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The average rate offered for a conventional 30-year fixed mortgage fell sharply to 5.63% from 5.86% the previous business day. Last month it reached 6.19%, its highest point since at least 2019, and likely much farther back. (Our daily mortgage rate data only goes back to April 2021, but our data on yearly highs and lows dates back to 2020, so we know rates weren’t higher in 2020, and if other measures are any indicator, may have hit their highest point in over a decade....

Since these interview questions are so common, hiring managers will expect you to be able to answer them smoothly and without hesitation. Here are the top 10 interview questions employers are likely to ask, plus 100+ more common job interview questions, example answers, tips for giving the best response, and advice on how to ace the interview. Top 10 Interview Questions and Best Answers Review these most frequently asked interview questions and sample answers, and then prepare your responses based on your experience, skills, and interests....

Most businesses have some kind of identification that makes their business stand out, both for advertising purposes and for general business purposes. These identifiers are trademarks or service marks. What is a Trademark? A trademark is specifically a creation to identify a business product. A trademark can be any word, name, symbol, or device, or any combination which is used or intended to be used to identify and distinguish the goods of one company from those of others....

Electronic Data Processing (EDP) Systems Most businesses, except for the smallest, use computerized systems, also called electronic data processing (EDP) systems. These systems handle every step in the accounting process from recording the financial transaction to preparing the financial statements. Businesses are constantly improving their systems technology in order to remain competitive and to stay in compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Even the smallest businesses may choose to use systems like Quickbooks....

Review the most frequently used job search and career-related letters, including application letters, cover letters, inquiry letters, referral cover letters, prospecting letters, and other types of letters used to apply for jobs or inquire about jobs, plus examples of each type of letter and when to use them. Career Networking Letters Networking letters are used to request job search advice and assistance from your business or personal connections. These include introductions, referrals, meeting requests, and requests for career advice....

There are several types of wills available, and they can cover everything from managing assets to health care issues and more. By understanding your options, you can craft a plan that works well for yourself and for loved ones. Living Wills A living will is a document that explains what types of medical treatment you want—and don’t want. This information may be helpful when you’re unable to communicate, such as when you’re unconscious after an accident or surgery....

A budget is a written plan for how you will spend your money. It allows you to make financial decisions ahead of time, which makes it easier to cover all your expenses along with paying off debt, saving for the future, and being able to afford fun expenses. Budgeting consistently can help you turn your finances around and start the process of building wealth. Why Budgeting Is Important in Personal Finance A budget is a powerful tool because it allows you to determine how and where you want to spend your money....

Pros and Cons If you have a forex strategy that’s strictly mechanical and doesn’t require a human in the decision-making process, you can program your forex robot to trade for you 24 hours a day. Many companies create and sell forex robots, but be careful whom you deal with if you’re in the market to buy one. It’s not uncommon for a company to spring up overnight and start selling an “instant riches” forex robot, including a money-back guarantee, only to disappear in about 45 days or so....

Notably, 38% of Americans had problems with medical bills or debt in 2021, according to The Commonwealth Fund. Below are some tips and resources to help you understand your health insurance bill, billing errors, and how to check or negotiate your medical bill when your health insurance bills are confusing. Understanding the Explanation of Benefits (EOB) An explanation of benefits is a summary of the costs your medical provider billed your insurance provider and what they did with the claim....

If you don’t have any money for a down payment, the choice is obvious: Choose the VA loan. But it may not always be quite so clear. We’ll help you decide which loan is right for you. VA Loan vs. Conventional Loan Side By Side You’ll need to weigh the pros and cons of each loan type when deciding which one is right for you. As you go down this list comparing VA loans and conventional mortgage loans, consider whether each factor is important in your situation....

Understanding how your credit score works and is calculated is the first step to raising your score. Your credit score is broken down into five categories: Payment History – 35%Total Amounts Owed – 30%Length of Credit History – 15%New Credit – 10%Type of Credit in Use – 10% Each one carries a different amount of weight in your credit score calculation. Adopting the right credit and financial habits can help make a positive difference in your score....

Asset-Backed Securities: How They Work When a consumer takes out a loan, their debt becomes an asset on the balance sheet of the lender. The lender, in turn, can sell these assets to a trust or “special purpose vehicle,” which packages them into asset-backed security that can be sold in the public market. The interest and principal payments made by consumers “pass-through” to the investors that own the asset-backed securities. Typically, individual securities are gathered into “tranches” or groups of loans with similar ranges of maturities and delinquency risks....

Compared to a fee-for-service model of medical billing, capitation payments can help reduce waste and prevent rising health care costs. However, it puts financial risk on health care providers instead of on insurance companies. Let’s explore capitation in more detail to help you better understand the pros and cons of this type of medical billing. Definition and Examples of Capitation Payments A capitation payment is a fixed amount of money paid in advance to a medical provider by a state or health plan for an agreed amount of time....

This is in contrast to a matching contribution, in which the employer agrees to provide additional contributions only for employees who make salary deferrals to the retirement plan. Another difference is that the employee portion of matching contributions are deducted (deferred) from their paycheck, while nonelective contributions are paid solely by the employer. Acronyms: NEC, employer NEC For example, an employer may choose to make a nonelective contribution of 6% of the employee’s salary....

One popular strategy for people who want to save for retirement is to buy dividend-paying stocks. Dividends are regular distributions of cash that companies give their stockholders. Investors can reinvest those dividends to buy more shares over time, increasing the size of each dividend payment they receive. Those dividends can serve as a source of income when they retire. How Dividend Investing Works Dividend investing means buying shares in companies that pay dividends....

You’d Have to Buy and Sell Your Own Stock When you buy a share of stock, you are buying a very tiny slice of the underlying business. When the business is making money, typically in a robust economy, your shares should increase in value. This process has been made easy because of the stock market’s existence. Without a bustling stock market, each person wanting to buy an interest in a company might have to transact directly with that company, requiring their attorney and banker, among other professionals....

For many homeowners, standard home insurance policies already provide tornado protection. Depending on where you live, however, insurers may exclude windstorm claims. Auto insurance does not have built-in protection for windstorm damage, but one type of coverage can help get you back on the road following tornado damage. Learn more about the insurance options that can protect your home, car, and personal belongings in the event of a powerful storm....

Flexibility is the main reason a bank holding company is the preferred structure for nearly 90% of U.S. banks. There are a lot of advantages to this type of structure. Learn how they work and how they affect consumers. Definition and Examples of a Bank Holding Company A bank holding company (BHC) is a company that controls at least 25% of one or more U.S. banks. They are regulated by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (FRB) and are often large, complex organizations....

Closed economies often grow slower than open economies, as they only consume goods and services produced within their own country. The closest current example of a closed economy is Sudan. Sudan is not officially closed to trade but does not engage in much trade, as a percentage of its GDP. In 2020, it had the smallest percentage of goods and services imported and the third-smallest percentage of goods and services exported, as a percentage of GDP....

Learn more about when and why a composite rate is used and how it works. What Is a Composite Rate? A composite rate is one insurance rate applied across the board, rather than calculating a rate for each individual or unit. In group health insurance plans, there may be a variation depending on whether the policy is for a single member or a family. Composite rating offers advantages to both policyholders and insurers:...