You can’t change your mind, and your choice will affect your level of retirement security for the rest of your life. If your company gives you options, you need to weigh the pros and cons of taking a lump sum versus taking an annuity distribution before you make this permanent decision. Some companies require you to take your pension income in the form of an annuity payout. This method offers monthly payments for life....
Metal credit cards are more durable than plastic, but that also means they’re more difficult to dispose of. The methods you used with a plastic credit card—scissors or a home shredder—are ineffective with metal credit cards. Fortunately, there are options to destroy an old metal credit card while protecting your information. How Common Are Metal Credit Cards? Given the density and thickness of the metal credit card, it’s safe to say that shredders and scissors won’t work....
Learn more about short sales and how they work. Short Sales Today A short sale in real estate is not always a pleasant transaction, but short sales have come a long way since 2006, so don’t sell the concept short. Our present economy does not mean that short sales have gone away. For example, a person who bought a brand new home could die the day after closing, and the costs of an immediate sale could throw that transaction into short sale status....
Debt, especially high-interest-rate debt, can spiral out of control if you ignore it, cautioned Madison Block of the American Consumer Credit Counseling. You may be unsure about where to find details of all your debts, but the information isn’t too hard to track down. We’ll show you how to pull together a list of your accounts, and walk you through some tips on organizing the information so it’s easier to take action on....
One way to find the assessed value of your property is to check your county or local government’s website, which lists the assessed property values of real estate in the municipality’s taxable area. Checking your assessed value is correct helps you ensure that you’re not overpaying in property taxes. Read on to learn more about what the assessed value is, why it’s important, and more details about how to find it....
Understand Your Credit You generally need credit history to get a bank loan. In addition, your credit will often dictate the type of loan and loan terms a lender grants you. This means that you should have a history of borrowing and repaying loans to get a loan. How do you get a loan when you need money if you don’t have credit? You have to start somewhere, and that generally means borrowing less money at higher interest rates....
According to a survey by Olivet Nazarene University, 82% of Americans in full-time jobs say they consider someone at work to be a friend. While on average respondents said they saw 41% of their colleagues just as coworkers, they saw 35% as either only-at-work friends or real friends. Only 2% were seen as enemies. While you don’t necessarily have to be friends with colleagues, you do need to have positive relationships with them....
Apply at the Right Places The best way for a beginner to get credit is to apply for a credit card targeted at people who are new to credit. Your Current Bank Having an established bank relationship gives you a foot in the door, so to speak. If you already have a checking or savings account, check to see if your bank has a credit product meant for someone with limited credit history....
Improving and optimizing accounts receivable processes brings many benefits to the table. A streamlined and efficient A/R process positively impacts marketing, sales, customer service, and overall operations. So, it’s well worth it to devote time and effort to improve it. Why Optimizing Accounts Receivable Matters Like many business owners, you may not immediately see the benefits of optimizing your accounts receivable processes. But doing so can improve many aspects of your business....
It’s logical advice, yet rarely does the one saying it explain how to keep it simple. With thousands of articles, indicators, strategies, and traders all saying something different, how do you reduce it all down to the bare minimum and keep it simple? Keeping your trading simple means following three steps, on every single trade—and only focusing on one step at a time. 3 Simple Steps The Setup To be an effective trader, you need a trade setup....
Even if you encounter one of the 70% of hiring managers who take more time than that, it’s still important to set a good tone during the first minutes of a job interview. Keep it up through the rest of the conversation, so you have a good shot at getting a second interview and a job offer. Quick Tips for Impressing Your Interviewer Here are some tips on how to impress the hiring team....
If you can reach the right person, you’ll have an opportunity to pitch your skills and start the process of being considered for a job. Tips for Cold Calling Prospective Employers A careful approach and some persistence will enhance your chances of success. Providing the employer with a preview of your qualifications prior to your call and referencing a referral can help you get access to company insiders. The following tips can assist you when making cold calls to connect with employers:...
Focus on Your Customers Successful small businesses are customer-focused, which means they understand the needs of their current customer bases. Satisfied customers can drive profits through repeat business and referrals. The latest American Customer Satisfaction Index shows an overall downtrend in satisfaction, which means that businesses who understand the needs of their customers have an advantage. Between 2010 and 2019, around 70% of the companies that ACSI tracked had flat or declining customer satisfaction scores, and things have only gotten worse....
A CareerBuilder survey reports that more than half of workers (56%) don’t negotiate for more money when they are offered a new job. The reasons include not being comfortable asking for more money (51%), worrying that the employer will decide not to hire them if they ask (47%), or not wanting to appear greedy (36%). However, 53% of employers say they are willing to negotiate salaries on initial job offers for entry-level workers, and 52% say when they first extend a job offer to an employee, they typically offer a lower salary than they’re willing to pay....
Old debts can eventually become time-barred, meaning debt collectors can no longer sue you. But negative credit information related to old debts—including those that have landed in collections—can stay on your credit report for up to seven years. Paying off collection accounts could help to clean up your credit history and potentially add points back to your score. Here are some tips on how to pay off debt in collections and what to know about choosing debt settlement instead....
If you want to focus your efforts on earning travel rewards, you should create a credit card strategy to maximize the value you get for your spending patterns. Here’s how to find the best approach for you. How Travel Rewards Cards Work There are three main types of travel rewards cards: general travel, hotel, and airline. General travel credit cards typically offer points or miles you can redeem for various travel-related activities....
Business loans are the riskiest loans because business is a risky enterprise. Startup loans are even riskier; the Small Business Administration (SBA) says 50% of small businesses fail in the first five years. A small business can still increase the odds of success by remembering these factors: The information you provide to the lender.How you present that information. Included in this article is a discussion about presenting a business loan proposal to a lender....
Understanding your credit report can be confusing, especially if you’re reading your credit report for the first time. Here is a breakdown of the types of information contained in your report. Personal Information on Your Credit Report The personal information included in your report is used to identify you. It contains basic information like your name, address, and place of employment. Previous addresses and employment might also be included. It’s not uncommon to have variations or misspellings of your name....
But to make the best of your newfound freedom, you’ll want to have a plan for where you’re going. More than that, you’ll need to make sure you’ve got the money to spend when it’s time to go, and have a strategy for what you’ll spend it on. Learn some easy tips for saving ahead of time so that when you hit the road, you’re financially ready for that much-awaited vacation....
If you decide to take out a personal loan, don’t settle for the first one you find. By shopping around, you can compare the various options at your disposal and make an informed decision for your needs and budget. When You Might Need a Personal Loan A personal loan may be a smart choice in a variety of situations. If you have multiple high-interest loans, you can take out a personal loan and combine all of them into a single monthly payment....
