Below, we’ll dive into how you can give the gift of stock, plus any tax implications or other costs that you need to watch out for. How To Get Stock In order to give someone the gift of stock, you need to own that stock. The easiest way to get stock is to buy shares through a brokerage account. You can open a brokerage account with many different companies—many offer online access or an app for your phone....

You might have to pay security deposits on utilities, cell phone companies may require higher deposits or full phone purchases, and landlords may turn down your rental applications. You can turn your credit history around, but it takes time. What Is a Negative Credit History? Having a negative credit history means you have several pieces of negative information on your credit report—a document that contains details of your payment and account history with creditors and lenders....

While bankruptcy is the first step in re-establishing good credit, you can’t just file a case and expect significant movement. You’ve got to work at it. The process will demand your attention, and it’s going to take time, but it can be done. What Makes Up Your Credit Score? Credit scores are based on data collected over months and years. Credit scores move slowly. One month—even six months—of data may not be enough to sway the credit scoring company to improve your score significantly....

Creating a final arrangements document can ensure your final wishes are carried out upon your death and ease the burden of making those difficult decisions for your loved ones. How to Make Your Wishes Known The best way to let your loved ones know about your funeral wishes is to write down a list of specific instructions in a document that is separate from your will or trust. This separate writing should include details about what should and should not be done so your family doesn’t have to second guess what you would have wanted to happen....

What You Need To Open a Bank Account Online To open a bank account online, be prepared to provide personal information so the bank can verify your identity. You may also need to arrange for electronic deposits to your new online bank account. Gather the following items before you start the process. Personal Information You need to tell the bank who you are and provide personal details about yourself. Be prepared to give:...

At first glance, a seller might ask, “What? Are you nuts?” because sellers want the highest possible price and to pay the lowest commission. But those two criteria have very little to do with hiring a competent agent and, in many instances, are completely irrelevant. Let’s look at why. The Highest Suggested List Price Agents can’t tell you how much your home will sell for. To say that they can is a fallacy....

A short sale has to be approved by any lenders who have a stake in the property being sold, and the seller and property have to meet certain requirements to qualify. Short Sale Definition A short sale happens when the lender is shorted on a mortgage, meaning the lender accepts less than the total amount that is due. If your mortgage is $100,000, but your home value dropped to $90,000, you are short $10,000 plus the costs to close the sale....

There are several ways to earn and redeem rewards. In simple terms, cash-back cards earn you money when you spend money. Travel-based cards offer points or miles you can redeem for airline tickets, resort stays, hotel destinations, and more. And some cards offer both types of rewards, as well as merchandise and other options. And of course, it’s always a good idea to redeem rewards before your points expire....

if your business sells products or engages in activities that may be subject to excise taxes, here’s information to help you know when and how to pay and report these taxes. What Is an Excise Tax? Excise taxes have been imposed on specific goods and activities in the U.S. since the whiskey tax in 1791. Some are “sin taxes” that aim to control the use of certain products like cigarettes and sports betting....

Notice of State Income Taxes Due A notice of state income tax due is just one type of notice a state government tax authority may send you. It will state that you owe the state government tax money, even if you’ve already filed your state tax return. The notice will likely include a payment voucher and a summary of the balance due. For example, California’s Franchise Tax Board lists nearly three dozen notices it may send, covering everything from requests for additional documentation to confirming whether or not you will be itemizing deductions....

Save as Much as You Can, as Fast as You Can On his website Early Retirement Extreme, Jacob describes how he achieved financial independence within five years by taking some extreme measures. He saved about 75% of his income by choosing a lifestyle that involved only spending money on the bare necessities. The bottom line is: if you’re willing to do what few other people are for a few years (save a whopping 75% of what you make), you can achieve something that few others will (financial independence at a young age)....

Ideally, it’s best to have a lawyer present to look out for problematic clauses, but this isn’t always possible, especially for sole proprietors and new small business launches. However, you can still decipher a business loan agreement for yourself by paying attention to the following components, terms, and items. What Is a Business Loan Agreement? A business loan agreement is a document outlining the terms and conditions of the current and future (repayment) logistics of the loan....

Your credit rating is one of the most important measures of your financial health. A good credit score signals to lenders that you’re financially responsible and it can make getting approved for loans or credit cards easier. Not only that, but good credit can help you secure the best interest rates when you borrow. If you’re new to using credit, however, you may have a thin credit file or no credit history at all....

What Is the Discounted Cash Flow Model? The discounted cash flow model (DCF) is one common way to value an entire company. When you use the DCF to value a company, you are able to decide how much its shares of stock should cost. DCF is considered an “absolute value” model. It uses objective financial data to evaluate a company, instead of comparisons to other firms. The dividend discount model (DDM) is another absolute value model that is widely accepted, though it may not be appropriate for certain companies....

Using Your Credit Report To Prioritize Your Debt Payments Your credit report can be a valuable tool to help you create a plan to pay off your debt. It can be helpful to see all of your debts in one place so you can compare them and better understand how each plays a role in your total debt. While each credit bureau formats its version of a credit report differently, they all contain the same basic information used to calculate your credit score....

Learn more about the importance of your message and why you should schedule time to work on it. A Parental Leave Out-of-Office Message Sets Expectations The parental leave you take after your baby is born is private and very special. The moments with your newborn can never be recaptured, and parental leave is known to be beneficial for the health and wellness of both parent and infant, and for family security in general....

These job descriptions show prospective employers what you have accomplished in the positions you’ve held. They also provide a synopsis of your experience and skills. Here’s advice on writing job descriptions for your resume, what to include, how to quantify and prioritize your accomplishments, and examples. How to Write Resume Job Descriptions What’s the best way to write attention-grabbing job descriptions? Before you start adding job descriptions to your resume, you may want to make a list of accomplishments at each of your jobs....

Learn more about public speaking, why it’s important, and how to improve your public speaking skills. What Is Public Speaking? Public speaking is a soft skill that requires excellent communication skills, enthusiasm, and the ability to engage with an audience. Soft skills are interpersonal skills that are less technical and more about how you interact with others. Public speakers make presentations to a group. Presentations could range from speaking to a small number of employees to presenting to a large audience at a national conference or event....

That’s according to research by the New York Fed that published Wednesday. The report found that Black and Hispanic households experienced higher than average inflation during most of 2021 and 2022. However, inflation inequality has lessened as the price of gas and used cars has gone down in the past few months. On average, different groups of people buy different amounts of different things, so price increases in different categories don’t affect everyone the same....

Between Jan. 1, 2020 and Aug. 21, 2020, SPAC IPOs in the U.S. raised a record $31 billion through 78 transactions, reportedly outpacing traditional IPOs in the summer months. And in January and February of 2021, there were 70 SPAC mergers globally—six times the amount during the same period last year—with the combined value of February deals reaching an all-time record of $108.6 billion, according to Thomson Reuters, which had access to a March 1 report from financial markets data company Refinitiv....