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Money & Finance
How to manage money when you're between jobs
(BPT) - Though the U.S. economy has been gradually improving, job changes - both involuntary and voluntary - remain a fact of American working life. “It's also a fact that bills need to be paid whether you're employed or not,” says J.J. Montanaro, a certified financial planner with USAA . To help you cover expenses and protect your finances as you transition from one job to the next, Montanaro offers these tips. 1. Decide how to collect your final pay If leaving your job wasn't your ide...
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Money and marriage: Tips to achieve financial happiness
(BPT) - Fights over finances are a commonly known cause of stress and divorce, and a new survey indicates that while the average couple fights over money five times a year, they discuss finances reasonably fewer than two times a month. Every couple knows there are some topics you just don’t bring up – his mother’s dre...
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Making money health more manageable
(BPT) - When you stray from your fitness goals with a fast-food meal or by skipping a few days at the gym, it’s important to not use those moments as an excuse to stop trying. Financial fitness is the same. When you miss a month of paying into your savings, or allow a credit card balance to roll over to the next month, ...
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Five questions to ask before you tie the knot
(BPT) - “I’m so lucky I’m marrying my best friend,” is a phrase you often hear in wedding toasts. Now that you’ve found the person you want to spend the rest of your life with, make sure you protect each other by considering the bigger financial picture. According to Wedding Paper Divas , 47 percent of engaged couples...
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Tips for taking the worries out of finding an investment advisor
When it comes to financial advice, who do you trust? With so many financial professionals to choose from, how do you evaluate who will best be able to guide you? It can be difficult to know who to turn to, and how to gauge the trustworthiness of potential advisors. Economic events of the past few years have fostered a ...
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Thirteen smart financial steps to take in 2013
Many Americans dutifully make New Year’s Resolutions, but unfortunately most get broken or forgotten before too long. So let’s not call these “New Year’s Financial Resolutions.” Instead, here are 13 smart financial steps that you can take to help get and keep your finances on track in 2013: 1. Establish a budget. Many...
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Tips for managing your credit while traveling
(BPT) - When it comes to the excesses and indulgences of vacation, you might like to think that “what happens in Vegas (or wherever you travel) stays in Vegas.” Unfortunately, poor spending and credit choices made on vacation definitely come home with you, so it’s important to take steps to protect your credit – both be...
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Top five tax tips for the digital era
(BPT) - Filing taxes online has become more popular than ever. In fact, the rate of individual tax returns filed online hit an all-time high of 80 percent last year, according to the IRS. But filing isn’t the only step in the process that can now be accomplished with the help of online tools. Use digital technology to y...
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A borrower's guide to impressing a mortgage lender
(BPT) - Who doesn’t like to make a good impression? Whether it’s a first date, meeting the future in-laws for the first time or interviewing for a job, making a good first impression can pave the way for some of life’s happiest experiences. That’s especially true for home-buyers, whose ability to secure their dream home...
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Insurance fraud: A $40 billion battle
(BPT) - The last thing anyone wants is for his or her insurance rates to increase. Most policyholders would be surprised to know it’s the last thing their insurance company wants to happen, too. That's why most major carriers have a department of investigators dedicated to stopping one of the primary causes of rate hike...
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Don't miss out on extra savings this tax season
Tax season is in full swing, and many families are gathering all their information to help them calculate how much of a refund they’ll receive this year. Families have several opportunities to qualify for tax exemptions or refunds, which can add up to a sizeable refund check from the federal government. If you’re expecting a refund this year, be sure to put it to good use. For example, if you have any outstanding credit card debt, a payday loan online or other debts, consider using the re...
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By Alex Dobuzinskis LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - City Councilman Eric Garcetti leads City Controller Wendy Greuel by 7 percentage points in a tightening race for mayor of Los Angeles, according to the latest opinion poll, but the survey's director said Greuel could still stage an upset in Tuesday's election. The poll released late on Friday by the University of Southern California's Price School of Public Policy and the Los Angeles Times showed Garcetti favored by 48 percent of likely voters, compared with 41 percent for Greuel. Eleven percent of respondents said they were undecided. ...
By Karen Brooks AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - The Powerball jackpot Saturday night could exceed the $600 million figure being advertised, possibly rivaling the largest lottery payoff in U.S. history, a Texas Lottery official said on Saturday. "Oftentimes, the advertised amount is lower than what the actual jackpot ends up being," said Kelly Cripe, a spokeswoman for the Texas Lottery. "It's entirely possible this $600 million jackpot will end up being a bigger jackpot. ...