How Facebook could ruin your money prospects

YOU are the sum of your Facebook friends — and those slackers from high school could hold you back from getting a bank loan. It’s time for a cull.

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Why do Shriners drive those little cars?

It's impossible to keep a straight face when you see a Shriner drive a little car. But the Shriners actually do serious work. Learn more.

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Why do Shriners drive those little cars?

It's impossible to keep a straight face when you see a Shriner drive a little car. But the Shriners actually do serious work. Learn more.

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Skill-based slot machines still far from reaching casino floors

After more than two-and-a-half hours of discussion of regulations for skill-based slot machines, Nevada is no closer to seeing the potential industry-changing games on casino floors than when the hearing began Thursday afternoon.

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Unions gunning for MMA fighters

UFC's Las Vegas nemesis, Culinary Workers Union Local 226, is joining Teamsters Local 986 of South El Monte, Calif. for an "initiative" Thursday to organize UFC's 574 MMA fighters.

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Not all Vegas-area Walmarts will have 24-hour shopping

Nearly a dozen Walmart stores throughout the Las Vegas Valley will be closing at midnight from now on, the company said Thursday.

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HubSpot Reports $42.9M In Revenue For Q2 2015 – Up 58% YoY

Company forecasts total revenue to exceed $170M by end of the year.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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Marketing Day: Twitter’s Playbook For Brands, Consumer Device Report & A New Google+

Here's our recap of what happened in online marketing today, as reported on Marketing Land and other places across the web.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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MGM dreams of luxury shopping in wake of Harmon 'nightmare'

So what does a company do with a 2.5-acre hole-in-the-ground on the Strip after years of an expensive and contentious construction defect lawsuit?

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Chick-fil-A reaffirms Southern Nevada expansion with 2 more sites

Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A said Thursday that it has confirmed two additional sites in Southern Nevada for its restaurants, bringing the planned total to three now in the works.

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Centennial Bowl interchange project starts

Federal, state and local transportation leaders on Thursday celebrated the start of a freeway interchange project expected to become the second busiest in the state within a few years.

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Rays rookie high-fives imaginary teammates after first HR — VIDEO

We've seen the baseball tradition of a player being given the silent treatment after hitting his first home run in the big leagues. But we haven't seen a reaction like the one displayed by Tampa Bay Rays rookie Richie Shaffer after he homered for his first hit in the majors.

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Firefighters closing in on Calif. wildfire 8 days later — VIDEO

The battle to tame California's fiercest wildfire this year, the big Rocky blaze north of Napa Valley wine country, neared a turning point on Thursday as ground crews fighting the flames for an eighth day steadily extended their control lines.

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Levi’s Partners With 6 Rising Musicians And Encourages Fans To Share Their #LiveInLevis Style

Venerable jeans brand Levi's continues its hip, street-smart campaign positioning its clothing as a lifestyle brand for the next generation.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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Twitter Publishes 122-Page Customer Service Playbook For Brands

Fewer than 30% of questions to brands on Twitter were answered in Q2 of 2015. Twitter's new guide will help businesses do better and cut their customer service costs.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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Proposed Uber, Lyft fees in Nevada still steep

Even though transportation regulators have proposed knocking down the cost for a transportation network company to be licensed in the state, it's still substantially higher than anyplace Uber and Lyft operate.

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20 Fun Ways to Go Treasure Hunting in Your Home and Neighborhood

When I lived in Colorado, I explored old mines and found cool crystals and equipment.

A friend and I found a shrine 2,000 feet into a mountain with a plastic flower, an unreadable newspaper clipping and a cross etched into the tunnel wall. Mysteries and relics were common finds, but I never discovered anything of much value in the mines.

In any case, the thrill of the hunt kept me going, and sometimes I got lucky.

In western ghost towns, I found antique jars, an old gold pan and other relics. Using my metal detector, I pulled a lot of coins out of the sand on Michigan beaches. I sold mundane items I salvaged from an abandoned house (lamps, old magazines, and furniture).

Discovering lost and hidden treasures probably appeals to the adventurer in you, too. And who knows, you might even find something really valuable, like the 2,000-year-old stash of coins and jewelry recently discovered in a cave in Israel.

But you don’t have to fly off to other countries or go deep underground. You don’t even have to leave your hometown.

A treasure hunt can be any search for things of value. With that definition in mind, here are some of the many ways you can go treasure hunting.

1. Look for Hotel Room Treasures

Treasure hunting in your hotel room? Most room leftovers may be stuff you wish you didn’t find, like the dirty sock I once discovered under the bed.

But sometimes previous guests have left more valuable things. Check these three key spots for hotel room treasures, according to Lifehacker Australia:

1. Bathroom ledges: Business travelers who want to hide their marital status when they go out often leave their wedding rings here.
2. Bibles: Some guests feel this is a safe place to stash extra cash, and they sometimes forget to remove it.
3. Between mattresses: Who knows what might be stashed here?

One commenter on that article, a flight attendant, says, “I have found many valuables including rings, cash, jewelry, money clips and assorted items of interest on the very top of tall dressers, wall units, underneath bathroom counter ledges and inside zippered cushions.”

2. Find the Lost Dutchman’s Mine

The Lost Dutchman Mine, in the Superstition Mountains of Arizona, is supposed to have piles of gold nuggets in it.

The “Dutchman” was actually a German named Jacob Waltz. He and a friend spent their gold around the Phoenix area in the 1870s and 1880s, never revealing the location of their secret mine or stash in the mountains.

Waltz’s friend disappeared without a trace at some point, but Waltz spent the rest of his life going to and from the mountains, bringing gold back with him.

A lot of treasure hunters have looked for the lost mine since then, with no luck so far. So if you like to hike and live near Phoenix, why not poke around a bit? But be careful — it’s said that many people have mysteriously died while looking for the treasure.

3. Prospect at Yard Sales

Looking for valuable finds at yard sales has all the hallmarks of a true treasure hunt. There is the often unrewarded work, the adventure of the unknown and the research (is that old toy a collectible, and how much is it worth?).

And, of course, there’s the potential for a big discovery.

Consider the Dwyers in Arizona. The couple bought a framed picture of a horse for $5 at a rummage sale, in part because of a hunch about it being something more.

Sure enough, when they removed the picture, there was a portrait of President Kennedy behind it. Painted by artist Carmelo Soraci in 1961, it’s estimated to be worth between $2,500 and $5,000.

4. Go Beachcombing

I once found a strange beer can buried in the sand on a Lake Michigan beach. It had a screw-off metal top, and must have been at least 50 years old.

I’ve also found numerous working light bulbs (sailors throw them overboard for target practice and miss some). I’ve previously written about the valuable things you might find while beachcombing.

5. Search Your Home

Many years ago, I discovered a wooden chest in a basement crawlspace under my parents’ home (yes, I regularly explore places like that).

It contained foreign coins, currency and other items, making it a literal treasure chest. I returned it to the previous owner, who had put it there and forgotten about it.

You’ll never know if there are treasures nearby until you look. In a previous post on treasures in your home, I included many true stories, like the $50,000 in movie posters found inside the walls by a man in Canada, a Van Gogh painting found in an attic and $15,000 in cash discovered in a ceiling. Start searching!

6. Watch for Buried Treasures

People bury money and valuables, then forget about their stashes or die before recovering them.

In fact, when my wife and I moved from Colorado to Florida, I left a little treasure chest full of Ecuadorian coins and other items buried behind a rock in a canyon. It was part of a treasure hunt I set up for a website, and somebody will find it eventually.

In a post on treasures around the house (as opposed to inside it), I related the story of a couple who took a walk out of their backyard and discovered six metal cans buried nearby. The cans contained rare gold coins worth $10 million.

Want to find a buried treasure? Watch for things sticking out of the dirt near old trails and buildings. Shallow depressions can indicate a buried stash too, because the loose dirt used to refill the hole settles in time.

7. Go Dumpster Diving

Yes, I’ve done this. In fact, I’ve sold several things that I retrieved from dumpsters. I’ve sold floor tiles, lamps and chairs, and I got $50 for a table I found.

You might do better in a large city, and if you approach the process more scientifically. For example, note the locations with the best finds for more efficient route-planning in the future. One guy makes $2,500 per night dumpster diving, and reselling makeup from dumpsters is apparently a big business.

8. Try Panning for Gold

Two little flakes of gold are all I ever saw in my gold pan. Still, it was fun to look, and I took home a few colorful gems and rocks.

And yes, there are plenty of places you can pan for gold. A decent gold pan costs less than $20, so this is an easy hobby to try.

9. Join a Modern-Day Treasure Hunt

The Fenn Treasure, a $2 million stash of gold coins and jewelry, is hidden somewhere in New Mexico. Santa Fe resident Forest Fenn hid the loot in 2010, and it’s still out there waiting for you to discover it.

Fenn occasionally releases a new clue as to its location, but start with the original clues he scattered throughout his book, The Thrill of the Chase.

10. Search Abandoned Houses

Many years back, my parents bought a property with an old house on it.

Prior to tearing it down, I searched for anything of value. I neglected to keep the old newspapers under the carpet (probably a mistake), but I did find a glass piggy jar full of change in the attic, and a dozen things that I later sold at a rummage sale.

If you can get permission to rummage through old abandoned homes, you never know what you might find.

An urban explorer who goes by the name “Freaktography” recently explored an old house and documented his finds online. In addition to cool old medicine bottles and antiques, he found rolls of currency totaling almost $6,800.

11. Try Coin Roll Hunting

As kids, we used to buy rolls of dimes and quarters from banks to look for coins from 1964 and earlier, which are 90% silver. Referred to as coin roll hunting, this is still popular among treasure hunters, although it’s getting much harder to find the old coins.

12. Become a Penny Hoarder

Pre-1983 pennies are theoretically worth about two cents each because they’re mostly copper.

I recently did purchased two test batches of pennies from two banks in two different cities. In one batch, 15% of the pennies were from before 1983, and the other batch had 8%. Apparently there are still a lot of old pennies out there.

People do make money with pennies, but you probably need to invest in a penny-sorting machine for this treasure hunting scheme to be worth your time.

You can sell them now for about $130 per $100 face value on eBay (to hoarders) or wait until it’s legal to melt the pennies down for their true copper value.

13. Search That Lake Bottom

I recently wrote about this treasure hunter’s secret. When lakes and reservoirs are emptied, lowered or naturally drop, the bottomland that’s revealed often has treasures that have been hidden for many years by the water.

If you hear they’re draining that pond in the park, get ready to hunt.

14. Prospect for Precious Stones

Try your hand at gem hunting in parks and mines. Some recent finds include a $12,000 diamond and an emerald worth $1 million.

Entry fees are minimal, and in some cases you can try this for free on nearby public lands. Who knows — you might wind up with the next 8.52-carat diamond!

15. Treasure Hunt in Your Wallet

You might think there isn’t much of value to discover in your wallet, but some dollar bills are worth thousands of dollars. It’s all about whether they have cool serial numbers, like seven zeroes in a row, or other unusual arrangements. Take a look.

16. Explore a Thrift Store

More than one person has discovered that it’s possible to resell thrift store finds for a profit. I’ve done it with furniture, but there are all sorts of possibilities.

A few bucks can make you rich if you have a big score. Consider John Richard’s story. He paid $30 for a handbag at a thrift store, and then discovered it was worth as much as $500,000!

17. Collect Returnable Bottles and Cans

I made about $1,500 collecting cans from a break room when I worked at a casino in Michigan. It took a year, but all I had to do was collect them on break, bring them home and occasionally take them to the store to get the 10-cent-per-can deposit.

Search for these little treasures in any state that has a law mandating deposits on beverage container.

18. Become a Book Hunter

The Penny Hoarder has previously covered how to make money selling books. If you find rare books in thrift stores, flea markets and such, that’s great.

But the more reliable treasures are textbooks you can instantly sell online for a profit. Here’s a good breakdown of textbook resale sites.

19. Find Recyclables

Last year, I dug through every corner of the house we recently bought and rounded up all of the scrap metal. It included cans, an antenna, wires and more. It only netted me about $20 at the metal recycling place nearby, but it beats throwing it all away.

People do make good money hunting down scrap metal. You just have to find the big hauls, like a pile of leftover air conditioners with valuable copper coils.

There are also other things you can recycle for money, like old computers, ink cartridges and cell phones.

20. Treasure Hunt Anywhere

You never know where you might find lost, hidden and unrecognized treasures.

The real life examples in my post on accidental discoveries worth millions range from precious metals in a storage unit, to an original copy of the U.S. Declaration of Independence found at a flea market, and a civil war sword found by a seven-year-old using the metal detector he just got for his birthday.

I just realized I haven’t done a thorough search of the attic since we bought our house a year ago, so I’m off on a treasure hunt.

Your Turn: What’s the best treasure you’ve found?

Disclosure: We have a serious Taco Bell addiction around here. The affiliate links in this post help us order off the dollar menu. Thanks for your support!

Steve Gillman is the author of “101 Weird Ways to Make Money” and creator of EveryWayToMakeMoney.com. He’s been a repo-man, walking stick carver, search engine evaluator, house flipper, tram driver, process server, mock juror, and roulette croupier, but of more than 100 ways he has made money, writing is his favorite (so far).

The post 20 Fun Ways to Go Treasure Hunting in Your Home and Neighborhood appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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The Mobile Opportunity for Local and Multi-Location Businesses- August 11 Webcast

Stop struggling with desktop optimization—the real action now and in future is in mobile.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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Suspect in La. officer's death wanted on another murder charge

A man suspected of fatally shooting a Louisiana police officer Wednesday night already was wanted on a charge of second-degree murder, Shreveport police said Thursday.

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Enjoy Tax-Free Shopping: These States Offer Tax Holidays in August

We all love a good deal, especially before a new school year rolls again. But know what makes a back-to-school sale even sweeter?

No sales tax.

This weekend, August 7-9, is your chance to enjoy tax-free shopping if you live in or near 11 states that temporarily waive sales tax. It’s a great opportunity to save money on clothes, back-to-school supplies, emergency gear and other items.

Ready to take advantage of the discount? Here’s a list of states that participate, both this weekend and later in August, as well as details on how their tax breaks work.

Where Can You Save?

If you live in Iowa, Louisiana, Alabama, Missouri, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas or Virginia, this weekend could bring you some big savings. And if you live near one of those states and are willing to drive there to shop, the tax-free weekend is a win for you, too.

People in Maryland, Florida, Massachusetts and Connecticut can plan on cashing in later this month. More details on those dates below.

How Does a Tax Holiday Work?

For discount shoppers, this is the best kind of holiday. Each state designates special days when it won’t collect its sales tax.

In Iowa, for example, one of the states participating this weekend, sales tax is 6%. If you were to purchase $1,000 worth of eligible items, you would save the $60 you would normally spend on sales tax.

Most states have dollar limits on how much you can spend per item (or, occasionally, per category). For example, many states have a $100 limit on clothing. Typically, this means you don’t have to pay state sales tax on items that cost $99.99 or less.

You can usually buy — and save on — as many of these sub-$100 items as you like. For example, if you want to purchase two $60 sweaters, you won’t pay sales tax on either one, even though they add up to more than $100.

However, you can’t split up items typically sold together. So if you’ve had your eye on a $120 pair of shoes, don’t bother trying to convince the clerk to sell you two $60 single shoes.

What are the Rules for Tax-Free Weekends?

Every state has different rules and exemptions, so be sure to check the rules in your state before you plan your shopping spree.

Typically, you don’t have to be a resident to receive the exemption, though business owners normally cannot receive the exemption on items purchased for business use.

While state sales tax is waived, many city and local sales taxes still apply during these periods, so keep that in mind.

What Other Tax Holidays are on the Calendar?

While many states celebrate a tax holiday in August to help families stock up on back-to-school items, this month isn’t the only time when you can get a state sales tax break.

Several states offer multiple tax holidays each year, with some dates specified for items such as Energy Star products and hurricane preparedness gear. Check here for a full list of tax holidays.

Take Advantage of These August Tax Holidays

Below are the tax holidays coming up this month in 14 different states. To get the best deals, check specific rules and regulations for your state.

August 7-8

Iowa: Pay no sales tax on clothing items that cost $100 or less. Complete rules here.

Louisiana: Enjoy a sales-tax holiday on “all tangible personal property” valued up to $2,500. This means you can save on just about anything you can pick up and carry from furniture, to clothing, to household items. Vehicles and meals are excluded.

This sales-tax holiday only applies to the 4% state tax, but if you buy something for $2,400, you’ll save $96 if you buy it during this tax holiday. Complete rules here.

August 7-9

Alabama: This is the 10th year Alabama is celebrating a state sales-tax holiday. Save on clothing items up to $100, computers up to $750, school supplies up to $50 and books up to $30. Check here for a full list of items and exclusions.

This state has specific rules, so be sure to read the regulations closely. For example, you have to pay sales tax on a belt buckle, but not a belt. Check here for complete rules.

Missouri: This is one of the states with the highest per-item limits on certain goods, including computers and computer peripheral devices that cost up to $3,500, clothing up to $100, school supplies up to $50 and computer software up to $350.

Before you plan your shopping spree, check the rules on what does and doesn’t receive the sales tax exclusion. You might be surprised. Adding machine tape, power strips, stand-alone printers, paper trimmers, digital cameras, envelopes and many other items do not qualify. Complete rules here.

New Mexico: Pay no sales tax on clothing or footwear (up to $100), computers (up to $1,000), computer equipment (up to $500) and school supplies (up to $30). Complete rules here.

Ohio: The Buckeye state is celebrating a new, one-time sales-tax holiday. Save on clothing (up to $75) and school supplies and instructional materials (up to $20). Full rules here.

Oklahoma: Stock up on clothing purchases under $100 with this clothing-specific sales-tax holiday. Rules here.

South Carolina: Skip the sales tax on clothing, school supplies and computers. No price limits are specified, but check the full rules here.

Tennessee: It’s a good weekend to buy a computer in Tennessee, where you save state sales tax on purchases up to $1,500. You can also skip the sales tax on clothes and school supplies (up to $100). Complete rules here.

Texas: Save up to $8 for every $100 you spend in Texas this weekend. Purchase clothing, backpacks and school supplies of up to $100 and you’re exempt from sales tax. Full rules here.

Virginia: August isn’t just back-to-school time in Virginia, it’s also time to be prepared to save energy and water and be ready for emergencies. You don’t have to pay state sales tax if you purchase up to $2,500 in Energy Star and WaterSense products this weekend, as well as clothing ($100 limit) and school supplies ($20 limit).

The state is also encouraging hurricane preparedness by skipping the sales tax on generators (up to $1,000), gas-powered chainsaws (up to $350) and other items including batteries, flashlights, tarps, gas tanks, fire extinguishers, duct tape, first aid kids and cell phone chargers. Complete rules here.

August 7-16

Florida: Stock up on clothing items (up to $100), school supplies (up to $15) and the first $750 of a computer purchase this week.

This discount does not apply to items you might purchase at theme parks, airports or other entertainment destinations, so don’t plan on stocking up on Mickey gear this week. Full rules here.

August 9-15

Maryland: Enjoy a whole week of savings in Maryland, where you don’t have to pay state sales tax on clothing and footwear purchases of up to $100. Complete rules here.

August 15-16

Massachusetts: Save on items that cost up to $2,500 for two days this month. Cars, restaurants meals and tobacco are excluded, but most other items apply.

August 16-22

Connecticut: Enjoy a tax holiday on clothing and footwear items that cost up to $100 during this great shopping period. Complete rules here.

Your Turn: Will you take advantage of the tax holiday in your state or a neighboring one? What’s on your shopping list?

Kristen Pope is a freelance writer and editor in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

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Majority Of Email Opens Are Mobile But Most Conversions On The Desktop

It has been true for some time that the majority of email opens are on mobile devices (roughly two-thirds). However Movable Ink’s Q2 “US Consumer Device Preference Report” provides some additional nuance on top of that basic insight. This past quarter, nearly 68 percent of emails...

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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One in 10 spend £8,000 a year online

Tom Wilson

Online shopping.jpg

A record 39 million people are now shopping online, according to official statistics published today.

A record 39 million people are now shopping online, according to official statistics published today.

The latest internet access report from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimate 76% people have made online purchases in the last year, equivalent to an one million more people than last year.

One in 10 spend £8,000 a year online

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A record 39 million people are now shopping online, according to official statistics published today. The latest internet access report from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimate 76% people have made online purchases in the last year, equivalent to an one million more people than last year. Typically people spent between £100-£500 in the last three months, though 9% of people spent over £2,000, equivalent to at least £8,000 a year. Consumers were most likely to buy clothing and sports goods, followed by household items and making travel arrangements. Some 90% of under-35s made purchases through the web, though half as many pensioners - 42% - did so. The main reasons for avoiding internet shopping were a preference for buying from a person (56%), worries about security or privacy (27%) and not knowing how to shop online (19%). Online Banking Online banking is still growing at a steady rate, rising 3% for each of the last four years. The ONS estimates 29 million adults banked online in the past three months, but one in seven people - 14% - still have safety concerns about banking online. Online security expert Ryan Wilk, of NuData Security said: "Online and mobile banking is among the most attractive targets for cybercriminals and hackers, and face constant assaults. We have witnessed it escalate over the past couple years tremendously and seen attack vectors change almost monthly. "While online banking is becoming more and more convenient, all of this exposes banks and customers to a whole new breed of fraud." According to the ONS, 3% of people have been affected by 'phishing' scams - where users are tricked into giving out their details - and 2% of people have had their debit and credit cards used fraudulently.

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6 Home Renovations That May Hurt Your Home’s Selling Price

Homeowners rarely get their money back on renovations, but some projects can actually drag down your home's value.

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As Amazon Dominates Marketplace Sales, Online Retailers Express Some Concern Over Its Market Share

Retailers in the UK and US say Amazon continues to generate the highest sales volume among marketplaces in ChannelAdvisor's survey on e-commerce trends.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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Are You Measuring The Real Impact Of Your Content Marketing?

So your content is getting a lot of buzz -- but is it leaving a lasting impression? Columnist Christoph C. Cemper shows how to look beyond the noise and find the metrics that really matter.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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Car Talk selects BestRide as web content partner

NEEDHAM, Mass. — BestRide.com, the destination for savvy online car shoppers, announces that Car Talk has chosen the nationally recognized vehicle purchase site as a partner to bring creative content and trustworthy car buying services to Car Talk users.“There are lots of sites on the web that just want to funnel car buyers to dealers, and pluck out a commission for it,” said Car Talk [...]

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6 Neuromarketing Principles That Are Always True

The field of neuromarketing may be new terrain for many marketers, but columnist Jeremy Smith helps you understand the principles behind it and how they can impact your conversion rate.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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5 Ways to Get a Big Head Start on Holiday Shopping

It’s not too early to start crossing items off your list, especially with upcoming tax holidays and end-of-summer promotions.

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What rising interest rates might mean for you

Mark King

Interest rates.jpg

There weren't too many surprises when the Bank of England chose to maintain the base rate of interest at 0.5% for the 78th month running on 6 August 2015, but there were pointers that a rise in rates is now firmly on the horizon.

There weren't too many surprises when the Bank of England chose to maintain the base rate of interest at 0.5% for the 78th month running on 6 August 2015, but there were pointers that a rise in rates is now firmly on the horizon.

Maike Currie, associate investment director at Fidelity Worldwide Investment, explains her view of what rising rates might mean for you.

What rising interest rates might mean for you

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There weren't too many surprises when the Bank of England chose to maintain the base rate of interest at 0.5% for the 78th month running on 6 August 2015, but there were pointers that a rise in rates is now firmly on the horizon. Maike Currie, associate investment director at Fidelity Worldwide Investment, explains her view of what rising rates might mean for you. What does it mean for families? "As rates rise, they will impact families differently, depending on the size of their borrowings and the terms of their mortgage. Younger households - those in their thirties and forties - have done relatively well from the prolonged period of lower interest rates. But this has also left many overburdened with high levels of mortgage debt. "In contrast, the older generation of homeowners is in a much better position, having benefited from a steady rise in house prices." What does it mean for retirees? "One of the casualties of lower interest rates has been safer streams of interest income. Retirees relying on their savings to supplement their pension income have felt the impact of low interest rates hardest. Many, no doubt, will greet an interest rate rise with relief. "Other good news for retirees is that annuity rates which have been at historical lows could improve with a rise interest rates, which means those planning to retire soon could secure a higher income. "Less positive is the possibility that retirees could see a fall in the value of their pension funds. This is because when investors near retirement age money is often automatically moved out of the market and into bonds, as a way of de-risking pension savings. Bond prices tend to fall when interest rates rise, in order to increase the yield and attract buyers." What does it mean for investors? "Investors could very likely see rates remaining at 0.5% until March next year, which will mark the seven-year anniversary of interest rates remaining at this 'emergency level'. When rates do eventually rise, expect a long, slow slog to 'normality'. Despite being dubbed the 'unreliable boyfriend' for his mixed messages on interest rates, Bank of England governor Mark Carney has made it very clear that a rate rise will be 'gradual and limited'."

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Scott Walker Pays 27% Interest on His Credit Card. Here’s How he Could Fix It

One of the most interesting parts of presidential election season is looking at candidates’ finances.

We so rarely feel comfortable talking about money among family and friends, and this required financial disclosure is like getting all the bigwig money gossip. Who would have guessed that Donald Trump is still making money off a book he wrote almost 30 years ago?

The latest candidate to be thrown into this fire: Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. And here’s what we found interesting about his disclosure: this GOP presidential candidate happens to have a bunch of debt.

Walker’s report was released early this week, and National Journal reporter Shane Goldmacher pointed out the juicy parts.

“His newly published financial disclosure shows that, like many Americans, Walker has few assets, some major debts … and a punishing interest rate on his credit-card obligations,” Goldmacher reports.

That credit card interest rate? Almost 30%.

Say what? 30%?! Sounds like Walker needs to start reading The Penny Hoarder!

Let’s help him out and explain how to fix that financial mistake.

What the Heck is a Financial Disclosure?

When presidential candidates announce their campaigns, they have 30 days to release a financial disclosure statement to the Federal Election Commission. But the rules are more than a little accommodating.

While candidates have to disclose all financial details for themselves, their spouses and dependants, they’re only required to offer amounts in ranges — not exact numbers.

Candidates are required to file financial disclosure within 30 days of announcing their campaign, or by May 15, whichever is later. But they can get two extensions of 45 days each, which just stretches this whole process out for months.

What does it mean for the nosy public?

FEC disclosures are the gift that keeps on giving. It takes up to a month for the FEC to release the reports once they’re finally submitted, which means we will have several more presidential candidate reports to explore (and let’s be honest: gawk over) over the summer and early fall.

Walker’s Credit Card Debt: Surprisingly Relatable

Goldmacher’s study of Walker’s report reveals the governor suffers from the same problem as many Americans: serious credit-card debt.

One of his credit cards has a balance between $10,000 and $15,000. That one has an interest rate of 11.99%, which isn’t too bad.

But another credit card also has a balance between $10,000 and $15,000… with an interest rate of 27.24%.

Walker also has student loan debt of more than $100,000 for his two sons, Goldmacher reports. We can relate to that!

His investments are modest; six were reported with a value of less than $15,000 each.

We can’t help but wonder: How’s Walker going to convince a nation he can manage its finances when his own seem to be less than excellent?

Or maybe these debts make him, well, more like us?

How Scott Walker Should Deal With His Debt

Scott Walker could fix that 27% interest rate before the general election — heck, maybe even before the primaries.

Here are a few Penny Hoarder-approved methods:

1. Renegotiate the Interest Rate

If you’re paying at least your minimum each month and haven’t missed payments, your credit card might be willing to give you a break. You just have to ask.

We recommend Walker (or a designated peon) use a negotiation script to stay cool during the interaction.

He probably won’t be able to cut that interest rate by half, but take the percentage points where you can get them, Scott.

2. Cut Spending

We get it. Campaigning to be leader of the free world is expensive. But there are a ton of ways to cut back. A Harley Davidson devotion can get pricy quickly!

Walker should stick to his beloved Kohl’s for everyday needs and hold off on major purchases until that debt is destroyed. (Hey, does Walker know if shops through Ebates, he’ll get an extra 6% cash back?)

3. Prioritize the Debt

If we’re looking at interest rates alone, Walker’s credit card with 12% interest rate is no big deal. Set it aside, keep paying minimums and focus on that ridiculously high interest rate on the other credit card.

By reducing the balance on the card with the highest interest rate, you can slow the growth of the debt on that card. If Walker can squash that high-APR credit card once and for all, campaigning for votes and donations might feel a bit easier.

4. Transfer the Balance

Balance-transfer offers abound with interest rates hovering near 0%. Reap the benefits of a limited-time interest rate break by doubling up payments on the offending balance. For example, the Chase Slate card offers 0% for the first 15 months.

One couple used this method to pay off a $2,000 debt in 14 months. The key to success with this method is to focus on paying the rolled-over debt before the introductory offer expires — otherwise you might get stuck with another high interest rate.

5. Snowball the Payments

It’s difficult to determine whether this method would help Walker, since we don’t know the exact amounts of his credit card debts… but it’s worth a try.

Instead of focusing on interest rates, the snowball method works with overall debt balances. You pay minimums on all your debts except for the smallest ones; you knock out each debt one by one, putting as much money as possible onto your next target debt.

For Walker, this may mean tackling his high-interest card first, but that card may come later on the list if it has a lower balance overall.

Whichever method Walker uses, getting his personal debt under control is bound to make life on the campaign trail a little less stressful. If you were riding around on a big bus for weeks at a time, wouldn’t you want to know your finances are in order back home?

Your Turn: If you could give Scott Walker any financial advice, what would it be? (Be nice, folks!)

Disclosure: We have a serious Taco Bell addiction around here. The affiliate links in this post help us order off the dollar menu. Thanks for your support!

Lisa Rowan is a writer, editor, and podcaster living in Washington, D.C.

The post Scott Walker Pays 27% Interest on His Credit Card. Here’s How he Could Fix It appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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How a Proactive Bucket List Can Change Your Life

The best ‘bucket list’ items aren’t just about spending a bunch of money. They’re about experiencing authentic joy, which often comes after achieving a challenging goal through your own time, wits, and effort. Photo: Michael Paul Willis

A few years ago, I wrote an article about “bucket lists” and shared my own. Rather than just reiterating my explanation of what a bucket list is and what my idea of a bucket list was at the time, I’ll just quote from the first part of that article:

A while back, I watched part of the Jack Nicholson/Morgan Freeman movie The Bucket List. In it (if you didn’t already know), the two main characters, older gentlemen, come up with a list of things they want to do before they “kick the bucket” – and proceed to do most of them, even though many of them really push their physical and mental limits.

It was a cute movie with a pretty thoughtful premise – the idea of the “bucket list” itself. Like a million other viewers of the movie, I was anxious to make my own “bucket list” – and so I did. Here it is, for all of you to read.

Spend more than a week in a rural part of France.
Spend more than a week in a rural part of Italy.
Drink a bottle of 1982 Latour, Pauillac wine with my wife and some friends.
Run for a significant political office.
Write the novel I have inside me – and get it published.
Visit Petra.
Run a marathon.
Do a three week gastronomic tour of America, a la Feasting on Asphalt.
Dance with my wife and with my daughter on a special evening.

Those were the nine I wrote down, anyway. Some may seem silly to you, but those are all things I want to do before I pass away.

That bucket list is fine and all, but when I look back on it now, I see one big problem with it. Most of the list revolves around spending money and doesn’t revolve around any kind of personal accomplishment. That bothers me, and here’s why.

First of all, many of the items would be quite expensive. The travel? Expensive. The bottle of wine? One of those bottles would cost thousands of dollars these days. That’s more than half the list right there.

Second of all, many of the items on the list don’t require anything of me other than opening up my wallet. Again, the travel. The bottle of wine. They don’t require anything of me.

Now, why is that a problem? I’ve come to learn that the things in life that really bring me joy are the things that I’ve actually invested some of myself into – building skills, building relationships, investing time and energy. Just spending money on something feels hollow.

That’s why, for example, I’ve come to realize that the best part of travel (for me, at least) is the people you do it with because it’s a shared experience based on your relationship with that person. Traveling alone is a much emptier experience, at least for me.

In all truth, only four items on that list really require anything of me:

Run for a significant political office.
Write the novel I have inside me – and get it published.
Run a marathon.
Dance with my wife and with my daughter on a special evening.

Even those have changed, too, for various reasons.

See, here’s the thing. I feel as though my bucket list should be authentically joyful, and I’ve learned that the most joyful moments in life are connected to the things you’ve achieved and built yourself. They’re built on top of lots of effort. They’re built on top of lots of time. They’re built on top of strong relationships. They’re built upon skills that I’ve had to teach myself along the way. They’re built on top of personal achievement, something I can be proud of.

When I reach that summit, I can not only be proud of the peak that I’ve reached, but also look back with fondness at the path that I took to get here. That’s the part that’s really missing from a one-off thing on a bucket list. I can’t look back with pride on the path to get here when drinking a $2,000 bottle of wine or sitting at a distant destination. I just threw a bunch of money at a problem, got a reward, and moved on with life.

Something that you just threw money at might be cool, but it’s not something that will last a lifetime. It’s not something that I will savor for years to come. It will be a nice moment – and then life will move on.

Building a Proactive Bucket List for Yourself

So, how can you build your own proactive bucket list? It’s pretty easy, actually.

First, think about things that you want to achieve that can’t be bought with money. What do you want to do with your life that doesn’t primarily involve tossing shovelfuls of money at that thing?

Generally, this resolves right back to personal achievements. When you eliminate money from the equation, you come back to spending the other resources that you have – time and energy. In what ways could you spend a lot of your time and energy on something that would be deeply meaningful for you?

Second, make sure they’re possible but very challenging. For example, if I wrote down “Play in a Major League Baseball game” on my proactive bucket list, I would fail. I’m never going to play in a Major League Baseball game unless I build the technology to switch bodies with Bryce Harper. Instead, I look for things that can actually happen if I focus on hard work. Do not choose things where you can be excluded based on natural skill level or you’re begging to be unable to ever complete that item.

Third, choose things where the journey is enjoyable, too, or at least teaches you new things along the way. If the journey to completing that bucket list item is purely painful and unenjoyable, you’re probably never going to complete it unless you have some truly exceptional fortitude. Instead, look for things where the journey will provide you with some degree of pleasure or, at the very least, the opportunity to try lots of new things.

If you can choose a handful of things that you’d love to achieve in your life that meet these criteria, you have a powerful proactive bucket list to work towards over the years of your life.

My New Proactive Bucket List

So, I’ve been rebuilding my bucket list a little bit. I’ve been focusing on things that build on personal accomplishment, that allow me to relish the things I’ve achieved rather than just spending money. I want achievements that are totally under my own control rather than relying on others, too.

This is my new proactive bucket list. This bucket list will never happen unless I get out of my chair and do something. To me, that’s what makes it useful and exciting.

I want to ride RAGBRAI. For those unaware, RAGBRAI refers to the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, which is an annual weeklong bicycle trip across Iowa that thousands of people do each year.

This is kind of a replacement for my marathon goal, as I’ve come to realize that my knees don’t handle running as well as they handle bicycling. Lately, I’ve come to find a lot of joy from bicycling around town and over to neighboring towns on the abundance of bicycle trails in this part of the state.

I would like to do it when my children are old enough to go with me in a few years, which will give me ample time to adequately train for it. In fact, I’ve already begun a slow training program where I’ve been substituting a bicycle ride for my daily walk on many days.

I want to complete and publish a novel. This is something I have been working on for a long time.

My problem isn’t the act of sitting down and writing fiction. My problem is consistently that I’ll get a certain percentage of the way into a novel, one that I already have plotted out and developed characters and relationships for, only to decide that the novel is garbage and abandon it. I lack confidence in my long-form fiction writing.

For me, the personal challenge is breaking through that wall of confidence.

I want to spend a few hundred hours volunteering for a political candidate I truly believe in. Really, this is all about wanting to be a part of a political campaign in an intimate way when it’s centered around a candidate that I truly want to see elected. I got a strong taste of this in 2012 when I worked for a Congressional campaign here in Iowa, but even then I didn’t really take a full dive into things.

I want to truly believe in a candidate and then clear the decks of all of my work for a few months before Election Day and do nothing else but help that candidate get elected.

I want to play a guitar or banjo accompaniment to singers in a public performance without making a fool of myself. I am not a trained musician in any way. I can play a few very simple songs on the piano and one or two extremely simple songs on the guitar and that’s about all.

I want more, and the only way to get there is through effort.

My goal is simply to play in public in a situation where I won’t feel like a fool in doing so, and to play with friends and family when I do so. Again, this is all about personal effort. I could do all of it right now if it weren’t for the “feel like a fool” part – and to cross that threshold is going to take a lot of practice.

It’s going to take some lessons. It will probably take some seriously sore fingers, too. Still, it’s something I can reach for.

I want to walk the trails of every state park in Iowa. Here’s a list of 61 state parks in Iowa. I want to visit each one and explore the trails on offer at each and every one of them.

I would also like to someday visit every national park and walk at least one trail in each one, but that starts to get perilously close to a “money” goal. On the other hand, I can reach every state park in Iowa on a day trip and many of them are along the way to other destinations, so there isn’t much cost involved for me in achieving this item on my bucket list.

Adding the “walk the trails” part of the equation requires me to do more than just drive through the park. I have to stop, identify some trails, and explore them in each park. For me, two trails per park will be sufficient.

I want to make a homemade beer based on a recipe entirely of my own devising that’s among the best I’ve ever tasted. Homebrewing is one of my biggest hobbies. I have all of the equipment I need to homebrew (the only thing I’d like to have is some more self-capping bottles and maybe a bigger brew pot), so this isn’t about money. It’s about learning how to do it in a way that produces a delicious product.

Every time I brew a batch, I learn something new. I learn how to control the temperature better. I learn why a secondary fermenter makes sense. The list goes on and on.

And, over time, I’m making better and better beers. I’ve actually made a beer that I consider to be almost in that “best of all time” tier, but it was based on a public recipe. My average brew is good, but not quite great yet and definitely not “best of all time” tier, but it’s improving.

Eventually, I’ll acquire enough skills to come up with something on my own, make it on my own, and be blown away by it. That’s the moment I’m looking for.

Of course, when I achieve it, I will probably try to do it again!

I want to design and publish a board game. Over the last few years, I’ve designed two different board games. One was really simple – it’s actually an interesting simple modification of rock-paper-scissors – while the other is substantially more complex.

Neither one of the games got beyond the drawings-on-index-cards-and-pieces-of-cardboard stage. That’s because doing so takes a lot of work, not just in terms of graphic design and assembling physical prototypes, but also in testing it and writing directions and playing it over and over and over and also organizing others to playtest it. It’s a long list of things to do.

I want to carry that process through to the finish with one or both of these games – or maybe a new design.

I want to write and complete an iOS app that is useful to someone besides myself. I enjoy writing computer programs. At my previous job, I had a lot of direction regarding writing things that were useful to other people. Today, my involvement mostly boils down to some very periphery contributions to a few open source projects.

I’ve written a few iOS apps just to learn how to do it, but they were very simple things. Only one was genuinely useful and that was definitely just a personal use.

So, what I’ve been doing is watching a lot of different message boards and forums for people who sometimes come up with ideas for iOS apps they’d like to see. Often they’re way too complicated and sometimes they’re already done by someone else, but every once in a while there’s an interesting and achievable idea.

That’s what I want to do. Write that app that’s useful to someone else.

I want to build an interesting YouTube channel with at least 200 videos out there. For me, this is definitely one of those “journey is way more important than the destination” kind of things. I want to learn about videography, scripting, editing, microphone placement, lighting, and all of those things along the way. This just gives me something of a central project to achieve.

Again, it’s all about an investment of time and energy more than anything else.

A final thought: When I listed all of the things here to my wife, she said it sounds like some sort of modern “most interesting man in the world” kind of thing. I think that’s kind of the point. These things are interesting because there’s personal achievement behind them.

The Next Step – for Me and for You

So, what’s the next step? Pull an item or two off of your bucket list and make them happen. Make that singular item – or those two items – your major goal in life over the next few years.

Once you’ve picked out an item or two, come up with a plan to achieve it. What can you do today to make progress on that bucket list item? What can you pull off by the end of the week? Answer those questions and add those items to your to-do list.

Then, review your progress at least once a week. Did you take care of those things? Did you do something that moves you a little closer to your big goal? What are you going to do next week to keep moving closer to that goal?

It’s a simple process that works for virtually any goal out there. Focus on what you can do in the short term to make that goal happen and then keep reviewing things to make sure you’re still on track.

Final Thoughts

So, what’s really the big picture here?

The truth is that the life achievements that really matter and bring lasting pride and joy are the ones that are built on top of your efforts. The things I am most proud of in my life weren’t bought. They were built by a lot of effort. Among them are my relationship with my wife, my relationship with my children, and The Simple Dollar.

To me, a “proactive bucket list” is about building things like that. It’s about creating things that were made by me and will build into something incredible if I carry it through to completion. Those things have value to me, not just in the completion, but in the experience of getting there.

They are milestones in a joyful life.

I wouldn’t expect your “proactive bucket list” to be anything like mine. You might want to refurbish an old car or write a book of poetry or read the great novels of the 20th century or start a food pantry.

In the end, though, they’re going to be similar where it matters. They’re going to involve things that we pour our hearts and our minds and our bodies into. They’re going to build upon themselves into an achievement we can be proud of and look back upon with joy and personal pride.

That, to me, is what a proactive bucket list is really all about. It makes your life better without throwing money at the problem.

The post How a Proactive Bucket List Can Change Your Life appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

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7 Things CMOs Need To Know About Paid Social

With all the new ad types and emerging channels, do you know where your paid social dollars are going? Columnist Scott Rayden tells you what you need to know to ensure you're reaching your goals.

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New Ads Section For Publishers In Google Analytics Coming

New publisher section will include AdSense and new Ad Exchange reporting.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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The New Google Plus: Will Tighter Focus Lead To Success?

It's been a rough ride for Google+. Columnist Mark Traphagen delves into the early vision for the social network, what has emerged from those changes, and what the new direction will mean for marketers.

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Steps to Take Now to Save This Winter

It’s not too early to start planning your cold weather savings.

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How to Stop Living the Paycheck-to-Paycheck Lifestyle

Money comes in; money goes out. If you feel like you can never get ahead, here's how to break the cycle.

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5 Back-to-School Shopping Mistakes That Will Cost You Money

Avoid these school shopping blunders, and you'll keep more money in your pocket. 

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Facebook Thrives, Pinterest Lags As Driver Of E-Commerce Sales Conversions [Survey]

Facebook was the top converting channel for 64% of online retailers in the US and UK, according to a survey by ChannelAdvisors. Only 5% said the same about Pinterest.

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Bring Back The ROI To Your Social Media Campaigns By Attending SocialPro. See The Agenda!

The key to amplify exceptional customer experiences is to deliver great content and customer service. Doing this requires keeping up with the latest social media platform trends, governance, best practices and analytics. We make this simple for you at SocialPro, your forum for acquiring the latest...

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