When looking for an L-shaped desk, there are several factors to consider including size, material, and storage features. Many L-shaped desks are made from engineered wood or particleboard and glass, which are much more affordable—though less sturdy—than hardwood. You may also want to consider storage features, as many of these desks come with useful cabinets and shelves. Read on for our list of the best L-shaped desks for your office....

Here’s how it works and how it compares with the 50/30/20 plan. What Is the 80/20 Rule of Thumb? The 80/20 rule of thumb is a simple approach to budgeting. It looks at your take-home income, which reflects your income after taxes, health insurance premiums, and any other expenses that are taken out of your paycheck. You put 20% of your take-home pay into savings. The remaining 80% goes toward your expenses....

Read on to find the best bullet journals to buy today. Page count: 128 | Dimensions: 5 x 8.25 inches | Page style: Dotted The thread-bound pages lay flat for easier note-taking and bullet journaling. Each page of the journal is perforated for easy tearing and archiving. Just be careful with your pages—too much wear may cause them to easily tear out of the journal. The Lemome journal includes elastic closure, bookmark, inner pocket, and even erasable page dividers....

People in the U.S. are still spending much more than last year, as overall retail sales were 10.3% higher than in July 2021. They bought less gas and cars, which meant more money was freed up to spend on other goods. Shoppers flocked to online stores, which rose 2.7% in July from the month prior, and also spent more at the grocery store—a sign that people are focusing more of their spending on necessities and less on other things, like clothing and department store goods, which dropped in July....

But some of that pressure is easing as mortgage rates have dipped. According to data released today from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), applications to refinance home loans jumped 5% last week, though they still remain 86% lower than this time last year. However, applications to purchase a home dropped to the lowest level since 2014. Unfortunately, if you’re thinking about waiting a little longer to refinance or score a lower rate on a mortgage, you might be in for an unwelcome surprise....

Because these types of funds need to be stable and quickly accessible when you need them, it’s not a good idea to tie up your money or take on the risk that comes with investing. Instead, it’s wise to put it in one of a handful of cash equivalents that are protected by deposit insurance or the U.S government. This is the only way to truly protect the absolute value of your money—a strategy called “capital preservation....

Once you retire, your investment goals are likely to shift more toward income and stability. Growth is often a lesser priority. But retirees live longer than they used to. Even if you are in your 60s when you retire, you may live another 20 or 30 years. You’ll need to invest for short- and intermediate-term income after you retire. But you’ll also need long-term growth for the next few decades....

The Significance of Pimco’s Active Bond ETF Active management is associated more with bond mutual funds than ETFs. That began to change in 2012 when PIMCO (short for Pacific Investment Management Company) introduced the Total Return ETF, which trades under the ticker BOND. Although not the first management company to introduce a bond ETF – both iShares and Fidelity came to market earlier – PIMCO’s entry into active ETF management of a bond portfolio is significant....

However, there are clear distinctions between the structure and intent of the two documents. Job seekers should view their cover letter and resume as a complementary but unique pair of documents. That is, your cover letter should be more than just bullet points regurgitated from the resume. Many employers require that a resume is submitted with a job application. A cover letter may not be required. But, including one when you apply for a job can help your chances of getting selected for an interview....

“We are ready, positioned, and prepared to process as swiftly and accurately as possible,” said Ken Corbin, the IRS’ Chief Taxpayer Experience Officer, in a press conference Thursday. “We have a robust process to strength-test our system and have a number of IT [information technology] professionals and IRS personnel to work this week and weekend and holiday to monitor the system.” Individual tax returns this year may be complicated by pandemic-related items, such as stimulus checks, unemployment insurance, and work-from-home deductions....

Compare these odds to some other unlikely scenarios and consider whether there might be a more foolproof way to cement your financial future. Strategies that are more likely to win you a bountiful retirement don’t depend on blind luck—just discipline. Things That Are More Likely Than Winning the Lottery Just how likely is it that you’ll hit it big in the lottery? Well, the odds are much worse than the probability of your death as a result of one of these:...

The PBGC is primarily financed with premiums paid by the companies whose pensions it guarantees. It also makes some money from pension funds it takes over from bankrupt companies. Learn more about the PBGC, its history, and how it works. What Is the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC)? Pension plans provide workers with guaranteed income during retirement. While not many private companies offer pension plans anymore, government entities do. Employers that offer pension plans are responsible for funding and managing them....

Inflation Risk Because of their relative safety, bonds tend not to offer extraordinarily high returns. That, along with the fixed nature of their interest payments, makes them particularly vulnerable when inflation hits. Imagine, for example, that you buy a U.S. Treasury bond that pays 3.32%. Given the stability of the U.S. government, that’s one of the safest investments you can find—unless the rate of inflation rises to, say, 4%. If that happens, your investment income is not keeping up with inflation....

How Does a Forex Account Work? A forex trading account is something like a bank account where you can purchase currencies and hold them. Currencies are specifically purchased in pairs. If you buy the EUR/USD, you are holding for the US dollar to become worth less per euro over time. The euro must become worth more money in dollars for you to make a profit. A forex brokerage offers you a way to get into the mix with the banking network and purchase a currency pair to hold in an easy manner....

Above-the-line deductions determine your adjusted gross income (AGI), and this can be particularly beneficial. Qualifying Rules for Military Members You can claim the moving expense deduction for the tax year 2018 and later only if you’re on active duty and you’re subject to a permanent change of station. This can include a move from your home to your first post, from one post to another, or from your final post to your home or to a nearer point in the U....

“If you are looking to buy or rent now, there’s nowhere to hide from inflation when it comes to housing costs,” said Redfin chief economist Daryl Fairweather. While renters and homebuyers are both experiencing inflation in the cost of housing, the pandemic’s economic upheavals have hit renters much harder than homeowners overall, especially since homeowners with locked-in mortgage rates haven’t had to pay a penny more for their living space (as long as they’re not moving)....

On the other hand, there’s no point in applying for jobs you don’t want or jobs you don’t have a chance of getting hired for. It’s perfectly fine to be selective—especially when there is a strong job market. Here’s how to decide which jobs to apply for, and tips for making sure those positions are a fit for your skills, attributes, and interests. Make a List of the Desired Characteristics of Your Ideal Job Consider what would be your ideal job if you could choose what to do next in your career....

The job posting may specify the type of file you need to send, and how you should send it. If not, you can follow the instructions below to easily get your documents to the hiring manager. It’s also important to make sure that your email cover letters are written as well as any other correspondence you send. Even though it’s quick and easy to send an email, it doesn’t mean that you should write anything less than a detailed cover letter focused on why you are a good match for the job you are applying for....

Refinance Your Mortgage Should you refinance? The answer depends on two factors: the age of your loan and the difference between your current and potential new interest rate. Home loans amortize, which means you pay mostly interest toward the beginning of the loan term and mostly principal towards the end of the term. As a result, the interest rate is more important toward the start of a term. The interest rate makes less of an impact near the end of the term when your payments are predominantly principal....

The average rate offered to homebuyers using a conventional 30-year fixed mortgage inched down to 3.87% from 3.88% the previous business day, edging away from last week’s 3.95%, the highest we’d seen since 2020. The average for a 15-year fixed mortgage fell to 2.97% from 2.99% the previous business day, backing further from the 3.07% seen last week, also a high point since 2020. Rates on other major types of home loans also fell, though not across the board....