Posts

Depending on how much wealth you have, you may also need to plan for taxes that may be owed on your property during your life and after your death. Planning ahead helps ensure your assets are distributed the way you want them to be. Most adults would benefit from having basic estate planning documents in place. Besides a will and/or trust, you should have health care directives and a durable power of attorney to name a representative or agent to make decisions for you if you become incapacitated....

A monthly Deutsche Bank survey of stock market professionals shows fewer and fewer believe the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index will be higher in three months. In fact, the September data shows optimism has only been lower once in the last year, if you subtract the share who predict it will go lower from the percentage who believe it will go higher. A net 14% of the 550 stock market professionals surveyed in September expected the popular stock market benchmark to rise, down from a net 22% in July, the last time the survey was taken....

When you begin investing, you should learn about the different roles that stocks and bonds play in your portfolio. It’s about more than just generating income or growth. It is important to get to know each type and some different strategies you can use. That way, you can make more informed decisions. These can help you meet your financial goals. Learn more about the differences between stocks and bonds and the roles they can play....

What Can Be Developed on Land? The possibilities of what land can be used for are endless. While zoning requirements will restrict what can be built on a specific parcel of land, in general, anything can be developed on a raw piece of land, including the following: Single-family home Multi-family home Office space Retail space Mixed retail and residential space Hotel Resort Strip mall Hospital Mall Farm Parking lot What Is Your Goal in Purchasing Land?...

Banks use swap lines for overnight and short-term lending only. Most agreements are bilateral, which means they are only between two countries’ banks. What Is a Swap Line? Swap lines are arrangements between two central banks to keep currency available for their member banks in the reciprocal countries. These agreements stabilize markets when markets become stressed. They reassure banks that there won’t be a run on a specific currency that they won’t be able to meet....

For Indiana’s public universities, the average annual tuition and fees are $9,502 (in-state) and $29,965 (out-of-state). The average cost of room and board is $10,846. Indiana’s CollegeChoice 529 Savings Plan offers additional benefits, including tax credits for contributors. Effective January 1, 2018, these plans and tax credits began including contributions intended for K-12 tuition in addition to those for higher education. Benefits of 529 Plans With a traditional Section 529 plan, families can begin contributing to a child’s educational fund as soon as they are born....

Understanding the benefits and drawbacks of term life insurance can help you decide what kind of policy can give you the best protection for your family’s needs. What Is Term Life Insurance? Life insurance is a bit of a misnomer, as this kind of insurance pays out upon the death of the covered individual. Purchasing a life insurance policy is one strategy you can use to protect people who depend on you financially, in case you die unexpectedly....

To help you get started, we explored the top companies for ordering checks, breaking down their best features, pricing details, and more. Here are the best places to buy checks online. The starting pricing on Checks in the Mail is $25.25 for a box of 100 single personal checks. Plus, for some designs, you can order 25 checks starting at just $7.25. For people who rarely use paper checks, but want to keep a small book on hand, this is a great option....

Small and lightweight, presentation clickers come in various shapes and sizes and allow speakers or educators the freedom and flexibility to move away from the screen to engage with the audience. Need some help finding one that works for you? We’ve rounded up the best presentation clickers to purchase today. Battery life: Varies | Range: Up to 39 feet Battery life: Varies | Range: Up to 98 feet Battery life: Up to 20 hours (laser pointer mode), Up to 1,050 hours (presentation mode) | Range: Over 100 feet Battery life: Varies | Range: Up to 39 feet The included laser pointer is just a click away and helps easily identify notable points of a presentation....

While the number of new homes that started construction in November was only down 0.5% from October, it was down 16.4% from November 2021. That’s more homes than economists expected, but it’s the third month in a row that the measure has declined. While no one has a crystal ball that shows the future of the new homes market, the 11.2% dive that residential building permits took from October to November also indicates far fewer homes might be built in the new year....

Despite higher costs for goods and services, consumers have continued to hit the stores so far, keeping the economy going strong. With low levels of unemployment, many Americans still have jobs, and with wages rising as employers try to attract workers, many of us have money in our pockets to buy things. Stubbornly high levels of inflation have caused the Federal Reserve to adopt an aggressive stance by hiking interest rates, which has also had knock-on effects in the real estate market....

The Hartford offers several opportunities to save money on insurance with discounts, as well as good policy coverage options. Here’s what you need to know before deciding if The Hartford is a good insurance company for you. Is Hartford Insurance Right for You? The Hartford is a good insurance company if you are older than 50 and are a member of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) or willing to become a member....

Here’s how to claim the home mortgage interest tax deduction and what to expect in the process. How To ​Claim Mortgage Interest on Your Tax Return ​You must itemize your tax deductions on Schedule A of Form 1040 to claim mortgage interest. That means forgoing the standard deduction for your filing status. You can itemize, or you can claim the standard deduction, but you can’t do both. Enter your mortgage interest costs on lines 8 through 8c of Schedule A, then transfer the total from Schedule A to line 12 of the 2021 Form 1040....

However, you don’t have to sign up for a lifetime of debt just to get a degree. It’s important to choose a school that fits your budget. And keep in mind that a school’s “sticker price” is often much higher than what you’ll actually pay once you factor in financial aid—as long as you take the initiative to find and apply for it. Not sure where to start? We rounded up the 20 least and most expensive schools in the U....

What Is Network Marketing? Network marketing relies on individual distributors who market and sell a product to their network of friends, relatives, and people they know or meet. The distributors make money through commissions on the products they sell. Often, they’re not employees of the company, but rather independent contractors. Distributors in network marketing businesses typically use three strategies to succeed: lead generation, recruiting, and building and management. Lead generation is the process of locating new customers and clients who may be interested in the product....

These years can be full of major life events, too. Children may be leaving the nest and launching their own careers, and your parents may be well into their own retirements or needing extra care. You may find yourself somewhere in the middle of all of those changes, wondering what your own retirement will look like as you continue to work hard and save as much as possible. The final decade of your working life may be when you are finally able to make saving a top priority....

Restoring the remaining 1.6 million jobs would close the books on what economists say has been a remarkably fast recovery. In fact, the rate of hiring has been twice as fast as during the previous period of economic expansion (which lasted from 2009 to 2020), economists at Wells Fargo Securities said in a commentary. By contrast, it took more than six years to regain the jobs lost in the Great Recession that began in 2007....

The interview stage of the relationship is important for everyone involved. You can interview the agent over the phone, or get together at his office for the first meeting, but don’t expect a top-producing agent to meet you at your home before you’ve made a selection. You’ll also want to confine the questions you’ll ask your realtor to certain areas, but be sure to hit on these 10 areas if they’re important....

How to Prepare Confirm the exact location, including the cross streets or corner. There’s a Starbucks on nearly every street in New York City, and the same holds true for many other national and international chains. For example, confirm that you’re meeting at the XYZ diner on the South East corner of Main Street and 10th Avenue. Make sure you get the interviewer’s cell phone number so you can call or text them in case you’re delayed....

Maybe you simply had a bad morning or you’re just feeling down because you’re afraid you won’t get the job. It can be difficult to stay positive for your job interview. How to Keep It Positive During a Job Interview Employers want to hire people that appear upbeat and likely to get along with their bosses, coworkers, and clients. Even if you are well qualified for a position, a negative attitude can hurt your chances of getting the job....