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Learn more about how a business budget works and get an example of one. What Is a Business Budget? A business budget provides an accurate picture of expenditures and revenues and should drive important business decisions such as whether to increase marketing, cut expenses, hire staff, purchase equipment, and improve efficiencies in other ways. It also outlines your organization’s financial and operational goals, so it may be thought of as an action plan that helps you allocate resources, evaluate performances, and formulate plans....

Learn more about capital budgeting’s role in business and how it differs from expense budgeting. What Is Capital Budgeting? Capital, in this context, means investments in long-term, fixed assets, such as capital investment in a building or in machinery. Budget refers to the plan that details anticipated revenue and expenses related to the investment during a particular time period, often the duration of a project. Capital budgeting is important to businesses’ long-term stability since capital investment projects are major financial decisions involving large amounts of money....

Consumers earned more and spent more in September—on things like healthcare, new cars and trucks, and clothes and shoes—the Commerce Department reported Friday. Personal income increased 0.9% in September, rebounding from a 2.5% dip in August, while expenditures rose 1.4%, the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) said. Consumers made more money from businesses they owned as well as from wages, which more than made up for a drop-off in government benefits as pandemic recovery payments slowed....

What Is a Cash-Secured Loan? A cash-secured loan is a credit-building loan that you qualify for with funds you keep with your lender. Because the lender already has enough money to pay off your loan, lenders may be willing to approve you for the loan. If you stop making payments on the loan, the lender keeps your deposit (or a portion of it) to pay off your debt. To use this type of loan, you borrow from the same bank or credit union where you keep your money in a savings account, money market account, or certificate of deposit (CD)....

While a no-spend month may sound daunting, the challenge aspect may actually be fun. Learn how to complete a no-spend month to conquer your financial goals. Evaluate Your Spending Before you start your no-spend month, look at where your money is going each month. Review your paychecks, bank statements, and receipts. Next, divide your expenses into necessities and extras—the latter is what you’ll temporarily live without during the challenge. Then make a written budget so you can plan for the no-spend month....

In order to do so, it’s important to learn about the differences between individual and professional seller account plans, common problems sellers run into and how to overcome them, as well as tips for new sellers to succeed. Individual Seller vs. Professional Seller Plans Here is a comparison list highlighting the similarities and differences between individual and professional sellers. The professional seller plan is designed for individual sellers who expect a higher volume of sales and wish to successfully manage orders with the help of some additional features and tools that the professional plan includes....

Starting Jan. 1, 2021, cardholders can earn 5% back on up to $1,500 of combined purchases made at wholesale clubs (such as Costco), and on cable, internet, phone, and eligible streaming service subscriptions. Cardholders have until March 31, 2021 to earn extra rewards on these purchases. Wholesale clubs are the newest addition to the Q1 bonus category line-up for these Chase rewards credit cards. They replace the gas station purchase category included in the Q1 2020 5% back category line-up, which is helpful if you’re filling up your gas tank less and stocking up on snacks and paper products more these days....

The three main areas of commodities are food, energy, and metals. The most popular food futures are meat, wheat, and sugar. Most energy futures are oil and gasoline. Metals using futures include gold, silver, and copper. Buyers of food, energy, and metal use futures contracts to fix the price of the commodity they are purchasing. That reduces their risk that prices will go up. Sellers of these commodities use futures to guarantee that they will receive the agreed-upon price....

While a resume is typically only a page or two in length, a CV is more detailed and therefore longer, often containing more information about academic achievements than a resume There are also certain sections most people include in their CVs, as well as optional sections. Learn how to format your curriculum vitae and what to include. Review CV tips and use the format example as a template for your own CV....

Here’s how it happens: after missing six payments in a row, credit card issuers declare a delinquent account “charged off.” Unfortunately, by the time you’re that far behind on your payments, it’s far more difficult to get your account caught up again. What Exactly Is a Charge-Off? If you haven’t made a minimum payment for more than 180 days, your lender will likely consider your account a charge-off, essentially declaring it’s no longer an asset....

These are the three most welcome words when it comes to buying a house. When loan underwriting utters that magic phrase, loan officers, buyers, and real estate agents heave a deep sigh of relief. The deal is done, which means no more papers to sign, no more prying questions, no more spending your nights tearing the house apart to find obscure documents, and no more being a renter. But the deed is not officially done....

Looking for a new property before listing an existing home for sale takes some of the anxiety out of the situation. Of course, those homeowners now have pressure to sell their existing houses ASAP and try to close on both properties concurrently. It can be tricky, but it’s not impossible. Is buying first the right decision for you? Here are a few considerations. The Type of Market You may want to buy the new home first, then sell, if your current home is in a seller’s market....

In most states, resident debtors must use the exemptions defined by their state’s laws, even though bankruptcy is otherwise governed by federal law. In some states, debtors can choose between their state’s exemptions and a different list of exemptions contained in the federal law that governs bankruptcy, known as the Bankruptcy Code. The states where a debtor can choose whether to use state or federal bankruptcy exemptions are Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin....

Retail locations: The least expensive way to get a money order is usually at a Western Union or MoneyGram desk (try the Customer Service desk). You can often find these at the following locations: Grocery storesConvenience storesPharmaciesCheck-cashing stores USPS: U.S. post offices are another good option. These money orders are considered especially safe, they can be used overseas, and they’re relatively inexpensive. USPS Money Order pricing works as follows:...

A group thank-you is similar to a thank-you letter written to one person, but you need to acknowledge everyone. Learn how to write a group interview thank-you letter and review a sample letter and email. Why Thank-You Letters Are So Important A thank-you letter serves multiple purposes. Not only does it allow you to convey your thanks for the interview, but it also provides you with the opportunity to extend the dialogue you began in the group interview, remind the group members of your qualifications for the job, and ensure that you remain “top of mind” with the committee when they’re comparing you to your competition for the job....

Here is a detailed look at how investors can build exposure to Norway’s economy into their portfolios, as well as some benefits and risks to consider. Norway’s Oil-Centric Economy Norway has relied heavily on its North Sea oil to finance its extensive welfare system and better-than-average economic growth. Unlike the oil and gas operations of many of its neighbors, Norway’s are largely controlled by governmental or quasi-governmental entities. It should also be noted, however, that rise in the petroleum industry since the 1970s has resulted in a slowdown in many other economic sectors....

Real estate brokerage Redfin found that for more than 7 million homes listed and sold between 2013 and February 2021, the average house in a primarily Black neighborhood was worth $46,000 less than one in a mainly White neighborhood. Redfin said the analysis looked at homes in the top 10% of U.S. cities by population and took into account “fundamental factors” in home values, including square footage, condition, and neighborhood amenities....

Personal income surged 21.1% in March, according to data released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Friday—the largest one-month jump since monthly records began in 1959. The increase was roughly in line with the 21.5% expected by Moody’s Analytics and the 20.3% median forecast of economists cited by Moody’s. Disposable income increased 23.6% in March, while consumer spending rose 4.2%, the most since June 2020. Households received much of this money from Uncle Sam, with government transfers nearly doubling to $8....

Because annuities are insurance contracts, they use insurance terminology. Payments to other insurance contracts (such as auto or life insurance policies) are also called “premiums.” While the lingo can be confusing, annuity premiums are often similar to account deposits. Learn more about annuity premiums and how they work. How Do Different Types of Annuity Premiums Work? A premium paid into an annuity is simply an investment, in most cases....

The workings of a system that can accommodate trading of one billion shares in a single day are a mystery to most people. No doubt, our financial markets are marvels of technological efficiency. Traders and markets must handle an order for 100 shares of Acme Kumquats with the same care and documentation as an order of 100,000 shares of MegaCorp. You don’t need to know all of the technical details of how to buy and sell stocks, but having a basic understanding of how the markets work is important for an investor....