Tired of Driving in These 9 Cities? Uber Has You Covered With Flat Fares

Spend a lot of time — and money — letting Uber drive you around?

A new flat-fare program may help you save.

Uber’s Flat Fare Ride Package is available in nine major cities: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C.

To access cheaper-than-usual rides, you pay an activation fee of $10 for 20 flat-fare rides or $20 for 40 flat-fare rides.

The flat fares vary by city, but overall, they’re dirt cheap. UberPool rides start at just $1.99, and UberX rides start at $3.99.

How Cheap Are Uber’s Flat Fares?

A few restrictions apply: You must choose a city in which to activate your flat-fare deal, so don’t sign up for your home city and then expect to get the special fares on vacation in another (unless you sign up for both cities!). Also, your rides must stay within your city’s designated zone, and some airports are excluded from those areas.

You’ll pay your activation fee immediately, but your special pricing will stay active for 30 days (or until you use all your rides).

Here’s the full list of fares. Don’t forget to add that activation fee of either $10 or $20 when doing your own math:

Boston: $1.99 UberPool rides, $4.99 UberX rides

Chicago: $2.49 UberPool rides, $4.49 UberX rides

Los Angeles: $1.99 UberPool rides, $3.99 UberX rides

Miami: $1.99 UberPool rides, $4.99 UberX rides

New York City: $2.99 UberPool rides, $5.99 UberX rides

San Diego: $2.99 UberPool rides, $4.99 UberX rides

San Francisco: $2.49 UberPool rides, $4.99 UberX rides

Seattle: $2.49 UberPool rides, $4.49 UberX rides

Washington, D.C.: $2.49 UberPool rides, $4.49 UberX rides

Is it Worth Paying Upfront for Cheap Uber Rides?

How much do you have to take Uber to make this flat-fare offer worth it?

I dug into the Washington, D.C. map since that’s the Uber territory I’m most familiar with. The designated flat-fare zone is wide — wider than the Beltway that loops around the city and surrounding area.

Oh, what places could I go? In the D.C. area, both National and Dulles airports are excluded, which knocks out any of the $20-a-pop rides I used to take from downtown to Reagan National Airport in Arlington.

Beyond my low-level jet-set life, most of my rides took place between the late-night cookie shop and my house with little attention to surge pricing.

But I recalled trips I used to take from Capitol Hill in D.C. to to a friend’s house in Alexandria, Virginia. The 8-mile trip usually took about 20 minutes and cost approximately $13. That trip is well within the flat-fare zone, meaning that for my usual $13, I could take the same route almost three times for the flat-fare price of $4.49 per ride (after taking into account my activation fee).

Examining your own Uber spending can help you figure out if it’s worth it. I spent $45.26 on four rides in the Tampa Bay area in January alone, putting me in “almost worth it” territory.

But don’t take my word for it; do your own math. So many deals we see land in “almost worth it” territory; you owe it to yourself to be ruthless.

Uber’s Rough Few Weeks

Uber tested a similar program last summer, offering a flat price for a pack of rides plus a $2 per ride fee.

How can it offer rides so cheaply?

“For Uber, profit matters less than providing competition for every other mass transportation system,” Chris Mills of BGR noted in August 2016.

The brand came under fire after last week’s executive order restricting individuals from certain Muslim-majority nations from entering the United States. The order resulted in massive protests at airports and in cities; in solidarity with protesters, New York City taxi drivers said they wouldn’t pick up passengers at Kennedy airport for one hour.

Shortly after that taxi strike ended, Uber announced it would turn off its surge pricing. Some thought was an attempt to boost its business at the travel hub, but Uber said it was simply notifying customers. A #DeleteUber campaign took off on Twitter urging Uber users to delete the app to protest the move.

Later in the week, Uber CEO Travis Kalanick announced his resignation from a panel of business types advising President Trump on economic matters.

Before he stepped down from the committee, Kalanick posted to Uber’s blog that the company would provide legal support for drivers experiencing difficulty returning to the United States due to the travel ban, compensate those drivers for lost earnings and create a legal defense fund to assist drivers navigating immigration difficulties.

Your Turn: Is Uber’s flat-fare package worth it for your transportation needs?

Lisa Rowan is a writer and producer at The Penny Hoarder. Editorial intern Haley Gonzalez contributed to this post.

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Free and Cheap FroYo: Where to Go on National Frozen Yogurt Day

National Frozen Yogurt Day is Monday, Feb. 6, so here’s a reminder to leave room for dessert.

Keep an eye out for additional specials, and you could be eating free or discounted froyo all day!

Here are some specials you can find this Monday:

1. Menchie’s

Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt is offering a buy one, get one yogurt deal all day at participating locations.

2. Yogurtland

Between 4 and 7 p.m., you can get a free cup of frozen yogurt and a limited-edition Hershey’s collectible spoon.

Yogurtland will feature its new peanut butter cup flavor featuring Reese’s and Hershey’s ingredients, as well as its chocolate milkshake made with Hershey’s flavor — mmmm!

3. 16 Handles

If you’re in the Northeast, find a 16 Handles before 6 p.m. for a free 4-ounce frozen yogurt.

This deal’s only good for registered rewards members. Sign up before Monday, or join on the spot by downloading 16 Handles’ new mobile app to redeem your rewards.

4. sweetFrog

Participating sweetFrog locations are offering a buy one, get one promotion all day. Additionally, the chain will unveil new color-changing spoons at participating locations.

5. Yogurtology

Yogurtology will give away the first 6 ounces for free all day Monday — regardless of flavors and toppings.

Your Turn: Will you eat free froyo on National Frozen Yogurt Day? What’s your favorite flavor?

Dana Sitar (@danasitar) is a senior staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. She’s written for Huffington Post, Entrepreneur.com, Writer’s Digest and more.

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5 Ways to Get Your NFL Fix — Without Paying for Cable

I remember not having cable for long periods of time when I was growing up.

It was torture, listening to the kids at school talking about all the programs I was missing. So, when I got out of the house, I immediately subscribed.

But when I got into my 30s, things changed. I got married, bought a house and had kids. Suddenly, I didn’t have endless hours to stare at the TV, but what I did have was a ton of bills. So the decision to cut the cord was pretty easy for me.

Sure, there were a few shows my wife and I tried to keep up with, but that was secondary. I did the research and wanted to save.

It’s hard to put an exact figure on the savings because I mix and match streaming services fairly often. (It’s one of the beauties of cord-cutting — no contracts, so, for example, you can sign up for HBO Now during Game of Thrones, and cancel once it’s over.)

All in all, I’ve saved $50 to $100 per month over the last two years. That’s somewhere between $1,200 and $2,400 overall back in my pocket.

However, like many others looking to cut the cord, I was scared I’d miss out on live sports. In particular, the most popular sport in the U.S.: NFL football.

As it turns out, there are plenty of ways to get all the football you can handle without having cable.

How to Watch Football Without Cable TV

Want to catch this NFL season without an expensive cable contract? Let’s take a look at the best options at your disposal.

1. Antenna

If you’re a fan of the local team, the easiest way is with an antenna. That’s right, even your parents’ old bunny ears probably still work.

However, I opted for a newer, sleeker model — the Mohu Leaf 50, which runs around $60. It worked well in my area, and my wife liked the way it looked. A win-win.  

Of course, there are plenty of other antennas on the market — you’ll need to find one that matches your needs. I recommend heading over to TVFool.com and running a report to help you decide. If you have trouble digesting the site, this subreddit is a good guide.

If you live within range of the big four networks’ (CBS, FOX, NBC and ABC) over-the-air signal, you’ll be able to pick up every one of your local team’s games for the season.

On top of that, you’ll also receive regional games on Sunday afternoons, Sunday Night Football on NBC and all of the Thursday Night Football games from CBS and NBC. (NFL Network owns sole rights to a few of them, so you’ll have to skip out on those.)

That’s a lot of football. For free and in HD. More than enough for the average fan.

2. Sling TV

If you’re a diehard fan, you’ll probably want more coverage. And that means you need cable networks like ESPN or NFL Network. While both of these used to be cable exclusives, you can now get them without a contract through a few streaming services.

First up is Sling TV, which I personally use. Sling offers various skinny bundles of channels to live stream over your internet connection. If you want to get the stream on your TV, you need a device like a Roku or Apple TV.

The Sling Orange package comes with ESPN, which means you can watch Monday Night Football each week, along with all of ESPN’s NFL coverage. It’s the cheapest skinny bundle you’ll find at $20 per month.

However, if you’d rather not listen to ESPN talk about Tim Tebow half the time even though he’s no longer in the NFL, then you probably want NFL Network. Not only does this station give you 24/7 football coverage, but it also broadcasts most Thursday Night Football games.

You can get this as part of Sling TV’s Blue package for $25 per month. Or if you need both Sling Orange and Blue, you can subscribe to both packages for $40 per month. The NFL regular season is four months long, so you’re looking at $160 to get you through the season.

Of course, keep in mind that you aren’t just getting the NFL. That $160 per month is pretty much a cable replacement with channels like AMC, USA, CNN and more.

There’s no commitment, so you can cancel whenever. You can also try it free for 7 days.

3. PlayStation Vue

Your other option for both ESPN and NFL Network is PlayStation Vue. The service is pretty similar to Sling TV. You pay month to month and you get to stream cable channels to various devices. And you can cancel whenever you want.

The starting price is $29.99 ($39.99 in the markets where they offer local channels). The base package gives you ESPN and a bunch of other channels, but you have to upgrade to the $34.99 tier if you want NFL Network.

Of course, if you’re really looking to save money, you could consider borrowing a cable login from a friend or family member. Depending on their cable package, this could give you access to the NBC Sports app, FOX Sports Go, WatchESPN and the NFL Network online.

Is it wrong to share a login? Depends on who you ask. I haven’t seen an official word from any of the companies mentioned above, so I guess you proceed at your own risk.

Recent rulings in a password-sharing case may result in this being deemed illegal by the courts, so check your local laws before sharing passwords.

4. NFL Sunday Ticket Streaming

For many football fans, NFL Sunday Ticket is the be-all, end-all. However, you generally have to have DirecTV to get it… except there are a couple caveats. If you live in an apartment or condo where you can’t have a satellite dish, DirecTV will sell you a streaming version of Sunday Ticket. But it isn’t cheap, at $49.99 per month.

If you happen to be a college student, you’re in luck: You can get the same service for only $24.99. That’s a little easier to swallow. You can find out if you’re eligible here.

5. Verizon Wireless

Happen to be a Verizon customer? Or maybe you’re considering changing wireless providers? Then you might have the cheapest option of all. Verizon customers can stream every NFL game of the season using the NFL’s mobile app.

All at no cost. That’s right, if you’re a Verizon customer, free NFL comes with the service.

As you’d imagine, there’s a catch. It’s only available on your mobile device. So you can’t the stream to your television. But if you don’t mind watching on your phone or tablet, this might work for you.

Whichever option you choose, one thing’s for sure: It’s cheaper than paying $100 or more per month for cable.

Chris Brantner is the founder of CutCableToday, where he provides crucial info for people to find the content they want, like NFL football, without cable. You can also find his blogging expertise on Scribblrs.com.

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We Asked the “Commissioner of Tailgating” How to Tailgate on a Budget

They May Not Be Sexy, but These 10 Jobs Are In Demand

Can you guess the most in-demand jobs of 2017?

I missed the mark on this one. My mind floated to computer scientists, coding nerds (I use “nerd” in the most loving way) and app developers.

Those highly technical jobs seem to top the latest job-outlook lists.

But I like what job-posting site Betterteam did.

It aggregated the most in-demand jobs of 2017. No, these aren’t the fastest-growing jobs. These are the jobs with the most demand — for you. Right now.

The 10 Most In-Demand Jobs of 2017 Might Surprise You

Betterteam described its list as “not always sexy, but always in demand.”

The top 10 list of jobs is ranked by monthly demand. It also notes the growth outlook, median salary and the most popular states.

1. Restaurant Server

Yup, you got it. A restaurant server. The salary isn’t great, but servers typically rely on tips. And if you get President Donald Trump as a customer, you might bank some big ones.

Here are the numbers you need to know:

• Monthly demand: 10,400

• Growth outlook: -3% (womp)

• Median salary: $19,000

• Popular states: Florida, Georgia, California

2. Registered Nurse

I admire my cousins who are nurses. Nursing is one of those if-only-I-didn’t-hate-blood jobs that would otherwise top my list of dream careers. Some medical establishments even pay off your student loans.

Here are the numbers you need to know:

• Monthly demand: 9,100

• Growth outlook: 16%

• Median salary: $67,000

• Popular states: California, Texas, Florida

3. Customer Service

Again, Betterteam didn’t promise sexy, but customer service is in demand right now, which is great because it offers tons of work-from-home opportunities.

Here are the numbers you need to know:

• Monthly demand: 7,400

• Growth outlook: 10%

• Median salary: $32,000

• Popular states: Florida, Georgia, Texas

4. Office Manager

Office managers make the world go ’round, and apparently the world needs more. Your job prospects for this year look pretty good.

Here are the numbers you need to know:

• Monthly demand: 6,300

• Growth outlook: 8%

• Median salary: $52,000

• Popular states: Florida, Georgia, Virginia

5. Operations Manager

Honestly, I did a quick Indeed search to what an operations manager even does, and it looks like so many different fields need you folks. So, no, I didn’t really figure out what you folks do, but I did find this vague description.

Here are the numbers you need to know:

• Monthly demand: 5,700

• Growth outlook: -4%

• Median salary: $86,000

• Popular state: California

6. Janitors and Cleaners

Again — totally not sexy. But it’s a job, and great things can come out of it. Just read this guy’s story if you need evidence.

Here are the numbers you need to know:

• Monthly demand: 5,000

• Growth outlook: 8%

• Median salary: $23,000

• Popular states: North Dakota, Delaware, Vermont

7. Personal Care Aide

Interesting fact: The number of Americans over 65 years old is expected to double between 2000 and 2030. They need you.

Here are the numbers you need to know:

• Monthly demand: 5,000

• Growth outlook: 14%

• Median salary: $20,000

• Popular states: New York

8. Certified Nursing Assistant

This job has the highest growth outlook of the other jobs on this list. Mic drop. (Was this an appropriate place to use that phrase?)

Here are the numbers you need to know:

• Monthly demand: 4,900

• Growth outlook: 17%

• Median salary: $26,000

• Popular states: Florida, Illinois, Georgia

9. Accountant

You can make solid money as an accountant — if you actually received a decent enough grade to move on from the introductory class… unlike me.

And if you don’t want to become an accountant, you can use many of the same skills to run your own bookkeeping business from home.

Here are the numbers you need to know:

• Monthly demand: 4,100

• Growth outlook: 11%

• Median salary: $67,000

• Popular states: Florida, California, Georgia

10. Restaurant Cooks

You might not make a ton of money, but you’re needed. Plus, you have so many opportunities to pick up side jobs — like this fun one.

Here are the numbers you need to know:

• Monthly demand: 3,800

• Growth outlook: 15%

• Median salary: $23,000

• Popular states: Hawaii, New Hampshire, Rhode Island

If you’re not interested in any of these jobs, you can find other excellent opportunities — including plenty of work-from-home ones — on our Facebook jobs page.

Your Turn: Do you agree with this list of in-demand jobs? Is your job on here?

Carson Kohler (@CarsonKohler) is a junior writer at The Penny Hoarder. Her job will probably never be in demand.

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This Program Helps People Save $14K Per Year for Disability Expenses

People on Medicaid or Supplemental Security Income for a disability walk a fine line when it comes to putting money in a savings account.

Add too little, and there’s not enough to create a reliable emergency fund. Add too much, and risk losing eligibility for benefits.

Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) accounts are gaining ground across the U.S. They’re a great way for people with disabilities to put money in a savings account without the risk of losing eligibility for other important benefits programs.

According the U.S. Social Security Administration website, anyone who is “blind or disabled by a condition that began before the individual’s 26th birthday” can open an ABLE account.

There are a few other requirements account holders must meet, so be sure to check out the website to learn all the details.

If a disabled person is unable to open or maintain an ABLE account on their own, a parent, legal guardian or agent with power of attorney can do so in their name.

The great thing about an ABLE account is that account holders can stash up to $14,000 per year in it, and it doesn’t count as income. The account holder can withdraw money at any time to cover disability expenses and associated bills.

What Qualifies as an ABLE Account Disability Expense?

Account holders can earmark ABLE account money to cover costs related to their blindness or disability. A wide variety of expenses are covered, including:

• Housing and transportation

• Education

• Employment training

• Health services

• Assistive technology

• Legal fees

• Basic living expenses

• Funeral and burial expenses

• Financial management

Account holders can also use pretax dollars to contribute to the account, and account earnings are not taxed. Withdrawals are also not taxed as long as they’re used for disability-related expenses.

How to Set Up an ABLE Account

Currently, only a handful of states offer ABLE account programs, but many more are expected to follow suit later this year. However, that doesn’t mean ABLE accounts are out of reach if there’s no program in your state.

Alaska, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Virginia accept people from anywhere in the country into their programs. Each has its own fees, benefits and options, so check out Time’s state-by-state list of ABLE programs to find one that matches your needs.

If the idea of using pretax money to pay for medical expenses sounds familiar, that’s because the concept is a lot like 529 college savings plans and HSA and FSA programs.

It’s always worth taking a look at any tax-advantaged program that could allow you to hoard a few extra pennies to see if you qualify.

Your Turn: Do you have an ABLE account? Was it easy to set up?

Lisa McGreevy is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. She tends to hang out on Twitter a whole lot, so go look her up @lisah and say hi.

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Government launches £1.5k tax-free pension allowance for retirement advice

Moira O'Neill

getting-pensions-advice.jpg

People planning their retirement will be able to withdraw up to £1,500 from their pension pots tax-free to pay for financial advice, under plans unveiled by the government today.

People planning their retirement will be able to withdraw up to £1,500 from their pension pots tax-free to pay for financial advice, under plans unveiled by the government today.

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What Should You Do if Someone Attacks You Online?

Online trolls are an unfortunate part of life. While the Internet connects us, it also enables people to spew hate for no apparent reason.

A survey from The Daily Mail, a leading UK news agency, provides insight into some of the platforms that attract the most trolls, with Facebook taking a commanding lead.

I’ll be upfront with you about the way I handle haters of my personal brand.

I ignore them.

That’s my method, so I’m not telling you to do the same. It’s simply been an effective method that has allowed me to stay sane and keep my personal brand intact. Ignoring it.

Obviously, not every brand can ignore the hate.

Some companies respond in creative and humorous ways that turn into huge wins.

As brands such as Nestle, Amy’s Baking Company, and Dark Horse Cafe found, managing your online reputation by responding to attacks can backfire, creating havoc for the brand.

Because of the high risk of big mistakes in online reputational management, I put together this guide for what to do if someone attacks you online.

But first, we’ll review what trolls are and the true costs of negative comments.

What is an online troll?

Online trolls are people who frequent forums, chat rooms, comment wells, social networks, and other corners of the Internet to incite strong angry responses from their victims. These people are typically proud of their accomplishments. This troll even brags about his exploits.

When you get upset with trolls, you are playing into their hands—you are feeding them.

Do not feed the trolls.

Feeding the trolls only makes them stronger, and they push harder. It also lowers you to their level, where they’ll always win because of their vast experience. You’ll only get upset and act irrationally—while doing it on public forums.

This means it’ll stay on the Internet forever for other people to see. Sometimes, your reactions will be saved as screenshots so you can never delete them.

It makes the costs of negative comments left by trolls high.

The cost of negative online comments

While there’s an old adage that purports that all press is good press, this isn’t necessarily true, as Amy’s Baking Company found in its war against trolls.

Despite what insurance commercials on TV say, people turn to the Internet for information. They especially trust product and company reviews.

A negative review left by a troll can have a lasting impact on sales numbers.

A recent survey by Moz found that nearly 70% of respondents were turned off of buying a product or service because of negative online reviews.

And that’s not all. Online reviews aren’t the only trustworthy source. Word of mouth on social media has been shown to effectively work both for and against brands.

Recent research by the Internet Sales Group found one negative social media review can cost you 30 new customers.

Unhappy people simply enjoy banding together and making their voices louder, so while a happy customer will discuss your brand with 3-5 people, an unhappy customer will tell over 20 people about their bad experience.

This inspired Adrien Chen and Jason Pontin at the MIT Technology Review to explore the true costs of trolling, although they ended up focusing more on what it costs the troll than the victim.

And it turns out, responding to trolls (although not directly) may actually be the most effective policy.

How to respond

I don’t respond to trolls, but others do. It’s a stigmatizing issue, and clearly even adults don’t know what to do about bullying.

Some marketers, like Curtis Snyder at Make Your Mark Media, recommend confronting trolls head on. There’s value in that although Kendall Walters at Hootsuite reminds us not to confuse a troll with a genuinely upset customer.

Whitney Gibson at Social Media Explorer posits that the decision whether or not to respond to negative comments depends on a variety of factors. You have to assess the risk of the attack before determining the correct course of action, and it needs to be done fast.

Social media moves fast, and you have a maximum of 24 hours to respond to negative comments effectively. It’s a very small window.

To help make these split-second decisions, here’s a handy infographic on how to respond to negative social media comments. It’s full of useful advice on how to keep calm and carry on:

Of course, how you handle the situation is up to you. Some brands with edgier attitudes find success shutting down online trolls the way a stand-up comedian treats hecklers. Others have run into PR nightmares attempting to retort.

I don’t personally respond to negative comments or reviews, but if I ever come across something false, I do report it to be removed.

I’ve never minded legitimate feedback and criticism, even the occasional hater, but I won’t tolerate lies and misinformation.

Reporting trolls to admins

Regardless of the platform, there are community rules and guidelines for how people should act. In places like 4chan or the darknet, the rules are looser, but on social networks like Facebook and Twitter, they’re extensive.

Here’s how to deal with Facebook trolls. Profiles, comments, and posts can be reported to group admins, or blocked and reported as abusive to Facebook directly.

If you read an offensive tweet, you can simply block the person so you won’t see them ever again. They can still see your tweets, however, and everyone else can still read theirs.

When Twitter trolling gets out of hand, reporting it is easy: click or tap the three dots at the right of the tweet and report each tweet before reporting the individual who posted them to Twitter’s admin.

Yelp reviews can be reported similarly to Facebook’s. If you receive a bad review from a Yelp troll, don’t be afraid to swing the banhammer. And yes, Yelp trolls do exist, and there’s an entire underground community of them.

And it doesn’t stop there: you can report inaccurate and false content to Google, FourSquare, Reddit, Instagram, or wherever else you find it online.

It doesn’t stop at social networks, forums, and online review sites. The Internet is regulated much more than you think, and there are checks and balances in place on every level to keep things as civil and clean as possible.

That’s right, if a blogger or other outlet creates a site that falsely represents you, it’s possible to even have it removed from Google search results. This should be done only in extreme cases and may require alternative means of removing false information.

Alternative ways to remove false information

The Internet has been around long enough now that disputes over negative online content have reached every level of our court system.

In response to negative publicity, some online SEO and marketing agencies rebranded themselves as reputation management services. These firms use SEO techniques to help bury negative search results under pages of positive ones.

The ethics of such services is debatable, though I suppose the same could be said of legitimate SEO and marketing services.

Some companies take things as far as the court system, suing people over negative reviews. The courts have sided with web services and platforms such as Yelp, placing liability on consumers to post honest reviews.

Still, web-based lawsuits in every industry continue being heard in federal courts:

Because of the first amendment’s rights and freedoms and the split between content creators and platform owners, web admins aren’t always required to remove web content.

Sometimes Google will adhere to court orders regarding search results; however, there are volunteer and nonprofit projects that are dedicated to archiving and documenting any web pages Google removes due to court orders and other actions.

Attempting to shape conversations in this way can quickly become a slippery slope, which is why I typically do my best to avoid it.

Still, every situation is different, and if you’re reading this article, you need all the information possible, which is what I’m aiming to provide.

I want to remind you once again (and I realize I’m getting repetitive) that if at all possible, ignoring the situation is best. I do, however, work in a B2B industry, so I deal with more professional clients and reviews.

Conclusion

You never know when it will hit. One minute you’re minding your own business, commenting on an article you just read, and the next thing you know, you’re defending your religion, sexuality, political affiliation, race, age, profession, and your entire life because of some stranger.

Trolls lurk in every corner of the Internet, seeking to victimize people, spreading their negativity.

Responding to trolls only feeds them and makes them stronger, so it’s best to ignore them whenever possible.

However, sometimes negative commenting escalates to personal attacks, false information, and other dirty tactics meant to disrupt business in unethical and often illegal ways. Sometimes, trolls take things too far, and it affects your business.

In these cases, it’s okay to respond, defend yourself, and work in the backend to have inflammatory and malicious content removed from the Internet.

The web will never be a safe place, but it’s up to you to take the high road.

How have you dealt with online attacks on your brand or business?

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January blues, tube strike or Brexit are not "reasonable excuses" to have missed your tax return payment

Moira O'Neill

hmrc-sign.jpg

If you missed the 31 January deadline to submit your self-assessment tax return and pay any liability, but do not have a valid excuse, act now to avoid facing further penalties.

If you missed the 31 January deadline to submit your self-assessment tax return and pay any liability, but do not have a valid excuse, act now to avoid facing further penalties.

Tax returns not filed by 31 January will be subject to a £100 penalty unless the individual has a “reasonable excuse”.

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Households to be hit with water bills hike

Helen Knapman

big-bill.jpg

Households in England and Wales will see their water bills rise by an average of 2% from April, while homes in Scotland will see their bills rise by 1.6%.

Households in England and Wales will see their water bills rise by an average of 2% from April, while homes in Scotland will see their bills rise by 1.6%. 

The move will take the average household water and sewerage bill in England and Wales to £395 - an increase of £6 compared with the previous year. See the tables below for the full increases by provider.

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I Paid Off $11K in Student Loans in 4 Years Making $15/Hour. Here’s How

As a young person, getting on top of your money lets you take control of your life.

Your best friend asked you to be in her out-of-state wedding? No problem! You got in a fender-bender? Bummer, but no problem.

And it definitely feels like successful adulting when you can write a rent check without anxiety.

Plus, nothing is quite as satisfying as paying off a student loan AND still being able to pay all other bills, put food on the table and go out to celebrate.

I should know — I’ve paid off nearly half of my student loans.

I graduated in 2012 with about $24,000 in student loans, which is just about average for my class, and I’m proud to have knocked out $11,000 of that debt in less than four years.

It seems incredible when I think about it: I’m 25, live on on my own and only make $15 an hour.

My situation is average — I don’t have any unusual skills or strategic moves to help me.

So how do I do it? Budgeting.

How to Budget to Pay Off Debt

I started making a budget a few months after my loans went into repayment.

I was constantly worried I wouldn’t have enough money — partly because I didn’t know where it was going!

I knew I made enough to cover rent and my normal expenses, but adding student loan payments made me feel like I was in constant danger of not being able to pay an important bill.

Something had to change.

So, I started budgeting by following these simple steps, which I’d recommend to anyone… student loans or not.  

1. Track Your Spending

For a week, a month, whatever. Track everything.

Keep a list, and add to it every time you pull out your wallet, whether it’s on a spreadsheet or a simple notepad.

Become aware of your spending habits. You need to know exactly where your money is going.

Bonus: You might decrease your spending just by being more attentive. I didn’t want to write down a $1 snack at work, so I didn’t buy it. That was one more dollar I could put towards my loans!

2. Set Some Financial Goals

Come up with a few short- or longer-term money goals, and write them down.

Maybe you want to put as much money possible each month toward your student loans, like me. Or maybe your goal is to go on a dream vacation, build a six-month emergency fund or stop living paycheck to paycheck.

My long-term goal was to fully pay off my student loans, and each month, I aimed to pay at least $50 more than the minimum payment.

3. Analyze Your Spending

Go back to your tracked expenses, and examine them.

What did you spend the most money on? Are you happy with how much you spent?

Be honest with yourself. Does your spending match your goals?

If not, it’s OK. Mine didn’t. Just acknowledge where you’re overspending and move forward.

After realizing how much I spent eating out, I said goodbye to Panera, and hello to bagged lunches.

4. Build a Budget

During extensive Googling (I may have been procrastinating), I found YNAB, or “You Need A Budget” — which I love.

But all you really need is a way to plan what you want your money to do for you, whether that’s an Excel spreadsheet, YNAB, Mint or even pen and paper. Use what’s comfortable.

First, enter how much money you have now. Not what you anticipate having, but what you have now.

Next, list where your money goes: rent, car repairs, fun money, groceries, student loan payments, retirement savings, etc. It can be as detailed or simple as you want.

And don’t forget an emergency fund! (Says the girl who had an unexpected root canal. Ouch.)

Here’s a more in-depth guide to creating a budget.

5. Give Every Dollar a Job

This is a YNAB mantra: Make sure to budget all of your income. Every. Last. Cent.

Your monthly bills are straightforward. And by looking at your list from step one, you can anticipate how much you’re going to spend on groceries and restaurants.

But the real trick is planning for less common expenditures, like car registration.

You’ll eventually use every dollar you have, so plan for it. Prioritize your categories, and make sure every time you get paid, you give all those dollars a job.

6. Be Vigilant with Your Spending

Record every transaction.

The list you started with was good practice, but now you have to make it a habit. Making a budgets is relatively easy, but it’s not a “set it and forget it” deal.

Check your categories to see how much money you have available before shopping or going out.

Recently, I bought several T-shirts at Target. I hadn’t planned on it, but I looked at my budget, saw I had enough money in my clothing category to cover the cost and went for it. Guilt-free impulse buying for the win!  

If you go over your budget by a few dollars here and there, it’s fine. Pull money from a different category, and learn from it.

I adjust something pretty much every month. Recently, I had to pull some money from my grocery category and put it into my household goods category because I ran out of toilet paper, paper towels and Clorox wipes all at the same time. Whoops!

7. Be Realistic

A budget is not set in stone. Setting realistic expectations is the secret to successful finances.

You know you. If you know you’ll want to splurge on certain things, don’t stress. Instead, build it into your budget.

I set aside enough money to go to two movies every month. It removes the guilt and makes it easier to stick to my plan. I don’t feel like I’m missing out, and I’m still putting as much as possible towards my loans.

Being realistic is the only way to make your budget stick.

What Will Your Budget Help You Achieve?

Budgeting is simpler than you think, and it helps you achieve your financial goals much faster.  

Realizing I’d about halved my student loan debt in less than four years was an amazing feeling!

You probably won’t always perfectly stick to your monthly budget, but it’s OK. Just adjust as needed.

But make sure you’re only spending money you already have, even if it’s tempting to pull out your credit card.

You have the power to take control of your money. All you have to do now is start.

Your Turn: Do you set a monthly budget? How do you manage your money?

Emily Wynn is a young professional passionate about helping her peers figure out their money. Often, personal finance seem overwhelming, but she’s on a mission to show it’s not.

The post I Paid Off $11K in Student Loans in 4 Years Making $15/Hour. Here’s How appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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What Kind of Retirement Is Right For You?

I had a great lunch today with an old friend of mine. We used to work together and he was a couple of decades older than I was, so today he’s actually starting to see retirement on the short term horizon.

He was interested in what my life was like as a self-employed person who made a living on a mix of side gigs and contracts, and I shared some of my thoughts on that, but when we got down to the real meat of the conversation, it seemed like he was mostly trying to figure out what the next stage of his life is going to look like.

He’s between five and ten years away from a traditional retirement. He seems to love his job. His primary interest away from work is to go to live sporting events, particularly high school and college sporting events near him (there aren’t exactly a ton of professional sports options in Iowa).

I asked him what his typical day was like and most days seemed to either be a cycle of going to work and coming home to do household chores, going to work and then going to sporting events, or else filling weekend days with household chores and sporting events.

“But… what else do you do?” I asked him. I wasn’t intending to be rude. Rather, I was being frank with an old friend. I was trying to help him figure out what he might do with a lot of additional hours that he’ll have in retirement.

The thing is, he drew a blank on that question. He talked about reading websites and maybe reading a book every once in a while and watching television… and that was about it.

My response? I told him that if he’s actually happy with his life routine right now, with a mix of work responsibilities and workplace respect that he’s earned over the years and those workplace relationships, and his main hobby of watching live sports fits right alongside that, there’s no reason whatsoever for him to retire until he has to.

The funny thing? He thought about it for about a minute or so and then slowly brightened up.

For him, retirement did not seem like a blessing at all. It seemed like this empty hole of time and space where he’d basically sit around for the last two or three decades of his life doing nothing interesting and then eventually dying. He saw his workplace relationships, which he values a lot, withering away and dying. He saw himself walking away from a place where he was valued and had a lot of respect into a life where that respect didn’t exist.

I couldn’t help but be reminded of the movie About Schmidt starring Jack Nicholson, a recent retiree who is struggling with retirement. He spends the first portion of the movie walking through the paces of his life but feeling very empty; the film captures that sense really well.

It was really obvious that much of what Warren Schmidt cared about was the respect and value he had in the workplace, the relationships he had there, and the work he did. It was a very key part of who he was and what he enjoyed about life. Sure, like anyone else, he didn’t love every aspect of his job, but it gave him a lot more than he realized.

That’s not a bad thing at all. Every single person needs to find the place and the things that makes them feel whole, that makes them feel valued, that makes them feel engaged. Many people find that in the workplace.

On the other hand, there’s me. I have more things I’d like to do in my life than I’ll ever have time to do in my entire lifetime. Writing books. Reading books. Hiking trips. Charitable work. Tabletop game design. Gardening. Fishing. Political involvement. Travel. Trying new things. So many, many things.

For me, as much as I enjoy my work, I also very much look forward to a point in my life where I can wake up and know that my day will consist of all of those things and that I’ll have adequate time to actually do those things with any degree of regularity.

My friend and I derive our personal joy and happiness from different places. Much of his joy comes from his job and his one main hobby/interest. If you take away one of those things, then there’s a void in his life that is left unfilled. Yes, he could seek out ways to fill it, but why should he if he already has a life that he finds fulfilling? He has relationships that he values, people that value him, and things to do that bring joy and fulfillment to him, and what else does one want in life?

My joy comes from having a huge variety of interests and passions, far more than I currently have time for. I am happy with what I do now with my time, but if an element goes away, I will quickly fill that void with other things.

To put it simply, there is much stronger motivation for me to save for retirement and retire early if possible than there is for my friend to do the same. There is no strong reason for my friend to retire early or even to retire “on time.” It makes more sense for him to work as long as possible and retain all of the aspects of his life that he values.

The goal of retirement savings and retirement planning isn’t necessarily to retire. It’s to have lots of options available to you when you reach retirement age. Sticking with your current career should be just one option among many. When it’s the best option, as it seems to be with my friend, then your retirement savings is simply a backup plan. When it’s only one option among many and some of the others sound mighty nice, as it is with me, then your retirement savings is very, very important.

Where are you on that scale?

Are you the type of person who has built up a great career with a ton of great relationships? Have you found a place in your career where you have respect, personal fulfillment, and lots of good people around you? Do you wonder what you’d actually do to fill your days after your career is over? If that’s you, it’s still worth saving for retirement, but you may want to expect to work a little longer than the typical retirement age and you should view it as more of a backup plan. You won’t be saving for quite as many years in retirement and you have more years to save for it. Retirement savings isn’t as aggressively important for you.

Or maybe you’re the type of person who’s bursting at the seams to try new things and new ideas in retirement. You have a long, long list of things you want to achieve once you reach a point where you no longer have to work for income. Your days in retirement seem absolutely exciting because of all of the things you’re going to do. You don’t necessarily hate your job, but you definitely work to live, not live to work. You, my friend, are the kind of person who should be saving as aggressively as possible for retirement so that you can retire as early as humanly possible with the resources you need to enjoy retirement to the fullest. Retiring early doesn’t mean four decades of drudgery, it means four decades of wide open possibility.

Those two different attitudes point directly toward different approaches for retirement. One involves aggressive saving, maxing out 401(k) and IRA contributions, and searching for loopholes and angles to squeeze every last drop out of retirement savings. The other is more focused on using retirement as a fallback and is more focused on a debt-free lifestyle in order to improve one’s financial flexibility while still working.

Neither one is absolutely right, and neither one is absolutely wrong. Instead, they’re both examples of how different approaches to life can push people toward different approaches to their finances and retirement planning.

That’s why it’s called “personal” finance. Different people have different desires, goals, ambitions, and attitudes, and it would not make sense for everyone to follow the same cookie cutter path.

The best approach to personal finance for everyone is to start by figuring out what you want out of life and make choices to maximize those things that you want. For some, it might point you toward rapid retirement savings. For others, it might orient around saving for a house. For still others, complete debt freedom might be the best route. There is no answer that’s always right. The only principle I can point to that’s consistently strong for almost everyone is to spend less than you earn because the future is always uncertain, and do something worthwhile with the difference between what you bring in and what you spend. Pay off debts, save for goals, whatever it might be.

Good luck.

The post What Kind of Retirement Is Right For You? appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

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Households to be hit with water bills hike

Helen Knapman

Households in England and Wales will see their water bills rise by an average of 2% from April, while homes in Scotland will see their bills rise by 1.6%.

Households in England and Wales will see their water bills rise by an average of 2% from April, while homes in Scotland will see their bills rise by 1.6%. 

The move will take the average household water and sewerage bill in England and Wales to £395 - an increase of £6 compared with the previous year. See the tables below for the full increases by provider.

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This Grad Had More Than $50,000 in Student Loans… Until He Did This

Jammie Proctor had made it. After taking more than 10 years off of school, he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Georgia Tech.

He was 36 years old. And he had more than $50,000 in student loans.  

Though he had the same goals many of us do — to pay off his house and start investing in his future — he couldn’t move forward with those exorbitant loans hanging over his head.

Neither could John DePrato, who was $65,000 in debt from his bachelor’s and MBA. He was trying to build a house with his wife, but felt crushed by his hefty student loan bill: $850 a month.

Then, one day, things changed. Proctor and DePrato opened their inboxes to find emails from their alumni associations — emails about a new company that could help them refinance their student loans.

With just a few clicks, Proctor saved an estimated $6,000-$7,500 on his loans and will be debt-free in just seven years.  

And DePrato cut his monthly payments in half — from $850 to $400 — freeing up money to continue building his new home.

Becoming debt-free and building a house are things we want for all our readers! And since we know student loan debt is such a burden for many of you, we had to learn more…

How These Graduates Saved So Much on Student Loans

So how did Proctor and DePrato do it? Through a student loan refinancing site called Credible.

Unlike other refinancing companies, which give you one offer — take it or leave it — Credible is an independent student loan marketplace, not a lender.

Here’s how it works.

You give Credible some basic information — your name, date of birth, where you went to school, how much you earn, how much you want to borrow or refinance, and your monthly housing costs.

Within a few seconds, Credible determines which lenders you’d be a good fit for, and shows you a simple, personalized dashboard with the best rates for you to compare.

“It’s like a Kayak or a Zillow for student loans,” says Michael Fishel, a Houston attorney who graduated from law school in 2012 with $135,000 in loans. “It’s brilliant.”

When he tried Credible, he “instantaneously got a ton of offers,” he says. As with most businesses, that competition led to savings for the consumer.

Over the lifetime of his loan, Fishel estimates he’ll save $10,000-$15,000 — money he’s putting directly into a 529 plan for his newborn daughter.

And that number isn’t uncommon. The average Credible user has $60,000 of loans and an interest rate of 7%… and once they refinance with Credible, an average savings of $18,668 over the life of their loans.

Though Proctor, the engineer, will likely save less than that — around $7,000 — he appreciates how easy the process was. All you have to do to browse rates is fill out Credible’s 15-question pre-qualification form. Checking rates won’t affect your credit score, either.

“I was very impressed with [the fact] they did the heavy lifting for me,” he explains. “I didn’t have to go out and seek all of these loan providers to do my refinancing. I could just go through, look at all the offers and figure out which one was most suitable for me.”

That customization is important because everyone has different goals. DePrato, for example, wanted to free up cash for the construction of his house — so he refinanced from a 10-year loan to a 20-year loan. Though he’ll pay more in interest over the lifetime of his loan, it was the best option for him and his wife.

“Maybe I’m paying out a little bit more total interest,” he says, “but it made sense for what we’re doing right now.”

Who Can Refinance Student Loans With Credible?  

Whether you want to pay less interest or lower your monthly payments, you might wonder whether Credible’s right for you.

Like any loan, not everyone will receive offers under this program. To help you determine whether you’re a good candidate, here are the factors Credible and their financial partners consider:

1. Do You Have Good Credit?

Lenders use your credit score to determine your risk level; good credit score means low risk, which means lower interest rates.

If your credit is poor or limited, you may want to look into a cosigner (see number four), or work on repairing your credit first.

2. Is Your Debt-to-Income Ratio Low?

Don’t fret if you have a lot of debt — as long as your income is also high. Many successful Credible users are high-earners in deep debt due to expensive graduate degrees.

3. Do You Have Work Experience?

How much real world work experience do you have? The Credible service generally works best for people with a few years of post-bachelor’s work experience, or a graduate degree in an in-demand field.

4. Might You Need a Co-Signer?

If you’re recently out of college and your credit history, income or work experience is limited, partnering with a qualified co-signer can reduce your rates.

Should You Give Credible a Shot?

If you’re struggling with your student loan bill each month, we highly recommend you look into refinancing. Because interest rates are so low right now, you could end up saving a bundle of cash.

For the guys we talked to, it has made a huge difference.

“Especially with our generation, it’s tough to save,” says Fishel. “This gives an opportunity for people my age to start saving right away — because the burden of all your other bills, especially student loans, isn’t as bad… There are a lot of people in my shoes who simply don’t know about this and so much money can be saved.”

Want to learn more about Credible? Click here to fill out their five-question quiz or learn more about student loan refinancing with their free refinancing guide.

Your Turn: Would you consider refinancing your student loans?

Sponsorship Disclosure: A huge thanks to Credible for working with us to bring you this content. It’s rare that we have the opportunity to share something so awesome and get paid for it!

The post This Grad Had More Than $50,000 in Student Loans… Until He Did This appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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Deal of the week: give to charity for free as you shop

Adam Williams

give-as-you-live.jpg

Give money to charity for free when you make purchases and switch providers online using Give as you Live.

Give money to charity for free when you make purchases and switch providers online using Give as you Live.

What’s the deal exactly?

Websites such as Quidco and TopCashback have proved a popular way for shoppers to earn cashback as they spend online.

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Millions of Npower users to be hit with 10% price hikes

Helen Knapman

complete-gas-hob.jpg

About 1.4 million Npower customers will be hit with average price hikes of 9.8% - or £109 per year – from 16 March.

About 1.4 million Npower customers will be hit with average price hikes of 9.8% - or £109 per year – from 16 March.

This is made up of a 4.8% gas increase and a 15% electricity rise. 

The move affects customers on a standard variable tariff – excluding pre-payment customers (those who pay for their energy in advance using a meter).

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Car insurance premiums reach new peak

Rachel Lacey

car-insurance-policy.jpg

It’s never been more expensive to insure your car, according to the latest data from the Association of British Insurers (ABI).

It’s never been more expensive to insure your car, according to the latest data from the Association of British Insurers (ABI).

The ABI says motor insurance premiums rose by more than five times the rate of inflation in 2016 and reached a record peak in the final quarter of the year.

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More people know the capital of Peru than understand pension and insurance jargon

Gary Adams

confused-jargon.jpg

Financial information is a verbose minefield for many, which can lead to people losing their money, according to new research conducted by financial services provider Aviva.

Financial information is a verbose minefield for many, which can lead to people losing their money, according to new research conducted by financial services provider Aviva.

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The Place on Campus You’ve Probably Never Visited — But Totally Should

There’s a place on your campus you’ve probably heard of — but if you’re like many students, you’ve never ventured inside.

No, I’m not talking about the gym. (Seriously though, you should probably go there at least twice a week to burn off that dining hall food.)

I’m talking about the career services center.

The career services center is probably one of the most underrated buildings on campus. Whether you want to get to know yourself better or need help finding a job (even after graduation), a career services center is a free resource that students should use.

Don’t believe me? Well, considering all the opportunities it offers, you might want to rethink your decision. Here’s why you shouldn’t just keep walking next time you stroll past your college’s career services center.

Things You May Not Know About a Career Services Center

I used to think resume reviews and mock interviews were the only services a career center had to offer.

That’s not the case, though.

According to Julia Ruddock-Elliott, manager of employer development at The Office of Career Services at The University of Tampa, there are many services the office provides to students that can help them at each stage of their professional development.

Here are some awesome and unexpected examples of what career services centers have to offer.

Internship and Job Information

This is probably one of the biggest advantages of going to a career services center: Many of these centers have online portals that list hundreds of openings for internships and jobs.

I found my internship with The Penny Hoarder on HIREUT, UT’s career services web portal; it turned into my first full-time job.

I didn’t have to visit the career services center in person to learn how to access the portal. But your school’s career services portal may work differently.

For example, Jacquelyn Pica, an intern at The Penny Hoarder and a senior at the University of South Florida — St. Petersburg, tells us her school’s career services center has different rules. Students are required to make an appointment with an adviser first before they’re granted access to USF’s portal, Recruit-A-Bull.

If your school requires an in-person visit, don’t let that stop you from accessing potential opportunities. Make the appointment, get in there, and get started on your search!

Self-Assessment Tools

Before you even think about starting a career, don’t you think it’s important to learn more about yourself? Like how you work best and the things you value? Many career services centers offer self-assessment tools that can help you do just that. Examples include personality tests, Life Map (a student’s guide to figuring out what to do to complete their goals) and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.

Alexa Moubarak, assistant director of career coaching and professional development at UT’s career services center, believes these tools hold high value.

“Knowing more about what your values, interests, personality, skills, strengths and passions are is the key to aligning who you are with your career in order to create a fulfilling life,” said Moubarak. “It’s never too late to get started, but the sooner you begin the career exploration and development process, the better!”

Etiquette Dinners

Etiquette dinners are a way to teach students not only how to dine properly during a business dinner, but also how to network in a formal setting.

Lisa Rowan, writer and producer at The Penny Hoarder, attended one during her undergraduate experience and found it to be worthwhile.

“The event I went to was totally free for seniors with advance registration,” said Rowan. “And the event was helpful because the staffer at our table welcomed any sort of career or job search questions and invited us to stay in touch with her by email after the event if we had questions.”

Alumni Support

I never knew this, but you can use your university’s career services center even after you graduate. Career services centers have resources for alumni, including job information and career guidance. A common reason alums go back to them is for help after deciding to change careers.

And yes, even as an alum, the services are free.

Misconceptions About Career Services Centers

While the services college career centers offer may seem pretty straightforward, students often have misconceptions about them. Here are some examples.

Myth: The Office Guarantees Employment After Graduation

SUPER false. “We are NOT a placement facility,” said Moubarak. “However, we can provide you with all the tools, resources, events, opportunities and coaching you would need in order to be best prepared. Ultimately, you get out of it what you put in. It’s up to you in the end.”

So, don’t walk in thinking it will be easy — but also, don’t walk in thinking it will be impossible. As Moubarak said, you get what you give; in this case, it requires effort!

Myth: The Office is Only for Students With Certain Majors

False! Because UT is known for its business school, Ruddock-Elliott believes students might get the false impression that the center caters to only those students. That’s simply not the case.

Career services centers can connect students to professions that match their skills, regardless of their majors — for free!

Myth: They’re Just for Seniors

Brianna Kwasnik, a UT alum who first visited career services as a freshman, thinks that’s a big reason students don’t take advantage.

“I think many students believe that career services is something reserved for seniors who are getting ready to enter the workforce,” said Kwasnik. “Many students tend to overlook all of the other wonderful resources they provide, such as reviewing your resume or cover letter, helping find internships or jobs in the area, or practicing interview skills.”

You can develop these skills at any time — and honestly, it’s a good idea to do so sooner rather than later!

Why Don’t Students Take Advantage of Career Services Centers?

I never visited my career services center, mainly because I didn’t exactly understand why I should. I already had a resume. Why would I need to go?

I’m not the only student who hasn’t stepped foot in the building.

According to Ruddock-Elliott, one survey of 250 students found that only 15% or so actually scheduled an appointment with career services.

What gives?

“It’s really just a lack of awareness,” she said. “It’s also that perhaps someone came in and didn’t get what they wanted, so maybe they don’t come back ever again.”

But for the students who actually make appointments and go in? They rate their visits to be satisfactory at least 85% of the time, according to Ruddock-Elliott.

So, what do you have to lose? Call and make an appointment at your university’s career services center today. It could help you more than you think!

Your Turn: Will you visit your school’s career services center anytime soon? Let us know in the comments below!

Kelly Smith is a junior writer and engagement specialist at The Penny Hoarder and a senior at The University of Tampa. She wishes she’d taken advantage of its career services center early in the game — but she definitely will as an alumni!

The post The Place on Campus You’ve Probably Never Visited — But Totally Should appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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