Money Questions and Answers

Five Reasons You Should Be Donating Money To Your College

You should be donating money to your college. I love donating like to my alma mater. I give money to them every month, and I’m even considering including them in my will. There are so many reasons that you should consider donating money to your college. A couple of weeks ago there is a spirited debate on the blog, Tie The Money Knot, about whether or not you should be donating money to your college and giving back. I quickly found myself in the minority, and I wanted to elaborate more on why I think that you should be donating money to your college. Five Reasons College Donations Are Important Donating Money To Your College Protects Your Investment I look … Read more

Top 15 Easy Ways You Can Make Money on Fiverr

by Hank Coleman

If you’ve been looking for fun ways to make money online, then Fiverr could be a great place to start. Launched in 2010, Fiverr has become a huge marketplace for freelance contractors offering a massive menu of services – from basic writing and research to more eccentric things like celebrity impersonations, demon exorcisms, and aura cleansing – starting at $5.

Fiverr is a legitimate way to make money from home, and you’re not limited to the $5 amount, either. You can charge more for “gig extras” like additional time for projects and customization, so don’t be fooled by the low ball $5 figure. The average project on Fiverr ranges from $5 to $500, so freelancers have more control over their earnings than you might think.

There are tons of different categories available on Fiverr, including graphics and design, digital marketing, writing and translation, video and animation, music and audio, programming and tech, advertising, business, and fun and lifestyle. Nearly anyone can make money on Fiverr, from retirees who want to turn their hobbies into a side income to financially strapped college students with a knack for entrepreneurship.

There are success stories abound, such as this 22 year-old who built her own marketing agency after starting out as a small-time video producer on Fiverr. And, these three people who make six figures per year thanks to Fiverr.

15 Easy Ways to Make Money on Fiverr

If you’re tired of trying to make money with online surveys, then here are some ways you can make money on Fiverr instead:

Graphic Design

If you’re a Photoshop pro or you simply love coming up with new web designs, then consider offering graphic design services on Fiverr. The market is pretty dense for graphic designers, but if your logo or website designs really stand out and your customers leave good reviews, then you can rise in the ranks and get noticed!

Custom Greeting Cards

There is always demand for cards, whether it’s for birthdays, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, sad events, or the birth of a new baby in the family. If you’re creative with your design and message, you can sell customized cards on Fiverr and possibly turn this gig into a passive income stream by charging customers for downloading rights to your current selection of greeting cards.

Interesting Statistics on Christmas Spending in the US

by Hank Coleman

How To Save A Ton of Money Shopping For Christmas In July

Let’s face it, we all love Christmas. We get so caught up in the festive frenzy that we forget about the crazy prices that can build up over the course of the month of December.

Avant Credit recently looked into the state of spending over the Christmas period in the US and came back with some interesting statistics.

Over 50% of the gifts are clothing and accessories with only 22.8% of the gifts being electronic items
Over 50% of millennials want experiences rather than physical gifts
58.8% of Americans would prefer a gift card at Christmas
The most popular gift cards are from restaurants, followed by department stores, and coffee
22% of Americans were waiting for the best deals before purchasing
56% spent their money on gifts for family, with 10% spending money on friends at Christmas.
$1779 is the total amount spend on Christmas per family in the US
Insanely, 66% of people planned to shop in the week AFTER Christmas!

Money Saving Facts: To-Do-List To Ensure Employee Productivity

by Guest Contributor

We’re now in an era where competition has greatly heightened with old players fighting to hold on to their positions. Digital developments have taken the world by storm and provide new players with a more level-playing field. The numbers of entrepreneurs have surged in recent years and we’re seeing more innovations in different industries.

How to Increase Employee Productivity

In an effort to increase competitive edge, employers are observing worker productivity more and finding ways to increase employee productivity. There are now several technologies aimed at promoting this but are these really the solutions? Or, are they Band-Aid approaches to a larger business issue?

Cut your employees some slack.

Heavily monitoring your workers can increase pressure on them, increasing stress levels over time, even without additional workload. Mental limits do exist. Time spent working does not necessarily equate to the quality of work.

Breaks can consist from taking short naps to sitting at the computer doing non-work activities, anything that allows the brain to take refresh. Discuss with your leaders and your employees to see what works best or what kind of activities you can allow during work hours.

Be supportive to subordinates.

When you’ve noticed an employee that has been performing consistently poorly or there was a sudden drop in productivity, take time to engage with the worker concerned. This person may be undergoing a deep personal issue that’s preventing focus on work.

Establishing a supportive approach would not only help you find ways to work around the issue but would win your employee’s loyalty. That is a strong foundation for productivity. Be human. We all have those days. When reprimanding, do so in private and avoid using derogatory speech. If anyone deserves praise, jump at the chance.

5 Financial Considerations for Parents of Children with Special Needs

by Hank Coleman

Financial Considerations for Parents of Special Needs Children

Having kids is one of the biggest financial decisions you’ll ever make (not to mention emotionally fulfilling, of course), especially if you are the parents of special needs children that requires additional medical care, in-home assistance, and rehabilitative therapies. If your child was recently diagnosed with a mental or physical disability, or you’re currently struggling with your finances as parents of special needs children, there are many things to consider, both short-term and long-term.

A great place to start would be the Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights (PACER), because their Possibilities publication is a tremendously useful financial resource for parents of special needs children and have disabilities.

Financial Considerations for Parents of Children with Special Needs

Life Insurance

Life insurance is extremely important for parents, especially if there is a disabled child living at home. The trick is deciding how much life insurance you need, based on your annual income, your current (and projected) expenses, and other debts you currently have.

Many people feel uncomfortable when it comes to life insurance because it makes you think about what will happen to your family after your death, but putting off buying life insurance is not the route you want to take here. Instead, getting life insurance while you’re still pretty young will help you save money and ensure that your family is protected even in worst-case scenarios.

Reducing Health Care Expenses

In addition to tax breaks for medical and home aide expenses (more on this below), there are a many health coverage options for children with special needs. If you haven’t already, you can also apply for Social Security Disability Insurance to receive governmental assistance for your child’s medical expenses and ensure they have an income available even when you’re not around.

To save money on your own health care, you may opt for a health savings account to protect your own well-being and supplement any employer-provided health care plan you’re on.

5 Things to Do When Consolidating Your Debts to Save

by Guest Contributor

Moves to Make With Your Finances When Consolidating Debts

According to the American Economic Statistics Office, the average American had credit card debt of over $5800 in 2015, with households averaging over $15,700. These debts come from a number of different credit cards. With the debt coming from a number of different sources, the process of managing one’s finances becomes a bit more tedious.

In order to make this process less tedious, people consolidate their debts into one. In some cases, debt consolidation would also come with lower interest rate. Another alternative is to apply for a loan with more favorable terms to pay off some more expensive debts.

5 Things to Do When Consolidating Debt

Personal finance experts have varying views about using debt consolidation a tool for improving one’s finances. However, regardless of what you might have heard or read about debt consolidation, here are some things you should do if you ever decide when consolidating debt.

Write Out Personal Finance Game Plan

It might sound harsh, but the reality is that most people find themselves in debt because they don’t budget. Put simply, budgeting is the process of planning your future expenses based on your expected income. A Gallup survey once revealed that two out of every three Americans do not budget. Don’t look too far, this data show why many people are in debt.

Since making your finances look better is the reason you’re planning to consolidate debt, it’s important to start with a budget. It helps to have your financial plan written out. There are tons of apps available these days that can make the process easier.

Average American has credit card debt of over $5800, with households averaging over $15,700. Click To Tweet