5 Reasons Employers Should Hire More Workers Over Age 50

Forget the myth that older workers are outdated and expensive. The best are loyal, competent and may even help a business's bottom line.

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Converting a Residence to a Rental: Cash Flows and Other Considerations

Investors should feel comfortable that the net income will be worth the risk in becoming a landlord. 


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Group targets area at Sahara-Decatur for major upgrade

The intersection at Sahara Avenue and Decatur Boulevard has gone from Main and Main to pain and pain. Come this weekend, real estate groups and public agencies will talk change at a community event to invite public input on the intersection's future.

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If I Were Single

Marc writes in with an interesting question.

I’ve been really enjoying your articles and have read many articles in the archives over the past week. Your story is a lot like mine but different in some ways. I also started a job right after college that paid pretty well, got myself into debt. I started a Youtube channel about five years ago that became my full time job about three years ago. I am now more or less debt free.

The biggest difference is that I’m single. I don’t date and don’t have any interest in doing so. I have no children and no plans to ever have any.

What would you do differently if you were in my shoes?

I interpreted Marc’s question this way: if I were suddenly single again with no wife or children and had my current financial state, what would I do?

Or, to put it another way, what life strategies are useful for a single person well on the road to financial independence?

It’s an interesting question to think about, I suppose. I really don’t even want to imagine my life without Sarah and my children right now. They are truly the brightest parts of my life.

However, if I were to step back and imagine my life if they suddenly didn’t exist, I would certainly have lower expenses than I do now, as I would move from having the living expenses of five people to having the living expenses of one person. On the other hand, I would lose Sarah’s income, which would mean the era of living off of one income would be over. I’d still spend far less than I was earning, but I would save less per year. However, my annual expenses would be less, so the amount I have in the bank would actually be a much larger multiple of my annual living expenses. I would have substantially more free time without needing to be a father to three children or a husband to my wife.

In short, I would be well on my way to financial independence… but I’d be going there alone.

What would that change? What would my life look like?

I would be less afraid to take career leaps. Right now, I’m very happy with my current set of writing responsibilities, most of which appear on The Simple Dollar. This gives me the flexibility to be there when my children get on the bus in the morning, be at home when my children get done with school, be able to easily go get them if they’re sick, be able to attend school events, and so on. When I was younger, that type of flexibility was very difficult for my father and I am thrilled to be able to be that flexible for my own children.

If I were single, though, such flexibility would be a lot less important. It would still be nice, but it wouldn’t be a top priority in my life. My primary focus would be on whether or not I found the work I was doing to be exciting and fulfilling and, if I felt that my interest in a particular job was waning, I could prepare myself to move to something else.

Right now, I have pretty much the perfect job given the life constraints that I have and the life choices I want to make, but if I were single, those constraints and choices would naturally change.

I would invest a bit more aggressively, but not recklessly. My investment plans would involve less bonds and cash and more real estate and stocks. If it’s only my financial future at risk here, I would be more likely to push the envelope when it comes to volatility and risk in my portfolio.

Does that mean I’d jump on board with things like Bitcoin or precious metals? Nope. Those things are outside even my own personal risk tolerance. I’d simply make my investments somewhat more aggressive, not radically aggressive.

I’d fill my evenings with a lot of community events. Many of my evenings these days are filled with things like preparing meals and making sure my children make it to taekwondo practice and handling bedtime routines. Without that kind of constant evening commitment, my non-working hours would be very different.

What would I do? I’d fill almost every evening with community events. A simple look at meetup.com provides a starting point. Within a fairly small radius of my house, there are more than 100 groups on all kinds of different topics. I would actually be interested in at least trying about 30 of those groups.

I could easily fill every weeknight with a different group in my area, and I’d happily do so. I have a lot of interests and it would be a great way to channel them in a social way.

I’d probably live even cheaper than I do right now. I think my personal expenses would go down. For example, look at food: the only time I eat out these days is when we’re out and about as a family and packing a meal for five is rather difficult. I can easily pack a meal for myself, but packing a meal for five is pretty tough. I’d still make batch meals, but that’s because I don’t mind eating the same thing for supper three or four nights in a row. I’d get rid of cable television and might just get rid of my television entirely.

The biggest drop in expense? Housing. Let’s talk about that specifically.

I’d live in a different home and a different place, but not something radically different. I’d live in a smaller home or in an apartment or townhouse. I wouldn’t need a house this big if I were a single guy. I could easily eliminate a bedroom or two, multiple bathrooms, and some of the living space. That would drop the square footage significantly.

I really enjoy living in central Iowa, so I’d probably stay in this area, but I’d use a fairly wide radius while searching for a new place to live. I’d likely figure out where employment and entrepreneurial opportunities were and where I was building a social circle and community presence and then move somewhere that was convenient for that.

I’d probably go back to school. When I was in college, I studied in fields that I felt would earn a good income when I moved into professional life. While I thoroughly enjoyed what I studied, I recognize that I was using a big “money filter” when deciding which major to choose. This caused me to skip over other areas that didn’t seem to have an obvious path to money, such as English, philosophy, political science, and history.

Since I am well on the road to financial independence and I live a lifestyle that doesn’t require a ton of financial input, the thought of going back to school to study those areas sounds very appealing. I wouldn’t worry so much about finding a job afterward for two reasons. One, I don’t need a tremendously large income, so a lot of jobs are open to me. Two, I am good at finding avenues with which to create my own self-employment. I think that many people on the road to financial independence are in that same boat.

I’d travel more, but do it very low key. By “low key,” I mean the type of travel where you wander around with a backpack, largely avoid the tourist-y places, and stay in cheap accommodations. For example, I would love to spend a week or two in each of our national parks, camping in a simple tent, hiking on the trails, and relaxing with a book when I was tired. That sounds like a heavenly trip to me, but it’s one that’s very difficult to do with young children. I might even do something like walk the Appalachian Trail.

This type of perspective is in line with the article I recently wrote about how money cannot buy what time delivers. The experience I really crave from traveling doesn’t come from expensive trips, it comes from time.

In the end, the biggest change in my life would come purely in the form of time. I wouldn’t change what I do financially much at all. If anything, I’d double down on the frugality. Instead, I’d use that abundance of free time to do some of the things I truly value – continuing my mission of lifetime learning, joining some social groups related to my passion, traveling a bit in a very low-key fashion, and living a simple and joyous life.

I don’t want to ever be single again, but if I did, it would look something like that.

The post If I Were Single appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

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Debunking The CTR To Find Truth In Viewability

Why are so many advertisers still relying on click-through rate as the primary performance metric for their display campaigns? Columnist Roger Williams discusses the factors hindering the industry's shift towards viewability.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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The Modern-Day Publisher’s Dilemma: Where To Focus With So Many Available Platforms

As marketers face the challenges of a cross-device world, they need to embrace emerging technologies and remember to look toward actual human teams for solutions, says columnist Hagai Tal.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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How To Create A “Lead Pipeline” With Your Blog (Part 2)

In this conclusion of a two-part series, columnist Daniel Faggella explores his favorite tactics for converting your traffic into leads and buyers.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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Facebook Video & Snapchat Drive Nearly Half Of BuzzFeed’s Views

CEO Jonah Peretti says that more than 75% of the company's total content views come on non-BuzzFeed networks. Facebook video generates 27% and Snapchat 21%.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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Eliminate Your Debt Without Changing Your Lifestyle

You don't have to give up the small pleasures of life.

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Customers Need To Be Part Of The Advertising Conversation

As digital advertising evolves to reach consumers on a whole new level, it's more important than ever to engage with them and make them part of the conversation, says columnist Alex LePage.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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How Downton Abbey can make you richer

Laura Whitcombe

highclerecastle.jpg

Homes close to the family seats of Downton Abbey's Lord Grantham and Pride and Prejudice's Mr Darcey are selling for bumper premiums.

Homes close to the family seats of Downton Abbey's Lord Grantham and Pride and Prejudice's Mr Darcey are selling for bumper premiums.

Properties situated near Highclere Castle, Newbury, home to ITV's Downton Abbey, sell for £155,532, or 44%, more than houses in neighbouring areas.

How Downton Abbey can make you richer

Feed Copy: 

Homes close to the family seats of Downton Abbey's Lord Grantham and Pride and Prejudice's Mr Darcey are selling for bumper premiums. Properties situated near Highclere Castle, Newbury, home to ITV's Downton Abbey, sell for £155,532, or 44%, more than houses in neighbouring areas. Meanwhile, houses within earshot of Chatsworth House in Bakewell, Derbyshire, the real-life inspiration for Mr Darcey's Pemberley estate enjoy a £154,063, or 89%, boost. On average, buying a home near Britain's stately homes can cost £41,000 more than in neighbouring areas, according to Halifax. Halifax said prices around some of Britain's most impressive historic family homes have risen by £746 a month, or £89,506 in total, over the past 10 years. The average cost has risen from £229,697 in 2005 to £319,203 in 2015. The house price analysis revealed that in cash terms, the average price growth in areas with stately homes is more than double the national increase of £39,311 (22%). Homes close to Kenwood House in Hampstead Heath come with the biggest premium of £770,023 (120%). Properties near Ham House in Richmond upon Thames have a £513,918 (116%) top-up, and those near Ightham Mote in Sevenoaks, Kent, have a £231,230 (82%) premium. Looking further afield than the South East, homes close to Cheshire's Tabley House, Tatton Park and Peover Hall and Gardens have an average house price premium of £181,517 (83%). Properties close to Downhill House and Mussenden Temple in Coleraine, Northern Ireland, were the only ones in areas close to stately homes to have fallen over the 10-year period. On prices fell by £12,977, or 10%. However, some 17 locations in close proximity to stately homes trade at a discount compared to neighbouring areas. The biggest discount is for home near Wimpole Hall in Royston, Cambridgeshire, where prices are typically £50,000 (13%) lower than in the county of Hertfordshire as a whole. The cheapest area close to a stately home to live is the immediate vicinity of Auckland Castle in Bishop Auckland, County Durham. Here the average price is £104,391.

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How Downton Abbey can make you richer

Laura Whitcombe

highclerecastle.jpg

Homes close to the family seats of Downton Abbey's Lord Grantham and Pride and Prejudice's Mr Darcey are selling for bumper premiums.

Homes close to the family seats of Downton Abbey's Lord Grantham and Pride and Prejudice's Mr Darcey are selling for bumper premiums.

Properties situated near Highclere Castle, Newbury, home to ITV's Downton Abbey, sell for £155,532, or 44%, more than houses in neighbouring areas.

How Downton Abbey can make you richer

Feed Copy: 

Homes close to the family seats of Downton Abbey's Lord Grantham and Pride and Prejudice's Mr Darcey are selling for bumper premiums. Properties situated near Highclere Castle, Newbury, home to ITV's Downton Abbey, sell for £155,532, or 44%, more than houses in neighbouring areas. Meanwhile, houses within earshot of Chatsworth House in Bakewell, Derbyshire, the real-life inspiration for Mr Darcey's Pemberley estate enjoy a £154,063, or 89%, boost. On average, buying a home near Britain's stately homes can cost £41,000 more than in neighbouring areas, according to Halifax. Halifax said prices around some of Britain's most impressive historic family homes have risen by £746 a month, or £89,506 in total, over the past 10 years. The average cost has risen from £229,697 in 2005 to £319,203 in 2015. The house price analysis revealed that in cash terms, the average price growth in areas with stately homes is more than double the national increase of £39,311 (22%). Homes close to Kenwood House in Hampstead Heath come with the biggest premium of £770,023 (120%). Properties near Ham House in Richmond upon Thames have a £513,918 (116%) top-up, and those near Ightham Mote in Sevenoaks, Kent, have a £231,230 (82%) premium. Looking further afield than the South East, homes close to Cheshire's Tabley House, Tatton Park and Peover Hall and Gardens have an average house price premium of £181,517 (83%). Properties close to Downhill House and Mussenden Temple in Coleraine, Northern Ireland, were the only ones in areas close to stately homes to have fallen over the 10-year period. On prices fell by £12,977, or 10%. However, some 17 locations in close proximity to stately homes trade at a discount compared to neighbouring areas. The biggest discount is for home near Wimpole Hall in Royston, Cambridgeshire, where prices are typically £50,000 (13%) lower than in the county of Hertfordshire as a whole. The cheapest area close to a stately home to live is the immediate vicinity of Auckland Castle in Bishop Auckland, County Durham. Here the average price is £104,391.

read more

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How to Use Google Alerts to Save Money: One Email Saved Me $150 on My Dream Kitchen Table

Newsflash: the Internet is huge. It’s impossible to be on top of everything that happens online.

And you might not even know about all the excellent deals that pop up, because you didn’t check Craigslist this morning or you decided not to open today’s Groupon email.

This is where Google Alerts come in. By setting up customized alerts, you basically tell Google, “Hey, if you happen to hear something new about this, send me an email, OK?”

Here are the alerts I use to find out about cool stuff and save money.

Craigslist

I get most of my furniture on Craigslist, but I’m usually pretty specific about what I want.

Rather than searching Craigslist every night looking for that CB2 table I’ve been lusting after, I set up alerts with keywords that describe the item. Then, as soon as someone posts a listing that matches my criteria, I get an email.

And, yes, I did end up finding my dream table this way. It was $50 instead of $200.

Lyndsee Simpson

Product Reviews

When I have a big purchase on the horizon, I like to read as many user reviews as possible. Of course, Amazon is great for this.

But if I’m looking for more in-depth reviews (or the item isn’t on Amazon), I set an alert to let me know when someone has posted a review I might find interesting.

This is especially helpful for new products, which haven’t been around long enough to get a lot of online reviews yet.

Free Events

Most cities have tons of free events, but you have to know where (and when) to look.

For example, a friend of mine mentioned that the National Museum of the American Indian does free textile-dying workshops every once in a while. So I set up an alert to tell me next time they post about one on their website.

I also set up alerts with my city name and the names of my favorite authors and bands. That way, I’ll know when they come to town so I can be sure to attend any free readings, concerts or book signings.

Even just a few keywords and your city name can bring you all kind of information about free events.

Groupon-Like Deals

I have a complicated relationship with online coupons like Groupon, LivingSocial, etc. If I’m just browsing around, I’m usually tempted to buy a deal on something I won’t actually use. However, occasionally a deal pops up for something I’ve been looking for, so I don’t want to unsubscribe completely.

To avoid reading through the daily emails, I set up alerts to tell me when one of these deals pops up. Right now, I have alerts for my favorite restaurants (wishful thinking), paddle boarding deals in a quaint town nearby and hot air balloon rides. Random, I know.

But every once in a while I get a ping about a fantastic deal on an activity I’ve been wanting to do and I already know I like.

Coupons

I also have alerts for coupons to my favorite online shops. I use search terms like “LOFT coupon” or “Asos free shipping” to find out the best times to put in an order.

Remember to put quotes around your search terms so you only get results that contain the exact phrase.

How to Set Up Google Alerts

It’s pretty simple. Here’s what you do:

1. Be sure you have a Gmail account. If not, open a free one.
2. Head to the Google Alerts page.
3. Type in your search terms. If you only want results from a certain website (such as your local Craigslist), paste in the URL too. Hit “create alert.”

Your alert is now active and ready to bring you deals. But to really get the most out of it, you’re going to want to customize it a bit. Click the little pencil icon next to the alert and check out the following options:

• Frequency of alerts: I always choose “As-it-happens” because I’m impatient. But if you’re getting a high volume of emails about a certain alert, you can make the emails less frequent.

• Sources: Generally it’s best to stick with “automatic,” so you get information from a variety of sources. But you can choose to see only news, blog posts, etc.

• How many: You can get picky about sources here, too. Choose “only the best results” if you really only want to be bothered with legitimate notifications. I usually go with “all results,” though, because I don’t mind sorting through a few extra suggestions to avoid missing something.

Don’t be stingy with your alerts. There’s no limit to the number you can set, so try different combinations and see what you get. If you end up getting too many notifications, you can always alter the frequency of the emails or set up a Gmail filter so they all go to one folder.

Your Turn: What Google Alerts do you use? Have they helped you land any great deals?

Disclosure: We have a serious Taco Bell addiction around here. The affiliate links in this post help us order off the dollar menu. Thanks for your support!

Lyndsee Simpson is a freelance writer in Washington, D.C. She hopes to someday get a ping on her “Joseph Gordon Levitt in D.C.” alert.

The post How to Use Google Alerts to Save Money: One Email Saved Me $150 on My Dream Kitchen Table appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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12 ways your smartphone could be a financial risk

It's true that you can put your finances and personal information at risk when you use a smartphone. It's not a lack of mobile security, though, that's creating these risks. It's when smartphone users don't take the proper steps to safeguard their devices and financial transactions that they lose money or are exploited.

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Fed leaves key interest rate unchanged, citing low inflation

The Federal Reserve ended weeks of speculation Thursday by keeping U.S. interest rates at record lows in the face of threats from a weak global economy, persistently low inflation and unstable financial markets.

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How to choose the best cheap wine

WANT to find a bargain bottle, every time? It’s the weekend, so here’s our essential guide to picking up the perfect vintage at a bargain price.

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Nevada leads nation in private sector job growth

Nevada has reclaimed the top spot in the nation for rate of private sector job growth, marking a dramatic turnaround from the depths of decline during the economic recession, the governor's office announced Thursday.

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State gaming authorities OK skill-based slot machine regulations

Nevada casinos will soon offer slot machines that could mix "Blazing 7s" with "Space invaders."

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Periscope Adds Profile Pages For The Web

Twitter-owned video streaming app gives broadcasters a landing page for the desktop.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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Amazon Points Retailers To Shopify As It Nears The End Of Its E-Commerce Platform

Named an Amazon preferred partner, Shopify is rolling out new integrations for Amazon web store owners.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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