These 15 States Hold Tax-Free Holidays for Back-to-School Shopping

Doesn’t it feel like summer just started?

So why are we discussing back-to-school anything?

Well, it’s because several states have special tax-free holidays scheduled over the next two months so parents can buy all the school supplies, clothes, shoes and electronics their kids need for the upcoming academic year and not pay the normal sales tax.

Last year, the National Retail Federation reported families with children in grades K-12 planned on spending an average of $673.57 for back-to-school shopping needs.

Skipping out on paying tax on those items help families keep a little more money in their bank accounts.

Tax-Free Weekends 2017

The first round of tax-free holidays starts in two weeks, so now’s the time to plan ahead and shop smart.

July 21-23

Alabama

What’s Included:

• School supplies — $50 or less per item
• Clothing and shoes — $100 or less per item
• Computers — $750 or less per item
• Books — $30 or less per item

See here for a list of eligible and non-eligible items.

July 28-29

Mississippi

What’s Included:

• Clothing and shoes — less than $100 per item

See here for a list of eligible and non-eligible items.

July 28-30

Tennessee

What’s Included:

• Clothing and shoes — $100 or less per item
• School supplies — $100 or less per item
• Computers — $1,500 or less per item

See here for a list of eligible items and here for a list of non-eligible items.

Aug. 4-5

Iowa

What’s Included:

• Clothing and shoes — less than $100 per item

See here for a list of eligible and non-eligible items.

Louisiana

This state’s sales tax holiday lowers the sales tax to 3% on the first $2,500 of any consumer purchase of an eligible item. See here for more details.

Aug. 4-6

Florida

What’s Included:

• Clothing and shoes — $60 or less per item
• School supplies — $15 or less per item
• Computers — $750 or less per item

See here for a list of eligible and non-eligible items.

Missouri

What’s Included:

• Clothing and shoes — $100 or less per item
• School supplies — $50 or less per purchase (for graphing calculators, $150 or less)
• Computers — $1,500 or less per item (for computer software, $350 or less)

See here for a list of eligible and non-eligible items.

New Mexico

What’s Included:

• Clothing and shoes — less than $100 per item
• School supplies — less than $30 per item
• Computers — $1,000 or less per item ($500 or less for related computer hardware)

See here for a list of eligible and non-eligible items.

Ohio

What’s Included:

• Clothing and shoes — $75 or less per item
• School supplies — $20 or less per item
• School instructional material — $20 or less per item

See here for more information.

Oklahoma

What’s Included:

• Clothing and shoes — less than $100 per item

See here for a list of eligible and ineligible items.

South Carolina

What’s Included:

• Clothing and shoes
• School supplies
• Computers

See here and here for lists of eligible and non-eligible items.

Virginia

What’s Included:

• Clothing and shoes — $100 or less per item
• School supplies — $20 or less per item

See here for a list of eligible and non-eligible items.

Aug. 5-6

Arkansas

What’s Included:

• Clothing and shoes — less than $100 per item (for accessories, less than $50 per item)
• School supplies

See here for a list of eligible and non-eligible items.

Aug. 11-13

Texas

What’s Included:

• Clothing and shoes — less than $100 per item
• School supplies — less than $100 per item

See here and here for lists of eligible and non-eligible items.

Aug. 13-19

Maryland

What’s Included:

• Clothing and shoes — $100 or less per item

See here for a list of eligible and non-eligible items.

Aug. 20-26

Connecticut

What’s Included:

• Clothing and shoes — less than $100 per item

See here for a list of eligible and non-eligible items.

Writer’s note: If you live in (or close to) Delaware, Montana, Oregon or New Hampshire, you don’t need to worry about special tax-free holidays because these states don’t charge sales tax year-round.

Alaska also has no statewide sales tax, but local municipalities levy their own sales tax, The Motley Fool reports.

Nicole Dow is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. She grew up in New Jersey where there is no sales tax on clothes, but her family sometimes drove over to Delaware to take advantage of tax-free school supplies and electronics. She loved back-to-school shopping.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, one of the largest personal finance websites. We help millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. In 2016, Inc. 500 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the No. 1 fastest-growing private media company in the U.S.

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Host a Game of Thrones Party Fit for King’s Landing on a Flea Bottom Budget

The Game of Thrones season 7 premiere… is coming.

(OK, I promise, that’s the only time I’ll use that line.)

And because we’ve been forced to wait three months too long for this season, the anticipation is as palpable as, well, the tension between Jaime and Brienne.

As excitement over the show’s imminent return spreads as fast as wildfire through The Great Sept of Baelor, it’s time to start thinking about hosting your own premiere party.

Wait, “party?” I guess the correct term would be more like “feast,” because let’s be real: in Game of Thrones-land, you don’t throw parties, you host banquets and feasts and spectacles.

So it’s time to start planning the greatest premiere feast the Seven Kingdoms have ever seen. (And that’s saying something, given the caliber of celebrations that take place throughout the realm.)

But because we’re not all ballin’ on a Lannister budget, and because it’s easier to not have any debt at all than to wear yourself out repeating that line about “always paying” those debts, this feast is going to have to be slightly more cost-effective than the usual King’s Landing affair.

But you’re a Copper Hoarder — as we’re called in Westeros — so you know you can throw a rager of a banquet on a Flea Bottom budget. If you need a jumping off point (too soon, Tommen?) we’ve got some tips to get you started.

The Ambience

To ensure your guests really believe they’ve stepped into an era where the average life expectancy hovers somewhere around 43, you’ll need some convincing decorations to transform your (albeit dated, but certainly not ancient) apartment into a banquet hall fit for a slew of lords and ladies.

 

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Mood Lighting

First things first: dim the lights and place as many candles as you can get your hands on around the room. You can get a bag of tea lights for just a few bucks at your local dollar or crafting store.

This will give you all the medieval ambience you could ever need and have you well on your way to convincing your acquaintances they’re standing in The House of Black and White.

Just please, please be a smart adult about the whole “room full of candles” thing — no matter how many people show up in Daenerys costumes, not a one of them will actually walk out of the flames untouched.

 

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Music

You can find the soundtracks to the first several seasons of the show on various platforms, including YouTube, Amazon’s Prime Music and Spotify.

Cancel the DJ, press play and boom — it’s almost as good as hiring a real live minstrel to play for your guests.

 

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Sigil Banners

Show your allegiance to your noble house of choice by DIYing sigils to hang around the room. If you’re feeling pretty crafty, you could knock out this project from Hola Sara in an afternoon while you brush up on past seasons.

If you need something slightly less involved, here’s an awesome, free printable download that features nine of the most recognizable houses in all of the Seven Kingdoms. Simply print the page, cut out each banner and hang them all along length of string.

 

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The Iron Throne

Because what in the seven hells would a Game of Thrones premiere feast be without an Iron Throne for your guests to fight over?!

Listen, while you could go all out and build a fancy throne fit for whoever it is you’re rooting for to win the titular game, you could also take the easy way out (a la Jaime pushing a secret-wielding Bran out the tower window) and do something like this.

While there are no instructions attached to this version, it looks like a piece of cardboard, a can of spray paint, duct tape and a kitchen chair would just about do it.

 

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The Drinks

“Everything’s better with some wine in the belly.” – Tyrion Lannister

 

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Wine

Well, obviously. But if you want to bring some authenticity to your premiere feast, print these free labels from HalloweenCostumes.com and attach them to the bottles of Two Buck Chuck you picked up from Trader Joe’s.

(FYI, the Arbor is an island on the Southwestern tip of Westeros that is famous for both its red and white wines. It’s ruled by House Redwyne, a name that really sort of speaks to me.)

 

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Wildfire Jello Shots

If your guests are looking to get  ~wild~ on feast night, try making wildfire Jello shots. The trick here is to just make regular ol’ inexpensive (cheap vodka ftw) Jello shots but with lime-flavored gelatin. They come out a glowing green color and, while they’re not flaming, somebody will certainly be lit by the end of the night.

 

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Milk of the Poppy Cocktail

For a more refined time, cocktails may be the way to go. Try making this milk of the poppy cocktail from Tattooed Martha (actual poppy optional) to quiet the pain of all of your favorite characters dying.

 

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The Feast

Obviously the most important element of your premiere feast will be the food itself. I mean, it doesn’t have to be anything as elaborate as pigeons baked in a pie, but having a spread fit for at least a squire seems appropriate.

Luckily, you can easily do a Game of Thrones-style feast on a budget — it’s mostly just meat and cheese and bread.

 

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The Main Dish

Are you ready for these very complicated instructions? I mean, this is almost as complicated as the whole Faceless Men storyline, so get ready.

1. Buy a rotisserie chicken (or two) from your local grocery store.
2. Remove chickens from packaging.
3. Place chickens on platter.
4. That’s it.

All right, so that wasn’t all that complicated. But in a world where we have the modern convenience of things like cars and grocery stores, why spend 12 hours rotating a spit over an open fire?

If you want to jazz the platter up a little, place some roasted vegetables around the chickens for a more festive look.

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Cheese and Fruit Plate

Seriously, with dishes like these, this might be the simplest (OK, but maybe also the only) banquet you ever host.

To add a little fancy to your table, create a cheese and fruit platter with some cheap cheeses from Trader Joe’s, a couple pears and a few bunches of grapes.

There you have it: A decadent-looking cheese plate worth Jaime’s hand’s weight in gold.

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The Guest Right

One of the most sacred traditions in Westeros (and really, most ancient cultures) is Guest Right. The idea is that once you’ve welcomed someone into your home with bread and salt, and you’ve both partaken, you cannot harm your guest and your guest cannot harm you for the duration of the visit.

This is an important ritual, particularly if word of your feast got out and that one guy you really can’t stand invited himself along.

Protect yourself (and your feast) by offering him some bread and salt — we wouldn’t want another Red Wedding on our hands.

 

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If you’ve misplaced your great-grandma’s famous Guests Right recipe, don’t worry: Here’s a simple one from The Inn at the Crossroads (a site chock-full of Game of Thrones-inspired recipes in case you want to make your menu more elaborate).

Dessert

No feast is complete without a delicious dessert, but you have a couple of options here. You could either go the classy route and serve Sansa’s favorite lemon cakes (again, recipe from The Inn at the Crossroads), or the, uh, other route, and serve Ned-pops (recipe from Popsugar).

 

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…in delicious cake form.

The Fun

When you play the games at this party feast, you win or you die. And I mean, while the episode itself is more than enough entertainment for one evening, a little game never hurt anyone. (Unless it’s the Game of Thrones — then it hurt everyone you ever loved.)

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Game of (Musical) Thrones

You play this one just like musical chairs, but the winner is given the honor of sitting on the Iron Throne all night long.

 

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A Refresher Course

If you’re a Game of Thrones trivia wiz, create a quiz that tests your guests’ knowledge of the show’s first six seasons.

If that sounds like too much work, just use this one from Vulture, which will test your knowledge of every butt ever given screen time (and there are a lot).

 

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Use Your Westerosi Names

If you really want to transport your guests, create a naming station right when your guests walk in the door.

Set up a laptop with a browser window open to a Westerosi name generator and have guests choose a name and write it on a name tag. For the rest of the night, guests can only refer to each other by their Westerosi names. If anybody slips up, they get their tongue cut out and aren’t allowed to speak for the remainder of the feast

 

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Feast On!

Now that your premiere feast is ready, all you have to worry about is sending out the invitation ravens, kicking up your heels and relaxing as your friends travel over treacherous terrain and through enemy territory to reach your humble castle.

 

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Odds are, two-thirds of them will arrive without incident and your banquet can carry on as planned.

Just, ya’ know, make sure you’re emotionally prepared as well.

 

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Grace Schweizer is a junior writer at The Penny Hoarder. She’s trying to fit six seasons’ worth of a rewatch into the next week of evenings.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, one of the largest personal finance websites. We help millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. In 2016, Inc. 500 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the No. 1 fastest-growing private media company in the U.S.

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Many Cities Are Raising Minimum Wage, But This City Is Doing the Opposite

Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens recently announced he will allow St. Louis to lower the minimum wage from $10 per hour to the state-standard of $7.70 per hour. That change will take effect starting August 28, 2017.

The city’s current $10 per hour minimum wage was set to go up to $11 an hour starting January 2018, but that’s obviously off the table now.

Depending on how you look at it, this news is really good or really bad.

I’m conflicted. Feelings are hard.

The Good (If You’re a Business Owner)

The St. Louis Board of Aldermen approved a bill in 2015 to gradually step up the city’s minimum wage to $11 per hour by 2018.

Business owners reacted almost immediately, saying they couldn’t afford to increase workers’ wages that much and still stay in business. In fact, a consortium of businesses sued the city, saying the action conflicts with current state laws and makes Missouri “less attractive for business growth and job creation.”

Amer Hawatmeh told CBS News his family-owned restaurant in downtown St. Louis is already struggling. He says the minimum wage hike is one reason he had to scale back both his eatery’s menu and its operating hours. He fears ultimately having to shut down altogether.

Greitens defends his decision, saying helping local businesses succeed also helps workers in the long run.

“This increase in the minimum wage might read pretty on paper, but it doesn’t work in practice,” he said in a statement. “Government imposes an arbitrary wage, and small businesses either have to cut people’s hours or let them go.”

The Bad (If You’re a Wage-Earner)

It’s pretty easy to understand how lowering the minimum wage is a huge blow to workers in St. Louis, who already struggle to get by.

“Some 24.9% of St. Louis residents live in poverty, far more than the 14.7% national figure,” reports USA Today.

Missouri Sen. Jamilah Nasheed says people in St. Louis can’t get by on $7.70 per hour and calls the move “inhumane.”

Former Mayor Francis Slay agrees.

“We want people to work hard and not be dependent on government assistance. So, we should reward hard work with increased wages that will then boost the local economy,” he says. “It is just not right that a parent working full time for the minimum wage has to raise his or her children in poverty.”

The Bottom Line

There doesn’t seem to be a perfect solution to this problem.

Workers can’t afford to live on $16,000 per year. On the other hand, raising the minimum wage could shutter some businesses and make others leave the community altogether. Fewer jobs puts an even greater strain workers and the local economy.

It’s a prime example of a vicious circle.

Even though the matter seems settled for now, it could resurface now that Slay, a four-term governor, retired this year.

Newly sworn-in Mayor Lyda Krewson fought for a compromise on the minimum wage bill and says the blocking the wage increase is a “setback for working families.”

“I will work with others to get an increase in the minimum wage on the ballot since our state legislature won’t address it,” says Krewson.

Lisa McGreevy is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. Kobayashi Maru scenarios make her deeply uncomfortable.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, one of the largest personal finance websites. We help millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. In 2016, Inc. 500 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the No. 1 fastest-growing private media company in the U.S.

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What You Need to Know ASAP If You’re Reading This on a Free Wi-Fi Network

So much of our everyday lives take place online. But that online life, whether it consists of liking your friends’ posts on Facebook or checking your bank account balance, isn’t free.

Unless you dig up some free Wi-Fi from the cafe down the street or your next door neighbor. Then, it might be free. But it’s probably not safe.

A recent survey from Santander UK showed that people will do just about anything for a free connection. Five percent of people in Great Britain have “borrowed” Wi-Fi from their neighbors (with or without permission) because they can’t afford their own, the survey found. It also showed that 5% of people have hung out at a cafe for the Wi-Fi without paying for snacks and another 3% admitted to using “unknown, unsecured Wi-Fi when out and about.”

That last part is no surprise. Who hasn’t flipped on their laptop or whipped out their phone in a coffee shop or on the subway, immediately checking for a free connection?

We’re Worried About Public Wi-Fi Safety… Sort of

More than half the survey pool was concerned about the security of free or borrowed Wi-Fi, but “the need to ‘get online’ and take advantage of a free connection appears to take priority over concerns about unsecure networks,” Santander noted.

This is far from a uniquely British problem. AARP’s 2016 Cyber Security Survey found that 39% of  adults ages 18 and up think public Wi-Fi is “somewhat safe,” 27% think it’s “not too safe,” and 21% think it’s “not at all safe.”

Almost 70% of those surveyed said that locations with free Wi-Fi should “display information on the risks associated with using public Wi-Fi to shop, bank, or access social media sites.”

In the meantime, we’re still cruising whatever Wi-Fi connection we come across.

Some free Wi-Fi portals do provide warnings about protecting your personal information. But what’s personal these days? What might be routine browsing for one person might be a touchy subject for another. We go to coffee shops, McDonald’s and urban parks for access, but should it come with the expectation of privacy?

While you debate that with your friends over drinks at a bar that offers free WI-Fi, consider these ways to keep yourself safe while browsing that free connection.

1. Only Do Business on Secure Websites

Ever noticed the “https” at the top of your browser? That URL prefix is probably accompanied by a padlock symbol. Together, they indicate a secure website, meaning your connection is private.

Using an app on your phone? Visiting that company’s mobile website is probably more secure than using the app since you’ll still get that https protection on the mobile web.

And by business, we’re not talking about checking your bank statements. We’re talking about emailing your mom.

2. Make Sure You’re Using a Legit Network

Anyone can set up a Wi-Fi network, stick it out in public and call it something like “Free Candy.” OK, they’re more likely to call it “Sbarro Pizza Wi-Fi” or something catchy to make you think it’s legitimate.

If something doesn’t feel right, or a free Wi-Fi network doesn’t prompt you to agree to terms of service or log in, turn it off. It’s better to find a legitimate network or pick up your remote work setup and take it to another location. (Oh, you brought your extra monitor to the coffee shop? That’s nice.)

3. Update Your Devices and Get Encrypted

Whether you’re using a smartphone, tablet or laptop, make sure your software is up to date. Smartphone users are notoriously lazy about this, but routine software updates can ensure greater security on whatever device you’re using to check the lotto numbers out in public.

But don’t stop there. “A lot of people will have security software and even encryption on their home computers, but they don’t on their portable devices,” said Steve Weisman, who teaches at Bentley University. “It’s important to have security and encryption software on your mobile devices.”

Encryption software that protects your data can cost $20 to $40, but there are several free options available.

4. Use a VPN

Weisman’s best tip? Get a virtual private network. “This allows you to send your communication through a separate and secure private network even if you’re on free Wi-Fi,” he says. “I really like the VPN. It takes all the effort out” of protecting your data.

Weisman, author of “Identity Theft Alert” and blogger at Scamicide, said VPNs can be economical and noted that free options are also available. Expect a yearly investment of at least $30 if you plan to transfer a lot of data while you’re on the road.

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

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, one of the largest personal finance websites. We help millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. In 2016, Inc. 500 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the No. 1 fastest-growing private media company in the U.S.

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Uber’s Latest Feature Could Definitely Put More Money in Drivers’ Pockets

If you’ve been considering taking on a lucrative side job, Uber recently added a feature that could tip the scales in your bank account’s favor.

Last month, Uber announced its big plans to change.

One of the major changes is an in-app tipping feature, which allows passengers to easily tip their drivers through the Uber or UberEATS app — $1, $3 or “custom.”

Yup. Uber Tipping Just Got a Whole Lot Less Awkward

Yesterday, Uber announced it’s unfurled the new tipping feature in more than 120 markets in the U.S. and Canada.

By the end of the month, it says the feature will be available to all drivers in the U.S. and Canada.

Jim Conigliaro Jr., founder of the Independent Drivers Guild, described the tipping feature as “an important win for drivers” in an email statement to Bloomberg. “Cuts to driver pay across the ride-hail industry have made tipping income more important than ever.”

In the past, passengers could always throw a little cash toward Uber drivers if they wanted, but it wasn’t encouraged.

Naif Bartlett drives with Uber in Columbia, Missouri. He says before the tipping feature was released, “[Uber] actually used to tell drivers that if a customer offered a tip, you can accept it but inform them that tips are neither required nor expected.”

In regards to the built-in tipping feature, Bartlett isn’t as thrilled as we expected.

“I think the reason Uber is doing this is so drivers have the opportunity to make more money,” he says.

Bartlett says he’d prefer to see the bump in his base pay, but this is at least a way for passengers to chip in and help drivers ideally stash some extra money in their bank accounts. For that, tip of the hat to Uber.

If you’re interested in signing up as a driver — one who can now (or very soon) receive tips — you can get all the information here.

Carson Kohler (@CarsonKohler) is a junior writer at The Penny Hoarder. She once sang “Little Boxes” with her Uber driver in San Francisco. She so desperately wanted to tip the grandfatherly man but felt awkward throwing him cash. Now she can do it through the app.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, one of the largest personal finance websites. We help millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. In 2016, Inc. 500 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the No. 1 fastest-growing private media company in the U.S.

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Buying Something? This New Study Says You’ll Probably Use a Credit Card

Step aside, debit cards. Move over, cash. Get lost, checks.

Credit cards are now officially Americans’ preferred form of payment.

This is a big change, and it’s happening because consumers are increasingly drawn to the rewards credit cards help them earn.

These days, the credit card industry as a whole is ramping up its rewards programs to compete for affluent customers.

Here at The Penny Hoarder, we’ve noted before that Americans love using a credit card. Just recently, Americans’ collective credit card debt topped $1 trillion, its highest level since the 2008 recession.

However, this is the first time credit cards have pulled ahead of debit cards and cash as shoppers’ preferred way to pay for stuff, according to the most recent U.S. Payment Study conducted by payment processing company Total Systems Services (TSYS).

This is the sixth year that TSYS has conducted the study. It surveys 1,000 consumers who have at least one credit card and one debit card.

Here are a few things we learned from the study:

• About 40% of respondents chose credit cards, compared to 35% for debit cards and 11% for cash.
• The more money people make, the more they prefer credit cards.
• Older millennials — those aged 25 to 34 — are the most fond of credit cards, with about 57% saying they prefer them.
• Younger millennials — those aged 18 to 24 — are the least likely to use credit cards. At this point in their lives, they prefer debit cards.
  

Apparently when you turn 25, the Magical Credit Card Fairy appears in a puff of smoke and glitter and hands you a Chase Freedom card.

What You Should Keep in Mind About Using a Credit Card

Don’t let that shiny platinum go to your head. Get the best credit card you can.

One way to do this: Sign up with a free service like Credit Sesame, which can help you search for smart credit cards, ones that might best benefit your lifestyle. It also lets you see your credit score and offers tips for reducing your debts.

Another option: With a cash-back rewards card, you can get paid for every dollar you spend. We recommend checking out the Barclaycard CashForward World MasterCard. You’ll earn 1.5% cash back, plus a $200 bonus for signing up.

Here’s a list of 10 reasons you should use a credit card instead of cash. Remember, though: To avoid spending lots of your hard-earned money on interest, pay off your balance every month.

Credit cards aren’t for everyone. We only recommend using them if you know you can be responsible.

Advertiser Disclosure: Many of the credit card offers that appear on this site are from credit card companies from which ThePennyHoarder.com receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). We do not feature all available credit card offers or all credit card issuers.

Mike Brassfield (mike@thepennyhoarder.com) is a senior writer at The Penny Hoarder. He’s a debit card guy.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, one of the largest personal finance websites. We help millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. In 2016, Inc. 500 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the No. 1 fastest-growing private media company in the U.S.

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U.S. Adults Are Overwhelmingly Unprepared for Serious Illness or Injury

How many Americans have living wills prepared in case of incapacitation? Learn more about advanced directive documents in this HowStuffWorks article.

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U.S. Adults Are Overwhelmingly Unprepared for Serious Illness or Injury

How many Americans have living wills prepared in case of incapacitation? Learn more about advanced directive documents in this HowStuffWorks article.

Source Business & Money - HowStuffWorks http://ift.tt/2u0kEHP

6 Tips to Help You Avoid Phone Sex Operator Scams (They’re Everywhere)

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Chicago Public Schools Tells Students: No Post-Grad Plans? No Diploma

Chicago Public Schools recently implemented a new high school graduation requirement that may prevent some students from receiving the diplomas they’ve earned.

The school system’s “Learn.Plan.Succeed.” initiative is designed to ensure students have successful futures after graduation. Yet it will withhold high school diplomas from students in they fail to meet (and provide proof of) one of the following criteria:

• College acceptance letter received and returned
• Military acceptance or enlistment letter
• Acceptance into a job program (like a coding boot camp)
• Acceptance into a trades pre-apprenticeship or apprenticeship
• Acceptance into a gap-year program
• Current job or job offer letter

The class of 2020 will be the first to tackle this requirement, according to the school system’s press release.

Chicago Public Schools is the nation’s third-largest school district and the first large urban district to implement such a graduation requirement, the release said.

Where This Could Go Wrong

When I initially learned about this new requirement, I thought of several ways this could go wrong.

What about students who can’t secure a job before graduation, especially disabled students who might face more challenges finding work?

What about students who intend to go to college but were rejected from the schools they applied to for fall enrollment?

What about students whose families will rely on them to provide full-time care for a younger sibling, sick parent or elderly grandparent, which would impede them from holding a job or taking college courses?

What about students whose lives after graduation include plans to be a stay-at-home spouse or stay-at-home parent?

What about the students who plan to start their own business instead of jumping into the traditional workforce? Or students who choose to do freelance work or join the gig economy?

What if a student plans to take a gap year to volunteer, travel or explore their interests and those plans don’t follow a specific “gap-year program”? Or if instead of a gap year, they just want to take the summer off before starting a lifetime of work?

The list could go on.

Chicago Public Schools said students with extenuating circumstances could get waivers from this graduation requirement. I reached out to the school district’s office of communications to get a better idea of what qualifies as “extenuating circumstances” and will update this post once I get a response.

In addition to the concerns that popped into my head, The Washington Post reported critics believe the school district doesn’t have the financial resources to support students making post-graduation plans, citing the 2016 layoff of over 1,000 teachers and staff and a lack of guidance counselors to handle the volume of students.

But…It Could Also Benefit Students

While the “Learn.Plan.Succeed.” graduation requirement initially angered me, I do see the value in having students know their plans for the future before graduation.

Having a path to follow can prevent some young adults from fumbling through the unstructured world of post-grad life and accumulating debt along the way.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel told The Washington Post, “We are going to help kids have a plan, because they’re going to need it to succeed.”

In addition to the “Learn.Plan.Succeed.” initiative, Chicago Public Schools also announced new graduation requirements for students to take financial education courses (starting with the class of 2021) and specific science curriculum (starting with the class of 2022).

Here are some resources to help members of the class of 2020 decide their post-grad plans:

• For college-bound students, The College Board’s Big Futures site offers information to guide prospective college students to choose the right schools and majors for them. Applying for scholarships like these can help students lower or completely cover high attendance costs.

• For students looking to forgo a four-year school, this post, this one and this one each highlight careers that don’t require a bachelor’s degree, though some do require completion of a two-year program.

• For those considering enrolling in the military, Today’s Military provides information on the different branches of service and what it takes to enlist.

• For those considering a gap year, this post featuring three young adults who took breaks from school can offer a helpful perspective.

I’ll be interested to see whether this initiative will be successful in Chicago and if other school systems will follow suit.

Nicole Dow is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, one of the largest personal finance websites. We help millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. In 2016, Inc. 500 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the No. 1 fastest-growing private media company in the U.S.

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15 Essentials to Creating a Trust-Boosting YouTube Profile Page

Did you know that more than 500 million hours of videos are watched on YouTube each day?

That’s mind-boggling!

But here’s what’s really crazy.

In 2017, “more video content is uploaded in 30 days than the major U.S. television networks have created in 30 years.”

These two stats demonstrate just how huge YouTube and video marketing in general have become.

And what I really love about video as compared to other mediums is the trust-building opportunity it presents.

Don’t get me wrong.

Traditional blogging, guest-posting and other text-based formats are great.

But they have inherent limitations when compared to video.

Someone can read one of my blog posts and get a feel for my personality, style, sense of humor and so on.

But watching even a brief video lets them see the whole package:

They can see me, hear my voice, read my body language and get a feel for what I’m really like as a person.

With trust being such an integral part of marketing, video is almost a necessity and should be a part of any well-rounded campaign.

This leads us to a very important question.

How do you create a trust-boosting YouTube profile page?

In this post, I’ll cover some essential elements your YouTube page should have as well as some practical tips for engaging your viewers.

1. Start with a customized banner

Here’s Gary Vaynerchuk’s YouTube page:

And here’s Pat Flynn’s:

Both have solid followings and are well trusted in their industries.

Once I land on their YouTube homepages, one of the first things my eyes are drawn to is their professional, fully customized banners.

They both pop from an aesthetic standpoint and lend an air of legitimacy to their channels.

I can’t stress enough how vital your banner is.

Not only does it need to look great, it needs to capture the essence of your brand.

That’s what I aimed for with my YouTube banner:

I suggest staying away from a generic banner and creating a customized image tailored to your brand.

Check out the YouTube Banner Maker from FotoJet for more on this.

2. Beef up your About section

Have you ever heard the term tabula rasa?

It’s Latin for blank slate.

And that’s how I like to think of first-time visitors to a YouTube channel.

They’ve probably never heard of you, have zero idea of what you’re about and have no clue what type of content you cover.

Your job is to quickly and succinctly tell them what your channel is about.

The description on your About page needs to be spot on.

Here’s a great example from Brian Dean’s YouTube page:

In just a few words, the opening line explains precisely what his channel is about.

From there, visitors can read on for more details.

But the first line immediately grabs the attention of most of his demographic.

Pat Flynn also does a great job of this:

Be sure you’re following this same formula with your About page.

3. Nail it with your “explainer” video

Whenever visitors first land on a YouTube homepage, they’re presented with an introduction, or “explainer” video.

This gives them a brief overview of the channel and informs them about the theme, subject matter, etc.

If you’re a big brand like TED Talks, you can slap up pretty much any video you want because you’re already established.

There’s already built-in trust.

But what if you’re a fledgling brand, trying to get your name out there?

You need to explain your mission and what you do.

This is how I approached my YouTube profile page:

Chris Ducker does something similar with his “YouTube Channel Intro:”

I recommend doing this with your homepage video because it will answer first-time viewers’ questions, spark interest and create some initial trust.

4. Record in HD

Presentation is everything.

The last thing you want is to create grainy, low-quality videos on your channel.

You need to record in HD.

In fact, a study analyzing 1.3 million YouTube videos found that “68.2% of all videos on YouTube’s first page are in HD.”

It’s a significant ranking factor.

These days, standard definition isn’t going to cut it.

If you expect people to take you seriously, you need your content to be in HD.

And if you need help making HD videos on YouTube, check out this video.

5. Record videos just under 15 minutes

One of the biggest questions new YouTubers have is about the length of their videos.

Some prefer quick snippets, while others opt for longer, more in-depth content.

According to research,

the average length of a video ranking on the first page of YouTube is 14 minutes, 50 seconds.

So just under 15 minutes.

YouTube even confirmed that video “watch time” is a definitive ranking signal:

This doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the right length for everyone.

In fact, most of my videos are considerably shorter.

But it’s a pretty good length to aim for, especially if you’re just starting out and looking to build trust with your audience.

Just under 15 minutes should allow you to explain a topic in-depth without overwhelming your viewers.

6. Upload at least one new video per week

The other main question is, “How frequently should I upload a new video?”

Most experts would agree it should be at least once a week.

That’s the frequency Marie Forleo sticks with.

However, two or three times should work as well.

Your goal is to build your subscriber base by supplying viewers with fresh content so that they don’t forget about you or lose interest.

But at the same time, you don’t want to overwhelm them by posting every day.

Creating one to three videos per week is a safe bet.

7. Encourage comments

Comments are one of the main forms of currency YouTube uses to decide where to rank videos.

Just look at how the higher number of comments correlates with higher rankings:

Comments can also boost your trustworthiness, especially when they’re positive.

Just think about it.

Which would you take more seriously?

A video with five comments or 5,000?

I know I’m a little skeptical when the comment section of a YouTube video is a ghost town.

If no one else cares, why should I?

My point here is you should get in the habit of encouraging your viewers to leave their comments and weigh in with their opinions.

Better yet, ask a question at the end of each video to spark a discussion.

8. Encourage likes and shares

Likes and shares are other key forms of YouTube currency.

Not only does this type of engagement correlate with higher rankings, it can crank up the level of trust the viewers feel toward you as well.

Of course, getting a high number of likes and shares is easier said than done.

But asking viewers to engage by using a CTA at the end of a video will help.

Here’s a really simple script you can use:

Thanks for watching this video. Be sure to leave your comments and like or share if you found this content helpful.

9. Bring in influencers

What if your brand equity is only so-so?

One of the quickest ways to elevate it is to feature a well-known influencer on your channel.

That’s what Pat Flynn did a few years ago:

This particular video was posted on Halloween 2014, back when Pat could still be considered an up-and-comer.

It obviously paid off and helped him elevate his brand and gain more recognition.

This isn’t to say that you need to feature someone of a Gary Vee status to make an impact.

Just try to find someone with a big enough following to make a splash.

Getting in touch with someone via YouTube is easy.

Just click on the “Send message” box on the About page:

10. Be helpful without ulterior motives

Content marketing differs from most conventional outbound techniques in that it provides value without asking for anything in return.

It’s more about helping the consumer than shamelessly promoting your product.

And this is why content marketing is so effective.

Most people are sick and tired of being barraged by ads.

Just look at the growth of ad blocking software over the past several years:

Adblock Plus, the world’s most popular ad blocking extension, has been downloaded over 500 million times!

The moment you blatantly try to push your product on YouTube viewers is the moment you lose their trust.

Instead, place your focus on helping and informing your viewers without having any ulterior motives:

Obviously, you’re looking to promote your brand, but taking this approach will boost your trustworthiness and ultimately lead to sales.

11. Redirect viewers to helpful resources

You can cover a lot in your videos, and your knowledge goes a long way.

But you’ll never have all the answers.

Often, it makes more sense to send your viewers to external resources, where they can learn more about the topic.

This is just another way to prove you’re genuinely invested in helping, which is huge for boosting trust.

12. Create an intimate feel

What I love about YouTube is that it allows me to connect with my audience in a way that isn’t possible with most other mediums.

When creating your videos, it’s super important that you achieve an intimate feel and come across as personable and approachable.

HubSpot pulls this off well.

Even though they’re a fairly big company, most of their videos are delivered in a direct, one-on-one manner.

13. Stick to your niche

I didn’t get to where I am today by trying to wear a bunch of hats.

My focus has primarily been on business and digital marketing, and I haven’t strayed from it.

Just look at the topics of my YouTube videos:

They all fall under that umbrella.

I’m not saying you should pigeonhole yourself into a single micro-niche, but you need to stay focused on your area of expertise.

This will enable you to be recognized as an authority and help you build trust.

Otherwise, being seen as a generalist can hurt your credibility.

14. Promptly respond to comments

A survey from Altitude found that

84% of consumers expect companies to respond within 24 hours after posting on social media.

But in reality, most people expect it even quicker than that.

I’ve heard that some people even expect a response within 30 minutes!

The bottom line is when someone takes the time to leave a comment, they want to know you’re seeing it and they want to be acknowledged quickly.

I realize it’s not feasible to respond to every single comment within minutes. That would require you to live on YouTube.

But you should try to respond within 24 hours.

It’s going to help you from a trust standpoint and can lead to some extremely loyal subscribers.

15. Live-stream a portion of your content

The concept of live video is fairly new.

But it’s blowing up like crazy, and YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and others all have their own versions of live streaming.

Not only can viewers watch you in real time, they can send in their comments and questions live.

For YouTube, you need to have at least 1,000 subscribers, so it’s not viable for tiny channels.

But if you have 1,000+ subscribers, I highly suggest doing live streaming for at least some of your content.

Just check out this guide from YouTube to learn more about live streaming.

Conclusion

The amount of trust you’re able to build with your audience directly impacts their receptiveness to your brand and their likelihood of buying.

That’s why trust building should be at the forefront of your mission.

Fortunately, YouTube is the perfect resource for building trust that can spill over to your broader marketing campaign.

It’s just a matter of zooming in on the right areas and following the essentials.

What makes you trust a brand on YouTube?

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Handling Impostor Syndrome in Your Finances and Career

Impostor syndrome (also known as impostor phenomenon or fraud syndrome or the impostor experience) is a concept describing high-achieving individuals who are marked by an inability to internalize their accomplishments and a persistent fear of being exposed as a “fraud.”

That’s the first sentence of a Wikipedia entry on the subject of impostor syndrome, which is a term that describes the sense that you’re really not accomplished or skilled enough for the career or job that you have and you feel like a “fraud” simply being there.

I know that feeling. I felt it extremely strongly when I first got a job after college. I was employed to write some software to organize and present large data sets, and I knew from the first moment I was completely in over my head.

I didn’t know the database system we were using. I didn’t know the operating system that our server software was running on. I didn’t know the language or the coding environment. I didn’t really have much domain knowledge of the data, either, and the person that was supposed to be an expert in that area was suffering through a personal crisis and wasn’t offering any help at all.

I felt lost. I felt like I was a complete fake who should never have had that job. I was embarrassed to come into work in the morning. I was absolutely sure I was going to be fired when my contract was finished.

What happened? Our tiny team, with me writing almost all of the code, produced a demo version of our software in two months that was good enough to make my boss’s boss ask twice in a big meeting whether this was actual software or just an animation. Four months after that, we publicly rolled out our “beta” version to the world about six months ahead of schedule. It was a resounding success and the project is still alive, almost a decade after I walked away from it.

None of that changes the fact that for the first year – even after those initial successes – I still felt like a massive impostor. Nothing external ever changed that feeling – no matter how many positive reviews our software received and no matter how many times it popped up in publications and no matter how many outside reviewers and other folks seemed to be thrilled about what we were doing. I still felt like a three year old being marveled at by mom and dad because of a misbegotten Tinker Toy creation.

In some ways, that feeling was good. It kept me hungry in many ways. I never ever felt really secure. At the same time, it kept me from making difficult choices I needed to make. It amped up my constant stress level. It also stopped me from being as much of an advocate for myself as I should have been. The bad aspects of impostor syndrome outweigh the good ones.

For me, it took years for that “impostor syndrome” to finally go away.

If any of this story feels familiar to you, my only advice to you is this: You can ditch it. You can get past that feeling of being an impostor, and you don’t have to “fake it until you make it,” either. Here are seven things I did to help me kill the impostor syndrome, which was one of the best career steps I’ve ever taken.

Stop focusing on unknowns and what-ifs and focus on the actual task in front of you. When you feel inadequate at a job, it is easy to get stuck on problems that might crop up that are beyond your ability to handle. You might visualize a disaster of some kind or a big programming task or a request from a supervisor that you have no idea how to handle and the mere thought of it makes you feel a bit panicked.

Don’t. Don’t worry about daydreams and possibilities, at least not in the course of your day-to-day work.

Instead, focus on the task in front of you. What do you need to get done today? What do you need to get done in the next hour?

Most of the time, you should be perfectly capable of pulling off that task. And the next one. And the next one after that.

Along the way, two things will happen. One, you’ll learn a lot more about the demands of your job than you expect. You’ll constantly be learning, in fact, if you’re open to it.

Two, you’re going to start establishing a standard of excellence in the things that you do so that your supervisors are much more lenient when you do run up against things that you struggle with.

The task at hand is what matters. Execute it well.

Make a list of what you feel you don’t know, then use that as a self-education guide. If you feel like there are major areas of knowledge and skill that you are lacking at work, simply list them down somewhere. Make a Google Doc and keep adding topics to it that you feel you don’t understand.

Use that as your study list. Spend an hour each evening studying a topic on that list in a focused fashion. If you have downtime at work, tackle topics on that list; your supervisor is going to be thrilled that you’re spending downtime studying Python libraries instead of looking at a fashion website, for example.

As you start knocking down those topics you don’t understand, you’ll feel more and more comfortable in your role at work. That list will probably never entirely disappear, but enough items will vanish that you’ll stop feeling so much like an impostor.

Make friends and spend time with “the smartest people in the room.” One great strategy is to really look deeply at the people in your workplace (and your local professional community) and determine which people are truly the most competent people around. Which ones really know their stuff and can handle problems?

Make friends with them. Spend time talking to them and getting to know them. Go out to lunch with them. Discover their hobbies and take an interest in them.

For starters, you’ll learn a ton from them about everything from the technical aspects of your work to the ins and outs of the workplace.

For another, they’re likely to be a great ally for you if you do run into something way over your head.

For another, they often end up being a helping hand when your career is ready to take another step. Often, it’s not the technical wizard that gets promoted, but the person who can talk to the technical wizard.

Having highly competent friends is always a good thing.

Take big problems that seem overwhelming and break them down into bits you can handle. One of the big reasons that people fall into a sense of “impostor syndrome” is that they’re handed challenges that are bigger than they’ve ever handled before and the problem itself seems overwhelming. A work project that takes a year to complete can seem completely overwhelming at first and can make a person feel like this is way over their head.

The key with any big problem is to start by breaking it down into little problems. Start breaking down this big problem into smaller and smaller pieces, until you’re faced with something you know you can handle, then do that part. Once that part is completed, re-evaluate things and see if there’s now another part that you’re capable of completing. Keep repeating that and soon you’ll have a firm grasp on everything that’s left.

Yes, it won’t be easy. Yes, you’ll probably make a misstep or two early on that carries consequences later. That’s okay. Keep breaking down the big problem and working on the smaller pieces.

Recognize that no one knows everything and that many people are putting up a strong front that exaggerates their knowledge. When you’re talking to peers, you might get a strong idea that they are very, very knowledgable and competent. They seem to know how to handle big projects and use a lot of technical terms.

Here’s the thing to remember: they’re likely showing off a bit. They’re trying to display that they’re highly competent and knowledgable in order to make themselves feel as good as possible, so they’re likely putting up a “front” to some degree.

If that “front” seems overly impressive to you, that doesn’t mean you’re not competent. It just means that they’re doing a good job of projecting what they want to project.

Don’t worry about them. Focus on yourself. Focus on what your job and your next career step requires of you.

Accept help. When you’re stuck on a challenging task, don’t be afraid to ask others for some assistance (perhaps one of those “smart” friends you made earlier).

People often choose not to ask for help when they need it, either out of a sense of pride or out of a sense of not wanting to be seen as incompetent. If you want to succeed in your career path, you have to discard that sensibility as soon as possible.

Ask for help, whether it’s in the workplace or online anonymously or somewhere else. Let others help you. Use that help to get through the problem and learn more. It’s a big step in moving past a sense that you’re an “impostor” in this job, because you’ll learn that doing a challenging job well is a team effort.

Keep a journal of your successes. It’s easy to get caught up in our most recent successes and failures, and a string of difficult moments can leave us really feeling down on our success.

To remedy that, I recommend keeping a “success journal.” Each day, simply add a new entry at the end of a document that spells out your five big achievements and successes that day. Keep it going and then, when you feel like things are struggling, look at it. Remember how often you’ve succeeded and how much you’ve achieved.

You’re not an impostor. You’re a success.

Good luck.

The post Handling Impostor Syndrome in Your Finances and Career appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

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