In a separate study conducted by ADP Research Institute, about 54% of workers around the world said they are more interested in taking on contract work due to the pandemic. The study also revealed that at least 18% of the workforce in several countries preferred contract work as opposed to regular employment. If you’re wondering how to become a freelancer, you can take some basic steps to be successful....
What Is a Penny Stock? In spite of its name, a penny stock does not always cost one cent; rather, it is any stock that trades for less than $5.00 per share. There are many reasons a company would have share prices under $5.00: it could be in financial trouble, or performing below par, or it could simply be new to the public market. If you do your homework and follow a sound investment strategy, you’ll be able to tell when penny stocks are worth your investment....
Pin down the expenses of sale and have your agent compute two net sheets for you so you can figure out your net profit. The first sheet should be based on receiving the full list price, and the second should be figured on receiving the median sales price of similar homes in the neighborhood. Doing both gives you a range of net profit numbers, and this is a more realistic goal than going only with the expectation that you’ll receive top dollar....
Total revenue is the amount of sales revenue you have made before your expenses are deducted on the income statement. It is the top line of the income statement as compared with the bottom line, which is net income or net profit. Net income is the metric that indicates what you have left after expenses are deducted. To understand total revenue, you have to learn what it refers to, how it is calculated, what it tells you about your business, and other types of revenue to which it can be compared....
Certain education-related tax benefits and income tax credits are based on MAGI. Under the Affordable Care Act, your household MAGI also impacts whether you can get income-based Medicaid or subsidized health insurance through the Marketplace. The first thing to know is that your total income, modified adjusted gross income, and adjusted gross income (AGI) are not the same things. Though they use most of the same base numbers, each is calculated in a slightly different way....
What Are the Articles of Incorporation? The articles of incorporation for your corporation are the documents you filed with your state’s secretary of state registering the corporation within the state. Depending on the requirements of the state in which the corporation is registered, these articles include: The name of the corporation, the start date and the duration (usually perpetual) The type of corporation (a stock corporation or non-stock) and information about initial shares of stock The name and address of the corporation’s registered agent (the person or company authorized to receive business correspondence about legal matters) Names and addresses of the initial directors and of the incorporator (the person in charge of setting up the corporation)....
This article discusses how collection agencies operate, what to ask before you hire one, and some tips for selecting the best one for your business. What Is a Debt Collection Agency? Debt collection agencies are a type of debt collector. They are for-profit businesses that specialize in collecting unpaid debts. Collection agencies must be licensed by most U.S. states and some cities, and each state has its own requirements. Some states require collection agencies to get a bond or a certificate of authority (registration to do business in that state)....
Before you do anything, however, you should consult with your estate planning attorney to determine what will be the best options for you and your beneficiaries. Below are some general considerations for both married and single people. Updating Beneficiaries if You’re Married If you’re married and you don’t have an estate tax problem, then you should consider naming your spouse as the primary beneficiary of your policies. This will give your spouse easy access to cash that can be used almost immediately to pay bills....
This article gives information about the W-9 form for both businesses requesting this form and those who must complete it. What Is Form W-9? IRS Form W-9 is used to provide a taxpayer identification number (TIN) for various types of payees. A common type of payee who must complete a W-9 is a non-employee who provides services to others, including sole proprietors, independent contractors, and freelancers. Form W-9 may also be used to report taxpayer IDs for:...
Roth IRA Basics Unlike traditional IRAs, no tax deductions exist for savings contributions made to a Roth IRA. In exchange for the lack of upfront tax deductions, Roth earnings are typically tax-free at the time of withdrawal. When you invest in a Roth IRA, you basically agree to pay tax now so that you receive tax-free treatment when the funds are withdrawn later. An investor who uses a Roth IRA must defer taking any distributions until at least age 59 1/2 to achieve this completely tax-free status....
Funeral costs can create a financial burden for your loved ones if they’re not prepared to pay for them. Establishing a funeral plan that takes into the financial side of things can make the process less stressful for them to deal with. Funeral Plan Basics If you haven’t given much thought to your funeral plan, you might be surprised to learn how much goes into it. For instance, you’ll need to decide whether you’d like to be buried, interred in a crypt, or cremated....
You can see from the definition of why delegation is so problematic for so many small business people; delegating involves giving some control away. Couple that with the fact that many business people believe that no one else is going to do it (whatever it is) as well as they do it, and you have a group that’s very resistant to the delegation. Delegation is a critical skill for small business success, but it’s not uncommon for owners of startup businesses to try to do it all themselves....
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Section 45Q tax credit is given to businesses for buying and using equipment that captures and disposes of carbon dioxide from industrial emissions through a process called carbon sequestration (removal from the atmosphere). The 45Q tax credit has been in effect since 2008, but was updated in 2018 to provide greater opportunities for large and small businesses to reduce their taxes and improve the environment....
There are several types of green loans available to encourage energy-efficient homeownership. Learn more about green loans, including the various types, how you can use them, and how to apply for one. What Are Green Loans? A green loan is another descriptor for an energy-efficient loan or a green mortgage. In other words, it is a loan specifically available for homebuyers who want to purchase an energy-efficient home, or homebuyers and homeowners who want to make changes to the home to make it more energy efficient....
But this can be challenging, especially for the self-employed. If you were unemployed or had irregular income over the last year, it may be even harder. Here are some tips to ensure that you’re paying the IRS in a timely manner and won’t have to pay any penalties. Adjust Your Withholding Taxpayers who worked as employees throughout the last year might fare better than others who didn’t when it comes time to file their tax return by the April deadline....
Purchase a Prepaid Gift Card Buy a prepaid gift card with your credit card and then sell it to someone for cash. You may have to accept a little less than the face value of the card to incentivize someone to purchase it from you, but there are several online marketplaces to assist you like Giftcard Granny and Raise, to name a few. Just make sure whatever discount you offer is less than what you would have paid in cash advance fees and interest....
If you have a significant amount in savings or if you plan to leave the money untouched, it’s critical to find the best money market rates possible. When you use a money market for something like an emergency fund, you might deposit a meaningful amount—and you’ll hopefully never use that money. As a result, it’s worth finding an account that rewards you while making it easy to spend. The chart below shows the average money market rates from 2009 through today, pertaining to non-jumbo deposits....
Find out about average rental property mortgage rates, how they differ from conventional mortgages, and explore some ideas to help you score the best rates on your investment properties. Average Rental Property Mortgage Rates Mortgage rates for investment properties fluctuate, just as they do for primary residences. Generally speaking, interest rates for investment properties are higher than the ones you’ll see when buying a home for personal use. This is due to the fact that banks consider investment properties to have a reasonable amount of risk....
But internships offer all sorts of benefits beyond post-college employment. Sometimes, an internship can expose that a planned career path or industry is not, in fact, the best one for you. Internships can help you build a network of colleagues—and friends—that may last a lifetime. The experience of an internship can make you comfortable and confident in an office environment. But you won’t get all those benefits if you’re just showing up and counting down the days until your internship is over....
It used to be you could get a tax break if your IRA lost money in the markets. That tax provision has been on hold since 2018. It might return in 2025, however, giving time to go back and amend a previous year’s return. Tax-Deferment Advantages of IRAs IRAs are structured so that any tax impact on investment growth is deferred until the money is withdrawn from the account, usually in retirement....
