MAKE MONEY ONLINE POSTS: 12/11/17

الاثنين، 11 ديسمبر 2017

Local bus schedule impacted by explosion in NYC

Travel services to Port Authority of New York and New Jersey had resumed by noon Monday, hours after a man detonated a homemade explosive in a subway corridor near Time Square. Four people including the bomber were injured by the blast, according to reports from the Associated Press. No deaths have been reported.Martz Bus 1401 departed from Mount Pocono around 4:10 a.m. Monday, making a 4:35 a.m. stop at the Park and Ride on its way to Port Authority. The driver had already discharged [...]

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10 Interesting Work-at-Home Jobs for English Majors

By Holly Reisem Hanna When I went off to college, I had a limited knowledge of what occupations and degree paths I could take. Because I loved traveling, I ended up getting a Bachelor of Arts degree in Cultural Anthropology (don't ask me what I thought I'd do with that degree)! But, I'm not the […]

The post 10 Interesting Work-at-Home Jobs for English Majors appeared first on The Work at Home Woman.

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UN: Global Economy is Growing at 3 Percent, Best Since 2011

The global economy is growing by about 3 percent - its highest rate since 2011 and a significant acceleration from last year, the United Nations said Monday.

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Why Is Amazon Not Considered a Monopoly?

The online company has its fingers in just about every e-commerce enterprise; it's even caused many organizations to go out of business. Yet the U.S. government has not tried to stop Amazon's growth. Why's that?

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Why Is Amazon Not Considered a Monopoly?

Local bus schedule impacted by explosion

Your Ugly Holiday Sweater Could Earn You Early Boarding on Flights Friday

Flying during the holidays can be stressful.

The huge crowds and super long TSA lines will almost make you just wish you’d stayed home and hosted at your house this year.

Luckily, this Friday, a few airlines are trying to ease some of the pain of traveling for those showing a little Christmas spirit.

In honor of National Ugly Holiday Sweater Day, Alaska Airlines, Virgin America and Horizon Air will let passengers board their planes early on Dec. 15 if they’re wearing ugly Christmas sweaters, Travel and Leisure reports.

“This fun promotion not only allows guests to board early on that day, but gives people another opportunity to dust off that ugly holiday sweater hanging in the back of their closet,” Natalie Bowman, managing director of marketing and advertising at Alaska Airlines, said in a press release.

Early boarding may seem like a small gesture, but it’s a pretty sweet gift: You save time waiting in line to get to your seat, you get first dibs on space in the overhead storage and you can rightfully claim the surrounding armrests before your seat mates arrive. And you don’t have to pay extra for that first-class privilege.

The airlines are encouraging participants to post photos on social media with the hashtag #UglySweaterDay and #MostWestCoast.

Don’t own an ugly holiday sweater? Here are tips to scoring one on a budget.

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.

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Fake Hotel Booking Sites Are Popping Up Everywhere — Here’s What We Know

Hotel deal websites pop up so quickly that it’s hard to keep track of them all.

So, as a traveler, how do you know you’re getting a good price from a site that actually reserves a hotel room for you instead of running off with your credit card information?

The American Hotel and Lodging Association has partnered with the Better Business Bureau to alert consumers of potential scams. The BBB’s recent report on scams discovered that people 55 and up are most susceptible to travel scams.

Scam booking sites often look legitimate and even have photos of the hotel in question. But many of them require you to call to “book” your room, and it’s at that point that a booking agent — really just a call center scammer — pressures you into booking before the hotel “sells out.”

Some scam sites don’t even have listings for real hotels, an AHLA representative told Consumer Affairs.

How to Avoid Hotel Booking Scams

Unfortunately, there’s no one-size-fits-all tip for avoiding travel scams. Most of them, the BBB explains, are common sense: Book directly through the hotel or choose a third-party booking site wisely; plan ahead; and don’t trust notices or calls that say you’ve won a trip.

Making a reservation through the hotel itself often gets you the best rate, anyway.

Booking through secure sites is a good rule of thumb to follow. If you don’t see “https” at the beginning of the URL, the BBB recommends thinking twice before entering your credit card information.

And always book travel with a credit card for additional purchasing protection.

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

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33% of People Say Student Loan Debt Has Been Killing Their Sex Drive

Adult people, you know that moment when you’re getting snuggly with your boo… maybe things are, you know, heating up? And then…

You see that family photo on your dresser with your Grandma May smiling right at you.

Yeah. It’s going to be another night of Netflix ’n’ just Netflix.

Student Loan Debt Is Killing Your Libido

Apparently, a grandmother’s watchful eye isn’t the only thing crowding us out of the bedroom these days.

In a recent survey by Student Loan Hero, about a third of respondents said they’ve experienced a low sex drive because of their student loan debt.

What?

You’ve got to get this monkey off your back.

How to Repay Student Loan Debt So You Can Have Sex Again

The last thing you want to worry about when you slip into a new negligee and pour a couple glasses of wine is your next student loan payment.

(See how terrible they sound together just in that sentence? Imagine it in the moment. Yikes.)

Here are two simple steps you can take to get your student loans under control, so you can put them out of your mind and keep your focus on more pressing matters.

1. Refinance Student Loans to Reduce Your Monthly Payment

Refinancing your student loans basically means replacing your binders full of loans with a single new loan from a private lender. That also means just one monthly payment.

You can see refinancing options through a marketplace like Credible, which will show you offers from a variety of lenders in one place. Checking offers doesn’t ping your credit score, and you won’t be signed up for anything without your consent.

Along with simplifying the process, refinancing could help save you money — today and/or in the long run.

Starting fresh on your loans could help you:

Owe a lower monthly payment, in case you’re struggling to keep up with payments now.
Get a lower interest rate, which means you’ll pay less over the life of your loan.

Feeling sexier already? Find your new interest rate and loan options at Credible, and get back in the game, tiger!

2. Keep an Eye on Your Credit Score

You’ll probably want to see how good your credit score looks after you get those student loan payments under control.

I’ve heard self-confidence is a serious libido booster.

You can always request those free credit reports from the bureaus or pay to get your credit score. But it’s 2017. These things are much easier now.

To keep an eye on my score, I use Credit Sesame. The free app shows me my TransUnion credit score and a credit report card with monthly updates.

This way, I can see everyone I owe money to — my student loans, my auto loan, that credit card debt from college… Credit Sesame also offers suggestions for ways to improve my credit score, like applying for a secured credit card or refinancing my auto loan for a better interest rate.

I’m not making any guarantees, but you should know my relationship is in excellent shape.

You can sign up and download the app here.

Bankroll in the Hay

I hope these help get you back on track.

I’d hate to think 33% of you are lying in an empty bed worrying about student loan debt. Life’s simply too short.

Dana Sitar (dana@thepennyhoarder.com) is a senior writer/newsletter editor at The Penny Hoarder. Say hi and tell her a good joke on Twitter @danasitar.

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This is How to Know If You’ve Been Financially Naughty (or Nice) This Year

You better watch out. You better not cry. You better not pout. I’m telling you why:

Santa Claus is here, and he wants to know about your finances.

Have you been naughty, maxing out your credit cards and scrimping on your savings? Or have you been nice, following the advice of your friends at The Penny Hoarder?

Don’t lie, now. Santa sees you when you’re sleeping, remember? He knows if you’ve been bad or good.

So you may as well fess up. Naughty or nice?

Let’s find out. We’re making a list, and we’re checking it twice.

He Sees You When You’re Sleeping

Naughty: You’re not saving any money. UGH, TOO HARD, you say.

Nice: OK, OK, we know it’s tough to build up any savings. You’ve got bills to pay, after all. The rent is too darn high, etc.

Our suggestion: Use an app like Acorns, which is a good way to trick yourself into saving.

Once you connect it to a debit or credit card, it rounds your purchases up to the nearest dollar and funnels your digital change into an investment account.

Because the money comes out in increments of less than $1, you’re less likely to feel an impact in your bank account. (You can also set it up so it doesn’t round up every single purchase.) You get a $10 sign-up bonus, too.

He Knows When You’re Awake

Naughty: You’re not contributing enough to your 401(k) plan. C’mon, you’re passing up free money, here.

Nice: At the very least, you should be contributing enough to take full advantage of your employer’s match. Whatever you contribute, your employer throws in some money too, up to a set percentage of your paycheck.

The most common 401(k) match is 50 cents on the dollar up to the first 6% you contribute. If that’s the case for you, you should be contributing 6% of your pay. Ideally, you want to be contributing 15-20% of your earnings at some point. But for now, set your sights lower and work toward growth.

The next step is to maximize your retirement savings. Blooom is an app that monitors your 401(k). It’ll give you a free “health report” and tell you what needs improvement. If you decide you want Blooom to optimize your account, sign up for the $10-per-month service.

He Knows If You’ve Been Bad or Good

Naughty: You never check your credit score. NEVER. After all, you figure it’s kind of a pain, and why bother?

Nice: You should definitely be checking your credit score. You should know where you stand, and know what you need to do to keep your credit in good shape.

A super easy way to do this is with Credit Sesame. This free service shows your credit score and explains it to you. It shows your balances on any unpaid bills, credit cards or loans. It offers personalized tips on reducing your debt and raising your score.

So Be Good, For Goodness Sake

Naughty: You bought plenty of groceries and other stuff this year, but you never got any cash back.

Nice: You’ve gotta join the 21st century, my friend. So many ways to save.

Try out Ibotta, an app that gives you cash back on purchases from your favorite stores. Because you’re getting rebates on stuff you were going to buy anyway, it’s the closest thing to free money we’ve ever seen.

Ibotta is best known for its offers on grocery items. Colleen Rice, The Penny Hoarder’s email marketing specialist, earned about $235 from Ibotta in just a couple of years. Beyond supermarkets, it’s been rapidly expanding to dozens more retailers.

Another good way to get cash back is with Dosh, an app that pays you for making purchases at more than 100,000 hotels, online stores and restaurants. All you do is download the app and connect a debit or credit card.

Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town

Naughty: Not to get too personal, but some of us may have gained a little weight this year. Me, I’m still trying to fit into the jeans I was wearing last January. And this is before the coming onslaught of Christmas cookies and tempting holiday treats.

With each passing year, it gets a little harder to keep the pounds off.

Nice: Losing weight is super hard and requires serious motivation. Cold, hard cash can help.

Make a bet with a company called HealthyWage, which will pay you to accomplish your weight-loss goals. No, seriously! It’s a legit company.

Enter how much weight you’d like to lose (10-150 pounds) in its calculator, how long you’ll take (six-18 months) and how much you want to bet ($20-$150 per month).

Each month, you pay your promised amount into the program. In return, HealthyWage provides support through expert advice and weight-tracking tools. If you meet your goal in your allotted timeframe, HealthyWage pays you!

So, tally up your results and tell Santa the truth. Have you been naughty or nice?

Now is the time to start making some changes for the better. After all, 2018 is just around the corner.

Mike Brassfield (mike@thepennyhoarder.com) is a senior writer at The Penny Hoarder. He is naughty and is not nice.

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Questions About Passive Investing, Credit Cards, Rice Cookers and More!

What’s inside? Here are the questions answered in today’s reader mailbag, boiled down to summaries of five or fewer words. Click on the number to jump straight down to the question.
1. Financial success and unsure footing
2. Advice on buying a smartphone
3. Handling inappropriate comments from coworkers
4. Feeling guilty about all spending
5. Cheaply cooking rice when busy?
6. Standing desk thoughts
7. Celebration upon achieving money goals
8. New tax laws?!
9. Passive investing question
10. Called “cheap” behind my back
11. Credit card closing
12. Office Secret Santa ideas

Once or twice a week, someone sends me a link to an article from a really sketchy “financial” site and asks my thoughts on it. Usually, these sites seem to be barely disguised fronts trying to encourage you to invest in gold or Bitcoin, services they’re happy to get you to invest in. The articles usually talk up how great of an investment gold and Bitcoin are and how terrible everything else is.

I don’t link to those articles. In fact, I usually write back with a brief note that says, “These people are in the business of selling you on gold/Bitcoin. Take what they say with a grain of salt at best.”

I have one simple point of advice if you’re ever not 100% sure about a piece of financial advice: go elsewhere. By that, I don’t mean go from goldbug.com to goldinvestments.org. I mean that you should go to completely different types of investment resources. Look at general investment guides. Go to the library and get some well rounded books on investments. Are other people actually saying the same thing?

Another clue: if someone is “letting you in on a secret,” then it’s not a secret. In fact, if it were actually a great investment strategy, they wouldn’t be telling you about it. They’re trying to sell you a product. Keep that in mind.

Q1: Financial success and unsure footing

My wife and I are in our mid 50s. We had two kids very young and they have both been out of the house for more than 10 years. Over the last ten years we have really kicked our careers into high gear and made a lot of money. We made more in 2016 and 2017 than we made during the entire 90s.

We haven’t inflated our lifestyle too much. We like to travel within the US and visit US cities and national parks. We tried traveling abroad but didn’t enjoy it. We have nice furniture and when we want something we usually can just buy it.

At the same time we spend about half of what we make and have a lot in retirement and in checking and savings.

We could easily retire tomorrow and live just as well as we do now for the rest of our lives. I like my job, though, and my wife says she likes hers well enough and will probably just retire whenever I do.

My question is: what do we do with this money? Charitable giving? Doesn’t it make more sense to do that in our estate planning? Maybe give some of it to the kids? I don’t know what’s next.
– Charlie

That’s the nice thing about where you’re at right now. You have options with what to do with your money, and there is no real “right” or “wrong” answer.

Sarah and I have talked about this very issue. I suspect that at some point in the next 12-15 years, we will be in a fairly similar boat, with all of our children moved out, our financial state extremely healthy, and with a lack of desire to retire.

The thing is, I can’t tell you the magic answer to your question. I wish I did have a magic answer, but the truth is that you’re going to have to sit down together, talk through your options, and commit to something.

One thing Sarah and I are considering doing at that point is contributing to college savings for our grandchildren at a rate similar to that of our own children. We intend to do it quietly and privately and give it to them as a graduation gift. Most of our estate will go to charity, at least according to our current plans. We don’t plan on having a particularly lavish retirement.

Q2: Advice on buying a smartphone

I have been shopping around at a few different cell phone companies and looking at lots of phones. I just want a smartphone to take a few pictures and send texts and make calls and look at Facebook. What is the difference between the cheap $50 phones and the $300 phones and the $1000 phones besides the bigger screens? The salespeople talk about how the expensive ones are more “powerful” but what difference does that make?
– Connie

For your purposes, there isn’t a giant difference between the phones, at least not today. Several years back, when budget smartphones first started appearing on the market, they used processors that barely kept up with basic use, and thus cheap phones had a reputation for being very slow, with long delays between touching the screen and anything happening. They were frustrating to use, in short.

Over the last few years, that complaint has largely gone away. These days, the biggest difference between cheap phones and expensive ones is the size of the screen (as you noted) and differences in screen resolution that are approaching imperceptible for most people. There’s also a difference in camera quality, but for most normal non-photographer quality casual shots, the cheap phones do a perfectly good job.

Inexpensive smartphones today function really well. You shouldn’t hesitate to use one unless you have a specific reason to have an expensive one.

Q3: Handling inappropriate comments from coworkers

Your advise to Alice is excellent! Too many people take religio/politico/ethnico comments too personally. A single comment is best overlooked. If the remarks continue, they do need to be reported – but less as a personal ‘attack’ and more as a bad representative for the business. Managers have an easier time responding to that reason and it helps them save face in what can potentially be very awkward.
– Jesse

This comment was in reference to a question from last week’s mailbag about handling political comments from coworkers.

Jesse makes a very good point. One has to consider the fact that most businesses are largely amoral – they follow the laws because it’s financially beneficial for them to do so, but they are generally in pursuit of profit above all else. For a business to take notice of an issue like inappropriate comments from coworkers, they have to recognize that such comments are actually costing them money by driving away customers and talent. If “doing the right thing” is going to cost a business money, you shouldn’t just assume that they’re going to do the right thing. It’s not that they don’t recognize what the right thing is, but that the purpose of a business is to make money, not to enforce perfect behavior amongst employees.

If you observe bad behavior amongst employees, such as political or other kinds of talk that you find repulsive, don’t address it from your angle. The company probably won’t care that much, because dealing with it is likely to cost them money. Instead, address it from the perspective of a customer, because customers driven away by bad behavior of the employees will cost the business money. This is harder to do with a fully internal department that doesn’t interact with customers in any way, of course, but not impossible.

You always have to think like a business in cases like this – what’s going to be more cost-effective for the business? Is that single comment’s negative impact more than the cost of training a new employee and dealing with possible legal blowback from the firing of that employee? Probably not. The business probably does agree with you that the loudmouth is being inappropriate, but they’re not going to do much until it is financially beneficial to do so.

So, when you hear talk like that, think about the organization’s bottom line and what the impact of that talk really is to the customers and stakeholders outside the organization. If it’s not causing any sort of outward problem, you’re going to have to make it clear that it’s a pattern of behavior and that it really is costing the business in terms of dollars and cents, because replacing a rude coworker that isn’t affecting customers is an expensive proposition.

Q4: Feeling guilty about all spending

I am a single 43/f, no interest in dating. I spend a lot of time with my outdoor club, hiking, reading, canning, and cooking.

I have a good federal job and make about $52K per year. I put a lot into TSP each month so my retirement is very safe.

I’m writing in because I feel guilty every time I spend money, even on necessities but especially on anything that isn’t strictly a low cost way to cover a need.

Yesterday was kinda the last straw. I bought a big bottle of liquid castile soap for cleaning and I felt guilty for hours because of the price of it. I’ll use that jug for a good year and it will end up not being much different in cost than the cleaning stuff it replaces, but I felt really guilty buying a $30 bottle of soap when I could have just bought cheap soap.

This morning, I feel utterly ridiculous and ashamed that I moped around for hours yesterday because I bought soap in bulk.

I don’t know what to do any more. I have plenty of money in the bank but in some ways it feels like a prison.
– Jenny

First of all, having money in the bank (and, I assume, no debt) is not a prison at all. It’s freedom, actually. You have the ability to retire without much worry at all. You can probably make a big career leap if you want. If you’re fired – it’s not a disastrous problem for you. That’s a lot more free than most Americans. You should be glad of that.

Your main issue is that you are very upset at anything you perceive as wasteful spending. You seem to be very tied to the sticker price of things – if something is cheaper on a store shelf, then it’s a better buy and the more expensive option is wasteful to you and you feel bad about it. You also seem to be bothered by items that you perceive as having relatively low utility.

I have a few suggestions for battling those things.

First of all, something that has a high sticker price isn’t necessarily a bad buy. One big thing to consider is price per use. I know from experience is that it does not take much castile soap at all to clean almost anything, and for most purposes you want to actually cut castile soap with water. How much use are you going to get out of that big jug of castile soap when you consider the cost of all of the things that it’s replacing? You’re probably replacing several bottles of hand soap, several bottles of dish soap, maybe even some laundry detergent or dishwashing detergent… add up the cost of all of that stuff and you’ll see that the castile soap is probably saving you money over the long run.

Second, you have to consider how well something works. I like to use trash bags as an example here. We do not buy cheap trash bags – when we bought some store brand trash bags in the past, we either had to just fill them halfway full or else they would rip open practically every time on our kitchen floor or in the entryway or in the front yard. Yes, they were cheaper per bag, but when you consider the time wasted having to clean up messes and the fact that those rips meant having to use an additional bag and the fact that we couldn’t fully fill the bags, the cost per square foot of trash was actually pretty close and the time investment was higher with the cheap bags.

Third, you really have to consider the value of your time. One of the big traps of frugality is that you can sometimes let it devalue your time. You can always spend time to save money – there are infinite opportunities to do so. However, the more you do it, the more of your time that’s spent on activities that return a pretty tiny amount per hour. Things like washing sandwich baggies by hand and drying them for later reuse has a very low return per hour of effort. The trash bag example above is another example of this – the extra effort invested cleaning up a couple of torn bags per month is a real time cost. How much is your time worth to you?

A final suggestion – remember that you are working to live, not living to work. What is the purpose of your economic success if you’re sitting at home miserable about every dollar? If you’re concerned that spending on enjoyable things might upend the cart, sit down and do a monthly budget, but add a line item – say, $100 – for things you enjoy. Look at that budget and remind yourself that the $100 is completely accounted for and does not upset the cart in any way. Another thing you might want to consider is $100 for bulk and reliable buys – money spent on buying things in bulk for the future and for buying reliable and long lasting versions of things you use regularly (in the long run, that $100 will save you money, but it can be hard to actually spend money in that way).

Good luck!

Q5: Cheaply cooking rice when busy?

I eat rice with dinner 3-4 times a week. I used to just cook some when I got home but now my schedule has changed and that’s harder to do because I come home late and hungry.

My mom suggested making lots of rice and keeping it in the fridge but rice without anything mixed in it is terrible out of the fridge.

Is a rice cooker with a timer my best option here?
– Steve

Given your constraints, I’d probably go for a rice cooker with a timer feature on it. However, I wouldn’t just rush out and buy yourself a Zojirushi. Instead, I’d head to local secondhand shops.

Rice cookers are items that often show up in secondhand shops, often for just a few bucks. They wind up there because people buy them, use them a couple of times, then put them aside and forget about them until three years later when they come across them in the back of the closet and immediately toss it in the Goodwill pile.

Take advantage of that. Stop by a Goodwill or a Salvation Army store and see if they have a rice cooker on the shelf.

I have tried using a slow cooker for cooking rice and it works well if you time it right. Unfortunately, it’s really easy to overcook the rice in a slow cooker, especially if you’re not around to watch it. A good rice cooker switches to an appropriate temperature when the rice is done.

Q6: Standing desk thoughts

What is the purpose of buying a standing desk? First of all why would you want one? My friend has one and I don’t get the point.

If you do buy one why not just buy a much cheaper sturdy ordinary desk and put it up on blocks?
– Jeff

The big reason for a standing desk is health, with a secondary benefit of alertness. It’s actually not very healthy to sit in front of a desk all day long, in terms of your heart and circulatory health in particular. It’s much healthier to stand. For many people, it’s a rather effective weight loss strategy, provided they don’t couple it with more food intake. Plus, standing is more likely to keep you from feeling sleepy at work.

The big reason people don’t just toss an ordinary desk up on cinder blocks is because of aesthetics. It doesn’t look particularly classy, especially when you have guests viewing the desk.

Personally, I just don’t care. I’m thinking about converting my own desk into a standing desk and I intend to just use my current desk and add cinderblocks and pine boards to get it to the right height for me.

Q7: Celebration upon achieving money goals

Did you guys celebrate when you reached your financial goals? What did you do when you paid off all of your debts?
– Dana

We didn’t really celebrate in any crazy manner. I remember that on the night our debts were paid off, we split a bottle of fairly inexpensive wine, each having two large glasses of it, and watched a movie together.

I don’t ever really feel the need to celebrate achieving a goal. I don’t succeed at goals very well unless they’re internally driven, and if they’re internally driven, I don’t feel the need to externally celebrate at all. I mostly just feel really good about the achievement.

This is probably even more true when it comes to financial goals, as a big expensive celebration would typically undermine the success you’ve achieved.

Q8: New tax laws?!

Are you going to write a post about what we need to do with all of the tax law changes?
– Andrew

Not for a long while, if at all.

First of all, the tax changes don’t affect 2017 taxes, which is what you’ll be paying in early 2018. The tax changes don’t go into effect until 2018.

Second, it’s really hard to tell what exactly will be the tax laws at the end of 2018. Part of the problem of a rushed bill like this is that some of it may not even last. It may be replaced by later bills or thrown out by court challenges.

Acting right now based on what’s currently in the bill is a bad idea. Be patient and see what happens.

The only advice I might consider is that, if you itemize already, you might want to do most of your 2018 charitable giving now rather than in 2018. This is because it looks very likely that there will be some cuts to charitable giving deductions in 2018 and beyond. Even if that doesn’t happen, the worst case scenario is that you’re just deducting in 2017 rather than 2018.

Q9: Passive investing question

What are your thoughts on this article?

Is Passive Investment Actively Hurting the Economy?, from The New Yorker, by James Ledbetter
– Troy

The argument of this article is that, as more and more people buy index funds, companies with large valuations will remain valuable regardless of their behavior because index funds typically buy into stocks based on the total valuation.

So, let’s say a company is worth $30 billion because there are 100 million shares on the market and each one is worth $300. Almost all of those are owned by index funds. The company starts to not perform as well, but because almost all of the stocks are owned by index funds, there won’t be a big selloff of that company’s stock. This isn’t a problem without index funds, where individual investors might decide that a good company just became a lemon and would choose to sell it off.

The article argues – and I think the point is really good – that index funds should buy into companies based on their price-to-earnings ratio. For example, an index fund might just own stocks that had a price-to-earnings ratio of 10:1 or better in the last year. That way, if a company begins to underperform, the index funds sell it off.

I don’t think the problem is really dire but it is interesting to think about. This is a great article to read if you’re interested in the reasoning behind and effects of index funds.

Q10: Called “cheap” behind my back

I found out that several coworkers have been criticizing me really harshly behind my back for being frugal since I started at my job in June. They make fun of how I shop at Goodwill and how I usually eat leftovers most days. The term “cheap basic b****” has been used.

I don’t want it to bother me but it does bother me. I feel cut off now because those coworkers were most of the people I talked to at work and now I know they hate me. I don’t want to start spending money on waste just to please them either.

I really like my job other than this and I don’t know what to do.
– Jill

Here’s the truth: people who say negative things about you behind your back will find something negative to say about you regardless of who you are.

Right now, they ridicule your cheapness. If you “correct” that, they’ll just find something else to ridicule.

There are negative people in life that can never be pleased or impressed. Stop trying to impress them. They will say meaningless negative things no matter what you do, so don’t do anything different than you would if those people didn’t exist at all.

You might also want to zoom out your vision of who you can become friendly with around the office if you feel interacting with those people isn’t something you want to do any more.

Q11: Credit card closing

I have had a credit card for about 10 years. About four years ago I got fed up with their inscrutable “points” program and opened up a different card. I have not used the old one since. A few days ago, they sent me a letter that they were closing my card due to lack of use. Will this have a negative impact on my credit score?
– Joel

It might have a very small short term negative impact, but nothing that will last.

The big impact will come in the form of a reduced overall line of credit. Let’s say both cards had a credit limit of $5,000. Combined, that meant your overall revolving line of credit was $10,000. With that one card closing, it just dropped to $5,000.

This isn’t a big deal if you keep that one card paid off in full, but if you carry a significant balance on it, then there’s a potential problem. Let’s say you carry an average balance of $3,000. That means your credit utilization score just went from 30% (which is fine) to 60% (which can have a bit of a negative impact on your score).

The solution? Just get into the habit of paying off your card in full each month. Then this won’t matter at all.

Q12: Office Secret Santa ideas

My office of about 10 people draws a Secret Santa each year with a $20 price target ($15-25 is the acceptable range). You’re supposed to put a gift under the tree in the break room and then next Wednesday after lunch we all go in there, grab a present that isn’t ours, and open it. Any good ways to handle this? I don’t like the impersonality of it but it seems to be part of the office culture.
– Alex

Honestly, I don’t like these kinds of things either. What I usually do in these situations is give something that’s going to be generally useful to anyone when they open it, or else a consumable item.

If you’re thinking of going the consumable route, a $20 pack of good chocolates from a local chocolatier is a good idea, as is anything that’s easy to share with others or put out during the holidays.

If you’re not wanting to go the consumable route… it’s tough. The best idea I’ve seen recently is a phone charger – a small battery that you can plug a phone into to charge it while out and about. Put a note with it that says “Charge me up and put me in the glove box for those emergencies when you need just a little more charge.”

Other than that, I’ve got nothing. The best gifts are ones where you know the recipient well. These just seem random.

Got any questions? The best way to ask is to follow me on Facebook and ask questions directly there. I’ll attempt to answer them in a future mailbag (which, by way of full disclosure, may also get re-posted on other websites that pick up my blog). However, I do receive many, many questions per week, so I may not necessarily be able to answer yours.

The post Questions About Passive Investing, Credit Cards, Rice Cookers and More! appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

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The Top 20 Elements That Add Credibility to Your Website

Before you start trying to drive traffic to your website, you need to master one factor.

I’m talking about credibility.

Without a credible website, you’ll struggle to get more customers and increase conversions.

Plus, credibility shows you’re trustworthy.

If you’re offering something without a trusted name or brand behind it, people will be hesitant to buy what you’re selling.

Why?

Well, with so many other options available on the market, it’s too easy for people to find what they’re looking for somewhere else.

This goes for ecommerce stores, blogs, or any business that has a website.

If a visitor sees a red flag on your website, they will leave.

It’s that simple.

Some of you may not even realize you have components on your site that drive people away.

That’s why I came up with this list of the top 20 ways to add credibility to your website.

Even if you don’t necessarily have elements driving people away, you can always add more components to improve your credibility.

Having a trustworthy website will also improve your search ranking in Google’s algorithm:

Being credible will drive more traffic to your site as well.

This doesn’t just go for websites that sell a product or service.

If you have an informational site, credibility will make it easier for other websites to cite statistics, images, infographics, and other data off your website when they conduct research on the subject you cover.

This will also help drive more traffic to your site.

No matter what type of site you operate, here are some easy ways for you to improve its credibility.

1. Limit advertisements

While advertisements may be a nice form of income for you, they aren’t popular with your visitors.

How much do you rely on ads to make a profit?

If it’s just a small percentage, I recommend getting rid of them altogether.

If you’re an ecommerce site or have a website that makes money from other revenue streams, ads aren’t always necessary.

But say you run a blog and ads are your primary income. In that case, you’ll need to keep them as limited as possible.

Take a look at the types of ads people dislike the most:

Take these numbers into consideration.

Avoid popup ads, and use minimal banner ads.

Although 43% of customers still dislike banners, it’s not as high of a number compared to some other options.

2. Customer service that’s easily accessible

If someone visiting your site has a question or problem, they shouldn’t have to hunt for customer service options.

This should be readily available.

When customer service is unreachable, it makes the visitor feel uneasy.

Especially if it’s during normal business hours.

Note how Apple Support gives customers a variety of ways to reach customer service:

They even have a recommended option.

People love to have choices.

Not everyone wants to pick up the phone.

It’s great when companies have customer service available via online chat.

If you can swing it, give it a try.

3. All your contact information

This should go without saying, but you’d be surprised how often I can’t find contact information on websites.

When I see that, I think it’s sketchy.

What are they trying to hide by withholding their phone number?

Make sure your site has:

physical address
email address
phone number
links to social pages (Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn)

Failure to do so will make your page appear untrustworthy.

4. Reviews and testimonials

Showcasing customer testimonials on your website helps generate social proof.

This is especially true if you can get a testimonial from an expert in your industry.

You should also have a place on your site where customers can leave reviews.

While good reviews are obviously what you’re looking for, some unfavorable comments may actually boost your credibility as well.

If all customer feedback on your website is positive, it may appear fake.

Even if some people didn’t have the best experience with your business, allowing them to leave a review for others to read will establish trust.

It also helps prove you’re an actual business and not a scam.

Interact with the customers who left a review on your site.

This will help build credibility as well.

5. Security badges

What kind of security measures are you taking to protect users who visit your website?

Showcase those badges on each page.

Studies show that people trust the Norton AntiVirus seal the most compared to other badges.

If you use Norton, proudly display that badge on your site.

If you’re looking for services to improve your site security, Norton may not be a bad place to start based on this information.

6. Validation from other media sources

Have you been featured in a magazine, newspaper, or on a website?

Any positive press about your company should be proudly displayed on your site.

If established media sources have verified your business, it will increase your legitimacy in the eyes of anyone who visits your website.

Find a good spot on your page to add any videos, screenshots, or links to all those stories.

7. Awards

Your website is a great place to show off any awards or achievements.

Whether it’s local, regional, or national, anything helps.

Even if you won an award a couple of years ago, put it up on your website.

Showcasing awards from the past shows you’ve been credible for a while.

It establishes your company’s history over time.

Companies that have been in business for longer periods tend to be well established and appear more credible than those that just started.

If you’ve been operating since 1950, don’t be afraid to plaster that fact on your website.

8. Social proof

We just talked about how customer reviews and testimonials can help establish social proof, but you can take this one step further to add even more credibility to your site.

Do you have any partnerships or relationships with celebrities?

Use that to your advantage.

Look at how IcyHot does this on their website:

The picture of Shaquille O’Neal is the first thing you see when you visit their page.

Knowing such a prominent figure stands behind the brand helps reassure visitors the product is legitimate.

This added comfort builds trust between the brand and the consumer.

9. Guest posts

Guest posts are one of my favorite ways to build credibility.

There are two ways to do this, and you should take advantage of both:

let guests blog on your website;
write posts for other websites.

Here’s why both can lead to success.

By allowing other people to write on your website, you show visitors that someone else is willing to associate their name with your brand.

This is especially true if that person is an authority figure or person of importance within a particular industry.

But you should also try to get featured on other blogs as much as possible.

It will give you a chance to get your name exposed to a wider audience.

Since an established person or brand is letting you write on their page, it automatically tells their readers you are a credible person.

You can include a link to your website, which will drive more traffic from people who already trust you.

Both of these strategies, especially combined, can drastically improve your business.

10. A design that’s simple and professional

Keep your website simple.

Don’t go overboard with flashing lights or other bells and whistles.

It needs to be clean.

Take a look at the top factor that influenced credibility based on visitor comments:

Over 2,600 responses were factored into these results.

The design look had the biggest impact.

11. Typography and grammar

In addition to the design, you should also consider your typography.

Don’t choose a font that’s difficult to read.

Use a large font and short sentences whenever you’re writing.

Make sure you proofread everything too.

Grammar mistakes and spelling errors are a great way to show customers you don’t care enough to check your work.

That will put you on the fast track toward losing credibility.

This can easily be avoided if you take the time and effort to make sure your writing is grammatically sound.

12. Ease of navigation

Customers shouldn’t struggle to find what they’re looking for on your website.

The menu options should be limited so it’s not too overwhelming.

Adding a search bar so your readers can look for something specific is a great way to improve your navigation as well.

All of this helps enhance the user experience, which helps with your credibility score.

13. No glitches or technical errors

You also need to make sure your website doesn’t have any bugs or glitches.

If a customer clicks a certain link, it should bring them to the right page.

Any error messages will hurt your credibility.

To prevent these problems, you need to do regular maintenance on your site.

14. Page loading speed

Let’s take our last point one step further.

In addition to not having any errors, your website should load fast.

It not only affects your credibility but also helps with your conversion rates.

The faster your page loads, the higher your conversion rates will be.

It’s that simple.

Don’t try to find the cheapest web hosting service on the market. You get what you pay for.

It’s worth it to pay a little extra to avoid technical glitches and always have fast loading times.

15. Photos and biographies of your staff

Adding a page that introduces your staff to your visitors will help establish trust.

It shows you’re not some nameless and faceless brand—real people work for your company.

This simple page will make it easier for customers to relate to your business.

16. Clearly state all policies

Don’t assume website visitors know your company policies.

All of these should be clearly stated on your website.

This will help you from a legal perspective as well in case there is a dispute.

Make sure things such as your return policy or money back guarantee are outlined in detail.

If you’re an ecommerce business, consumers may be hesitant to shop if they don’t think you stand behind your product.

17. Back up all your data

Any time you’re referring to statistical information, studies, or other data, don’t forget to cite your sources.

It’s easy.

Just say something like, “According to research conducted at the University of XYZ…”, and include a hyperlink to the original source of information.

This will show people visiting your site you’re not pulling numbers out of thin air.

If you read my blogs regularly, you know by now I always hyperlink data claims to their sources.

18. Be upfront about your prices

Don’t try to sneak hidden fees past your customers.

It’s shady.

Let’s look at the top reasons for shopping cart abandonment:

Don’t wait until the last minute to tell customers you’re charging them tax, shipping, or other fees.

You should have all your prices clearly listed on the website.

Adding extra costs in the shopping cart could make the customer think you’re trying to sneak one by them.

It’s just not good business practice.

You also shouldn’t say things like “Contact us for pricing.”

Why wouldn’t you just list your prices?

What are you trying to hide?

Those are questions that will go through the customer’s mind if you do that.

19. Make sure everything is up to date

Companies make changes over time.

That’s understandable.

You may move, get a new phone number, and hire a new manager.

None of this is unreasonable.

But failure to update these changes on your website is a big problem.

If customers are trying to call you and they are getting a phone number that’s out of service, that’s an issue.

Or if they try to mail you something and it gets returned back to the sender, that’s a problem.

I’m referring to physical mail as well as a bounced email.

This can damage your reputation.

Earlier I mentioned that it’s a great idea to add employee photos and bios to your page.

But you need to keep those up to date as well.

Let’s say your company’s Vice President has their photograph on your home page. Underneath the picture, it says, “Call today and ask for me directly.”

Imagine someone calls only to find out this person no longer works there.

How does that make you look?

It hurts your credibility.

The customer may think that person never worked for you.

It’s just not a good situation for anyone involved.

20. Secure the checkout process

Refer back to that graph we just looked at regarding shopping cart abandonment.

Note 18% of those respondents said they didn’t trust the website with their credit card information.

In addition to adding security badges to your page, you have to make sure your checkout procedure is secure.

Look at this example from Dick’s Sporting Goods:

The secure link will make their customers feel comfortable about entering their personal information, including a credit card number.

Conclusion

Having a credible website is essential for every business.

If your site looks sketchy or untrustworthy, it can drastically impact your traffic and conversions.

Making minor adjustments to your page can really improve the way it’s viewed through the eyes of a visitor.

The tips I gave you on this list are really easy to implement.

First, remove anything from your site that appears untrustworthy.

Next, add certain elements that improve the overall credibility.

It won’t take much time at all.

Trust me, you’ll notice a big difference right away.

What type of feedback have your website visitors given you about the user experience and navigation on your pages?

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It’s never too late to start again: Find a job in later life

We speak to five people who have managed to find employment in their 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s. Plus we find out the support that’s on offer for older workers.

While many people dream of a life of leisure in retirement, for some, the prospect of no longer working – and not being active and useful – is not very appealing. For others, continuing to earn an income is a necessity.

But if you are determined to go on working in later life, just how easy is it to find a job?

‘Fifty-somethings’ face unemployment trap

Research by insurer Aviva reveals that the over-50s feel as though they have more skills and experience to offer in the workplace than their younger colleagues, but more than four in five believe there are fewer employment opportunities available. More than three in four older workers say older workers are discriminated against in the workplace.

However, there are moves to change this. The government has tasked the not-for-profit organisation Business in the Community with supporting businesses to retain, retrain and recruit older workers.

In February, Business in the Community launched a target of one million more older workers by 2022.To reach this, every UK business will need to, on average, increase the number of older people aged between 50 and 69 that they employ by 12%.

Rachael Saunders, age at work director at Business in the Community, says: “The UK has an ageing population and an ageing workforce, yet employment just isn’t working for many people over 50.”

She adds that too many people over 50 are pushed out of work through redundancy or health issues – or because they need to balance work and caring responsibilities.

“The UK needs to significantly improve older workers’ participation in the labour market,” she says. “We have an ageing society and it is essential employers act now to ensure employees can stay in work for longer – and to support career changes in later life.”

In May, the organisation urged employers to commit to the target and publish their workforce data of older workers by the end of this year.

Older workers hope for downsizing, inheritance or lottery win to fund retirement

Andy Briggs, chief executive of Aviva Life UK, was appointed as business champion for older workers, by the government last year – and is working in collaboration with Business in the Community.

He says: “There is clear evidence people aged 50 and over are confident of the knowledge, skills and experience they bring to their work. Many tell us they want – and need – to continue working, and have workplace-related ambitions for the rest of their lives. By 2020, more than a third of the UK workforce will be over 50. There is simply too much ageism – both conscious and unconscious – in our society which is leading to fewer employment opportunities to older workers. This needs to change.”

This is a view shared by Chris Brooks, employment policy manager at Age UK. He says: “An ageing population, the end of forced retirement and a rising state pension age, mean there is a growing number of over-50s in the jobs market. Using this talent pool will be crucial for employers as demand for skills and expertise grows. But while many businesses understand the demographic changes, concerns about the law and misconceived stereotypes can create barriers for older workers.”

Age UK is working to highlight the skills and experience of the older workforce, and speaking to employers to help them understand best practice in recruiting – and retaining – those over 50.

Mr Brooks adds: “While many blue-chip companies have recognised the business case for employing and keeping older workers, many others still have a long way to go. This includes understanding the need to offer more flexible working as well as support to people with caring responsibilities.”

Employers with a positive attitude to older workers

DIY retailer B&Q has long championed the benefits of recruiting older staff and more than a quarter of its store employees are aged over 50 – with its oldest current employee, Doris Higgins, aged 88.

The retailer offers flexible working opportunities for all employees, as well as a flexible retirement option.

Elsewhere, at Co-op Funeralcare, one in three apprentices is over the age of 50, while Barclays Bank and coach operator National Express also have apprenticeship schemes aimed at older workers.

Other firms known to actively recruit older people include JD Wetherspoon, McDonalds and Marks & Spencer.

True money stories from smart people: Who really wants to retire anyway?

“Retirement just isn’t for me – I need to do something active”

mario-rebellato-web.jpg

Mario Rebellato from south-east London has tried retirement, but says it just isn’t for him.

The 76-year-old started his working life in the Italian army, but then moved to London, aged 23, where he joined Austin Reed – and stayed with the clothing firm for 35 years.

“I stopped working aged 62, but after just two months of retirement, I decided I couldn’t stand it,” says Mario. “I had too much time on my hands and got bored. I needed to do something active.”

After contacting an employment agency, Mario was directed to the government’s housing department and spent three years as an administrator.

“I learnt a huge amount of IT skills,” he says. “But, sadly, as a civil servant, I was forced to stop working aged 65. The problem was, I still wasn’t ready to retire.”

At this point Mario approached Pimlico Plumbers, based near his home in south-east London. “I wrote to the boss, Charlie Mullins, and sent him my CV to see if he had a role for me,” says Mario. “I’d read about a 98-year-old valeter who worked for the firm, so knew Charlie would know all about the advantages of employing older people with life and work experience.”

Pimlico Plumbers hired Mario when he was aged 66, and he has now been working as executive PA to founder-chairman Charlie Mullins for 11 years.

“I just do whatever needs doing,” says Mario. “Working at this stage in my life gives me a sense of purpose and achievement – and I love the social interaction. The people in the team are friendly and respect one another, no matter what age they are. I think that working hard is in my genes – and hope to go on for as long as I can.”

“I want to continue making a contribution to society”

robert-brown-canterbury-web.jpg

Rob Brown from Canterbury, Kent, has taken on a second career with Co-op Funeralcare – and aged 68, is now the firm’s oldest apprentice.

For more than 30 years, Rob worked for Kent Police – his most recent role being detective sergeant.

Rob retired aged 60, but then continued to work in various police civilian roles as an employee – before doing similar work but on a self-employed basis for 18 months.

“While I loved the job, I hated aspects of working for myself, such as chasing payments,” he says.

At this stage, Rob decided to look for a new role.

“Initially, I was employed by Co-op Funeralcare on a part-time basis,” he says. “I really enjoyed the job, and when the opportunity to came along to start working full-time – and to do an apprenticeship – I grabbed it with both hands. I was very keen to do the NVQ qualification.”

Rob’s role now includes arranging and conducting funerals, bringing people into care, and building coffins.

“I have managed to gain the skills and qualifications that allow me to be useful wherever needed,” says Rob. “I’m also making use of all the people skills I gained when working for the police – such as having conversations with people when they are very emotional. I go home from work each day feeling I’ve made a real contribution to society.”

Rob’s 62-year-old wife, Lynda, now also works part-time for Co-op Funeralcare as an arranger.

“This job isn’t really about the money for me,” says Rob. “I don’t want to sit at home doing nothing – plus Lynda wouldn’t let me. I’m fit and healthy and want to feel I’m still making a worthwhile contribution to society. I also hope to help younger employees by purveying a good work ethic.”

How will you live in retirement?

“I feel I am making a difference to people”

ken-neill-web.jpg

Ken Neill, 59, worked as a civil servant for almost 40 years in both London and Scotland before taking early retirement in March 2014 when he and his wife, Jacqueline, 55, moved to Yorkshire.

“We made the move down to York when Jacqueline was relocated for her job,” says Ken. “But I wasn’t ready to stop working, so started to look for a new job. Despite having worked for the government for almost four decades, I wasn’t sure how transferable my skills were. That said, I’d had lots of experience of customer service, and knew I also had good administration skills.”

Ken applied for a host of jobs in York for around three months, but with no success.

“I kept wondering whether the employers were looking for younger recruits with recent qualifications,” he says. “I also felt they were more likely to want to invest money into training younger individuals, rather than an older worker nearing the end of his working life – and I began to get a bit negative about the whole thing.”

However, Ken’s luck changed when he applied for a role on the claims team with Aviva.

In July 2014, he joined the team on a temporary contract, and was made a permanent staff member in October 2015. Ken’s role involves him answering a wide variety of customer calls.

“I was able to bring skills from my previous job into this new role,” he says. “Often customers are calling to make a claim due to a bereavement, a terminal illness or a critical illness. Every day is interesting and rewarding, and I feel I am making a difference to people at what is often a very difficult time for them.”

After requesting flexible working, Ken now works his hours over four days to make up his full-time commitment of 35 hours a week.

“This means I get every Wednesday off,” says Ken. “The break in the week gives me a good work-life balance, allowing me to spend more quality time with my wife.”

“I wanted to give something back”

keith-thompson-web.jpg

Keith Thompson from Altrincham, Cheshire, only spent a few months relaxing after retiring from his job in the financial planning and wealth management industry last year before realising he still had the drive to work.

Keith had a busy working life, and after founding and managing Taylor Knowles Financial Planning in Lancashire, went on to become director of Altrincham and London-based Greystone Financial Services in June 1992.

Following 24 successful years, he stepped down as chairman in 2016, aged 72.

“But I soon realised that you can only play bad golf two days a week before the drive and passion to work kicks back in,” he says. “So I made the decision to move back into business, and joined Clarion Wealth Planning – a firm based in Cheshire – as nonexecutive chairman in January. After spending my whole career in the wealth planning industry, I realised how much I missed it – and decided to get back into the business I love.” Keith now plays an advisory role at the firm.

“I really enjoy having this role in my 70s as it gives me a real sense of purpose,” he says. “I also wanted to give something back from the wealth of experience I’ve built up over more than 50 years.”

As non-executive chairman, Keith is in the office three to four days a week. He adds: “I have made the role my own by ensuring I’m hands on,” he says. “The work is very enjoyable – to the point it doesn’t really seem like work at all. I do feel as though my mind is still being taxed, and there is nothing more rewarding than giving something back to an industry that you’ve dedicated your whole life towards.”

Why we need to talk to friends and family about money

“I’m 80 and have no plans to stop”

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June Shepherd, who is 80, joined Home Instead Senior Care five years ago – just weeks after an agency told her she was too old to work as a carer.

The organisation proactively recruits older workers and supports campaigns by Business in the Community’s leadership team.

June – a mother of five and grandmother of 10 – has always liked to keep active and busy. Over the years, she has worked in a variety of jobs while supporting her family, along with her husband, Les.

June worked as an auxiliary nurse in her early 20s, before her career took a few twists and turns which saw her working in a local factory making drill bits, and then as a forklift truck driver on the factory floor at Bassetts’ sweet factory.

Having undergone her medical training in her younger years, June decided that working in care was something she’d like to explore in her golden years.

“Despite being in my 70s, I still felt fit, and wanted to keep working,” says June, who lives in Sheffield. “But when I approached an agency, I was basically told I was getting on a bit to work in care. I came away from that experience thinking I was just too old to do the job.”

At this point, June saw an advert for jobs involving care for the elderly with Home Instead, but was worried that age was going to be a barrier.

However, Home Instead saw that June’s life skills and experience made her a perfect fit for the job, and she started working with the organisation a week later. June has been a carer now for five years, and has four regular clients: a lady in her 90s, two ladies in their 80s, and a man in his 70s.

“I go to visit 84-year-old Joyce Campbell every Thursday, and help her to do the ironing and hoovering,” says June. “I’m very proud I can still do such rewarding work and help others. They say you’re never too old to learn. I’ve had the best training I’ve ever had in this job. I feel very confident and comfortable in my work and have no plans to stop any time soon.”

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PMSD appoints Gamble to fill Watto's vacancy

SWIFTWATER — After 43 years of serving the district, Edward Watto was looking forward to assuming his role as school board director, but with just more than a month before the election Watto passed away.The Pocono Mountain School District school board paid tribute to Watto during their reorganization meeting on Wednesday and then appointed a former candidate to fill his vacancy.Watto, along with Annabella Lastowski, won spots on the ballot following the May primary. [...]

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Don’t Be a Grinch! Make These 5 Easy Christmas Treats for Less Than $5 Each

20 Work-at-Home Jobs That Don’t Require Being on the Phone

By Holly Reisem Hanna Dear Work at Home Woman, Is there anything non-phone related that's legitimate? I currently work for a call center and hate constantly being on the phone! Thanks, Hope Hi Hope – I know where you’re coming from. I used to be a prior authorization nurse for Medicaid. I was on the […]

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You’ll Never Believe These 3 Holiday Bread Recipes Are Gluten Free

Seven Tips When Filing a Wildfire Homeowners Insurance Claim

Wildfires have been raging in the Western United States, wreaking more than $10 billion in damage and forcing thousands of residents to evacuate. But long after the fire season has ended, some owners of damaged homes are likely to find themselves waiting to have their dwellings repaired or rebuilt.

Disputes over wildfire claims sometimes arise between homeowners and insurance adjusters, slowing repairs. In other cases, there are so many claims in a community that there aren’t enough construction contractors to make timely repairs.

Fortunately, there are steps you can take to make sure your claim is dealt with in a timely manner. Here are seven tips for speeding up the process:

1. File your claim as soon as possible.

If there is widespread wildfire damage, you can end up competing for you insurer’s attention with others whose homes have been damaged, warns Stacey A. Giulianti, chief legal officer with Florida Peninsula Insurance Company.

“When making an insurance claim, the first rule is to call in the claim as soon as the danger passes,” the attorney says. “You want to be high on the adjuster’s list so that your claim is inspected quickly. The second rule is to be absolutely truthful. Any misrepresentation, fraud, or omission can lead to your entire claim being denied.”

2. Take control of your claim.

You’ll have a better chance of getting an adequate payout from your insurer if you understand what it will cost to repair or replace your home.

Create an inventory of all property that was damaged or destroyed so you can file a complete and accurate claim, says Sean Scott, author of The Red Guide to Recovery. This will be easier if you took photos or videos of your home before the fire and saved purchase receipts for big-ticket items. Creating an inventory of what you lost from memory alone “is one of the surest ways to get shortchanged,” he says.

The next step is to find several contractors who work in fire restoration to give you detailed estimates about the scope of work that will be required. With an actual, real-world quote in hand, you’ll know if the amount your insurance company’s claims adjuster offers is too low, Scott says.

3. Save all correspondence with your insurance company.

Saving all correspondence will help you if there’s a dispute over what your insurance company agreed to do to repair your home.

“Document everything as though you were preparing for a lawsuit or an audit,” says Scott.

He recommends logging the times and dates of meetings with insurance officials. It’s also a good idea to make a note of who was in attendance. Having this information can help you if you end up suing your insurer.

4. Save your receipts for living expenses.

If you’re forced to vacate your home and move into temporary housing, make sure you can document all of your out-of-pocket costs, recommends Giulianti.

“Motel or hotel expenses and the increased cost of dining out are the two most common reimbursable items,” Giulianti says. “Keep all receipts, as this coverage is payable after-the-fact, upon proof being provided to the adjuster.”

5. Make sure you get all promises in writing.

If representatives of your insurance company make verbal promises, such as agreeing to stand behind the workmanship of contractors who are their preferred providers, be sure to get it in writing. If you decide to go to court without proof of what was represented to you, you’ll have a difficult time prevailing.

6. Consider getting professional backup.

If you’re worried about not being able to resolve disagreements with your insurance company over how your home should be repaired or replaced, it may be helpful to bring in a professional to represent your interests, says Alexya Williams, an account executive with Fish Consulting, a restoration company based in South Florida. There are specialists who negotiate with insurance companies for a fee. They may be called public adjusters or loss assessors.

Be sure to review credentials carefully and ask for references before you hire anyone to represent your interests.

Some insurance companies may offer to go through arbitration over disputes, notes the Insurance Information Institute. In such cases, a neutral arbiter will hear arguments from both sides.

7. Be careful about closing your claim too soon.

Before you agree to close your claim, make sure that all damage has been discovered, says Scott.

If your home seems OK after a wildfire, but you’re concerned that there may have been damage from heat, it may be wise to have a contractor specializing in fire restoration inspect your home, he adds.

“They will typically inspect the exterior for obvious heat, scorching, ember burns, or other damage,” he notes. They also will inspect your home for interior damages.

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