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In the week ending April 3, there were 744,000 initial claims for unemployment insurance, an increase of 16,000 from the previous week’s revised total, according to data released Thursday by the Department of Labor. The increase surprised economists, who had expected claims to drop. A median estimate cited by Moody’s Analytics forecasted 656,140 initial claims for the week. Initial claims have been stuck around 700,000 for weeks now, about three times pre-pandemic levels and similar to numbers seen in late February....

Insurance Binder Defined An insurance binder is temporary. It’s issued by an authorized representative. It serves as proof of insurance for your home, property, or car. Your binder will outline the basic terms, coverages, deductibles, and named insureds that will appear ​in your contract. A binder is subject to all the terms of the pending contract, unless it is noted otherwise. What Is Included in a Binder? The binder should include all necessary information about the contract that’s been purchased....

Swaps are like exchanging the value of the bonds without going through the legalities of buying and selling actual bonds. Most swaps are based on bonds that have adjustable-rate interest payments that change over time. Swaps allow investors to offset the risk of changes in future interest rates. Example The most common is the “vanilla swap.” It occurs when one party swaps an adjustable-rate payment stream with another party’s fixed-rate payments....

The Federal Reserve raised its benchmark interest rate Wednesday and signaled it plans to continue ratcheting rates up this year and next. Because the fed funds rate influences rates on everything from credit cards and home equity lines of credit to auto loans and fixed and adjustable-rate mortgages, consumers need to be prepared for this higher-rate environment. “It’s good to take the opportunity to look at managing the debt you have before rates go up,” said Bruce McClary, senior vice president of communications at the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, a nonprofit financial counseling organization....

“What are you looking for in terms of salary?” is a straightforward question and yet the answer is so complex. It’s difficult to know what to say (and what not to say) so that you receive a job offer that’s a win for both yourself and the company. What the Interviewer Wants to Know Why do interviewers want to know your salary expectations? Employers may ask this question to get a sense of whether or not they can afford your help....

These types of options are listed on an exchange and trade through a clearinghouse. Don’t panic—it sounds more advanced than it is. Without going into the technical details, what it effectively means is that the performance of your option is guaranteed by the exchange itself. Each participant is charged a fee to help cover potential default, with the odds considered remote. In other words, if you were to buy 10 call contracts giving you the right to buy the stock of a blue-chip company at $50 per share between now and a week from now, you would pay $3 per share, or $3,000 total (each call option contract represents 100 shares, so 10 contracts x 100 shares x $3 per share = $3,000)....

There are a few ways to gain exposure to the South Korean financial climate in your investing strategy including stocks, indexes, and mutual funds. However, if you are looking for instant exposure and minimal transactions, an ETF may be your best option. ETFs have some advantages over other investments, including tax benefits and lower commissions and fees. Some investors appreciate the fact that ETFs can be bought and sold throughout the day, unlike mutual funds....

Take the time to carefully complete every application you fill out to be sure the information is accurate, your dates and job descriptions are correct, and there are no spelling or grammatical errors. 10 Common Mistakes to Avoid Application Tips It can be helpful to write out a master list with the dates and descriptions of your education and the jobs you have held in chronological order. When you are filling out applications, you can refer to your list and be sure that you are providing accurate and complete information to each employer....

Lower earners would receive more support on a sliding scale, paying less than 7% of their income. A couple with one toddler earning $100,000 could save more than $5,000 under the plan, the White House estimated. Child care has been a huge challenge for parents and providers alike since the pandemic struck. Providers say they have a hard time finding staff, and that’s left parents facing long waiting lists for care....

For example, suppose that a U.S.-based investor purchases a German stock for 100 euros. While holding this stock, the euro exchange rate falls from 1.5 to 1.3 euros per U.S. dollar. If the investor sells the stock for 100 euros, he or she will realize a 13% loss upon conversion of the profits from euros to U.S. dollars. However, if that investor hedged his or her position by simultaneously short-selling the euro, then the profit from the euro’s decline would offset the 13% loss upon conversion....

A dual agency exists when a broker or agent represents both the buyer and the seller of a property. Dual agency is forbidden in some locales. Many experts feel that neither the buyer nor the seller receives adequate representation in this situation. It appears to be a conflict of interest when brokers or agents represent their clients through dual agency. Aspects of Single Agency A broker who represents a buyer is prohibited from showing them properties listed by the broker’s agency under single agency....

During this learning curve phase, you don’t just learn how to do your job, but you also learn how to get along with co-workers, and develop a good feel for “how the office ticks.” This includes understanding what is acceptable and what could be career suicide, which includes asking too early for perks such as vacations. Generally speaking, it’s not a good idea to ask for time off until you have mastered your job and completed any training necessary to perform your job....

With that in mind, here are eight of the leading options in the low-risk segment of the ​​fixed income market.​​ 1. Savings Bonds These are the safest investment since they’re backed by the government and guaranteed not to lose principal. They don’t offer exceptional yields, but that isn’t the point. If you want to keep your money safe, savings bonds are the best option. They’re easy to buy through ​TreasuryDirect, and they’re tax-free on both the state and local levels....

Here is a look at three global macro hedge funds with exemplary histories of performance. International investors can follow their trades by reading SEC filings. Bridgewater Associates According to Pensions and Investments, Bridgewater Associates is ranked as the number one hedge fund in terms of Assets Under Management (AUM). As of May 2021, the firm had approximately $150 billion in AUM. Bridgewater is a global macro hedge fund that invests based on economic trends, such as inflation, exchange rates, and U....

Advocates for wiping out a portion of everyone’s student loan balance point to these numbers as evidence the student loan system is broken. And it’s become even more clear since the government suspended all payment obligations at the start of the pandemic two years ago, they say. The lengthy forbearance period—which has also stopped any interest from accruing—has changed lives, giving some borrowers breathing room to catch up on snowballing debt, and others to buy houses, invest, or start families....

Choosing the account that works best for your trading style and needs is an important decision. It could have significant financial impacts. Learn what to consider when choosing between margin accounts and cash accounts. What’s the Difference Between Margin and Cash Accounts? This can effectively reduce your buying power and restrict your ability to place trades as often as you might like. Depending on how frequently you trade and the settlement dates on those trades, you might not have enough settled cash at the moment you want to place your next buy order....

We score each attribute on a scale of 0 to 5. We then weight these scores to determine the star ratings you see on our review pages. The following elements are generally ordered from highest to lowest in how heavily they factor into our overall evaluation of credit cards. The Cost of a Credit Card With credit card debt reaching an all-time high of $1.09 trillion in 2019, we believe you should know the cost of using cards and carrying a balance....

President Joe Biden, who designated Monday as Child Tax Credit Awareness Day, released a video on Twitter to promote the non-filer tool, calling on families to spread the word about the expanded benefit, particularly to low-income families who need it most. The estimate of 2 million is a Treasury Department estimate of people who claimed 2.27 million children on healthcare-related tax forms but not on 2019 or 2020 income tax forms....

That’s how many children—88% of all children in the U.S.—live in households that will automatically begin receiving monthly child tax credit payments starting in July, the government said Monday. Because of an enhanced federal child tax credit for 2021, households with children at home will begin getting monthly installments of up to $250 per child ($300 for a child 5 or under) on July 15, the IRS said in a statement, giving a more specific date to early guidance that the payments would arrive in July....

Both mortgage protection insurance (sometimes called mortgage life insurance) and term life insurance can pay your mortgage if you die, but they aren’t the same. Here’s what they are and how to determine which one you should get. Term Life Insurance Explained Term life insurance is relatively straightforward. It’s an insurance policy for a set amount of time (or a term), such as 15, 20, or 30 years, and pays a tax-free death payout (or benefit) if you die within the period covered....