Newly widowed, Kay McCowen quit her job, sold her house, applied for Social Security and retired to Mexico. It was a move she and her husband, Mel, had discussed before he passed away in 2012. "I wanted to find a place where I could afford to live off my Social Security," she said. "The weather here is so perfect, and it's a beautiful place." She is among a growing number of Americans who are retiring outside the United States. The number grew 17 percent between 2010 [...]
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الأربعاء، 28 ديسمبر 2016
Monroe Nov.unemployment rate falls, still up over a year ago
Monroe County unemployment dipped a half a percentage point in November to 6.3 percent, according to figures released by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry’s Center for Workforce Information and Analysis.There were 5,100 workers unemployed in the county's Metropolitan Statistical area during the month, down 500 over October. November’s number is still 500 greater than a year ago.Monroe’s unemployment rate was 5.6 in November 2015, seven- [...]
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Cars We Remember: The Saga of Young Joe, part 2: Distracted driving
Last week, we reported again on the sad story of “The Saga of Young Joe,” a vibrant 23-year-old who lost his life in an alcohol related single car accident in his ’69 Camaro Z28. This week, we follow up with how Joe also became a statistic in the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) new group of fatalities and crashes directly related to cell phone and texting use behind the wheel. Because Joe was on his phone when he “missed” [...]
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Pennsylvania to FCC: Keep broadband internet cash in state
HARRISBURG (AP) — Pennsylvania is staking its claim to more than $23 million in federal funding that Verizon turned down to expand high-speed internet service to rural customers in the state. The Federal Communication Commission's Connect America Fund provides funding to telecommunications providers to build new network infrastructure or upgrade existing broadband networks in regions that lack it. Companies that take the money must agree to offer fast internet speeds as [...]
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Winter is Coming — and This App Will Help You Make Money Shoveling Snow
I wish I could start this article with, “We’ve all had to do it…”
But, fortunately, I’m a Floridian, and I’ve never had to shovel snow.
From what I’ve heard, some people find it real pain — a job happily pawned off to any willing being.
On the other hand, what if you’re that willing being? You might be able to make some good money from a hearty dusting.
Even 50 Cent has shoveled snow.
I’m going out to shovel snow and see if I can make me a few extra dollars today. I’m charging more if they want to take pictures
— 50cent (@50cent) December 27, 2010
And so has Daniel Miller, CEO of a new app called Shovler.
It’s kind of like Uber — but for snow shoveling — and since its release at the beginning of this month, more than 1,000 people have made money using it, according to Miller.
How Did Shovler Get Started?
Miller shoveled snow as a teenager and always thought it was the perfect gig: People are appreciative, you get a good workout in, and it’s actually kind of fun.
Plus: Pay ain’t too shabby.
He didn’t come up with the idea of Shovler until last winter, though, when his parents were hanging out in Florida and wanted a clear driveway upon returning home to New Jersey. A full-on plow service wasn’t necessary, and, other than that, they had a hard time finding someone.
“It just dawned on me that there are lots of people in similar situations, especially the elderly, that just want to hire a snow shoveler on demand for the days they need one or want to take a break from shoveling themselves,” Miller writes in an email.
He’d always seen those apps about solving what he calls “minor problems” — like delivering food a few blocks away. “But nobody has fixed this major logistical nightmare that people have every year,” he says.
For him, the app seemed obvious. Why hadn’t it been invented years ago?
How Much Money Can I Make Shoveling Snow?
Enter: Shovler.
The app went live for iOS and Android at the beginning of this month, and, so far, approximately 1,000 snow shovelers have used it across the U.S. to pick up gigs, according to Miller.
Those who are in need shoveling services enter their requests into the app. The registered shovelers get pinged when a job’s available nearby.
Pay varies by snow accumulation, temperature and demographics, but here are the typical rates:
- $20 to $35 for a car parked on a city street
- $30 to $75 for up to a two-car driveway that fits three cars in length, an average walkway and an average sidewalk in front of a house
- 50 cents to $2 per square feet for a city sidewalk or small parking lots (for businesses)
The Shovler app takes 15% of each job, and the human shoveler gets the rest.
In context, a woman in Chicago shoveled a sidewalk and walkway for $45 and earned a $5 tip a few days ago. Thus, in 1.5 hours — from job acceptance to completion — she earned $50.
How You Can Sign Up For Shovler
The app has been released nationally. However, so far it’s mostly been used in Chicago, Cleveland, New York, Philadelphia and Boston — plus the suburbs of these areas.
Signing up is easy — a lot easier than awkwardly knocking on your neighbors’ doors or giving them a ring.
So why not make some money off the most recent dumping of the devil’s dandruff?
Your Turn: Have you made money from shoveling snow before? Would you try Shovler?
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 Winter is Coming — and This App Will Help You Make Money Shoveling Snow appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
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Need to Return a Gift or Two? At These 17 Retailers, There’s No Rush
Now that we’re past Christmas, and Hanukkah is well underway, you might think the insane holiday shopping days are over.
But if my inbox full of Boxing Day deals from Monday morning has anything to say about it — or the reports of after-Christmas shopping sprees so hectic they’ve spawned out-and-out brawls — we’re not quite out of the Yuletide woods yet, snowy and enchanted though they may be.
All to say nothing of the pile of gifts I was glad to receive, but need to return. While they were certainly well-intended, they’ve put a new chore on my to-do list, and it’s not one I’m super stoked to take on.
(Related: Why don’t arm’s-distance family members ever learn that buying clothing for someone you don’t know very well is a gamble?)
I’m still recovering from my Christmas food coma, so getting cleaned up, putting on real pants and cruising into Target to wait in a miles-long customer service line is sounding like a very firm “nope” at the moment. And that’s without factoring in the snowy slush most of the country has to deal with on the way.
Why I’m Not Standing in Line Right This Second
Fortunately, many retailers relax their return policies around the holidays to account for just this situation: a sudden influx of customers who need to make returns, but might not have time to get to the store right away, or whose gifts might have been purchased quite a while ago.
And some stores’ return policies are the bomb year-round. (We’re looking at you, Athleta!)
So before you resign yourself to joining the fray, check this out: Depending on where your gifts are from, you might not need to rush.
Here’s the full scoop on the holiday return windows for 17 popular stores and brands.
1. Best Buy
Best Buy’s regular return policy is pretty strict: You only get 15 days with most items unless you join the company’s Elite members club.
That said, its holiday policy is a bit more generous. “Almost every purchase made throughout November and December can be returned through January 15, 2017,” according to the website.
2. Kohl’s
Kohl’s literally titled its official return policy page “hassle-free returns,” and it lives up to the claim. You can return most items at any time with or without the original receipt, except premium
electronics, which are subject to a 30-day window.
However, for the holidays, you can even return premium electronics anytime throughout the month of January, provided they were purchased between Nov. 1 and Dec. 25.
3. JCPenney
Returns policies at JCPenney vary a lot depending on what kind of item you’re talking about. The full details are here, but these are a few noteworthy clauses:
- Electronics are subject to a 60-day return window and require a receipt.
- Appliances must be returned within 30 days and are subject to a 15% restocking fee.
- Shipping and handling charges on online purchases are not refundable.
There’s no mention of any policy adjustments for the holidays.
4. Macy’s
This department store’s policies are pretty liberal — for almost all purchases, you have a full year from the date of purchase to process your return, and you can do it in store or by mail.
See the Q&A here for full details.
5. Nordstrom
Although it doesn’t specify a certain time frame for returns, Nordstrom’s return policy mentions that it makes return decisions “on a case-by-case basis with the ultimate objective of making (its) customers happy.”
Short story: Be reasonable (and nice), and you’re probably in the clear, no matter when you get around to making your return.
You won’t be subject to restocking fees, and even without a receipt, Nordstrom will likely accept your return in exchange for a gift card.
6. Sears
Sears’ return policy generally leaves a bit to be desired — you only have 30 days from the purchase date to return or exchange the item with all packaging, accessories, manuals and parts — and your original receipt.
But the retailer has made an exception for the holidays: You may return items purchased between Nov. 1 and Christmas Eve all the way until Jan. 31.
7. Target
You must return most goodies from Target within 90 days, but again, electronics must be returned in 30 days.
However, Target won’t start that 30-day countdown until Dec. 26 for items purchased between Nov. 1 and Christmas Day, so you can go ahead and give yourself at least until January.
(Another few interesting tidbits we found by scanning the return policy: Target REDcard holders get an extra 30 days to return most items they purchase with their cards, whether in stores or online. And Target-owned brand items can be returned, with a receipt, for an exchange or refund for up to a full year.)
8. Toys R Us
This toy giant’s policies are a little trickier. You have 30 days to return items purchased online, but 90 days for purchases made in stores — unless we’re talking about electronics, video games, DVDs and VHS tapes (LOL), which need to be returned within 45 days.
It doesn’t look like the company’s changing any of its rules for the holidays.
9. Walmart
Almost all goods from Walmart carry a 90-day return window, but certain items — i.e. electronics, i.e. all the stuff that winds up under the tree — are subject to limited, 15- or 30-day return eligibility.
However, Walmart’s holiday return policy extends the window for limited-return items purchased between Nov. 1 and Dec. 24. You can return goods normally subject to a 15-day window through Jan. 10, and those with a 30-day limit can be returned until Jan. 25.
Stores with Awesome Return Policies Year-Round
Although these might not be the first retailers you think of when it comes time for the holiday shopping hullabaloo, their returns policies are stellar — so keep ’em in mind for next year (or whenever)!
10. Anthropologie
Although I’ll admit I fantasize about living inside an Anthropologie catalog, this upper-end retailer isn’t exactly Penny Hoarder friendly.
But its return policy sure is: Bring or mail back any item, any time, for a full refund.
(Unless it’s an oversized item, like a couch. In which case, you probably spent like $4,000 on it because it’s from Anthropologie, so you should probably make darn sure you really like it before you cut the check.)
11. Athleta
This athleisure line’s return policy is famously lax, and I can vouch for it personally: I once returned a pair of yoga pants I’d worn for an entire year before I lost too much weight for them to stay up.
(Granted, I got a refund in the amount they were selling for at the time, which was a fraction of what I’d spent on them — but seriously, I RETURNED YEAR-OLD, WELL-WORN PANTS. How is that possible?)
The other brands under The Gap Inc.’s umbrella, including Gap itself, Old Navy and Banana Republic, require you to return items within 45 days of purchase.
12. Bath & Body Works
Bath & Body Works’ “100% satisfaction guarantee” means you can return a product to any store at any time — although what you’ll get back depends on how you purchased it. See the full return policy for details.
13. Costco
Our favorite warehouse club store will refund the purchase price of almost any item, no matter when you do so — with the exception of electronics, which you must bring back within 90 days.
But hey, if that’s a dealbreaker for you, no problem. Costco will refund the price of your membership whenever you decide to leave!
14. L.L. Bean
According to the retailer’s return policy page, founder L.L. himself “didn’t consider a sale complete until goods are worn out and the customer still satisfied.”
The store thus offers an open-ended return policy: “… if something’s not working or fitting or standing up to its task or lasting as long as you think it should, we’ll take it back.”
15. Lands’ End
Goods from Lands’ End are “guaranteed. Period.”
“If you’re not satisfied with any item, simply return it to us at any time for an exchange or refund of its purchase price.”
If the price of an item you purchase goes down within 14 days, the company will also refund you the difference between the new price and what you paid. Pretty freaking sweet, right?
16. REI
This purveyor of quality outdoor gear accepts returns within a year of the purchase date and at any time in the case of manufacturing defects.
You will, however, need to provide proof of purchase and all original packaging.
17. Zappos
This online marketplace for shoes — and everything else — is well-known for its simple free- return policy.
And again, I can vouch for this one. Having recently purchased a pair of boots that weren’t quite as comfy as I’d have liked, my heart sank: I’d already clipped off the tag.
But when I contacted a Zappos customer service agent through its chat feature, she identified herself as Cinderella and told me that she grants wishes — including the one I made to process the return, even without all of the original packaging.
Of course, that’s no guarantee it’ll work for you… but it definitely intensified my loyalty to the brand.
(Not that I needed much help in that department. Because, shoes.)
Happy holidays, Penny Hoarders! Here’s to keeping the slippers on and the tumbler of eggnog filled… for just a little while longer.
Your Turn: What will you do this week — instead of hitting the stores to process your returns?
Jamie Cattanach is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. Her writing has also been featured on the Ms. Magazine blog, The Write Life, Word Riot, Nashville Review and elsewhere. Find @JamieCattanach on Twitter to wave hello.
The post Need to Return a Gift or Two? At These 17 Retailers, There’s No Rush appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
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10 Ways to Make Money While Everyone Else is Hungover on New Year’s Day
New Year’s Eve is one night a year we all get permission to be ridiculous, stay up too late, drink too much and dance like… everyone’s watching.
The exertion renders a large portion of our workforce ineffective for at least the following day, so it’s nice of our employers to generally shut down every Jan. 1. A national holiday for hangover recovery? Not bad.
If you, however, don’t plan on being hungover for the holiday this year, it’s a great time to make money!
Here are 10 ways for side hustlers and Penny Hoarders to make extra money while everyone sleeps off the celebration this weekend.
1. Get Ahead on Freelance Work
Holidays are great for side hustlers. If you have a paid day off work and use the time to freelance, you can get paid twice!
I’ll take advantage of the day off from my full-time job on Monday to finish a freelance assignment for one of my favorite blogs. I’ll also proofread copy for another client.
Want to do the same? Pitch to these seven sites that pay $100 or more per post. And sign up for this free seven-day mini-course from ProofreadAnywhere.com to learn how to become a professional proofreader.
If you’re just kicking off your side hustle in 2017, read our guide to getting started as a freelancer.
2. Work on Your Passion Project
Schools, government offices and many private companies will be closed on Monday. Even if you work for yourself, you’ll probably find many of your colleagues taking the day off.
When you have no deadlines and your inbox is stagnant, maximize the quiet time.
Pick a project off the back burner. Work on a novel. Put the finishing touches on a painting. Format an ebook. Making progress during days off can help propel you toward a dream job or self-employment.
3. Get the Best Gigs
If you haven’t, sign up for Amazon’s Mechanical Turk and create an account with TaskRabbit.
The work differs quite a bit between these sites, but the strategy for earning money is similar: Find gigs you can complete quickly that pay well for the amount of time you put in.
With a lot of Taskers and Turkers likely taking the day off, this is a great opportunity to get some of the best gigs. You’ll earn at least $14 per task on TaskRabbit and no less than minimum wage per hour.
In addition to your competitors taking the day off, you may see an uptick in posted tasks on TaskRabbit.
Sleepy users will have new technology and furniture that needs your assistance, messes from the night before that need cleaning and kids who’ve been out of school too long that need watching.
4. Deliver Food
Sign up as a food delivery driver with UberEATS to meet the demand of those who don’t want to venture into the light of day on Jan. 1.
The service is still rolling out around the U.S., but it’s available in about 40 cities nationwide.
Similar to other contract services in the sharing economy, how much you can earn depends on how many deliveries you take and how fast you work. The requirements for UberEATS are easier to meet than those for the rideshare service:
- Be at least 19 years old
- Have a driver’s license, insurance and vehicle registration
- Have at least one year of driving experience
- Be able to lift 30lbs
This can be a great option if your car doesn’t meet the rideshare requirements.
5. Make Money While You Watch TV
Most of you know surveys aren’t our favorite way to make extra money, but if you’re just relaxing on your extra day off, why not click a few buttons and make money while you do it?
Ipsos Panel and VIP Voice are two of our favorite paid survey sites.
They pay in points you can cash in for gift cards. Should you prefer cold, hard cash over the cards, you can turn around and sell any gift cards you earn!
If you actually want to get paid for what you watch, check out Swagbucks and RewardTV.
Swagbucks will pay you to watch movie previews, along with dozens of other videos. Plus, you’ll earn $5 just for signing up.
RewardTV by Nielsen pays you to answer trivia questions about last night’s TV shows.
Do you know who got kicked off “The Voice” or who was killed on “Game of Thrones”? Answer the questions, and you’ll get paid!
6. Start Spring Cleaning Early
When I get restless on a day off, I turn to cleaning.
When I get to cleaning, a lot of stuff gets dragged out of my closet.
If you plan to spend your New Year’s Day cleaning, use these apps to earn money from all the stuff you get rid of:
- Decluttr will pay you for CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays and video games, plus hardware like cell phones, tablets, game consoles and iPods. It’s not a marketplace — Decluttr buys it from you and takes care of reselling to the customer.
- Poshmark lets you clear your closet and sell those clothes you don’t wear anymore.
- Bookscouter helps you find the best-paying sites or buyback companies for your old textbooks.
- CashInMyBag buys your used designer bags, accessories and other items.
- For virtually everything else, use letgo. This intuitive app lets you snap a photo and upload your item in less than 30 seconds, and it’s 100% free to use.
7. Start Exercising
While everyone else is sleeping, get a head start on your New Year’s resolutions with a walk, run, swim, bike ride or yoga class.
The health app Achievemint lets you earn money for completing these and other healthy activities!
Connect Achievemint to workout apps like Apple’s Healthkit, Fitbit, MyFitnessPal, RunKeeper, Rundouble C25K, Twitter or any other app you already use to track your health and fitness goals. You’ll choose which data to securely share with Achievemint to earn cash for your activities.
For example, you can earn points for logging your weight with MyFitnessPal or hitting step goals with Fitbit. You can use your points towards cash (10,000 points = $10) or Amazon gift cards, and there’s no limit on how many points you can earn.
Plus, you’ll earn 10 points just for signing up with Achievemint and connecting an app.
8. Write Letters or Make Phone Calls as a Political Advocate
If you’re a good writer or editor, you can make $12 to $15 an hour writing letters to representatives or making phone calls to constituents about legislation and political issues.
NextWave is a bipartisan firm located near Washington, D.C., that works with companies, trade associations and advocacy groups to educate and mobilize citizens throughout the policymaking process.
Specific legislation is confidential, but a representative from the recruitment team told TPH, “We have worked on projects such as transportation and energy, education, and pharmaceutical work.”
You’ll have the flexibility to select which projects you work on, set your schedule and work from home.
9. Get Paid to Test Websites
Sign up to use your free time helping companies determine how customers use their websites.
You can sign up for UserTesting and submit your trial right away, then start taking assignments as soon as you’re ready.
You’ll make about $10 for spending 20 minutes evaluating websites or testing apps, and you get paid via PayPal within seven days.
The best part? This gig isn’t restricted to the U.S.! It’s recruiting testers from all over the world.
10. Create an Online Course
Do you have a skill or expertise you don’t know how to monetize? Try teaching it to others.
Use your free time this weekend to create an online course through Skillshare or Udemy. These sites let users create courses that include written, visual, audio and video content to teach students everything from graphic design to how to start a blog to how to use Excel.
On Udemy, you’ll set your own price. You keep 100% when you promote it yourself, 50% when students sign up through Udemy.
Skillshare operates on a subscription model, so students pay a flat fee for access to all classes.
Once you enroll 25 students in a single class, you’ll join its partner program and start earning a share of revenue, plus royalties per enrollment in your classes and $10 per student you refer who subscribes.
Your Turn: What will you do with your extra day off this holiday weekend?
Disclosure: A toast to savings! Thanks for allowing us to place affiliate links in this post.
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).
The post 10 Ways to Make Money While Everyone Else is Hungover on New Year’s Day appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
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Individual Development Accounts 101
Individual Development Accounts 101
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How to Crack Google Search Optimization for Your Unique Niche
Search engine optimization sounds great on paper, but when put into practice, it’s a bit tougher. Marketing in your specific niche can be slow and painful, especially if you’re just starting from scratch with a new website.
Although it may feel like every keyword already has hundreds of thousands of competitive results, you can still push through the crowd and rise to the top if you understand how to apply SEO fundamentals to your unique niche.
Search is all about supply and demand, and as long as you meet a user’s needs (especially in local marketing), you’ll gain the search traffic.
Local and niche searches make up the large majority of Internet searches (which I’ll cover in more detail later), and you can make a killing if you set up your niche site correctly.
Here’s what you need to know to get started in pushing your website up the search engine ranking pages for your specific niche.
1. Research your niche
According to recent research, 93% of all online experiences begin with a search engine, and 75% of users never scroll to page 2.
This is a huge user base that leads to 1.2 trillion (and rising) Google searches every year. Grabbing a piece of that market is going to take some in-depth research.
Researching your niche is a step toward improving your domain and page authority. The more you understand a topic, the more likely you are to be seen as a trusted resource, which helps your SEO efforts.
You should always be keeping an eye on industry trends to know what people are buzzing about these days and cater to those searches. The longer you blog, the more important this will become as eventually you’ll run out of ideas.
When you know your industry inside and out, you have a leg up on the competition because you understand the context within which people are typically searching.
You’ll also understand that while not every search and click lead to a sale, the value you bring as an authoritative voice is a branding opportunity you can’t afford to miss.
2. Broaden your keywords
As mentioned previously on Quick Sprout, long-tail keywords are the key to succeeding with a niche website. While you may not be able to rank well with your new vaping website for the keyword “vaping,” you can rank well for “mango flavored vape juice” or “what oils can be used in vape pens,” or even “what’s the best temperature to vape vegetable glycerin.”
While people looking for general vape information or products may not see you, people specifically looking for the best mango VG-based ejuice will see you.
Long-tail keywords have much smaller search volumes than generic ones, but ranking well on them builds your overall web profile and search rankings for other related terms. It’s also important to know that long-tail keywords make up about 70% of all searches anyway.
Using long-tail keywords lets you really shine in areas where people are actually searching.
For example, if you have a black 10-speed beach cruiser, you may draw interest from people looking for bicycles, but you’ll draw much higher interest from people looking specifically for beach cruisers, black bicycles, and a black 10-speed beach cruiser.
Targeting long-tail keywords makes your site visible in the “minor league” search terms that can make all the difference in your site’s brand recognition, traffic, and ultimate ROI.
3. Place strategic links
Quality backlinks with descriptive anchor text placed on authoritative sites is the easiest and most efficient way to raise your website’s search engine rankings.
Here’s a breakdown of the top search signals so you can see how links fit into the equation:
The more links you can get placed in a non-spammy way on popular sites in your industry (or the mainstream media, academic, and government web pages), the higher your page will rank on search engines.
It’s a two-fold benefit: these links drive search traffic as well as direct referral traffic from those who click the links.
Blogging on your website and guest-posting on others are the best ways to get these backlinks, although commenting on forums and blog articles, doing social media promotion, and simply creating great material with sourced statistics and images helps as well.
Some businesses find success hiring an external PR agency to help promote their brand and business on external sites. These agencies often work with social media influencers, bloggers, journalists, and industry professionals to get your business in front of the right people and build a buzz.
Don’t be afraid to contact local outlets, organizations, and businesses in your surrounding area to have your business featured with a possible link on their web properties.
4. Get listed on local sites
Search engines aren’t the only places driving traffic online, especially in today’s age of mobile devices.
Mapping sites such as Mapquest and Google/Apple Maps, business rating sites such as Yelp, Citysearch, and Angie’s List, and social media platforms such as Foursquare and Facebook are all important places to list your business on.
Registering on these sites gives your business credibility and presents you to users who may prefer using niche searching techniques over search engines, which is especially true of travelers.
If you have a business with a web presence, these sites help you show off great reviews, great products, and information about your business and its offerings. It also allows you to be visible in searches even if your search ranking is low otherwise.
Your domain authority on a new site is probably non-existent, but Yelp is an authoritative site, so your Yelp profile may outrank your website for certain keywords. That’s not necessarily a bad thing as long as you have links to your website on all your business listings.
Here’s how to claim your business on Google.
Here’s how to claim your business on Yahoo.
Here’s how to claim your business on Yelp.
Here’s how to claim your business on Foursquare.
Here’s how to claim your business on Bing.
5. Start a blog
Once you have everything set up on your account, you’ll still need a separate landing page for each long-tail keyword you researched. The same page is unlikely to rank highly for every keyword, so you’ll need to have a blog to have pages with a variety of keywords.
I say it constantly, but I’m a huge advocate of blogging, and I’m not the only one. Sixty-four percent of PR and marketing pros are looking for ways to increase content marketing and blogging efforts this year alone.
With a 1500- to 2000-word blog posts on each specific search term, you are creating a relevant landing page for that term. In the vaping example above, “how to make your own mango ejuice,” “vape juice ingredients,” and “the optimal vape voltage and temperature settings” would make excellent blog posts to capture the long-tail keywords.
These blog posts are much more likely to rank well on Google for nearly every permutation of the searches than an e-commerce page would unless, of course, you’re searching for “cheap ejuice for sale.”
Yoast SEO is a great WordPress plugin that can scan your pages and posts for readability, keyword richness, and other SEO signals to determine how optimized each page is.
6. Research the competition
Competition is the driving force for entrepreneurs and businesses to succeed in our society. You can’t know how well you’re doing unless you understand how well the competition is doing. Here’s a quick breakdown of a basic competitive analysis tool.
With online tools, such as SEMRush, you can also check a competitor’s page ranking for various keywords and learn which domains they got backlinks on. What you learn may either surprise you or provide data to back up what you already assumed.
That type of data lets you know where you need backlinks and which terms you may be able to undercut the competition on.
This graphic illustration of Porter’s 5 Forces model demonstrates how competition influences every industry and market. Search engine rankings are no different.
The more competition, the more an industry grows, so it’s overall a good thing. In fact, it’s inevitable. No matter what you create, there will be competition.
Knowing your enemy is the first step to defeating it, according to Sun Tzu’s Art of War. For the same reason, wireless providers always reference the size of each other’s LTE networks and coverage areas in their ads.
Conclusion
Successfully reaching the top of search engine results for your particular niche may seem like an impossible dream in this day and age. The Internet has been around for several decades, and you’d be hard pressed to find a search term with only one result (try Googlewhacking if you don’t believe me).
However, it’s not out of the realm of possibility for a newcomer to dominate a niche. In fact, it happens all the time.
By properly registering your business with all online platforms, optimizing your website’s design, and creating detailed content focused on specific, long-tail keywords, you can rank high on Google search as well.
What search engine optimization tactics do you use to rank your page for specific keywords?
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7 Reasons Not To Postpone Moving Into A Retirement Community
7 Reasons Not To Postpone Moving Into A Retirement Community
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Movin’ Out
It seems such a waste of time
If that’s what it’s all about
Mama if that’s movin’ up
Then I’m movin’ out
Almost every person out there between the ages of 18 and 70 is working for something.
They’re working to keep food on the table, sure, but that can be done with very little effort. An awful lot of people are driven to work harder and earn more than that.
Why? What are they working for?
Some people seem to be working for little perks in life. I find that these are the people who answer such questions with an “I don’t know” response. They’re working to have cable television and fast internet at home. They’re working to drive a fairly nice car around town.
Others work for some form of the American dream: a beautiful house in the suburbs with a beautiful family that’s depicted on the holiday letter they send out each year talking about the things that their family is doing.
Others work for freedom. They want the ability to spend their time in whatever way they’d like without the need to earn money from that time.
Still others have simply found that thing that they love to do and somehow they make money from it.
Anthony works in the grocery store
Savin’ his pennies for someday
Mama Leone left a note on the door
She said, Sonny, move out to the country
Workin’ too hard can give you
A heart attack
You oughta know by now
Who needs a house out in Hackensack?
Is that what you get with your money?
The thing is, it’s really easy to get lost in the journey. We’re surrounded by temptations and distractions, ways to spend our money on little pleasures and conveniences that fade away and are forgotten very quickly.
Is that what you get with your money?
Or we might get lost in someone else’s journey, saving to buy a house to impress parents that we’ll never be able to please or to buy a shiny new car that everyone will ooh and aah over for about a minute before moving on to other things and completely forgetting about it.
Is that what you get for your money?
Or we might lose ourselves in an outsized sense of responsibility, believing that our children have to have some kind of perfect childhood with every single thing they could possibly ever want and need… except that those children sit at home wanting the one thing that they don’t have: their mom, or their dad.
Is that what you get for your money?
The thing is, when it comes to the end of your days, you won’t think back positively on all of the hours you spent working for other people. You won’t think of the stops at Starbucks or the little treats. You won’t think about a shiny new car or a big perfect house.
You’ll instead think about the experiences. You’ll think about the time spent with people. You’ll think about the relationships you had with people. You’ll think about the people that you’ve loved and the people that loved you.
Those are the things that define your life and, really, you don’t need a whole lot of extra money to have those things in spades. Those are the things that are worth working for.
Work for experiences you want to have. Work to give yourself time and freedom to build and savor those relationships. Work to live, don’t live to work.
What do I work for?
I work so I can have time with my children. I make a decent income, but I would be making a lot more if I hadn’t organized my life so that I could be sitting there waiting when the kids get off the bus to give them a snack, go through their backpacks, help them with their homework, and so on.
I work so that in a few years, I can retire with my wife and we can spend decades of healthy life together exploring the world, but I also don’t work so much that I sacrifice my relationship with her along the way.
I work, not so that I can have lots of little treats that I completely forget about, but so that I can have life-changing things that might take a little longer but that really have an impact.
I work, not so that I can have lots of stuff, but so that I can have lots of experiences.
Sergeant O’Leary is walkin’ the beat
At night he becomes a bartender
He works at Mister Cacciatore’s down
On Sullivan Street
Across from the medical center
He’s tradin’ in his Chevy for a Cadillac
You oughta know by now
And if he can’t drive
With a broken back
At least he can polish the fenders
Figure out what it is that you want out of your life, then work for that. Work for that thing with a single-minded focus.
Don’t waste your dollars on anything that doesn’t help you achieve that thing you truly want. Every time you use your dollars for something else, all you do is ensure that you don’t achieve that thing you most want; you’re trading it for something forgettable.
Don’t waste your spare time on things that don’t help you achieve your big dreams, either. Every time you spend your spare time on something that isn’t in line with your core goals, all you do is ensure that it becomes even harder to have those things.
Don’t work so hard that you lose those things that you rely on, though. Don’t sacrifice your relationships. Don’t sacrifice your body. Don’t sacrifice your mind. Without those, no goal is really worth having.
It’s a balancing act, but it’s a balance that’s much easier to achieve when you throw the junk off of the balance. Stop with the wasted spending. Stop with the wasted time.
You should never argue with a crazy mind
You oughta know by now
You can pay Uncle Sam with the overtime
Is that all you get for your money
If that’s what you have in mind
If that’s what you’re all about
Good luck movin’ up
‘Cause I’m moving out
I’m moving out
Whatever it is that you’re working for in life, make sure that you’re working for something you want. Don’t work for something to impress others. Don’t sacrifice your family. Don’t sacrifice your other relationships. Don’t sacrifice your health. Don’t sacrifice your sanity, either.
Different people will want different things, and that’s completely fine. Just make sure that the thing you’re working for is your thing and that you’re keeping track of the pieces of your life that you and your dreams rely on.
If you find yourself working for what someone else wants or that you’re losing yourself in the process, stop. It’s time to move out.
Infinite credit to Billy Joel for a beautiful, thoughtful, and inspirational song. It’s part of his wonderful 1977 album The Stranger.
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Here’s What Landlords Do With Your Rent Payment Every Month
We hear a lot about how expensive rent is in many cities. But where does that money go?
While some tenants suspect it’s straight into the pockets of greedy landlords, we wanted to explore the truth — so we talked to seven landlords to get their side of the story.
“The public loves to vilify landlords for some reason, but landlords have a lot more expenses and headaches than most people realize,” said Brian Davis, a real estate investor with 15 rental properties and co-founder of the real estate blog SparkRental.
Mark Ferguson, realtor, real estate investor, author and the owner of 14 rental properties in Colorado, agreed: “While it may seem absurd for some people to pay so much in rent, remember that the landlord has to pay a lot more expenses than most people think and even more than many landlords think they will pay.”
Here are the top expenses landlords named when we asked what happens to that big rent payment you give them each month.
Plus, we have two examples of real landlords’ monthly budgets so you can see exactly what the numbers look like — something to consider whether you’re writing your monthly rent check or thinking about investing in a rental property yourself.
1. Mortgage
If your landlord is still paying the mortgage on his property — which many are — a decent chunk of your rent payment goes straight to the bank to pay down principal and interest.
2. Utilities
Some landlords include utilities in the rent, but even those who don’t can wind up paying for them out of pocket.
“When the units are occupied, I have my tenants pay for electric, gas, water, television, phone and internet,” said Andy Panko, owner of two one-bedroom condos in a complex in Woodbridge, New Jersey.
”Even when the unit is vacant, though, there still needs to be electric, gas and water. I have to put those in my name when there are no tenants.”
3. Insurance
Landlords need to carry landlord insurance, which protects their physical property from accidents and sudden loss due to things like fire or severe weather.
They must also have liability insurance, which protects their financial assets in the event of a liability claim, like someone suing them after slipping and falling on an icy sidewalk.
4. Maintenance and Repairs
Whether it’s cash and time spent fixing things themselves or hiring contractors, maintenance and repairs rank high on a landlord’s expense list.
“Most landlords can count on 5 to 20% of the rents received going towards maintenance costs,” Ferguson says.
Kaycee Wegener of Rentec Direct breaks these down into two different types of costs:
1. fixed costs you can estimate ahead of time, including routine maintenance like cleaning, garbage removal and pest control, and seasonal maintenance like lawn mowing, snow removal and gutter cleaning
2. variable costs you can try to budget for but which may still take you by surprise, including appliance repair and replacement, property damage due to carelessness or normal wear and tear, and emergencies.
“A lot of renters don’t have a good sense for how much it costs to maintain a property properly just because they haven’t yet been property owners,” said Deb Tomaro, Broker Associate with RE/MAX Acclaimed Properties.
“That tree costs $1,200 to remove. That roof is $8,000. That fridge is $800. A good landlord has reserves so that when emergencies arise, they can address them quickly and minimize their tenant’s inconvenience. Landlords who are just scraping by each month may not have the opportunity to build up reserves.”
And even if a landlord has a reserve built up, a bad year can still hit them hard.
Nick Bowman, a landlord in Colorado for 15 years, can tell plenty of tales of unpleasant surprises like “a sudden sewer line replacement for $6K” and “a renter that runs off right before Christmas and leaves the heat off so the pipes can freeze. Those are the kind of nightmares that can really drain your reserve account.”
5. Keeping Everything Up to Code
Landlords are obligated to ensure their properties are safe for habitation, and this doesn’t come cheaply. These “regulation-related expenses” as Davis called them, include things like a rental license, mandatory inspections and annual registration fees.
“In Baltimore, where I have most of my properties,” Davis said, “I have to register and pay annual fees with both the State of Maryland and the City of Baltimore. I have to have a lead paint inspection between every tenancy. I wish I could sell some of my rental units, but no one else wants them for what I have in them; I’ve been forced to overdevelop the properties to comply with local regulations.”
James Richards, a broker with Hot Market Realty in Minneapolis, Minnesota, feels Davis’ pain:
I have been cited by the city for not enough blades of grass per square inch. (Yes, they actually have an inspector that looks for such nonsense.) Any house that was built prior to 1978 must pass a lead clearance test when a new tenant moves in, even if it has passed such an inspection prior. The costs of the tests range from $300 to $500, not to mention the costs associated with getting it to pass the first time, and typically it’s $3,000 to $5,000 or more if the property needs all-new windows.
Richards also points out that “fines [are] assessed to the landlord when a tenant commits a crime: litters the neighborhood, uses too many government services, puts trash in the recycle container, allows license plate tabs to expire, doesn’t cut the grass or shovel sidewalks, etc. The landlord’s fine is typically higher than the offender’s.”
6. Taxes and Fees
In addition to paying property taxes, landlords must also pay tax on the rental income they receive.
While they do receive some tax deductions, getting those deductions can often be a cost in themselves (see next item).
7. Bookkeeping and Accounting
“Rental properties come with bookkeeping and accounting headaches,” said Davis, “which cost both time and money. I pay a bookkeeper and an accountant about $4,000 per year, and I still end up spending 30 to 40 hours per year myself working on my tax return.”
8. Property Manager Fees
Time has value too, so many landlords find it most effective to hire a property manager to handle the day-to-day affairs of their various rental units.
These fees can typically run from 8 to 12% of the monthly rental value, according to All Property Management.
9. Tenant Turnover and Vacancies
When tenants leave, it brings up a whole new set of costs.
“Vacancies are a huge expense for landlords,” said Davis, “particularly in not-so-hot markets. Not only do landlords need to cover the mortgage while receiving no rental income; they also usually need to repaint the entire unit and replace all the carpets. Renters have little incentive to treat the flooring or walls delicately, since it’s difficult for landlords to withhold money from the security deposit to cover those expenses.”
“Most landlords will account 5 to 15% of the rent to vacancies,” said Ferguson.
10. Marketing
And when it comes to finding someone to fill those vacancies, landlords incur costs like credit report fees, professional photographer services for listings and more.
“I do all of my own advertising and tenant screening,” says Panko. “The whole advertising and screening process can be outsourced to a real estate agent; however, they charge a fee equal to one month’s rent every time they find and place a tenant.”
11. Legal Fees
“Hopefully landlords and tenants have a healthy relationship and respect each other,” Panko says, “[but] if not and problems arise, you may need to hire lawyers to consult regarding your rights and remedies under your rental agreement and state rental laws. Worst case, you may need to evict the tenant. That is a lengthy and expensive process”
Richards can attest to this. “To file an eviction costs $340 just for the filing fee, and you have to retain an attorney at the cost of $400 to $500 per eviction,” he said.
“Many evictions end up with the tenant getting a free lawyer from some government agency to fight the eviction. When this happens, it takes longer (lost rent) and costs more in attorney fees due to the fact that a hearing typically has to occur. I have spent as much as $1,500 evicting a tenant.”
To make matters worse, he said, “I can’t do efficient background checks as the free lawyers mentioned above typically expunge the tenant’s record, so even a background check won’t reveal the troubles that lie ahead.”
Davis is in the same boat: “[In] any given month, I have several tenants who neglect to pay their rent. I then have to go through the process of serving legal notices, filing legal motions in court, paying court fees, waiting several months for a court date to show up — all while paying the mortgage on the property and not receiving a dime from the tenants.”
Breaking It All Down
So, what does this all look like on a month-to-month basis?
Ferguson provided this example of what typical expenses might look like on a unit in a suburban Colorado area that rents for $1,500 a month:
- Mortgage payment: $750 per month
- Taxes: $100 to $500 per month
- Insurance: $50 to $150 per month
- HOA fees: up to $500 per month (applicable only to his condos, which are part of a homeowners association)
- Maintenance: $75 to $300 per month
- Vacancies: $75 to $225 per month
“When you add all these costs into the equation,” Ferguson sums up, “the monthly expenses come to $1,050 – $2,425 a month for $1,500 a month in rent.”
Richards gave this breakdown of one of his properties in Minneapolis:
- Property taxes: $300 per month
- Rental license: $100 per month
- Furnace certification: $25 per month
- Insurance: $100 per month
- Fines/inspection compliance/city costs budget: $200 per month
“On this property I collect $1,250/month,” he says. “Minus the above expenses, that leaves me with $525 to pay the mortgage, maintenance, turnovers, etc. Meanwhile, the government is making $400 per month and increasing many of my other costs.”
While Richards wishes he could charge less for some of his rentals, his hands are often tied by expenses that are beyond his control. “The thinking that a landlord is ‘rich’ so therefore will eat all these costs is absurd,” he said frankly.
“He or she is in business to make money. Any expenses incurred will be passed along to the tenant in the form of higher rent. Since we are all in the same boat, I won’t price myself out of the market. I would much rather charge less for a good tenant and therefore would gladly lower my rent if the above costs weren’t part of the equation.”
Your Turn: Renters, does this make you look at your rental payment different? Landlords, are there any other expenses you’d add to this list? If you’ve been thinking about becoming a landlord, do these numbers make you reconsider?
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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Almost 90% of Brits face Christmas debt
Flashing the plastic at Christmas has left nearly one in 10 people with credit card debt in the New Year, new research has revealed.
Consumers spent almost £11 billion on their credit cards to fund the cost of Christmas and carry an average debt of £636, according to price comparison and switching site uSwitch.com.
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6 Ways to Foolproof Your Budget
While most people are well aware they should exercise more, few take the steps to get started. Depressed about their bodies, they continue living in a state of poor health. And because they’re depressed, they sit home and watch Netflix instead of hitting the gym.
Sadly, this same scenario plays out in individual’s financial lives as well, and with dire consequences. So many families know a monthly budget would benefit them, but continue sitting on the sidelines instead. Unfortunately, it’s human nature to want to change without actually doing anything about it.
In my eyes, all of this boils down to fear. We’re scared our fitness plans won’t help us achieve results, so we never get started. We’re afraid a budget won’t help us, so we don’t even try.
Obviously, this is a huge mistake that holds people back. When it comes to your physical health or your finances, you have to take control if you want results.
6 Ways to Foolproof Your Budget
If you’re scared of failing with your budget, it’s time to set up a system that will ensure success. To find out how anyone can foolproof their budgeting efforts, I reached out to several financial advisors and wealth planners for their best tips.
By implementing several of these strategies together, you can start budgeting and get your finances back on track.
Stick to cash.
If credit or debit spending has obfuscated some of your spending habits and made budgeting harder, try a cash budget instead.
“Foolproof your budget the same way your grandparents did – by using envelopes,” says North Dakota Financial Advisor Benjamin Brandt.
To get started, you should isolate a few areas of your budget where you have some discretion – entertainment, groceries, eating out – and decide how much you plan on spending in each category.
“Before the month begins, withdraw cash from the bank and start filling envelopes,” says Brandt. “Once your envelope is empty, you are done spending in that budget category for the rest of the month.”
While this might sound like a pain, sticking to cash can help you acclimate your spending to your budget constraints. And when you only use cash, it’s impossible to spend more than you have. That’s a good thing, right?
Look for ways to whittle your expenses down.
If you have struggled with overspending and budgeting in the past, chances are good your expenses are too high. One way to foolproof your budget is to cut some of your fixed and discretionary expenses so you have more money to work with each month.
Financial planner Ty Hodges of Client Centric San Antonio offers a strategy to help you get started:
“From your list of expenses, develop two separate budget lists – one for essentials and the other for extras. Within each general budget category, some items are essential (the mortgage or rent payment, electric bill, and groceries); others are extra (new furniture, gifts, and pizza delivery).”
Look through these lists to find flexible budget expenses where you can cut back, says Hodges.
“Put a star next to these flexible items so you can identify them. This will narrow your focus quickly and make a big impact.”
Steer clear of large, recurring expenses.
While cutting your discretionary expenses can help your finances, so can avoiding large, recurring expenses. By avoiding large monthly payments, you can leave more room for debt repayment and savings in your budget.
One big mistake repeated often is taking on huge car payments when you can’t truly afford them. Wealth advisor Joseph Carbone of Focus Planning Group says he cautions his clients against buying new cars and tacking on huge monthly car payments all the time.
“A new car is one of the worst investments you can make,” says Carbone. “I urge my clients to look into certified pre-owned or demo deals. You can save thousands off of the purchase price and cut down your monthly payment significantly.”
Look at your budget in a brand new way.
Part of the reason people fail, says financial planner Charles C. Scott, is the fact that people see their budgets as restrictive and invasive. In a lot of ways, the negative feelings they have about budgeting make it easier to fail.
To combat this issue, Stott, who is a financial advisor in Scottsdale, AZ, says we should call our budgets “spending plans” instead.
“You probably don’t like someone telling you what you should do, so let’s put you in control,” says Stott. “Just making this simple little change in wording has made the difference in people being willing to make this a habit for themselves.”
Set limits with your spouse or partner.
Financial advisor Joshua Brein of Brein Wealth Management offers yet another interesting tip that could keep you on track – baseline spending agreements.
“This agreement means that they should come up with a pre-set amount that is considered a large purchase and agree to not exceed that large purchase cost without first getting approval from their spouse or partner,” says Brein.
For example, a couple might agree that any purchase over $50 or $100 has to be approved by both parties before they pull the trigger.
“I love this strategy because you’re basically agreeing to a set of rules to keep you accountable and keep your spending on track,” he says.
Talk openly and honestly.
Part of America’s problem with money is we don’t feel comfortable talking about our struggles. And since financial issues have become a taboo subject, people would rather hide their problems and avoid asking for help.
This is a mistake, says Billy Xiao, a financial Advisor from Mobius Wealth of Vancouver, Canada.
To foolproof your budget, you have to get comfortable talking things over with your spouse or partner. You need to take an introspective look at your budgeting failures while also celebrating your successes. Obviously, this all starts with talking about your budget every single month.
“Finances and budgeting may be the hardest topic to talk about in some relationships, but these conversations are essential for lasting unity,” says Xiao. “Go through that hard conversation, come to an agreement, give grace to one another, and revisit the discussion from time to time.”
Remember that budgeting is a lifelong commitment, and that it works best when conversations are open, honest, and ongoing. You may not get things right at first, but you’ll figure it out if you keep communication lines open.
Final Words
The word “budgeting” might seem scary, but you should at least give it a shot. In reality, a budget is nothing more than a spending plan that can help you achieve your dreams and goals. And you never know; you might even like budgeting once you get the hang of it.
To set yourself up for success, however, you need to foolproof your budget from the start. With these tips, you’ll be headed toward budgeting success in no time.
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What Is ChexSystems?
Most of us have heard of Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian – the trifecta of credit bureaus that impact everything from credit card applications to car loans. But far fewer people are familiar with ChexSystems, yet another consumer credit reporting agency that also impacts one’s financial affairs.
If you’ve ever tried to open a bank account and been denied, it’s likely because of ChexSystems, which provides financial institutions with information about how consumers use deposit accounts.
ChexSystems tracks the details of your banking history — such as whether you tend to have a low daily balance, have bounced checks at retailers, or have ever abandoned an account leaving a negative balance. All of this information can be reviewed by a financial institution when you attempt to open a new account.
With that in mind, here’s what you need to know about ChexSystems.
How Is ChexSystems Used by Banks?
The vast majority of U.S. banks, nearly 80%, use ChexSystems to screen applicants for bank accounts. The services and information that ChexSystems provides financial institutions include verification of identity, reports on account history, and transaction monitoring.
The agency reports only the negative information to banks, and those reports can make opening a bank account challenging.
“Consumers should know that if you have a history of bouncing checks or you abandon accounts with a negative balance, your bank will report you to ChexSystems,” says Levar Haffoney, a New York-based wealth manager for Fayohne Advisors. He adds that once a consumer has been flagged, it’s very difficult to open an account with another financial institution.
Can You Repair Your Banking History?
If you’ve ever opened a bank account, then it’s likely you have a ChexSytems report, according to financial experts. But if you have a negative report, all is not lost.
Haffoney and others say smaller regional banks and credit unions do not necessarily use ChexSystems to screen applicants, and thus can provide an opportunity to rebuild a positive banking record.
“Local banks and credit unions are more receptive to people who are low income and they are more willing to look past credit history issues,” Haffoney explains.
Some banks also offer what’s known as a ‘second-chance checking account,’ says Haffoney. Such accounts involve the bank closely monitoring your activity for a year or two before allowing you to move on to a regular account.
Those who have a negative banking history should also work with the institution where the financial trouble occurred to try and correct the issue, perhaps repaying an overdraft charge for example, says Deric Poldberg, a personal banker for American National Bank in Omaha, Neb.
While American National uses ChexSystems to screen every single account applicant, the bank is willing to look past a negative report if the applicant provides documentation showing the situation has since been addressed responsibly.
“If you brought me proof of repayment on the bank’s letterhead, then we will open an account,” says Poldberg. “That’s how we operate.”
How Long Will a Negative Incident Remain on Your ChexSystems Report?
It’s important to note that even if a negative incident is resolved with the bank in question, ChexSystems is likely to still keep that incident on your report for up to five years after it occurred.
This is particularly the case if the financial institution’s original report to ChexSystems was an accurate report of account mishandling on your part. However, there are cases where a financial institution will request the incident be removed from your report, such as when there’s a consumer dispute filed.
You can find out what your ChexSystem report says by visiting the agency’s website. Consumers are eligible for one free copy of their ChexSystems report annually.
This is a particularly good idea if you’ve been denied an account and ChexSystems was used in the decision process. Obtaining your report can help you identify the problem – and get to work resolving it.
Related Articles
- Where to Find a Second-Chance Checking Account
- How to Escape the Trap of Expensive Banking
- Best Free Checking Account
- How to Raise Your Credit Score
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Six Ways Seniors Can Save on Car Insurance
Young drivers typically see their car insurance costs drop as they gain experience behind the wheel, but when they become senior citizens, their rates may begin to rise again.
This happens because the risk of paying out claims increases for insured motorists as they age, says Carol Walker, executive director of the Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association.
The frequency of crashes for drivers starts increasing at about age 70, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). As eyesight, hearing, and reflexes decline, some insurance companies have found that policyholders as more likely to be involved in traffic accidents, or more prone to injury in a fender bender. Walker says each carrier has a different approach to insuring older drivers, however.
“There are different [age] thresholds for companies,” she adds. “Part of the issue is that older drivers are injured more frequently in crashes. They are more frail.”
You can’t help aging, but there are things you can do to keep your car insurance rates low. Here are six examples:
1. Ask about low-mileage discounts.
The less you drive, the less likely you are to be involved in a traffic accident, Walker says. If you retire from your job and no longer drive to work, the number of miles you log on the road each year should drop significantly — so ask about low-mileage discounts.
“If you’re not driving to and from work, your car will be classified as pleasure use,” says Kevin M. Lynch, an assistant professor of insurance at the American College in Bryn Mawr, Pa. “That will lower your rates.”
2. Use anti-theft devices.
Lynch says you can often reduce your car insurance bill by using anti-theft devices that help track stolen vehicles, such as OnStar and LoJack. You also may save money if you have a vehicle alarm system.
Ask your insurance agent which security devices will earn you a discount.
3. Consult with your insurance agent before you buy a car.
The car of your dreams may not be the least expensive vehicle to insure, says Lynch. Carriers consider a variety of factors when setting rates, such as the cost of repairing and replacing your vehicle.
Typically, the more expensive a car is, the costlier it will be to insure. Also, if the model you choose is a popular target for thieves, that could affect your rates.
4. Use technology to reduce your bill.
Lynch notes that some insurance companies use technology to tie rates to your actual driving behavior. Telematics devices monitor such things as how far you drive, your driving speed, and how smoothly you apply your brakes.
“They know where you go,” says Lynch. “They know if you’re speeding. If you’re a safe driver, you get better rates.” Ask your agent if your insurance company offers discounts for using a monitoring device in your car.
- Related: The Rise of Black Box Car Insurance
5. Consider taking a defensive driving course.
Some insurance companies will reduce your insurance rates if you successfully complete a defensive driving course, says Jim Armitage, an insurance agent in Arroyo, Calif.
Such classes are available through a variety of organizations and private schools. Before you sign up for such a class, call your insurance company to make sure that the course you’re taking will result in lower car insurance rates, he adds.
6. Shop around for the best price.
Lynch says not all insurers consider older drivers a greater risk. Drivers age 70 and older are a growing segment of the car insurance market. In the U.S., this group rose 38% between 1997 and 2014, according to the IIHS.
If your insurance rates go up, you can shop around to see if another carrier can offer you a better deal, says Lynch. Car insurance is a very competitive industry, so there’s a good chance you’ll find a cheaper policy.
When older drivers are unhappy with their auto policy rates, “the best advice I can give is to shop companies,” Lynch says.
Related Articles:
- Best Car Insurance Companies
- What to Do If Your Retirement ‘Number’ Seems Impossibly Big
- Best Cheap Car Insurance Companies
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One in three concerned about meeting financial commitments in 2017
One in three (35%) Brits are “very” or “fairly concerned” about being able to meet their financial commitments in 2017, according to new research from Equifax.
The credit reference agency’s research also reveals that 30% think their financial situation will worsen next year, while only 15% believe it will be better.
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"Look further afield for income in 2017," warns expert
Rising inflation is set to be the key worry for the beginning of 2017, as expressed by Britons in a recent Moneywise.co.uk poll.
With this in mind, financial services provider Fidelity is recommending investors “look further afield” for opportunities.
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