An accountant is a professional who keeps track of the financial records of a business or an individual. There are a number of individuals and businesses who use the services of an accountant all year round. There are other individuals who only hire an accountant to help get all of their finances in order before their tax returns are due. There are millions of accountants located all around the world. With many cities and towns having at least...more
Whether you own a credit card that offers reward points, a credit card with a low ongoing APR or one with a 0% APR intro rate, it helps - and pays - to act smart with your credit card usage. If and when you own a credit card, it's not just simply a matter of swiping and paying off bills. There are ways to maximize the promotional offers and rewards of your credit card and we're here to teach you how to be a smart credit card owner.The Zero...more
Financial security is something we all strive for, well most of us anyway. Some people are perfectly content living paycheck to paycheck and claiming their house is their savings. Part of me wishes I could be that relaxed to have such a laid back view of things.For those of us that do want to have some level of financial security we try to save and invest our money at any opportunity. Some people do this on their own, while the majority of people have some sort of financial professional offering them advice. I personally have an account set up with a financial advisor. Most financial advisors will tell you to "diversify" your money and investments. But, do they really mean it? Yes, they mean it as long as it makes them money. I feel in order to truly be diversified in your investments you need to have your stocks, bonds, and savings. But, the real gold mine is in precious metals. Very few people invest in precious metals, in comparison to the amount of people in the stock market. The most well-known precious metals are gold and silver, in addition to platinum and palladium (a by-product of platinum).Precious metals retain their value very well. A major difference between precious...more
A sales tax is a tax that is placed on the purchases of goods or services. The federal government does not have a national sales tax. Qualifying products or services are only taxable by a particular state government. Each state has the ability to impose their own sales tax rate. At the current time Oregon, New Hampshire, Montana, Hawaii, and...more
Each year there are millions of Americans who prepare their own federal and state tax returns and even more individuals have their taxes professionally prepared. Whatever choice a taxpayer makes there are a number of important tax tips that everyone should know. A W-2 or 1099MISC is needed to accurately prepare a federal or state income tax return....more
There is a great range in rates for commercial surety bonds these days. Principals can see premiums range from 1-15% of the amount of the bond. Even a small bond at 15% can be extremely costly. In part 1 of 2 of this article, we will review what bonding companies look at when deciding a rate. Part 2 of this article will discuss what you can do to better your situation to make sure you are at the bonding companies lowest tier rating.Commercial bond underwriting takes more than just personal credit into consideration. In general, a commercial bond submission must include: a bond application with general information on the principal, business financial statements and or a resume on the owner(s), personal financial statements of the owner(s), personal credit of the owner(s) and possibly their spouse(s), and the bond form that must be used to create the original bond. There are specialty programs available for some classes of business that will require less information. However, these programs are far and few in between.A principal must qualify on all surety items named above. A surety can decline a principal if they fail to meet any of the sureties underwriting guidelines. The best way...more
Office Design TipsWherever you work, at a home office or at a work office, your office working experience depends entirely on its design and productivity. If you ask any experts, they will tell you that your office environment and ambience can tell a...more
You've finally come to that stage in life when you can afford to own a credit card, not as a supplementary cardholder but as the principal cardholder. Finally, you've earned the right to have a credit card in your own name and to be able to purchase...more
We often talk about the big debate about whether leaders or born or made. Are we just born with the all the skills and traits necessary to inspire others to want to follow us, or is it more of a process of learning these skills? While that debate...more
Invariably, when I do a seminar, especially one about money or starting your own business, one or two people will come up to me and ask "What's a good business to get into to make a lot of money?" Wrong question! In my experience, whenever I've done...more
Depending on which company supplies your credit card and which credit card you have, you are likely to have access to a whole range of additional services that come along with your credit card. These will be different for all credit card providers...more
Everyone is well aware of the problematic health care industry. It seems the more and more you pay for your health care benefits the less and less they cover. There are many factors that go into the reasons for this failing health care system and I...more