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The length of time it takes to pay off your student debt depends on your specific financial and employment situation. Learn the typical timelines to repay student loans, along with tips to pay off your student loans faster and student loan forgiveness programs to consider. How Long Does It Take To Pay Off Student Loans? Educational costs and your degree level correlate closely to how long it takes to repay student debt—attending a pricier school or pursuing postgraduate degrees comes with more costs, which can mean taking out more student loans....

The One-Year Mark The first year is the most critical for a commodity futures trader. Many new traders try to make big profits quickly, but a short-term orientation can cause trouble. Remember that many people who trade commodity futures lose money. The first year of trading commodities should be all about learning how to trade. There are important lessons to absorb when it comes to approaching markets, executing trades, and controlling risk....

Here are some steps to follow to take control of your back taxes. 6 Years for Filing Back Taxes, 3 Years To Claim a Refund There might not be a hard limit to how many years you have to file back taxes, but that’s not to say that the IRS doesn’t want your returns sooner rather than later. You must have filed tax returns for the last six years to be considered in “good standing” with the IRS....

Your money struggles may also result in social and emotional issues for your children, not to mention money problems of their own. How Debt Affects Your Kids’ Well-Being A study from the American Academy of Pediatrics found a correlation between the amount of total debt a family had and poor social and emotional well-being of the children. The research found that the type of debt owed plays a role, citing that children whose parents held a high amount of credit card and medical debt experienced a more significant decline in their well-being compared with children whose parents had a high amount of mortgage or education debt....

However, if you’re part of the 41.9% of the labor force who are salaried, you might not be entirely sure of how much you make per hour. What’s more, you might not be all that concerned with determining your hourly rate. You know your annual salary, e.g., $30,000 or $50,000 or $75,000 per year, and that may seem like it should be enough. There are very good reasons for figuring out how much you earn on an hourly basis....

Limited Use Unless they’re co-branded, store credit cards can only be used in a specific store or family of stores. For instance, an American Eagle store credit card can only be used on purchases made at American Eagle. Similarly, a Target REDcard can only be used in Target stores. The exception is when a store credit card is co-branded with a Visa, MasterCard, or American Express logo. Many stores also offer a co-branded credit card in addition to their store credit card....

Most likely, that will mean being able to talk about your prior experience and how it’s prepared you for the role. These types of questions are designed to ensure that you’re the candidate most suited to the job. Some variations on this question include the following: Tell me about your work experience.Describe your related experience.How does your prior experience prepare you for this job?Do you think your experience matches the needs of the role?...

This step-by-step guide will provide all the information you need to apply for jobs in person, make a terrific impression, ace an interview, and successfully get hired. Start by checking Craigslist and your local newspaper’s online help wanted ads. If your city or town has a Chamber of Commerce website with job listings, check that, too. Use the job search engines to find jobs in your town by searching by zip code....

Review the best sites to look for jobs, how to upload your resume and cover letter, the information you’ll need to provide, and tips on how to streamline the application process. Also, as part of the job application process, you may need to take an online employment test and be prepared to provide employment references. Make sure your resume includes your current contact information and work history. Save your resume as yournameresume....

Buy at a Trustee or Sheriff’s Auction You can find notices of auctions online and in local newspapers. There are a number of websites that post information on auctions, and some might offer free trials. You typically pay in full at public auctions and buy the home in “as is” condition. Smart buyers will pay a title company to do a preliminary search prior to bidding. If there are liens such as taxes, delinquent homeowners association (HOA) dues, or superior loans, those encumbrances stay with the home....

Here are several approaches to take with a builder to get the best deal on a model home. Ask to See All the Model Homes for Sale Builders often sell homes before they’re constructed, based on the layout and appearance of the model home. It only makes sense that they want the model to show beautifully, so they spare little expense in decorating it. Most model homes include free upgrades, designer paint, and designer window coverings....

You can take steps during your lifetime to avoid estate tax, or you can take steps to reduce any tax liability if it appears likely that your estate may be liable for taxes. Net Estate vs. Gross Estate Values The term “gross estate” refers to the value of assets and properties before taxes and debts are subtracted. The estate tax is based on the net value of an estate—the amount remaining after subtracting all available deductions, credits, and payment of liabilities....

Ask What Agency (or Agencies) Oversee Their Business Every reputable financial planner or advisor is subject to oversight from at least one of two regulatory entities. You need to know which one, so you can confirm their legitimacy. When you ask about which agency provides their oversight, the answer should be either FINRA or the SEC (or a related state-level authority). FINRA stands for the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. “SEC” stands for the Securities and Exchange Commission....

Making payroll tax deposits Submitting quarterly payroll tax reports to the IRS on Form 941 Providing annual wage and tax reports to employees and to the Social Security Administration What Does a Payroll Register Include? You must keep a record of totals for all employees for the following: Total gross wages, total Social Security wages (up to the maximum for each employee each year), and total Medicare wages Totals withheld from employee pay for federal, state, and local income taxes Totals withheld for the employee share of Social Security and Medicare Totals withheld for all optional donations, such as charitable giving, union dues, and others...

When your account is only a little past due, collection efforts are mild. For example, you may get a friendly phone call or past-due letter reminding you to make payment. As your account gets further behind, the letters and phone calls get more serious and the status of your account or loan may change. The impact on your credit score also becomes more significant as your past-due time increases. If you have an account that’s currently past due, there are a few options for dealing with it....

Inspect the Unit Before Tenants Move In One of the most crucial factors involved with being able to charge a tenant for damage actually occurs before the tenant moves in. The move-in inspection documents the condition of the rental property at the time a tenant takes possession of the property, including any existing issues. Consider making a checklist that will help serve as proof that the unit and fixtures were in good condition when the tenant moved in....

Text-to-give remains one of the fastest and easiest ways to make a small contribution to an urgent need. However, texting a donation is only one of many ways to use your phone to make a difference for causes you care about. In fact, texting was popular because we could do it from just about any mobile phone, even our flip phones. As mobile has become more sophisticated with smartphones, donating by those phones has become easier and now takes many forms....

One of the biggest mistakes that many retirees make is underestimating how much they will need to spend in retirement to have a comfortable lifestyle. They end up overspending, because they didn’t plan ahead or didn’t know how. It’s a much easier task when you have an idea of how much you will need to maintain your standard of living. To determine how much money you will need to retire, you must estimate your retirement expenses....

Economic stress is real and can take a toll not just on you, but on your children as well. In 2010, the American Psychological Association (APA) found that during the Great Recession, 91% of kids were aware that their parents were stressed by how their parents behaved. And during financially stressful years like 2020 and 2021, for example, the same statistic may hold true. As kids listen in, many families have the opportunity to talk about money in a way they never had before, according to Tim Sheehan, co-founder and CEO of Greenlight, an issuer of debit cards for kids....

It’s best to follow up as soon as possible after the meeting. You can do so by sending an email or LinkedIn message, or even by making a phone call. Express your appreciation for their time and include details pertaining to the conversation you had. Tips for Following Up With a Contact From a Networking Event Follow up within 24 hours. You want to follow up quickly so that the acquaintance remembers you....