A Personal Finance Blog for Regular Folks
When we think about frugality, many of us consider the here and now.
However, it doesn’t hurt to consider that you might need to be frugal during retirement as well.
While many of us hope to be able to forget about frugality during our golden years, the truth is that you never know what will happen in the future to create uncertainty in your finances.
It makes sense to be prepared to live frugally in retirement, if the need should arise.
Many of us live in fear of possibly losing a job.
After all, the job is what provides income stability in the household, and is often the source of benefits, like health insurance, for your family. Without a job, you are on the hook for a number of these costs, and may find it difficult to make ends meet.
Losing your job doesn’t have to be the end of the line, however.
There are steps you can take to alleviate the situation, as well as ways to make unemployment an opportunity.
Before you panic into doing something unwise, take a deep breath, step back, and consider the following actions if you lost your job:
[Read more…] about Steps to Take if You Lose Your Job and You’re Now Unemployed
More and more, our private lives are available online.
When you sign up for a social network, you are putting yourself out there.
Post on Facebook? Send a tweet? Share on Google +? You are putting information about yourself in the public domain, and it could be searchable.
While some privacy settings can limit what’s out there, you never know what sort of trail you are truly leaving online.
This is becoming important because, increasingly, companies are using online search as a way to determine whether or not you would make a good hire.
Social media is becoming a big part of the job search, and you need to be aware of this. There are even companies offering services compiling social media profiles for employers.
Some companies, though, are going beyond simply searching the web for dirt on your past, or purchasing a report on your social media habits from a third party.
There are reports that some companies are actually asking for Facebook logins, and making friend requests.
[Read more…] about Should You Give Human Resources Access to Your Facebook Profile?
For many small business owners, being able to find every advantage is important — especially during tough economic times.
What many small business owners don’t realize, though, is that there are some provisions that help them save with their businesses.
The Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 provides you some opportunities to reduce your tax liability, saving money for your business.
If you qualify for the provisions in this law, the money you save can be used to go back into your business, helping you grow. Plus, the tax breaks can help you stay afloat when you are struggling.
Here are some of the ways the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 can help your business:
[Read more…] about How the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 Can Help You Save with Your Business
In 2009, the government rolled out the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP). The program is meant to help those who are underwater on their mortgages refinance into a more affordable monthly payment.
Unfortunately, some of the requirements for participation in the program limited its effectiveness.
In order to expand the program so that it reaches more homeowners, some changes have recently been made to HARP.
[Read more…] about Could Changes to the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) Benefit You?
