STROUDSBURG — The Borough Council is considering installing about 20 bicycle racks with signs on sidewalk curb bump-outs throughout the borough.The council has reviewed several proposed bike rack sign designs.Following council member James Smith's recommendation, the council on Tuesday settled on one of four proposed sign designs. The council then decided to send this design to be tweaked into a finalized version by Pocono Metal Craft in Cresco.The council is [...]
Source Business - poconorecord.com http://ift.tt/2zZNSWC
الخميس، 7 ديسمبر 2017
CLU to vote on club's future
A vote Saturday will decide the fate of the now vacant lot at 265 South Courtland Street, East Stroudsburg. The site was once home to the Central Labor Union, better know as the CLU Social Club, before a March 13 fire left the building uninhabitable.Members have four options on the table, said Steve Murray, the club’s manager. They can rebuild on the lot. They can sell the property and buy another to build on. They can sell it, then buy an existing building elsewhere.Or, [...]
Source Business - poconorecord.com http://ift.tt/2Bdj5Kj
Source Business - poconorecord.com http://ift.tt/2Bdj5Kj
5 Easy Ways to Use Pantone’s Color of the Year (aka Our Favorite Color)
In the biggest news since last year’s Pantone color of the year announcement (it was a vibrant shade called “Greenery,” if you’re wondering), the self-proclaimed “Global Color Authority” and influencer of accent walls around the world has announced its pick for the 2018 color of the year.
And we’ve just gotta say: We’re in love. (Although we might be biased.)
The Pantone Color of the Year 2018 Is…
This year’s Pantone color of the year is Ultra Violet — or what we here at The Penny Hoarder HQ affectionately refer to as “Penny Hoarder Purple.”
And while this shade of purple can be, well, a lot to look at in large doses, it’s going to be everywhere pretty soon. And you, like me, are all of a sudden going to need more purple in your life.
(Listen, I don’t make the rules. It’s just that when Pantone announces that color of the year, it’s short order before the hue turns up everywhere and on everything. And while we all try to resist, ultimately our attempts are futile: Pantone’s color choice is law, and — mark my words — you’ll be crazy for it soon enough.)
But here’s the problem: When a new color is announced and hits the height of popularity six months out from the next color of the year announcement, it can be difficult (and pretty expensive) to change up your surroundings every time.
Still, we here at The Penny Hoarder believe in doing things that make you happy, and that includes making your living space pretty and pleasant to be in — and that sometimes even means following a trend. (Gasp!)
So while we’re not going to encourage you to buy a $2,000 Ultra Violet rug that you’ll end up selling for a fraction of the price when you’re ready to move on to the next color, we feel there’s no harm in adding a few splashes of this regal pigment around your home.
How to Incorporate This Trend Without Busting Your Budget
When the purple passion comes a’knocking, these ideas will help you incorporate it without breaking the bank — and in a way that allows you to change your mind should you find yourself surrounded by too much of a good thing.
1. Paint a Stripe (Not a Whole Wall)
Listen: An accent wall is a commitment. And while painting is one of the less expensive updates you can make (one that may even help you sell your home for more down the line), purple is a, ahem, highly saturated color to be painting an entire wall that you might want to cover up someday.
Instead, take a cue from the blogger over at Vintage Revivals and paint a simple, playful stripe on one of your walls. (And pay no attention to the Sherwin-Williams color of 2015. We’re talking about Pantone and purple today.) The best part? This update will cost you all of $15 in paint and supplies.
2. Throw Some Throws Around
Snag a couple of inexpensive purple throw blankets and drape them over the back of the couch or the end of your bed. If you’re more of a pillow person, this cozy velvet pillow sham would be the perfect way to update your existing decorative pillow arrangement with a pop of purple.
If you’re looking for a less obvious way to incorporate the hot new hue into your bedroom, try outfitting the bed with purple sheets.
3. Purple-fy Your Kitchen
Purple might be a bold choice when it comes to walls and linens, but it’s a natural (and pretty common) addition to any kitchen. If you’re down to your last glass because somebody can’t wash dishes without breaking them (Anybody else? Just me?) consider restocking with an inexpensive set of purple drinking glasses.
If you’d rather not invest in purple dishware (although this set is sort of really gorgeous) an inexpensive pack of purple dish towels might be the perfect way to introduce the color.
4. Brighten Up the Bathroom
If you’re looking for a simple update that packs a punch, a shower curtain ranks high on the list. I mean, it’s the same effect as an accent wall with a pretty minimal commitment, and whether you go for all the purple or take a more conservative approach, the bathroom is the perfect place to ease into the trend.
If you need even more purple (aren’t you satisfied yet?!) this bath mat would be a gorgeous addition.
5. Don’t Forget the Animals
Pet beds and dishes often wear out quickly, and your beloved, fur-covered friend might be due for an update anyway. A purple food and water dish will have your cat feeling like the king we know he is, while a colorful, cozy bed will show your dog she’s loved (and pretty trendy, if she cares about appearances).
So there you have it: Five easy—and relatively inexpensive—ways to add Ultra Violet (and other variations of our fave hue) to your home. You don’t have to go too crazy, but there’s no harm in treating yourself to a little decor update once in a while in the name of a trend.
Either way, we’re glad Pantone knows what’s up.
#PennyHoarderPurple forever.
Grace Schweizer is a junior writer at The Penny Hoarder. Every year, she tries to resist, and every year, Pantone pulls her right in. She’s not too cool to follow a good trend when she sees one.
This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.
source The Penny Hoarder http://ift.tt/2nDXSTR
6 Ways Government Shutdowns Hurt You (Even if You’re Not a Federal Worker)
Congress has until midnight Dec. 8 to pass a spending bill and avoid a government shutdown — although it’s likely that lawmakers will pass a measure to fund the government through Dec. 22 to allow negotiations to continue.
The possibility of a government shutdown happens seemingly every year — sometimes twice — as Democrats and Republicans struggle to keep hold of Congress and pull spending legislation their way.
And the idea of the government shutting down can sound scary if you don’t know what such a move entails.
Even if you’re not a government employee, the screeching halt of federal operations can affect you.
Here’s what you need to know about how shutdowns work — and how your life could be affected by one in the future.
What Happens During a Government Shutdown?
When a spending bill expires before Congress passes a new bill authorizing spending, the federal government shuts down most operations.
With spending stuck in limbo while all parties come to an agreement, the federal government runs out of money, forcing the closure.
During a government shutdown, essential services carry on. These include national security, law enforcement, emergency medical services, air traffic control and more.
But services considered non-essential stop, which can still affect your everyday life.
5 Things That Could be Tough During a Government Shutdown
Each government shutdown is different, but here are some things that could become more difficult or impossible if federal operations are forced to go on hold.
1. Planning a Trip to a National Park or Monument
You can’t go to a national park or monument during a shutdown — they’ll be closed. This includes national zoos and museums, too. According to Vox, the 2013 government shutdown cost $500 million in lost tourism income due to national park closures.
2. Getting a Passport
During the last shutdown, the State Department continued passport and visa operations because those functions are funded by fees, not government spending.
We reached out to the National Passport Information Center back in April when the possibility of a shutdown loomed. The representative we spoke to said it’s unclear how a present-day shutdown would affect services, adding that multiple factors go into determining whether you’ll still be able to obtain a passport during a shutdown.
3. Using Free School Lunch Programs
Free school lunch programs will continue during a government shutdown — as long as it doesn’t last too long. If a shutdown goes on for an extended period, school districts might run out of funds to provide the free meals — as some districts worried would occur during the 2013 shutdown.
4. Signing up for New Social Security Benefits
Social Security benefits will continue going out to existing enrollees, but new applications for benefits may have to wait until after the shutdown to be processed.
5. Buying a Home
If you were planning to use a federal loan, like a Federal Housing Administration-insured loan or a Veterans Affairs loan, to purchase a house, the agencies will still process it — depending on a few factors.
During the 2013 government shutdown, the FHA released an FAQ stating it would still process single-family loans, though it warned that it could take extra time because of a reduced staff. Delays could occur for other reasons, like if you need to obtain documents from the IRS.
Are you a veteran? Thankfully, it’s unlikely that a shutdown would affect your VA loans.
6. Your Tax Refund
And, perhaps, the worst of all, depending on the time of year: If you’re waiting for a tax refund from the IRS and the government shuts down, you’ll have to wait until it reopens to get your money.
Hopefully a shutdown isn’t in the near future — but if it is, now you know what to expect.
Kelly Smith is a junior writer and engagement specialist at The Penny Hoarder. Catch her on Twitter at @keywordkelly.
Senior writer and producer Lisa Rowan also contributed to this post.
This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.
source The Penny Hoarder http://ift.tt/2qk9I1D
The Super-Obvious Gift Student Loan Borrowers Really Want for the Holidays
Want to know what I’m getting for Christmas this year? My first student loan bill — a hefty amount due on Dec. 21. Santa is comin’ early, and he’s comin’ in hot!
I’ve been mentally preparing for these payments since I walked across the commencement stage in May, but it still feels like a slap in the face. While everyone is spreading the Yuletide cheer, I’ll be spreading my wallet paper-thin while not even making a dent in my balance of more than $20,000.
You know what would be great, though? If this year, everyone stopped sending me socks and handed over some cash to help me pay my student loans instead.
Gone are the days of cash gifting being taboo, my friends.
We Shouldn’t Be Ashamed to Give the Gift of Cash
Some say that giving cash as a gift is tacky — in fact, LiveAbout included it on its list of the six worst gifts to give a friend. But surprise: I’m not the only debt-drowned student loan borrower who thinks hacking away at their balance this holiday season is a splendid idea.
The Student Loan Report released a survey of 1,000 respondents to find out if they would rather receive a gift or an equally valued student loan payment for the holidays this year.
The responses were unsurprising. More than 69% of respondents said they would rather have the student loan payment than the gift. That’s right — no iPhone X for us this year.
If you’re stuck wondering what kind of gift to get a recent college grad this year, save the diploma and alumni license plate frames for another year.
3 Ways to Get Creative With Cash Gifting
Feel tacky just handing over a wad of cash? Here are a few creative ways you can do it:
Turn it Into a Pizza
No, don’t actually put cheese and sauce on it — just put the dollar bills into a pizza box and top with quarters instead of pepperoni slices.
Make it a Scavenger Hunt
Erin Routzahn, senior account manager at The Penny Hoarder, recalls a Christmas when her dad stashed cash around the house and made her search for it.
“It was one of the most memorable Christmas’ ever,” she wrote to me on Slack. “Even though I just got cash LOL.”
Give Something Sweet
Chocolate is great, but you know what’s better? Money. Turn an empty chocolate box into one full of cash, a la Life as Mom.
And remember: It doesn’t matter how much you give — any little bit counts when it comes to paying down that debt.
Kelly Anne Smith is a junior writer and engagement specialist at The Penny Hoarder. Catch her on Twitter at @keywordkelly.
This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.
source The Penny Hoarder http://ift.tt/2BVN5r8
If You Depend on CHIP for Your Children’s Insurance, You Need to Read This
The future of a program designed to help families afford health care for their kids may be in danger.
For the past two decades, the Children’s Health Insurance Program — better known as CHIP — has been serving families that make too much money to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to cover private health insurance costs.
CHIP has been operating mainly on federal funding, but the program ran out of those funds in September, CNNMoney reported.
The good news? CHIP has bipartisan support, and Congress is working on a reauthorization bill to fund the program for the next five years. According to CNNMoney, the bill has passed in the House, but the Senate hasn’t made much progress on it yet.
The bad news? Congress is unsure how it will fund CHIP going forward, and money needs to be allocated soon to keep the program — which reportedly cost $15.6 billion in fiscal year 2016 — afloat.
Individual states have been using their unspent allotments and grant money to keep CHIP operational, CNNMoney reported, but that Band-aid isn’t going to hold for very long.
CNNMoney reports more than one million children could be left uninsured if the federal government doesn’t step in soon with funding.
Even worse is that there’s not much affected parents can do.
“They can’t really prepare for this,” Genevieve Kenney, co-director of the Health Policy Center at the Urban Institute, told CNNMoney. “There’s not much in their control that can minimize the fallout.”
And even if the federal funding becomes available, this period of uncertainty could have parents questioning the stability of the program.
Laura Guerra-Cardus, deputy director of the Children’s Defense Fund-Texas, told The New York Times the notices states send out about CHIP’s funding dilemma “can really affect the trust” families have in the program.
“So many families still don’t realize this is coming,” she said, “and the few I’ve informed, they go immediately into a state of alarm.”
Nicole Dow is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder.
This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.
source The Penny Hoarder http://ift.tt/2BSCRru
Christmas in July? You’ll save cash and it’s cool to be different
So here it is, they say, Merry Christmas. The lights are already on, the Christmas cards have been in the shops for months and everyone thinks it’s Christmas time in a few weeks – but they’re so wrong!
Christmas doesn’t happen in December. Good gracious, no. Anyone in the know realises that not true – proper Christmas happens in July. Oh, yes. Christmas according to the gospel of Jasmine happens in July, has done for a few years now and is a big tradition with the cognoscenti.
Christmas dinner, with all the trimmings – apart from turkey because it’s a nuisance to get and nobody likes it anyway – is what is served chez Jasmine in the middle of summer every year with presents, a Christmas quiz and prizes for the best seasonal costume. Why? Because it’s a laugh and it’s different, and I like to be different always which is why right now I’m wearing a wetsuit under my tutu, and Doc Martens.
I can’t stand doing things just because everyone else is doing them. Christmas in December (which I reluctantly celebrate) is mostly an irritant with its enforced jollity, over-spending, over-eating and the mass pretence that we like our relatives, all done in the name of tradition. It’s the same with Valentine’s Day. Last year, I did a Halloween party on 14 February, partly because it’s different and partly because frankly when you’re single, Valentine’s Day might as well be Halloween for all the horror it engenders.
Being different certainly reaps financial rewards too. In July, as I have found, you can get cheap Christmas bits and pieces on eBay because no one else is looking for them and it also means my Christmas decorations get a second airing each year – making them even better value.
There’s plenty of money to be saved by doing other winter things in the summer such as changing your boiler and getting the pipes lagged. But the biggest financial rewards are in contrarian investing. As my hero, Warren Buffett, says, we should be “fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful” (I should see if he wants to come round for Christmas dinner next summer).
As any businessperson or seasoned investor will tell you, the best way to make money is to buy low and sell high. The best way to do that is to follow Warren’s advice and go against the crowd.
But what do human beings normally do? What we do is we buy when everyone else is buying – when the price is at its highest – then sell when the bubble has burst and the investment is on its knees. Then we give up on investing as a bad job generally and instead put our money into long-term losers such as savings accounts and Premium Bonds. You would think we would have learnt our lesson by now, in this age of the individual. But no, far from thinking more for ourselves as we lurch further into the 21st century, we’re blindly following the crowd more and proudly boasting of it.
James Surowiecki’s book The Wisdom of Crowds – a direct rebuttal to Charles Mackay’s 19th-century work Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds – insists that the crowd mentality is smarter than the individual. It’s certainly the way the internet works and is the basis for the thinking behind Blockchain or Distributed Ledger Technology, which is central to the workings of cryptocurrencies. But will it really do us good long term? Shakespeare – a despiser of crowds – would say no. He would be horrified that we are imputing such wisdom to “the blind monster with uncounted heads, the still discordant, wavering multitude”. As would Wentworth Dillon, 4th Earl of Roscommon who counselled, in his An Essay on Translated Verse: “…Yet be not blindly guided by the throng; The multitude is always in the wrong.”
Nowadays no one seems willing to do anything unless a majority of their followers approves of it on social media. I know a guy who ditched a new girlfriend because photos of them together didn’t get enough ‘likes’ from his online ‘friends’.
No, to be lucky in love, investing and life, we need to prick the bubble of popular delusions, purge our ‘friends’ on Facebook, invest in products that others think are boring or scary, and never, ever, dress like a Kardashian.
So be different, be unfashionable, be unpopular. It’s what all the cool kids are doing and it’s the only sure way to make money and feel smug as you count your evergrowing piles of cash.
Jasmine Birtles is a financial journalist and founder of MoneyMagpie.com. Email her at columnists@moneywise.co.uk.
Read more about family finances on Moneywise
Section
Free Tag
Related stories
Source Moneywise http://ift.tt/2ADPKFD
What happens to your digital assets when you die?
From banking and social networking to storing pictures and listening to music, we can do everything digitally these days. But what happens to these digital assets and online accounts when we die? Moneywise investigates
Just one in four (23%) adults has organised their financial information well enough to allow their loved ones to handle their financial affairs relatively easily on death, while more than one in 10 (12%) admitted that it would be very difficult for anyone to handle their financial affairs after they died.
These were the findings of research published earlier this year by financial provider Royal London. But to complicate our financial information further, we now live in a digital world where paper trails aren’t left as handy clues for executors trying to sort out the wishes laid out in wills.
Gary Rycroft, a partner at Joseph A. Jones & Co Solicitors in Lancaster, explains: “Back in the day, it was easy for executors to track down assets as there was physical evidence such as paper bank statements and share certificates.
“While the legal advice hasn’t changed in needing to make a will, you need to expand on it and think about what life entails now.
“The big issue that the digital world throws up is that people don’t know where to look – it’s just a black hole. Where are people’s online bank accounts?”
However, it’s not just the obvious financial accounts, such as your online banking or share trading and investment accounts that you need to consider. There are also the accounts that aren’t financial but still have a monetary value, such as loyalty schemes and cashback sites. According to cashback website TopCashback’s ‘Loyalty after Death’ report published this spring, 60% of people have not made their family or friends aware of the loyalty programmes they belong to.
The report also revealed that the majority (91%) of people do not have a plan for their loyalty schemes, and nearly half (47%) had not even considered it as an option.
It’s a similar story when it comes to social media accounts. Unless you’re an Instagram or YouTube star these are unlikely to have a monetary value, but it’s still a personal choice as to whether to keep these open, and not enough of us are recording these decisions before we pass away.
James Norris, founder of The Digital Legacy Association, a professional body that works with charities and organisations to raise the quality of end of life care in areas relating to digital assets and digital legacy, says: “The ways in which we remember our loved ones has changed. For many people, Facebook and other social media sites become a focal point where we remember, view photos, and discuss the life of our loved ones.”
Yet, according to The Digital Legacy Association’s ‘Digital Death Survey 2017’, only one in 10 (13%) has made plans for their social media accounts following their deaths.
What happens to your digital assets
Once they have found your digital assets, it’s up to executors of your will (or administrators if there is no will) to ask providers and financial institutions to close any online accounts you have, with any remaining balances or assets distributed according to the will if there is one, or according to intestacy rules if there isn’t.
Executors will probably need to provide evidence, such as a death certificate and/or a probate certificate. But the problem is that every provider has different rules.
When it comes to banks and building societies, for example, the largest firms follow the ‘Bereavement Principles’ – a code of practice drawn up alongside industry trade bodies.
Under this guidance, a one-stop notification system enables providers to notify relevant brands about specific accounts and products under the deceased’s name with one single notification.
Upon notification, restriction to sole accounts is limited to the person responsible for dealing with the estate. Assets will be released once all supporting documentation to confirm the death and the appointment of the executor or administrator has been provided (although firms will allow payments to be made from the deceased’s account beforehand to cover funeral costs, probate fees, and inheritance tax payments to HMRC).
Loyalty providers, meanwhile, can set their own rules on whether points or cashback accrued can be passed on when you die.
Leigh Sagar, a barrister at New Square Chambers in London and member of STEP (the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners), explains: “In legal terms, a consumer is entering into a contract with a company when joining a loyalty programme. The contract is not an onerous one, but it does contain certain terms and conditions that will be enforced by the court. These terms normally provide that only the registered user, or in some cases, persons in the same household, can collect and spend loyalty rewards.”
Six out of seven major providers Moneywise spoke to do allow loyalty points and outstanding balances to be transferred to someone else, but even then the executor often must provide legal documents to validate their claim and some providers will wipe balances if you don’t act fast enough (see table below).
| Provider | Can you transfer loyalty points or account balance on death? | Additional info |
|---|---|---|
| Avios (formerly known as Airmiles) | No | While Avios' Ts&Cs state that unused points are cancelled after a member's death, it told Moneywise it will consider transfer requests on a "case by case basis" |
| Boots Advantage Card | Yes | Evidence isn't required but certain security questions will have to be answered |
| Nectar | Yes | Whether evidence is required depends on whether the executor is an additional cardholder on the account and how many points have been collected |
| PayPal | Yes | What evidence must be provided depends on whether the account balance is above or below £5,000. As a minimum, a copy of the will is needed (if there is one), plus an original or certified copy of the death certificate, and government-issued ID of the executor or administrator |
| Quidco | Yes | Death certificate and letter of probate must be provided. Any balance is lost if an account is dormant for six months |
| Tesco Clubcard | Yes | Evidence isn't required |
| TopCashback | Yes | Death certificate or will must be provided |
| Source: Moneywise, 9 November 2017. | ||
How to protect your digital assets
The least you can do to help your executors with a potentially tricky journey ahead is to provide a roadmap of what you want to happen to when you die. Mona Patel, Royal London’s consumer spokesperson, says: “While it’s not nice to have to think about dying, the last thing you would want is for your family to struggle to locate and deal with your assets.”
Mr Rycroft’s advice is to make a will stating how you want your financial assets to be distributed, and who you want to do this. He then recommends writing a digital directory that is kept with your will where you detail every online account you have stating: the website address, your username, and your instruction upon death eg, close the account.
“This isn’t part of the will,” says Mr Rycroft. “But it should be kept with the will. It’s a living document as it gets updated all the time whereas wills you might make every 10 years. So you need to keep a copy at home and regularly update and review it.”
However, he warns that you shouldn’t write down passwords as that’s a security risk.
You also shouldn’t log in to someone’s accounts or computer using their details as this is a criminal offence under the Computer Misuse Act 1990, according to Mr Rycroft.
Digital downloads can’t be passed on
Sadly, not all digital assets can be transferred in their digital format. Mona Patel, Royal London’s consumer spokesperson, explains: “Many people might be surprised to learn that purchases such as e-books and digital music cannot be passed on, as the right to access them lies only with the owner.”
Solicitor Gary Rycroft adds: “With downloaded items, such as films and music, you’re buying a right to listen to the music for the duration of your life, but you can’t assign that right to anyone else on your death.”
This may hit millennials particularly hard, with Royal London estimating that over the course of a lifetime, someone aged 34 today could build up a digital legacy worth up to £7,700 which cannot be passed on to friends and family.
However, there is a way around this. Mr Rycroft explains that if you download the films, music or e-books onto an external hard-drive, MP3 Player or Kindle, you could then pass on this tangible asset. You’re not however, allowed to pass on these assets digitally – say via email.
Section
Free Tag
Related stories
Source Moneywise http://ift.tt/2AE3IXU
Want Free Frequent Flyer Miles? Make This Part of Your Daily Routine
The only way I’ve known to garner airline miles and points is to swipe my credit card.
Spend $1, earn one point. Double the points when it’s a travel or dining purchase.
Honestly, it takes a while to accumulate anything substantial. That’s fine, though, because it’s passive.
Want to take more control over those points and miles? You can earn points and miles by completing simple tasks through eMiles.
What’s eMiles?
eMiles is a platform that rewards you in points for completing various tasks online. These might include taking surveys, signing up for a daily newsletter, watching ads, claiming shopping deals or going about your normal consumer behavior.
It claims you can earn $20 to $30 in rewards by spending less than an hour on its site.
So, I decided to put that to the test.
4 Ways to Earn Travel Points on eMiles
First thing’s first. You’ll need to sign up. Enter your email address, then answer a few basic questions. This takes less than two minutes, and you’ll automatically gain 100 points to get you started.
Next, watch a short how-to video and earn 25 points.
Now, explore and find ways to earn points.
1. Take Surveys
Look at the sidebar on the left side of your screen. You’ll find different point-earning categories.
My first inclination? Surveys!
The nice part about these survey options is each spells out exactly how long the survey should take and how many points you’ll earn.
The first one I took promised to take no more than 15 minutes of my time. I completed it in about nine minutes and banked another 182 points.
Other options included a 10-minute survey for 55 points, a 32-minute survey for 75 points and a seven-minute survey for 49 points.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t a match for many of these surveys, but most of them told me that within the first few questions — so I didn’t waste a ton of time. Plus, eMiles felt bad for me and gave me a pity point for each of those missed opportunities.
2. Sign Up For Stuff
Scroll through a number of sign-up offers to see if any might fit your interests.
If so, sign up and earn eMiles points, which can be used toward a number of travel-focused rewards.
A few offers available right now include:
- 75 points when you sign up for Brainer, a memory game
- 45 points when you sign up for Uber and take your first ride
- 180 points when you check your credit score
- 20 points when you sign up for Ebates
- 90 points when you sign up for a Target RedCard
Why not earn points for doing things you’d normally do?
3. Watch Videos
Select the “Interact” tab and see if there are any videos available for you to watch. Sort them by recommended, newest, highest rewards or lowest duration. You can also select video categories such as family and parenting, home and garden or sports.
Heads up: I didn’t have any videos available to watch in my queue.
4. Find Deals
If you’re an impulsive shopper, it’s probably best to avoid this section. However, it’s a great way to earn eMile points on purchases you’d make anyway.
For example, earn one point per dollar at TravelZoo. Or one point per dollar from ThinkGeek. You can even earn 225 points when you opt in for BarkBox’s monthly subscription for dog toys and treats.
It’s Time for Redemption
Collect a mound of points? Now it’s time to redeem them for travel perks.
With as few as 400 points, you can snag a $5 Starbucks eGift voucher or a $25 gift card voucher for Restaurant.com.
With as few as 500 points, you can start collecting airline miles and points. For example, 500 points will get you 500 AAdvantage miles (American Airlines), 500 Southwest points or 500 United points.
You’ve got options for hotels, too. For example, 500 points can get you 1,000 Hilton Honors points.
Hey, Amazon is even on there. Get 600 points for a $10 gift card voucher.
Within about 30 minutes, I had scored 310 points, which put me 90 points away from my first reward. The next day, I checked in to see if I qualified for more surveys.
After not qualifying for several surveys, I managed to snag two more and muster up 432 points, which made me eligible for that $25 Restaurant.com card. I added it to my eMiles “wallet,” where it’ll pend for up to five days before becoming available.
Whoo!
So if you’re ready to welcome eMiles into your daily routine (like I already have) — even if it is just 30 minutes a day — chances are, you’ll be able to stack up some points toward your next vacation or evening out.
Carson Kohler (@CarsonKohler) is a junior writer at The Penny Hoarder. One of her goals is to visit every U.S. national park, so she’s all for free travel points. (Or free restaurant gift cards, ’cause food is good, too…)
This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.
source The Penny Hoarder http://ift.tt/2AFT8zN
How to Set Meaningful Financial and Frugal Goals for Yourself
Many people – myself included – like to use the month of December as a time to reflect on personal goals, both the ones that we’ve been working on throughout the year as well as ones that we might embark on in the future.
Most years, I wind up setting several goals for the upcoming year and, if they’re planned well, I end up finding some level of success with almost all of them. For example, in 2017, I lost a surprising amount of weight during the first half of the year, read a number of very challenging books, and pushed myself to join taekwondo.
Over the years, I’ve learned that two specific elements make a goal really click for me.
First of all, a good goal must be a SMARTER goal. SMARTER is simply an acronym that describes how to set up a good goal for yourself. Let’s run through what that means.
“S” means specific. A specific goal is one that establishes exactly what actions you are going to take to make this successful. What is it you want to accomplish? What exactly are you going to do to make it happen?
“M” means measurable. A measurable goal is one where you can tell very clearly whether you’ve achieved success or not. For example, “I’m going to get fit” is not measurable at all, while, on the other hand, “I’m going to run a 5K in 20 minutes” is very measurable. It is extremely clear whether or not you can run a 5K in 20 minutes or not.
“A” means attainable. Is this something you can really do? The best way to ensure attainability is to take on something that is mostly under your control and is a natural outcome of your effort but is something that will really challenge you to make it happen. Don’t make a goal reliant on the choices and actions of others.
“R” means relevant. Does this goal, when you achieve it, bring about specific things you want in your life? Is this a worthwhile goal? Is it in line with what you want in your broader life?
“T” means time-specific. This just means you’re committing to completing it within a certain timeframe. By simply adding a timeframe to a goal, you make it time specific.
“E” means evaluate. This means you step back regularly and consider how your progress toward your goal is going and whether or not you need to alter your plans. A good goal has a regular evaluation as a part of it.
“R” means review. If your evaluation isn’t good, what can you change about your goal and your plan to get there to make it better? That’s what review is all about.
Second, a good goal must be personally meaningful, not just something you’re doing to impress others. The goal must be oriented around something you want to change in your own life. It’s very possible to design a great SMARTER goal without this, but without that key meaning of a goal, it is very hard to apply this to your life.
It’s easy to see how this might apply to goals in some spheres of life.
For example, you might have a vague goal like “I want to get fit.” That’s a noble goal, one that may be meaningful to you, but turning it into a SMARTER goal will make it something you can really take action on.
You might want to transform it into something like “I want to be able to run a 5K in 20 minutes and do 200 Hindu squats without stopping within one year, with an evaluation of my progress every month.” That’s a SMARTER goal, and if it comes from a meaningful place, it’s going to be a pretty good goal. From there, you can define a clear-cut plan for achieving this by starting with a “couch to 5K” program and a squat progression plan.
Another good example might come from your career. You might have a goal of getting a big promotion, which might be meaningful to you, but it’s not really something you can do.
Try turning that goal into “I will sit down with my boss during the first week of January and come up with a plan that will lead me to a promotion, then spend an hour a day working directly toward that plan for the next year and evaluate those efforts each month.” This is a perfect SMARTER goal – it’s almost entirely about your own efforts, since the goal isn’t to achieve the promotion but to put yourself into position to receive it, and it’s about as specific and measurable and time-specific as one can get.
I often have a lifelong learning goal that I’ve learned to tweak over the years. Originally, it oriented itself around reading a number of books, but now it simply amounts to devoting an hour a day to lifelong learning in whatever form I choose at the moment. Sometimes it is reading a book, while at other times it involves digging into a Wikipedia entry on a topic I don’t fully understand (like this recent one) or taking an online class or reading a scientific paper or a well-researched piece of journalism. Moving it to an amount of time I devote each day takes it out of the realm of being influenced by long or short books – it’s a lot easier to read, say, 30 short books in a year than 30 long ones.
It’s easy to see how effective goals exist in some areas of your life, but it’s often not quite as easy to see it in other areas. How does one define an effective financial or frugal goal? How do you turn the SMARTER rubric toward money issues?
This is something I’ve struggled with for years, and I’ve really only come up with a few good strategies. Thankfully, these strategies really do work for coming up with meaningful SMARTER goals in the financial and frugal spheres of life.
First, the goal needs to be oriented around your behavior and isn’t disrupted by unexpected events. If you start setting net worth goals for yourself or debt elimination goals for yourself, you’re going to often find that unexpected events can either accelerate you to the goal very quickly or can completely derail your progress. Those unexpected events should have nothing to do with your goal and your route to achieving it. Your goal should not be hindered by changes in the real estate market or the stock market. Success needs to be focused entirely on your behavior, not on things outside of your control.
Second, the goal should be oriented around steady improvement, like a weight loss goal, but success can’t be wholly dependent on that number at the end (again, like a weight loss goal). In other words, your goal should be oriented around the action you take every day or every week or whatever, not the long term results of that action. For example, an action you can take every day is to adopt a low-cost coffee solution as opposed to your current expensive routine. It’s not about how much you’re saving over the long run, but the fact that you’re taking a straightforward step every day that you know will have long term benefits.
Third, you have to have a strong tracking mechanism for the behavior change. Are you actually doing this every day or every week? Each morning, are you drinking an inexpensive coffee you made at home (or at work) or are you buying an expensive latte at the coffee shop? It’s a simple yes or no question, much like asking yourself whether you’re keeping breakfast under 300 calories and not snacking in the morning. You can track that kind of behavior on a checklist, and I highly recommend doing so.
Finally, your goal has to have some breathing room for changes in your life. The key thing to remember about a goal is that the perfect is the enemy of the good. You cannot expect, given all the variables in your life, that you will hold to a simple behavior change every single day. With that coffee change, for example, you can’t simply say “no morning coffee outside the home or the free coffee at work, ever.” That doesn’t work, because you might have a meeting with someone at a coffee shop or an old friend might invite you to meet for coffee, and there are reasons beyond the coffee to say yes. Another example: you can’t say that you’ll try to max out your pushups every single day because if you do that you’re going to quickly find yourself failing at that goal if you injure yourself or something else prevents you from completing it. Give yourself a bit of breathing room in your goal. Shoot for very good, not perfect.
How can you apply these principles to a SMARTER financial goal?
A SMARTER Financial Goal
Let’s say your financial goal for the coming year is to pay off debt. Your goal is debt repayment. That sounds nice and it’s a noble goal to head in, but it doesn’t really mean anything.
Let’s run this through the SMARTER rubric first and see what comes out the other side.
Specific This goal isn’t very specific. What exactly are you intending to do? What actions can you take that will move you in the direction of debt repayment? The reality is that you’re either going to have to spend less or earn more in order to be able to have the resources to repay debt. So, since this is a goal you intend to start on immediately, you should be focusing on cutting spending.
How will you cut spending? Do you have a plan for doing so, a specific one that draws on your actions? Perhaps you can simply say that you will spend some time each day figuring out how to reduce long term spending and then track the amount you save and use that total amount for extra debt repayment.
So, turn the goal into this – “I will spend time each day finding ways to cut back on spending, track what I’m saving by spending less, and then use that saved amount for a big extra debt payment each month.”
Measurable What constitutes success at that goal? One good way to do this is to put aside some time each day to focus on spending less money.
So, you might turn it into something like – “I will spend 10 minutes each day identifying ways to cut spending, and 10 more minutes actually putting those ideas into action, and I will track what I save and apply that savings to an extra debt payment.”
That’s great, but, as we noted above, it can still lead to failure due to a busy life. So, try something like this – “25 days each month, I will spend 10 minutes each day identifying ways to cut spending and 10 more minutes actually putting those ideas into action, and I will track what I save and apply that savings to an extra debt payment.” You can literally use a piece of paper with checkmarks in it to track this, which is what I do with a goal like this. I draw a grid with 25 columns and 12 rows, post it somewhere very obvious, and check off a box each day I succeed at the goal.
Attainable Spending a small amount of time most days toward a goal is definitely attainable. In fact, I consider that type of approach toward a goal to be incredibly attainable because it puts the failure and success of the goal entirely on how you use a few minutes each day.
Relevant Actually achieving this goal frees up money in your life so that you can reduce debt, which was the reason for even setting a goal in the first place. Thus, the goal is highly relevant.
Time-specific Quite often, in the process of making a goal specific and measurable while making a conscious effort to keep the goal focused on your own efforts above all else, it naturally becomes time-specific, and that’s the case here. It’s very clear how much time you intend to spend toward the goal, and that’s a reasonable amount.
Evaluate One approach I use for evaluation is to add a 26th column of checkboxes to my 25 by 12 grid that I often use for annual goals. That 26th column is often drawn in a different color or uses thicker grid lines. Basically, whenever I fill out a row of 25 normal checkboxes, that 26th box means that it’s time to specifically review that goal. Am I achieving things with this goal? Is there some regular but less frequent action I should be taking here (like making that extra debt payment)? Basically, you’re just adding an end-of-the-month evaluation to the goal, which is always worthwhile.
Review During that evaluation, it’s a good time to think about what’s worked and what hasn’t and whether or not you can make changes that will make things more effective going forward.
Is it meaningful? One challenge with frugal and financial goals is to make sure that the goal remains meaningful. It’s often easy to lose track of why you’re spending time doing these things.
For me, one really powerful technique for ensuring that a goal remains meaningful is that I heavily visualize what successful completion of that goal will look like. So, if you manage to complete this goal, you know that your debt load will be smaller. It’s almost impossible for that to not be true. Also, you’re likely set up in a situation where you’re spending significantly less per month than you once were, ideally without any real negative impact on your life, so you have a stream of money each month that you can direct toward financial goals. The debt will continue to melt – after that, you can build a big emergency fund or start saving for a down payment on a house or really amp up your retirement savings.
I do these types of visualizations each time I evaluate or review a goal. I think about what my life will be like upon successful completion of that goal, and the thought of being there makes me feel really good, especially when I recognize that I’m on my way. This simple practice makes sure the goal stays meaningful.
Additional Financial SMARTER Goals
Let’s look at a few other vague financial (or finance-related) goals that can be transformed into something actionable using the SMARTER and meaningful rubric.
Earlier in the article, we mentioned the “I want a raise” goal, which transforms nicely into “I will meet with my boss next week to develop a plan for how I can get a raise/promotion in a year, then I will devote an hour four out of five weekdays to making the elements of that plan happen.”
“I want to start saving for retirement” can transform into “I will meet with HR next week and sign up for the 401(k) plan at work and contribute 10% of my income to that plan, then spend ten minutes a day adopting frugal strategies until it’s easy to live on the slightly reduced paycheck.”
“I want to cook more at home” transforms into “I will make my own dinner at home six out of seven nights of the week and check out a great beginning cookbook from the library to help guide me through how to make simple dishes and become more skilled in the kitchen, and I will make a weekly meal plan to aid in the planning.”
“I want to cut back on my hobby expenses” transforms into “Each month, I will withdraw $X from my checking account for hobby expenses and all hobby expenses must come from this money with no exceptions.”
Notice what all of these goals are doing. They’re turning a vague positive notion into a straightforward action that you do on a regular schedule. Most of them allow for some flexibility so that you’re not chasing an unattainable perfection, but they each challenge you to do something better than you’ve done before. They’re all focused on your actions.
Final Thoughts
The key to meaningful financial and frugal goals is to start with the feeling in your gut that something in your life has to change, and then mold that feeling into something actionable using the SMARTER rubric. If you start with something you feel, you’re ensuring that it’s meaningful, and if you move it through a good goal rubric, you come up with something that you can actually do with some high likelihood of success.
Will you magically transform your life overnight? Likely, no. Will you make steady improvement so that your life is better than before? Absolutely.
Good luck.
The post How to Set Meaningful Financial and Frugal Goals for Yourself appeared first on The Simple Dollar.
Source The Simple Dollar http://ift.tt/2iBZAzO
Here’s How Your Tax Bill Would Change if the Senate Tax Plan Becomes Law
While most of us were kicking back and decompressing from the workweek, our senators were up until the early morning hours on Saturday casting their final votes on a tax plan that will impact nearly everyone in the country.
The Republican plan has been widely criticized by Democratic senators, who were given a revised bill that contained crossed-out pages and handwritten, sometimes illegible, notes hours before they would vote.
“We’re doing massive tax reform on an absolutely incredible timeline,” said Sen. Jon Tester, a Montana Democrat, of the 479-page bill. “This is going to affect everybody in this country. It’s going to shift money from middle-class families to the rich.”
Every Democrat and one Republican, Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, voted against it, but in the Republican-led Senate, that was still enough to pass the bill with a 51-49 split.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell celebrated the win on Twitter, saying it would boost the economy, help grow small businesses and give America more energy independance.
Now there are just two big questions: What was in it? And what does that mean for you?
Senate Plan Lowers Your Taxes Even More, Technically
Compared with the tax plan passed by the U.S. House of Representatives last month, the Senate plan looks like it’ll boost your paycheck even more.
Business Insider crunched the numbers to show what a family of four with parents filing jointly and two children under 17 would expect to pay in taxes under both plans. Here’s what it found:
- A family that brought in $25,000 each year would pay $72 more in taxes than it currently pays and see a smaller refund check under the House plan. Under the Senate plan, that same family would see tax savings of $100 compared with the current tax code and see a larger refund check.
- A family that makes $75,000 annually would owe $3,983 to the government under our current tax code. Under the House plan, that family would see tax savings of $1,711. The more generous Senate plan would mean that family’s tax bill is cut even further, for savings of $2,244.
- Finally, a family that brings in $175,000 — earning more than 97% of the country’s taxpayers — would pay $24,414 in taxes under our current tax code. Under the House plan, that family would save $2,264, while the Senate plan would mean $3,095 in savings.
On the surface, the Senate tax plan appears to have the biggest payout for everyone. But the tax cuts come with a major caveat: They expire for individuals in 2025.
That means if the Senate plan becomes law, many families would get a break now, but taxes would revert to their current form in 2026 unless Congress passes new tax laws before then.
Major Changes Still to Come Before Tax Reform Becomes Law
Now that the House and Senate versions of the tax plan have passed, President Donald Trump expects to have a bill on his desk to sign into law by Christmas.
But the two reform plans are vastly different on some important issues that will affect many Americans. Here are some of the big ones, according to CNBC:
- The House thinks tuition waivers granted to graduate students should count as taxable income, while the Senate does not.
- While the House plan says mortgage interest deductions will only apply to properties worth less than $500,000, the Senate plan keeps the cap at $1 million.
- The House plan will still impose a penalty on those who don’t sign up for health care. The Senate plan will remove that mandate, which was a part of the Affordable Care Act, often referred to as “Obamacare.”
- The House plan says corporate taxes will permanently be cut from 35% to 20%, which critics say will mostly benefit large corporations and the super-rich. Tax bill supporters say this move will help companies create jobs. The House wants the cut to happen immediately. The Senate wants the same cut but says corporations must wait until 2019.
Of course, Trump can only sign one tax reform bill into law. That means the House and Senate will have to come together to close the gap and present the best version of the bill.
Desiree Stennett (@desi_stennett) is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder.
This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.
source The Penny Hoarder http://ift.tt/2BdbJGn
This Simple Post-Interview Move Could Help You Stand Out From the Crowd
Do you write thank you notes after a job interview? If not, you could be hurting your chance to get hired.
A recent survey of human resources managers by staffing agency Robert Half found that 80% take post-interview thank you notes into account when deciding who to hire.
Yet only 24% of job applicants send a thank you note after their interview.
The notion of thank you notes may seem hopelessly antiquated, but clearly they still matter.
“A lot of people make the mistake in thinking that their interview ends when they walk out the hiring manager’s door. It doesn’t. Think of your thank you note as the last step in your interview,” says Loren Margolis, CEO of Training & Leadership Success, a global consulting firm that specializes in executive coaching and leadership development.
“By not sending one, it’s like fumbling the ball on the 10-yard line. Most hiring managers pay very close attention to how well (and how rapidly) you write a thank you. I did when I was a recruiter and I still do as a hiring manager.”
Margolis says thank you notes “demonstrate your follow-through, your level of graciousness and, importantly, how you are qualified for the open position.”
Post-interview thank you notes also:
- Provide an opportunity to correct any mistakes that occurred during the interview
- Give you a chance to mention anything you forgot to say during the interview
- Shows your respect and appreciation for the hiring manager’s time
How to Write a Post-Interview Thank You Note
Writing a thank you note may seem daunting but don’t let fear hold you back.
Margolis says a great thank you note has three key components.
1. A Recap of Your Interview
“Reiterate, in broad strokes, the top two or three topics you discussed in your interview that caught your eye,” recommends Margolis.
Be sure to also comment on what you learned about the company during your interview to show that you were paying attention.
2. A Reminder of Your Value as an Employee
Margolis says thank you notes are “your final opportunity in that round of interviews to sell yourself! Expound upon the top two or three skills and/or strengths you bring to the position.”
Don’t worry, you aren’t bragging. After all, your skills and strengths are what landed you the interview!
3. Sincere Enthusiasm
“Immediately after your interview, write down the things that excite you the most about the position, team and company,” says Margolis. “Doing so will enable you to sincerely show your enthusiasm in your thank you note.”
A thoughtful, well-written thank you note can move you to the head of the candidate line and may even land you a job.
“When I was interviewing candidates for an opening in my department, I received a snail mail thank you that included a recipe for brownies from one of the candidates,” recalls Margolis.
“Since it was around Thanksgiving time, she and I talked about what desserts we were serving as she was walking out. The handwritten snail mail was a personalized, lovely touch and the recipe deepened our rapport and certainly made me remember her! I hired her after two more rounds of interviews. Her memorable thank you helped her seal the deal in making it onto round two!”
Lisa McGreevy is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. She’s ashamed to admit she didn’t write a thank you note after interviewing for this job. She probably owes human resources a pizza.
This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.
source The Penny Hoarder http://ift.tt/2iZjOaj
Snack-makers buy former Bustin building
The former Bustin Industrial Products building at 401 Oak Street, East Stroudsburg has been sold. Terrafina, a New York City manufacturer of healthy snack foods, plans to relocate its operations there by springtime — and bring 120 jobs to the area with it.“The acreage, strategic location for production and distribution amenities offered in East Stroudsburg in northeast Pennsylvania fit our expansion plans perfectly,” Terrafina founder and CEO James Locke [...]
Source Business - poconorecord.com http://ift.tt/2jnmuf1
Source Business - poconorecord.com http://ift.tt/2jnmuf1
Uber Visa Card Review: Up to 4% Back and No Annual Fee
If you’re looking for a new cash-back card that offers more bang for your buck than other cards on the market, you should check out the new Uber Visa Card. Launched earlier this year, the Uber Visa card offers a surprisingly high rate of cash-back rewards in popular categories like travel and dining out. Not only that, but it comes with no annual fee and added perks that could make it a valuable addition to any wallet.
Even if you don’t actually use the rideshare service, don’t be too quick to write off this card. While you can redeem your points for Uber rides, you can also cash them in for gift cards or regular ol’ cash back. And, did we mention this card has a signup bonus?
Keep reading about this new rewards card that will likely go head to head with other popular cash-back cards like the and Citi Double Cash Card.
The Simple Dollar’s Key Takeaways
- Great earning potential. The new Uber Visa Card offers some pretty stellar earning tiers that could benefit almost everyone. Not only will you earn 4 points per $1 spent on dining including restaurants, bars, UberEATS, and takeout, but you get 3% back on hotels, airfare, and vacation home rentals (such as Airbnb). You’ll also score a generous 2% back on online shopping, video and music streaming services, and Uber rides, along with 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
- No annual fee. Amazingly, the New Uber Visa card doesn’t charge an annual fee of any kind.
- Signup bonus. At the moment, you’ll score a sweet $100 signup bonus after you use your card for $500 in purchases within three months of account opening.
- Added perks. In addition to the card’s more obvious perks, the Uber Visa Card offers a $50 annual credit for streaming services after you spend $5,000 on your card each year, up to $600 in mobile phone protection, and no foreign transaction fees.
Review: A Stellar Cash-Back Card for Travelers or Frequent Diners
If you’re angling for a rewards card that offers a cash-back structure you’ve never really seen before, the Uber Visa Card might be right up your alley. While there are many cards that offer high rates of return on travel and dining, almost all of them charge an annual fee. Take the , for example. This card doles out 3 points per dollar on travel and dining (along with other benefits), but comes with a staggering $450 annual fee.
Still, among traditional cash-back cards, the Uber Visa Card stands out. Where there are several no-fee cash-back cards that offer 1.5% or even 2% cash-back, their offers pale in comparison to the 3-4 points per dollar you can earn on travel and dining with the Uber Visa Card.
The new card’s signup bonus is a nice touch, and so is the fact that you don’t have to redeem points for actual Uber rides. According to Uber and the card’s issuer, Barclaycard, you can redeem your rewards for Uber rides, gift cards, or cash-back with “a simple tap.”
Add on the free cell phone coverage and $50 credit for streaming services and you’ve got a real winner. Since this card doesn’t charge an annual fee, there’s nothing to lose – so what’s not to like?
Uber Visa Card: Where It Falls Flat
While the new Uber card has a lot going for it, it still faces some of the common challenges of other traditional cash-back cards. While it’s great you can redeem your points for gift cards or statement credits along with Uber rides, you can’t transfer to airline or hotel loyalty programs like you could with the or other premier travel cards, for example. Not only that, but the Uber card doesn’t offer any additional travel perks such as airport lounge access.
Last but not least, some of the card’s “extras” come with added stipulations. To take advantage of the $50 annual credit for streaming services, for example, you have to spend $5,000 on your card every year. Further, the $600 in cell phone coverage is only good if you use your card to pay your cell phone bill every month.
Who This Card Is Good For:
- Anyone who spends a ton on dining and travel.
- People who want to earn cash back instead of travel rewards.
- Cash-back enthusiasts who are against paying annual fees.
Who Should Pass:
- Travelers who want to be able to transfer points to hotel and airline loyalty programs.
- Anyone who wants special travel benefits like airport lounge access or hotel or airline status.
- People who don’t spend a lot on travel, dining, or online purchases who may be better off with a flat-rate cash-back card.
How Does the Uber Visa Card Compare to Other No-Fee Cash-Back Cards?
Before you can decide whether the Uber Visa Card will leave you better off, it helps to know how its benefits stack up to competing cards. The chart below will give you a good idea of which cash-back cards might suit your tastes and spending style the best:
| Uber Visa Card | Chase Freedom® | Citi® Double Cash Card | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Signup Bonus | Earn $100 after you use your card for $500 in purchases within three months of account opening | Earn $150 after you use your card for $500 in purchases within three months of account opening. Terms Apply. | $0 |
| Annual Fee | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Earning Structure | Earn 4x points on dining, 3x points on travel, 2x points on online shopping, Uber rides, and online streaming services, and 1x points on all other purchases | Earn 1% cash back on all purchases, plus 5% cash back on your first $1,500 spent in categories that rotate every quarter. Terms Apply. | Earn 1 percent back when you make a purchase and another 1 percent back when you pay it off |
| Redemption Options | Redeem for Uber credits, cash-back, or gift cards | Redeem for cash-back, gift cards, travel, or merchandise | Redeem for statement credits, gift cards, or a check |
As you can see, the Uber Visa Card really pulls ahead for people who spend a lot on travel and dining. Earning 3x points and 4x points in those categories respectively is a huge boon for anyone who spends a lot and wants the most bang for their buck.
It also helps that these categories never change or rotate. While the Chase Freedom® does offer 5% in back on certain purchases, those bonus categories rotate every three months. Not only that, but the Chase Freedom® limits your 5x earnings to the first $1,500 spent in bonus categories each quarter, whereas the Uber Visa Card lets you earn unlimited rewards.
- Related: Chase Freedom® Review
The Citi® Double Cash Card is always a winner since it doles out a flat 2% back – 1% when you make a purchase and another 1% when you pay it off. However, it doesn’t offer a signup bonus and you’re limited to 2% back no matter what you buy.
Best Strategy With the Uber Visa Card
If you’re on the fence about the Visa Uber Card and unsure which cash-back card will leave you better off, here’s my advice: Sign up for the Uber Visa Card and at least one other cash-back card with alternate rewards.
Let’s say you signed up for the Uber Visa Card and the , for example. You could use the Uber Visa Card for dining (4x points), travel (3x points), and online purchases (2x points), then use your Chase Freedom® for your first $1,500 spent in categories that rotate every quarter.
You could also pair this card with a top travel card if you wanted. If you had the Chase Sapphire Preferred® or Reserve, for example, you could use those for their premier travel benefits and transfer partners while racking up some solid cash-back with your Uber Visa Card. With no annual fee and high bonus categories, the Uber Visa Card is a good addition to any point-earning strategy.
Want Flat Rate Rewards? Consider This Card Instead
If you don’t want to worry about which categories pay out more and prefer a cash-back card that is entirely predictable, the Citi® Double Cash Card is probably your best bet. As we mentioned already, this card offers a flat 2% back on everything – 1% when you make a purchase and another 1% when you pay it off. And you get all this cash-back without an annual fee.
While you may not earn as much over time if you spend a lot on dining or travel, you’ll at least know exactly how much to expect based on your regular spending.
The Bottom Line
Earning cash-back on your regular spending is a smart move if you’re able to pay your balance in full every month. You might as well get something in return if you’re going to spend anyway, right?
If you just so happen to spend a lot on travel, dining, and online shopping, the Uber Visa Card should definitely be on your short list. Not only does it offer up to 4% back in bonus categories, but it doesn’t charge an annual fee, either. Its signup bonus and added features are just icing on the cake.
Holly Johnson is an award-winning personal finance writer and the author of Zero Down Your Debt. Johnson shares her obsession with frugality, budgeting, and travel at ClubThrifty.com.
Related Articles:
- Five Reasons Everyone Should Get the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- Best Cash Back Credit Cards of 2017
- Last Minute Rewards Cards to Snag for Holiday Spending
Are you considering the Uber Visa Card? Why or why not?
The post Uber Visa Card Review: Up to 4% Back and No Annual Fee appeared first on The Simple Dollar.
Source The Simple Dollar http://ift.tt/2AZKH4X
الاشتراك في:
الرسائل (Atom)