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Cheat Sheet / Updated 04-12-2024
Everyone hates having debt, but most people can’t feasibly make a big purchase or handle a crisis without taking on some kind of debt, like student loans, auto loans, and credit cards. Debt happens to everyone at some point. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t do anything about it. Here you find some tips to start getting out of debt.
View Cheat SheetArticle / Updated 03-20-2024
Bitcoin is an alternative type of payment system that is sometimes mentioned in the media. Is it "Internet" or "digital" money? Is it a way to conduct business outside the mainstream financial infrastructure? Is it a new way of life that could transform multiple aspects of society in the future? The answer is yes. Origins: Bitcoin was created by developer Satoshi Nakamoto in 2008. Purpose: Bitcoin provides a viable decentralized alternative to the current mainstream financial infrastructure. Method: Bitcoin enables spending with full transparency through a publicly available ledger known as the blockchain. Security: A bitcoin transaction involves both a public key, which is generally known to everyone, and a private key known only to the bitcoin user. No coins can be spent without knowing the private key.
View ArticleCheat Sheet / Updated 03-14-2024
Artificial intelligence (otherwise known as AI) can save you lots of money and help you do things that were either costly or a pipe dream only a few years ago — and that includes helping you with investing and financial pursuits.
View Cheat SheetCheat Sheet / Updated 02-22-2024
If you want to get started in day trading, doing some preparation before you dive in dramatically increases your odds of success. From setting up your trading business (and it is a business) and learning trading jargon to tracking the markets with technical indicators and calculating your performance, these articles get you on your way.
View Cheat SheetCheat Sheet / Updated 02-22-2024
Mutual funds have been around for decades and despite other types of investments finding their way into investor portfolios, these securities are still king in Canada. Despite their still sky-high fees, mutual funds offer investors an easy way to buy into a diversified basket of stocks and bonds, which is really all you need for growing your wealth. Here are a few key points to keep in mind when considering these investments.
View Cheat SheetCheat Sheet / Updated 11-21-2023
Taxes are a part of life. Love them or hate them (okay, no one loves paying them!), everyone has to deal with them. The Taxes For Dummies: 2024 Edition Cheat Sheet is here to help guide you through tax challenges with some straightforward strategies.
View Cheat SheetCheat Sheet / Updated 11-21-2023
If you want to invest in bonds, you need to know how to read the bond ratings that the big three rating companies use in order to help you select bonds in a risk-aware way. Knowing the right questions to ask about a bond can save you money, and you can find answers to many of those questions on the Internet.
View Cheat SheetCheat Sheet / Updated 11-03-2023
Successful real estate investing requires smart decisions. To start investing in real estate quickly and easily, ask a few important questions, discover different ways to invest in residential property, and build an effective real estate team.
View Cheat SheetCheat Sheet / Updated 11-01-2023
Worried about what will happen to your assets after you pass away? This Cheat Sheet will help you plan for your future, with tips on how to reduce your estate taxes, helpful information on whether you need life insurance, and a listing of the key pieces of information your loved ones will need after you’re gone.
View Cheat SheetArticle / Updated 10-23-2023
Veterans are often surprised at the number and types of benefits that are available. If you're just getting started in applying for veterans benefits, there are some basic things you should know. Nobody is going to hand you your benefits Unfortunately, that would be too easy. Instead, you have to know what benefits there are, you must find out what the eligibility criteria is to receive a particular benefit, you need to know which government agency is in charge of that benefit, and then you have to ask for the benefit. The definition of veteran varies when it comes to veteran benefits You would think, by now, that our government would agree on who is entitled to call themselves a veteran. You’d think so, but you’d be wrong. Unfortunately, there’s no single legal definition for the term veteran when it comes to veterans benefits. Because different benefits were enacted into law at different times by different Congresses, each benefit has varying qualification criteria. You can qualify for some benefits with just one day of military service. Other benefits require you to serve a minimum amount of time. Still others require that you meet certain conditions, such as having a disability resulting from military service. The government doesn't know if you're a veteran or not You’d also think that the government would have some kind of massive computer system that would have all the details about your service in the United States military. You would think Uncle Sam would know when you served, where you served, how long you served, what medals you may have earned, and what kind of discharge you received. Once again, you’d be wrong. You must prove you deserve veteran benefits Maybe in the future, but right now if you want a particular benefit, it’s up to you to prove your status as a veteran. You do this by providing copies of your military discharge paperwork. You might not need an honorable discharge to get veteran benefits You may be one of those who think that you need an honorable discharge to qualify for a veterans benefit. Many veterans believe that. The truth is, some benefits require an honorable discharge, but there are many benefits you can receive with a general or other than honorable discharge as well. "No" to veterans benefits doesn't always mean no You may ask for a benefit and be told no. You may be told that you’re not eligible for the benefit because of this or that, even though you believe that you meet the eligibility criteria. Maybe you asked for a benefit years ago, only to be told you don’t qualify, so you gave up. Maybe you were told no, and you don’t even know why. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has developed a bad habit over the years of phrasing its rejection letters in such a way that even legal eagles couldn’t understand them. Fortunately, the agency isn’t allowed to do that anymore. A brand-new law (passed in September 2008 by your friendly neighborhood Congress critters) now requires the VA to use plain, simple, everyday language when it rejects a benefit claim. Wow! What a great idea! Why didn't anyone think of this before? Submit the right paperwork for your veterans benefit Even if the VA says no in simple, plain, everyday language, it doesn’t mean that it’s right. Most of the time when the VA rejects a claim, it’s because you didn’t provide the correct paperwork — what the VA calls supporting evidence. You can ask the VA to take another look at your case, and if it still says no (stubborn little rascal, isn’t it?), you can appeal the decision. There’s even a federal court that does nothing else but hears appeals for veterans benefit claims. Well-known veteran benefits You may be surprised to find out how many goodies are available to veterans and their family members. Some of these benefits are well-known, such as medical care and disability compensation. Other ell known goodies include free or low-cost medical care, cash payments directly from Uncle Sam, and plans designed to help you get a college degree or vocational training, Not-so-famous veterans benefits You may have never heard of other veteran benefits, ranging from loans to open a small business to free headstones when you finally move on to that big battlefield in the sky. In addition, you might not know there are programs that assist you in finding and getting your dream job, programs that help you buy a house or find a place to live in your golden years, shopping and travel perks, memorial and burial benefits, and services and programs available to surviving family members.
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