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Personal Finance : Business & Finance

The Tax Savings for a New Furnace

The Internal Revenue Service does not allow you, as a homeowner, to deduct home improvements unless the improvement qualifies for a consumer energy efficiency tax credit. An environmentally friendly furnace qualifies for the tax credit as long as certain criteria are met. If you do not wish to purch

Pitfalls of Choosing A Bad Forex Broker

Currency trading is one of the fastest growing investments in the internet today. Although Forex trading has only been available to the general public in recent years it has existed for a very long time ...

What Is a Good Beacon Score?

Beacon scores were the name that Equifax used when it issued credit scores using the older Fair Isaac Corporation scoring algorithm. However, when the scoring model was changed to generate NextGen FICO Scores, Equifax began to call its scores Pinnacle scores. Pinnacle scores are calculated the same

What to Do With Your Credit After a Divorce?

Divorces can be messy -- throw finances into the mix and they can be downright miserable to experience. Usually, during marriage, people intertwine their assets and debts, having both their name and the name of their spouse on accounts. This makes preserving or building credit on your own after div

Sports Scholarships for Kids

The world of sports offers multiple opportunities for talented and promising young people to obtain scholarships for higher education. Most scholarship donors look for students who are gifted athletes but who also demonstrate academic achievement. Some scholarships offer the chance to train under e

Four Reasons to Opt for an IRA in Gold

There is one investment that was as valuable in ancient Egypt as it is in 21st century America today; Gold. The value of gold has been rising steadily for as long as we know. It ...

How to Be Recession Proof

If you are like many Americans right now, you are concerned about an economic recession. Jobs once considered secure are disappearing. The cost of gas, food and other necessities is climbing. You worry about what could happen if you or your spouse suddenly lost your jobs, if you would you be able to

How to Obtain a Credit Card

Applying for a credit card initially may seem like a daunting task. The information needed when applying is often information that you already know and do not need to spend a lot of time trying to gather. The process for applying for credit has never been simpler. It's time to throw out the pens and

How to Calculate Retention Rate

The retention rate, also know as the plowback ratio, refers to the amount of earnings that a company keeps after it has paid out dividends. The retention rate varies between different types of companies. Developing companies often have a higher retention rate because the company keeps more of its pr

How Are Interest Rates Determined?

Structural Determinates of Interest RatesInterest rates are the payments one party makes to another for the cost of borrowing funds. The rate of interest one pays should reflect the rate that anyone else of similar circumstances would pay. The exact rate someone pays is determined by...

How to Negotiate With a Bank

It is possible to negotiate with a bank to work out a payment plan or to have late fees waived. Smaller banks and credit unions are more likely to work with a customer, but larger banks may be willing to negotiate as well. When working on a bank negotiation, be polite and realistic in your offers. T

7 Tips to Save You Money this Year

There is a funny saying attributed to Bill Earle that goes, "If your outgo exceeds your income, your upkeep will be your downfall." Everyone could use creative budgeting to cut costs in almost any area ...

Can Money be Taken Out of a 401K Plan at Work?

The money you put into your 401k is designed to be long-term money for your retirement, not short-term money to pay bills and cover current expenses. That is why the IRS uses tax penalties to discourage workers from tapping their 401k plans too soon. Even so, there are ways you can access those fund

How to Calculate the Mill Rate

A mill rate determines the amount of property tax each homeowner is responsible for paying. This tax amount is expressed as one dollar for every $1,000 of assessed property value; mill or per mill means per thousand. Property taxes are often expressed this way by municipalities, so it can be useful

What Is Disposable Income in a Bankruptcy?

When people accrue large amounts of debts that they cannot repay, the government can step in and provide bankruptcy protection that helps to save them from their creditors. However, as bankruptcy typically causes creditors to lose money, the courts cannot simply grant bankruptcy protection to whoeve

What Documents Do I Need to File for Unemployment?

As of the time of publication, there are 14 million people unemployed, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Many of these people have never claimed an unemployment benefit. If you are facing a time of unemployment and are unsure of the process, consult your local unemployment office for spe

How to Qualify for Refinancing

Lenders review a number of variables for each refinancing client. With the basic knowledge of what you need to qualify for a mortgage refinance, you can confidently walk into a meeting with a lender knowing that the odds are in your favor for closing on the refinancing of your loan. Knowledge of the