If you’re concerned about saving enough for a down payment, there are more than 2,000 programs designed to offer down payment assistance based on homeownership status, income, profession, geographic location, and other factors. In one state alone—Nevada—close to $59 million in such funds has been provided to rural homebuyers since 2006. Some down payment assistance (DPA) programs provide loans, others offer grants, and some even extend loans that become grants if you follow all the rules....

People with long-term investments tend to pay lower taxes on them than they do for short-term gains. Although tax rates tend to change over time, holding periods stay the same. Long-term holdings are those owned by the investor for over a year, and short-term holdings are those owned for less than a year. The IRS uses the trade date to determine your buy or sell date. That is the day you asked your broker to buy or sell your investment or you executed the trade via an online trading platform or a robo-advisor....

If you’re looking to earn college credit for an internship as you kick start your career, or you’re hiring interns for your company, keep reading to learn how this all works. How Many Credits Can You Earn From an Internship? Depending on the school’s policy, students can usually earn between one and six college credits after participating in an internship. For example, if one college class at your school is worth three credits, you may be able to earn three college credits for a summer, fall, or spring internship, whether it’s on campus or off campus....

FDIC Limits FDIC insurance is a government-backed program that protects your bank deposits against bank failures. However, there is a maximum dollar limit of $250,000 per depositor per institution. For most people, this is plenty, but some individuals and organizations want to keep more than $250,000 in fully-insured CDs. If you have more than the maximum coverage limit, you have two choices: The first option is too risky for most people, and the second approach can be complicated and time-consuming....

You should invest at least enough to receive your employer’s match, even if you’re focused on getting out of debt or saving for a house. This is “free” money that you otherwise would be passing up, and it can greatly affect your future. You may struggle in your retirement years if you don’t save adequately now. How Contributions to a 401(k) Affect Your Paycheck Contributions made to a 401(k) are made on a pretax basis....

Most people don’t need anywhere near that number of credit cards and couldn’t handle having that amount of credit available to them. So what’s the best number of credit cards for the rest of us? There’s no perfect number of credit cards that each person should have. It all comes down to your ability to manage the number of credit cards you actually do have. As of 2020, American adults carry an average of 3....

Experts claim that a diversified portfolio consists of eight to 60 stocks. Given that the average mutual fund is a basket of 36–1,000 stocks, you can technically achieve a diversified portfolio with only one fund. But investors who prefer greater diversification set the limit at eight. The right number of mutual funds for you depends on several factors, including your investment objective and tolerance for risk. If you’re wondering how many funds to include in your portfolio, there are a few strategic principles of diversification you should follow....

Start by reviewing how much equity you have in your home if you’re thinking about taking out a home equity loan. Then shop around to get the best interest rate and repayment terms for your needs. You can get a home equity loan from a variety of banks, credit unions, or lenders, but each may have its own maximum amount for how much you can borrow. How Do Home Equity Loans Work?...

Certified Pre-Owned vs. New Buying a certified pre-owned car is much like buying a new car, but with prices closer to what you would expect when purchasing a used car. Trained mechanics inspect certified pre-owned vehicles, which are resold by the manufacturer, with a warranty. When you are buying a certified pre-owned vehicle, you can trust that the car is in good working condition. Average Prices Certified pre-owned vehicles are an excellent safe bet, which means they will generally cost more than a regular used car....

Research of alignment prices around the U.S. reveals that on average, an alignment costs between $107.89 and $126.61 . Find out how much an alignment costs in your area and learn why you might need one. Average Car Alignment Costs Information from the United States Census Bureau (USCB), Kelley Blue Book, and Insurify was used to find the average alignment costs around the country. The USCB recognizes four regions and nine divisions in the U....

Knowing where your small business stands with tax rates is crucial to filing the proper taxes at the right time. Not only must you be concerned with income tax but other costs such as self-employment and excise taxes. With legal implications for your business, taxes can make or break your success. Here are several things to be aware of for your small business’s taxes, including how to file and what to pay....

The Fed can slow this growth by tightening the money supply. That’s the total amount of credit allowed into the market. The Fed’s actions reduce the liquidity in the financial system, making it become more expensive to get loans. It slows economic growth and demand, which puts downward pressure on prices. Tools the Federal Reserve Uses To Control Inflation The Fed has several tools it traditionally uses to tame inflation....

But don’t worry too much about them. Candidates can’t prepare answers for all the possible questions that interviewers ask during a job interview, especially some less common and unusual questions. Learn what interviewers are looking for when they ask odd questions and what you can do to get them to remember you. Why Interviewers Ask Brain Teaser Questions An interviewer might ask you, “How much toilet paper will it take to span the state of New Jersey?...

Probate is a court-supervised process of verifying your will and managing your assets and liabilities. This process begins by proving your will, and an executor or personal representative will eventually pay creditors and gift any remaining assets in your estate to your heirs. While many people navigate the probate process without difficulty, probate does take some time, and it can be expensive. With careful planning, however, it may be possible to skip the challenges often associated with probate....

Mortgage buydowns always include principal and interest in the consumers’ monthly payments, so their loan balances grow smaller every time they make mortgage payments. A smaller mortgage balance means that equity is growing, even when appreciation is low. Common Mortgage Buydown Features Payments are reduced under a mortgage buydown because they’re calculated on a lower interest rate over a specific term. The difference between the “real” note rate and the lowered interest rate is paid in cash in advance....

How Mutual Fund Capital Gains Distributions Work Mutual funds often sell profitable investments at certain times throughout the year. The funds then distribute the profits to shareholders in the form of capital gains distributions. Capital gains distributions are reported on Form 1099-DIV, which shows dividends and capital gains distributions paid throughout the year. They’re taxed at long-term capital gains tax rates regardless of how long you own the shares within the fund....

Depreciation is defined as the value of a business asset over its useful life. The way in which depreciation is calculated determines how much of a depreciation deduction you can take in any one year. So it’s important to understand the methods of calculating depreciation. How Depreciation Works When your business buys property for long-term use, you can take deductions for the cost of the property by spreading it over several years using a process called depreciation....

An Important Change in Overtime Regulations for Exempt Employees The new Department of Labor rule, effective January 1, 2020. increases the salary level for exemption from overtime, from $455 a week to $684 a week. Employees paid less than $684 a week must have their hours tracked and must be paid if they work over 40 hours in a week. This change applies to all types of exempt employees: (executive, administrative, professional, outside sales, and computer employees)....

Ask yourself these basic questions before you choose the best bond funds for your goals. Bond Funds for Income Purposes There are several types of bond mutual funds to select from. Many investors choose bonds and bond funds for interest income. Bonds are tagged as “fixed income securities” for this reason. Income translates to interest payments. A bond will pay you interest, called a coupon, at a stated rate for a given period of time....

Collecting Unemployment Benefits Benefits are provided by state unemployment insurance programs within guidelines established by federal law. Eligibility for unemployment insurance, benefit amounts, and the length of time benefits are available are determined by state law. How to File a Claim for Unemployment You may be able to file for unemployment online or over the phone. Review the information you will need to open a claim, then visit your state unemployment office to determine the best way to open a claim and begin collecting unemployment....