Alternative Student Savings Accounts and their Benefits
Lifestyle

Alternative Student Savings Accounts and their Benefits

As one prepares to pursue higher education, savings play a crucial role in the way finances have to be managed. Apart from regular savings account for students, there are alternatives that give the benefits of tax advantage, helps you to pay secondary expenses, and reap other gains. Herein, we discuss various savings accounts that give students major benefits. Students Savings Accounts This is where it all starts. Being a student, this short-term account is ideal in all aspects including safety, accessibility, benefits and freebies, accrued interest and managing finance. Your savings account must be insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. or National Credit Union Administration in situations of emergency. Plus you get the benefit of accrued interest, which is best when it is saved in times of dire needs. You got to find the best bank that holds a place in the new modern era unlike a very traditional one to keep your savings intact. 529 College Plans This tax-advantaged savings account is meant for higher education expenses. It’s basically after-tax money that is invested in bond funds and low-cost stocks and is used in qualified education needs. This savings account can be opened from the time the child is born and is ideally used for undergraduate and graduate studies.
Read More
Top Tips for Amateur Stock Investors
Lifestyle

Top Tips for Amateur Stock Investors

Every person who wants to invest in stocks requires a certain set of pre-requisite skills and mindset to begin his or her venture. This can vary from the kind of approach to take all the way to understand the basics behind investment in stocks. Listed below are some important tips and suggestions that can help a person acquire the skill set needed to invest in stocks. Learning fundamental concepts This is the most important tip for aspiring stock investors. Before investing for the first time, it is advisable to comprehend the following terms that can be useful in understanding the stock market. Financial Metrics P/E Ratio, Earnings per Share (EPS), Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) and Rate on Equity (ROE): these terms can be used to understand the financial performance of a company, how much returns they can yield and can be used to compare two companies against each other to choose which to invest in. Choosing Stocks Broadly, the two forms of analysis of stocks are “fundamental” analysis and “technical” analysis. Understanding the mechanisms of these forms of analysis and whether they vary from one and another is key to helping beginners in stock management. Forms and Types of Orders Having a strong conceptual understanding with respect to market orders, stop market orders, limit order, trailing stop-loss orders, stop-limit orders and other terms can go a long way in helping a beginner gauge what other long time investors are conversing about.
Read More
5 Ways to Improve a Bad Credit Score
Lifestyle

5 Ways to Improve a Bad Credit Score

A credit score is an indicator of a person’s ability to pay off his debts and is crucial for gaining approval for borrowing from creditors. Maintaining a good credit score is a quintessential aspect of developing a healthy financial lifestyle. The benefits that result from good credit scores include increasing your chances of getting approved for a loan or credit card. The interest rates charged on said loan or credit card are also low on account of a person’s good credit score. A person is allowed to borrow more, acquire more bargaining power, have the option (under certain situations) to not pay up security deposits and have higher chances of finding accommodation on rent and better car insurance rates. If the following steps are followed diligently, a person’s bad credit score can improve drastically over time: Regular Repayment Scoring systems that determine a person’s credit score, such as Vantage Score and FICO, factor in how often the person in question has paid off his or her debts entirely. Repaying all forms of debt on a timely basis is a good indicator of responsible usage of credit. Not Abusing the Limit for those who don’t know how to improve a bad credit score, it is important not to reach the maximum borrowing limit all the time.
Read More
Best Android Smartwatches for 2020
Lifestyle

Best Android Smartwatches for 2020

There are a host of smartwatches designed especially for Android users today. They are not only optimized for all Android devices but also have a whole lot of features. Moreover, they are lightweight and compact and offer a great battery life. Listed below are the best Android smartwatches: Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 The Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 is undoubtedly the most all-around wearable for Android users. It is lightweight and compact and features an extremely vivid and sharp touch display, which is fun to use and easy to navigate, thanks to the new capacitive bezel on the watch. The Tizen OS is battery-friendly and can connect to a ton of apps, including Strava and Spotify. The most exciting feature is the fitness app which calculates everything, right from caffeine consumption to automatic workout tracking. Its notification system is excellent and is water-resistant, too. You get all these features for just about $220. Mobvoi TicWatch E2 If you’re looking for value from your Android smartwatch without burning a hole in your pocket, then the Mobvoi TicWatch E2 is an ideal choice. It has a huge 1.4-inch display plus all fixings of a good smartwatch, a day-long battery life, workout detection, heart rate monitor, waterproofing, and great touch response.
Read More
Top Fitness Trackers in 2020
Lifestyle

Top Fitness Trackers in 2020

Today, fitness has become a part of everyone’s lives. There has been a profusion in the numbers and kinds of fitness trackers to help you with health statistics, and the selection has never been better. However, larger numbers of choices leads to more confusion. So, here are some of the best fitness trackers for you to choose from. Fitbit Charge 3 Fitbit fitness trackers are probably one of the most recommended products. Costing around $149.95, the Fitbit Charge 3 is even better than its predecessor. It boasts of a sharper, crisp screen, longer battery life, better-updated sensors, and a fantastic build. All these collectively make Fitbit 3 one of the best everyday fitness trackers for casual users and is perfect to keep tabs on your activity and overall health. The only downside is that the swipe interface can be a bit finicky. Garmin Vivoactive 3 The Garmin Vivoactive 3 has all its best features, right from fitness trackers and running watches, packed into a timepiece that can be worn anywhere. The Garmin Vivoactive 3 features all smartwatch features, including contactless payment. It also includes advanced fitness metrics for stress, fitness age, and VO2 max. It also calculates your heart rate, sleep quality, and steps continuously.
Read More
Smart Fridges – What You Should Know
Lifestyle

Smart Fridges – What You Should Know

Could you imagine your fridge telling you that it has no ice or that you have left the door open? Nowadays, smart fridges can do that and much more! Smart fridges can also tell you what you have run out of so that you can add it to your shopping list. Connected to smartphones via the Internet, smart fridges are now making inroads into the electronics market and are being lapped up by the public. What is a smart refrigerator? A smart refrigerator is connected to the cloud. Depending on the kind of features it has, a smart fridge allows users to get alerts if the door of the fridge has been left open, receive and send notes and calendar entries, and even use one’s smartphone to see what is inside. Currently, very few manufacturers manufacture smart refrigerators. At this point, only GE (under the Café brand), Samsung, and LG make smart refrigerators. Also, each brand has only a couple of models to its name with all the connected features. However, the brands are well-known for the prowess of their electronics and are reliable enough to invest in. What smart fridges do: It depends on the product manufactured by the company.
Read More
6 Tips to Avoid Credit Card Debt
Lifestyle

6 Tips to Avoid Credit Card Debt

Credit cards are a blessing during an emergency. However, if you use it carelessly, it can get you into deep trouble. If your credit card dues accumulate, it will take umpteen years and huge sacrifices to clear it off. So, if you are one of those people who uses their credit cards excessively, make sure you do not fall into a deep financial pit. Given below are some useful guidelines to help you steer clear off credit card debts. Never miss your payments One of the best means to make sure your credit card debt does not go out of control is to ensure that your payments are made on time every month. If you miss a single payment, the next payment along with a late fee could put a big strain on your budget. Never lend your credit card This should go without a saying; never lend your credit card to a friend. Although he or she may promise to repay the amount, you are the sole person responsible for the charges applied. In case they are unable to make the payment on time, you will have to repay it with interest. Keep the minimum number of credit cards It is always wise to keep a tab on the number of credit cards you own.
Read More
Pros and Cons of Borrowing from a 401(k)
Lifestyle

Pros and Cons of Borrowing from a 401(k)

Borrowing from 401(k) and Its Pros and Cons While taking a loan from your 401(k) plan you need to be an employee, but not all companies allow loans. So, before you rely on this, check if your plan permits you to do so. You can find this on the plan documents or you can talk to your HR or plan representative. If you are eligible, you need to make an informed decision before you apply for a loan. Let’s take a look at some pros and cons of borrowing from 401(k). Pros No loan application is required You don’t need to have a credit score The repayment is automatically deducted from your paycheck from one to five years Cons There is double taxation on the interest component. The interest is repaid to your 401(k) plan after-tax money. If you do not take a loan, you earn tax-deferred interest. Also, you can only be taxed when you withdraw. By borrowing, you have to earn the money and pay taxes on it to put the money back into the plan. Once it is withdrawn, it will be taxed again. This defeats the purpose of a tax-deferred account. If you have left the job, you need to repay the loan or any outstanding balance, which can be treated as taxable payment unless repaid entirely within a certain time limit.
Read More
Top TV Shows and Movies on Disney+
Lifestyle

Top TV Shows and Movies on Disney+

Disney+ is now online and has a full lineup of must-see movies like Fantasia , Swiss Family Robinson , Three Musketeers, Three Men and a Baby, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and Frozen and popular TV shows like the X-Men animated series, Recess , and Lizzie McGuire . They also have a collection of originals, which everyone is talking about. The best new upcoming shows streaming on Disney+ include Falcon and The Winter Soldier and WandaVision. Besides the originals there are shows which include X-Men , Boy Meets World , and Gargoyles . The shows can be stopped midway and you can continue to watch them with the resume button. Disney+ has broken down the launch titles into seven different sections, which include National Geographic, Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, Disney Channel Originals, Disney Animation, and Disney Films. Upcoming Shows The must-see movies and TV shows also include animated shows and live-action. The new originals like Falcon and The Winter Soldier , Lizzie McGuire , the Toy Story collection, and Loki . The second seasons of High School Musical and The Mandalorian have become the talk of the town. Streaming Apps and Devices Disney+ is not found on many streaming devices but it is almost everywhere like Fire tablets, Fire TV, Roku, PS4, Microsoft Xbox One, Chromecast, Android TV, Android phones, Apple TV, iPod touch, iPads, iPhones and Vizio sets.
Read More
The Importance of Liquid Assets in Businesses
Lifestyle

The Importance of Liquid Assets in Businesses

Businesses of today are burdened with numerous obligations. These include the regular re-stocking of inventory, paying employees with their salaries, keeping up with a regular cash-flow for day to day activities and maintaining a fund in case of contingencies that are beyond the control of the establishment. Such circumstances beg the need for a certain degree of liquidity in the assets of a company. But there are often signs that may indicate that the company has more liquid assets than it may actually require. This would ideally provide that the company has some assets that could be invested rather than being held onto. Herein, discuss we different types of liquid assets and their importance in an establishment. Liquid Assets of Businesses Most different types of liquid assets are common between individuals and businesses, like cash in hand, cash balance in banks, stocks and bonds. The Approach of Various Entities Now, companies in general like to pay attention to their net liquid assets. Net liquid assets are the value of liquid assets the company would be left with after it pays off its current debts. Furthermore, they allot time frames to gauge the financial position of their company. One such way of doing this is analyzing quick assets.
Read More