So what's going on on Wall Street? Stocks have been dropping like a rock the last few days.
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الاثنين، 5 فبراير 2018
Sweetheart of a Deal: CVS Offers Free Heart-Health Screenings in February
Here’s a fun fact. Our hearts beat about 2.5 billion times over the course of our lives, according to Harvard Medical School.
That’s a lot of work from such a small organ, so how about giving it a little love?
Just drop in to any CVS Pharmacy MinuteClinic on February 7, 14, 21 or 28 for a free heart-health preventative screening to see how your ticker is doing.
You don’t need an appointment to get screened, and you can view wait times on the MinuteClinic website or app.
You will need to fast before your visit to get accurate results.
During the visit, you’ll find out your:
- Total cholesterol
- HDL cholesterol (the good kind)
- Blood pressure
- Blood sugar
- Body mass index (BMI)
The results provide insight on your overall heart health and your risk of cardiovascular disease, the American Heart Association says.
“These screenings are especially important this year following the recent launch of new blood-pressure guidelines from the American Heart Association to improve blood-pressure control and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease,” said Angela Patterson, chief nurse practitioner officer at MinuteClinic.
CVS Health is offering these free screenings to support the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women movement.
The Go Red campaign aims to raise awareness of heart disease in women, but a CVS representative assured me that free screenings at MinuteClinics are available to people of any gender.
There are over 1,100 MinuteClinics across the country and they’re open seven days a week, including evenings.
If there’s a location near you, there’s really no reason not to stop in on any Wednesday this month for a free screening that can help keep little issues from turning into big ones.
Lisa McGreevy is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. She loves telling readers about affordable ways to stay healthy, 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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Dow plunges 1,175 points in worst day for stocks since 2011
Banks fared the worst as bond yields and interest rates nosedived. Health care, technology and industrial companies all took outsize losses and energy companies sank with oil prices.
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Natty Light $1M Student Loan Payoff Aims to Make Us Long for Keg Beer Days
Remember all those crazy things you did in college?
Who am I kidding? Of course you don’t.
College is a place of learning, and sometimes that learning has to do with finding out just how fast a cafeteria tray can go down a set of stairs with a sophomore riding it. I get it. After a few beers, college kids do crazy things and create crazy foggy memories.
What were you drinking? You reached for something cheap and light so you could drink plenty of it. You reached for Natural Light. Yeah, it’s more popular than you think. Natural Light, better known at Natty Light, knows exactly who buys its beer and had a Super Bowl ad tuned specifically to thank them.
Natty Light Will Help 25 People Pay Off Their Student Loans
The ad opens with college kids sliding down a makeshift water (or is it whipped cream?) slide in a dorm hallway as Paula Cole sings “I Don’t Want to Wait.”
I imagine people across the U.S. had immediate flashbacks.
“Keep your epic college stories. Not your epic college debt.”
That’s the message that flashed on the screen. OK, you have our attention.
It turns out Natty Light is holding a contest, and 25 winners will each get $40,000 to help pay off their college debt. That’s $1 million the brew is giving away.
To enter the contest, you must:
- Be 21 years old or older.
- Live in the U.S.
- Be enrolled in college or have been enrolled in the last 10 years.
How to Enter
First, you have to get a green tab from the top of a Natty Light can by purchasing a specially marked case of the brew. Of course, if you don’t want to make a purchase, you can also go to Natty Light’s website and click on the blue “Free Entry Mechanism” button to print out a green tab. With your green tab in hand, make a video explaining your inspiration for going to college.
Believe it or not, there are 18 ways to enter using different social media outlets, so you’ll want to go to the contest rules page to see which will work best for you. And if you live in California, you have a whole different set of rules for some reason.
The contest started Jan. 22 and runs through May 6. It is divided into seven different entry periods, so again, you’ll want to read the rules carefully. The first six of these entry periods will produce four grand-prize winners, while the seventh will produce just one grand-prize winner. Each person is limited to one green tab (entry) per day.
A panel will rate the submissions in three areas: creativity, brand voice and relevance to the contest’s theme. The video with the most points in each entry period will win $40,000.
Didn’t win during your entry period? There’s no need to resubmit your video, as all non-winning entries automatically roll into the next period.
If you still suffer from a student loan hangover, it could be your old friend Natty Light that bails you out. That $40,000 would make for one heck of an aspirin.
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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Cover Beauty, Funeral Services and More With This Remote Writing Job
Getting bored writing about the same subject each day?
This job posting from online marketer Vivial promises the chance for creative, detail-oriented writers to cover a variety of topics, from dentistry to death, for the company’s local and national clients.
Speed is of the essence in these freelance writing jobs, as each week you’ll be assigned several 300-word posts with a deadline of one to two days. The job posting doesn’t indicate how much you’ll get paid for your efforts.
Writing not your thing? No worries, you can find other jobs by checking our Jobs page on Facebook. We post new opportunities there all the time.
Freelance Writer at Vivial
Responsibilities include:
- Writing professional, creative copy tailored to specific audiences and demographics
- Memorizing a style guide. The post doesn’t say whether you’ll be tested.
- Self-editing of your posts
Applicants for this position must have:
- Experience crafting brief, engaging blog posts or marketing copy
- Basic SEO experience, including how to incorporate keywords in copy and headlines
- Copy-editing experience (not required, but a plus since you’re required to self-edit)
- English fluency
Apply here for the freelance writer jobs at Vivial.
Tiffany Wendeln Connors 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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Biggest Ever: Stock Market Drops More Than 1,150 Points
The slump began on Friday as investors worried that creeping signs of higher inflation and interest rates could derail the U.S. economy along with the market's record-setting rally. Energy companies, banks, and industrial firms are taking some of the worst losses.
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Most People Don’t Negotiate Their Salary — Here’s Why That’s a Problem
I vividly recall the feeling I had before attempting to negotiate my salary when I landed my current job.
Emphasis on attempt.
I was terrified. I couldn’t get the words out of my mouth. And apparently, I other people have the same problem.
More than half of U.S. workers surveyed in a Robert Half study said they didn’t try to negotiate their salary when they got their last job offer. It’s even worse for women, with 34% reporting that they didn’t give negotiations a go.
The number of negotiators varied pretty widely across cities as well, with 55% of New Yorkers brave enough to try it, to only 24% in Indianapolis (get with the program Indy!)
Ideally, that number should be 100% (I know, I know — I’m not one to talk).
Why You Should Negotiate Your Salary
Right now, a tight labor market means there’s more competition for talent (you), and wages have started rising significantly for the first time in years. That means you have all the bargaining chips — and you should use them.
And it could really cost you not to negotiate your salary when you get that job offer. Between more cushion to pay off student loans or even a $65,000 savings account, you might be losing out on thousands of dollars.
Plus, you’re reading The Penny Hoarder, so I can only assume you’re already a master negotiator.
Simple Strategies for How to Negotiate Your Salary
First of all, take a deep breath.
It may seem scary, but negotiating your salary shouldn’t give you nightmares.
The first step to negotiating your salary is to just do it. After that, there are actually scientifically-proven ways to negotiate a higher salary.
Seriously — jokingly asking for $100,000 might mean an extra $3,000 tacked onto your salary.
Make sure you know your worth before starting your salary back-and-forth. You can use websites like Glassdoor to find salary ranges for the job your gunning for.
Oh, and don’t have a job offer yet? Check out The Penny Hoarder Jobs page on Facebook for tons of opportunities.
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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Anti-Trump Derangement Syndrome: Are Liberals Rooting Against America?
The unseemly sight of nearly the entire Democratic congressional delegation sitting on their hands and clinging to their chairs throughout Donald Trump's State of the Union speech is further evidence that they want America to fail on Trump's watch.
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Source CBNNews.com http://ift.tt/2E2IkR3
Redbox Gives Pats Fans Next Best Thing to the Vince Lombardi: A Free Movie
Do you live in New England and need to check out of the real world for a couple hours today?
Redbox has your back.
To console fans in the Super Bowl runner-up city, the national video rental chain will give Boston/Providence area residents a free movie rental. The offer is good for today, Feb. 5, only.
Here’s How Patriots Fans Can Claim a Free Movie
To redeem the offer, enter promo code CHEERUP at any Redbox machine in the Boston area, and boom, temporary escape. You can also use this promo code online or in the Redbox app, but make sure the box you choose to pick up at is in the Boston area.
The upside: free movie.
The downside: You have to leave the house and face the real world momentarily. But hey, you can get more beer while you’re up.
Until next year.
Stephanie Bolling is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. She was rooting for the Bucs.
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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Puzzled by pensions? We find the answers
From tax-free cash to allowances, transfers and annuities, we tackle your top 10 questions on the current pension rules and what they mean for your income options in retirement.
1. Should I take my tax-free cash?
Whether you are eyeing up a cruise, a new car, or have a nagging mortgage to pay off, the ability to take a quarter of your pension as a tax-free lump sum can give the early years of your retirement a real boost. However, before you get swayed by what the money could buy you, our experts all agree that you shouldn’t take it just because you can. There’s a barrage of issues you need to tackle first.
“When and why? What will you do with it? Have you considered the alternatives? What impact will it have on your life right now? What impact will it have on your future lifestyle? What will it cost you to do it? Will you be giving up any guarantees by taking it?” asks Jamie Smith-Thompson, managing director of financial planner Portafina. “These are all the sorts of questions to ask yourself, and some of the questions that we would be asking you should we be advising you professionally. There has to be a good reason to do it.”
When you take money out of your pension, you don’t just lose the initial value of your withdrawal – you also lose the growth that money would have generated had it remained invested.
Take a 55-year-old with a £100,000 pension pot. According to figures from investment firm Fidelity, if they took £25,000 tax free cash and made no further contributions, in 10 years they would have a remaining pension worth £122,167. However, if they left their pension alone at age 55 and kept the whole £100,000 invested by age 65 they would have a much more impressive £162,888, of which £40,722 would be available as tax-free cash, should it be required (assumes 5% return a year).
Carolyn Jones, head of pension products at Fidelity, says: “Lots of people view their tax-free cash as their rainyday fund, but you can still maintain that within a pension and if you don’t spend it and leave it in cash it will just be sitting there getting eroded by inflation.”
2. Could the government abolish tax-free cash?
“We hear from a lot of people, who are worried that the rules on tax-free cash will change and that if they have the money, the government cannot take it back,” says Ms Jones. However, while you can never say never, our experts reckon it’s unlikely to get the axe: tax-free cash has survived the Second World War, plus a handful of deep recessions, and it has escaped the chop so far.
Patrick Connolly, chartered financial planner at IFA Chase De Vere, says: “Abolishing tax-free cash would be a big money-spinner for the government. However, politically it would be a terrible move. When you think of how many people are saving into a pension and would be upset if tax-free cash was abolished or reduced, it would take a very brave or foolish government to push this through.”
3. Will the lifetime and annual allowances see further cuts?
These allowances refer to the amount of money you are able to pay into a pension over your lifetime, as well as the amount you can pay in each year and still receive tax relief on contributions. These stand at £1 million for the lifetime allowance (rising in line with inflation to £1.03 million in April 2018) and 100% of your earnings for the annual allowance, subject to a cap of £40,000.
While it is unlikely the government will abolish the right for savers to take 25% of their pension tax-free, it is a well-known fact that pensions are an easy target for politicians and, over the years, these allowances have been slashed. The lifetime allowance is down from a high of £1.8 million in 2008, while the annual allowance has collapsed from a peak of £255,000 in 2010.
Ms Jones says: “These allowances are easy for ministers to tinker with, and they will carry on tinkering, particularly until a time after Brexit when there is a bigger majority in parliament. Then they can make more fundamental changes to pension policy.”
So where does this leave savers? Mr Connolly says: “Nobody knows what changes to pension rules will happen in the future. We can only make decisions based on what we know today. That being the case, it makes sense for most people to invest in pensions, especially if they’re also benefiting from payments from their employer.”
Ms Jones also points out that if savers will breach the annual allowance, they can take advantage of unused allowances from previous years, explaining: “Carry forward rules allow you to maintain your allowance from the previous three years.”
4. Should I transfer my defined benefit pension?
With some pension scheme members being offered 20 or 30 times their promised income to trade in their policy for a cash lump sum, it is hardly surprising that many are rushing to transfer. But it’s not a decision to take lightly.
Mr Smith-Thompson says: “Many people are surprised at just how big the transfer value of their final salary scheme looks, but it is only that big because it takes a very large pot of cash to provide a decent ongoing income – and that is true of drawdown as well. You need to remember what the pension is there for in the first place, which is to provide you with a hopefully decent standard of living throughout retirement.”
This means it’s essential to get advice; indeed, if your transfer value is £30,000 or more it is a legal requirement.
Ms Jones adds: “There are times when it can work, but we always work from the basis that it probably won’t.”
Exceptions when it may make sense would include people who aren’t married – who wouldn’t get the benefit of a spouse’s pension, as well as those who are ill or unhealthy and unlikely to a have a long retirement. The move would also be less risky if you had other sources of retirement income.
5. Should I still buy an annuity?
According to figures from annuity provider Retirement Advantage, drawdown sales now outstrip annuity sales by two to one. The former is regarded as flexible and giving savers control while the latter is considered the very opposite, with tumbling rates leaving many savers disappointed with the income they receive.
Mr Smith-Thompson says: “It would be very rare for us to recommend an annuity with the current rates and products available, given the evidence available to support the case for a sustainable drawdown level with the right investments.”
However, while annuities may be regarded as outdated by some, they offer something no other product can – an income that is guaranteed for life.
Ms Jones says: “There is still a place for annuities, but it’s no longer an all-or-nothing decision.”
This might mean using an annuity to cover basic expenses and maintaining a pot to invest flexibly, or using drawdown in the early years and buying annuitised income in tranches as you get older. At this point your age and health may mean you can get better rates.
Andrew Tully, pensions technical director at Retirement Advantage, says that plans may also not be that inflexible.
“Many people are still drawn to the peace of mind provided by a guaranteed lifetime income. And with the longer guarantees now available, the concern that the pension provider will keep the money if you die early no longer applies. You can make sure your family receives the full value from your savings.”
He adds: “Never accept the offer from your pension provider for an annuity. Shopping around for the right annuity and the best rate can improve your income by 30% or more.”
6. How much can I take from my pension?
Unless you buy an annuity, you will have to carefully manage how much money you can take out of your pot to ensure it doesn’t run out.
“Our research shows people think they can safely withdraw around 7% from their retirement fund without fear of running out of money, although the reality is likely to be significantly less than 7%,” explains Mr Tully.
“We’ve completed some modelling work on drawdown strategies which concludes a sustainable rate of withdrawal is nearer 3.5%, and in all cases fell short of the 4% rule often quoted. This is based on the assumption that each strategy would provide a 95% level of certainty of the income lasting 25 years to age 90.”
Before looking at the numbers, you’ll also need to think about what you want to do with your retirement and what your financial priorities are – for example whether you want to really make the most of your early years while you’re fit and well, or whether you want to stockpile cash for care later in life or an inheritance for loved ones.
Mr Smith-Thompson adds: “This is one of those areas where ongoing management and advice is really key. You can’t predict the future, and the answer to this question will depend on so many factors, from your health and life expectancy through to world events and the underlying performance of your funds.”
It is also important to consider that your spending needs will change during your retirement. The early years of your retirement are likely to be the most expensive, but costs can be high in the latter stages too.
Jonathan Watts Lay, a director at financial education firm Wealth at Work, explains: “Income requirements are widely believed to follow a ‘U-shape’ in retirement with the first ‘active’ phase being the most expensive. Spending seems to fall after a while in what is known as the ‘passive’ phase, as people become a little less active and perhaps cut back on areas such as travelling. But costs then may go up later in retirement in the ‘supported’ phase, if extra care and support is required.”
7. Can I take my whole pension as a lump sum?
Since the introduction of the pension freedoms in April 2015, you can now take all of your pension as cash. But just because you can, it doesn’t mean you should.
Mr Connolly explains: “This is rarely a sensible move unless you have a small pension. This is because, after your 25% tax-free cash, any further pension withdrawals are added to your income and taxed at your marginal rate of income tax. This could mean that you find yourself with a very large and unwelcome tax bill.”
If, however, it is only a small pot and you have other sources of retirement income, it may not always be a bad move. The key is doing it because you have a specific need or use for the cash, rather than just sticking it in the bank where you’ll get pitiful returns and lose all the tax benefits of keeping it in a pension (see point 8 below). “In these cases you’ll still need to consider the most tax-effective way and it may make sense to phase your withdrawal over several tax years. You don’t want to go into a higher-rate tax band just to get the money,” adds Ms Jones.
8. Must I take an income from my pension?
The simple answer to this question is no. It may be that you’re still working or have other sources of income, in which case there are many sensible reasons for leaving your pension untouched, as Mr Connolly explains: “If you don’t need the money there can be advantages in leaving it within a pension, including tax-efficient growth, the ability to pass the money tax free to your beneficiaries if you die before age 75 and pension money being outside of your estate for inheritance tax purposes.”
9. Will I be taxed if I take an income from my pension?
“Any withdrawal from your pension (after tax-free cash has been taken) will be treated as income and taxed accordingly,” explains Mr Tully. “However, if your total income for the year, including the state pension, private pension any earnings, falls below the annual tax allowance then you don’t need to pay any tax.”
Although the issue of tax on pension income can come as a surprise to savers who have enjoyed tax relief on pension contributions and tax-free growth, thanks to the pension freedoms it is now easier for savvy retirees to keep their tax bill under control.
Jonathan Watts Lay, director at Wealth at Work, says: “With careful planning, it is possible for individuals to utilise their available tax allowances in a structured way to maximise returns and reduce, or even eliminate, potential tax charges.
For example, where possible it may be beneficial to draw money from taxable savings rather than from the tax-efficient wrapper of a pension.”
10. Can I cash in my annuity?
In 2015, the government announced plans to create a secondary annuity market that would have enabled dissatisfied annuity holders to trade in their guaranteed lifetime income for a cash lump sum. It planned to launch the scheme in April 2017. However, after consultation, the government decided to renege on the scheme. It said that it would have been too difficult to create a market that would provide often vulnerable policyholders with sufficient value for money and consumer protection.
Policyholders were furious but while it might appear that the door has been closed to annuity sales, Mr Smith-Thompson says this might not necessarily be the case: “Until very recently, the answer to this question would have been a straightforward ‘no’, but at the end of 2017 Phoenix Life announced that it would do exactly that for people who had very small annuities with them. Will other insurance companies follow suit? I think it is likely, provided it is in their own interests. Phoenix made no secret that it is costing it money to run these very small annuities, so it works for all parties to cash them in. I can’t see this extending to larger annuities any time soon though.”
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True money stories from smart people: ’Tis the season to spend money... again
You can tell it’s February because there are Easter eggs in the shops. Tucked next to them are the flowery boxes of chocs for Mother’s Day and, of course, the red-wrapped Valentine’s Day junk – sorry, gifts – that have been on display since 26 December
By mid-February they’ll be hauling out the Halloween decorations just to get us prepared for the next big and pointless onslaught on our wallets.
Now, I will admit that because we human beings are a zillion times more selfish than we should be, we do need a little nudge now and then to show appreciation for the important people in our lives.
Yet there’s something about this enforced spending on tat at more and more tenuously connected celebrations through the year that just makes me want to rebel and refuse to take part in it.
Take the misery that is Valentine’s Day – no, really, please take it; I’ve had enough.
If you’re newly single, 14 February is the worst day of the year. And if you’re in a relationship, it’s a minefield. As with Christmas you’re trying to second-guess how much the other half will spend and if you should match it. Then, if they forget the day it’s the end of the world, and possibly also your relationship.
In a rocky relationship, you might be agonising over which would be kinder: to dump them before, after or even during Valentine’s Day. There are no winners on this day. Only losers.
Somebody should create a range of anti-Valentine’s Day cards that uses the rhyming couplet:
“Roses are red, violets are blue,
This card was expensive, and so are you.”
Mother’s Day on 11 March also has huge potential for fraught emotions – and wallet lightening – as hotels and restaurants double prices for Mothering Sunday, and sisters shout down the phone at thoughtless brothers who, yet again, fail even to send a card to their long-suffering mum.
There’s even Grandparents’ Day now, launched (of course) in America. In the UK it’s on 7 October – just in case you were looking for another reason to feel guilty about something. It isn’t yet a major spending fest in the UK, but give it time. Soon they’ll be offering us special, double-priced ‘Grandparents’ Afternoon Tea’ in posh hotels or discounted Stannah stairlifts through the summer until we relent in October and buy anything to make sure we still get presents at Christmas.
Of course, all of these days can be turned to your advantage with a bit of planning. For example, if you’re trying to get a message to the crumblies about their choice of presents to you over the years, send them a card with this message inside:
“Thank you granny for the toys and sweets, With the buckets and spades I really was stunned, But couldn’t you have given me financial treats, As there’s nothing more delicious than a fat trust fund. (Smiley face, kiss, kiss, love, the grandkids.)”
At the bottom of my irritation and rebellion at these ‘special days’ is probably the shame they engender about my behaviour on the other 354 days of the year to the people who are the most important to me.
What we should do – and this would pull the rug from under the marketeers – is to show appreciation, in little and large ways, for the beloved people in our lives every day – not just shove it all meaninglessly into one artificially created celebration once a year. Imagine that. Being kind, grateful and generous to our dad, our spouse, our gran and so on, at least once, every single day of the year.
Wow. Could we manage it?
It would be like having that Christmas spirit of peace and good will to all throughout the year, even when we’re not stuffing our faces with sprouts and mince pies. It’s a tall order for a race that is so self-obsessed, it is happily destroying the planet and its atmosphere for future generations on a daily basis.
But having lost a few people very close to me in the last year, I wish that this startling revelation had dawned on me much earlier. That it really is important to keep in touch regularly with the ones you love – and even the ones you just like. That people you see every day – who may even have given birth to you – can’t necessarily read your mind and don’t always know how much you love them. That the smallest of gifts for no reason, the quick hug and little thank you, can mean the world.
That would make every day a special day, and would probably help start to mend our planet if we really went about doing it properly.
So let’s celebrate like that, people. The ‘special day’ is dead. Long live ‘special days’.
JASMINE BIRTLES is a financial journalist and founder of MoneyMagpie.com. Email her at columnists@moneywise.co.uk
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The Top 14 Ways to Improve Your SEO Ranking
Where is your website traffic coming from?
If you’re relying on people to find you through a Google search, search engine optimization (SEO) needs to be at the top of your priority list.
You won’t be able to generate leads for your business if nobody can find you.
Did you know 93% of experiences on the Internet start with a search engine?
What happens after someone makes a search?
The top result on Google has a 33% chance of getting clicked.
That means if you’re not number one on the page, you just missed out on a third of potential traffic.
What’s even more astonishing is that 75% people won’t even click on the second page of the search results.
The reason why other websites are ranking higher than you on Google is because they are making a conscious effort to improve their SEO.
Fortunately, it’s not too late for you to get started.
There are certain things you can do to increase your chances of getting ranked higher on Google searches.
I’ve identified the top 14 ways to improve your SEO ranking. Here they are.
1. Improve your page loading speed
Your page loading time is important for a few reasons.
First of all, if your load speed is too slow, Google will recognize this, and it will harm your ranking.
But a slow website will also impact the way your website visitors engage with your pages.
As a result, those negative interactions will hurt your ranking too.
Look at how abandonment rates increase for websites with long page loading times:
How slow is too slow?
Research shows 40% visitors will abandon websites if the page takes longer than 3 seconds to load.
What’s even more shocking is that 80% of those visitors won’t return to that website.
This is terrible for your SEO ranking because it ultimately kills traffic to your site.
But on the flip side, if your page loads fast, people will keep coming back.
Google’s algorithm will recognize your website’s popularity and adjust your search ranking accordingly.
If you want to test the speed of your website, there are online services such as Pingdom available for free.
This will allow you to test your website from different locations all over the world.
2. Produce high quality content
How often do you update your website?
If you haven’t touched it since the day you built it, you probably don’t have a great SEO ranking right now.
To drive more traffic to your website and increase its popularity, you need to give visitors a reason to keep coming back.
Your content needs to be high quality, recent, and relevant.
Another factor that impacts your SEO ranking is so-called dwell time.
This relates to how much time people spend on your website per visit.
If your site has fresh, exciting, or newsworthy information, it will keep visitors on your page longer and improve your dwell time.
Websites that provide highly informative content typically have long dwell times.
Here’s something else to consider.
Google Chrome controls nearly 45% of the Internet browser market share, making it the most popular browser in the world.
That number will continue to rise as Chrome was also the most downloaded browser of 2017:
When users bookmark your website from a Google Chrome browser, it can help your SEO ranking.
High quality and relevant content will increase the chances of your website being bookmarked by visitors.
3. Optimize your images
Pictures and other images are great for your website.
But you need to make sure they are optimized properly if you want these images to improve your SEO ranking.
I’m referring to factors such as the file format and size.
Huge images can slow your page loading time, which, as I’ve said, hurts your ranking.
Resize or compress your images to optimize them.
You can also use your images to sneak in keywords by naming them accordingly.
For example, let’s say you have a website that sells toiletries or other bath products.
Instead of naming an image something like “shampoo1,” you could name it “best shampoo for long hair.”
You can also strategically use keywords in the title of your image as well as the caption or description.
4. Break up your content with header tags
Headings are another way to help improve the user experience on your website.
They break up the content and make it easier to read or skim.
Plus, headers make everything look more appealing, which is always beneficial.
If your website is just a wall of text, it’s going to discourage people from spending a long time on it.
As a result, your SEO ranking will suffer.
If you’re running your site on WordPress, you can easily change the header tags.
I use header tags for all my websites and blog posts.
If you’re not utilizing this tool, I highly recommend you start ASAP.
5. Start blogging
Blogging is great for your business.
It’s an outstanding tool for lead generation and helps you engage with visitors to your website.
But what most people don’t realize is blogging also improves SEO rankings.
Here’s why.
As we’ve previously discussed, producing fresh, updated, and relevant content can drive people to your website and give them a reason to stay on your pages for a while.
Well, blogs are the perfect channel for you to accomplish this.
If you can establish a large group of faithful readers, you can get lots of traffic to your site on a daily basis.
Plus, you can incorporate some of the other things we discussed so far into your blogs as well, such as images and header tags.
Other elements, such as links, readability, and keywords, can also be incorporated into these posts. I will talk about them shortly.
All of this positively impacts your search engine ranking.
6. Use outbound links
There are certain things you can do to increase the credibility of your website.
Sure, you can make claims, but it looks much better if you back them up.
All of your data claims should be linked to trustworthy and authoritative sources.
As you can see from what you’ve read so far today, I do this myself.
But here’s another example that illustrates what I’m talking about from a blog post I wrote about generating leads on Twitter:
All my facts are citations from authority sources.
And I made sure to use outbound hyperlinks to those websites.
You should not only link to authority sites but also make sure all the information is recent.
Notice how the graph I used in the example above is from 2017.
Outbound links to resources from 2009 are irrelevant and won’t be as effective for your SEO ranking.
You should also include internal links as well.
These links will direct visitors to other pages on your website.
I used this technique in the first sentence of this section.
If you scroll back up and click on it, you’ll get redirected to another Quick Sprout blog post.
7. Add more than text
The content on your website shouldn’t be only written words.
As I said earlier, pictures are great too, but there’s more you can add to improve your SEO ranking.
Consider adding other multimedia elements such as videos, slideshows, or audio to your site.
All of this can help improve the user experience.
Why?
For starters, consumers want to see more videos:
It’s much easier to watch something than read about it.
But there’s a direct correlation between videos and other multimedia sources on your website, and it’s SEO ranking.
These features can dramatically improve the amount of time someone spends on your website.
Depending on the length of your videos, people could be on your page for several minutes.
If that happens, it will definitely boost your search ranking.
8. Make sure your site is readable
Keep your audience in mind when you’re writing content on your website.
If you want people to visit your site and spend time there, speak in terms they can understand.
Don’t try to sound like a doctor or a lawyer (even if you are).
Your content should be written using words the majority of people can understand.
Not sure if your content is readable?
You can use online resources to help.
One of my personal favorites is Readable.io.
Tools like this can help you identify words that might be too long or difficult for people to comprehend.
9. Fix any broken links
If you’re using authority websites for hyperlinks, you shouldn’t have to worry about the links breaking.
But it can still happen.
Broken links can crush your SEO ranking.
Plus, it doesn’t look good when a link you provide to your visitors brings them to an invalid website.
You can use tools like Dead Link Checker to search for links with errors on your website:
You can use this to check your entire website or specific pages.
If you sign up, you can also set up your account to get checked automatically.
Anytime a link goes dead, you’ll be contacted right away so you can replace it.
You can also use this resource to monitor other websites relevant to your industry.
How can that help your SEO?
Well, if a link goes dead on another website, you can notify the Webmaster of that page and ask them to replace the dead link with a link to your website instead.
You’re doing them a favor by letting them know about a problem with their site, so they might be willing to do you a favor in return.
This will drive more traffic to your website. Outbound links from other websites to your page will help improve your SEO ranking too.
10. Optimize your site for mobile devices
As I’m sure you know, mobile use is on the rise.
It’s rising so fast that it’s actually overtaken computers and laptop devices.
In fact, over 60% of Google searches come from mobile devices.
Obviously, Google recognizes this and ranks sites accordingly.
Your website needs to be optimized for mobile users.
There’s no way around this.
If your site isn’t optimized, it’ll hinder the user experience, adversely affecting your ranking.
11. Properly format your page
Take your time when you’re coming up with a layout for your website.
It needs to be neat, clear, organized, and uncluttered.
Consider things like your font size and typography.
Use colored text, bold font, and italics sparingly.
Things such as bullet points and checklists make it easy for visitors to scan through your content.
Take a look at this example from Square:
It’s super clean.
They’ve got a simple picture and reasonable amount of text.
The way the text is formatted makes it easy for people to read, especially with the bullet points.
As we discussed earlier, Square also included different header tags and subheadings on their page as well.
If your website is cluttered with too many pictures, advertisements, colors, and bulk blocks of text, it can appear untrustworthy.
Your site architecture and navigation also fall into this category.
A clean format and design will improve your SEO ranking.
12. Provide appropriate contact information
Speaking of appearing untrustworthy, have you ever struggled to find the contact information of a business on a website?
I know I have.
This should never happen.
All your contact information should be clear and in plain sight for people to find.
The worst thing that could happen is for people to start reporting your website just because you forgot to include your phone number, email address, and location.
This will crush your SEO.
13. Encourage sharing on social media
Every business and website needs to be active on social media.
That’s pretty much common knowledge.
But what’s not as well known is that you can get your SEO ranking improved if people share links to your website on social media.
Here’s an example from a pest control website case study in which they ran a campaign specifically designed to increase social sharing:
The infographic was shared 1,117 times in just two weeks.
During those same two weeks, the website’s organic search traffic rose by 15%.
As a result, their SEO ranking improved as well.
And that was just over a couple of weeks.
Imagine the results you’ll see if you encourage social shares as a regular part of your SEO campaigns.
One of the best ways to do this is by including social sharing icons on all your content.
You should also share links on your social media pages.
When that information appears on people’s timelines, all it takes is just one click for them to share it.
14. Use keywords
Take a look at the components of the Google ranking algorithm:
Keywords play a major role in this formula.
You want to include words throughout your content that people will search for.
But do it sparingly.
If you go overboard saturating your website with keywords, Google will pick up on this, and it will have an adverse effect on your ranking.
Keywords should fit naturally into sentences.
Include them in your header tags and even in image captions.
You should also use long-tail keywords, which are three or four word phrases that could be found in a search.
For example, someone probably won’t just search for the word “phone” when they’re looking for something.
But they may search “best phone for texting” as an alternative.
If your keywords match their search, it increases the chances that your website will get ranked higher.
Conclusion
Search engine optimization isn’t just a fad that’s going to phase out soon.
It’s something your website needs to concentrate on right now and in the future as well.
If you’re just starting to focus on SEO, you’re a little bit behind, but it’s definitely not too late to implement the strategies I just talked about.
Don’t get overwhelmed.
I’m not expecting you to make 14 drastic changes to your website overnight.
Start with a few, and move on to the others.
Monitor your results.
Checking your traffic and search ranking will help validate your SEO strategy.
Soon enough, you’ll be making your way toward the top search results on Google.
Who knows, you might even be able to claim that number one spot.
What have you done so far to improve your website’s Google search ranking?
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Please, Don’t Borrow Money to Invest in Bitcoin (or Anything Else)
The road to long-term wealth can be a long one, and when you think about it, many of us take some pretty extreme steps to reach our financial goals. Saving up enough cash for retirement often means investing a percentage of your income for several decades, for example. Some of us start businesses with long odds for success, betting on our own skills and ideas. Others take a slightly different road to financial freedom, throwing money into real estate, for example, or betting the farm on alternative investments.
Regardless, investing for the long haul is usually your best bet to get ahead financially. If you fail to invest and just stick your money under your mattress, your nest egg will be eaten away by inflation with each passing year.
So investing is generally a wise financial move. But should you ever borrow money to invest? Now, that’s an entirely different question. And all signs point to “no” – with a few caveats.
In a real-world sense, we’ve been borrowing money to invest since mortgages were invented in the 1930s. Real estate is one investment where it has almost always made sense to borrow capital instead of paying cash, says Minneapolis Financial Planner Morgan Ranstrom.
When you borrow money to purchase a home, the property can be used as collateral for the bank and, historically, real estate prices have increased over time. Ideally, your home will increase in value while you live there, providing some return when you sell. And, along the way, your primary residence also provides a real need – a roof over your head.
Borrowing money to invest in rental property has also been a smart idea historically. When you become a landlord, you come up with a down payment and pledge to pay for repairs and upkeep while letting your renters pay your mortgage and help you turn a profit. Eventually, you sell the property and realize a net gain – even after accounting for the costs of borrowing (including mortgage interest, taxes, and insurance) and years of upkeep and repairs.
When Borrowing Money to Invest Makes Sense
The concept behind borrowing to invest isn’t rocket science. By borrowing money at a lower interest rate to invest with greater returns, you can realize a net gain and turn a profit along the way.
In the rental real estate example above, let’s say you borrowed $200,000 at 6% for 30 years to become a landlord. Over your decades as a landlord, your renters cover the mortgage and you turn a profit big enough to cover maintenance and repairs – even after paying taxes and all other expenses.
After 30 years, you own the property free and clear and can sell it — likely for a lot more than you paid three decades earlier. In this scenario, you’ll have borrowed money in a way that helped you build long-term wealth, which is a smart idea indeed.
However, there’s still risk involved: If you’re unable to find renters for a stretch, you’re on the hook for the mortgage payments in the meantime. And if the real estate market craters when you need to sell – remember, home prices tanked upwards of 30% in some areas during the housing crisis – you may have to wait it out longer if you can, or cash in a less-lucrative investment if you can’t.
Meanwhile, the “returns” you’ll earn on paying down debt — as opposed to taking on more of it — are guaranteed. If you pay off a large credit card balance that’s costing you 15% APR, you’re essentially earning a 15% return on that money. That’s one reason we typically recommend paying off high-interest debts before you start investing.
Then there are the not-so-obvious ways we borrow to invest. Imagine you have a new car loan at a low rate of 1.9% APR. Instead of paying off your car loan as quickly as you can, you use any extra funds to max out your retirement account because you believe you can receive a greater return by investing in a diversified portfolio of stocks and bonds. And you’re probably right.
Of course, there may be other situations where borrowing to invest makes sense. Indiana financial advisor Tom Diem points out that, sometimes, corporate executives will exercise their stock options or short-term borrowing to fund a business opportunity. Individuals and families also borrow money all the time to fund their business ventures, usually with the intention of building equity and receiving a sizable return on their efforts later on. And obviously, there are other instances where using leverage to invest can absolutely make sense, although they depend on the person and their situation.
Think Before You Borrow to Invest
Unfortunately, borrowing money to invest doesn’t always end well, and there are situations where people do it out of mania instead of rational thought. In December, CNBC reported that investors were actually taking out mortgages and home equity lines of credit to buy bitcoin, the digital cryptocurrency. Also, the search term “buy bitcoin with a credit card” trended so hard it sparked bubble fears around the same time.
In December, Vice Magazine even ran a piece called “Do Not Go Into Debt to Buy Bitcoin, You Idiots,” in which they interviewed Angela Walch, a Texas law professor who studies cryptocurrency and financial stability. Speaking of the news that people were using mortgages to buy bitcoin, here’s what Walch had to say:
“I saw that headline, and that really frightened me, because taking out debt to invest is how people end up getting into trouble. That was at the heart, in many ways, of the financial crisis. People thought their investments could only go up, and when they went down, they couldn’t pay back the debt. If enough people do that and can’t pay back their debt that they borrowed to buy bitcoin, the lenders can eventually be affected by that, and it can just spiral through the system.”
And, look where we are now. While the price of a bitcoin peaked at over $19,000 in December, it’s taken a big hit since and sits at just over $9,000 as of this writing. Of course it may rise again, but that’s nearly $10,000 in losses per bitcoin if someone bought at the top and was forced to sell today.
Kansas City Financial Advisor says the entire situation reminds him of the housing collapse of 2007-2008, when so many people had borrowed way too much on either their primary mortgage or an investment property. These people got caught in a bubble only to face foreclosure or spend years underwater on their mortgages after the real estate market tanked.
“Many had no choice but to walk away facing bankruptcy and damaging their credit for years,” says Haynes. “Borrowing to invest in a stock or bitcoin is no different. If that investment goes south, you better have more money to settle up or face the consequences.”
And perhaps that’s the biggest reason to steer clear of borrowing to invest. Sure, it can make sense if you realize a return that justifies the cost of borrowing and then some. But investing gains are never guaranteed. What if your investment loses money?
Obviously, you’ll still owe the money you borrowed no matter how your investment pans out. Imagine a poor soul who refinanced his mortgage and took out an extra $100,000 to buy bitcoin in December, only to watch its value plummet in half. Even if his bitcoin investment is now worth only $50,000, he’s still on the hook for the full $100,000 (plus closing costs and interest) — and he could even lose his house if he can’t cover the higher mortgage payments.
And potential losses aside, let’s not forget about taxes. Let’s say you borrow money to invest in what’s supposed to be a hot stock, and realize a modest gain. Many types of investments, including those in a brokerage account, require you to pay income taxes on your gains — which could eat into or even wipe out your slim profit margin between the costs of borrowing and your investment returns. Of course, this all depends on your investment returns, the costs of borrowing, and your unique tax situation.
The Bottom Line
It’s tough to imagine a circumstance when individual investors should borrow money to invest, says Ryan Inman, a fee-only financial planner for physicians and host of the Financial Residency podcast. However, leveraging to invest in tangible goods such as rental real estate may make sense if the deal is properly vetted and the numbers add up.
“If you were to purchase a rental property, the cash flow from the rental can cover the debt service (principal and interest payments) and should still have additional cash left over,” says Inman. “While it could be volatile, as we experienced in the financial crash of 2008, real estate is significantly less volatile than picking individual stocks or investments like bitcoin.”
Before you borrow money to invest in bitcoin or the “next big thing,” take the time to run the numbers and think long and hard about the risk you’re taking, says Jon Luskin, a fee-only financial planner in San Diego. When you do, you’ll probably find that the risk of borrowing to invest is just too great.
Finally, don’t borrow to invest just to follow the crowd. Just because other people are doing something doesn’t mean it’s a good idea.
“Terrible investing strategies are usually implemented when someone has absolutely no idea what they are doing,” says Luskin. “And they have no idea what they’re doing because they simply have never sat down to take the time to do sufficient research on the subject.”
Holly Johnson is an award-winning personal finance writer and the author of Zero Down Your Debt. Johnson shares her obsession with frugality, budgeting, and travel at ClubThrifty.com.
Related Articles:
- Eight Reasons to Ignore the Bitcoin Craze
- 10 Things You Need to Do Before You Start Investing
- Eight Questions to Ask Yourself Before Investing in Anything
The post Please, Don’t Borrow Money to Invest in Bitcoin (or Anything Else) appeared first on The Simple Dollar.
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DBA, EIN, and SUI: Breaking Down the Tax and Management Must-Haves for Your Business
By Deborah Sweeney Gotta love it when a blog post title is more acronym-based than words, right? Some readers might recognize all of these terms while others will pick out only a couple of familiar ones. Still, others might not have a clue what any of these mean, and that’s where we come in to […]
The post DBA, EIN, and SUI: Breaking Down the Tax and Management Must-Haves for Your Business appeared first on The Work at Home Woman.
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Here’s Everything I Earned — And Learned — In My First Year as a Freelancer
I’d pretty much landed my dream job.
I was a staff writer at a well-read, profitable blog — a role that came with responsibilities and challenges I loved, as well as loads of cushy benefits. (And no, I’m not just talking it up because that job happened to be right here at The Penny Hoarder.)
But I’ve always had itchy feet, and the road was calling — as were my aging parents, who lived a few hours away and could use more help around the house than they were ready to admit. I wanted to be there for them before that “could use” turned into “needed.”
So when I took a deep breath and hit the send button on my official resignation email in December 2016, I was more than a little nervous. And not just because was I checking out of a position that had a lot of promise (and had been a fun way to spend 15 months).
I had no idea what my life as a full-time freelance writer would have in store for me. Well, besides the promise of working in PJs and yoga pants the vast majority of the time.
Here’s Exactly What I Earned in My First Year as a Freelancer
As it turns out, I was correct on that front… but that was about the only thing I predicted. My first year as a full-time freelancer came with a lot of surprises, and not all of them were good ones.
But in the end, I didn’t just survive the W-9 world — I succeeded. I cleared $50,000 in my first year as a freelance writer and scored more than a dozen new bylines. That’s several thousand dollars more than I was making while I was working on salary, although it doesn’t include the benefits I now pay for entirely out of my own pocket, like health care and retirement.
What I learned along the way is harder to quantify, of course. But for those of you who are looking to build your own freelance business and are experiencing the same nervous excitement I did, here’s a quarter-by-quarter breakdown of my earnings — and the even-more-valuable insights that came along with them:
Quarter One: $8,298.75*
This isn’t a terrible total, especially since at this point, most of my clients — all four of them — were either blogs I’d already written for (like, um, this one) or connections I’d made through my existing network.
I was also working a part-time coffee-shop job for the first couple months, mostly in order to secure health care, but it soon became an unjustifiable time expense as my web of clients expanded.
Quarter Two: $14,827.25
Quite a jump, right? In large part, my ability to pull in almost double what I earned in the first quarter was thanks to a compromise — one I was pretty unsure about at first.
One of my main anchor clients, who paid me ten cents per word for fairly straightforward copywriting, asked if I’d be willing to write for eight cents per word… but with the assurance of a certain minimum amount of content each week. In short, I’d be writing more for less money, but I’d have an all-but-guaranteed, reliable stream of income.
Even with the pay cut, I earned a great deal more from that client in Q2 than in Q1, when several weeks went by devoid of assignments entirely. I’d also been busy in Q2 pitching new ideas and outlets — outlets who paid a higher rate per article than most of my existing contacts. Although I only scored three new bylines, those clients alone accounted for $2,000 of this quarter’s earnings.
Quarter Three: $13,975
Although I earned slightly less than I did in Q2 earnings, by Q3, I was cooking with gas. I’d taken up some work I hadn’t expected, including retail-website copy and an e-book, and I’d also garnered exciting bylines with recognizable publications like SELF and VinePair. (How to land dreamy publications, you ask? Persistence and thick skin. About 85% of my 2017 pitches were rejected — or ignored entirely.)
Quarter Four: $12,945
Since the anchor client I mentioned above is in the travel and hospitality space, fall and winter are considered their slow seasons. Thus, my weekly copy quota got cut back a bit. I wasn’t super pleased to get this news, which came just in time for the holidays… and my costly, already-booked, months-long overseas sojourn.
But luckily, by this point, I’d built up enough momentum and regular clients to have a solid base income. In fact, the cutback ended up working in my favor, since I had more time to explore my foreign destinations.
First-Year Total: $50,046 (!!)
Of course, I didn’t actually have Scrooge McDuck-style stacks to roll around in. Freelance earnings come in fits and starts and don’t account for taxes, which you need to withhold yourself.
After paying Uncle Sam his cut — approximately 35% of my gross total including income and self employment tax, which is slightly more than I’d been taxed as a staffer — my net income was down to approximately $32,500, about $1,500 of which I stuck directly into my IRA. I know, I know, I should have maxed it out; with my earnings, $5,500 was totally doable. But I was simultaneously building my emergency fund, which today is over $10,000.
I also paid a little over $500 in monthly health insurance premiums, an expense that would have been much higher — like, thousands of dollars higher — if I hadn’t qualified for that nifty Obamacare subsidy I’m totally not sure I actually qualify for anymore. (Note to self: Call accountant.)
Even so, I touched more money this year than I did as a salaried worker, and I didn’t have to count vacation days or go into an office. I also only worked about 25 hours per week on average.
I think that calls for some Champagne, don’t you?
Want to Start a Freelance Business? Here’s My Advice
That #freelancelife isn’t always easy, but it’s worthwhile and totally achievable if you’re dedicated. Here’s what I wish someone had told me before I’d started:
1. Nothing is a sure thing, so don’t spend money you don’t have.
Remember how I said I went several weeks without any assignments in Q1? Well, I didn’t go any weeks without having to buy groceries.
Freelance clients are often late with payments, and projects are frequently discussed that never come to fruition. There’s no guarantee until there’s a guarantee — and sometimes, not even then. So if at all possible, don’t spend money unless it’s actually physically present in your bank account. (This means you, Q1 Jamie, expensing a trip to Portland on credit.)
2. Take advantage of long-term agreements — even if it means a lower pay rate.
Obviously, this rule won’t work in every situation; you’ll need to assess what your work is worth based on your own personal topography of available time and clients.
That said, I’m so glad I said yes to that two-cent pay cut, especially since the client in question pays on time and on a weekly basis (bless). These kinds of arrangements can pay dividends in the long run, so don’t overlook them!
3. Say yes as often as possible, at least at the beginning.
I definitely took some work that wasn’t really in my wheelhouse in 2017 — including writing an ebook on dating —one that was directed toward helping single men become… more successful in their efforts to… woo women. (Notice I did not write “pick up chicks.” I did everything in my power to try to use the opportunity to de-sleazify the dating scene just a little.)
Of course, writing toward the kinds of content you want to pursue is the best way to build the client base and career you want. But when you’re first starting, every penny and byline counts — so don’t be too choosy about who you’ll write for.
4. That said, DON’T WORK FOR FREE.
Or if you do, don’t make a habit of it. Yes, you need clips and bylines, but “exposure” doesn’t put food on the table.
5. Just keep swimming pitching.
It’s time-intensive and often thankless; you’ll be rejected lots and hear nothing at all even more.
But pitching — or whatever the outreach equivalent is in your freelance business of choice — is absolutely essential to expanding your client roster. Although it’s not directly earning you money right now, you should definitely consider it a regular responsibility. Set aside time to do it and count those hours as part of your work week.
6. Separate out your taxes IMMEDIATELY.
Just make a whole separate bank account and funnel a third of your earnings directly into it. Consider it Uncle Sam’s money: It doesn’t belong to you, so don’t touch it. Don’t even go there.
(Until, of course, quarterlies come up and you get to write four-figure checks to the IRS. Like I said, freelancing’s not all rainbows and unicorns.)
7. Max out your IRA if at all possible.
I really, really wish I’d done so this year — and to be honest, I definitely could have if I hadn’t prioritized travel. It’s only $5,500, after all.
If you can’t max out your IRA contribution, at least set up automatic weekly withdrawals and factor them into your normal budget. Depending on your income and expenses, even $100 a week can become unnoticeable after a month or two, and you’ll be thanking your younger self when you’re coming up on retirement time.
Taking the freelance plunge was scary, but it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made — and you can do it, too. Now to see what 2018 will bring. My goal: to gross $60,000, earn at least five new bylines and focus more on fun, creative projects.
Good luck, you entrepreneurial Penny Hoarders!
*Author’s note: These figures represent total income generated in a given quarter, rather than total income actually received. Another important thing you learn as a freelancer: Even if your deadline is in June, you might not see the money until August, so always be sure you have a hefty safety cushion!
Jamie Cattanach (@jamiecattanach) has written for VinePair, SELF, Ms. Magazine, Roads & Kingdoms, The Write Life, Barclaycard’s Travel Blog, Santander Bank’s Prosper and Thrive and other outlets. Her writing focuses on food, wine, travel and frugality.
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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