like asset allocations or managing fees,” Joy said. “But then you leave other things unaddressed and don’t get around to some very basic things.” Learning about common financial blind spots and what to watch for can help you figure out how to cover your bases....
Westend61/Getty Images Investors can purchase Canadian stocks and bonds in a few different ways. Canadian stocks and bonds can be purchased directly on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX), the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE, formerly the Canadian National Stock Exchange), or other Canadian stock exchanges. Alternatively, investors can easily gain exposure to Canadian stocks and bonds through exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or American depositary receipts (ADRs) on U.S. exchanges. Speculating on Canada Canada is considered to be one of the safest countries in the world, with a strong natural resource base and a stable monetary policy....
No wonder job search documents can become repetitive and formulaic, and interview answers may sound over-rehearsed. Preparation and following job search norms are essential. But that doesn’t mean that your application materials and interview answers should be stripped of all personality. Sharing fun facts about yourself distinguishes you from the crowd, and can make you a stronger, more appealing candidate. The Value of Fun Facts in Your Job Search Say you perform as a stand-up comedian on weekends—sharing that detail lets employers know you’re quick-witted and comfortable in front of a crowd....
Dealing with debt collection can be tricky. Paying a collection doesn’t always have the intended impact on your credit score, and working with collection agencies is sometimes difficult. Fortunately, there are some proven strategies for handling a debt in collection. What Is Debt Collection? A debt collection is a delinquent account that’s being pursued by a third-party collection agency. Collection agencies work on behalf of other companies—those you created the debt with—to recoup the money from accounts you’ve fallen behind on....
