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الاثنين، 10 أكتوبر 2016

Donald Trump: 'No reason' for Taj Mahal casino shutdown

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Donald Trump built the Taj Mahal casino and once called it "the eighth wonder of the world."The Republican candidate in the race for the presidency — who took his Atlantic [...]

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Ask GFC 015 – Can You Split a Retirement Plan Rollover Between Pretax and Post-tax?

Given how common job changes are, and the need to rollover retirement savings after the fact, this is an important question.

Retirement plans are now complicated on two fronts – making pre- and post-tax contributions, then splitting them after the fact between traditional and Roth IRAs to take advantage of that tax configuration.

split retirement between pretax and posttax accoutns

We received an Ask GFC question on this very topic from a reader who did not supply his name:

“We want to roll over my wife’s ira at her prior job to a new ira but spilt it
into traditional ira for the pretax amount and a roth ira for the post tax amount. Can this be done?”

I suspect that what the reader was referring to when he said “my wife’s ira at her prior job”, he really means her 401(k), or some other employer sponsored retirement plan. That’s the assumption I’ll make, since an IRA is a self-directed account, and not sponsored by an employer. I’ll also assume that the part about “split it into a traditional IRA, etc.” does actually refer to an IRA, since that’s the usual destination for employer retirement plans after a job ends.

Getting to the reader’s question, can this be done?, the short answer is yes! Let’s go over the details and other considerations that may apply.

How Do You End Up Making Non-Deductible 401(k) Contributions?

Most people are probably more familiar with making non-deductible IRA contributions. That’s when you are covered by an employer-sponsored retirement plan, your income exceeds the limit to make a deductible contribution, and you make a contribution anyway. You can’t deduct the contribution on your income taxes, but the money in the account grows on a tax-deferred basis, so it’s generally worth doing.

The same thing can happen with a 401(k) plan. Under IRS regulations, you can make annual contributions of up to $18,000 per year, or $24,000 if you are 50 or older. But since the actual maximum contribution to all retirement plans is $53,000, some employers will allow you to contribute more than the standard 401(k) limits, but the contributions will not be tax-deductible.

Not all employers participate in this arrangement, but more are starting to allow it. When they do, they must typically segregate the accounts, between pretax and post-tax, at least upon distribution. This separate handling of the two types of contributions is actually quite recent, so don’t be too upset if you are not familiar with it. In fact, the change was implemented through new regulations that became effective on September 18, 2014.

The segregation of the two types of accounts provides greater flexibility as to what you can do with accounts when they are rolled over, particularly in regard to the Roth IRA.

Pretax and Post-Tax 401(k) Contributions Are Usually Separated

If you have made both pretax and post-tax 401(k) contributions – or even to other types of employer-sponsored retirement plans – the distributions from the plan will typically be separated. The distribution will show a pro rata share of both pretax and post-tax contributions to your plan.

For example, if you have $200,000 being distributed from the 401(k) plan of your previous employer, and includes $150,000 in pretax amounts and $50,000 in post-tax amounts, the distribution split will be 75%/25% pretax/post-tax.

Any partial distribution from the plan will be handled using the same split. So for example, if you only withdrew $100,000 from the plan, $75,000 would be distributed as pretax, and $25,000 would be distributed post-tax.

This makes rolling over the distributions neat and convenient. If you receive a $100,000 distribution from the plan, you can move $75,000 into a traditional IRA, and pay no income tax on the rollover. The remaining $25,000 can be rolled over into a Roth IRA.

The portion of the post-tax portion of the 401(k) that is attributed to contributions to the plan can be rolled over to the Roth IRA free of income taxes, since taxes on the income were already paid. But even the portion that represents tax deferred investment income on those contributions, which would ordinarily be subject to ordinary income, tax gets special consideration, which we will cover in the final section.

You can also request that a portion of the post-tax contributions be sent to you directly, and there will be no tax on the contribution portion, since no tax deduction was taken when the contribution was made.

Both Pre-Tax and Post-Tax 401(k)’s Must Be Rolled Over at Once

One of the limitations on this method of distribution is that you cannot cherry pick how it will be done. Using the example above, of a $200,000 401(k) plan in which $50,000 represents the post-tax portion, you cannot withdraw $50,000 from plan and claim that it is all post-tax contributions.

It will instead be distributed using the same pro rata formula. In this case, 75% of the distribution, or $37,500, will be distributed as pre-tax contributions. Only 25%, or $12,500, will be considered to be post-tax contributions. The pro rata allotment always dictates how the distributions will be classified.

No matter how much money is distributed from your previous employer 401(k) plan, the split will always be 75%/25%. This will be true whether the distribution is rolled over into another employer-sponsored retirement plan, or a split between a traditional IRA and a Roth IRA.

distribute into pre-tax and post tax ira accounts

Treatment of the Deferred Income Portion of the Post Tax Distribution

When you make contributions to a 401(k) plan, whether they are made on a pretax or post tax basis, investment income will accumulate on those contributions on a tax-deferred basis. In theory at least, this could make at least some part of the post-tax portion of your 401(k) distribution taxable, even if you roll it over into a Roth IRA.

But part of the change that occurred in the 2014 new regulations is that you are now able to also separate the actual contributions from the post-tax portion of your 401(k) plan, from the investment earnings that they produced.

That means that you will be able to roll over the actual post tax contributions made to the post-tax portion of your 401(k) plan into a Roth IRA, free of income taxes on the rollover. The investment income earned on those contributions can then be rolled over into a traditional IRA, which will enable you to continue to defer income taxes on those earnings.

In this way, 100% of your 401(k) plan distribution – including pretax and post-tax contributions, and the investment earnings on both sets of contributions – can be rolled over to a mix of traditional and Roth IRAs, and you will pay no income tax on the rollover.

From that point forward, the portion that has been rolled over into the Roth IRA will continue to generate tax-deferred investment income. But since it is a Roth IRA, it can be withdrawn tax-free, after you turn 59 1/2 and as long as you have been in the Roth IRA for at least five years.

Meanwhile, the portion rolled over into a traditional IRA will continue to produce tax-deferred investment income. That income will not be taxed until you begin taking distributions from the IRA when you retire. As long as you are at least 59 1/2 when you begin taking distributions, they’ll be subject only to ordinary income tax (at whatever your income tax rate is at the time) and no early withdrawal penalties will apply.

This is a pretty generous arrangement from a tax standpoint, and makes a strong case for making both pretax and post-tax 401(k) contributions, if your employer allows you to do that.



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Netflix is Hiring Someone to Work From Home and Watch Kids Movies All Day

Do you love kids movie and television shows?

It’s OK — you can admit it. We’re all still kids at heart, at least a little.

I’ll go first: I love holidays at my parents’ house, because we pull out our old Disney movies on VHS. My favorite is “The Little Mermaid,” and I like to dance to “Under the Sea” in the living room with my sisters.

We say it’s for the grandkids, but — come on.

If you enjoy a cozy afternoon with Mickey, Dora, Nemo or Abu (remember Abu!?), you might be able to turn it into a moneymaker.

This Netflix Job Lets You Tag Kids Content

Netflix is hiring a kids content tagger to join its Enhanced Content Kids team. In this remote position, you’ll get paid to binge-watch Netflix.

No kidding. Get the popcorn ready.

A content tagger’s job is to help identify which content belongs in Netflix Kids profiles, for ages 0 to 12, and to tag those shows and movies to help viewers find something to watch.

You know those uber-specific categories on Netflix, like “Starring Kids With Funny Hats” or “Movies to Make You Laugh and Then Nap While Mommy Eats Lunch”? It’d be your job to lock those in.

OK, I made up these particular categories — but they’re not far off, right?

Specifically, your duties will include:

  • Tagging kids content to categorize for different ages and themes
  • Backtagging projects that update titles when new tags are added or removed
  • Occasional special projects, like testing experimental tagging processes

Because they’re central to the job, you should genuinely love kids entertainment media and know it well.

This a cool work-from-home job for parents who are immersed in the media anyway! That’s if you can get your little ones to let you watch something other than that one movie over and over again…

This is a part-time, one-year, remote position. You’ll work about 15 hours per week and report through a third-party agency.

Wondering what it’s like to be a content tagger? Read our overview, including a day in the life of one Netflix content tagger.

To apply: Upload your resume or apply through LinkedIn here.

Your Turn: What is your dream work-from-home job?

Dana Sitar (@danasitar) is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. She’s written for Huffington Post, Entrepreneur.com, Writer’s Digest and more, attempting humor wherever it’s allowed (and sometimes where it’s not).

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How These 8 Business Owners Knew It Was Time to Hire Their First Employee

We talk a lot about starting a business by “working lean” — wearing all the hats and getting things off the ground on your own. When it’s just you and an idea, you can’t afford to hire a team to support you, and sometimes, too many minds only stifle progress rather than accelerate it.

But let’s say you’ve been running your business for a while, and things are getting more complicated. At what point does it make sense to ask for help and start outsourcing some of your tasks — bookkeeping, taxes, tech support, etc.?

We interviewed eight business owners to find out how they realized it was time to hire their first employee, and how they went about finding that person.

Here’s what they told us…

When is It Time to Hire Your First Employee?

The biggest sign it may be time to bring on help? Feeling completely overwhelmed.

“I was being pulled in too many directions,” said Diana Goodwin, CEO and founder of AquaMobile, a swim school that offers everything from in-home lessons to lifeguards for hire. “When I started to feel overwhelmed by the amount of responsibilities I had on a daily basis, I knew it was time to hire some help.”

“I knew it was time to start hiring employees when I literally didn’t have enough hours in a day to do everything, including sales,” explained Julie Austin, inventor and manufacturer of Swiggies wrist water bottles.

“My to-do list was so long that I resented the business I had just started and dreaded what ‘success’ might look like,” said Ben Brooks, CEO of PILOT, a tech startup that helps people manage their careers.

The Affordability Question

Of course, feeling overwhelmed and being able to financially justify a new hire are two separate things. Once you’ve decided it makes sense in terms of productivity, how can you be sure it fits your company’s bottom line?

Max Farrell, co-founder of truck-driver-retention platform WorkHound, cited a great measurement he learned from his mentor, Ted Alling of logistics-accelerator Dynamo: “What hat are you wearing, your $800, $80, or $8 hat?”

In other words, if you can find an employee to take the less-important tasks off your hands, you’ll be able to focus on the work you do best — and the work that delivers the highest ROI for your company.

“For others facing the sense of overwhelm, I would highly encourage you to take a look and make a list of all of the low-value activities you regularly find yourself doing,” said Aaron Lee, president and CEO of digital marketing agency Illuminati Studio.

Add up the time it takes you each week and then multiply that by what your billable rate is. You’ll quickly realize that it’s far more productive to bring in someone who can help you with those tasks, freeing up much more valuable time that you can take back and start billing with!”

Todd Bellistri, CEO of independent benefits management firm August Benefits, remembered a piece of advice his mentor gave him 20 years ago when he was poised to hire his first employee: “If you think you need to hire someone, you need to hire someone immediately — before you have time to ask, “Can I afford it?’ To move your business forward, you need to delegate the things that are holding you back.”

“To this day,” Bellistri said, “I don’t think twice about bringing on a new employee. If I think I need to hire someone, I bring them on. The cost always works itself out through improved productivity.”

Where to Look for the Right Person

So you’ve realized it’s time to hire that first employee — now, how do you find them? Who should you consider?

Here’s what these business owners recommend.

1. College Students

If you’re looking for someone to complete basic tasks for an affordable price, college students are a great option.

Andrew Church owns Bison Hill Stonecraft, which produces household items like coasters, cheese boards and Christmas ornaments from reclaimed roofing slate, and he also has a full-time job as an Engineer at GE Transportation. He felt “bogged down by repeatable work that [he] could easily train someone else do.”

So he asked family and friends if they knew any college students who might fit the bill as “they typically have the most flexible schedule out of pretty much anyone.” This flexibility was important to him, as he needed someone who could meet with him on the weekends and after working hours.

Goodwin, who runs the swim school, took a similar tack. “I started by going to the local universities and colleges to see if there were students enrolled in business programs looking for work,” she said, “as many of these programs have savvy marketing and HR students looking to build their resumes and gain experience.”

Working with these students often proved to be mutually beneficial, both for my company and themselves. In fact, for several students, what started out as part-time work ended up with a full-time job offer.”

2. Non-Traditional Employees

The freelance, gig-based economy is ideal for new hires for a number of reasons.

“I now try to hire as many freelance, part-time employees as I can,” said Austin. “The cost of having a full-time employee no longer makes sense to me as a small business owner. With websites like freelancer.com and Upwork, it’s much easier to find these people.”

Avi Lele, CEO of stock gift-card company Stockpile, points out, “Just because you need [someone] this month doesn’t mean you’re going to have the same need a few months from now. But once they’re on your payroll, you have to pay them every month — a surefire way to burn through cash.

“It’s also unlikely that you’ll find all of the skill sets you need in one full-time person. For these reasons, it’s usually better to start off by hiring consultants, contractors or advisors who can each help you for a few hours a week or month with discrete parts of your business.”

Brooks agreed: “Some staff I’ve hired have ultimately not worked out, so a contractual relationship is a better structure to get to know someone and make sure it works for both parties.”

3. Referrals

Referrals are a solid way to find workers who have already been vetted by people whose opinion you know and trust.

“I got a referral to a virtual assistant service from a fellow entrepreneur,” Brooks said. “The same for finding a good bookkeeper. I kept getting suggestions of great providers and followed up, secured the team, and haven’t been disappointed yet!”

Your Turn: If you run a small business, have you hired your first employee? What tasks did you outsource, and why?

Kelly Gurnett is a freelance blogger, writer and editor who runs the blog Cordelia Calls It Quits, where she documents her attempts to rid her life of the things that don’t matter and focus more on the things that do. Follow her on Twitter @CordeliaCallsIt.

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Questions About National Parks, Pocket Notebooks, Cheap DVDs, and More!

What’s inside? Here are the questions answered in today’s reader mailbag, boiled down to summaries of five or fewer words. Click on the number to jump straight down to the question.
1. Planning inexpensive national park vacation
2. Suddenly worried about aging
3. Lease agreement with mother
4. Household arrangements with mother
5. Downside guarantee
6. Inexpensive pocket notebooks
7. Raspberry Pi
8. Local grocery strategy
9. Dumping loyal roommate
10. Cheap shoes for running
11. Used hair clippers?
12. Cheap source for DVDs

My two oldest children are in a competitive youth soccer league where we sometimes drive 50-100 miles for away games and play against some pretty stiff competition. My oldest one absolutely loves soccer, and we put zero pressure on them to play and it’s entirely their decision.

One of the things you can’t help but notice is that each team tends to have one or two players that are just simply a skill level or two ahead of everyone else on the field. They kick the ball with incredible force, have impressive footwork, take the ball from the other team at will, and pass the ball right where it’s needed.

The thing is, even at this level, it’s usually not natural talent that really makes the difference.

I was sitting next to the parents of one of the best youth soccer players I’ve ever seen with my own two eyes. I just casually asked them how much their kid practices and the dad laughed and said, “When doesn’t he practice? He’s basically in the backyard doing drills every moment of his time and he’s got that ball with him everywhere.” I kind of wondered to myself whether the parents made him do it, but without saying anything, the father basically said that it was his son’s own drive.

It’s time. Time is the way to get good at anything. There is no shortcut. It’s just hour after hour after hour of practice.

Sure, some people might be born with a bit more natural skill in some areas. Maybe they’re more physically agile or more quick to pick up abstract concepts. That’s great, but it often makes them lazy. The people that rise to the top are the people that work. Sure, maybe the absolute pinnacle are people with some natural talent that work at it, but the very next tier is pure work ethic.

If you want to be good at something, don’t wish for it. Work for it. It’s true no matter what you want in life, whether it’s success on a youth soccer field or success in your career or something else entirely.

Q1: Planning inexpensive national park vacation

How exactly do you make a vacation to a national park inexpensive? Seems to me by the time you add up the cost of tents, sleeping bags, backpacks, and other stuff it gets expensive real fast.
– Darren

You’re absolutely right in pointing out that the startup costs of such a vacation are expensive. The basic gear you need for a camping trip, whether it’s pure backpacking or tent camping with a family, can really add up.

But here’s the thing: you can reuse all of that stuff many, many times. We’re still using many camping supplies that we owned in the late 1990s. The vast majority of our camping supplies were received as wedding gifts twelve years ago.

Once that money is invested in camping gear, camping trips quickly become very inexpensive. Even if you prorate the cost of that gear across all camping trips, a $200 tent becomes $10 per trip if you use it 20 times, for example. A $100 sleeping bag turns into $5 per trip if you use it for twenty trips. At this point, I know we’ve used our gear on more than 20 trips.

Camping is not a cheap one-off vacation. However, it becomes a long series of cheap vacations if you do it every year or every other year. If you also go camping on occasional weekends, it provides a source for a very cheap weekend getaway, too. It’s one of those things where the frugality really only appears over a lot of uses.

Q2: Suddenly worried about aging

I’m 46 years old and I am suddenly really aware of my age. I am getting older. I am only 20 years from retiring and I don’t have anything saved. I am relatively unhealthy too. I feel really scared and completely lost. Wife says that this is my “midlife crisis” and makes jokes about how I should go buy a new car or something but that misses the boat entirely. Besides obviously saving for retirement I don’t know what I should be doing. Help!
– Mitchell

You’ve nailed your first step. You need to get on board with some serious retirement savings. If I were you, I’d be putting away at least 20% of my salary into a 401(k) at this point. Yes, that’s going to dent your take-home pay – your paycheck will probably drop by about 15%. It’s worth it, because that’s the only way you’re going to build a sizable savings for retirement.

You’ve also pointed at another area to take care of: your health. The most powerful way to take control of your health is at the dinner table. Eat smaller portions and fill most of your plate with vegetables and that alone will improve your health dramatically over the coming months and years. Going on regular walks also helps – even in my late thirties, I try very hard to make a long (3 or 4 mile) walk part of my daily routine.

You can’t solve everything or predict every bad outcome. However, you can always reduce the odds of such bad outcomes with the actions you take today. Just take actions consistently to reduce the odds of those bad things happening and then don’t worry about it too much – just enough to keep taking positive action.

Q3: Lease agreement with mother

I am thirty six years old and single but not currently dating. I am a CPA. My husband died two years ago suddenly of a hereditary condition that we didn’t know about. Before that, we had adopted an orphaned girl and I am still raising her. I have mortgage debt and a car loan, but am free of student loan debt and credit card debt.

My father died recently and my mother is hinting strongly about wanting to move in with me. Our basement has an exterior entrance in the back and she has suggested turning that into an apartment. While I do not mind living with my mother, I have some questions.

First question: should I draw up a lease agreement where she pays rent for the basement? While this feels like the financially and legally smart thing to do, on the other hand, it’s my mother.
– Jenna

I think your first step should be a heartfelt talk with your mother. All of this starts there.

You need to lay all of this on the table with her. Make your concerns clear, but also make it clear why you want this to work. It may be useful for you to thoroughly go through all of the pros and cons before you even do this, just so you’re straight on what you view the pros and cons as being.

It’s very likely that your mother sees this arrangement with rose-colored glasses, seeing only the positives and not the negatives. She may assume that there’s no way that this could put strain on any relationships or that she might not like some of the ways that you raise your child or keep up your home. You may want to gently guide her toward those negatives, just so she can see that it’s not a net positive.

As for a lease, what do you see as the positives and negatives of it? Obviously, the positives involve legal protection for yourself and, to an extent, your mother, but how will your mother see it? I think that if you do this, you should draw it up together, making sure that the document actually serves as a legal protection for both of you. You may want to have a lawyer help with this once you’ve both figured out your concerns and the protections you’d want in place.

Jenna has two follow-up questions.

Q4: Household arrangements with mother

Second question: Part of our discussed arrangement involves my mother “paying” for her share through house work and child care. She has basically volunteered to do the laundry, watch my daughter after school and sometimes on weekends, and do a lot of housecleaning and meal prep. How would I write that into an actual agreement?
– Jenna

I would be very, very hesitant to include such efforts in a written contract. For example, what exactly are you going to do if your mother’s health declines and she’s unable to fully take care of all of those things? She may be able to keep her apartment tidy, but what if she’s no longer able to climb the stairs to get into the other parts of the house? What if she can no longer drive? Are you going to evict her in that situation?

I believe a much better approach is a lease that renews regularly so that your mother and you can discuss whether or not the overall arrangement is working out. Then, either one of you can choose to end the arrangement if you feel uncomfortable with it.

And here’s Jenna’s other follow-up question.

Q5: Downside guarantee

Third question: I’m obviously not going to kick my mother out if things don’t go perfectly, but what exactly do I do if things go disastrously? This is the big reason I want to get a lease, as something of a “downside guarantee” against a bad situation, but what do I do if there’s no lease?
– Jenna

If someone who does not own the property is staying in your home and you ask them to leave and they refuse, then you can legally have them removed from the property. This seems like an extreme step with a parent with which you have a strong enough relationship that you would consider this type of live-in arrangement.

A lease, on the other hand, would actually make it harder to remove her if she’s following the terms of the lease. Obviously, at the end of the lease, you could then evict her.

The exact laws on this vary from state to state – I’m speaking in general terms here as the general framework is consistent. You may want to contact an attorney before entering into any variation of this arrangement.

Q6: Inexpensive pocket notebooks

Do you have any recommendations for pocket notebooks that are less expensive than the Field Notes you usually talk about? They’re nice but $10 for a 3 pack is a bit much.
– Nate

I write a lot of notes in my pocket notebooks and I rarely fill up a single Field Notes more than once every two weeks, so I don’t consider the cost oppressive for a notebook that holds up for that long. Having said that, I can understand someone looking for less expensive solutions.

My original pocket notebook solution was to simply use a spiral-bound Mead notebook. Those notebooks are very inexpensive, trending as low as a quarter apiece. However, I found that they did not hold up well at all to pocket use. The spiral almost always collapsed and then, eventually, pages started to fall out and tons of little pieces of paper lived in my pocket. This meant that the notebook was junk often well before I was finished with it.

Another strategy, one that a friend of mine uses, is to use several notecards held together with a paperclip. This is really inexpensive and it’s easy to take the notecards apart and rearrange them. If you’re looking for a solution for very disposable notes, this is a pretty good one, but it becomes hard to organize them if you keep them for very long.

The best bargain I’ve found in a notebook that’s in any way similar to Field Notes are the Muji A6 pocket notebooks. They’re pretty similar to Field Notes but cost about half as much. I happily recommend them as a nice alternative.

Q7: Raspberry Pi

I’ve read a lot about this Raspberry Pi miniature computer. It seems like really extraordinary technology. I feel like it could be useful for us, but I don’t know how, and, per your advice, I don’t want to buy something (even though this isn’t that expensive) if I don’t have a use for it. Are you familiar with it at all? Do you know what situations it may be best for?
– Nicholas

A Raspberry Pi is a credit card sized relatively low-powered computer that you can buy for around $20 or $30. It basically looks like a circuit board with one to four USB slots and a slot for a SD card and usually a slot for some kind of video output (so you can hook up your television or a computer monitor to it). They typically run some version of Linux.

They are very fun to tinker with and there are some things you can do with them for specific home uses, like making a video game emulator that you can play on your television or a simple home security setup.

The thing to remember with Raspberry Pi stuff is that it’s not nearly as plug-and-play as other home electronics stuff. You’re going to have to tinker with it a lot and you’re probably better off using a guide for the specific project you’re working on, especially at first.

Q8: Local grocery strategy

I currently live in a pretty small town with one grocery store in it. The next nearest grocery store is about an hour away with several options. Unsurprisingly, the one grocery store in this town is pretty expensive. Prices are about 50% higher here in town for pretty much everything.

Most people around here use the local grocery store for a few odds and ends and then do a massive grocery trip in [the nearby town] every few weeks, taking a SUV and a couple of coolers for the cold stuff.

Do you have any ideas about ways to cheapen this strategy?
– Tom

I think the people in your town have hit upon the basics of the best strategy. I think that going to the faraway town once every few weeks and stocking up big on groceries is the way to go.

Having said that, a smart grocery store strategy is going to save you a ton when you’re doing this. Having a clear meal plan along with some plans to make meals in advance and freeze them, then a good grocery list based upon that meal plan is going to be vital. When you can base that meal plan upon a grocery store flyer, you’re doing even better, and when you’re using a discount grocer like Aldi or Fareway, you’re doing even better.

Plan that trip. The time you spend planning at home is going to be time saved when you’re in that grocery store and it’s going to save you a ton of money, too. Don’t feel like you’re “wasting time” spending even a couple of hours planning out this big trip and all of your meal plans. You will recoup that time at the store and in the meal prep time afterwards and you will save hundreds of dollars, too.

Q9: Dumping loyal roommate

For the last six years since college, I’ve shared a two bedroom apartment with a roommate. We get along marvelously, but we’re not close friends. We just do our own things and have arrangements that work really well for both of us.

My younger sister is going to be moving to the area soon and I want to share an apartment with her instead of my current roommate at the end of the lease. What is the best way to go about switching roommates?
– Denise

The best way to go about switching roommates is to find a new apartment for you and your sister and then give your current roommate plenty of notice so that he/she does not sign a new lease for the current apartment without understanding the change.

I’m getting the subtle hint that you want your current roommate to move out to make room for your sister, but it is you that wants a change, not your roommate. The fair way to do this is for you to move out to a new apartment (maybe another one in the same apartment complex) and to give your current roommate enough time to figure out what to do next.

You might be in a situation where you have the legal ability to make this switch, or you might be able to “slip” your sister’s name onto the lease without your roommate’s knowledge, but in doing so you’re going to burn a bridge very hard and likely suffer some serious reputation damage. You might also be facing some rather angry roommate behavior to boot and if you’re not on watertight legal ground, you may end up facing some legal issues. (A friend of mine was sued by a roommate once, so it definitely can happen.)

Do this the right way. It’ll be easier for everyone involved over the long run and run far less risk of serious problems.

Q10: Cheap shoes for running

Do you have any recommendations for cheap running shoes? All shoes at sporting goods store are really expensive.
– Kelly

I think your best approach is to do a lot of homework into running shoes and find one that offers the best bang for the buck rather than buying cheap shoes. Cheap running shoes can cause a lot of foot, ankle, and knee problems that you really don’t want if you’re a runner.

You might want to start with something like this running shoe guide from Runner’s World. Find a few options that are on the low end in terms of cost, and then start shopping around for those shoes. Look at tons of online stores like Zappos and see what the best prices are, then buy from there. Also, check eBay – there are sometimes amazing sales on there.

What I often do is that if I find a model I like, I watch it very carefully for a while on several sites and then buy multiple pairs of that type if they ever go on sale. A few years ago, I bought a bunch of pairs of the same kind of shoe as the model was being discontinued. $10 a pop for my favorite type of shoes is a great bargain.

Q11: Used hair clippers?

I have decided to start cutting my own hair. A friend of mine offered to sell me some hair clippers that he doesn’t use any more for $10. They MSRP for like $80. But are they sanitary? Seems gross to use someone else’s hair clippers.
– Mike

Have you ever been to a barbershop? Every single day, barbers use the same clippers and other equipment to cut a lot of peoples’ hair. They have a simple routine that they use to keep all of their gear clean – mostly, it’s all about washing it.

That’s really all you need to do if you buy these clippers. Wash them thoroughly. Here’s a great guide for cleaning hair clippers, for starters.

This is something you’ll want to do regularly solely to keep the clippers clean for yourself, so it’s a great way to get started and wash away any remnants of your friend’s hair.

Q12: Cheap source for DVDs

Where can I go to buy DVDs cheap?
– Brad

It depends on why you want these DVDs. If you just want to acquire a large collection of random DVDs, your best bet is to watch Craigslist carefully and see if any bulk collections come up. Put in an offer for all of them and you can often get lots and lots of DVDs for $0.50 a pop or lower. You can do the same thing at yard sales – they’ll be $1-2 each but you can buy a bulk of them for pretty cheap if you make an offer.

If you mostly just want to watch a ton of different movies, I recommend checking your local library. They have tons of movies available to borrow for free – you just have to return them in a week or two, depending on the library policy. In my eyes, this is the best way to start because it’s probably not very useful to buy a DVD of a film when you’re not sure it’s something that’s worth rewatching.

The only reason to buy a DVD new is if you’re sure you’ll watch it many times. Other than that, buying them used or borrowing them or renting them is the way to go.

Got any questions? The best way to ask is to follow me on Facebook and ask questions directly there. I’ll attempt to answer them in a future mailbag (which, by way of full disclosure, may also get re-posted on other websites that pick up my blog). However, I do receive many, many questions per week, so I may not necessarily be able to answer yours.

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Millennial Marketing Is So Last Year – How to Reach Generation Z

Over the past few years or so, millennial marketing has received the lion’s share of attention in terms of reaching an age-based demographic.

And it’s easy to see why. “Millennials have $200 billion in buying power.”

But if I’ve learned anything about marketing, it’s that success revolves around perpetual evolution.

Limiting yourself to a certain mindset or set of marketing techniques will only lead to stagnation.

While it’s true that millennials will continue to demand much of our attention for years to come, it’s important to acknowledge the presence of Generation Z—people born after 1995.

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They’re on the rise and already have a significant influence.

Why should you care about generation Z?

Although it wasn’t all that long ago that this generation was still in diapers, things have changed, and they’re growing up quick.

A portion of Generation Z is already in college, and some of them have entered the workforce.

They’re also consumers and currently have $44 billion in buying power.

By 2018, their spending will reach $200 billion. That’s a massive increase in only a short period of time.

What’s even more interesting is their overall influence on spending. In fact, Gen-Zers influence $600 billion in family spending. That’s a lot!

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As of now, Generation Z makes up 26 percent of the population, and by 2020, they’ll account for 40 percent of all consumers.

Think about that for a second. In just a few short years, nearly half of all consumers will be from this generation.

When marketers look at stats like these, it’s easy to see why they’re chomping at the bit to reach this demographic.

Tailoring your marketing campaign to reach Generation Z right now can pay dividends in the long run.

It should also give you a decided edge over competitors that are still primarily focusing on reaching millennials.

So, let’s discuss how you can adjust your marketing efforts to better align this Gen-Zers.

Understanding the psychology of Gen Z

In order to connect with this generation, it’s first necessary to gain an understanding of their mindset and overall mentality.

We need to know what differentiates them from millennials and older generations.

Quite frankly, there are some considerable differences between this age group and the millennial generation.

As you might imagine, Gen-Zers are incredibly tech-savvy.

They’ve never known a world without the Internet, and the overwhelming majority of their media consumption is done online.

They use a variety of different devices, including desktop, laptop, tablet, smartphone, and so on.

It should also come as no surprise that they have short attention spans.

In fact, Bloomberg reports that “this new generation has an eight second attention span, down from 12 seconds in 2000, and 11 percent are diagnosed with attention deficiency syndrome, compared to 7.8 percent in 2003.”

What may come as a surprise is Generation Z’s desire to make the world a better place.

Even though they’re young, they seem to share a collective urgency to have a positive influence on the planet.

Sixty percent of 16- to 19-year-olds want their jobs to impact the world, 26 percent currently volunteer, and 76 percent are concerned about humanity’s impact on the planet.

These numbers are significantly higher than those for millennials, who seem to be far less concerned with having an impact on a global level.

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As a result, companies with strong values and a focus on social responsibility can be appealing to Gen-Zers.

Finally, this generation has a penchant for performing research and “self-educating.”

Thirty-three percent of them watch lessons online; 20 percent read textbooks on their tablets; and 32 percent work with classmates online.

How does this information translate into a marketing approach?

Here are some specific tactics I find to be tremendously valuable when attempting to reach Generation Z.

Gen Z wants videos

I think that, hands down, video content is one of the most effective ways to market to this generation.

Studies have actually found that “93 percent of Gen Z say they visit YouTube at least once a week, and 54 percent visit the site multiple times throughout the day.”

These numbers are a clear indication that video is one of your best bets for getting your brand in front of this demographic.

More specifically, creating videos that serve a purpose and that are educational/entertaining can be highly effective.

The whole concept of “edutainment” is really huge right now, so taking this route can bring about some solid results.

The key is to be relatable and showcase the personality of your brand. If you come across merely as some faceless, overly-corporate company, you won’t have much of an impact.

Gen-Zers want brands they can genuinely connect with.

Just think about successful YouTube stars as a template. They’ve got personality and are great at relating directly to their audiences.

Gen Z isn’t all about Facebook

I think it’s safe to say that Facebook is the marquee social network for many brands.

And why wouldn’t it be? With well over one billion users, Facebook is the ultimate social media titan.

But did you know that a quarter of 13- to 17-year-olds have left Facebook this year?

If this trend continues, Facebook may merely be an afterthought in five years when Gen Z is all grown up.

When it comes to reaching older generations, Facebook is still one of your best bets, and this is likely to remain the case for the foreseeable future.

But when it comes to Generation Z, it’s important you go beyond Facebook and target other networks.

Maybe Facebook is losing its cool factor because so many of Gen Z’s parents are now on it, or maybe it’s because it doesn’t have quite the same appeal as newer networks.

Whatever the reason, your impact with Facebook is likely to be minimal.

Some specific networks that should be on your radar are Instagram, Snapchat, and Vine.

All three feature easily digestible content with images on Instagram and brief clips on all three that users can view in a matter of seconds.

A couple of other lesser known networks you may also want to experiment with are Whisper and Secret—also ideal for those with limited attention spans.

Gen Z likes social causes

As I mentioned earlier, a sizable portion of Gen-Zers are socially conscious and have a genuine desire to have a positive impact.

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As you can see from this graphic, there’s a strong urge to change the world, and many Gen-Zers are passionate about certain causes.

Showing you genuinely care and are committed to a worthy cause can be your ticket to making a connection with this demographic and building brand equity.

If it’s clear you’re in it only for the money, these individuals will see through it, and it’s going to be nearly impossible to gain their respect or trust.

If you haven’t done so already, try to work social good into your marketing campaign and consider becoming active in philanthropy.

One of the best examples of a company that’s great at this is TOMS shoes with their “one for one” concept: they donate a product to a person in need for every product that’s purchased.

They have philanthropy woven into the very fabric of their brand identity and have been wildly successful as a result.

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While you don’t necessarily need to go to this extreme, I would strongly suggest translating that into something your company legitimately cares about.

Gen Z prefers visuals over text

Keeping in line with their inherently short attention spans, it’s clear that long-winded, laborious text-based content just isn’t going to do the trick with Generation Z.

They simply won’t hang around long enough to hear your message.

Remember, this is the first generation that has basically grown up accustomed to auto-correct and emojis.

That’s why you’re way better off sticking with a steady regimen of visual content.

And if you are creating long-form content (like this article), you’ll want to break it up with plenty of images along the way.

Gen Z is on mobile

You should also keep in mind that Gen-Zers use more devices of differing screen sizes than millennials.

In fact, they prefer to use five different screens for multitasking:

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This means your content needs to be mobile-friendly.

If you’re unsure of how to go about this, I recommend checking out this article I wrote on the topic.

Some specific ways to make your content more mobile-friendly include the following:

  • Ditch or simplify pop-ups. Getting hit with irritating pop-ups immediately upon landing on your site can be a deal-breaker for Gen-Zers.
  • Break up your text into smaller paragraphs. Using plenty of white space makes it easier on your readers’ eyes when they are scrolling through content and reduces cognitive overload.
  • Use a lot of subheaders and bullet lists. Generation Z prefers scanning content rather than reading it in its entirety. Highlighting main points in this manner allows them to absorb your content with greater ease.

Gen Z has a short attention…hey, what’s that?

Did I mention that Generation Z has a short attention span?

But seriously, you want to keep your product pitches extremely brief. Otherwise, you’ll lose the majority of your leads.

I think the term “snackable content” captures the essence of what you should be going for.

They don’t want to have to filter through piles and piles of information just to figure out what you’re selling.

Instead, your message needs to be quick, concise, and to the point.

For example, rather than recording a 10-minute video on YouTube, go with a 6-15 second clip on Instagram or Vine.

The good news is that creating content for Generation Z is significantly less time-consuming than it is for millennials or Generation X.

Gen Z is curious

These younger folks have an appetite for knowledge.

They love researching things and learning on their own.

This is actually how many Gen-Zers make their purchasing decisions. They first spend time doing research, learning about the company and determining whether or not a product/service is right for them.

In particular, they enjoy using social media and YouTube for performing research.

You can capitalize on this tendency by creating an archive of content they can use to guide their decision-making. Experimenting with multiple forms of visual-centric media that educates is ideal.

For example, you might create a series of informative brief videos, infographics, slideshows, etc. that will help this younger audience learn more about your product/service.

Gen Z is turned off by salesy stuff

Rather than taking a more old-school—“BUY NOW!”—approach, you’re likely to have much more success educating Generation Z and subtly weaving the ask into your marketing message.

It’s important to note that this younger demographic as a whole really loathes ads.

They’re also incredibly adept at avoiding ads, especially the ones that are completely over-the-top and annoying.

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The bottom line is that screaming your marketing message at the top of your lungs is likely to fall on deaf ears.

Instead, you should have way more success when you educate Gen Z consumers on your product and industry.

You definitely don’t want to come across as a sleazy used cars salesman. It’s more about humanizing your brand and being relatable.

By first gaining Gen-Zers’ interest and trust, you’ll be in a better position to promote your product/service to them and should see some solid conversion rates as a result.

Conclusion

To thrive as a marketer, you need to look to the future and stay on the cutting edge of things.

From a consumer perspective, there’s somewhat of a generational shift that will be happening over the next five years or so.

As Generation Z continues to account for more and more of many companies’ customer bases, it’s important to tailor your marketing campaign accordingly.

Reaching younger consumers requires a different approach and different channels.

By implementing these techniques, you should be able to get your marketing message in front of Generation Z. And more importantly, you should be able to build genuine rapport with them and convert them into actual customers.

How much attention are you currently giving to reaching Generation Z?



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Love YNAB? The App’s Hiring Seasonal Work-From-Home Reps at $13/Hour

Do you know what YNAB stands for?

If you guessed “Young Narcissists Association of Brunei” or “Yodeling Nudists Advancing Ballet,” you can quit reading now.

But if you knew it stood for the name of the popular budgeting app You Need a Budget, then I might have a job for you.

YNAB needs seasonal work-from-home support reps to help the company (and its customers) get through the New Year’s rush.

How to Work From Home for YNAB

To be eligible, you must be a YNAB user who’s “known for being helpful, patient and awesome.”

You should also be a “stellar communicator” who’s “fairly tech savvy” and “wildly productive and independent, but a team-player at heart.”

You’ll work a set schedule of 20-30 hours per week, including four hours on Saturday or Sunday, and earn $13 per hour.

The best part? This seasonal position won’t require you to miss any holidays with your family.

It’s centered around New Year’s resolution season: December 28, 2016 through mid-February 2017.

Ready to help other YNAB fans make their 2017 financial goals come true?

The deadline to apply is October 23, 2016, so get your cover letter and resume ready — then click here to apply!

Your Turn: Are you a YNAB fan?

Susan Shain, senior writer for The Penny Hoarder, is always seeking adventure on a budget. Visit her blog at susanshain.com, or say hi on Twitter @susan_shain.

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Nordstrom is Hiring a Work-From-Home Rep — and Yes, You’d Get a Discount!

You know when you’re on an online shopping spree and get carried away?

Maybe you put in the wrong mailing address, ordered double or simply ordered too much. Then you get on the phone and talk to a *hopefully* nice human who helps you sort everything out again.

Well, you could be that nice human. Nordstrom Rack and HauteLook are looking for a full-time member care representative.

The catch? Well, there is none — except that you get to work from home!

What You’ll Do as a Customer Care Representative

The sites, which are part of the same company, offer designer fashions at more affordable prices. Like any e-commerce brand, it needs representatives to interact with customers.

From the comfort of your home and while wearing in a pair of silky pajamas — if that’s your thing — you’ll handle a high volume of customer calls.

You’ll be expected to answer questions about online accounts, order statuses, return statuses, product information, policies and site navigation. You’ll log all calls and communicate with various levels of leadership.

Thinking About Applying?

You’ll need a number of qualifications, so hold tight. You might be qualified if you…

  • have strong written and verbal communication skills.
  • possess a basic level of mathematical skills.
  • can work under pressure with a sense of urgency while multi-tasking.
  • have “thick skin” and can manage customer complaints.
  • know all about Microsoft Office, various internet browsers and cookies (not the delicious kind).
  • are able to type 35 words per minute. 

You must be able to attend a 10-day training in the Los Angeles office. Then, you’ll head off to your quiet remote space and work 40-hour weeks.

If this sounds like a job you want, apply online on Nordstrom’s careers page. Follow the instructions to create an account, and submit your application.

The Benefits Package

Not only will you be able to work from home, the benefits package isn’t too shabby either.

You’ll get your typical medical, vision and dental coverage and an employer-matched 401(k) plan. It’ll also cover any commuting costs.

The best part, in my opinion? You’ll get discounts across all Nordstrom brands — which you can use for a new pair of work pajamas.

Your Turn: Will you apply for this job?

Carson Kohler (@CarsonKohler) is a junior writer at The Penny Hoarder. After recently completing graduate school, she focuses on saving money — and surviving the move back in with her parents.

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Inspired by Her Dogs, She Tried Selling on Etsy… and Made $100K+ Last Year

Renters missing out on energy savings worth hundreds

UK renters are missing out on savings worth £349 per year on average, because they didn’t know they could switch suppliers.

UK renters are missing out on savings worth £349 per year on average, because they didn’t know they could switch suppliers.

Research by comparison website MoneySuperMarket, has found that almost half (49%) of the nation’s renters were not given any information about their energy provider at the start of their tenancy.

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Mobile networks ditch unlocking charges

Pay monthly mobile phone users will be able to unlock their handsets for free once their contract expires, under new standards agreed by UK mobile phone networks.

Pay monthly mobile phone users will be able to unlock their handsets for free once their contract expires, under new standards agreed by UK mobile phone networks.

The move could save consumers £48 million per year, based on estimates from comparison website uSwitch. Unlocking a handset typically costs about £20.

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Graduates face longer wait for state pension under reform plan

A two-tier state pension is being considered by the government, under which workers will receive a full provision of £155.65 for 45 years of national insurance contributions.

A two-tier state pension is being considered by the government, under which workers will receive a full provision of £155.65 for 45 years of national insurance contributions.

The controversial plans would be a blow for graduates, who would be forced to work longer than those in blue-collar jobs.

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Leave your money to the grandkids, says Minister

Parents should skip a generation and help their grandchildren get on the property ladder, the housing minister has said.

Parents should skip a generation and help their grandchildren get on the property ladder, the housing minister has said.

Gavin Barwell said that his own mother plans to leave her estate, which includes a £750,000 home, to her five grandchildren.

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Saving for College? Here’s What You Need to Know About 529 Plans

Debt, money and pensions guidance to be provided by new body

Consumers will be able to find the help they need more easily on key financial matters with the creation of a new guidance body, the government says.

Consumers will be able to find the help they need more easily on key financial matters with the creation of a new guidance body, the government says.

The Economic Secretary and the Minister for Pensions have announced plans to develop a new single public financial guidance body, which is responsible for delivering debt, money, and pensions guidance to the public.

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The Disney Savings Account: Is There a Better Way to Save for Your Dream Vacation?

While there’s no denying that Disney vacations are expensive, there are plenty of ways to save money on your trip. Stay in an off-site condo instead of a hotel, for example, and you can make your own meals while scoring a lower nightly rate. Use credit card rewards to book your hotel or flights, and you can whittle down the costs of your trip tremendously. Visit the park for multiple days and your average daily cost for park tickets will plummet.

While all of this is true, a Disney World vacation is still never cheap. One-day tickets start at around $100, and you still have to pay for transportation, stay somewhere nearby, and keep the family fed and entertained. Plus, there are a number of add-ons that can make a trip to Disney World or Disneyland considerably more expensive – things like character dinners, souvenirs, and Park Hopper passes.

Simply put, a trip to Disney World is an expense you need to start planning for – and saving for – ahead of time.

The Benefits of a Disney Vacation Account

And it’s the huge expense of a Disney vacation that has people going to great lengths to save. To get an idea of how much a full-fledged Disney vacation will cost, you can use their website cost estimator.

For my family of four to take a five-day vacation with four days at the park, spending $200 per day on food, $1,200 on airfare, and $300 in miscellaneous spending, Disney estimates our trip would cost around $4,760. If we started saving $200 per month now, it would take two full years to save enough for our trip!

disney-vacation-account

To save up enough cash, many families set up a dedicated Disney Vacation Account. Similar to a traditional savings account, Disney vacation accounts allow you to stash money away incrementally over time.

With a Disney Vacation Account, you can estimate your vacation costs, create a savings plan, track your progress, and pay for your trip. For added convenience, you can load your account with debit cards, credit cards, and even Disney gift cards purchased yourself or received as a gift.

disney-vacation-account-2

This last part is a huge perk. If you receive Disney gift cards over the holidays, for example, you can load them into your Disney account and track them all in one place. If you have a rewards-earning credit card and can score “extra points” on Disney gift cards, on the other hand, you can build your vacation account and boost your rewards at the same time.

As an added bonus, there are no fees for maintaining or setting up a Disney vacation account. Plus, you’ll get a $20 Disney gift card for every $1,000 you spend on qualified vacation purchases, provided your account is open at least 120 days (with a total household limit of $500 in gift cards). That’s a nice 2% kickback, though it’s only valid for Disney purchases.

The plan also offers an automatic savings program that will auto-debit your account until you reach your goal. And if your trip plans fall through at any time, you can receive a refund in your original form of payment at any time.

The Downside of a Disney Vacation Account

Unfortunately, the benefits of using a Disney Vacation account end right about there. Beyond the fact you can pool gift cards and park your cash in one place, there are few ways a Disney Vacation Account can actually help you.

First off, Disney Vacation Accounts don’t pay any interest on your deposits. If you’re saving several thousand dollars for a few years or longer, this is an important distinction to make. With a high-yield savings account, you could earn interest on your money and grow your savings faster. With a Disney Vacation Account, on the other hand, financial benefits are limited to the $20 in Disney gift cards you get for every $1,000 you spend on a qualified vacation package.

Another downside is the lack of flexibility Disney Vacation Accounts offer. Most notably, you can only use money saved in these accounts to book Disney World vacation packages. If you found a cheap hotel deal outside of the park, for example, you would be unable to use your Disney Vacation account funds to cover the expense. A vacation condo outside of the resort? You’ll have to pay for that with money saved elsewhere, too.

You can use your Disney account funds to cover air and ground transportation, but only if booked as part of a Disney vacation package. So, if you shop around and find a better deal on standalone airfare through Kayak or Priceline, you wouldn’t be able to use your Disney Vacation account funds to cover it.

The absolute worst part about the Disney Vacation Account, however, at least in my mind, is the fact you can’t actually use your funds once you arrive at the park. While you can book and prepay for a Disney meal plan before you start your vacation, you can’t use the money to pay for other food purchases while you’re there. And if you charge anything to your room at the resort, you can’t use your Disney Vacation account funds to cover it.

Skip the Disney Vacation Account, and Do This Instead

While saving up for the huge expense of a Disney trip is definitely a smart move, there are better ways to leverage your funds than setting up a Disney Vacation Account. In fact, the best option for your money is a high-yield savings account.

With a traditional or online savings account, you will earn interest on every deposit you make. This interest can help your savings keep up with inflation and, of course, boost your balance over time.

Another benefit from opening a traditional savings account instead of a dedicated Disney account is that you can use the funds to construct any type of Disney vacation you choose. With your money parked in a regular account, you can shop around for the best deals and cheapest flights, potentially book an off-site hotel to save money, and use your savings to cover food and entertainment spending during your trip. And, of course, if there’s money left in the account after your vacation, it’s yours to spend any way you want.

In my eyes, the Disney Vacation Account is nothing more than a feel-good ploy. They offer a convenient place to stash your money, but hardly any benefits to make doing so worthwhile. If you’re heading to Walt Disney World or Disneyland, or planning any other type of Disney trip, you’ll be a lot better off saving your money in a targeted account that earns interest and lets you remain in control.

Holly Johnson is an award-winning personal finance writer who is obsessed with frugality, budgeting, and travel. She blogs at ClubThrifty.com and teaches others how to write online at EarnMoreWriting.com.

Related Articles:

How do you save for your Disney vacations? Have you ever used a Disney Vacation Account?

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Canada’s Turning 150 and It’s Celebrating With an Awesome Travel Freebie

Starting a Clothing Line From Home: Interview with Lisa Springsteel Dupré

Are you a creative individual who has an innate sense of style and form? If so, you could work from home as a fashion designer. Read on to see what industry expert, Lisa Springsteel Dupré has to say about becoming a fashion designer and how her business, Launch Your Collection can help you get started. Tell […]

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