Popular sites such as Zillow and Trulia may include many of the same listings but without the comprehensive information found in an MLS. Some national real estate chains such as Re/Max will also pull listings from MLS to display on their websites. How the MLS Works MLSs are regional, and there are more than 800 around the country. Listings brokers enter the data about a home that’s for sale, and they offer to share the commission with a broker who brings in a buyer....
Understanding what commercial paper means exploring how they work, what types there are, how they compare to bonds, and what advantages and disadvantages they provide investors. What Is Commercial Paper? Commercial paper is a short-term debt security that corporations use to raise capital. Because of their short maturity schedules, companies often use commercial paper to cover immediate expenses such as payroll and inventory. Commercial paper has a maturity of up to 270 days, but the average is about 30 days....
Alternate names: home installment contracts, contracts for deed, land sale contracts For example, say you found a house you wanted to buy for $250,000. The seller tells you you’ll need to enter into a home installment contract. The contract requires you to make a $12,500 down payment, and it says you do not get the deed to the home until you pay off the entire $250,000. Per the contract, the seller keeps the deed to the house while you make payments....
If a borrower is determined to have a high probability of default, the lender will either deny the loan request or charge higher interest rates. Understanding how to lower your default probability may be able to help you gain more favorable terms on lending products in the future. Learn more about what default probability is and how it works. Definition and Example of Default Probability Default probability is the likelihood a borrower will default on a loan....
Want to know more about dual-class stock? We’ll discuss how dual-class stocks work and some well-known companies that have issued two classes of shares. Find out why companies often choose this route, as well as why dual-class stock is controversial among investors. Definition and Examples of Dual-Class Stock When a company issues dual-class stock, it issues at least two classes of shares, often referred to as “Class A” shares and “Class B” shares....
You must file Form 709 if: You’re going to pay the tax on your gifts over the annual exclusionYou’re going to assign the gifts to your lifetime exemptionYou want to split the gifts with your spouse Below is the form for tax year 2022, the form you file by Tax Day in 2023. The IRS usually releases a new form every tax year. Large estates are taxed on their value when someone dies and leaves their property to beneficiaries....
The Grammarly AI system reviews every sentence and searches for appropriate replacements for errors when any are found. It’s a cloud-based program. Both a web version and a version that integrates with MS Word are available. Grammarly gives your document an overall score based on the number of issues and errors it’s found. It then walks you through a series of possible grammatical problems, one at a time. Both a short and long explanation are provided by the system for each issue that’s identified....
For example, suppose you operate a grocery store that offers delivery service. Steve, an employee of yours, is driving a company-owned delivery van when he accidentally side-swipes another vehicle, causing a crash. Steve isn’t injured but a passenger in the other vehicle suffers a broken arm. As Steve’s employer, your business is “vicariously liable” for the accident he caused due to his negligent use of the van. If the injured passenger files a claim against your business seeking compensation for their injury, your business (or your insurer) must respond to their demand....
Because inflation affects everything in the economy, from the price of a cup of coffee to the size of the national debt, understanding how price inflation works may help you make better spending and investing decisions. Definition and Examples of Price Inflation When demand in an economy increases, prices go up. This is known as price inflation to the general public and demand-pull inflation to economists (because demand pulls up prices)....
This contrasts with qualitative factors, such as a business’s reputation or the quality of its management team, which can’t really be distilled into a mathematical formula. For example, someone using quantitative analysis to try to decide whether to purchase a stock may calculate the business’s revenue growth over the past few years, or look at the company’s ratios and how those ratios compare to other, similar companies. Some popular stats quantitative analysts use include price-to-earnings (PE) ratios and earnings-per-share (EPS)....
In investing, RBOB gas is the benchmark for gasoline on the futures market. Minimum contracts are equal to 42,000 gallons (1,000 barrels) and trade for the value per gallon. That means you need to multiply the quoted price by 42,000 to know what the contract cost will be. RBOB’s price is most sensitive to supply-and-demand changes for the commodity. For example, hurricane weather in the Gulf of Mexico can have a big impact on RBOB’s price because it affects the supply produced by the many U....
Sometimes referred to as “real property,” real estate is technically land plus any other tangible improvement that might rest upon it or be installed in it. The improvement might be a building that’s been erected there or a roadway. It can be something that’s been inserted into the ground, such as a septic system. Land with any of these structures is said to be “improved.” It’s “unimproved” when it lacks them....
Learn some of the ways a technical default can happen, and how it can lead to negative consequences for the borrower. Definitions and Examples of a Technical Default Most people would probably consider that making payments on time is enough to keep their loan in good standing. However, another way to default on your loan despite making timely payments is known as a technical default, which occurs when you violate parts of a contract unrelated to monthly payments....
Learn more about what Regulation D is all about, why it’s been temporarily suspended, and what that actually means for you as a consumer. What Is Regulation D? The Federal Reserve’s Regulation D is a federal mandate that limits consumers to making just six “convenient” withdrawals or money transfers each month from savings accounts and money market accounts. Normally, if you go beyond the limit, you face fees or possible account closing....
Mentoring and Coaching: Similar But Not the Same The terms mentoring and coaching often get used interchangeably, which can be confusing. While similar in their support of someone’s development, the roles involve different disciplines in practice. Mentoring consists of a long-term relationship focused on supporting the growth and development of the mentee. The mentor becomes a source of wisdom, teaching, and support, but not someone who observes and advises on specific actions or behavioral changes in daily work....
The SECA tax rate is 15.3%, which is assessed on 92.35% of your net earnings from self-employment. The 15.3% SECA tax rate breaks down into 12.4% for Social Security taxes and 2.9% for Medicare taxes. Alternate name: Self-employment tax Acronym: SECA tax How To Calculate the SECA Tax Net earnings is calculated by subtracting your ordinary and necessary business expenses from your gross self-employment income. Let’s say you grossed $150,000 and have $50,000 in ordinary and necessary business expenses....
Definition and Examples of the TIPS Spread Investors and analysts sometimes use the difference between two assets’ performance to measure something. This difference is known as a “spread” and can indicate different trends depending on what is being compared. The TIPS spread is the yield difference between the 10-year Treasury note and TIPS. The TIPS spread chart below shows the spread going back to 2003. The gray area between the lines demonstrates how the spread has varied over time....
Learn more about how it can protect consumers with their credit transactions. Also find out how the UCCC applies to many types of consumer credit, from personal loans to credit cards, and which states have adopted it into law. Definition and Example of Uniform Consumer Credit Code The Uniform Consumer Credit Code is a code of conduct meant to protect consumers from fraud or misinformation. Adopted as state laws, the UCCC sets limits on rates and charges, and requires the disclosure of the cost of credit....
This article looks at the burden of proof you need various types of business records in case your business is audited by the IRS. What Can You Deduct on Your Business Taxes? You can deduct most business expenses on your business’s tax return, but you have a responsibility to prove that they are ordinary and necessary to your business. An ordinary expense is common and accepted in your type of business (retail, financial services, etc....
Plus, with some managers and at some companies, a PIP can signal that you may be parting ways with the company soon. It can be a challenging situation. Here’s everything you need to know about what to do if you’re placed on a PIP—from when they’re used to how to respond. What Is a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP)? Performance improvement plans (PIPs) are designed to give employees who are not performing well an opportunity to meet their performance goals....
