For example, bakeries, candy stores, and custom tailors are considered manufacturing, because they create products out of components. On the other hand, logging and mining are not considered manufacturing, because they don’t change the good into a new product. Construction is in its own category and is not considered manufacturing. New home builders are construction companies that build single-family homes. New home construction and the commercial real estate construction industry are significant components of gross domestic product....

“Higher mortgage rates were anticipated this year, but the speed of their rise has been breathtaking,” said Jeff Tucker, Zillow senior economist, in a press release. “Record low mortgage rates had been an affordability lifeline during the pandemic, keeping monthly payments in check even while prices climbed quickly. March was the biggest test yet of whether enough buyers can meet the new asking prices to keep home values growing at a record pace....

We developed a set of scoring criteria to cut through the noise and rated the top 45 mortgage lenders based on a variety of important factors. Each lender received an overall score of zero to five. Our Review Process To judge our chosen 45 mortgage lenders fairly, we looked at these major categories and weighted them as such: Companies were rated on a scale of zero to five using a variety of criteria in each category, including whether or not they offer first-time homebuyer grants, the types of loans they offer, and how long it takes them to close....

The Rental Assistance Finder website, launched Wednesday by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, lets visitors select the state and county where they live, then provides contact information to the state or local program that covers their area. Struggling renters can then apply for help paying rent, utility bills, and moving expenses. The first-of-its-kind Emergency Rental Assistance program, introduced in December, is available to help pay up to 18 months of rent due as far back as March 13, 2020....

The two federal entities that are off-budget are the Social Security Trust Fund and the U.S. Postal Service. Some other federal entities perhaps should be included as off-budget expenditures because they are quasi-governmental entities. Federal Unified Budget The federal unified budget includes both off-budget and on-budget revenue and spending. It’s the budget used to report each year’s budget deficit. But the U.S. debt increases by the deficit of on-budget items only....

The simple answer is yes, you can buy books, pay your dorm bill, and often even pay your tuition with a credit card. But is using a credit card to pay school bills a good idea? And how would you even do it? Using Credit Cards for Tuition Can Be Tricky The first thing to do is confirm if your college will allow credit card payments. According to a 2016 survey of 300 colleges, about 85% accepted tuition payments by credit card....

Who Does This Extra Pay Period Affect? Two kinds of pay periods for salaried employees are often confused. The pay for these employees is annual pay, paid monthly, semi-monthly, or bi-weekly. Semi-monthly is twice a month, resulting in 24 payments in a year, while bi-weekly is every other week, resulting in 26 payments in a year. The extra pay period affects salaried employees who are paid bi-weekly (every other week)....

A recommendation letter should provide information on who you are, your connection with the person you are recommending, why they are qualified, and the specific skills they have that you are endorsing. When Are Personal Reference Letters Used? These letters of recommendation are written by people who know job candidates outside of work and can speak to their character and ability on a personal level. While companies typically request letters of reference from co-workers, sometimes hiring managers will request a personal reference letter as well....

Someone is still going to have to take care of their affairs after their death, but it won’t necessarily be the agent appointed in a power of attorney during their lifetime. Does Power of Attorney Last After Death? Perhaps your parent recently passed and you were named as their agent in a ​power of attorney (POA). You’re the individual they wanted to take care of certain personal business matters for them....

The advantages and disadvantages of free trade agreements affect jobs, business growth, and living standards. Advantages of Free Trade Agreements Free trade agreements are designed to increase trade between two or more countries. Increased international trade has the following six main advantages. Increased Economic Growth In 2003, the U.S. International Trade Commission estimated that NAFTA could increase U.S. economic growth by 0.1% to 0.5% per year. The USMCA is a modern trade agreement that recognizes the influence of technology on economies....

Bar Charts Candlestick Charts Line Charts Each chart type has its own advantages and disadvantages. Day traders will typically want to use a bar chart or candlestick stick chart as they show more information than a line chart. Bar Charts and Candlestick Charts Versus Line Charts Bar and candlestick charts show the open, high, low and last/closing price for each bar. The amount of time or space a price bar covers is determined by its time frame, as discussed next....

It’s especially difficult when there isn’t advance notice and a group of employees, an entire department, or even most of the employees at a company are told that they can choose between a layoff and a new job at their present employer (if they can get rehired). Why does this happen, and what should you do next? Why Companies Ask Employees to Reapply It is not uncommon for employers to formally ask all or some of their current staff to reapply for a job after a merger or acquisition....

As a rental property owner, you may be able to offset some of those expenses by claiming real estate tax deductions. If you’re considering the landlord lifestyle to generate investment income, here are some of the most useful rental real estate tax deductions to know about. Loan Interest If you own a home, you’re likely aware that your mortgage interest is tax-deductible. But you may not know that you can extend that benefit to mortgage loans associated with a second property you own for rental purposes....

Revolving credit balances—consisting mostly of credit card debt—climbed $19.8 billion from October to $1.04 trillion, an annualized growth rate of 23.4%—the biggest jump for at least the last two decades of data recorded, the Federal Reserve reported Friday. Balances still aren’t back to the $1.1 trillion seen in February 2020, just before COVID-19 shutdowns put a brake on spending, but the sharp uptick gets them closer. Early in the pandemic, people had few places to go out and spend money and at the same time, government stimulus provided people with money that many used to pay down debt....

The Safety of ATMs for Deposits In most cases, your deposits should be successful and error-free. But consider the consequences of an error. Especially when you’re making a large, important deposit—or if you’re in danger of bouncing checks—an ATM might not be your best choice. From time to time, there will be errors. You might not experience any problems in your lifetime, and your bank can resolve most issues without causing additional complications....

Standard Coverage Options Chances are, no matter what type of motorcycle you ride, Safeco Insurance provides a motorcycle insurance option for you. Some of the types of bikes covered include scooters, mopeds, cruisers, sport and super-sport cycles, choppers, off-road and dirt bikes, touring bikes, and even certain homemade kit bikes. However, Safeco does not insure motorcycles with installed nitrous oxide kits nor bikes used for racing or speed contests. And even though Safeco’s motorcycle policy covers you everywhere in the U....

What Is Pay for Delete? Pay for delete is a negotiation strategy you can use to have negative information removed from your credit report. The pay for delete letter is ideal for debts that can’t be disputed with the credit bureaus because you actually owe them. Here’s a sample pay for delete letter you can use to request a creditor remove an account from your credit report in exchange for payment....

Because the Fed often adjusts interest rates during recessions, steady economic growth, inflation, and economic booms, some seasons may be better for savings interest rates than others. Savings Account Rates During Recessions Generally speaking, economic recessions are marked by a slow economy, rising unemployment, and a decline in consumer spending. To stimulate the economy and encourage people to spend more, the Federal Reserve often lowers interest rates. Lower interest rates can be welcome if you’re looking to take out a mortgage or a personal loan....

A business owner who owns the property will want to either close down the business and sell its real estate or sell both at the end of the day. Agents and brokers are often tempted to list both together, but that can be a mistake without a full understanding of all the intricacies involved. Selling the Business Very different contractual agreements are necessary to transfer business assets. They aren’t like real property because they can contain guarantees of volume and existing client/customer base demographics....

Some tax professionals advise that people never give real estate. That might be a little extreme, because there are some scenarios where it can be a smart tax move, but there are many considerations, depending on how and when you’re giving the gift. Effect of Estate Taxes on Inherited Property The executor of a decedent’s estate will typically value all the property owned by the individual as of the date of death, then do so again six months later....