News

[ad_1] A close friend of mine was diagnosed with cancer this year. It was the serious kind, where you need to treat it quickly and aggressively or it will spread through your body, stick to all of your organs, and kill you. The diagnosis was a shock to my friend and her loved ones – she’s fairly young, had always been healthy in the past, and had no warning it was coming. But she decided against self-pity and just took the diagnosis with complete seriousness.  In the brief week of calm that she had before the storm of chemotherapy, she warned her children and her colleagues that she would need to make space, because things were going to be much more difficult for a good part of the next year. And then she laid down to accept the intravenous injection of the Red Devil – a chemotherapy medicine so toxic that the doctor needs to wear a hazardous materials suit to administer it. Every two weeks for the next four months, this primitive and painful treatment would be repeated, beating her down further every time. She lost all her hair, strength, energy, even some of her cognition and ability to speak. Or sleep. Or eat. Then there was some painful surgery and a couple dozen sessions of searing radiation. And finally, when there was just a faint wisp left of her physical form, some very fortunate news came: the cancer was completely gone. Thankfully, the very bright spark of her soul remained. It had been kept alive by her own incredible will to survive, but also by the superhero dedication of her family and closest friends, who stepped up in almost unimaginable ways to support her and pull her through that dark tunnel. So this spark began to rekindle as the body around it was allowed to start rebuilding itself. Her recovery gathered speed as the poisoning receded into the past, and many of the long-lost pleasures of the past felt new and better than ever before. She appreciated physical strength, and good food, and most importantly connections with loved ones in a way that she could never have done before having it all taken away.  And now this woman is back, like a truly badass superhero emerging from the flames and smoke of a wrecked city, ready to make Act Two a thousand times better than her admittedly impressive first act had already been. This is a real story, and I’m elated and happy that this loved one is still alive and feeling well again. But it’s also a hell of a metaphor for what has just happened to our world in 2020. As one of her doctors put it, she was “poisoned just enough” to cure the cancer, while the underlying human being survived and now has a chance for an unprecedented rebirth.  You and I are now presented with this same opportunity, should we choose to accept it. Because of COVID-19, billions of people worldwide have just been through a pretty shitty year. The effects have been very unequal and unfair – the world reported about 1.7 million deaths from the virus this year, increasing the human race’s death toll by a full three percentage points compared to a normal year. Here in the US, deaths are a full ten percent higher than normal. But hundreds of millions of people are also unemployed, some having lost their business or livelihood forever. And almost every person on the planet has had to give up some of the most fundamental human need of all: contact with each other.  From the US CDC: The ongoing forest fire of COVID-related deaths (blue) versus our deaths from other causes (green). Friendships, family gatherings, people in love, companies, collaboration, hikes, even kids playing together in nature – they have all been strained and pulled apart to varying degrees. Some of us were lucky to have a big enough bubble of close family and friends to sustain our mental health, but many were not. And we watched the fabric of society get torn apart as we battled and shamed each other over two sides of an issue that are inherently impossible to resolve: a desire to protect other people, versus a desire to have human contact – which is at the core of being human itself.  This shit has gone on for month after month, wave after wave, just like the poisonous flow of chemotherapy, stripping us down relentlessly and fraying nerves and sanity everywhere. But thankfully, it is Just. About. Over. And instead of mourning and throwing ourselves a pity party for this past year, I think it’s worth looking at all the positive things we have put in place to help us survive, which will start to look even more positive as the Coronatimes recede rapidly into the rearview mirror. (Note: some of these points were provided by my cancer-beating friend, who happens to be a director at a human resources startup firm.) The Future of Work has suddenly accelerated: working from home has been greatly expanded, with almost universal approval. In the future, we will still be able to hang out with our coworkers in person, but we can do it on our own terms instead of 9-to-5 every day just because the boss says so.  I believe this is much bigger than most people realize – the drastic reduction in commuting, the ability of people to leave expensive metro areas and repopulate small towns that provide a better quality of life, and the ability of companies to lock in the best talent regardless of geography. On top of greater happiness, these changes all provide huge increases in productivity and efficiency, which are the building blocks of all future human prosperity. Education: Remote learning has shown us that kids can often learn more quickly when we set them free to run at their own pace, and that some (although certainly not all) kids feel safer without the social pressures of

[ad_1] Along with Canada’s other big banks, BMO (Bank of Montreal) offers the stability that stems from a long history as an established institution. BMO was founded in 1817, making it Canada’s oldest incorporated bank, and it’s been the nation’s fourth largest since 2018. Due, in part, to its close ties to the United States (it operates in many U.S. cities as BMO Harris Bank) and association with the wildly popular Air Miles rewards program, this bank captures the business of millions of Canadians. Read on to learn more about the best selections from across BMO’s 11 credit card offerings, including recommended cards for travellers and Air Miles collectors, as well as the most attractive no-fee, cash back and low interest cards. The best BMO credit cards in Canada 2021 BMO CashBack Mastercard — Best no fee card BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard — Best cash back card BMO eclipse Visa Infinite – Best for dining and transit spending BMO World Elite Mastercard — Best travel card BMO Air Miles World Elite Mastercard — Best Air Miles card BMO Preferred Rate Mastercard — Best low interest card BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Privilege — Best premium rewards card Best BMO no fee card BMO CashBack Mastercard* You know what we all need? More cash in our pockets. Here’s why the no-annual-fee BMO CashBack Mastercard is the perfect card to do just that: Applicants need not put down their own money to start earning 5% cash back on grocery purchases (that’s $5 per $100 spent), 4% on transit (taxis, rideshares, public transit), 3% on gas, 2% on recurring bill payments and an 1% on everything else. ($500 monthly cap applies.) And the welcome bonus—5% back for the first three months—gives them the opportunity to put away up to a hundred bucks. You can redeem cash back in increments as little as $1, or set up automatic recurring redemptions of $25 or more, which helps with cash-flow management. For those carrying debt, this card offers a low 1.99% interest rate on balance transfers for a full 9 months (a 1% balance transfer fee applies). Annual fee: $0 Earn rate: 5% cash back on groceries; 4% on transit; 3% on gas; 2% on recurring bills; 1% on everything else Welcome bonus: 5% cash back for the first 3 months; introductory 1.99% interest rate on balance transfers for 9 months Our favourite perk: Anytime cash back redemption in increments of just $1 Additional benefits: Purchase protection and extended warranty; discounts at Avis and National Car Rentals and Cirque du Soleil; free to add authorized cardholders Income required: None specified Get more details about the BMO CashBack Mastercard* > Best cash back BMO card BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard* People like cash as a reward because it’s flexible, a concept not lost on BMO—hence their BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard. This card does away with tiered rewards or categories and offers a flat cash back rate of 1% on all credit card purchases, and even more on bonus categories: 5% on groceries, 4% on transit (taxis, rideshare, public transit), 3% on gas and 2% on recurring bills. Even better, unlike some cards that automatically deposit rewards once a calendar year, this product allows the account holder to choose when to redeem points in $10 increments (as long as they’ve accumulated at least $50), and where to apply them; the money can be deposited into an InvestorLine account, a chequing or savings account or applied to credit card debt. A welcome bonus of 10% cash back for the first three months sweetens the deal. As an Elite Mastercard, this product offers its users a suite of perks, including BMO CashBack World Elite travel and medical protection, roadside assistance and complimentary membership in Mastercard Airport Experiences provided by LoungeKey. Annual fee: $120 (first year of annual fee waived) Earn rate: 1% cash back on every purchase (up to $500 a month) Welcome bonus: 10% cash back for the first 3 months (up to $200) Our favourite perk: Complimentary roadside assistance with a free basic membership in the Dominion Automobile Association (DAA) Additional benefits: Travel insurance protection, including trip interruption, cancellation or delay; car rental accidental death and dismemberment, and collision car rental coverage; out-of-country emergency medical benefits up to $2 million; purchase protection and extended warranty Income required: $80,000 or $150,000 as a household Get more details about the BMO CashBack World Elite* > Best BMO card for dining and transit BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* The first thing you might notice about the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite is its vertical design. But look closer: It’s a Visa credit card, too. That’s because this is a new partnership for BMO. Your attention to those details will likely be brief, though, once you see what’s on offer with this card. The BMO eclipse Visa Infinite earns a whopping 5 BMO Rewards points per $1 spent on almost anything to do with food or transit. This means 5 points per $1 on groceries, eating out, and food delivery, plus gas, public transit, taxis and rideshares, including UberEats. Everything else will net you 1 BMO point per $1, which isn’t as impressive for generic purchases in comparison to the aforementioned BMO World Elite. Note: 1 BMO Rewards point is worth 0.7 of a cent when redeemed for travel from virtually any airline. That works out to a return of 3.5% on all the bonus categories and 0.71% on everything else. It’s easy to boost your earn rate. Plus, you get a 40,000-point welcome bonus. In a unique move, this card also offers a $50 annual lifestyle credit, which you can spend however you wish.  When you sign up an additional user ($50 per card), you’ll get 10% more points on all purchases. Annual fee: $120 (waived first year) Welcome bonus: Up to 40,000 BMO Rewards points (25,000 points after you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months plus 15,000 points on your first anniversary)  Earn rate: 5 BMO Rewards points per $1 spent on groceries, dining in

[ad_1] Hiring someone to manage your investments isn’t something that everyone wants to do, or can even afford. For those people, there’s a great alternative: robo advisors.  The only thing these handy tools require you to do is add money into them, and they handle your investments from there. Robo advisors are increasingly popular, too, with over 16 million people expected to sign up for a robo-advising account by 2025. If you’re looking to join their ranks, the biggest decision you’ll have to make is which one to choose. There are many robo advisors out there, and we’ve rounded up the best with the lowest fees and the top features — and a few alternative investment platforms — to help find the best option for you.  Best Robo Advisors There’s a robo advisor for everyone depending on what you’re looking for. But we find that most people want low fees, easy management, and high returns. And for you, we recommend these robo advisors and investment platforms: Betterment: Best for first-time investors. M1 Finance: Best for no fees. Robinhood: Best for DIY investing. Stash: Best for creative ways to invest more. SigFig: Best for highest returns. Robo Advisor Reviews It’s good to do some in-depth research before choosing a robo advisor. Here’s a quick highlight of our top picks so you can decide whether they’re worth pursuing further. Betterment Review Pros: Low fees Easy, intuitive interface No account minimums, $10 minimum deposit Advanced tax strategies and Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) options Access to real Certified Financial Planners (CFPs) with premium subscription Cons: Not many options for customization There are a lot of reasons we recommend Betterment, especially for newer investors. There are no account minimums, although you’ll need to deposit at least $10 to get started. Betterment also has a very user-friendly interface that anyone — even your grandmother — can understand.  Its Goal Forecaster is especially good about showing you graphs that break down in real terms what your investing decisions will mean over time. For example, you can see exactly what your expected returns will be over time if you invest more or less each month, or expand or shorten your timeline.  These visualization tools are really powerful for keeping you motivated and putting something that’s really abstract — like investing — in real terms that you can understand.  Betterment pushes you toward pre-set portfolios. You can make some adjustments, like how much to keep in stocks vs. bonds, or opting-in to a Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) portfolio. But aside from these minor customizations, there’s no real way to choose specific investments — although most people who choose Betterment don’t want that anyway.  Get Started With Betterment M1 Finance Review Pros: No fees  Easier diversification More options for customization Can also invest in individual stocks Cons: No tax-loss harvesting $100 minimum balance ($500 for retirement accounts) M1 Finance is a unique investment firm that centers around “pies” — i.e., pie charts that represent your portfolios for different goals. You can customize your own pies with a mix of ETFs and even individual stocks, which is unique for a robo advisor. If you’re not ready to take those steps just yet, don’t worry — M1 Finance also has pre-set “Expert Pies” that it can help you choose, à la a traditional robo advisor.  The only downsides of M1 Finance are that there’s no tax-loss harvesting like with many other services. Tax-loss harvesting relies on buying and selling similar investments to shrink your tax bill, but since your investments are pre-set, you can’t do that with this platform.  There’s also a $100 account minimum ($500 if you’re opening an IRA) which isn’t huge, but it could be enough to prevent some new investors from getting in.  Get Started With M1 Finance SigFig Review Pros: High yields Access to live investment advisors First $10,000 is managed free; low fees after that Accounts are managed through TD Ameritrade, Fidelity, or Charles Schwab Cons: $2,000 minimum balance  Business structure can be confusing SigFig is a different type of robo advisor in that it doesn’t hold the investments itself. Instead, your money is held at one of three large investment firms: TD Ameritrade, Fidelity, or Charles Schwab. In this way, it functions like an add-on to your account.  If you already have an account at these firms, you just need to link SigFig up to it. Otherwise, if you transfer over an existing account or open a new account, SigFig will open up a TD Ameritrade account for you where all your investing is done.  SigFig’s big value-add is that it generates some of the highest returns of all robo advisors, according to a 2020 report from Backend Benchmarking. It was also rated as the best overall robo advisor, despite its somewhat confusing setup. SigFig also has relatively low fees, and unlike other robo advisors, you can chat with a human investment advisor at any time without signing up for a premium-level service.  How We Found the Best Robo Advisors Since a robo advisor is literally running on autopilot, you shouldn’t be paying a lot for one. That’s why we only considered robo advisors with the lowest fees. We also looked at robo advisors with low minimum deposits, since they’re designed to be easily accessible to the average person. Finally, we looked at the amount of positive customer reviews each robo advisor has, along with what special features it offers that can help you grow your money further.  What You Need To Know About Robo-advisors Robo advisors simplify investing a lot, but that doesn’t mean you can leave things on total autopilot. Here are some things to consider when using robo advisors: You’ll get a tax document at the end of the year for your account Robo advisors use questionnaires to help steer you towards pre-made portfolios Robo advisors use low-cost index funds that track the market rather than beating it Many robo advisors also have access to human advisors in case you have questions

[ad_1] So, I kind of just bought the house next door to me. We’ve already gotten straight into the renovations with a symbolic first step: a new front door. This is already somewhat amazing, for a small-town boy who refuses to even buy himself a new car.  But even stranger are the details that surround this deal: I’m not moving into it. I don’t really need or want a second house. I have no long-term plans to be a landlord. I made the decision on a whim, and the whole transaction only took about 45 minutes of actual work. I paid “cash” for the house, avoiding the hassle of getting a mortgage – while not having to accumulate an entire house price worth of cash. And most importantly to you, I used a financial trick that I only recently learned about, but upon further study is an incredibly useful thing to have at your disposal (as long as you use it responsibly). The real story is this:  About two months ago, I learned through the grapevine that the house next door would soon be on the market. There was a cryptic “for sale by owner” entry on Zillow with a $400k asking price, but no pictures and no information on how to contact the sellers. In response to the information vacuum, Zillow had just automatically sucked in a really ugly Google Street View picture of the house. Figure 1: Just(in) listed In my area, we are in the middle of an insane housing boom. Every new property that comes to market, no matter how modest, is treated like Justin Timberlake stepping onto the stage of a dazzling arena of adoring fans. This has left several friends who arrived more recently searching fruitlessly and losing the inevitable bidding war for each uninspiring property, over and over again. And my little street happens to tick a lot of boxes for our type of shoppers: a walkable and bikeable central location which also backs onto open space and features newer (1990s) houses with a layout that can easily be split into two units with separate entrances. All at lower prices than the older houses without views and without house-hacking potential, just up the hill.  Figure 2: Actual scenes from my back yard(!) So I knew this place was a good deal and a good investment, and sure enough several friends were interested. The only problem was, so was everybody else: a bidding war was already bubbling up and we only had a few days at most to lock it in.  And my most interested friend was self-employed, and in the middle of a year-end business boom –  both factors that would delay her ability to get a mortgage. How could we secure this house, so she would get an amazing deal and I would get to live next to a really great group of friends (and continue my plan to gradually take over more of the street) rather than rolling the dice with a random set of new neighbors? The solution: we made a deal where I would make an all-cash offer to buy the house, with very quick and friendly terms to the seller so we could beat the other offers. Then my friend would take her time to get a mortgage, and buy the place from me at a more leisurely pace – effectively just leasing it from me in the meantime. The problem: I didn’t have anywhere near $400,000 sitting in my checking account, and I did not want to sell a bunch of shares and trigger capital gains taxes (which in my case would be at least $60,000), just for this short term project. I’m a good friend, but not that good. The Ultimate Solution: Learning from a friend who has been doing this for years, I transferred some of my existing investments out of Etrade and into a new brokerage firm (Interactive Brokers), which has an unusually good Margin Loan capability. This let me borrow money against my own shares, at an interest rate of about one percent (1%!), without selling any of them.  So end result for me is like a very flexible mortgage, but at less than half the interest rate, and with a virtually-overnight origination speed. And I am the CEO of the bank! Introducing the Margin Loan Let’s start with an example of what I did, although with fictional rounded numbers just to make it simple. The way a margin account can work, if you’re careful. You may have already heard about the often-risky practice of “buying stocks on margin”, along with its notorious darkside, the possibility of a “margin call”. But there’s also a big potential advantage, which is why people do it. Let’s summarize both of them so we can see how to do it right. In the best case, a margin account allows you to do things like this: Put in $100,000 of your own money and buy, say, some shares of the VTI index fund. Use that as collateral to borrow an additional $100,000 to buy more shares (VTI or otherwise). You end up with $200,000 invested. If the stock goes up by 10% per year ($10,000) and you are borrowing the money at only 2% (which costs you $2000), you get $8000 every year for “free”. The downside is that this can happen: You invest your $100k, borrow that second $100k, and buy the same $200k of shares. COVID hits and your shares suddenly go down 50% (total value is now $100k) BUT, that $100,000 margin loan you took out hasn’t changed. In other words, you still owe the brokerage $100k, and your account value is now only $100,000. The total value of your account is now zero. Even worse, the brokerage is not cool with this situation, because they require a 50% “maintenance margin”. They automatically sell half of your shares in order to reduce the loan balance to $50k. You’ve just lost 100% of your money (because

[ad_1] BMW confirms 2021 outlook, but sees volatility ahead [ad_2] Source link

[ad_1] Fuel your kids’ curiosity with a faith-building family adventure using this free Kid’s World Prayer Map! {This deal post is sponsored by Every Home for Christ. Read our disclosure policy here.} Every Home for Christ is currently offering completely FREE Kid’s World Prayer Maps! There is no payment required, no shipping fees, and you can order as many as you’d like! You can use these for homeschooling activities or as a way to teach kids how to pray. It’s a wonderful family activity to do together! Since there is no maximum order limit, you can even order in bulk for school groups, classrooms, churches, and more! This freebie is really versatile and can be used in many ways: Use it as a faith-based geography tool for kids to learn about the nations of the world. Teach kids the importance of talking to God and that He listens to our prayers. Invite kids to pray for the nations. And empower kids to change the world through prayer. I just ordered one for our family and it was completely free and super easy to order. You didn’t even have to pay shipping! I can’t wait to get it in the mail! Go here to sign up for your FREE Kid’s World Prayer Map. [ad_2] Source link

[ad_1] The post Here’s Why You Probably Won’t See a Hulu IPO Any Time Soon appeared first on Millennial Money. If you’re waiting around to buy Hulu stock, you’d be better off focusing your attention on picking up shares of Disney. Here’s why investors shouldn’t wait for a Hulu IPO.  Video streaming services are everywhere these days, but when Hulu was founded back in 2007, it was still a novel idea. Netflix (NFLX) had just launched the streaming version of its service and a massive conglomerate of media companies created a joint venture to offer their own television content available for streaming.  What started as a collaborative effort with content from News Corp., NBC Universal, and eventually The Walt Disney Company (DIS) has evolved into essentially a Disney product.  Disney now has a controlling interest in the former joint venture and owns more than half of Hulu. That’s allowed Disney to bundle Hulu alongside the company’s other two video streaming subscriptions—ESPN+ and Disney+—giving Disney a huge opportunity in the massive $71 billion global video streaming market.  Hulu IPO Interest 6.5 What is Hulu? Hulu is a video streaming service that offers customers multiple tiers of content, including a low-cost version with ads, an ad-free version, and live TV offerings. The company offers content from networks like ABC, NBC, FOX, and others, and has more than 39 million subscribers. Expected IPO Date: No IPO date Disney has a controlling interest in Hulu and owns 67% of the company. In the next few years, Comcast (CMCSA) will sell its 33% stake in Hulu, giving Disney full control over Hulu. Bull Case Disney’s ownership of Hulu means that the video streaming platform has one of the most content-savvy media companies to ever exist at its helm. The company has become an asset to Disney’s content strategy, allowing it to offer more mature content that wouldn’t fit into the Disney+ service. Bear Case As more media companies launch their own services, Hulu will face increasing video streaming competition. Hulu is still unprofitable right now and Disney doesn’t expect it to turn a profit for another few years. Since its launch, Hulu has grown into a leading video streaming service with more than 39 million subscribers. The service looks different than it did when it first started—one noticeable difference being that it now offers a live TV option—and offers its own original content.  As Hulu has gained popularity among subscribers, it’s caught the attention of potential investors. But despite Hulu’s large presence in the streaming market, it’s unlikely that Disney would spin Hulu out as its own publicly-traded company any time soon.  This is why investors shouldn’t wait around for a Hulu IPO but how you can still benefit from Hulu’s popularity in the fast-growing video streaming market.  Top Hulu Numbers To Watch  39.4 million: The number of Hulu subscribers (as of Feb 2021)  67%: Disney’s stake in Hulu  33%: Comcast’s stake in Hulu until 2024, when it will sell its stake to Disney $11.3 billion: The market size for TV streaming ads  $50 billion: The estimated size of the online TV advertising market by 2022  $27.5 billion: Hulu’s valuation as of May 2019  2024: When Disney expects Hulu to start turning a profit  $119.7 billion: The amount spent on video subscriptions in the United States  115 million: The estimated number of Hulu viewers by 2024  $13.51: Hulu’s average revenue per use for paid subscribers   $75.11: The average revenue per user for Hulu’s paid subscription plus live TV Bull Case: Why Hulu is an Important Part of Disney’s Content Strategy  Hulu is already a leading video streaming service and Disney has the money and content know-how to make the service even stronger. Hulu isn’t profitable just yet, but Disney said back in 2019 that it plans for Hulu to be in the black by 2024.  It’ll get there by boosting paid subscriptions and through advertising. Disney has quickly become a streaming service subscription powerhouse, with the company taking about 26% of all over-the-top (OTT) subscription service revenue.  That’s far more than YouTube, with just 13% of the market, and Disney’s nipping at the heels of Netflix, which has about 31% of all OTT video subscription revenue, according to eMarketer data.  Aside from subscription revenue, Hulu offers Disney something that it can’t get through Disney+: advertising sales. While it’s unclear just how much Disney makes from advertising on Hulu’s platform, what we do know is that Hulu is helping Disney tap into a huge television advertising market.  The total video streaming advertising market is worth about $11 billion in 2021, but Disney estimates it could reach $50 billion in a few more years. Hulu’s average revenue per user (ARPU) for Hulu streaming video on demand (SVOD) and SVOD plus live TV streaming both rose in the most recent quarter thanks in part to “higher per-subscriber advertising revenue,” according to Disney.  Hulu’s ARPU for paid SVOD users increased from $13.15 to $13.51 in the first quarter of 2021, and SVOD subscribers with Hulu’s live TV option have an ARPU of $75.11, up 26% from the year-ago quarter.  Aside from subscription sales and advertising, Hulu also plays a very important role for Disney by allowing the company to offer content that doesn’t fit into its family-friendly Disney+ brand (which streams everything from classic Disney movies to National Geographic, Marvel Studios, and Star Wars content).  Additionally, Hulu allows Disney to offer live TV subscriptions, which is a growing market that consists of millions of cord-cutting Americans.   When you combine Hulu’s subscription sales, advertising opportunities, and its live-TV offering, it becomes clear why the subscription TV service is such an important part of Disney’s video content strategy. Bear Case: How Hulu Could Lose its Edge  While you can’t buy Hulu stock right now, if you’re interested in any video streaming stocks, or want to buy shares of Disney, it’s worth taking a look at a few things that could hurt Hulu. One of the main hurdles the company faces is

[ad_1] Don’t miss this HOT deal on a Craftsy annual subscripiton! WOW! Craftsy is running an amazing deal right now to get a premium annual membership for just $2.49!! This is regularly $80, so it’s an incredible price! When you sign up for their annual subscription, you’ll get ALL of this for an entire year — all for just $2.49 out of pocket: Access to over 1,500 premium online crafting classes: quilting, sewing, cooking, crafting, fabric arts, crocheting, baking, drawing, painting, and SO much more! Admission to exclusive LIVE online streaming events. Weekly newsletter with insights and inspiration. Access to online instruction across 20+ hobbies. Free downloadable resources. Note: When you take advantage of this deal, you’ll be signed up for automatic annual renewal at the regular price of $80. If you want to avoid being automatically charged after a year, just be sure to turn off automatic renewal in your account after signing up. Go here to get a YEAR of Craftsy online classes for just $2.49! [ad_2] Source link

[ad_1] If you’ve followed here for very long, you know I like to keep things simple! “Why make things more complicated than they need to be?” is sort of my life mantra! I simplify in pretty much all areas of my life — food (we stick to meals that are quick and easy and don’t require a lot of steps or ingredients), clothes (I have a lot of staple mix and match wardrobe items that I wear over and over again), routines (we have a lot of daily rhythms we follow to keep our home organized and running smoothly), home decor (I go through the house regularly to keep clutter at bay), business (we don’t do meetings or phone calls hardly ever and I try to keep things as streamlined as possible), and even hair and makeup are areas where I’m all about keeping it simple. Keeping it simple when it comes to makeup means basically wearing the same makeup look every single day. I can do it in a 4-7 minutes, I like how it looks, and I can go on camera without any prep (I do a lot of video recordings for various things these days so it’s rare that a day goes by that I don’t need to be camera-presentable at least at some point). The 5 Makeup Products I Use Daily Here are the 5 makeup products I use every day in the order I use them: Maybelline Total Temptation Eyebrow Definer — I over-plucked my eyebrows for year, so I use this to fill in my rather sparse eyebrows (I use the blonde color. I usually find the best price is the two-pack on Amazon, but the single product is just $2.99 right now!) Covergirl Lashblast Mascara — I use three coats of the very black mascara to make my eyes pop a little more. (I put on one coat, let it dry for 30 seconds, and then apply another coat. And then repeat.) Mary Kay Liquid Foundation — I use this as both concealer (I put extra around my eyes and a little dab on my eyelids) plus foundation. (I use Ivory 2… yes, I have very pale skin!) Blush — I dab on a little blush (I use different brands; just whatever I find a deal on!) Lipstick + gloss — Finally, I finish it off with lip stick or lip gloss. This is the one area where I do mix things up a little bit. I have a few lip sticks + lip glosses (I got some of them for $2 from the discount store) and just mix together whatever color I feel like wearing or that matches what I’m wearing that day. And there you have it… my very simple makeup routine! If you wear makeup, I’d love to hear your favorites! Also, do you use the same products every day or do you change things up? [ad_2] Source link

[ad_1] The post What Is Proof of Funds in Real Estate? appeared first on Millennial Money. If you want to buy a home or investment property, you will need to provide proof of funds to move forward. There is no way around it.  Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about the proof of funds process.  First up: What is a proof of funds letter in real estate? A proof of funds (POF) letter is a document from a financial institution that demonstrates you have sufficient funds to pay for a transaction. POF letters are typically issued by your bank, credit union, money market account, or other institution where you keep your money. A POF letter is not as simple as taking a snapshot of your current bank statement. In other words, you can’t simply log into your online account and present a quick overview indicating you have money. This is something that requires submitting a formal request to receive with your financial provider.  Some new homebuyers tend to feel uneasy about this process, which is completely normal. After all, it’s not every day that you let strangers peer into your bank accounts.  Rest assured this process is nothing to stress over, assuming you have funds in your account and nothing to hide. This is a standard procedure and is very common when buying a piece of real estate.  How to handle a proof of funds request  1. Find a property you want to buy  The first step is to hire a real estate agent and shop around for a property. Make sure you’re in a position to buy and that the property is a worthy investment. You should be entirely confident that you want the house so that you don’t waste time.   2. Analyze your liquid assets  Next, take a look at your bank accounts. Figure out where the bulk of your liquid cash is and how you’re going to finance your transaction. This may include high yield savings accounts (HYSAs), money market accounts, or even brokerage accounts.  Suppose you plan to pull money from your retirement account, which is generally not recommended. You should contact your financial institution to learn how much you can withdraw, how long it might take for the funds to transfer, and if there are any penalties.  Learn more: Money Market vs Savings Accounts Basic Financial Planning for Beginners Hidden Costs of Buying a Home 3. Obtain proof of funds  When your self-audit is complete, approach your bank or lender and ask for a proof of funds letter. Unfortunately, the bank can’t simply print out a statement and send you on your way. By issuing a proof of funds letter, a financial provider essentially takes responsibility for claiming that you have reserves in place to fund a real estate transaction.  As such, the bank will typically analyze what’s in your accounts, as well as your employment history to verify how the money got into your account. The bank is going to want to see that your money did not come from illegal means. Most of the time, the bank also runs a credit check. 4. Analyze the results Wait 24 to 48 hours for the proof of funds request to clear. When it comes back, read the letter and analyze the results.  In some rare cases, a bank may deny a proof of funds request. For example, you may not be in good standing with the bank, causing them to refuse your request until you meet certain conditions. If the results do not come back in your favor, contact the bank and ask for an explanation.  5. Put an offer on the property Next, transfer the proof of funds letter to the seller. By sending the letter to the seller, you’ll indicate that you have the necessary funding for the property.  Keep in mind that this is not a mortgage pre-approval from a moneylender—it’s just a financial statement saying you have enough money to fund the home purchase. You’ll still have some hurdles to clear with the homeowner before you buy the property, but you’ll be on your way towards closing a deal. Why a seller may request proof of funds  There are a few reasons why a seller or their realtor may request proof of funds from a buyer. 1. Vet offers  Savvy real estate agents may request proof of funds when they have multiple offers. Off the bat, they might be able to refine which offers are worthwhile, depending on who already has a POF statement and who doesn’t. A proof of funds letter also helps the agent reduce the number of offers and get a better sense of the true interest in a property. This is common practice when selling expensive properties because fewer buyers are likely to have enough cash to follow through on the transaction.  Suppose an interested buyer has a down payment saved but not enough money to cover closing costs (which can be substantial). In this case, the offer is likely to fall through, wasting the time and money of all parties involved. A POF statement can prevent that outcome. 2. Persuade the buyer A seller may request proof of funds to give the impression there is heavy interest in a property. Agents sometimes do this to make it appear there is more interest than there actually is, with the goal of encouraging an interested buyer to up their offer or expedite the process. This is a reminder that you have to be on top of your game when buying real estate. A good real estate agent (for the seller) often uses little tricks like this to move a property. This is why as a buyer, it pays to have a stellar agent on your side who has your best interests in mind. 3. Gain visibility into funding  A seller may also want to make sure that your funds are legitimate, meaning they’re not coming from non-traditional assets like Bitcoin that first need to