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Inflation has been taking a swing at consumer wallets as the cost of gas, groceries, clothes, housing, and more have jumped over the last two years. As inflation sits close to 40-year highs, The Balance readers say they’re struggling to keep up. More than a fifth of readers surveyed are struggling to make basic payments like rent and bills while 29% say they are struggling “a little.” Encouragingly, more than 40% say they were not struggling at all to pay for necessities due to rising costs....

Get a Handle on the Basics The investing world is filled with vast amounts of complex terms and concepts. From types of investments, like stocks and bonds, to investment styles, such as passive and active, there’s no shortage of terms to learn. The good news is that you don’t need to be an expert in all these concepts to become a good investor. Waiting until you feel like you “know enough” to invest could keep you on the sidelines, missing out on potential gains because of fear or indecisiveness....

What Is Financial Planning? Financial planning is the process of evaluating someone’s financial situation and creating a plan to help them achieve their short- and long-term money goals. Financial planners are professionals who work with clients to help them create a financial plan, but this is something you can also do on your own. Finance planning is comprehensive and covers virtually every aspect of someone’s financial life. A well-rounded financial plan typically includes strategies for saving and investing money, budgeting, debt repayment, retirement planning, taxes, and insurance....

The national average for a gallon of regular unleaded had fallen to $4.33 on Monday after peaking Thursday at $4.35, according to price tracking website GasBuddy. Data from AAA shows a similar trend: After the national average jumped 72 cents to a record high of $4.33 a gallon in the first 11 days of March, it held relatively steady through the weekend, and was $4.325 on Monday. (Keep in mind, that’s the national average....

Learn more about what it is, how to calculate it, and how it works. What Is the Average Collection Period Ratio? This financial ratio calculates the average amount of time it takes for clients to pay their bills to you, or the average number of days between the time a credit sale is initiated until the credit balance is paid. It indicates the average number of days required to convert receivables into cash....

However, even though 10-year mortgage rates are lower, the monthly payment will be higher, primarily due to the shorter term of the loan. But if you can afford the larger payment, a 10-year mortgage can be a great way to save money on interest costs. We analyzed rate data from 200 top lenders to find today’s best mortgage rates. Here are the best 10-year rates: The Best 10-Year Mortgage Rates Today When choosing your mortgage loan, make sure you look beyond the rate....

In that case, depending on what you do, a transition to freelance might be for you. Top Freelance Job Options FlexJobs, a subscription service for job seekers, noted several fast-growing flexible career categories, including marketing, advertising, non-profit, HR, and search engine optimization. In other words, freelancing isn’t just for writers and other creatives. (Although there are plenty of opportunities for those folks, too.) Here’s a roundup of several freelance jobs—some you’d never expect....

Taking advantage of group-buy opportunities is one way to potentially increase savings on everything from dining out and entertainment to household expenses. The group-buy concept isn’t new, but there are a few things you’ll need to know to master it for maximum savings. What Does Group Buy Mean? Group buying is another way of saying “making a purchase to get a group discount.” The idea is that the more people involved in the purchase, the lower the overall price is for each of them....

College students who major in business learn to write in a clear and concise manner while crafting case analyses and other business papers for their classes. Professors often require them to complete projects in groups, so they learn the challenges and value of teamwork while refining their presentation and leadership skills. Skills Business Majors Have Dissecting business problems and recommending solutions help business majors to enhance their critical thinking and analytical skills....

A resume, a brief overview of your work experience, education, and skills, is a key document used by employers to narrow down the applicant pool. While your resume cannot get you a job, it can get you an interview – an important first step in securing a position. Guide to Creating a Resume This guide contains important aspects of resume design and tips on what to include: Contact InformationQualifications ProfileEmployment HistoryEducationSkills...

Section 529 plans are accounts that offer tax advantages for educational saving and allow families to begin contributing to a child’s college fund as soon as a baby is born. Such accounts can receive contributions from parents, family members, and friends (to a certain dollar amount each year), and grow free of taxation. All withdrawals used for qualified educational expenses are also exempt from federal income tax, and many states have begun waiving their taxes, as well....

But what happens if your better half has poor or nonexistent credit? Unfortunately, your significant other’s subpar credit score can deflate your joint homeownership dreams—even if your own score is stellar. Learn more about how lenders evaluate joint mortgage applications, how to improve your partner’s credit score, and other ways to buy a home with bad credit. How Do Joint Mortgage Applications Work? The ability to meet a lender’s qualifications is one of the key things to consider before you buy a home....

Qualifying as Head of Household Qualifying for the head of household status means meeting a series of interlocking rules that involve your marital status, paying for more than half your household’s expenses, and having a dependent. The Unmarried Test You must be unmarried on the last day of the tax year to file as head of household. This means you’re single, divorced, or legally separated under an order issued by a state court....

Common wisdom in the stock market today tells most investors to avoid individual stocks in favor of low-fee funds. However, there are plenty of examples of investors hitting the jackpot on a single stock investment or a handful of good picks. While single stocks are riskier than a diverse portfolio, they offer opportunities for a big payoff if your investment and timing are right. The Single-Stock Debate While the stock market has been a popular investment option for a very long time, the way people invest is changing....

You Can Opt Out of Over Limit Charges Credit card issuers are required to give you the option to have transactions that would put you over the limit declined. You can opt in or opt out of over limit transactions at any time. You may opt in to over limit charges to avoid the embarrassment of having your credit card declined or simply for the convenience of being able to go over your credit limit....

Risk, for an insurance company, means that by approving a policy an insurance company assumes that the amount of money they receive from you will be more beneficial to them than the amount they might have to pay for you. This is why life insurance rates are high for specific age groups or people that participate in higher-risk activities. Typically, people over the age of 50 are more likely to have higher insurance rates, along with people that have certain health conditions or life-styles....

What Is the Citi ThankYou Rewards Program? The Citi ThankYou Rewards program is a general rewards program that offers points you can use for travel, gift cards, cash back, statement credits, online shopping, and more. You can join the program by opening a Citi credit card that offers ThankYou points or allows you to convert cash back to ThankYou points—more on that in a minute. Credit Cards That Offer ThankYou Rewards Points Citi Rewards+ CardCiti Double Cash Card (via conversion)AT&T Access Card From Citi (including the Access More card)Citi Premier CardCiti Prestige Card...

The closing letter allows an estate to settle and close probate. The estate can’t do so until any issues of estate taxes have been resolved if the estate is large enough to owe them. The requirement to file Form 706 and receive a closing letter depends on the gross estate value. The IRS has changed this value over the years. For example, in 2016 estates above US$5.45 million needed to complete and file the form....

In most cases, state law determines which method must be used. We’ll look at actual notice first, then constructive notice. Actual Notice Actual notice, sometimes called direct notice, is just what it sounds like: the person is aware of the situation either by direct observation or by being told by someone. In many cases, someone actually hands over notice of the lawsuit in person and in written form. Sometimes the defendant—the individual being sued—must sign an acknowledgment that they did indeed receive the notice and that they understand that they are a party in a lawsuit....

This article will look at what consumer confidence is, and how investors can use the indexed information to make better decisions. How Is Consumer Confidence Measured? Economists solved the problem of measuring consumer confidence by developing what is now known as the Consumer Confidence Index (CCI). By questioning a statistically significant number of people residing within a given country using surveys, they aim to measure the degree of optimism that consumers feel about the overall state of a country’s economy and their financial situation....