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New York State Income Tax New York State income tax rates range from 4% to 10.90%% for the 2022 tax year, depending on a taxpayer’s income. These rates are the result of legislation passed and sent to the governor in April 2021. The 10.90% rate is an increase from 8.82%. These rates became effective in 2021. They’ll remain in place through tax year 2027. The lowest rate of 4% applies to the first $8,500 of taxable income for single filers and the first $17,150 for taxpayers who are married filing jointly....

Your bank may offer both a traditional and a Roth IRA. So, what’s the difference between the two accounts? A traditional IRA allows you to make contributions tax-free, but you will be taxed on your withdrawals. A Roth IRA’s contributions are taxed, but you can make withdrawals tax-free once you reach retirement age. The More Secure the Investment, the Lower the Return Most banks offer IRAs as certificates of deposit (CDs)....

Eligibility for Payment of Unused Leave Federal law doesn’t provide guidelines for payment of time not worked, such as vacation or sick leave. Some states require employers to pay for unused sick or vacation time when an employee is terminated. Also, some employers maintain policies that are more generous than the legal requirement, in the hopes of minimizing friction during a separation. States That Require Payment for Unused Vacation There is no federal law governing if and when accrued vacation must be paid when an employee leaves his or her job....

One functions as a virtual credit line, while the other is a traditional credit card. Both make a solid case for consumers, but a deeper dive into the details makes it clearer when to choose which. How Each Option Works Both PayPal Credit and the PayPal Cashback Mastercard are issued by Synchrony Bank. PayPal Credit, a digital credit line, can be used to make credit purchases anywhere PayPal is accepted once you’ve connected it to your PayPal account....

The steady decline in the saving rate is a reflection of reduced government aid as well as soaring inflation. The personal consumption expenditure price index, the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation measure, in November jumped 5.7% from a year earlier, the bureau said, the fastest pace since 1982. While disposable personal income increased 0.4% from October, after accounting for inflation it actually fell 0.2%. Economists generally agree that consumer spending—which rose 0....

Using a day-trading simulator is a way to develop confidence in your trading decisions. You can trade without fearing mistakes. A simulator lets you monitor market conditions and explore different charting tools and indicators. You can become familiar with the steps involved in entering, reviewing, and executing your trades. You can also practice using stop-loss and limit orders as part of your risk-management strategy. Whether you day-trade the foreign exchange market (forex), stocks, or futures, free demo accounts are available to test out....

Typically, when an employee is laid off (as opposed to fired), it has nothing to do with personal performance. So, it can be easy to write a strong reference letter for someone in this situation. Review advice on how to write a reference letter for someone who was laid off, and also review a sample letter. This reference letter explains why the employee was laid off from their position, in addition to providing an excellent reference....

What Is a Rental Car Reimbursement Policy? Rental car reimbursement is an optional add-on, or endorsement, for your personal auto insurance policy. It reimburses you for transportation expenses, like car rental or public transportation costs, while your car is in the shop for a covered claim. Rental car reimbursement is often offered by auto insurers for a nominal fee. One year of coverage might cost less than what you could pay out of pocket to rent a car for one day....

What Are VA Loans? VA loans are consumer-friendly mortgages designed for present and past military members. They’re guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which means that if you default on the loan, the VA will pay your lender a portion of the home value. This makes VA loans less risky for lenders. VA loans don’t require a down payment, although you can make one if you want to save money on interest and possible fees, which are based on your loan amount....

How does this happen? Sometimes, it’s because the company was less than truthful about the job or the corporate culture, whether they realized it or not. Sometimes, it’s because the organization’s needs changed rapidly, and the job description evolved into a role you wouldn’t have taken. Perhaps most commonly, the parts of the job that don’t work for you just weren’t obvious until you were actually in the workplace, performing the daily duties and tasks of the role....

The Act is named after its sponsors, Senator Paul Sarbanes, D-Md., and Congressman Michael Oxley, R-Ohio. It’s also called “Sarbox” or “SOX.” The statute became law on July 30, 2002. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) enforces it. Many thought that Sarbanes-Oxley was too punitive and costly to put in place. They worried it would make the United States a less attractive place to do business. In retrospect, it’s clear that Sarbanes-Oxley was on the right track....

In August, the personal saving rate dropped to 9.4% from 10.1% in July, according to the latest report from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The level is well below the record 33.8% saving rate in April 2020, around the start of the pandemic, but remains above pre-pandemic levels, as the chart below shows. The falloff in saving isn’t surprising. People have more options for spending with the reopening of the economy....

What Is Factoring? Factoring means that someone will buy your accounts receivable (often shortened to “receivables”), and they will do the collecting. You can sell all or some of your receivables to the factor, or you can sell individual invoices directly. The factor is the company buying the receivables, which is usually a financial firm that specializes in receivable financing. The factor buys the receivables at a discount, such as 60%-80% of their outstanding value, and charges interest on the cash advance, fees, and sometimes a commission....

That way, you can be certain that you have all the details correct, you know where you’re going, when you should be there, and who you will be meeting with (and you will have a record of your appointment). Tips for Confirming a Job Interview A confirmation email is also an opportunity to ask logistical questions you might have (e.g., where is the office located, who exactly will you be speaking with during the interview, do you need to bring anything specific)....

Some federal loan servicers, the agencies responsible for processing payments, have expressed doubt about how they’ll pull off the “unprecedented” task of transitioning 30 million student loan borrowers back into repayment on Oct. 1, according to letters sent to Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Sen. Ed Markey and released by the Massachusetts Democrats on Wednesday. Uncertainty about whether the government might extend the deadline further added to the confusion. Payments and interest on federal student loans have been paused since March 2020 as part of the government’s pandemic relief effort....

Pros and Cons Benefits of Selling a Home While It Is Vacant None. OK, I take that back. There are a few: Less inconvenience: For starters, a homeowner is not interrupted at inopportune times to show the home. A seller doesn’t have to go out into the yard or walk around the block while buyers are looking at their home. More showings likely: The chances that a real estate agent will show your home are increased....

One of the most effective tools for preventing identity theft is a credit freeze, which can keep thieves from opening new accounts in your name. But a credit freeze has pros and cons, and it might fall short of your expectations. Before you go through the process of freezing your credit (and living with frozen credit), learn where credit freezes excel and where they fail. How Does a Credit Freeze Work?...

When job applications are online, there may be space to list an unlimited number of past positions. On other applications, you may only be able to list a certain number of jobs. How many positions should you list? And, more importantly, if you are limited, which should you include or exclude? We’ll help you figure that all out below. Including Jobs on a Job Application or Resume There are strategic reasons to include—or exclude—certain past jobs....

Forget “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.” Girls “run the world,” according to Beyoncé—and she’s right. College graduation rates for women now surpass those of men. Women start new businesses at twice the rate of men. And women have regained all of the jobs we lost during the recession. Ask Who’s Managing Your Money “The more women manage funds, the more funds get channeled into issues women care about,” says Nathalie Molina Niño, co-founder of BRAVA Investments....

Why Would Someone Want to Attach a Death Benefit to a SPIA? The short answer is lifetime income and legacy. Basically, you can kill two contractual birds with a contract that has an attached death benefit. It is important for many people to make sure that their beneficiaries or heirs receive some money when they pass. You can customize the contractual structure of single premium immediate annuities (SPIAs) so that a death benefit is built into the policy, while you receive a lifetime income stream....