Potential scammer claims to be tax assessor in Chestnuthill Twp.

George Schmidt’s 22-year old son, home on leave from the military, was at his dad’s house when there was a knock on the door.It was someone claiming to represent the tax assessor, and they wanted to come into the Chestnuthill Township home and take pictures.Schmidt said no, and it’s a good thing he did.“Our company does not come in to the home and take pictures,” Monroe County Assessment Office Chief Assessor Cindy Treible said. [...]

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Bustle Is Hiring Work-From-Home Writers to Cover News and Entertainment

If you’ve got a passion for writing about news, politics, astrology or TV and film, take a look at these part time, remote jobs at Bustle Digital Group.

Bustle is looking for writers to cover news and politics for its women’s news and lifestyle website.

Bustle’s sister publication Elite Daily is hiring an astrology writer and a TV/film writer for its news platform geared toward millennials.

A representative for Bustle told me that the pay for these jobs is commensurate with experience.

If none of these jobs is for you, be sure to check out our jobs page on Facebook, where we’re always listing new work-from-home jobs.

News Reporter at Bustle

Responsibilities include:

• Covering a variety of politics, policy and general news issues

• Analyzing and reporting current events of interest to millenials

• Filing at least two 600-word pieces per day

• Performing in-depth investigations

• Reporting on breaking news
  

Applicants for this position must have:

• Availability to work either Sunday to Tuesday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or Thursday to Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m

• Two to five years’ experience in journalism with a news publication

• Experience in investigative reporting, breaking news and analysis

• Strong communication and pitching skills

• An established network of sources

• The ability to manage multiple articles at the same time

Apply here for the News Reporter job at Bustle.

News and Politics Writer at Bustle

Responsibilities include:

• Writing about politics, women’s issues, national news, global news, health, tech, science, crime and more

• Writing breaking news quickly

• Juggling multiple articles at once

• Applying search engine optimization to each article

• Monitoring social media for viral and top news stories

• Incorporating digital content into articles

Applicants for this position must have:

• Availability to work either Sunday from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. and Monday from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. or Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

• A degree in journalism, communications, political science or a related field

• At least two years of writing or blogging experience

• Strong journalistic integrity and ethics

Apply here for the News and Politics Writer Job at Bustle.

Astrology Writer at Elite Daily

Responsibilities include:

• Writing astrology, zodiac, horoscope and new-age content

• Pitching article ideas

• Writing three to four articles per day
  

Applicants for this position must have:

• Availability to work two or more shifts Monday through Friday

• A relevant degree and/or previous relevant writing experience

• A solid understanding of astrology

• Experience working with various forms of multimedia

• SEO experience

Apply here for the Astrology Writer job at Elite Daily.

TV/Film Writer at Elite Daily

Responsibilities include:

• Analyzing and writing about TV shows and films

• Writing three to four articles per shift

• Pitching article ideas

• Watching and covering movies and TV shows
  

Applicants for this position must have:

• Availability to work remotely at least three days a week

• Two or more years of experience in reporting, writing, and/or blogging

• Experience in entertainment writing or TV/film reviewing

• Solid news judgment

Apply here for the TV/Film Writer Job at Elite Daily.

Lisa McGreevy is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. She loves telling readers about new job opportunities so look her up on Twitter (@lisah) if you’ve got a tip to share.

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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How to Keep Your Car Running Smoothly When the Weather Outside Is Frightful

Winter is my least favorite season.

I hate feeling cold. I detest bulky jackets. And I think snow is pretty for only about 30 seconds.

I know I’m not the only one out there who feels this way. And if cars had feelings, they’d probably be miserable in blustery winter weather, too.

Icy roads can make tires slip. Freezing temperatures can cause fluids to thicken, making it harder for your car to function properly.

Having your car break down on the side of the road is terrible, but it’s 10 times worse when the wind chill is below zero and there’s a foot of snow piled up.

Luckily, the Car Care Council shared the following tips on how to prepare your car for the winter, so you can keep it running efficiently and avoid road emergencies and pricy trips to the repair shop.

And please, if your city, county or other jurisdiction has issued a travel advisory to stay off the roads, please heed the warning and don’t venture out until conditions are deemed safe to drive again.

6 Easy Ways to Winterize Your Car

1. Fill ’er up!: Don’t let your gas tank drop below half full. A low tank increases the chance of moisture forming in gas lines and potentially freezing.
   
2. Keep up the pressure: Cold temperatures can cause tire pressure to drop, so make sure you check the tire pressure, even in the spare. You might want to consider using snow tires if snow and ice are an issue where you live.
   
3. Look out for leaks: Have the exhaust system checked for carbon monoxide leaks. Carbon monoxide is odorless, and breathing in too much can be lethal. It’s especially important to be aware of leaks in the winter as you’re driving with the windows up all the time.
   
4. Don’t skip your warmup: When the temperatures fall below freezing, give your car some time to warm up. This will allow the oil in the engine and transmission to circulate and get warm.
   
5. Use low-viscosity oil: Switch from 10-W30 oil to 5-W30 oil because thickened oil can make it hard to start your car in cold weather. The low-viscosity oil will flow better between moving parts when the temperature is freezing.
   
6. Keep a clear windshield: Consider using cold-weather washer fluid and a special winter windshield blade to keep your visibility clear during snow showers.

The Car Care Council also recommends you have a trusted professional check your vehicle if you have existing car issues, as the cold might magnify those problems.

Though preventative care is always key to staying out the auto repair shop, you can’t predict the unexpected. The council advises drivers to keep an emergency kit in their cars with an ice scraper, a snow brush, jumper cables, a flashlight, blankets, extra clothes, bottled water, dry food snacks and needed medication.

Stay safe and stay warm!

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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New Year, New Job? Check Out These 3 Industries — No Bachelor’s Required

If you’re on the hunt for a new job, 2018 could be your year.

The U.S. economy added 148,000 jobs in December, stretching its growth streak to 87 months. That’s more than 7 years!

And even though brick-and-mortar retailers continued to shed jobs last year — more than 200,000 between December 2016 and last month — several industries with promise for those of us without a bachelor’s degree showed major growth.

Outpatient Care Centers

This industry added 46,200 jobs between December 2016 and December 2017, for a growth rate topping 5 percent. Compare that to the 1.6% jump in total private employment last year, and you’ve got yourself a sector that’s on fire.

The best part: Many jobs in this industry only require an associate’s degree. Score!

Residential Building

It’s no secret the construction industry is hot right now. In my hometown of Sarasota, Florida, I’ve watched developers buy up orange groves and pastures quicker than a cow can pass grass through its system.

Last year, the residential construction industry added more than 27,000 jobs for a 3.6% jump in overall employment. We’ve made it very clear that jobs in this sector are high-paying, in demand and fulfilling.

The construction industry as a whole employed 210,000 more people in 2017 than the previous year.

Food and Beverage Service

Restaurants and bars added 248,600 new jobs in 2017, according to the latest jobs report. In a previous Penny Hoarder analysis, we found that bartending jobs are not only in demand, they also have rising pay.

Speaking of pay, the leisure and hospitality industry as a whole saw a 3.5% jump in hourly wage between 2016 and last year, barely below the finance sector, which had the largest annual pay bump.

As always, make sure to check out The Penny Hoarder Jobs page on Facebook for tons of new opportunities in 2018. This is your year for success.

Alex Mahadevan is a data journalist 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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New Year, New Goals: 7 Common Financial Resolutions and How to Achieve Them

New year, new me…?

If you’re like everyone else in America, you’ve set one or more goals to achieve this new year. Sadly, 80% of resolutions will fail by February, according to U.S. News.

We’re not going to let that happen, though. Instead, we’ve created a list of common resolutions paired with advice to help you reach them.

It may not be easy, but checking these lofty goals off your list will feel oh-so-good.

1. I Will Finally Get Out of Debt

Becoming debt-free is a common resolution. But it’s also one of the most challenging.

If getting out of debt is your priority this new year, you’ll want to focus on spending less, earning more and putting as much money as possible toward your debt.

We’ve outlined how you can create a debt payoff plan in 13 minutes.

To keep yourself accountable throughout the year, try using one of these apps, which won’t judge you when you splurge on a Starbucks latte every now and then.

2. I Will Pay Off My Student Loans

Student loans are a bit different from other debt, but they can feel just as stifling. If it feels like it’s taking forever to pay off your education, try some of these strategies.

Advice about spending less and directing more money toward your debt still applies, but as a college student or recent grad, you have a few other options, too.

If you can, live at home or with roommates (though it could cost you your sanity…). Use the money you’re saving to go toward your loan’s principal. This could save you thousands of dollars in interest over the life of your loan.

If you’re too long gone from home, try refinancing your student loans through an online marketplace like Credible. It allows you to shop around for the best loan rates.

There are others that offer similar services, but we like that the average Credible user saves about two interest points on their current federal loans — or an average of $18,886.

3. I Will Start a Side Business

Whether you’re ready to start freelancing with location-independent skills like graphic design or writing, or you want to start a business in your community, we’ve got tons of (50, actually) ideas on how to make extra money this year.

A few of our favorites include:

• Drive with Lyft. Get good like this guy and earn an extra $750 a week.

• Sell your stuff — because decluttering is probably another resolution, right? If you have old electronics such as an iPhone, DVDs or CDs, sell them to Decluttr. Clothes and other random stuff? Try posting items to Letgo.

• Rent your spare room (or couch or treehouse or bubble) through Airbnb. Use the platform’s calculator to see how much you could earn in your city.

4. I Will Get a Raise or Find a New Job

If you don’t want to take on an extra side gig this next year, then consider asking for a raise.

We know. That’s intimidating, but do your research and see what similar jobs pay. Follow along to these eight not-so-scary steps to negotiating your salary.

Or, if you’re simply fed up with your current gig, start looking for a new job. First, spruce up your cover letter and resume. Then, start searchin’. If you’re looking specifically for a work-from-home job, use this list of search platforms.

And, hey, you’ve always got The Penny Hoarder Facebook jobs page.

5. I Will Volunteer More Often

Ready to get your hands dirty or share your expertise this year?

Volunteering is a great opportunity to give back to your community and support causes important to you.

Choose an organization whose goal or mission resonates with you, and consider what you’ll learn from your experience.

If you eventually want to become a teacher, coaching a youth sports team or helping a Scout troop could help you build experience.

Want to get into grant writing? Talk to local nonprofit organizations about ways to get involved; you may not be writing right off the bat, but you’ll make connections.

Volunteering is a fantastic way to develop new skills, and it could even help you earn more money.

Hey, you could even volunteer at a craft beer festival and get free beer!

6. I Will Plan and Save for a Dream Vacation

Hawaii, Disney World, New Zealand… which destination sounds most appealing? Yes, it is possible to enjoy these trips on a budget.

First, figure out where you’d like to go, and create a basic trip budget. Factor in flights, accommodation, admission costs, food and other expenses. Figure out how much money you’ll need for the trip, and start a vacation savings account to help you keep that money separate from other savings.

That total trip cost might be frighteningly high, so look at ways to lower it.

For example, book your flight with credit card rewards. Or, stack up points by taking surveys on sites like eMiles, then exchange them for points for American Airlines, Southwest or United. You can even get points for Hilton Honors.

You can find out more about eMiles — and how we banked a $25 gift card to Restaurant.com — here.

7. I Will Eat Healthier, Work Out More and Lose Weight

Buying healthy food on a budget can be a challenge.

Many coupons seem to focus on less-than-nutritious options, like soda and chips and salty canned goods.

To earn money back on your healthy grocery purchases, try using an app like Ibotta, which offers rebates on produce and organic products.

Another option? Cut down your grocery bill by planting a cost-effective garden.

Now, let’s get to the physical fitness part of this. The promise of extra cash in your pocket might help you stick to your plan to go to the gym or head out for a walk.

Try earning gift cards for the steps you’ve talked through an app like Achievement.

Or, place a bet on your weight loss through HealthyWage and win some money like these women did.

There’s nothing more motivating than a little money, right?

The Bottom Line

Sticking to your new year’s resolution isn’t always easy. If it was, you’d hear more people bragging about their accomplishments come Dec. 31.

But you can make 2018 the year you keep your resolution by choosing a meaningful, tangible goal, making it specific and sharing it with others who can help keep you accountable.

Good luck, Penny Hoarders!

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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Put Your Foreign Language Skills to Use Working at Home for Amazon

If you speak fluent Japanese, Spanish or French and want to work from home, Amazon is delivering full-time customer service associate jobs to people in over 25 states.

We tip our hat to Work at Home Mom Revolution for spotting these openings.

The company is also filling over 180 remote jobs in a variety of categories, including sales, human resources and IT.

Many are based in the U.S. but some are in Italy, Canada and the UK.

Full-time Amazon employees are eligible for some sweet benefits, including medical insurance, paid time off and parental leave.

If this isn’t the type of work you’re looking for, check out our Jobs page on Facebook. We post new opportunities there all the time.

Work-From-Home Customer Service Associate (Japanese-Fluent)

Pay: $10 per hour except where a higher state, local or federal minimum wage rate applies

Responsibilities include:

• Providing assistance to Amazon’s shipping and delivery support drivers

• Answering customer questions, solving problems and resolving issues by phone and chat

Applicants for this position must:

• Be fluent in English and Japanese

• Live in one of the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin or Wyoming

• Be able to work any shift Sunday through Saturday from 3 a.m. to midnight Pacific time

• Have a high school diploma or equivalent

• Have basic typing and computer skills

• Have at least one year of public customer service experience

• Be able to complete I-9 work authorization paperwork in person

• Be able to to participate in and complete mandatory training

• Have high-speed internet

Benefits include:

• Company-provided laptop and headset

• Health insurance

• Paid time off

• Paid parental leave

• Paid life insurance and disability plan

Apply here for the Japanese-fluent customer service associate job at Amazon.

Work-From-Home Customer Service Associate (Spanish-Fluent)

Pay: $10 per hour except where a higher state, local or federal minimum wage rate applies

Responsibilities include:

• Answering customer questions, solving problems and resolving issues by phone and chat

Applicants for this position must:

• Be fluent in English and Spanish

• Live in one of the following states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin or Wyoming

• Be able to work any shift Sunday through Saturday from 3 a.m. to midnight Pacific time

• Have a high school diploma or equivalent

• Have basic typing and computer skills

• Have at least one year of public customer service experience

• Be able to complete I-9 work authorization paperwork in person

• Be able to to participate in and complete mandatory training

• Own a personal computer with a 64-bit operating system running Windows 8.1, Windows 10, or OS X 10.9 or higher

• Have a router or modem-based Ethernet connection

Benefits include:

• Company-provided headset

• Health insurance

• Paid time off

• Paid parental leave

• Paid life insurance and disability plan

Apply here for the Spanish-fluent customer service associate job at Amazon.

Work-From-Home Customer Service Associate (French-Fluent)

Pay: $11.50 per hour except where a higher state, local or federal minimum wage rate applies

Responsibilities include:

• Answering customer questions, solving problems and resolving issues by phone and chat

Applicants for this position must:

• Be fluent in English and French

• Live in one of the following states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin or Wyoming

• Be able to work any shift Sunday through Saturday from 3:00 a.m. to midnight Pacific time

• Have a high school diploma or equivalent

• Have basic typing and computer skills

• Have at least one year of public customer service experience

• Be able to complete I-9 work authorization paperwork in person

• Be able to to participate in and complete mandatory training

• Own a personal computer with a 64-bit operating system running Windows 8.1, Windows 10, or OS X 10.9 or higher

• Have a router or modem-based Ethernet connection

Benefits include:

• Company-provided headset

• Health insurance

• Paid time off

• Paid parental leave

• Paid life insurance and disability plan

Apply here for the French-fluent customer service associate job at Amazon.

Amazon has dozens of other remote jobs available — click here to see the complete list.

Lisa McGreevy is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. She loves telling readers about new job opportunities so look her up on Twitter (@lisah) if you’ve got a tip to share.

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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McDonald’s Dollar Menu Is Back and We’re Crying (Extra Salty) Tears of Joy

We all have them. It’s OK. They show up when you least expect them.

McCravings.

You suddenly find yourself jonesing for a McDonald’s cheeseburger and some of those fries that are oh so salty and delicious.

But you don’t want to spend much money to fill your craving, either. If you still pine for the old McDonald’s dollar menu, brace yourself: As of Jan. 4, the dollar menu is back.

What’s on the New McDonald’s Dollar Menu?

The reincarnation of the McDonald’s dollar menu actually has three tiers. Instead of limiting the menu to a few $1 items, McDonald’s has added some $2 and $3 selections as well. Logically, it’s calling this the 1-2-3 Dollar Menu. Here is the breakdown.

$1 Menu Items

Sausage Burrito
McChicken
Cheeseburger
Any size soft drink

$2 Menu Items

Sausage McGriddles
2-Piece Buttermilk Crispy Tenders
Bacon McDouble
Small McCafe beverage

$3 Menu Items

Sausage McMuffin With Egg
Classic Chicken Sandwich
Triple Cheeseburger
Happy Meal

OK, so not everything is just a buck. Chris Kempczinski, McDonald’s U.S. president, told USA Today there’s a reason for that: “As a result of it being one price point, it was fairly limited in terms of what you could put on it…. Having done that for 10 years, it ran out of gas.”

But none of McDonald’s other value pitches seemed to catch on, and competitors have been introducing their own value menus, so McDonald’s is getting back to what works.

A Bacon McDouble for $2? I’ll take one, ketchup only, please.

Tyler Omoth is a senior writer at The Penny Hoarder who loves soaking up the sun and finding creative ways to help others. Catch him on Twitter at @Tyomoth.

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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Top 7 Best Auto Insurance Companies of 2018

Top 11 Best Online Savings Account Banks – Start Making Interest Today!

I remember a time when the best online savings accounts paid annual yields of 4% to 5%.

Those days are long gone. LONG gone.

Thanks to the low-rate environment, it's not a surprise that for the past several years, my clients have been griping about how their savings accounts pay next to nothing, even from the best high-interest banks.

As painful as the interest situation is, looking for a top savings account to stash away some cash for a future financial goal or an unexpected emergency should be part of your financial strategy. But it can be hard to get excited if you don't feel like you are earning any interest on your money.

There are still plenty of online banks that offer excellent terms. Don't let your money sit in a savings account that's going to be eaten by annual fees. You shouldn't have to pay to let your money sit.

The top 11 best online savings accounts that offer high interest rates and super customer service

All the banks on my list are great places to stash your cash. Each can provide different benefits, covered below.

1. CIT Bank Savings – Best Ongoing Interest Rates

If you are looking for a bank to just store some of your cash in for a rainy day, CIT Bank is a great choice. CIT Bank focuses on CDs and savings account, and also IRA options.

You might think, “Why would I go with a bank that just does that instead of one with more options like online checking?”

That’s an understandable question. CIT Bank is in the upper tier of interest rates for all of these institutions, and in some cases comes out ahead of everyone else. On top of their high interest rate they also offer a bonus rate tier for customers that have more than $25,000 saved with them. Essentially, it is a loyalty bonus. Not many banks reward you for being extra loyal.

Aside from the great interest, I think it is sometimes a good thing to limit your account options at a bank. If you open up an account with checking, savings, CDs, investment, and so on it can get tempted to pull money out of the savings or CD to refill your checking account quickly. Having them separated requires more financial discipline at the cost of a little bit of convenience. I think the extra interest you are earning is worth it.

Here’s what you get with CIT Bank:

• Upper tier high yield interest rate with high deposit bonus tier. If you deposit a lot of money with CIT, you won’t find a better interest rate anywhere else online.
• Low minimums. CIT does have a minimum of $100. That’s measly. And honestly, with any of the banks on this page if you saved just $100 you’re going to earn a whopping $1 interest max in the first year. You need to save more money, but CIT requires $100 to get started.
• Easy deposit options. You can fund your account or add additional deposits via easy online transfer from your current bank, mailing in a check, or wire transfer.
• Easy access and management. The user interface is easy to use. You’ll be able to transfer funds to and from your other bank easily.

If you are looking for a place to store some cash for a rainy day and want to earn a great interest rate in the meantime, definitely take a look at CIT Bank.

2. Chase Bank – Best Signup Bonus

Chase Bank is a big bank for physical locations with thousands of branches and ATMs across the country.

While they're not as competitive on the interest rates, they do have the best signup bonuses of any bank in the country. You do have to jump through a couple of hoops to get the full $350, though. Here are the full details of their offer:

Bonus #1	Bonus #2	Total
$200 Open a checking account and set up direct deposit	$150 Open a savings account and deposit $10,000 within 10 days, maintaining the balance for 90 days	$350

While Chase is completely available online, to get the bonus you will have to get your coupon online and then walk into a physical location to set up the account.

Chase Bank also gives you:

• Access to over 16,000 Chase ATMs and 5,100 branches
• Chase QuickDeposit^SM lets you deposit checks almost anytime, anywhere with the ease of taking a picture. Just point, snap, and deposit.

3. Ally Bank – Consistently High Interest Rates

Ally Bank is one of my favorite banking institutions. (Yes, we bloggers are a weird bunch and have favorite banking institutions while the rest of the world goes about their normal lives.)

Why do I love Ally so much? Let me quote myself from an article earlier this year, Best Online Checking Accounts:

Ally Bank was built on the premise of getting rid of all the crazy fees that normal banks charge while giving customers great rates and great customer service.

I mean, seriously? How can you not love that? A bank that is fighting to end banks gouging customers will get my vote every time. In the linked article above I told you how great Ally’s checking accounts were, but the saving options are great, too.

Here’s what you get with Ally:

• High yield interest rate. You won’t earn more interest with a reputable online bank.
• No minimums. At all. That means no minimum deposit, no minimum balance requirement. No minimum balance fees. In fact, you can open an account with as little as $1.
• Easy deposit options. You can fund your account or add additional deposits via easy online transfer from your current bank, mailing in a check, wire transfer, or simply scanning in your deposit.
• Easy access and management. The user interface is top-notch and you’ll be able to transfer funds to and from your other bank easily.
• Other account options. You can start with a savings account and grow your finances with Ally. They offer a robust set of accounts ranging from checking to savings to CDs and IRAs.

Ally is built on not gouging customers for every penny they’ve got. That’s a great bank, and one of the reasons I use this bank in addition to Capital One 360.

4. Everbank – Best One Year Interest Rates

Everbank is one of the longest standing online banks and consistently has some of the best introductory interest rates. Currently their money market account is offering 1.11% for the first year. This gives them one of the strongest savings rates in the industry.

Features you should know about Everbank accounts include:

• Low initial deposit of $25
• Avoid fees by keeping at least $25 in the account
• CD's and Checking accounts available

If you are looking for a solution to get competitive one year interest rates then Everbank will be a good option for your needs.

5. Discover Bank – Best CD Rates

Discover moved into the banking business a few years ago. Their rates are competitive with other online products, so it is definitely a firm to include in your search for a top savings account.

The product offerings are similar with Discover, but I really like Discover’s online CD. The rates on the CDs are very nice compared to some other players in the industry.

Here’s what you get with Discover Bank’s Online Savings account:

• Great interest. To attract customers, Discover often has some of the highest interest rates available.
• Several account options. You can start with a savings account and expand to an online certificate of deposit, IRA CDs, or a money market account.
• Low minimums. This is the only place that you might downgrade Discover on a bit. The other institutions on this page require no minimum or a super low deposit to open an account. Discover requires a $500 minimum deposit. However, there are still no minimum balance requirements or fees for going below $500, so it isn’t much to worry about once you get your account open.

If you are interested in creating a CD ladder to reach a goal or as part of your emergency savings strategy, Discover is a great place to start.

6. Compass Bank BBVA

Compass isn't the most popular bank on our list, but it's one you should know about. BBVA Compass is one of the top largest U.S. commercial banks based on deposit market share.

They offer a wide variety of products and services, everything from small business loans to online savings accounts (because that's why you are here right?)

• Interest rate. BBVA Compass offers tiered interest rates that compound to make your money grow faster.
• Low initial deposit. While you are required to make an initial deposit, it's a minuscule $25.
• Account options. You'll have the freedom to choose between several different account types: Everyday Savings, Money Market, or CD account.
• Beware of fees. One of the few negatives of BBVA is their monthly service fees that come along with their accounts. It's only $15 a month, but it's something that should be noted when opening up an account.

If you haven't heard of Compass Bank BBVA, you should take the time to familiarize yourself with the organization, their online money market account will make it worth your time.

7. USAA – Best for Military

*Be aware that you must have a family member this is serving/has served in a branch of the military to open an account with USAA.

Aside from being an exceptionally reputable organization, as an online savings account, USAA offers several unique benefits that the other banks on this list don't. You can get a HUGE variety of different products with USAA. They offer just about any financial or insurance product you could ever need, and having all of your account and product in one place is an impressive advantage.

What you'll get with USAA:

• Use just about any ATM. If you ever need to get money out of your online savings account at an ATM, you don't have to worry about those ATM fees. You will be able to use more than 60,000 “USAA-preferred” ATMs for free. They will also refund you the fees of any ATM that isn't one of the preferred machines.
• Low initial deposit. Similar to some of the other accounts, USAA does require an initial deposit, but it's only $25.
• No fees. With a USAA savings account, you will not have to may any service fees or any fees if you transfer money to another bank.

If you have a family member that has ever served in the military, it's worth checking out an online savings account with USAA.

8. Synchrony Bank

Synchrony has gotten very competitive in offering the some of the highest interest rates for deposits. They do not offer as many products as many of the other online banks, but they put their focus on what they are good at — vehicles for saving.

Here’s what you get with a Synchrony online savings account:

• High interest. Synchrony is dedicated to being competitive on interest rates to attract new clients.
• Low minimum. It only requires $30 to open an account and you avoid a $5 monthly fee by maintaining a balance of $30 or higher.
• Easy access. Many of the online banks only let you do transfers. Synchrony also has a debit card option to make accessing your cash easier.
• No balance dependence. Some banks increase your interest rates the more money you put in. Synchrony gives you the same interest rate no matter how much or how little you put in.

9. Capital One 360 Savings Account

I’ve had an account with Capital One 360 Savings longer than I have with Ally. That’s because Capital One 360 (formerly ING Direct) was one of the first reputable online banks to exist. Capital One 360 is easy to use, secure, and you can connect your account to your other accounts, including your Capital One Investing account.

Here’s what you get with Capital One 360:

• Extremely competitive interest rate. The difference in rates between Capital One 360 and other banks is so small most people wouldn’t notice. If you aren’t seeking absolute best interest and are looking at the bigger picture, keep reading.
• No minimums. Like Ally, you won’t be hit with any minimum balance fees nor will you have to send a ton of money to open an account. You can open an account with as little as $1.
• Easy deposit options. Opening an account is easy — you just link a checking account from another institution like you would with any other bank. Then you transfer your funds over. You can also set up an automatic transfer. This is a great way to save up for your short-term goals. If you know you need to save $1,000 for a trip, you can set up your Capital One 360 Savings Account to withdraw $200 each month from your checking account for the next five months.
• Easy access and management. Capital One 360’s user interface is one of the best around. One of the unique things Capital One 360 offers is “sub-accounts” where you can open up mini-accounts to hold your saving goal money. So you can have a main Savings Account, but have mini-accounts for Vacation Fund, Emergency Fund, and so on.
• Other account options. You can start with a savings account and grow your finances with ING. They offer a robust set of accounts ranging from checking to savings to CDs, mortgages, and investing.

If you compare Ally and Capital One 360 you won’t find much difference in interest rates. Capital One 360 has been around longer from an online banking standpoint, and they are definitely trustworthy.

10. American Express High-Yield Savings Account

Just like Discover, American Express, the credit card company that offers fantastic cash back now has a banking arm that offers great interest on your account.

Rates are currently very competitive with some of the larger, well known online banks. Account access is not as sophisticated as you see with other banks, but you don’t need that sophistication if you are just looking for a solid place to keep some of your cash. If American Express Savings offered a full suite of financial products like mortgages and checking accounts on top of the savings account and CD, I would be more concerned about the website. But this is a pretty basic product: deposit money, earn interest, watch it grow.

AMEX also has a 36-month CD that you can drop your money into to earn a slightly higher rate of return. However, the difference is so small that I can’t recommend locking your funds up for 3 years. (If you elect to close a CD before its maturity date you pay back 3 months of interest. That’s dumb.)

Here’s what you get with AMEX’s High Yield Savings Account:

• Great interest. To attract customers, American Express often has some of the highest interest rates available.
• Simple options. You have two account options: high-yield savings and certificate of deposit. Two simple choices rather than an array of confusing options.
• No minimums. You don’t have a minimum balance requirement, and you don’t get hit with a fee for letting your balance get too low.

Whichever way you go, you’ll end up with American Express’ renowned customer service to back you up. You probably won’t need it, but it is always nice to know it is there.

11. A New Option: Digit.co

Another interesting savings option is Digit.co. This is a bank that uses an algorithm to determine how much money to transfer from your checking account into savings every few days. By tracking your income and spending habits, Digit.co can determine how much extra money should be going into savings. Digit promises that it’s automatic transfers won’t overdraw your account. The interest paid is very small, but it does exist. This is an account for people who want to save without needing to think about it.

Getting access to your money is easy; it’s all done through text. You text simple commands to change how much you save, to check your balance, and to withdraw to your own account. Most of the time, once you text that you want to withdraw, the money is there in the next day or two. This is a great account for saving up for a night out each month, or for other entertainment.

Consider your savings account needs, and do your research. With the right approach, you can get the most efficient use out of your money.

Why you need a savings account

With so many options for storing your money and the low-interest rates, a lot of my clients ask, “why do I even need a savings account?” and honestly, that's a great question.

The first reason is the obvious one – you get a slightly higher interest rate, and earning a little interest is better than no interest, right? But the interest you earn isn't the only reason to find a good online savings account.

The other reason is a little more obvious, it forces you to save that money. Federal regulations limit the number of times that you can withdraw money from your account. If you can keep taking money out of the account, it's going to encourage you to save. There are hundreds of thousands of places that you can open up a savings accounts, but all of them basically break down to three categories, traditional savings account, online savings account, and kids savings account. Many of these also offer a money market. If the MMA account offers a higher interest rate then we will list that instead of the savings account option.

What to Look for in a Top Savings Account

There’s no need to let your money sit in an account that doesn’t pay any interest at all. That’s one of the worst things you can do with your money because the value of your money will slowly go down due to inflation. You need to generate some interest to combat inflation just to maintain the spending power of the money you have. However, even the highest yield savings account is unlikely to beat inflation.

Then again interest isn’t everything. There are other considerations as well when choosing from among the top savings accounts.

Interest – High Yield

For me, interest comes first. Generating interest helps protect your money from inflation. Even if inflation is really low, getting some small interest on the side will help you bolster your account over time. Interest isn’t the only important factor, but it never hurts to have someone paying you to store your cash with them.

Don’t get too caught up in chasing yields, however. Most of the time, the difference between accounts isn’t enough to prompt you to move your money every time a bank comes out with a newer, higher yield.

Customer Service

Having great customer service is another key aspect of a great savings account. If you earn a little bit more interest at one bank but the customer service is awful you will probably regret it. I like to stick to firms that have solid reputations or that I’ve had previous experience with.

The accounts on this list all offer good customer service and a good user experience.

Access

You want easy access to your funds. If you have to jump through a lot of hoops to pull money out of your emergency fund during an unexpected setback, it defeats the purpose. Other considerations when you look at savings account access:

Do you have to go to a physical branch? Or can you transfer funds online using your smartphone? What about ATM access? Can you withdraw money at ATMs across the country for free, or at least get reimbursed for the fees you do pay? Access can be a tiebreaker when you are comparing two very similar banks.

Understand the Purpose of Your Savings Account

Saving for future purchases and expenses is one of the best things you can do to stabilize your financial situation. Rather than using credit spending (and winding up in debt if you don’t pay off the balance each month), identifying your spending goals and saving up can help you buy the things you want — without ruining your financial future.

You should also understand that keeping an emergency fund available for a rainy day can be a good idea. What happens when the car needs repairs or you need to replace the dryer? An emergency fund can protect you from the need to borrow in order to meet these unexpected expenses.

While a high-yield account would be nice, it’s important to recognize that your savings account isn’t meant to help you build wealth so you can fund your retirement (learn more about investing for retirement through a Roth IRA). Rather than expecting high yields from your savings account, here’s how to think about it:

Liquidity

One of the biggest advantages of a savings account is the liquidity. Because it’s cash, it’s instantly available for you to use. You don’t have to sell shares and what for the proceeds of the sale, or jump through hoops to get your money. It’s available immediately.

This is what makes a savings account ideal for an emergency fund. You know you can get to the money immediately if you need it. The liquidity also makes it great for access your money for a short-term savings goal. You know that you will be able to pay with your savings account when you need to, or you can use the money to instantly pay off your credit card after you’ve used it to book your vacation (and earn the points).

Safety

The other reason to incorporate a savings account into your financial strategy is so that you can keep the money safe. You don’t have to worry about losing your vacation money in the stock market when you keep it in a savings account. You know the money is there when you need it for an emergency with your savings account. Plus, if your account is with a federally insured institution, you don’t have to worry about losing your money if the bank fails.

Stop thinking of your savings account as a place to help you grow your wealth, and instead think of it as a way for you to protect your assets and keep your long-term financial situation from deteriorating due to debt. You can also think of your savings account as a way to help you save for short-term goals. As long as you incorporate a savings strategy along with an investing strategy that allows you to build wealth over time, you should have a balanced approach to your overall financial plan.

Whether you are saving up an emergency fund or just preparing to spend money on a nice vacation next year, you need a great savings account to hold your money. Here are my favorite places to wring as much yield as possible out of your savings account.

Types of savings accounts

There are a few different types of savings accounts, but don't worry, the main idea is still the same.

Bank Savings Accounts

This is the traditional idea of a savings account at a physical bank. You can walk into any local branch of a bank and open up one of these savings accounts. Normally, these accounts have maintenance fees and low-interest rates.

Online Savings Accounts

These accounts work almost identical to a traditional savings account except you manage the whole account strictly online. In most cases online savings accounts offer slightly better interest rates because they have lower overhead costs.

Savings Account for the Kids

Maybe you want to open up a savings account for your kids, that's a very good idea! Some banks have savings accounts specifically designed for kids, but don't' worry, you'll have control over the account. It's a great way to teach your children about managing money.

Disclaimer: The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's

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Changes to the Child Tax Credit for 2018

If you're like me, you like to get every tax credit you can. I mean, who wants to pay more taxes than they absolutely have to? I can’t think of anyone. The only problem with tax credits is it's extremely hard to keep track of them all. While this has always been true, tax credits may be even more difficult to understand since the new tax reform law passed in December 2017. From this point forward, the amount of taxes we pay – and how they are calculated – will be drastically different. In terms of tax credits, many faced sweeping changes with tax reform. For example, the standard deduction for single tax filers goes up to $12,000 in 2018. For married couples filing jointly and surviving spouses, the credit goes up to $24,000. These higher standard deductions were enacted as a way to simplify our tax code since, from this point forward, there will also be no personal exemptions and fewer available deductions. Another big change by the Trump Administration was the one made to the Child Tax Credit. Starting in 2018, this tax credit will be bigger and more families will be able to claim it. If you’re eager to reduce your tax load next year and you have children, you’re probably going to love these changes. Keep reading to learn about the Child Tax Credit in 2018, who qualifies, and how much this credit might help you save on taxes.

Who Can Claim the Child Tax Credit?

First things first. While the income cutoff for the child tax credit used to start phasing out at $110,000 for married couples, taxpayers who are married filing jointly with an adjusted gross income of $400,000 or less can receive the full credit starting in 2018. Individuals with an adjusted gross income of $200,000 will also receive the full credit. Phase-outs for this credit will start at these income levels. There are, of course, several further conditions which must be examined in order to be certain you qualify for all or some of the Child Tax Credit. They are as follows:

Qualifying children must be citizens or residents of the United States who can be claimed as dependents by the taxpayer. They also must not have reached the age of 17 by the end of the tax year. Children may be your blood children, grandchildren, stepchildren, and/or adopted children. Foster children also fall under this category as long as they have lived in your home for the entire year in question.

You must claim the child as a dependent. You need to claim the child as a dependent on your federal taxes in order to be eligible for the credit.

The child must live with you. The child must have resided in your home for at least half of the tax year, although some exceptions apply.

How Much Can You Claim?

Married couples who make under the $400,000 per year (and individuals who earn less than $200,000 per year) will be able to take $2,000 per child as their Child Tax Credit. This is one of the many tax cuts instituted by President George W. Bush early in his first term. When the Child Tax Credit came into existence in 1998, the per child amount was $400. Over the years, it has been increased substantially.

Can You Receive The Child Tax Credit as Part of Your Refund?

The Child Tax Credit is helpful for those qualifying families. Generally speaking, it functions as a credit against what the taxpayer owes in taxes. Sometimes, however, it can translate into an actual tax refund or tax rebate. For a small percentage of families in the United States, the Child Tax Credit will be larger than their tax liability. In this case, part of the unused part of the Child Tax Credit can be refundable as an additional Child Tax Credit. Here’s the good news you get with the new tax bill: $1,400 of the $2,000 per-child credit is refundable. What this means is, you can receive up to $1,400 of the child tax credit back even if you don’t wind up owing any taxes.

What Does This Mean for My Tax Bill?

What these changes mean for your personal tax bill depends on how much you earn and whether you received the child tax credit in the past. Let’s say you earned an adjusted gross income of $80,000 in 2017 and have two children ages 6 and 8. In this case, your tax credit for those kids simply doubles. Instead of taking a credit for $1,000 per child like you did in 2017 and previous years, you’ll receive a tax credit of $2,000 per child in 2018. Now let’s say you are a married couple filing jointly who earned an adjusted gross income of $200,000 last year and have a set of one-year-old twins. Because the tax credit began phasing out at $110,000 and phased out completely well below your level of income in 2017, you didn’t receive a child tax credit last year. In this case, you will receive a $2,000 credit per child for the first time in 2018. For the most part, increasing the child tax credit is good news for everyone with kids. It won’t affect married couples earning more than $400,000 or individuals earning more than $200,000, but they weren’t receiving a child tax credit under the old law anyway.

The Bottom Line

If you have kids and earn less than $400,000 as a married couple or $200,000 as an individual, changes to the Child Tax Credit will save you money on taxes in 2018. However, your savings may be wiped away in other areas of the tax code, specifically because personal exemptions and several other deductions are being replaced with a higher standard deduction for everyone. Either way, make sure to speak with a tax professional if you’re unsure how the new tax law will affect you. A bigger child tax credit is always a good thing, but it’s possible you could save even more on taxes with some professional guidance and help.

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How to Write Instagram Captions That Drive Engagement

Staying active on social media is absolutely necessary if you want your business to be successful.

This statement holds true for small, local mom-and-pop stores as well as national chains and global ecommerce sites.

Even if you’re not selling a tangible product and just run a blog or something similar, you need to have a social media presence.

But having social media profiles and properly managing them are two different things.

Did you know about 80% of social media browsing takes place on mobile devices?

That’s one of the reasons why you need to focus on your Instagram strategy.

Plus, look at the rapid growth it’s had over the last several years:

The popularity of this platform can’t be ignored.

Businesses are recognizing this trend and acting accordingly.

In fact, over 70% of companies in the United States had an Instagram profile in 2017.

That number has skyrocketed from 48.8% in 2016.

If you are one of these businesses, I’m sure you’re taking advantage of everything Instagram has to offer.

You post photos daily.

You’re always adding videos to your story.

You may even go live once in a while too.

But how are these actions engaging your followers?

Taking and posting the perfect picture can grab someone’s attention, but your captions will give them a sense of direction.

It’s important you write actionable Instagram captions.

If you need help writing your captions, you’ve come to the right place.

I’ll tell you everything you need to know about writing captions that drive engagement.

Let everyone know where you are with location tags

I’ll start by telling you something that does not need to be in your caption.

When it comes to the location of the photos, do tell your followers where the photo was taken.

But here’s the catch: you don’t need to put that in your caption.

That’s a waste of valuable space.

I see people make this mistake all the time.

Instead, tag the location of the photo.

Here’s an example.

Rather than saying, “Here we are at the United Center,” the Jordan brand geo-tags the location of the photo instead.

Now they can put other information in their caption.

They used this post to promote a new product launch.

But that message could have been lost in the shuffle if they wrote their location in the caption.

Another reason why you should tag the location is because it will appear with all the other photos and videos tagged at that location.

The posts with the most likes and comments will show up as “Top Posts” on that location’s page.

It’s a great way for people who might not follow you to see your posts as well.

If the Jordan brand included their location in a caption, it wouldn’t be exposed to such a wide audience.

Plus, location tagging drives engagement, which is our ultimate goal.

Keep your location out of the caption, and tag it instead.

That’s a much better engagement strategy.

Don’t write the first thing that comes to your mind

You took 20 different pictures of the same subject from different angles and with different lighting.

Then you spent time finding the best one, adding a filter or two, changing the exposure, brightness, and saturation, and playing around with all the other editing tools.

But then you write your caption in 10 seconds because you want to post it right away.

That’s a mistake.

You should take just as long, if not longer, to write your Instagram caption for that photo.

Think about all the other written content you’re putting out on the Internet, like your blog, for example.

You write a draft and then you edit it.

Maybe you edit it a second or even a third time before adding the post to your website.

Apply that same concept to your Instagram captions.

Write drafts—and several of them.

Take your time. The photo isn’t going anywhere and neither are your followers.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying you should take all week or a month to write these couple of lines of text.

But you need to put some thought into it. Concentrate on your captions as much as you focus on taking the photo and editing it.

Writing drafts can also help you make sure you don’t have spelling errors or make any other blunders.

While Instagram allows you to edit your caption after it’s posted, by the time you realize there is a mistake, thousands of followers could have already seen it.

Those are careless mistakes.

You don’t want people to think you don’t care.

Put the most important information first

If you’re writing a longer caption, don’t be clever trying to ease into it with a creative introduction.

Instead, lead with your most important message.

Be direct.

Instagram allows you to have 2200 characters in your caption, but that doesn’t mean your followers will see it all. Well, at least not right away.

Longer captions get cut off.

The example above shows the caption before and after the user hits “more.”

And this caption isn’t even that long.

While in general, I think shorter captions are more effective, I don’t want to discourage you from writing longer ones.

Just make sure your most important content isn’t at the end.

Not everyone will click on the “more” button to see the whole thing.

Keep in mind, users are just scrolling down their newsfeeds glancing at photos.

They probably don’t care enough about your caption to read the whole thing.

So at least try to hook them in with the first couple of lines to give them a reason to keep reading.

Find ways to encourage comments

You want each post to have lots of engagement.

One of the ways to do this is by getting people to comment on your pictures.

Users can talk in the comments with each other or reply directly to you.

Another way to get more comments is by replying to users and driving a discussion.

For this method to be successful, however, you have to get people talking in the first place.

End your caption with a question to invite comments from your followers.

If you don’t ask them something, they may not have a reason to write anything.

Another way to get comments is by encouraging your followers to tag their friends in photos.

Here’s an example from MVMT Watches:

This post received nearly 900 comments in less than five days.

Clearly, this is an effective strategy.

Drive traffic to your website

If you have an ecommerce store, the ultimate goal of your Instagram page should be to get more sales from your followers.

To get people to make a purchase, you have to get them to your website first since purchases can’t be made directly from the Instagram platform.

You should also be tracking where your website traffic is coming from.

Create a unique URL with a tracking code to see the number of referrals from your Instagram page.

That will help you gauge how successful this strategy is.

It’s always important to measure results, so establish a benchmark to improve upon.

Add that unique link to your Instagram bio.

Then, you can use your caption to refer your followers to the link.

Here’s an example from H&M to show you what I’m talking about:

This photo shows some specific clothing items they’re selling.

If people are interested in buying one of these items, they can click on a link in the bio that brings them directly to the item.

That way they don’t have to key in the website URL first and then search for the item.

It’s too many steps that can turn them away and reduce the chances of a sale.

Here’s what that link looks like in the H&M bio:

This makes it really easy for customers to shop, leading to more sales.

Run a contest

Nothing gets people excited like the opportunity to get something free.

You can use contests as a way to promote your brand on Instagram.

This strategy will definitely drive engagement if you can write a great caption.

First, let’s review the three different types of giveaways:

• contest
• sweepstakes
• lottery

When the participants have to do something that requires some sort of effort or skill to win a prize, it’s considered a contest. The winner is determined by judges or a vote.

If you’re selecting a winner at random, it’s called a sweepstakes.

A lottery would mean that people would have to buy a raffle ticket or something like that to enter.

But I wouldn’t recommend doing this, especially because certain state and federal laws prohibit these types of giveaways.

Your best bet is running a contest. That’s one of my favorite ways to keep your followers engaged.

Their effort will determine whether they win or not.

Here’s a great example of a strong caption promoting a contest run by Starbucks:

It’s a successful campaign strategy because it encourages user-generated content.

Here’s how it works.

Starbucks invites their customers to design a cup.

Then the customers have to post a picture of their cups on Instagram with the hashtag #WhiteCupContest.

Think about your brand and your current contest.

If you own a coffee shop, there are only so many pictures of coffee and pastries you can post.

Your followers will get bored with that real quick.

That’s why your captions have to be engaging.

Try running a contest the next time you post a picture on Instagram.

Here’s a contest example from Mint:

You can use this caption as a template for your own contest, using your own information: name, hashtag, prize, and deadline.

Use hashtags

We’ve discussed hashtags a few times already, but they are important enough to mention on their own.

You want to include hashtags in your captions.

For the same reason, we tagged location.

Your post will appear on a page with all the other images with the same hashtag.

You’ll expose your brand to a wider audience.

I’d recommend putting hashtags at the end of your caption.

As we saw earlier, long captions can get cut off.

But your hashtag doesn’t have to be visible to be effective.

It will group your picture with all the other posts with that hashtag.

If you’re not sure which hashtag to use, start typing and Instagram will suggest the most popular ones.

Pick the one with the most posts.

This will give you the greatest user engagement.

While you want to include hashtags, use them sparingly.

Going overboard with them could look like spam, and it’s not appealing to your followers.

Make sure your hashtags are relevant.

Don’t just use trending hashtags as a way to get exposure if they have nothing to do with your post or brand.

Again, this will make people think you’re spamming them, which is counterproductive to your engagement strategy.

Conclusion

Don’t overlook the importance of writing a good Instagram caption.

You spend lots of time selecting and editing a photo. Make sure you’re putting just as much effort into the caption.

Write several drafts before deciding on the best.

While you want to let users know where you are, that doesn’t mean it should be part of your caption. It’s a waste of space. Use location tagging instead.

Long captions will get cut off, so write the most important information at the beginning.

Encourage user comments by asking a question or telling your followers to tag their friends.

Drive traffic to your website through a link in your bio. Mention the link in your captions.

This will help you get more sales if you have an ecommerce site.

Promote a contest or giveaway in your captions too.

Add hashtags as well, but use them sparingly.

If you follow these tips, you’ll get more engagement on all your Instagram posts.

Which caption strategy has been the most successful for your company’s Instagram profile?

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Need a Change of Scenery? These 8 Cities Are Looking Good for Renters

It’s 2018. New year, new me, right?

If that means trying out a new town, given how expensive rent seems to be across the U.S., we have some good news and some bad news for you.

First, the bad news. Even though there were slightly fewer renters in 2017 — for the first time in more than a decade — the cost of rent still rose more than 2%, according to an annual analysis of the rental market conducted by Abodo.

The good news: of the 85 cities Abodo analyzed, a few are affordable.

To give you a better picture of where you might consider starting your new year, we looked at the change in income and population of those 85 cities, according to the latest available data from the U.S. Census Bureau, along with the local unemployment rates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

We then weighed the affordability and strength of each local economy, along with the latest rental rates for one-bedroom apartments from Abodo to bring you the cities that are growing, getting richer and are actually affordable in 2018.

These 8 Affordable Cities Are Growing and Getting Richer

You want to live where the jobs are, right? All of these cities have unemployment rates below the national average of 4.1%. We’ve also tried to come as close as possible to the 30% rule when it comes to the amount you spend on rent.

And finally, we looked at the industries in each city to find which ones employ the most residents, then created our list of eight affordable cities that are on major upswings.

1. Lincoln, Nebraska

Rent: $648

Average income: $27,585

Unemployment rate: 2.1%

Population: 217,283

Biggest industries: Education and healthcare; manufacturing; retail

2. Lubbock, Texas

Rent: $550

Average income: $24,535

Unemployment rate: 2.7%

Population: 192,965

Biggest industries: Education and healthcare; retail; arts, recreation and entertainment

3. Fort Wayne, Indiana

Rent: $466

Average income: $24,135

Unemployment rate: 3.1%

Population: 200,592

Biggest industries: Education and healthcare; manufacturing; retail

4. Wichita, Kansas

Rent: $513

Average income: $25,668

Unemployment rate: 3.7%

Population: 297,709

Biggest industries: Education and healthcare; manufacturing; retail

5. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Rent: $680

Average income: $27,370

Unemployment rate: 3.3%

Population: 475,826

Biggest industries: Education and healthcare; retail; professional, scientific and management

6. Omaha, Nebraska

Rent: $809

Average income: $28,545

Unemployment rate: 2.5%

Population: 343,864

Biggest industries: Education and healthcare; professional, scientific and management; retail

7. Columbus, Ohio

Rent: $690

Average income: $25,781

Unemployment rate: 3.5%

Population: 664,580

Biggest industries: Education and healthcare; retail; professional, scientific and management

8. Lexington, Kentucky

Rent: $736

Average income: $30,502

Unemployment rate: 3.2%

Population: 252,060

Biggest industries: Education and healthcare; retail; arts, recreation and entertainment

See a city that piques your interest? Keep an eye on The Penny Hoarder Jobs page on Facebook to see if anything pops up there. And make sure to check out our tips on moving cross country if you decide to pack up and move.

Bon voyage!

Alex Mahadevan is a data journalist 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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