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The average rate offered to homebuyers using a conventional 30-year fixed mortgage fell to 4.36% from 4.41% the previous business day, which had been the highest it’s been since 2020. The average for a 15-year fixed mortgage fell to 3.52% from 3.56% the previous business day, which had matched its high since 2020. Fixed mortgage rates tend to track the direction of 10-year Treasury yields, which usually rise with heightened inflation fears (and fall when those fears subside)....

The average rate offered to homebuyers using a conventional 30-year fixed mortgage rose to 4.01% from 3.94% the previous business day, reaching a new high since 2020. (Our daily mortgage rate data only goes back to April 2021, but our data on yearly highs and lows dates back to 2020, so we know it was higher in March 2020, when it hit 4.71%.) The average for a 15-year fixed mortgage rose to 3....

1. Get Paid What You’re Worth and Spend Less Than You Earn It may sound simple, but many people struggle with this first rule. Make sure you know what your job is worth in the marketplace, by conducting an evaluation of your skills, productivity, job tasks, contribution to the company, and the going rate, both inside and outside the company, for what you do. Being underpaid even by $1,000 a year can have a significant cumulative effect over the course of your working life....

Career Opportunities in the Restaurant Industry And while restaurants typically hire large numbers of entry-level workers, these are not, for the most part, unskilled jobs. Nor are food service jobs a professional dead end: The National Restaurant Association reports that 9 in 10 restaurant managers and 8 in 10 restaurant owners began their careers in entry-level roles. Also, waitstaff in high-end restaurants can often earn very good money in tips, sometimes pulling down six-figure salaries, according to The Wall Street Journal....

Once you have a traditional IRA, you have the option to convert some or all of the account’s balance to a Roth IRA. This can have tax implications, so it’s important to choose the right time to make the conversion and to make sure it’s a suitable choice for you. Let’s walk through the process and examine how to decide whether a traditional-to-Roth conversion is a good idea. How Does a Roth Conversion Work?...

Pew Research reports that 16% of Americans have earned income by participating in the gig economy. This income is taxable, and the IRS needs to know about it. You may be familiar with Form 1099-MISC, but there are nearly two dozen types of 1099 forms, each meant for recording information about a distinct type of income. Below, we will offer an overview of who should be issuing and receiving different types of 1099 forms and take a closer look at some of the more common types you might encounter in the course of doing business....

As the Wall Street Journal puts it, the VAT tax is “baked into the retail price.” All European Union countries and many other countries around the world have a VAT or GST. The EU describes a VAT as: A general tax that applies, in principle, to all commercial activities involving the production and distribution of goods and the provision of services.A consumption tax because it is borne ultimately by the final consumer....

Unemployment benefits are administered by each state. They average $387 a week for 26 weeks, but they vary widely based on location and prior earnings. The federal government funds unemployment benefits from payroll taxes received from employers. Unemployment benefits were created by the Social Security Act of 1935 to allow the millions who had lost jobs due to the Great Depression of 1929 to pay for food, clothing, and shelter....

Here, you’ll learn more about what virtual assistants do, how to become one, and how to hire one. What Is a Virtual Assistant? A virtual assistant is simply an assistant who works remotely. As technological advancements in the 1990s brought reliable internet to more homes, businesses realized they didn’t have to bring an employee into the office to get work done, and this led to the first virtual assistants. Virtual assistants are especially in demand by entrepreneurs and online businesses that need help but don’t want to spend the money on an office space for staff....

Why does it make a difference how you resign? It’s common courtesy to give notice whenever possible. A no-show is inconvenient and confusing for the volunteer coordinator and other volunteers. You may not be paid as a volunteer, but you’re still needed. The organization will have to figure out how to cover your responsibilities and time. Plus, people you work for and with when you volunteer make perfect personal references....

U.S. travelers need to know the current dollar value before they go on an international trip. Although some foreign businesses take dollars if necessary, they usually charge a fee. About the U.S. Dollar Rate You can get the cheapest dollar rate by using your credit card, especially if your card has no foreign transaction fees—so when traveling internationally, pay for almost everything you can with your card to get the best rate....

The United States imported $903.4 million in goods between January and April 2021. It exported $554.1 million in goods during that same period. This created a deficit of $349.3 million. Businesses export goods and services when they have a competitive advantage. They’re better than any other company at providing that particular product. They also export products and services that reflect the country’s comparative advantage. Countries have comparative advantages in commodities that they have a natural ability to produce....

What Employers Look for in a Resume Here is a look at some of the things that employers look for in a resume. This insight will help you make sure your resume matches employers’ expectations and desires. Font Style and Size Your resume should be written in a reasonably sized, legible font, and have normal-sized margins. Don’t make hiring managers or potential interviewers wonder if they need a prescription for reading glasses—a too-tiny font is a sign you should cut some copy, or expand your resume onto a second page....

Call the Police to Report a Car Break-in It’s better to use the non-emergency police number rather than calling 911. In many cities, the number to call is 311. Use 911 only if you can’t get an answer at the regular number. If you are in a store parking lot, you may want to locate a security guard while you wait for the police to arrive. Keep in mind that your vehicle is now a crime scene, so resist the urge to rummage around inside to see what’s damaged or missing, or to touch anything....

Can You Get By Without a Car? The first option is to consider repairing your current car or finding a way to make do without a car for a short period of time. If you are married or part of a couple, you may be able to get by with using one car for a short period of time while you save up for the repairs. If you do not have this luxury, you may need to see what you can do to get by without a car until you can save up money....

As spelled out in the Securities Exchange Act, a beneficial owner regarding investment in securities is defined as a person who has or shares: Usually, investors do not take physical possession of the securities and instead have them registered in the name of the brokerage firm. While the investor is the beneficial owner of the shares, the brokerage firm remains the registered owner. This is also referred to as registering the shares in “street name” and is the most common way for retail investors to own shares....

Here’s a closer look at how callable CDs work and when you may want to consider one. Definition and Examples of a Callable CD A callable CD is a type of certificate of deposit a bank or credit union can “call” before the CD’s maturity date. Say you open a six-year callable CD with a one-year maturity date. If you hold your CD until maturity, you get 100% of your expected interest....

If you’ve never created a resume before, and you’re sitting down to build one from scratch, you probably have a chronological resume in mind. And while that might be the best choice for you, it’s worth learning what chronological resumes do well—and how to properly format one so that you can use this resume type to best advantage. What Is a Chronological Resume? A chronological resume lists your work history in order of date, with the most recent position at the top....

Credit card networks pass information between the merchant’s acquiring bank and an issuing bank or card issuer (the financial institution that issued you a card on behalf of a network like Mastercard or Visa) to decide whether you can make a purchase and to facilitate the purchase. How Credit Card Networks Work While these payment networks operate behind the scenes, the process is fairly straightforward. Below is a step-by-step example of a credit card network’s function when you use your card to make a purchase....

Alternate names: Debit memo, debit note A debit memo is common in the banking industry in several situations. For example, a bank may issue a debit memo when it assesses fees. The fee will be debited (or deducted) from the customer’s account and recorded as a debit memorandum to indicate that it is an adjustment rather than a transaction. A debit memo may also be used when adjusting an incorrect account balance....