Basics of Liquidity High liquidity occurs when an institution, business, or individual has enough assets to meet financial obligations. Low or tight liquidity occurs when cash is tied up in non-liquid assets, or when interest rates are high, since that makes borrowing cost more. High liquidity also means there’s a lot of financial capital. Financial capital, or wealth, or net worth is the difference between assets and liabilities. It measures the financial cushion available to an institution to absorb losses....

Types of Home Loans There are several types of loans you can choose from for your first-time home purchase including: Conventional home loans FHA loans VA loans USDA loans Jumbo home loans Conventional Home Loan A conventional home loan is a good option if you have good credit and a substantial down payment. Conventional loans are offered by private lenders such as banks and credit unions. Many conventional loans are also “conforming loans” and must observe the loan limits set by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) as well as other requirements set by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-sponsored entities that purchase most mortgages originated in the United States....

No Lawsuit Is Required Medical Payments insurance is called Coverage C in the standard ISO commercial general liability form. It covers an injured person’s medical expenses whether or not you are responsible for the injury. Coverage C is a no-fault coverage so the injured party can obtain reimbursement for medical expenses without filing any legal action. Because no lawsuit is filed, your insurer need not provide you a defense and can settle claims quickly....

Learn more about how a company crafts its mission statement, what makes a mission statement successful, and some examples from major companies. What Is a Mission Statement? A mission statement is a sentence or short paragraph that defines the existence of a business, nonprofit, government organization, or any other entity. Mission statements get at the heart of why a company exists, rather than how it exists. In other words, a mission statement isn’t a business plan that explains how the entity will turn a profit; it’s a statement that defines the motivation for trying to turn a profit in the first place....

Because many regular expenses such as rent, gas, electric, and all those internet and phone bills are due monthly, you’ll likely end up with a little extra cash in your wallet in these off months. It pays to make a note of when those five-paycheck months will occur so you can plan ahead for how you’ll use those extra checks to improve your finances. How To Handle Extra Paychecks You can just bank that extra paycheck into a savings account or add it to your investments....

The mortgage lender is the company you applied to for your loan and the one that lent you the money. It might be a bank, credit union, or dedicated mortgage company. The servicer, on the other hand, is the company charged with handling the management of your mortgage. It’s the one that will send your mortgage statements and bills, process your payments, and respond to any questions or concerns you might have....

TD Bank launched a new credit card Monday that essentially doubles cash-back earnings when rewards are used to pad a savings or checking account. With the new TD Double Up Credit Card, consumers can earn up to 2% back on every purchase: 1% back when they make a purchase, and then another 1% when the cash-back rewards are deposited into an eligible TD Bank checking or savings account. There’s no limit on how many rewards consumers can earn with the new card, either....

What’s the Difference Between No-Penalty CDs and Savings Accounts? If earning the best rates on your savings while keeping it readily available is your goal, look for an online bank or credit union. The difference between the rates that online and brick-and-mortar financial institutions offer is generally larger than the difference between interest rates on savings accounts and no-penalty CDs within the same bank. Changing APYs: Savings Accounts vs. No-Penalty CDs One of the benefits of a traditional, fixed-rate CD is that once it’s open, the rate doesn’t change (unless you have a bump-up CD or a step-up CD)....

Pennsylvania’s 529 college savings programs are a tax-advantaged way to invest and save for educational expenses—usually college, but you can also use Pennsylvania 529 funds to pay for tuition at private elementary or secondary schools, too, as well as some apprenticeship programs and career schools. Two 529 Plan Options Contributing to a child’s college fund through a Pennsylvania 529 plan lets family and friends help pay for school and receive a tax benefit, too....

What Is Personal Guarantee Insurance? Many small businesses need financing in the form of a business loan to get started or to expand. Since a new business often has little collateral and little to no income to guarantee the loan, the business owner is often required to provide a personal guarantee. A personal guarantee is signed by the business owner and pledges personal assets in the event of business default—that is, the owner’s assets may need to be sold to pay off the business loan....

Using the Airbnb platform—or a competitor such as VRBO or HomeAway—to rent properties can be a lucrative real estate investment strategy, but it also has challenges. In some cases, it may be easier and more profitable to simply rent a property to a single tenant or to forgo real estate investing altogether. Here are some of the key pros and cons of using Airbnb and short-term rentals as an investment strategy....

The two primary sources of external financing for business operations are taking on debt to sustain operations, or selling shares of your company to investors. Both methods of financing have advantages and disadvantages, and which one you choose depends on your goals as a business owner. Before you weigh the pros and cons of debt financing, which will vary depending on the type of debt you use to operate your business, it’s important to first learn what it is....

Rachel has thrived in the entrepreneurial landscape for 5+ years, bringing her firsthand experience of what it takes to build a company, grow a team, and balance a personal life. She wrote on many of these topics in her prior role for a growing startup while simultaneously building a freelance clientele of small to medium-sized businesses. Rachel became familiar with the publishing world when she started as a contributor at Thrive Global several years ago....

The Alabama Association of Realtors and other property groups filed a plea Saturday with the D.C. District Court of Appeals, asking it to reverse a Friday decision by a lower court judge allowing an eviction ban from the Centers for Disease Control to remain in place. Both the plaintiffs and the government asked the court for a ruling on the case by Thursday. The CDC imposed a new eviction ban Aug....

Freezing your credit report, technically called a security freeze, locks your credit report to inquiries from new companies. When your credit report is frozen and a thief tries to apply for credit in your name, the application would presumably be turned down because the business can’t check your credit. Freezing your credit reports from all three major credit bureaus is best for maximum protection from fraud and identity theft....

Thoughtful feedback helps you grow both personally and professionally. Accurate feedback helps you with your lifelong career development, too. It’s a gift that people who care about your personal and professional success can provide for you. But, they’ll only provide feedback if you are approachable and allow them to feel comfortable when giving you the feedback. In the case of your direct manager, your defensiveness is even sadder—and potentially a problem....

A key skills section at the top of the page shows the hiring team what you can do without making them weed through a page of work experience, educational credentials, and other qualifications. Review the type of skills to include and how to write a resume skills section, get a resume template to download, and review a list of the best skills to highlight in your resume. What to Include in a Resume Key Skills Section Your skills section includes your abilities related to the job you’re applying for....

You could choose to rely on just one spouse’s contributions to retirement during that time. However, it is best if you continue to contribute to retirement accounts for both spouses. This will help the stay-at-home parent in the event that the working parent becomes disabled or there is a divorce or a death. The retirement savings you contribute while you stay at home will make it easier to reach your overall retirement savings goals....

According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over half of all workers have access to a retirement plan through their employer. This means that a significant number of workers don’t have the opportunity to include a 401(k) in their retirement planning strategy. Benefits of a 401(k) You’ll miss out on some valuable benefits if you don’t have the option of investing in a 401(k). Contributions to your 401(k) are made “pre-tax....

Eligibility To qualify for membership with Armed Forces Insurance (AFI), you must meet one of the following criteria: Active duty, retired, or honorably discharged service member, including Reserves, National Guard, and Coast GuardDepartment of Defense civilian employee who is actively employed or retiredA surviving spouse or a spouse of any retired, honorably discharged, or active duty service member, including Reserves, National Guard, and Coast GuardActive, retired, or former commissioned officer of the NOAA or PHSROTC cadet or Merchant Marine Service AcademyFormer AFI member (life-long membership)A dependent of a current or former member of AFIA former spouse of an AFI member (current or former)...