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your financial life with expert advice and how-to guides on topics ranging from investing and debt management to finding a new job

10 Great College Jobs That Pay Quick Cash

Also, these suggestions may make it easier to work in college. However, the hours may not be as consistent. The jobs below adapt to the lifestyle of young professionals who need to work a second job to make ends meet, pay off their debts more quickly, or build an emergency fund. If you take on a job, make sure you still stick to your budget so that all of the extra work pays off....

January 28, 2023 · 2 min · 424 words · Mary Spinney

10 Reasons The U S Economy Won T Collapse

All these assertions are true, but they’re nothing to panic over. The doomsayers say that “if” a specific event occurs, “then” the economy will collapse, such as, “If China sells its dollar holdings…” or “If the United States defaults on its debt…” But they don’t tell you that these events are not at all likely. They suggest that you buy gold coins or their survival book to prepare for the event “just in case....

January 28, 2023 · 5 min · 905 words · Justin Morris

2 Us Companies Are Rated Aaa Higher The Us

In 2011, Standard & Poor’s downgraded the United States’ credit rating from AAA to AA+, giving the U.S. a lower rating at that time than Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom. In fact, two U.S.-based companies had higher credit ratings than the country itself: Microsoft and Johnson & Johnson. The map below illustrates nations color-coded by Standard & Poor’s credit rating. To gain a better sense of why this is, it helps to understand the factors that underpin the credit rating of a bond issuer....

January 28, 2023 · 3 min · 552 words · Dan Defalco

25 Amazing Ways To Bootstrap Your Business

Bootstrapping comes with a wide range of benefits to entrepreneurs. To begin with, the business won’t be indebted to any investor. Secondly, you won’t be under any pressure to repay any form of business loans to a financial institution. Many people who have fantastic business ideas have a borrowing mentality such that they believe one needs to have thousands of dollars as start-up capital which is an absolute misconception. Bootstrapping means using the little that you have as start-up capital for the business....

January 28, 2023 · 9 min · 1719 words · Karen Kittleson

4 Retirement Income Funds And How They Work

Four fund companies have come out with their version of a retirement income fund: Vanguard, Schwab, Fidelity and John Hancock. Additional details on each are below. Each fund manages a portfolio of other funds, changing the allocation to meet the funds’ stated objectives. None of the funds provide guarantees, which means, you should expect your investment income and asset prices to fluctuate in value. If you are familiar with the 4% rule, which says that on average retirees should be able to withdraw 4% of their invested assets each year in retirement and reasonably expect to have their money last 30 years, then you’ll understand why the payout rate is likely set at 4%....

January 28, 2023 · 4 min · 807 words · Erica Carter

401 K Hardship Withdrawals Here S How They Work

To find out whether your plan allows for a 401(k) hardship withdrawal, talk to your plan administrator. That might be someone in the human resources department. You can also call the phone number on your 401(k) plan account statement. However, before starting the process of making a hardship withdrawal, you must know exactly what it entails. Learn the drawbacks before you decide. What Are the Hardship Criteria? If your 401(k) plan allows for hardship withdrawals, it would be for one of the seven reasons below:...

January 28, 2023 · 4 min · 708 words · Ella Schwartz

5 Mistakes Married Couples Make With Their Retirement Planning

1. Viewing It as My Money/Your Money Many couples think in terms of “my money” and “your money." One spouse may invest their retirement money quite conservatively, while the other spouse takes a more aggressive approach. One spouse may contribute the maximum amount to retirement accounts each year, while the other spouse contributes only a small amount. There are valid situations—such as second or third marriages—where each half of the couple does need to look at their assets as their own, but in general, most couples will be better off taking a household view when planning for retirement....

January 28, 2023 · 4 min · 799 words · Sylvia Brough

5 Rare Investment Strategies That Generate Profits

Try these five uncommon strategies. 1. Strength Is Relative The relative strength index (RSI) is a measure of how overbought (or oversold) stock is at a certain point. Don’t worry about all the complexity or details. The relative strength index will be calculated for you through any standard charting service. Take the most recent 14 trading days; then, divide the average gains for the stock on “up” days by the average loss on “down” days....

January 28, 2023 · 8 min · 1589 words · Marie Gross

5 Steps For Seniors To Take Before Leaving High School

Maintain Relationships With the Right High School Contacts Talk to the people who helped you get this far and let them know how much you appreciated their support. This might include teachers, counselors, relatives and definitely your parents. Make sure you have a copy of your final high school transcripts and ask your mentors if you can use them as references for future job applications or college scholarships. Leave a great last impression....

January 28, 2023 · 3 min · 512 words · Bryan Milam

5 Things To Consider When Financing An Rv

Thankfully, doing a little bit of prep work can save you in the long run from making a purchase you’ll come to regret. Your Financial Situation The interest rate you’ll be able to secure on your RV loan will depend on your current income, your financial history, and the amount of money you’re able to pay as a downpayment. Before you shop for RVs, take a realistic look at your finances....

January 28, 2023 · 4 min · 752 words · Tonya Wills

Accuracy Of Macd Divergence For Trading

When the price of an asset, such as a stock or currency pair, is moving in one direction and the MACD’s indicator line is moving in the other, that’s divergence. This type of signal is supposed to warn of a price- direction reversal, but the signal can be misleading and inaccurate. Another type of divergence is when a security’s price reaches a new high (or a new low) level, but the MACD indicator doesn’t....

January 28, 2023 · 4 min · 852 words · Kevin Thomas

Angel Investors What Are They

Learn more about what angel investors are, how they differ from venture capitalists, and how a business can start its search for one. What Are Angel Investors? Angel investors are defined by their wealth and willingness to invest in startup businesses. These angels take risks on new businesses because they want to earn a high return on their investment, so they won’t be content with slow and steady growth—they want to see meteoric growth in the equity they acquire....

January 28, 2023 · 3 min · 578 words · Brenda Spilis

Applying For An Affinity Credit Card

Sports team, colleges and universities, professional organizations, and nonprofit organizations often have affinity credit cards. With an affinity credit card, the organization’s name is usually included in the name of the credit card and the logo and brand colors are on the face of the physical credit card. The Susan G. Komen credit card, which is issued by Bank of America, is one of the most well-known affinity credit cards and features the pink ribbon that has become synonymous with breast cancer awareness....

January 28, 2023 · 4 min · 640 words · Joseph Hamilton

Atm Mobile And In Person Deposits Which Is Best

The Benefits of Mobile Deposits Convenience One may transact at any time, in any place, without the worry of crowded parking lots and long bank lines. Accuracy Remote deposits let customers verify data entry, which provides greater peace of mind than dealing with ATMs, which can errantly read checks with faulty character recognition software. On rare occasions when mobile banking errors occur, customers still possess the physical check, allowing them to visit a branch and correct the mistake....

January 28, 2023 · 2 min · 304 words · Ada Vanmiddleswor

Avoid These 5 Common Insurance Mistakes

Additionally, you absolutely need basic health insurance. Medical bills can add up quickly, and if you do not have it, you can be crippled financially. If you cannot afford a comprehensive health insurance policy, you should at least get a high deductible or catastrophic health insurance plan. Many people struggle to afford health care even with health insurance, and choosing to go without insurance may lead to bankruptcy, if you have one catastrophic health event....

January 28, 2023 · 1 min · 151 words · Allen Mazzone

Basics Of Investing And The Different Types Of Investments

Finding the Right Mix for You The world of investing offers a seemingly endless number of assets and opportunities. There are financial securities, which include stocks and bonds. You also have real assets, which are physical assets you can see and touch. Then you have assets that are bundled together into what’s called a “fund.” We’ll walk through stocks, bonds, real estate, mutual funds, and other investing structures and entities. The assets that are right for you will depend on many factors, such as your:...

January 28, 2023 · 4 min · 839 words · Amy Peden

Benefits Of Advanced Estate Planning

A simple revocable trust will allow your estate to avoid probate, but the Internal Revenue Service takes the position that you still own the assets you place into such a trust. You can revoke the revocable trust entity and take the assets back at any time. You remain in control of them. Not so with a more advanced irrevocable trust. Placing assets in an irrevocable trust is a permanent decision....

January 28, 2023 · 2 min · 274 words · Sanford Geissler

Benefits Of Investing In Municipal Bonds For Income

Municipal Bond Income Is Exempt From Federal and State Income Taxes Imagine that you are 65 years old. You have no debt, own your home outright, and have built up $500,000 in savings over a long working career. You have a choice between investing in general corporate bonds or tax-free municipal bonds. The corporate bonds yield 7%, and the tax-free municipal bonds yield 5%. That means the corporate bonds would generate $35,000 in interest income each year for you, upon which to live, pay your bills, keep food in the pantry and medicine in the cupboard....

January 28, 2023 · 4 min · 705 words · Mildred Bradley

Bitcoin S Moving Up In The World

Bitcoin ATMs allow people to go to an automated teller machine wherever they may be - inside a convenience store or coffee shop - and buy digital currency. El Salvador has four locations with Bitcoin ATMs, Coin ATM Radar data shows, and now people there reportedly will be able to use Bitcoin to pay their bill at McDonald’s, Starbucks, and other places. Sure, there were some hiccups in El Salvador’s launch of the new plan, with the government having to unplug its digital wallet for a time to cope with high demand....

January 28, 2023 · 2 min · 243 words · Sandra Brode

Black Workers Face Steeper Climb From Worst Of Pandemic

That followed the pattern of the overall unemployment rate, which slightly increased to 5.9% last month, from 5.8% in May. But Black workers have faced a tougher recovery from the pandemic, with substantially higher rates of unemployment and less improvement from the worst conditions compared to other groups. While White, Hispanic and Asian unemployment rates have recovered at similar rates—falling about 60% from the pandemic high for each group—the Black unemployment rate has dropped just 44....

January 28, 2023 · 1 min · 164 words · Mario Warfield