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Follow these steps to learn what to do before leaving a job so you can make a graceful exit. Here’s how to quit the right way. If you’re concerned about your manager reacting poorly, send your written resignation first, and then follow it up as soon as possible with a face-to-face discussion. Start your email or letter with a salutation, like “Dear Ms. [Last Name].” Follow that with a statement explaining that you’re resigning and the date of your last day....

If you maintain a positive, professional relationship with your former employer and your colleagues, you are more likely to get good references, helpful networking advice, career assistance, and more. Read below for advice on how to resign with class and move on from your job. Taking the time to finalize relationships with supervisors and co-workers can solidify positive perceptions about your professionalism, help you maintain a connection with your soon-to-be previous colleagues, and help you in the future....

“Personal representative,” “executor” and “trustee” are some of the titles you’ll encounter. Some of the distinctions are minor and some are more significant. Personal representatives, executors, and trustees are all fiduciaries – a term that means they’re entrusted to ethically and fairly deal with the affairs of others – but they can play very different roles in your estate plan. The Personal Representative These terms are often used interchangeably, with good reason....

Benchmarks, or rules of thumb, can be helpful in financial planning because they give an idea of whether you’re on the right track. They are useful for making quick approximations and estimations but may not always account for critical variables. Whether the 10% rule of thumb is a good benchmark for your own portfolio depends on a variety of factors, including your risk tolerance, time horizon, and more. What Is the Rule of Thumb About Average Stock Market Returns?...

BeeBright/Getty Images This is especially true if you’ve worked at the job for a long time and developed personal relationships, or if you have been given career development counseling and/or training, or become a respected team leader at the company. Leaving Your Job With Diplomacy In a work climate where people change jobs far more frequently than they did in earlier generations, it’s important to maintain a positive and supportive network of professional references—which means that you should always part ways in as professional a manner as possible, and do your best to maintain a cordial relationship with them in case you might need them to serve as a reference for you in the future....

Employee vs. Contractor Resignations Resignation letters serve several purposes. They let the other party know where they stand, enabling them to make arrangements to cover the workload, and they maintain the relationship between the contractor and the employer. To maintain a professional reputation, it’s best to be considerate when leaving a job. There are some differences between the resignation letter that you’d send as a full-time employee and the one you’d send as a freelancer or contractor....

When saving up for something, you’re setting a savings goal for yourself that will lead you on a path toward getting something you want. While buying a house, paying off debt, or taking a big vacation may come to mind as suitable goals, there are also the little things. It’s OK to set goals for the little things that can brighten your day-to-day life, like purchasing a trip to the day spa or that new laptop you’ve been eyeing....

When you buy a property with the goal of earning profit, you can start building equity with homeownership while also potentially generating income to cover the mortgage. On the downside, buying an investment property as your first home does have risks. Learn the pros and cons of buying an investment property as your first home so you can determine if it’s the right move for you. What Is an Investment Property?...

Carlina Teteris / Getty Images How Signature Loans Work When you need extra cash, a signature loan may be the answer. These loans provide funds you can use for almost anything—including debt consolidation, home improvements, major purchases, and more. They’re relatively quick and easy to apply for, and you typically pay off your debt within a few years. Payment Term You typically pay off signature loans over one to five years, but other terms are available....

Describe and Compare The section needs to explain exactly what you are selling and how it fits in the marketplace. It’s easier to describe the value provided if you are the only business in the area selling the product or service in question, but it is likely competitors are doing something similar. Provide information about your competitors’ offerings, how they are similar to yours, and how they are different. It’s possible your business has a slightly different take on the product or service or is targeting a slightly different audience....

Although 5.9% is the largest COLA increase since 1982, it may not be enough to keep Social Security recipients in the black. Economists are warning that an inflation spike that was supposed to be a temporary byproduct of the pandemic is likely to be hotter and last longer than initially expected, and many see monthly inflation rates over 5% lasting into next year. The Consumer Price Index rose 5.4% in the 12 months through September, the government said Wednesday....

Some people consider working and collecting Social Security benefits simultaneously. The question is: Can you get Social Security retirement benefits while still actively working? The answer is yes, but consider this choice carefully. Here are a few things to look at first. Earn Your Credits The point of Social Security is to have consistent income once you retire, but you first have to pay into the program by earning credits....

Some SoFi app users got a sneak peek of the SoFi Credit Card back in July, as previously reported by The Balance, but this no-annual-fee Mastercard became available to select users Wednesday and there’s now a waitlist for others who want to sign up. SoFi is billing the new card as a way to incentivize healthy financial habits like paying down debt and saving for the future. It offers a pretty standard 1% back on all purchases, but that gets doubled when rewards are used to pay a SoFi loan or deposited in a SoFi Money or SoFi Invest account....

Of course, there’s nothing stopping you from dropping your price later, but that can be a matter of too-little-too-late. You’ll want a comparative market analysis (CMA) so you’re as close to value as possible. The Pricing Dilemma Although pricing too high can be a mistake, don’t worry about pricing your home too low. Properties priced below market value will often receive multiple offers that will then drive the price up to market level....

After a later-than-usual start to the tax season, the IRS in March extended its deadline by about a month to May 17, giving individuals more time to file their returns and contribute to savings plans. The change came after President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan had already passed, a month into tax season and after millions of Americans had already filed, offering relief for taxpayers who received unemployment compensation in 2020....

This article explains how to qualify for a tax loss carryforward and how the process works for a small business owner. What Is a Tax Loss? A tax loss, otherwise known as a net operating loss (NOL), is the opposite of a profit (net income). A business has NOL when expense deductions are greater than income. The word “operating” is key because these losses must come from the business’s regular operations....

After your internship is complete, whether it’s an in-person or virtual experience, it’s a good idea to send one (or more) thank-you notes. Sending a thank-you note allows you to express your appreciation for the opportunity. Plus, this polite touch helps you end your internship on a strong, positive note. Who to Thank for the Experience You can send a thank-you note or email to your direct manager, to the internship program leader or coordinator, and also to any colleagues who may have been particularly helpful or involved in your day-to-day work during your internship....

If your office has more than 5 employees or deals with a high-volume of work, you’ll want to invest in a laser printer for its faster print speeds and higher input/output capacity. If you want to make your office a bit more eco-friendly, ink tank printers are designed to reduce plastic waste from cartridges, and many laser printers feature automatic duplex printing, copying, and scanning to save on paper and energy use; many manufacturers also have ink and toner cartridge recycling programs to further reduce plastic waste from offices....

A slowing job market is expected as the Fed continues to hike interest rates. And, Fed Chair Jerome Powell has said that the labor market would “soften,” which could bring some “pain.” But that’s exactly what the Fed wants. With inflation continuing to run hot, making it harder and more expensive for all of us to buy groceries, clothes, and other items, the Fed needs to slam the brakes on the economy....

What a Consultant Is A consultant is a person who is paid to provide professional or expert advice in a particular field or specialty, such as advising a company on social media use or on increasing efficiency. What a Freelancer Is A freelancer works independently, selling work or services by the hour, day, or job — usually with no intent to pursue a permanent or long-term arrangement with a single employer....