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What Are LEAPS? LEAPS is the acronym for long-term equity anticipation securities, a type of investment option with an expiration period of up to three years. Investing with LEAPS allows you to use less capital than you would if you were purchasing stock, and they can deliver outsized returns if you bet right on the direction of the shares. How Investing With LEAPS Works Let’s look at an example. Suppose you want to purchase several shares of Company XYZ....

If you want to know more about the differences between an IRA and a 401(k), you’re in the right place. Learn more about how each type of retirement account works, who can contribute, and which one makes sense for you. What’s the Difference Between an IRA and a 401(k)? An IRA is a tax-advantaged retirement account that stands for “individual retirement arrangement,” although it’s typically referred to as an individual retirement account....

Refunds by direct deposit began Wednesday, and refunds by paper check will start July 30. This is the fourth round of refunds related to the unemployment compensation exclusion provision, the IRS said in a release. When Congress passed the American Rescue Plan in March, it included an exclusion of up to $10,200 in 2020 unemployment compensation when figuring taxable income. The provision was for individuals and married couples with modified adjusted gross income of less than $150,000....

Get insight into the process and set yourself up for a successful job interview. How to Make the Best Interview Impression To impress your interviewers, you’ll need to be able to demonstrate that your qualifications and experience make you the best candidate for the job. This means knowing what they’re looking for, understanding what you have to offer, and being able to quantify your successes. It also means coming across as a likable person who will fit in well with the team and help the company achieve its goals....

The U.S. added 390,000 jobs in May, roughly keeping pace with the previous couple of months, and exceeding the 328,000 that economists had forecast, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday. The unemployment rate remained at 3.6% for the third month in a row, just a tad above its pre-pandemic level of 3.5%. Additions every month for almost a year and a half now means the country is less than 1 million jobs short of recovering all 22 million jobs lost during the initial crush of pandemic lockdowns....

There are a few reasons why finding work as a teenager can be challenging: Experience: If you’re looking for your first job, you may not be able to easily show you have the necessary skills and experience. Hours: Sometimes employers need candidates who can work late nights or during school hours, which may not be doable for students. Personal qualities: Interviewers may feel concerned that teenagers lack responsibility, maturity, and other key personal qualities needed to perform in the role....

Bogle served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Vanguard until 1996 and Senior Chairman until 1999. Bogle died in his Pennsylvania home on January 16, 2019. Bogle’s 8 Basic Rules of Investing Simplicity is at the core of Bogle’s investment philosophy. He has shared with readers his 8 basic rules of investing: The Bogle Investing Philosophy: The Power and Simplicity of Index Investing John Bogle’s investing philosophy led him to create the first index fund available to the general public, the Vanguard 500 Index in 1976....

The combination of spiraling home prices and the Federal Reserve’s campaign to lower inflation by hiking its benchmark interest rate means house hunters who need a mortgage have to weigh a much larger payment. In fact, the typical mortgage payment has ballooned so much since the ultra-low mortgage rates we saw during the pandemic that many would-be homebuyers are giving up on buying. Fortunately, that’s a trend that may eventually ease the pace of price increases, analysts say....

However, even that can seem overwhelming when you have six different accounts you’re trying to pay off. Thankfully, there are a few rules of thumb that can help you prioritize your debt repayment. Organizing Your Debt First things first, you’ll need to find the following information on all of your debt: The amount owed (balance)Minimum paymentInterest rate/annual percentage rate (APR)Payment due date This information can typically be found on the statements you receive in the mail or online, as long as you have an account to access them....

For example, a trader that wants to trade individual stocks will need a market data subscription to the NYSE or NASDAQ stock exchange or whatever stock exchange the stocks they want to trade are listed on. A trader that only wants to trade a specific futures contract (or several) will need to request market data for those specific markets from their broker.​ Forex brokers typically offer Level I data for all their product offers, while some offer Level II market data....

The resolution process is the same whether thieves steal your card or you still have it (and they just use the card number). But you have more time to prevent losses if you have possession of your card. Contact Your Bank The most critical step is to contact your bank—immediately. Let them know that your debit card has been stolen or that you suspect fraudulent use of your card number....

It feels like a game show question. Behind door number one is a pile of cash. Behind door number two, a guaranteed X amount of dollars every month, for life. One obviously must be a better deal, right? Not necessarily. It’s actually more of a matter of preference. It will depend on your personal circumstances and the offer that is made, and the specifics can vary. Before making a decision, it helps to discuss your options with a trusted financial professional....

One of the most important sections of a business plan is the Marketing and Sales Strategies section, which outlines your plan for reaching and selling to your target market. While you want to have a wonderful product or provide stellar service, it’s all for nothing if you don’t have customers or clients. Your marketing plan is the key to effectively and affordably finding your buyers, and is crucial for potential investors and lenders....

Timmons, who has been working at a McDonald’s in the village of Wappingers Falls, New York, since she was 14, is finishing her last year of nursing school at Adelphi University and plans to embark on her new career after graduation. For Timmons, the first in her family to go to college, paying for her education would have been much harder without her employer covering about $10,000 of the bill....

U.S. Jobs Were Lost Since labor is cheaper in Mexico, many manufacturing industries withdrew part of their production from the high-cost United States. Between 1994 and 2010, the U.S. trade deficits with Mexico totaled $97.2 billion. In the same period, 682,900 U.S. jobs went to Mexico. But 116,400 of those jobs were displaced after 2007, meaning the 2008 financial crisis may have played a role. Almost 80% of the losses were in manufacturing....

You typically pay income tax on the interest you earn from a CD. However, CDs are treated differently in retirement accounts, and early-withdrawal penalties can potentially reduce your tax burden. How Are CDs Taxed? Interest Earnings In taxable accounts (like joint and individual accounts), you typically pay income tax on the interest you earn from a CD. The IRS treats your earnings as interest income, and you generally report that income for the year in which you receive the income....

Review whether you need a personal reference and how to ask for it. What Is a Personal Reference? A personal reference is someone who knows you relatively well and can attest to who you are as a person. A personal reference is different from a professional reference, which is what employers are typically looking for. A professional reference is someone you’ve worked with who can attest to your work skills and habits....

What Are Aftermarket Parts? Aftermarket parts, also called generic parts, are made by a company other than your vehicle’s original manufacturer. They’re brand new replacement parts—not used parts. They’re made by a third-party manufacturer, so they might not be a perfect fit the same way OEM parts are. They’re generally equally as safe as OEM parts but cost much less. They’re typically the sheet metal or plastic components that make up the exterior of the car: bumpers, fenders, hoods, and so on....

Striking a deal with vendors to receive goods without having to make upfront payment is referred to as “trade credit.” But many upcoming entrepreneurs turn to trade credit as a form of payment without really understanding what it entails. If you’re going to be successful, it’s crucial that you know both the advantages and disadvantages of trade credit as a form of payment. The Advantages: A Guaranteed Supply of Goods Having a constant supply of goods while at the same time making regular sales to clients is the goal, but it can sometimes be difficult to keep things flowing smoothly between you, your supplier, and your buyers....

Failure to honor those commitments could result in serious financial issues. That’s why, before signing on the dotted line, you should consider how borrowing money could affect your future finances. You don’t want to gamble and guess at whether or not you can afford the payment, how it will affect your debt-to-income ratio, or if it fits into your budget. So, while it may be tempting to accept the money without hesitation, pause and ask yourself these five questions before you take out that loan....