Some considerations for you as you move into your late forties and fifties are spending control, retirement education, debt trimming, and saving or investing your money. Get a Handle on Spending Nobody likes to hear it, but the fastest way to save more is to spend less. Trimming your lifestyle to one that costs a little less will allow you to save more now, and it will cost you less to maintain your standard of living in retirement later....
How Much Are You Worth? Especially if you’re negotiating with a prospective employer, you need to find out how much your skills and experience are worth in today’s job market. Take the time to research salaries long before you even begin discussing pay. That way you will be prepared to make your case and land a job offer that’s realistic and reasonable. What Are Salary Negotiations? Salary negotiations involve discussing a job offer with a potential employer to settle on a salary and benefits package that’s in line with the market (and hopefully, that meets or exceeds your needs)....
How to Dispute a Credit Card Billing Error Writing a letter to dispute a credit card billing error is the best way to protect your rights under the Fair Credit Billing Act, a federal law that protects consumers against unfair credit billing practices. Sending your letter via certified mail will give you a timestamp in case you ever need to prove that you made your dispute in time. The FCBA allows you to dispute a few types of billing errors....
There are several advantages to savings accounts. Savings accounts pay interest, allow for easy access to your money, and offer a low minimum balance amount. Savings accounts can help you budget your finances and save for your financial goals. With a wide variety of interest-accruing accounts on the market, what type of account offers the best return? Savings accounts are often the first resort since they offer many features and benefits....
Commission is a sum of money that is paid to an employee upon completion of a task, usually the task of selling a certain amount of goods or services. It can be paid as a percentage of the sale or as a flat dollar amount based on sales volume. When a commission is paid in addition to a salary, it may be included in the employee’s paycheck or paid on a separate schedule, usually bi-monthly or monthly....
Of course, the sellers likely mean well, but they likely don’t know what is most important to the potential buyers during a tour. A seller’s presence during the showing can make the buyers feel awkward, which won’t help the sellers when it comes to selling their home. Learn more about whether sellers should stay in the home or leave during a scheduled showing. The Listing Agent’s Responsibility The person who is most responsible is the seller’s listing agent, who should inform the sellers of etiquette and explain to them what prospective buyers expect when they show up for their tour....
With more than 20 years in the investing and finance space, Sheri is a complete bond nerd. She spent more than a decade covering municipal and corporate bonds, and while she knows this makes her boring, she finds them fascinating! She previously worked as a financial journalist at The Bond Buyer and Prospect News, where she covered everything from munis to stocks to structured finance. As editor-in-chief for Finder.com’s share trading and investing team, Sheri developed and executed content strategies to educate everyday people about smart investing, saving, and money management strategies to help them make better financial decisions....
Some insurance agents tout the benefits of life insurance with investment components. Those benefits include being able to borrow money from the cash value of the policy after you’ve paid premiums. Two types of life insurance policies that provide cash value are whole life insurance and universal life insurance. Check your life insurance policy to see whether it includes a loan provision. Being able to use your policy if you need an emergency loan sounds great....
Home Equity Loans A home equity loan, sometimes called a second mortgage, allows a homeowner to use some or all of the equity in their home as collateral for a new loan. Equity is the amount the home is currently worth, minus the money still owed on any existing mortgage. For example, if the current market value of your home is $400,000 and you still owe $250,000, the equity you have in your home is $150,000....
In fact, many of these influences are often overlooked, ignored, or misunderstood. The price drivers we will consider here are not the “be all and end all” of stock market success. However, they can go a long way in lifting you toward the next level. Look at each and every factor that you possibly can once you’ve decided to wade into the penny stock waters. If you are considering trading in a low-priced investment, your results will be directly proportional to the amount of work you commit to your analysis....
It’s important to research investment opportunities before getting started, so this article will guide you through the history of Stellar lumens, what they’re used for, and how to buy them. What Are Stellar Lumens? The Stellar Development Foundation was founded in 2014 as the bedrock of the Stellar open-source network. The foundation’s mission was to make currency more fluid, allowing people to participate in the global economy. Using Stellar, consumers can easily make financial transactions with any currency....
Image Source/Getty Images Much like a marketing firm will promote their clients’ products or services, stock promoters create awareness of an investment security to increase the security’s price. It’s important for investors to know what stock promoters are and how they work, before deciding to purchase stocks or penny stocks as a result of a promotion. What Is a Stock Promoter? A stock promoter, by definition, is a person or business entity that directly or indirectly receives 10% or more of any class of securities or proceeds from the sale of securities....
Global supply chains were disrupted early in 2020 at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and roughly two years later, we’re still coping with shortages and, more recently, soaring inflation. The Russian invasion of Ukraine only adds to the problem, with sanctions against Russia threatening to disrupt the flow of oil, metals, and other raw materials. So what exactly do economists and officials mean when they talk about bottlenecks, backlogs, and supply and demand?...
Filing for an extension automatically gives you until Oct. 15 to send in your return, but make sure you make the request by May 17, or you could get hit with a failure to file penalty, which applies if you owe tax. It’s a steep 5% of the amount owed for each month or partial month your return is late, up to a maximum of 25%. There is no penalty for failure to file if you don’t owe any tax....
The new tools allow taxpayers to view their eligibility for their payments and to unenroll from receiving them in advance. The unenrollment tool is meant for taxpayers who do not want to receive the advance credit for various reasons, including the possibility of having to pay it back if their eligibility to receive it changes. Examples of those whose eligibility could change include divorced parents who are unsure of custody status and people whose income increases this year compared to last....
The #1 reason banks say no to small business loans is “credit,” both poor credit and lack of credit. Although the general credit principles are the same, lenders look at business loans differently from personal loans. The lender looks primarily at the credit of the business. That’s fine for an existing business, but what about a startup business? In this case, the lender must include the credit of the business owner....
There are five factors of creditworthiness that a lender will look at, dubbed the “5 Cs.” Understanding these factors, as well as how they influence your overall credit picture, can help you better prepare for your loan application and ensure financing success. 1. Character Your credit “character” speaks to your overall trustworthiness as a borrower. Can you be reasonably expected to repay your loan? Will you make your payments on time, every time, month after month?...
Keep reading for the best drafting chairs available today. Height range: 23 to 30 inches Height range: 24.25 to 33.75 inches Height range: 28 to 34 inches Height range: 23.2 to 32.7 inches Different models have a distinct combination of tilt adjustments, such as tilt tension and lock, center-tilt, and synchro-tilt. Tilt tension refers to the resistance that you feel when you lean back, while tilt lock allows you to secure the chair in an upright position....
However, the report also showed that prices for food and other items tracked in the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Price Index rose 0.3%, more than the 0.1% economists expected after a 0.1% decline in July. That decline had raised hopes that inflation would moderate. The index was up 6.2% from a year ago, compared to a 6.4% gain in July as energy prices eased. Core PCE prices, which exclude more volatile food and energy costs, climbed 0....
If you are thinking about leaving your job, here are some important points to think through before you turn in your resignation. When you’re sure you’re ready to quit, there are ways you can resign gracefully and leave on good terms. Make Sure You Really Want to Quit There are a few warning signs that it’s time to go, including reduced productivity, physical complaints, and finding your conversation at home dominated by work-related issues....
