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How to Score a High Paying Job

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One of the solutions for getting out of debt is gaining more capital, and for many this translates to a better-paying job. Though edging out of the status quo is always a challenging and daunting task, we find that it is usually a more desirable alternative than attempting excessive saving plans. However, it’s all easier said than done, because qualifying for better pay is not always as easy as applying to positions with higher wages.

Getting a pay raise usually takes a lot of work, though it’s not always the kind that first comes to mind.

Here are 3 tasks you should conquer before moving ahead and applying to higher-paying positions:

Update Your Resume

Once again, a simple no-brainer that can realistically take up a lot of time and requires tactful finesse. We are not referring to simply adding your current position to your list of places of employment. If you are looking to get more compensation, your resume has to prove that you deserve it. Beef it up with any training, extra education, courses, or awards you may have gained since your last update. Evaluate what skills and experience you have gained over the time you have been at your current position- have you been involved in managing projects, people, or expectations? Do you have good customer or client relations? Tailor your skills to reflect that listed in the job description of the position you have your heart set on. If you were the hiring manager, what would you be looking for in a prime candidate? If you have right qualities, make sure that is clear!

Address Your Appearance

We know that it’s what’s in your brain that counts, however many employers also factor in your physical appearance. It’s a fact of life and something that we unfortunately need to address when preparing to go hunting for a high-paying job. Dress for the job that you want, not the one you have, and the rest of your appearance should echo this sentiment. This might mean an investment of time and money on your end, especially if you don’t have a wardrobe that reflects this standard or style of dressing. If there is anything else that could trip of your confidence like the state of your hair or your teeth, that’s something to address before the job hunt. Dental implants can offer you the smile you have lost, or the smile you have always wanted, and we all know the power of a genuine and warm smile, especially on people who could potentially be your future colleagues.

Work on Your Soft Skills

Though your hard skills and experience are obviously the strongest weapons in your arsenal for upgrading your job, soft skills can be what set you apart from other qualified candidates. More and more employers are starting to put a greater emphasis on soft skills or personality traits when hiring new members for their team. With an educated and skilled work force, it’s easy to find people who can “do the job”, but more difficult to find individuals who are a good fit in terms of lifestyle and personality and will “play well” with others on the team. If you find that interviews and inter-personal interactions make you feel uncomfortable, look for opportunities for coaching.

As you can tell, first impressions are important, both on paper, as in on your resume, and in person during an interview or job fair. Prime yourself to perform well no matter how your potential employer interacts with you first. Only by taking the time to create your own “marketing campaign” will you be to convince others that your work is worth more than you are being paid for right now.

How Municipalities are Saving Tax-Payers Dollars

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No one likes paying taxes. The only thing worse than paying taxes is knowing that they are being spent unwisely, into services and projects with bring very little, if any, value to residents or you personally.

Today municipalities, like us, have to find ways to deliver their mission within the limited budget that they have to their disposal. More and more things are being downgraded from federal to state, and now from state to municipal with the tax division staying roughly the same. So how are cities today coping with an increasing mandate while having the same funds?

They are forced to be crafty.

One way is to increase controllable revenue by raising property taxes, while another way is to cut the fat on services and more.

The first is not as appealing as the second because high property taxes can also drive residents out of the area and into cheaper places to live. With a highly mobile population, people are willing to get up and move if the conditions don’t suit them. This makes municipalities hesitant to simply increase their taxes. Quite the opposite, many end up lowering them to stimulate development by investors and individuals who are drawn by the lower cost of living but potentially high level of satisfaction and quality of life.

Outsource to the private sector

Everyone wants to have a cushy city job. Why not? A nice pension, decent hours, good pay, are all things that we can easily get used to. However, it’s your tax dollars which are covering all those benefits, including those trips to the watercooler and the budget for throwing baby showers at work. Nowadays, many municipalities are decreasing their staff levels and outsourcing when possible. The private industry is traditionally the better bang for your buck, as they have to keep their prices competitive to gain clients in this market. They are also more accountable when it comes to the quality of their work, meaning that you get more done at a lower price and with better results. That we can all understand. That’s why you’ll find fewer and fewer city-owned landscaping trucks, while maintaining roads has been outsourced to experts in road marking services, line marketing, car part markings and warehouse line marking.

Invest into revenue-making projects

Never before have cities felt the pressure to generate revenue like they do today. Every decision they make has to bring a revenue generating aspect to the table, even if maybe the effects are not immediate. So if by building a stadium they can attract large concerts, sporting events, and more, then they would be more willing to create the potential for direct and indirect revenue than, for example, add a new playground to a run-down park. Unfortunately, this can also mean that the funding for important but non-revenue generating services like welfare or support for families dries up. It’s all about balancing the needs of the individuals living within the municipality.

Promote Citizen Involvement

When the city asks for people to get involved and gives them more leeway with certain projects, be they beautification, historical restoration, or social justice, it means that they can lay off the gas and transition into the role of liaison rather than main planner. By giving local organizations more power, municipalities have a chance to disengage themselves and act as supporters, meaning less of a staffing and financial obligation than if it were strictly up to them.

If you feel like your municipality is spending tax dollars the wrong way and aren’t employing the popular methods outlined above, it might mean that it’s high time for you to voice your concerns. American debt is mounting, and we are all part of the potential solution by becoming involved in our communities.

At What Age Should I Consider Life Insurance?

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Life insurance – when should you buy and what do you need to think about?

Life insurance is one of those things that we do not really want to think about, but know that we have to. Let’s face it; most of us have no idea when we are going to die, so it’s best to be prepared. There is no set age at which you need to buy life insurance. That being said, it is something that everyone needs to think about; the decisions you make will be based on your own personal circumstances.

We are going to examine what you need to take into consideration when you are deciding on the right age to get life insurance. We are also going to discuss what else you need to think about when investing in a policy.

What age is the right age for you to buy life insurance?

One of the first things you need to consider is that if you are young and healthy insurance premiums tend to be less. You can often lock in these lower premiums, so you end up paying less over the term of the policy. This does not necessarily mean that you should always get life insurance as soon as possible though.

The main aim of life insurance is to take care of your dependants should you die. If you do not have any dependants then do you need life insurance right at this moment? If you are young, you may also have other financial commitments, such as student debt to pay off. It may be a better financial decision to wait for a little while before you start paying insurance premiums so that you can improve your current financial situation.

What else do you need to think about?

If you decide that the time is right for you to buy life insurance, there are other things you need to think about. You need to decide how much insurance you need. Do not forget that your loved ones will need to survive without the benefit of your salary; the mortgage needs to be paid and the education of any children you have needs to be budgeted for.

You also need to decide whether term or whole life insurance is the best option. Whole life insurance covers you for your whole life, as the name suggests. It’s a way of investing money. However, premiums are generally high and you end up with a sum that is greatly reduced by the amount of money that you have to pay out. A term life insurance policy is generally the best option. This means that you pay premiums for a set period of time and you receive death benefit should you die within that period. The length of the term can vary and is likely to depend on your age when you buy the policy.

You are the best person to judge when the time is right for you to invest in life insurance; hopefully, we have provided you with information that will help. Once you have made the decision to buy, talk to State Farm and get the process started as soon as you can.

How Aggressive is Too Aggressive When Trying to Save?

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Trying to save more is a laudable goal. Financial advisors and commentators have advocated that, generally, more aggressive savings plans are a good thing. However, difficult as it may be to believe, there comes a point when over-saving does more harm than good. One can be too aggressive in trying to save money.

Cost Control – Generating Savings

When trying to save money, low-price products can cost more in the long run. For example, a discount pair of shoes may last one year, whereas a shoe selling for twice as much will endure for three years. In that kind of situation, the “cheaper” option ends up being more expensive because replacement costs add up more frequently. Saving aggressively means looking at aggregate costs. Line-item prices may be enticingly low because they ignore vital replacement or maintenance.

Savings – Liquidity and Cash

When trying to save, it is no vice to aim hard in gathering together an emergency fund. An emergency fund’s goal is to get someone through a rough patch or expense without undue hardship. An emergency fund should cover about six months of living expenses and be available at a moment’s notice. Liquidity and ease of access are primary concerns in an emergency fund. Interest that a fund may accrue is nice, but not a high priority.

Savings — Inflation

Inflation will eat away at real purchasing power of any funds that do not generate sufficient gains or interest, so be sure to augment nominal value of an emergency fund with something adjusted for inflation. Low risk or low/moderate risk securities go a long way with offsetting inflation-related losses. Increased risk tolerance and focus on capital gains should be a part of the tail end of an emergency fund. It is unlikely that a person will need the entirety of an emergency fund right away. If necessity demands, a saver will have enough warning to turn more ambitious investments like stocks into cash should the need arise.

Overall, an emergency fund should keep up with or slightly run ahead of inflation. Any stocks and bonds should be liquid, highly traded securities to enable quick conversion to cash if need be. Treasuries and low-spread defensive dividend stocks come to mind.

Investments – Ahead of Inflation

Someone saving too aggressively has the good problem of having more money than they know what to do with. Here is the domain of investing. If the emergency fund is filled to the brim and the bills are paid, an aggressive saver can invest for above-inflation gains that can be very rewarding. Small-cap stocks, high-yield bonds, even stock options and futures open up possibilities for an aggressive saver. At this point, capital gains are more important than immediate access to cash.

Speculative investments can generate returns many times the cost of credit. An ambitious saver may therefore hope to augment gains with borrowed funds. While trading with borrowed money can generate impressive gains, note that some types of credit such as a vehicle title loan are very expensive and place car ownership at potential peril.

Individual financial means and goals will vary. As such, prescribing a dollar amount or percentage that separates “enough” from “too much” in terms of savings is difficult. However, it is prudent to remind the reader of the key reasons as to why there is such a thing as being too aggressive in saving money:

1.The primary quality of savings is immediate access to cash and minimal risk of loss. This translates into increased purchasing power erosion and opportunity cost as more and more lucrative investment opportunities are passed up in favor of fool-proof savings accounts that yield trivial interest rates.

2.Overall, allocating funds to securities that have moderate appreciation potential will give greater results that can be funneled back into savings or other ventures.

Home Improvements that are Good for the Planet and Your Wallet

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Depending on the long-term plan for your home, there could be a number of “green” investments you should be considering as a cost-savings plan. Those looking to live in their house for just a few short months or years might not care about the maintenance costs as much, but they are very important to those who are looking to stay in their homes for the long run.

We have all been affected by the rise in the price of electricity, natural gas, water, and all of the other necessary utilities we pay for. However, instead of petitioning your local government leader, which more often than not is proved ineffective, take matters into your own hands. For years, environmentalists have been hard at work developing systems that save the planet by using less water, producing less electricity, and disturbing less natural habitat for mining and sourcing of other resources we often use in our homes without thinking. However, the time is nigh for us economists, (if we can call ourselves that) to get on board. Using less usually means paying less, am I right? On top of that, there are many financial incentives at the local and state level for embracing environmental retrofits in our homes.

Bingo!

Though some of these are better suited for large homes or institutions, many of these environmental solutions can be adapted to fit your home, and save you money over the years.

  1. Solar Panels

Many rule off solar panels as expensive, however, due to their popularity and the growing market, the price of solar systems has gone down significantly over the last ten years. Today, many individuals can afford to install a couple of panels on their roofs, especially when you take into account government subsidies. Depending on the climate you are located in and the space you have on your property, you can virtually decrease your electricity bill by half, or in some cases, be completely self-sufficient and sell the extra electricity you produced back into the grid.

  1. Hydronic Heating

Heating bills can get quite high in places with a harsh winter. Instead of paying for heating the air in your house, why not install a hydronic system which heats your home by circulating warm water under your floors. This gives the residents better control over the temperature of their house, as well as eliminating noise. Thanks to the fact that you are not pushing air around through a ventilation system, it’s also a cleaner and healthier alternative to traditional heating. Consult with plumbers specializing in hydronic heating system to have a better understanding of what this retrofit will mean for you financially. You’ll spend less money because you are getting a more efficient heating system, and the environmentalists in you will smile because fewer resources are being used and you still have the same result: a cozy home!

  1. Roof Smart

We all know that roofs have a limited lifespan- especially the tar shingle ones which most people tend to use in North America. However, though the immediate cost might be greater, there is a solid range of high-quality options which will not just last you longer, but will make your home more energy efficient by reducing thermal transfer, reflecting solar rays, and therefore providing lower heating and cooling costs.

  1. Low-Water Toilets

Have you ever really looked at a toilet and wondered why there was so much water in the bowl? Environmentalists certainly have! When you replace your regular toilet with a low water toilet, you literally stop flushing money away. And if you are worried about making sure that everything “goes down”, be comforted by knowing that for situations like that, there is an option for flushing with a fuller stream.

Staying green certainly pays off if you’re in it for the long run! If you are looking at shorter timelines, remember that these efficiencies are selling points for your home and add to its resale value, whether you continue to live where you are or not.