How Medicare Initial Enrollment Works There are four different parts of Medicare—Part A and Part B (known as Original Medicare), Part C (Medicare Advantage plans), and Part D (Medicare prescription drug coverage). Plus, you can get Medicare supplement insurance, also known as Medigap, to help pay for costs that Original Medicare doesn’t cover. If you qualify based on age, the Medicare initial enrollment period is your first chance to sign up for Medicare....

Cavan Images / Getty Images While this protection is required in some situations, it doesn’t always make sense to add collision coverage to your policy. Learn more about how collision coverage works and when you might not need it. What Is Collision Coverage? Collision coverage is a type of car insurance that can help cover the costs to repair or replace your vehicle if it’s damaged in an accident. Covered collision events typically include:...

The decision to give your child a debit card is both practical and educational. For many, it makes sense for young people to have a checking account and debit card around the time they enter high school, earn their driver’s license, or get a job. But how old do you have to be to get a debit card? Here’s what you need to know. A Quick History of Debit Cards The term “balancing a checkbook” pertains to the traditional way of managing personal finances....

Before we get there, it’s worth taking a look at why you’re participating in a 401(k) plan in the first place. Here we cover a few of the best perks, in order to help guide your contribution decisions. Tax Breaks You get two tax breaks when you save in a 401(k) plan. First, the money you contribute is tax-deductible, meaning that what you contribute to a 401(k) this year will not be taxed as income this year....

A Roth individual retirement account (IRA) is a retirement account that allows you to invest after-tax retirement savings. Earnings held in a Roth IRA are tax-free if withdrawn under certain conditions, such as being at least age 59½ and having the account open for at least five years. If you want to open a Roth IRA, find out where and how to choose the right financial institution to meet your needs....

Everything else forms the decedent’s probate estate—their probate assets. The estate will be subject to a court proceeding to take these assets out of the deceased person’s name and transfer them into the names of their rightful heirs and beneficiaries. There are four common types of probate assets. Individual Assets Individual assets include all property titled in the decedent’s sole name without co-owners or payable-on-death and beneficiary designations. They commonly include bank accounts, investment accounts, stocks, bonds, vehicles, boats, airplanes, business interests, and real estate....

Klaus Vedfelt/Getty Images The way bond prices are calculated can be a little tricky. Even if you’re not likely to purchase single bonds for your portfolio, it’s good to understand how they work and how their prices are calculated. Why Bond Prices Change When Interest Rates Change When interest rates rise, bond prices typically fall. Conversely, bond prices increase after a drop in interest rates. This inverse relationship can seem a little complex at first glance, but its an important concept to understand for anyone considering investing in bonds....

“My advice to the trustee couldn’t be more simple: Put 10% of the cash in short-term government bonds and 90% in a very low-cost S&P 500 index fund,” he noted in Berkshire Hathaway’s 2013 annual letter to shareholders. Yet, despite Buffett’s advice, the wealthy typically don’t invest in simple, low fee, market-matching index funds. Instead, they invest in individual businesses, art, real estate, hedge funds, and other types of investments with high entrance costs....

Not only has the economy recovered most of the jobs it lost when the pandemic hit, but more people are joining the workforce. The labor force participation rate—that is, how many people 16 and older are either working or actively looking for it—edged up to 62.4% in March from 62.3% in February, and has been steadily improving for several months, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. As the chart below shows, the rate plummeted to 60....

The hotel and restaurant sector has experienced the biggest chunk of job losses since March, accounting for 5.74 million, or 32%, of the 18 million private sector jobs lost, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. But small businesses in that sector have received just $41.5 billion—or 8%—of the $514.9 billion in PPP loans approved as of June 20, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration. The mismatch is striking, given the dire state of the hotel and food service industries and the intent of the aid as a major lifeline for small businesses across the country....

Resignation Letter for Unsatisfactory Working Condition Example Elements of this resignation letter include: The date of writingThe name of your supervisor or managerA few highlights of your time with the companyYour reason for leaving (unsatisfactory conditions)A brief description of the issue(s)Your last day of work Why You Should Give a Reason for Your Resignation Including a reason for your resignation can alert bosses to conditions affecting staff morale. In large companies, especially, it’s easy for managers to lose touch with employees....

And that’s pretty bad considering last year was “horrendous,” Erin Collins said in her annual report to Congress on Wednesday. The Taxpayer Advocate Service is an independent organization within the IRS that helps taxpayers resolve problems and recommends ways to prevent them. The IRS begins accepting and processing returns on Jan. 24, and it’s starting the year already in the hole, with 35.3 million returns from the 2021 filing season still waiting their turn (worse than the approximately 11....

The median price for a home was $403,800 in July, $10,000 less than the record high of $413,800 hit in June, the National Association of Realtors said Thursday. In a separate report, Zillow saw its home value index inch down $366 from June to $357,107, the first monthly decline of the housing price measure since 2012. Home sales fell for a sixth month, dropping 5.9% to their slowest pace since June 2020, the NAR said....

The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook offers insight into hundreds of careers. Many of the highest paying and most secure require years of education and training—but not all. We compiled a list of the top jobs where a four-year college degree is not required. Some of the jobs may require an associate’s degree, certification, or training, but they are jobs that pay a decent wage and have good earning potential....

Accordingly, properly organizing and managing your job search is just as important as identifying job opportunities and submitting your application. Here are ten ways to get organized, keep track of your job applications, and stay on top of the job search process. You can use a spreadsheet to keep track of which companies you applied to, when you submitted your application, what materials you submitted, and other important factors in the application process....

So what do employees want? A November 2021 survey by Robert Half asked employees to rank their top benefits (non-cash compensation) and perks (extras). These were the most popular responses: If you’re looking to attract and retain top talent, increasing your offerings is one way to set yourself apart. Here are 25 unique and low-cost employee benefits and perks to consider adding to your robust employee benefits package. Work-Life Balance Benefits that revolve around work-life balance can improve employee performance and productivity by allowing them to recharge....

Again, having limited revenue or capital, as well as having a business that is not yet stable can add more strain to the matter. Nevertheless, business owners who are seeking business credit cards with no credit can explore different ways to enable them to attain business credit cards with virtually no credit at all. Here are some proven ways and solutions for getting business credit cards with no credit....

If you’re struggling under the weight of all of these debt payments, here are a few tips that might help you obliterate these bills. Make a List Sit down with a pen and paper and write out a list of every single debt you have. It’s amazing how many people have never done this. Having your debt listed out on a sheet of paper in front of you allows you to clearly see what you’re dealing with....

Update Your Contact Information It is important to update your contact information for your student loans when you graduate and every time you move. You will still be responsible for making payments on your student loans whether or not you receive the statements via mail. You may also consider switching to paperless invoices, which will be sent to you via your student loan portal. Updating your information and using a permanent address (such as your parents’ address) as a backup will help you receive the information in a timely manner and determine the best way to manage your student loan payments....

Even if you have an idea of what to call your business, check out these five tips on how to pick a business name to make sure you’re choosing the right one for your brand. Clarify the Essence of Your Business The best way to start the process of choosing a name for your business is by reviewing the spirit of your business and brand. Consider your mission statement, your business plan, and your unique selling proposition....