Stroudsburg business couple get prison for illegal money transfers

A former couple who admitted using their Monroe County financial services business to transfer hundreds of thousands of dollars in drug profits overseas will serve time in federal prison.German Ossa-Rocha, 50, and Mirela Desouza, 46, both of Bangor, pleaded guilty to crimes related to a conspiracy with others to use Tropical Express, a money wiring business they owned in Stroudsburg, to illegally transfer nearly $340,000 to the Dominican Republic.U.S. District Judge Robert D. [...]

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Martin Guitar manages trademarks

NAZARETH/PRNewswire/ — C.F. Martin & Co., Inc. (Martin Guitar) located in Nazareth, Pa. has announced it has regained ownership of three of its trademarks in China."I look forward to the opportunity to legitimately market the Martin Guitar brand in a very enthusiastic market," CEO and Chairman Chris Martin IV said in a press release.For more than 180 years, Martin Guitar has been recognized internationally for producing high quality [...]

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Zillow Zestimate vs. Reality: How Much Is My House Worth?

Almost everyone these days begins their search for a new home inside their old home. That is, if you’re looking to buy (or sell) a house, you’re very likely lying on the couch with your phone or a laptop, looking at some online real estate websites like Zillow, Redfin or Trulia – or entering your home’s information on the sites.

And while you’re poring over pictures of homes and examining numbers such as how many bedrooms or square feet a home has, the one number you’ll pay the most attention to is the price. That makes sense. If you’re selling your home, you obviously want to have an idea of what your home might fetch on the market before you list it or get too far along in your own home search – after all, why fall in love with a house that’s way out of your price range?

But many real estate experts say you shouldn’t pay too much attention to the home value estimates that real estate websites offer. In fact, even their very own executives have admitted that their online value estimates should be taken with a grain of salt.

Zillow, for instance, has said that its Zestimate tool has a median error rate of 8%. Of course, that sounds pretty good – a 92% success rate? But when homes cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, 8% matters: No one wants to overpay by $24,000 — or 8% on a $300,000 home. Plus, this is the median we’re talking about. In some parts of the country, the error rate will be even less and in others, quite a bit higher.

So when you use those home estimation evaluation calculators, remember three things:

1. These home value calculators rely on a formula.

The formulas are generally based on a set of factors, such as square footage and prior sales of other homes in the neighborhood. That said, homes are generally imperfect, as you know if you live in a home that’s been beat up over the years by you, your kids, and your pets.

That’s why many real estate agents have come to dislike real estate websites’ home evaluation calculators.

“There is no human interaction involved in coming up with these estimates. They’re based solely on an algorithm, with no one to determine the validity of them,” says Bill Golden, an Atlanta-based independent real estate agent with RE/Max Metro Atlanta Countryside.

Golden is also unimpressed with the numbers used in the algorithm. “The sites use a formula based on location and square footage, as reported by tax rolls, which are notoriously incorrect,” he says.

2. Online estimates miss the details of a home.

As noted, these tools can’t tell if your house is extremely lived in. They don’t know if a house or condo is covered in 1950s wallpaper, or if it was once a meth lab, or has 80-year-old wiring.

On the flip side, if you’ve recently renovated your kitchen and bathroom or added a $25,000 deck in your backyard, all of those improvement would bump up your home’s value — but the online estimators have no idea.

“The price that’s listed does not include upgrades, amenities, the current condition, or neighborhood irregularities. All of these are items that will reflect what buyers are willing to pay,” says Chantay Bridges, a real estate agent in Los Angeles.

And even if a house has three or four bedrooms, you don’t know if all of them are comfortable bedrooms that you’d want to sleep in — or if they more closely resemble a closet.

3. These calculators are a guideline, and that’s all.

This is common sense, and easy to tell yourself, but not always easy to remember if you’re getting dollar signs in your eyes believing your net worth is climbing or your home will sell for much more than you initially thought.

“Use the internet to do homework and help you learn about types of properties in which you may be interested and areas that intrigue you, but don’t get married to the values presented or even to specific listings,” Golden advises.

So… How Much Is My House Worth?

What should you do, then, if you’re selling your house and aren’t sure of its value? Golden naturally puts in a good word for his profession: He recommends you consult a real estate agent familiar with the area who can tell you the actual value of your home. But he also says you could bring in an appraiser.

Bridges is even more harsh in her assessment of online calculators that tell you what your home is worth. “The estimates… give consumers false hope… It’s a fantasy without any real substance,” she says.

She advises thinking of such home value estimates the way you would if you were looking for a potential Mr. or Ms. Right.

“You’re taking your chances just as if you were engaging in online dating,” Bridges says. “Just because the profile makes them look like a good catch, doesn’t necessarily mean they are.”

Related Articles

• How Much Does It Cost to Sell a House?
• Five Things You Should Know About Working With a Mortgage Broker
• How Much House Can I Afford?

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The Best Deals on Holiday Toys are Hidden in Target’s Cartwheel App

If no one could sleep in your house last weekend, it’s because Target’s Holiday Toy Spectacular ad showed up with the Sunday paper.

This thing’s got 79 pages of discounted products arranged in such a way your children are likely to ask for at least one-third of the items in the book (non-scientific guess).

Sorry, parents.

But there’s a way to save even more on Target’s holiday toy deals. Each day until Christmas Eve, you can get 50% off the year’s hottest toys.

How to Save on Toys at Target

Download the Target Cartwheel app or head to the desktop site and check out the “Hot Gifts for Cool Kids” section between Nov. 1 and Dec. 24 for 50% off a different toy every day.

Visit every day to see each special, add it to your Cartwheel and scan your digital or printed barcode at checkout to get the discount.

Can’t handle the suspense? Haven’t made your shopping list for the holidays yet? Try not to stress — with a different deal each day, you’re almost guaranteed to score something good.

I guess it’s time to start listening to what the kids are asking for this year. Your watchful eye on Cartwheel could mean a few extra pennies in your pocket come Dec. 26.

Your Turn: Which toys do you hope are discounted on Cartwheel this holiday season?

Lisa Rowan is a writer and producer at The Penny Hoarder.

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If You Bought a PlayStation 3 Before 2010, Sony May Owe You $55

If you purchased a PlayStation 3 between 2006 and 2010, you may be able to collect $55 from Sony.

The settlement is the result of a class-action lawsuit against the video-game console maker. Sony Computer Entertainment America allegedly pushed a firmware update that disabled the “Other OS” functionality on the original-model (or “fat”) PlayStation3.

“The Other OS function enabled users to run Linux as an alternative operating system on Fat PS3s,” the settlement website explains.

The fat PS3 Sony was replaced in 2009 by a slim console.

How to Get Up to $55 from Sony

To receive $55, you must submit a claim with proof of purchase and proof that you used the “Other OS” feature on your console.

While some class-action settlements simply require you to state you are one of the affected consumers, this process is a little more complex.

If you want to claim $55, you must show proof of purchase via a sales receipt or by providing the serial number and login for the PS3 you purchased during the applicable time period.

You must also show proof you purchased Linux and installed it on your fat PS3; alternately, you may share a screenshot or photo showing Linux operating on your fat PS3, proof you downloaded a version of Linux before April 1, 2010 or “any other documentary proof that you used the Other OS before April 1, 2010 that the Settlement Administrator reasonably determines to be valid.”

Good luck digging up that evidence if you sold your PS3 a long time ago or received it as a gift.

Can’t Get Organized? You can Still Get $9

If you only have proof of purchase but can argue you intended to use the “Other OS” function, you can still get paid.

The $9 option requires only sharing your proof of purchase or Fat PS3 serial number and login, and a statement that you knew about the “Other OS” feature and intended to use it.

You must submit your claim by Dec. 7, 2016. You can expect your payment about 40 days after the final approval hearing on Jan. 24, 2017, but only if there are no appeals, which will drag out the process.

Your Turn: Do you have a fat PlayStation 3? Will you submit a claim?

Lisa Rowan is a writer and producer for The Penny Hoarder. She’s an N64 kind of girl, honestly.

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The Disney Store is Hiring Right Now — and You’ll Get to Work From Home

I feel like you’re all getting to know way too much about me.

So why stop now?

Here’s yet another confession: I’ve never really been to Disney.

I say “really” because my parents took me once when I was 2. They said it rained the whole time, and I cried. I asked my mom to describe it in one word.

“Washout,” she said.

However, I wasn’t completely deprived — I loved The Disney Store. The store had a big tree in the center of all of the magical toys and costumes, and “The Bear Necessities” from “The Jungle Book” seemed to always be playing on the big screen in the back. To this day, the store hooks me in.

But it’s not just me; the store is always crowded. That’s probably why The Disney Store is hiring part-time, work-from-home guest services representatives — or “cast members.”

Yes, you can work for Disney — from home, and without wearing a sweaty costume!

What It Takes to Work for The Disney Store

Let’s get the logistics aside. This is a part-time, non-exempt, work-from-home job.

Positions are available in Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nevada, South Carolina and Texas.

Your primary responsibility?

“Create magical moments for guests of all ages,” the listing states. This means you’ll answer inbound calls and emails from customers. Sometimes your supervisor will have you make an outbound call, but there’s no note of cold-calling.

You’ll help these customers find solutions to issues, all while offering up a fun and entertaining experience. We’re not saying you need to break out your Donald Duck voice, but it doesn’t sound like it’d be frowned upon.

In order to handle all of this, you need to be able to effectively communicate via phone and email, juggle multiple tasks and work part as a part of your guest services team. And because this is a work-from-home job, you’ll also need access to a reliable, high-speed internet connection.

You should be open to working evenings, weekends and holidays. The Disney Store also wants someone who has previous customer service or retail experience and a high school diploma or equivalent.

Interested? You can apply to become a guest services representative on Disney’s career page. Note: You’ll have to make an account to apply.

Not into working for Disney? You can find more work-from-home jobs on our Facebook jobs page.

Your Turn: Will you apply to work from home for Disney?

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.

The post The Disney Store is Hiring Right Now — and You’ll Get to Work From Home appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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The Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Scannable Content

Rarely do people read content from beginning to end.

Maybe it’s because of our “microwave,” instant gratification culture. Maybe it’s because millions of other articles are vying for people’s attention.

Or maybe it’s because reading from screens takes about 25% longer than reading from paper. Research has even indicated that readers experience an unpleasant feeling when reading online text.

Whatever the case may be, it’s crucial to take the right approach when writing for online readers—a new approach.

There’s a certain art to digital writing that differs significantly from writing traditional paper text.

If you expect to convert more of your audience into actual customers, you need to crack the code.

You need to switch up your game plan.

In my early days of writing, I didn’t realize this. I had an eye for visual appeal, but I was unsure of how this applied to blogging. There I was, blogging away every day without realizing how people were viewing my articles.

Now, I have a better idea of how people interact with written content online.

What you’re viewing right now is a result of my research and testing.

It’s about scannable content.

What you’re up against

First, let me set the stage for the idea of scannable content.

Did you know that 55% of people spend fewer than 15 seconds actively on a page?

That’s not ideal when your goal is to keep visitors exploring and to get them interested in your product/service/brand.

You’ve got only a small window to grab their attention and motivate them to read your content. And it’s not realistic to expect visitors to read it in its entirety. Hardly anyone does that anymore.

In fact, research on the way people read websites found that only 16% of their subjects read a webpage word by word. Most participants—79% of the test subjects—scanned new pages they came across.

The takeaway is that less than two out of 10 people will actually read an entire blog post. The vast majority will be highly selective about what they read and will merely scan through it.

Another interesting thing is that just because content gets shared doesn’t mean reading engagement increases.

Chartbeat analyzed 10,000 articles shared on social media and found “that there was no relationship whatsoever between the amount a piece of content is shared and the amount of attention an average reader will give that content.”

This graph illustrates this phenomenon:

What’s the solution?

It’s simple. You need to become adept at writing scannable content. This is what the modern digital reader is looking for (whether they consciously know it or not).

What exactly is scannable content?

According to Forbes,

“scannable content is short, sweet and to the point. Sentences and paragraphs are brief. Bold text and bullet points highlight key points. Links to other content are used to provide your readers with supplemental information.”

This writing format is geared toward 21st century readers, who primarily read content on a screen as opposed to a book or any other print publication.

It’s specifically tailored to streamline the way readers absorb information to keep them interested.

And it works.

Dr. Jakob Nielsen even found that scannable online content boosted readability by 57%. If you’re used to conventional writing (e.g., large blocks of text), you need to throw that approach out the window.

You need to embrace scannability. Fortunately, there’s a step-by-step process you can follow.

1. Write short paragraphs

You might have noticed that I prefer to use short paragraphs in my content.

Really short. In fact, a lot of my paragraphs are only a single sentence in length.

That’s not by accident.

I would say that this technique is perhaps the most important when it comes to creating scannable content.

Allow me to provide you with an example. Here’s a large, ugly block of text:

You probably find yourself straining your eyes to read through it.

And here’s some text broken down into much smaller, more digestible chunks:

Which do you find more aesthetically pleasing and easier to read?

I would bet you’d say the second one.

It’s broken up in a way that allows you to move seamlessly from one point to the next without it taxing your brain in the process.

The key is to include only one idea per paragraph and make it a maximum of four sentences. However, I try to stick with just one to three.

Remember that white space is your friend, so use plenty of it to break up text into smaller chunks.

2. Keep your sentences short

There’s no reason to drag your content out by writing long-winded sentences and using PhD-level vocabulary words that only the academic elite will understand.

You need to remember that your audience will consist of a lot of different readers with varying levels of education (and vocabulary).

If readers have to continually check the dictionary just to understand what you’re trying to say, it defeats the whole purpose.

That’s why you’re better off keeping your sentences fairly brief and not getting overly wordy just for the sake of sounding smart.

As a rule of thumb, any more than 16 words per sentence is too long.

Be practical, and try to simplify complex information as much as possible so that everyone can understand it. “Dumb it down” if you have to, but keep the value high.

3. Follow the four-syllable rule

A simple strategy to ensure your writing isn’t wordy is to avoid using any words with more than four syllables.

For instance, you would want to stay away from:

• Unintelligibly
• Appropriation
• Lackadaisical

You get the idea.

Your readers should be able to maneuver their way through your content without becoming exhausted during the process.

4. Use subheaders

Most readers won’t be interested in every single point of your article.

Instead, most readers would prefer to bounce around to seek out the few pieces of key information that interest them the most.

You can accommodate this desire by including several subheaders throughout the body of your content.

This breaks it down in a logical way that makes your content “flow.”

If you read posts from any of my blogs including Quick Sprout, Crazy Egg, and Neil Patel, you’ll notice that I take full advantage of subheaders.

They serve as a quick and easy way to locate main points and accelerate the scanning process. Just make sure that each subheader encapsulates what the following paragraphs cover.

Also, try not to get too clever or cute about it. Instead, keep your subheadings simple and practical.

5. Use bullet points

Who doesn’t love bullet points? I know I do.

They seamlessly break down information so readers can extract key data without having to think too much about it.

Here’s a good example of bullet points used to perfection:

Rather than writing out your list in a sentence, separating your points by commas, create a bullet list, and your readers will love you for it.

6. Sprinkle in images

Images serve two distinct purposes.

First, they serve as an eye candy and fulfill your reader’s subconscious desire for visual stimuli.

Second, they provide periodic breaks between blocks of text.

Both help keep readers on your site for longer and encourage them to engage with your content.

I try to throw in an image at least every few paragraphs or so because I know the images I use enrich my content with information and add validity to my points.

I recommend using data-driven pictures (like graphs) or images to serve as examples, rather than merely using “placeholders,” because these will really add to the overall depth of your content.

7. Add links to external sources

To add authority and credibility to your writing, it’s a good idea to include quotes, data points, graphs, etc. from reliable sources.

I do this with pretty much every piece of content I write. It backs up my argument and proves that I’m not just pulling statistics out of thin air.

But since it’s not practical to include every gory detail, you’ll want to simply include a key sentence or two and insert a link to the original source.

If your readers wish to learn more about a certain topic you cover, they can simply visit the link. As a result, this won’t bog down your content with extraneous information.

8. Create lists

I love lists.

There’s something about breaking down content in a logical, sequential order I find satisfying. It keeps things neat and tidy.

Apparently, I’m not alone.

A study performed by Buzzsumo and Okdork analyzed over 100 million articles to determine which received the most shares. According to their findings, lists were the second most shareable format (only infographics were shared more).

If you really want to maximize the scannability of your content, use plenty of lists.

I’m not saying do this for every single piece of content you create because it will become redundant, but 50% or so should be a good number to shoot for.

Lists are a great weapon to have in your arsenal because they lend themselves to being scanned naturally.

Conclusion

Creating scannable content has arguably never been more important than it is today.

By accommodating the modern online reader and presenting information in a streamlined, visually appealing way, you can improve the reader’s experience.

This technique is also effective for preventing “cognitive overload,” which can drain a reader’s mental energy.

The end result is happier readers who spend more time on your site and who are more likely to convert.

Can you think of any additional techniques for making content more scannable?

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Questions About Rechargeable Batteries, Child Guardians, Socks, Benjamin Franklin, 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. AAA alternatives?
2. Roth IRA for younger investor
3. Using Disney rewards credit card
4. Automated percentage savings
5. Switching to rechargeable batteries
6. Reality of quilting business?
7. Rustproofing recommendations
8. When to throw out socks?
9. Ben Franklin and success
10. Choosing guardians for my children
11. Finding new tax preparer
12. Productivity or time management books?

The most frustrating aspect of my life is that there is no such thing as a routine week. A week doesn’t go by without something incredibly disruptive to the ordinary flow of a day.

One day, I’m pulled out of bed in the middle of the night by a puking child. There have been four different visits to the doctor’s office. I have to spend two days going to another state on an emergency trip. Family members visit and stay for parts of four days, disrupting every normal household routine. That’s just in one single six day period.

There are times when I find it practically impossible to establish new routines and habits because my life is tossed so many curveballs and twists and turns all the time.

I haven’t yet found a magic solution for any of it, but I do know it’s frustrating to feel like you’re constantly juggling your work routines and life routines to fit the needs of everyone else. It’s a frustration I’ve felt almost constantly for the last four months or so.

Q1: AAA alternatives?

I hope you’ll mention alternative road service providers, such as The Better World Club. AAA spends a lot of members’ money on anti-environmental and/or pro auto industry lobbying that few people are aware of and many might disagree with. Even the Car Talk guys recommend looking elsewhere for this reason. While AAA has saved my bacon on more than one occasion, I also had an extremely bad experience with them, which, combined with the aforementioned misallocation of resources, prompted me to quit. In the Internet age, some of their ancillary services, like free maps, tour books, and tour guide services, are a lot less valuable than they once were. Initially I worried about losing discounts on hotels, Amtrak, and other services, but in the decade or so I’ve been away, I’ve only missed these perks maybe half a dozen times. Amtrak, ironically, offers no comparable non-AAA discounts that I’m aware of, but many hotels and such do.
– Nathan

I get many such emails criticizing specific groups and companies and I rarely include them in the mailbag because they’re usually hard to verify, but with this one, I was able to track down the surprising amount of lobbying that AAA does.

They’ve lobbied Congress in the past to raise the gas tax to build more highways but not raise gas taxes to improve conservation efforts. They also opposed the Clean Air Act, among many other stances.

They seem to spend a lot of money and effort on quiet political activism, which is something I didn’t know about the AAA before this. Regardless of your feelings on the stances they’ve taken, it’s worthwhile to note that they do spend significant money on political activism and not on features of AAA membership like roadside assistance or other consumer assistance programs.

Q2: Roth IRA for younger investor

I am a youngling just about to turn 25. My company provides a 3% match in a Vanguard SIMPLE IRA which I have taken for 2 years thus far. I am planning on paying off my debt next year and would like to begin building up retirement savings. I also have some funds with Betterment in regular investing. I have been told that while I am in a lower bracket, it is best to invest in Roth IRA’s which is what I plan to do.

Do you suggest I go with Vanguard, Betterment, or other? And if I do Vanguard, how do you suggest I invest my funds in both the SIMPLE and Roth? (Roth allows ETFs?)

My current Vanguard setup is with 3 funds, but $25/fund are eaten up by fees. I only have about $4,500 so far, but will have closer to $7,500 next summer after I receive my employer match (sadly on an annual basis rather than monthly). Would you suggest a better setup, i.e. fewer funds? I’m currently mixed up with a 2055 retirement fund, Total Stock Market Fund, and International Stock Market Fund. Roughly a 40/50/10 % allocation, respectively. 95% stock 5% Bond.

Any guidance would be appreciated and considered. I am an accountant, but I don’t know much about retirement planning aside from the general advice that we hear all the time – fewer eggs in one basket, lower fees, etc. And it would seem that advice with Funds would be slightly different than advice with individual stocks.
– Stephen

I’ve been a happy Vanguard customer for many years and I think their funds are a great value, so Vanguard is going to get my recommendation when it comes to an investment house. I have my own Roth IRA with them, with all of the money in that IRA invested in a Target Retirement Fund.

Here’s a summary of the fees that Vanguard charges with tips on how to avoid them. If you sign up for electronic delivery of statements and migrate your holdings to a single fund (like a Target Retirement Fund) for now, you’ll wipe out most of those fees, and the remaining ones will go away once your balance reaches $50,000. You can re-diversify once your balance is higher.

I think that if you’re wanting to handle your own diversification across multiple funds, you’re better off not having a Target Retirement Fund involved in the mix. The point of a Target Retirement fund is that it balances itself toward the retirement date you select; if you don’t like how it’s balanced, then you’re involved enough that you should be selecting the funds yourself. Honestly, if I were you, this far out, I’d have all of it in the stock funds evenly split between them (or something close) and then move some of it into bond funds much further down the road. I don’t see what benefit having that third Target Retirement fund in there is giving you at this point, since you desire your own balancing.

Q3: Using Disney rewards credit card

I am a newcomer to using credit cards for rewards and I am looking for a way to lessen the expense to disney world for my family of 5. I have already booked our trip as a package to stay on site at disney world but I have not paid for it in full. If I get the Barclay travel card or another travel card and pay for the trip with that card will the card let me use its rewards as a statement credit toward my account?
– Lana

There are many different rewards cards out there with different strategies for redemption. The Disney Visa card from Chase, for example, pays out rewards in the form of a gift card that you can use on site when you get there – here’s the details on that.

If you get a travel card that’s intended to help with the cost of the stay, you’re going to need to make sure you can actually apply it to the trip. I’m not sure whether or not you’ll be able to apply any points or rewards you earn at this point.

I think your best bet for helping with your trip – the one I’m sure will help at this point – is the Chase Disney card above, as you can redeem those rewards for gift cards that work on-site at Disney World.

Q4: Automated percentage savings

I run a small business and would love a way to automatically save (from my business revenues) X PERCENTAGE (not DOLLAR amount) AUTOMATICALLY to a separate savings account. ie:

$1,000 comes in via revenues/customer purchases
$100 goes out to this external online savings account that is harder to touch/withdraw from (use it for a savings goal like House purchase deposit, etc)
$900 goes off to the normal biz checking account

I cannot find any way to do as I mention above automatically and % based, only dollar amount. So as a small biz owner with monies fluctuating each month, rather than me just put a dollar amount of my paycheck aside each month, I want to take a % off the top each month before I see/get antsy to spend it, and set it aside.

Thanks for letting me know if you know such a way!
– Carlos

There isn’t an easy way to do this that I’m aware of, though it seems like a feature that an online bank could implement pretty easily. I looked through the information I had on a bunch of online banks and none of them seemed to have a feature anywhere close to this.

My income is somewhat variable as well. My strategy for automated savings is to do it on an automated basis based on a very low end estimate of my income, then I occasionally go in and manually move some more over to savings. Without some kind of percentage-based system, I don’t really trust any other method.

Q5: Switching to rechargeable batteries

Is it better to switch all of the batteries in the house to rechargeable batteries all at once or to do it slowly? I have some Amazon credit and realized how much we spend on batteries so I was thinking of using the credit to buy a charger and a bunch of AA and AAA batteries. Brand recommendations while I’m at it?
– Adrian

It’s better to switch everything all at once, but that does not mean going through your house and pulling perfectly good batteries out of devices. Instead, buy enough batteries to cover all of your needs and as the current ones die out, replace them with rechargeables.

If you have some extra unused non-rechargeable batteries in drawers, you may want to use them first before switching to the rechargeables. Leaving the non-rechargeables in a drawer means that they’ll eventually lose charge and go bad; use them now while they still have maximum value.

Aside from that, I’m completely on board the rechargeable battery train. I recommend using eneloop rechargeable batteries, made by Sanyo.

Q6: Reality of quilting business?

My grandmother has made quilts her entire life and owns a huge longarm quilting machine. I am the only grandchild who has been interested in her quilting and so recently she told me she was no longer going to make quilts because of her declining vision and offered to give me the machine. She says she will help me learn how to use it and walk me through some simple patterns.

While I wouldn’t mind being able to make a few quilts for friends and family, the quilting machine is going to take up a lot of room in my apartment. I live in a one room studio and the quilting machine and other materials would probably take up a quarter of the space.

So now I’m trying to assess the reality of doing this as a business. I don’t want to fill a quarter of my apartment with something that just sits there and making quilts for the sake of making quilts is expensive.

You can sell quilts for a lot on etsy but they’re really good quilts made with a skill level and an eye for design that I don’t yet have if I ever will.

Just hoping for some insights or food for thought here.
– Violet

More than anything, I think the question comes down to you. Does this quilting business seem like something you personally want to do and would enjoy, or is it something you’re doing because it feels like “tradition” or because you’re pleasing your grandmother?

In other words, without the presence of your grandmother, would you be considering starting a quilting business if an appropriate quilting machine dropped on your lap? Is it something you personally get a lot of enjoyment from?

If it is, then dive in. You’ll make some money from it and you’ll get a lot of personal enjoyment along the way. If it’s not something you love, then you might not want to do this.

Q7: Rustproofing recommendations

Is rustproofing a worthwhile investment in a car? Does it matter based on how far north you live? Recommendations?
– Charles

I think it depends on a lot of different factors, including your climate. The further north you live, the more exposure your car is going to have to the salts and other materials that are put on roads to make them passable in the winter months, which means a greater chance of rust. On the other hand, newer cars already come with pretty good corrosion protection built into them so that they won’t rust very easily – they certainly can rust, but it just takes a lot longer than with older cars.

My sense, after doing some reading on the subject, is that if you live in an area where there are only one or two (or fewer) winter storms a year, it’s probably not worth your money. If you live further north where winter storms are a regular occurrence, then rustproofing is probably worthwhile if you plan on owning the car for more than a couple of years.

My recommendation is to have someone local and trusted apply it and choose the drip oil spray option. Then, park the car in a place where dripping oil won’t be a problem for a couple of days.

Q8: When to throw out socks?

Hubby keeps wearing socks until they’re embarrassing. I throw them out when I get the chance but he gets mad if he finds them gone. When should socks be thrown away?
– Jenny

I don’t think there’s a hard and fast time to throw socks away. Different people will have different feelings on the subject and there’s nothing right or wrong about it.

Wearing a sock with a hole in it around the house isn’t a major disaster, in my opinion. I do it sometimes, as does my wife. I keep a few pairs with just a hole or two around for “house socks” to wear when I don’t plan to leave the property.

I do tend to avoid socks with holes in them when I leave home, though.

Q9: Ben Franklin and success

Found this article from The Atlantic: How America Lost Track of Benjamin Franklin’s Definition of Success. Thought you and your readers might enjoy it!
– Daniel

Basically, Benjamin Franklin retired early, at age 42, from his printing business. He had used the proceeds of that business to invest in many different things, so he was actually financially independent at that point and could spend the rest of his life doing whatever he wished. It is during that later period that he did virtually everything he was famous for – his experiments with electricity and his work as a statesman all occurred during his early retirement.

It’s a really good article and it brings up the powerful question of why relatively few people follow Ben’s example today. What changed?

I think the biggest thing that changed is that people have a much, much higher expectation of standard of living today than they had in Ben Franklin’s day. The idea of a utility bill didn’t exist back then. Neither did most loans, at least in the modern sense, as banking as we think of it today didn’t really exist. Most people lived in very humble homes with dirt floors and heated them with wood they chopped themselves.

It was a different life, one that didn’t involve a constant outflow of money and one that didn’t involve debt approaching six figures to have a craftsman’s job.

Wonderful article, well worth reading.

Q10: Choosing guardians for my children

I am a 26 year old single mother of three. Their father died of an undiagnosed heart condition two years ago. Thankfully we had life insurance and I have a good job so we are actually really financially stable.

I am struggling with guardianship issues. When I initially revised my will after my husband’s death, I instinctively put my parents down as guardians for my children. Since then, my father has begun to show early signs of ALS so I do not want to have that burden on their shoulders.

I have two older siblings. One is married with one child of their own, but they do not have much money and they seem to struggle with staying employed. The other is single with a very successful career. Both have said that they will happily take on guardianship.

How do I decide which one is the right choice?
– Anna

This is a decision that Sarah and I struggled with for a long time and, after having listed several different people as guardians, we did finally settle on her sister as our final choice.

I think, for you, your only concern would be which situation would be best for your children. If you get a “yes” response from someone, then your only consideration should be whether that household is the best option. You know the temperament of your siblings and you probably have a good grasp on what kind of parenting style they would each have. Which is the one you would approve of the most? Which one would provide the most nurturing environment?

In the end, you should follow what is in the best interest of your children, period. I do not believe that financial success is a strong indication of that, either. It has a lot more to do with the character of the potential guardians.

Q11: Finding new tax preparer

My long time tax preparer is retiring at the end of the year. How do I find a new tax preparer that I can trust? Don’t want to go to the big firms.
– Chuck

Ask your retiring tax preparer for a recommendation. That’s absolutely where I would start.

My guess is that you’ll have some interaction with this preparer in the next month or two as you gather materials to move on to another preparer. Ask your old preparer at that time. If there isn’t such an opportunity, just pick up the phone and make a call.

It’s likely that your old preparer knows quite a few other preparers in the area and can make a good recommendation for you. Unless there are mitigating reasons not to do so, I’d just follow that advice.

Q12: Productivity or time management books?

What books do you suggest reading on productivity or time management? I need to get more organized in terms of how I use my time.
– Dill

I read a lot of books in this vein. I find them interesting and inspiring and they almost always offer me some tweaks for what I’m doing.

The first book I’d recommend is David Allen’s Getting Things Done, which I’ve written about extensively in the past. It’s absolutely the best book I’ve ever read on setting up a sensible time management system.

I think a morning routine is invaluable, so I’d also point at The 5 AM Miracle by Jeff Sanders. When I can maintain a good morning routine, my life feels exponentially more productive, and this book is a home run when it comes to building a good morning routine as the foundation of your day.

A final book I’d point at is Essentialism by Greg McKeown. This book focuses more on finding ways to cut out less-essential tasks so that you have more time to focus on the things you personally find the most important in your life.

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.

The post Questions About Rechargeable Batteries, Child Guardians, Socks, Benjamin Franklin, and More! appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

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Ask GFC 017 – What Percentage of My Income Should Go To Retirement?

Welcome to another Ask GFC! If you have a question that you want answered you can ask it here.If your questions get featured on GFC TV or the GFC Podcast, you are the lucky recipient of a copy of my best selling book, Soldier of Finance, and a $50 Amazon gift card.So what are you waiting for? Ask your question now!

This is a question that’s on the minds of most people, but it came specifically from Ask GFC reader Erica W. —

“What percentage of my yearly income should I put towards retirement? I currently still have small amt credit card debt, less than $4,000.” – Erica W.

Erica, you haven’t given me any specifics, such as your age, your retirement horizon, or how much you earn, so my answer to your question is going to be very general. That’s good too, because a lot of people have the same question, so hopefully my response will help a lot of readers.

You do have a twist in there, with your $4,000 credit card debt. Since you mentioned it, you must consider paying it off to be a priority. I agree. But it’s a fairly manageable amount that you should hopefully be able to pay in addition to funding your retirement. You might consider a part-time job and dedicate the income to paying off the debt, or delaying your retirement contributions by a year or so to enable you to first payoff the cards.

There is no flat answer to the main question about how much to contribute. That’s because there are several factors – eight at least – that go into deciding what percentage of your income should go to retirement. Let’s take a look at each, one at the time, and hopefully you will find the answer to your own question in your answers.

1. Your Employer Matching Contribution

Does your employer provide a matching contribution on your retirement plan? If so, you’ll want to contribute at least the minimum that you need to in order to get the maximum employer match.

For example, let’s say your employer will provide a matching contribution of up to 50% of your contribution, up to 5% of your income. You can get the full 5% match by contributing 10% of your pay into your plan. The combination of the two will mean that 15% of your income will be contributed to your plan each year.

The employer match is like getting free money, and that’s why you will want to get the biggest one that you can.

2. Your Age

As a rule, the younger that you are the less that you need to contribute. Conversely, your contributions might have to get larger as you get older. If you’re in your 20s, it might be enough to simply make the minimum contribution required to get the maximum employer matching contribution. Since you will have 40 or so years to save for retirement, this may be enough to build the kind of retirement portfolio you need.

You’ll probably want to contribute a higher percentage as you get older and closer to retirement, but that will also depend upon how much you have saved for your retirement up to this point.

3. Your Family Status

If you have young children, you’ll need more of your income in order to provide for living expenses. That will of course leave less to contribute to a retirement plan. You may even find that you can make only a very minimal contribution, and that will have to be enough until your expenses begin to settle down, and your income increases.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, if you are an empty-nester, or you don’t have children, you should have more income available to put towards your retirement. You may even want to contemplate early retirement, which is easier to accomplish when you don’t have dependent children.

4. Your Income Level

The higher your income level is, the more you should be contributing to your retirement plan. While percentages are fixed regardless of income levels, it is admittedly harder to make ends meet on a smaller income than it is on a larger one. Some expenses rise and fall with income level, but others, like gasoline, bread, and even health insurance, are the same regardless of how much you make.

But this shouldn’t enable you to ignore the fact that saving for retirement does involve a healthy amount of sacrifice. No matter what income level you are at, you will have to make room in your budget to make your retirement contributions. The more you are able to carve out of your budget, the more that you will have available to put into your plan.

Also keep in mind that your contributions to your retirement plan are tax-deductible. That means that at least part of your contributions will be funded by the income tax you have to pay as a result of making them. But once again, this favors higher incomes, because they have higher income tax rates.

A person who is in the 33% tax bracket is getting a whole lot more help with contributions from the government then someone who is in the 15% bracket.

5. Your Retirement Time Horizon

The sooner that you hope to retire, the more you will need to contribute your retirement plan. Contributing 10% per year may be plenty if you’re 30 years old, and expect to retire at 65. But if you are 40 years old and want to retire at 55, you may have to contribute 20% or even more.

6. Your Current Level of Retirement Savings

The more that you have in retirement savings – relative to the amount of money you will need for retirement – the less you will need to contribute. For example, if you’re 35 years old and you expect to retire at 65, and you already have $250,000 in your retirement plan, you can save a lower percentage of your income than someone in a similar position who has only $50,000.

Let’s say that both people are earning an average return on investment of 10% per year. The person who has $50,000 in retirement savings is earning $5,000 per year. But the one with $250,000 is earning $25,000 per year. Each is earning 10% on their money, but the one with the larger retirement portfolio is earning a lot more in dollars. Higher contributions can at least partially offset this difference.

7. Available Retirement Income Sources

Virtually everyone who has earned income, and pays FICA taxes on it, is entitled to collect Social Security retirement benefits. But if you also have some sort of employer provided pension plan – which is more typical of government employees – then you will not need to save as much in your retirement plan.

That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t save any money at all, but you can certainly save less.

If however you don’t have an employer pension – which is most people now – you’ll have to save a much higher percentage of your income. The income that will be provided by a retirement portfolio will be necessary in order to supplement your Social Security income. In a way, your retirement savings will become your pension, which is really the whole point of 401(k)’s and other plans.

8. Non-retirement Assets

Whenever you are contemplating retirement, you have to look at your entire financial picture. That includes retirement savings, but it also goes beyond. How much money you have saved – or expect to have saved – in non-retirement assets should impact your retirement plan contribution level.

Examples of non-retirement assets includes:

• Your primary residence (if you own) and/or a second home
• Investment real estate
• Business equity
• Non-tax sheltered investments, like stocks, mutual funds, brokerage accounts, etc.
• Cash value of life insurance policies or annuities

If you have any of these assets, and expect to liquidate them by the time you retire, you will not need to save as much for retirement. However if you don’t have these assets, or you do and you don’t plan to sell them, your retirement contributions should be higher.

Erica – and anyone else who has this same question – I realize that this list doesn’t exactly provide you with a calculator to precisely determine what your retirement contributions should be. But there really is no way to do that. Your contribution level will vary, depending upon your personal situation in regard to each of these factors. If you’re unsure, the best strategy is to set your contribution level a little bit higher than you think it should be.

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The Scariest Part About Halloween Shouldn’t Be How Much You Spend

Ah, Halloween. The one day a year it’s socially acceptable to panhandle for free candy while dressed up as a Disney princess.

But even though it’s a holiday whose main event is begging for free stuff, it turns out you can spend a good chunk of change (try $7.4 billion!) on Halloween festivities, from high-end costumes to pricey decorations.

But have no fear this Halloween — at least not for your wallet. Here are 13 great ways to save money this Halloween.

1. Make Your Own Costume

Some of these costumes require more crafts skills than others, but if you’re proficient at DIY, you stand a chance to make money on Halloween by selling your wares, let alone saving the cost of your family’s costumes.

Heck, you might even be able to reuse your creation to make some cash on the side later by busking!

2. If You Hate DIY, Get a Cheap Costume

Not crafty? No worries!

Raid your closet and your local Goodwill for items you can finagle into costume status — and wear later.

3. Make Your Own Decorations

Crafting Halloween decorations instead of buying them can save major bucks — and look how cute some of these ideas are!

And, of course, the jack-o’-lanterns you’re carving anyway are a great decoration in their own right. But before you go out and grab that book of stencils:

4. Use Free Stencils for Halloween Pumpkin Carving

No need to spend $10 every year for a bunch of knives that will fall apart as soon as they’re used and one-use-only stencils! Use these free stencils and your regular knives.

Or let your creativity run wild and free-hand it. If you think outside the box, who knows what you’ll come up with?

5. Buy Your Pumpkins at the Last Minute

Whether from pumpkin patches or the grocery store, the gourds are likely to be cheaper closer to the holiday. Your selection will be a little narrower, but that just makes it easier to decide!

Plus, if you pick and carve your pumpkin too early, it might rot before Halloween even arrives. So if you’re reading this and haven’t bought your pumpkin yet, you’re on the right track.

6. Actually Eat Your Pumpkins

Did you know that pumpkin pie filling doesn’t just come from a can? In fact, you can repurpose that pumpkin in lots of edible ways — and a few others, too.

7. And Your Indian Corn

Growing up in Florida, I didn’t see too many autumn-related weather changes. All the trees stayed green.

But one thing always meant fall was in full swing for sure: My mother would hang ears of beautiful Indian corn on our front door.

Turns out you can actually eat that Indian corn — Pam at Gingerbread Snowflakes made her own cornmeal, grits and popcorn!

8. Buy Candy in Bulk

You can save a few cents per bag by buying the economy-sized Halloween assortments of candy versus the family-sized or smaller bags. In general, fruity or hard candies are cheaper than chocolate.

And don’t just pick the biggest bag of sugary sweets willy nilly — shop around. Slight differences in what candies are included in your bulk bag can mean the difference between paying $25 or $14 for a similar number of giveaways.

But if you really want to save, stay up to date on local deals and check your local membership warehouse club (like Costco or Sam’s Club) — you might be talking about the difference between 11 cents per ounce and 26 cents per ounce.

9. Return Unopened Bags

If you open bags of candy one at a time as needed, you can return the unopened ones to the vendor and get your money back — and have less candy sitting in your cabinets.

10. Consider Candy Alternatives

Popcorn balls are cheap and easy to make, or you could pass out non-edibles like these Halloween-themed erasers (I might be a nerdy exception, but these treats would not have left me feeling tricked! So cute). At 720 pieces for under $14, they’re a steal.

Consider this: Even some bulk candies end up costing 15 cents per piece, and most kids want to grab a handful. You could give away a quarter to each visitor and perhaps still be saving cash!

11. Go to a Halloween Party Instead of Heading to a Big Event

Lots of Halloween fanatics are willing to shell out big bucks on events like Halloween Horror Nights — tickets start at $50 apiece.

Even smaller haunted house events or ghost tours can have big price tags.

Instead, have a few friends over or head to the office Halloween party. Plus, keep your eyes on your local newspaper for low- or no-cost Halloween events near you.

12. Make Your Own Adorable Favors

Not just decorations, but tasty treats too — look how easy some of these recipes are! You can stay on theme without paying for bakery-decorated goods.

13. Screen Your Own Scary Movies

Heading to the theater for a scary flick on or around Halloween is a tradition in my family. But what did you spend last time you went to the cinema? The answer may be scarier than Paranormal Activity could ever hope to be.

According to this list of AMC’s ticket prices, an outing for two adults would run you almost $30 — before the popcorn (100% necessary).

Stay home, pop your own and enjoy one of Netflix’s creepy offerings. Plus, if you get too freaked out, you can always turn on the lights.

Your Turn: How do you find freaky, low-cost ways to have fun on Halloween?

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!

Jamie Cattanach is staff writer at The Penny Hoarder and a native Floridian. Halloween is her favorite holiday.

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21 Creative and Delicious Ways to Enjoy Your Pumpkin After Halloween

No Joke: Living in a Van for 2 Years Saved This Comedian Over $22K

Advertising watchdog bans hidden broadband fees

Tom Wilson

broadband.jpg

Finding the best value broadband contract will become much easier from today, thanks to new rules from the advertising authorities that compel providers to show costs inclusive of line rental charges.

Finding the best value broadband contract will become much easier from today, thanks to new rules from the advertising authorities that compel providers to show costs inclusive of line rental charges.

read more

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12 of the Most Absurd Reasons People Have Given to Get Out of Going to Work

Have you ever called in sick…. when you were definitely feeling fine?

Most of us who have spent some time as employees have probably done this once or twice.

I will admit that at my first full-time job, I used all of my allotted six paid sick days each of the four years I was there — even though I’m sick, on average, maybe one or two days a year.

You don’t have to admit it out loud.

If you’ve played hooky, you’re not alone. CareerBuilder recently put out a survey that found more than a third of employees have called in sick when they were feeling just fine in the past year.

You can probably sympathize with their most common reasons:

• 28% said they just didn’t feel like going in

• 27% took the day off to go to the doctor

• 24% said they needed to relax

• 18% needed to catch up on sleep

• 11% took the day to run personal errands

The Most Outrageous Sick Day Excuses

Some employees feel the need to get creative — or way too honest — when they call in sick.

CareerBuilder also asked hiring and human resource managers taking the survey to share some of the most absurd excuses they’ve heard.

Here are some of their reported real-life sick day excuses from employees:

• The ozone in the air flattened his tires.

• Her pressure cooker had exploded and scared her sister, so she had to stay home.

• He had to attend the funeral of his wife’s cousin’s pet because he was an uncle and pallbearer.

• She was blocked in by police raiding her home.

• Her roots were showing and she had to keep her hair appointment because she looked like a mess.

• They ate cat food instead of tuna and were deathly ill.

• She admitted she wasn’t sick…  but her llama was.

• She used a hair remover under her arms and had chemical burns as a result. She couldn’t put her arms down by her sides.

• He was bowling the game of his life and couldn’t make it to work.

• He said he had better things to do.

• They ate too much birthday cake.

• They were bitten by a duck.

You Might Get Fired for Lying About Being Sick

If you’re thinking about taking advantage of your sick days, know that some employers won’t let it slide.

More than one in five — 22% — of employers say they’ve fired an employee for calling in sick with a fake excuse.

How do they know it’s fake?

More than a third — 34% — have caught an employee lying about being sick by checking social media. Be careful what you share on Facebook!

Some employers take it farther, though — 33% have checked in on employees one way or another. Most asked for a doctor’s note, but some actually checked in with a phone call — and 18% even drove past the employee’s house!

That sounds a little like a sitcom, and maybe those drive-by employers need to rein it in just a bit. But watch your back — their ardor might cost you your job.

Your Turn: What’s the most creative excuse you’ve ever used to call in sick?

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 to Work From Home as a Transcriber

I’ve been getting a lot of questions about how to get started working from home as a transcriber. So this week I sat down with veteran transcriber, Janet Shaughnessy. Not only is she making six figures as a transcriber, she wrote a course on the subject. Read on to see if transcription work is your […]

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