What a Common Size Income Statement Analysis Does Common-size income statement analysis states every line item on the income statement as a percentage of sales. If you have more than one year of financial data, you can compare income statements to see your financial progress. This type of analysis will let you see how revenues and spending on different types of expenses change from one year to the next. When you show the items on the income statement as a percentage of the sales figure, it makes it easier to compare the income and expenses and understand the financial position of the company....

The specific course of action you take will depend on several factors, including where your loan is held and whether the purchaser is a dealer or a private buyer. Here are the steps you can follow. Step 1: Determine Your Payoff Amount It’s a good idea to start out by checking with your lender for guidance and to find out exactly how much you owe. To make it official, get a payoff letter from your lender....

The reasons people buy or sell gold—creating the demand and supply flow—can be pure speculation, to acquire or distribute physical gold, and as a hedge for commercial application. For day traders, the purpose of trading gold is to profit from its daily price movements. Futures Markets Day trading gold is speculating on its short-term price movements. Physical gold is not actually handled, and possession is not taken. Rather, the transactions take place electronically, and only profits or losses are reflected in the trading account....

So where does this age-old taboo come from? “Talking about money is inherently incredibly vulnerable, and oftentimes we don’t want to be vulnerable with people,” said Erin Lowry, founder of Broke Millennial and the author of several personal finance books, including “Broke Millennial Talks Money.” While talking about money—even with your close friends—can feel uncomfortable or off-limits, it can help you to become more informed about financial topics, create accountability for your financial goals, or even just allow you to vent about something that’s causing you stress....

The borrower receives the loan proceeds in one lump sum and must pay off the loan over a certain period of time, often five to 30 years. The home serves as collateral for a home equity loan, which typically comes with a fixed interest rate. Several factors affect your ability to qualify for a home equity loan as well as the interest rate you’ll be charged for the loan. These include the amount of equity you have in your home and the health of your credit, as well as current economic conditions....

However, you can often add rental car reimbursement coverage to an existing auto insurance policy. It won’t cover rental car costs in all circumstances, but it might offer enough of a benefit to be worth the fairly minimal extra cost. We’ll review when your car insurance might cover the cost of renting a car, plus the difference between rental car insurance and rental car reimbursement. Rental Car Insurance vs. Rental Car Reimbursement Rental car insurance and rental car reimbursement coverage might sound similar, but they’re different types of protection....

Objectives The IMF meets its goal by targeting three objectives: Survey Global Conditions: The IMF has the rare ability to look into and review the economies of all its member countries. As a result, it has its finger on the pulse of the global economy better than any other organization. The IMF produces a wealth of analytical reports. It provides the World Economic Outlook, the Global Financial Stability Report, and the Fiscal Monitor each year....

However, unlike some other countries, Iran’s economy is affected by economic sanctions imposed against it by countries like the U.S. Here’s how sanctions have impacted the Iranian economy over the years. The Current Iranian Economy Iran’s economy had recently received a boost when the United States lifted sanctions in 2015. In February 2016, Iran began shipping oil to Europe for the first time in three years. It exported 4 million barrels to France, Spain, and Russia....

The most you can contribute as an elective deferral to a 403(b) plan in tax year 2022 is $20,500. This is up from $19,500 in 2021. You can contribute an additional $6,500 as a “catch-up” contribution if you’re age 50 or older. Employers can match an employee’s contribution for the year. The total of elective deferrals and matching contributions is limited to $61,000 for the 2022 tax year—up from $58,000 in 2021....

You should establish your business entity in the state where the company will conduct the bulk of its business before you make the election. What Is Form 2553? Form 2553 notifies the IRS that you want to elect S corp status. Upon receipt and review, the IRS will then send a letter to your corporation confirming its election for this tax treatment or denying your request. You must first incorporate your business by drawing up articles of incorporation, by-laws, and the various required legal documents that are required to form and operate your business....

America Has a Problem America has a big labor problem: a massive amount of highly skilled workers are retiring or have reached retirement age, and that has companies concerned. Not only are people at retirement age, but they may also hold all of the high-level knowledge. Even worse, many industries are experiencing a shortage of young workers to fill the gaps. On the other side, many of those 50 and 60-something workers don’t want to retire....

Noel Hendrickson / Getty Images Learn what homeowners insurance is, when it might be required, and why you might choose to have this type of insurance even if you don’t have to. What Is Homeowners Insurance? Homeowners insurance covers your home and belongings against damage from certain disasters, accidents, and other scenarios. If a covered event occurs, your insurance policy may pay for damages and losses, although you’re still responsible for your deductible....

Is Venmo Safe? Venmo works by linking your bank account and/or credit card accounts to your Venmo account. This is what allows you to send or receive money to and from friends, family, or anyone else who uses the app. The Venmo platform uses an application programming interface (API) to process transactions between people who are sending and receiving money. According to the company’s website, Venmo uses encryption protocols to secure and protect personal and financial data for its users....

Initial claims for unemployment benefits fell for a fourth straight week, declining to 348,000 in the week through Aug. 14, a decrease of 29,000 from the previous week’s revised level, according to seasonally adjusted data released Thursday by the Labor Department. Economists had expected 366,972 claims, according to a consensus estimate cited by Moody’s Analytics. In the week ended March 14, 2020, just before the full force of the pandemic and the resulting shutdowns caused millions of people to file for jobless benefits, 256,000 had filed initial claims....

Initial jobless claims for the week through Dec. 4 fell 43,000 to a seasonally adjusted 184,000, well below the prior week’s revised 227,000, the Department of Labor said Thursday. That was better than economists’ average forecast of 215,735 cited by Moody’s Analytics, and it was the lowest number of new claims since Sept. 6, 1969. The numbers show just how far the labor market has come since March 2020, when the pandemic first hit the economy and millions of jobs were lost in a matter of weeks....

There are two ways to share a credit card: as joint account holders or by making one person an authorized user. The two arrangements give you each different responsibilities for the balance, so think carefully before you move ahead. With both authorized user and joint credit cards, both people cardholders can make charges to the card. There’s a single credit limit, balance, minimum payment due, and one payment due date....

Buying a call option entitles the buyer of the option the right to purchase the underlying futures contract at the strike price any time before the contract expires. This rarely happens, and there is not much benefit to doing this, so don’t get caught up in the formal definition of buying a call option. Most traders buy call options because they believe a commodity market is going to move higher and they want to profit from that move....

It’s important not to react too quickly or change your price frequently, though. Let’s look at a few factors that might help you make an informed decision. Can You Price a Home Too Low? If you’ve received an offer almost immediately after listing your home, you might wonder if you aimed too low with your price. It’s natural to wonder, but it’s more likely that a fast offer means the home was priced perfectly....

Keep at Least Three Months of Living Expenses in a Savings Account That’s just a starting point. If you’re self-employed, work on commission, or work in an unstable industry or position, double or even triple that baseline. Many financial planners believe it’s a good idea to have three to six months of your normal expenses stashed away. Multiply Your Living Costs By 25 This is one way to start estimating how much you may need to retire....

Below is a list of some of the many leveraged currency ETFs you can buy and some of their features. Whether you are just doing research or want to learn more about these types of funds in hopes of adding them to your portfolio, there are many options to suit a range of goals. How Currency ETFs Work This list focuses on currency funds. Currency ETFs can give your portfolio the exposure you desire for foreign currencies without dealing with many complex trades....