Hiring managers typically look for job candidates with soft skills because they make someone more successful in the workplace. Someone can be excellent with technical, job-specific skills, but if they can’t manage their time or work within a team, they may not be successful in the workplace. Soft skills are also important to the success of most employers. After all, nearly every job requires employees to engage with others in some way....
Swaps are traded “over the counter” (OTC), which means that retail investors don’t typically trade them unless they are used as part of fund vehicle that they are invested in. Still, methods are emerging that allow investors and traders to add swaps to their portfolios. Learn more about swaps, how they work, and how they can be invested in with exchange-traded funds (ETFs). What Are Swaps? A swap is an agreement between two parties to exchange an asset’s benefits on a specific date, in an exchange of a series of payments....
Learn what a covered bond is and what makes them a secure investment. What Is a Covered Bond? The concept behind covered bonds is simple. They are backed by cash generated from an underlying investment pool. A bank buys substantial cash-generating investments, combines them, and issues a bond supported by the pooled investments’ money. That collection of investments, called the cover pool, consists of either mortgages or public-sector loans. In that sense, covered bonds generate cash flow for investors the same way as asset-backed securities....
World events have a significant effect on the financial markets, which recoil at even a whiff of uncertainty. So it’s understandable that clients often ask how they can maintain their financial and emotional equilibrium in these tumultuous times. The answer: own quality stocks and bonds that produce income. It’s that simple. But what does “quality” really mean? A Diversified Income Stream A diversified income stream means that a company isn’t a “one-trick pony” and ideally has multiple lines of business selling into many different industries or consumer wants and needs....
Jan Stromme Look Up the Value of Your Car: Finding the value of your car is not as difficult as you might think. Start by going to a website that offers the service, such as Kelley Blue Book, Edmunds, or Auto Trader. All are reputable sites that are very capable of providing the information you seek, although the prices are only guidelines. You may not be quoted the same amount from a dealer....
In this article, we cover what happens to a bank account when someone dies. We’ll review individual and joint accounts as well as other types of account registrations. And for those planning ahead, we include tips on how to make things easier on loved ones after your death. What Happens to a Sole Bank Account When Someone Dies? A sole bank account is owned by one individual with nobody else on the account....
Your bank will charge an overdraft fee for the courtesy of paying transactions that exceed your bank balance. You might even have to pay a fee if your account remains negative for five or seven consecutive business days. But what do overdrafts mean for your credit? How Overdrafts Affect Your Credit Score Your checking account information isn’t regularly reported to the credit bureaus. That’s because you’re spending your own money, not money you’ve borrowed....
Interviewers also use this type of question to probe for failures in your personal or professional life that might reveal weaknesses that would limit your effectiveness on the job. What the Interviewer Really Wants to Know Interviewers ask this kind of question to understand how you perceive adversity. The way in which you moved through a tough personal situation points to your approach in professional situations as well. Employers want their team to see challenges as opportunities to learn and grow....
Learn how bail-ins differ from bail-outs and how they work. Definition and Example of a Bail-In Most people are familiar with the concept of a bail-out following the global economic crisis, when many governments were forced to rescue private institutions. But there’s another term, called a “bail-in,” that can be used as an alternative to a bail-out, which has become increasingly unpopular. In a bail-in, a bank or other institution’s creditors must write off a portion of its debts to save it from insolvency....
An example of a business model is one in which the concepts are split into two categories—business ideas and business resources. Under the business idea category lies products and services, target audience, competition, differentiation, advertising, and sales. Business resources, meanwhile, are what’s needed to make the idea work and can be divided into ownership, staffing, facilities, financial model, funding, and balance sheet. Types of Business Models Here are a few commonly used business models that you’re probably familiar with....
With the proper training, experience, and skills, an individual can fill this role in a variety of organizations, such as a for-profit business, non-profit organization, government entity, or school. Example of a COO Some of the most well-known chief operating officers include Tim Cook, who served as Apple’s COO before stepping into the CEO role in 2011, and Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of Meta. Chief Operating Officer Duties & Responsibilities The roles and responsibilities of the COO vary, depending not only on the organization for which they work but also on how that company defines the position....
Investors acquire collectibles in the hopes that those items will appreciate in value. Collectibles can be financially and personally rewarding, but they can also be extremely unpredictable investments. Learn the basics of collectibles investing, including what they are, their pros and cons, and what they may mean to the average investor. Definition and Examples of Collectibles Almost anything can be a collectible. Collectibles can have an intrinsic value, such as gold coins, or no intrinsic value, such as a baseball trading card....
Learn why contra accounts, when utilized correctly along with a paired account, are a crucial component of accurate accounting and financial review. Definition and Examples of Contra Assets Contra assets are accounts in the general ledger—where you enter your transactions—that carry a balance used to offset the account with which it is paired. Instead of debiting the asset account directly, the contra asset account balance will be credited (reduced) separately....
Alternate name: Writing covered calls A covered call strategy involves two steps: First, you have to buy shares of stock. You can select the stock using any method you prefer. As with any investment, it’s important to do your due diligence. Covered call strategies work well with stocks that have stable prices and aren’t volatile. Second, you sell call options against the stock that you’ve purchased. Call options give the buyer the right, but not the obligation, to buy shares at a set price....
If your credit card issuer does not stop you from going over your credit limit, they may charge an over-limit fee. This fee is the penalty for going above the maximum balance allowed on your card. Whether or not your provider can charge an over-limit fee depends on the terms of your credit card agreement. Alternate names: Overlimit fee, over-the-limit-fee, credit limit fee, over-limit penalty Over-limit penalties can be charged regardless of whether purchases, other fees, or finance charges have pushed you over the limit....
Many major credit card issuers have a reconsideration line that you can call to shed some light on your eligibility and ask questions regarding your application. Understanding why your application was denied puts you in a strong position to vie for decision reversal. With proper preparation, a quick phone call to a reconsideration line could change the final decision and allow you to be approved after all. What Is a Credit Card Reconsideration Line?...
Learn more about how custodial Roth IRA accounts work and how they can be useful tools in not just securing your child’s financial future, but also teaching them the importance of saving for retirement. Definition and Example of a Custodial Roth IRA A custodial Roth IRA is a retirement account designed for children under age 18. Since most brokerages do not allow minors to open and operate accounts, a custodial Roth IRA is maintained by an adult custodian, usually a parent or guardian until the minor comes of age....
Financing liens are just one type of lien that you can have. There are also child support liens, operation of law liens, and mechanic’s liens. In this article, you’ll learn how a lien on a car works and how it impacts you. What Is a Lien on a Car? In short, a lien is a claim to your property, whether partial or in full. It’s first made when you have an obligation to a debtor and is eventually removed when you’ve satisfied that obligation....
Types of Mutual Fund Prospectus There are two types of mutual fund prospectuses that differ based on how much information they provide. Statutory Prospectus: A detailed document, including information about the fund’s investment objectives/goals, fees, risks and performance, management, shareholder information, and commissions, called a statutory prospectus is required to be delivered to all shareholders. Summary Prospectus: Most funds also produce a summary prospectus, which is a few pages long and contains more marketing language than legalese....
Acronym: AUMAlternate name: Funds under management For example, the XYZ fund invests in stocks within the technology sector. As a result of many investors purchasing shares, the XYZ fund has $20 billion in total assets under management, meaning that $20 billion is invested in various technology stocks. The fund’s portfolio manager may decide to buy or sell various technology stocks throughout the year and decides on the fund’s asset allocation, meaning the percentages of the fund’s total assets allocated to each technology stock....
