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Learn what happens when you can’t pay your utility bills and which organizations can provide financial assistance. What if You Can’t Pay Your Utility Bills? Service providers generally won’t disconnect your services the moment you miss a payment, so you can breathe easier if you’ve missed a payment by just a day or two. However, it’s important to act quickly. Missed payments can have a domino effect, making it more difficult to get caught up, and even impacting other parts of your finances....

An income-driven repayment plan allows you to make payments based on your earnings for a set number of years, depending on your plan. Any remaining balance will be forgiven at the end of your required payment period, as long as you’ve fulfilled all the requirements of your program. What Is Income-Driven Repayment Plan Forgiveness? Income-driven repayment plans cap student loan payments at a percentage of your discretionary income. That’s the amount of your income that remains after you deduct taxes, other mandatory charges, and expenditures on necessary items....

However, just like losing weight, this process will take discipline and commitment, and success won’t happen overnight. Follow the steps below diligently to create a retirement nest egg to sustain you through your golden years. Settle on a Figure You should be realistic about what’s possible, given this time frame, but don’t let it deter you from starting and giving it your all. Drafting a retirement budget will provide you with an idea of how much you’ll need to cover each month in expenses....

Carbon credits are a part of “cap-and-trade” policies. The cap represents the amount of carbon emissions a company may be limited to producing. The cap generally decreases over time. The trade represents a company’s ability to buy and sell carbon credits to increase or decrease its allowed carbon emissions. These programs aren’t as common in the U.S. as they are elsewhere, but several states have joined regional initiatives to enact such policies....

It’s key for federal employees to understand how to invest in a TSP. TSP Investing Basics The TSP is much like a 401(k) plan: a tax-advantaged retirement savings plan offered through an employer. The U.S. government is the employer in the case of the TSP. Federal workers, such as FBI agents, members of Congress, and service members of the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, can take advantage of the TSP....

If you’re seeking a promotion at work or are looking to make a job change, taking the time to enhance your skills and your qualifications will make it much easier to take the next step up the career ladder. Individuals who continually upgrade their skills to keep pace with developments in their field will have the best chance of doing well in their career, both with their current employer and when job searching....

CreativeDJ/Getty Images 4 Ways Miles and Points May (or May Not) Expire Each credit card and loyalty program has its own set of rules, so it’s crucial to read through your program’s fine print to determine whether or when your points will expire. Policies can often be found in the rewards guide or frequently asked questions listed online. Generally speaking, there are four different ways programs deal with expiration:...

Making lateral or downward moves is more common than you might think. The move may be involuntary if an industry or occupation declines, or it may be a choice. Caregivers, students, and semi-retired workers may all choose to move down the career ladder—either for a period of time or for good. Whether you’re looking for a job that’s less stressful, more fun, or a better fit for your other priorities, it pays to make a plan....

If you’re in this situation, you’ll be full of questions: Is there a way to change your start date without sending the wrong signal to your prospective employer?What’s the best way to ask to change the time frame for when you start your position?Can you negotiate the start date for a new job? Here’s what you need to know. Tips for Negotiating a Start Date for a New Job In most cases, a typical start date is two weeks from when you accepted the job offer....

You’ll have to start making payments on federal student loans or private student loans when the grace period ends. Unfortunately, your debt doesn’t disappear if you don’t end up earning a degree. What Happens to Student Loans When You Drop Out? Some federal and private student loans offer a grace period before you’re required to make payments. Your grace period countdown starts if you drop out of school while you have student loans....

Paying yourself as a business owner is not just about the money—it’s also about your mental health and ability to keep going. Successful business ownership is as much about your ability to thrive financially and provide for yourself as it is about future business profits and growth. So how do you legally pay yourself as a business owner? Well, it depends on the type of business you own. Whether you are a sole proprietorship, a partnership, or a corporation, it’s essential that you reward yourself monetarily for the hard work and effort you are putting into your growing business....

The Stock Market The stock market is what most people think of for day trading. It is a great day trading market, where day traders buy and sell shares of a company, exiting all positions before the close of trade at 4 PM EST (opens at 9:30 AM EST, but you can also make trades before this in the “pre-market”). To day trade stocks in the US, you need to maintain an equity balance in your account of $25,000 at all times....

You can and should devise a household budget with your partner when you decide to move in together. Here’s how. As a couple, you need to sit down together and come to a mutual understanding of what you think should be covered under household expenses. You should have a small household emergency fund of $1,000 to cover emergency expenses. You will need to agree on the amount of rent you are willing to pay together....

Investors may purchase the euro as a way to bet on an improving eurozone economy since the value of the currency is tied to interest rates that tend to rise when the economy is doing well. In contrast, investors may want to short sell the euro as a way to profit from its decline when interest rates are falling and the currency is becoming worthless. Investors may also want to go long or short the euro as a way to hedge their portfolios against currency risks....

There are a few ways to use a 401(k) to fund a business, each with pros and cons. Find out if using this method of financing is right for you. Why You Might Use Your 401(k) To Start a Business Advantages A 401(k) can be a great source of starter funds because: Its owner has control over the capital source and where the money is going. The money is available quickly....

Understand that you have unique insight into their capabilities at work. As someone who worked alongside your colleague, you can attest not only to their skills and achievements, but also to their working style, reliability, and attitude. How To Write a Letter of Recommendation for a Co-Worker First things first: If you can’t write a positive letter without fibbing or stretching the truth, don’t do it at all. No matter how much you want to help your current or former co-worker, recommending them when you’re not enthusiastic about their skills won’t be beneficial....

Taking the time to write a targeted resume enables you to show the employer why you’re an excellent fit for the job. Your resume will, at a glance, show the reader that you’re a well-qualified candidate for the position. Also, a targeted cover letter is typically written to accompany the resume when applying for jobs. You can use both documents to showcase your qualifications for the job. Here are tips for writing a targeted resume, with an example of a resume that matches the position description in the employer’s job posting....

“There is a risk of a more sustained rise in inflation or inflation expectations, which could potentially require an earlier-than-expected tightening of US monetary policy,” Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the IMF, wrote Wednesday in a blog post. Higher interest rates “would pose major challenges especially to countries with large external financing needs or elevated debt levels.” Aggressive vaccine rollouts, fiscal stimulus, and ultralow interest rates have helped advanced countries recover from the economic slump triggered by COVID-19, but with the rapid growth has come rising consumer prices....

When a fund manager buys a foreign security, he or she will typically buy it in the “local market,” or the market where the security is actually issued. That means the manager must buy the security in the local currency, which requires the exchange of U.S. dollars into that currency. The currency exchange market is extremely active, which means that the value of the dollar is always shifting relative to the value of overseas currencies....

Time management skills, like other soft skills, such as organizational skills, are in high demand. Employers will be assessing your ability to manage your time, and the effectiveness of your team to reach department objectives. Learn about time management skills, understand why they are valuable in the workplace, review the different types of time management skills, and see examples of how they are used on the job. What Are Time Management Skills?...