Deferred asset

by Steven Bragg @ Articles - AccountingTools

Tue Mar 27 09:12:00 PDT 2018

A deferred asset is an expenditure that is made in advance and has not yet been consumed. It arises from one of two situations:

• Short consumption period. The expenditure is made in advance, and the item purchased is expected to be consumed within a few months. This deferred asset is recorded as a prepaid expense, so it initially appears in the balance sheet as a current asset.
• Long consumption period. The expenditure is made in advance, and the item purchased is not expected to be fully consumed until a large number of reporting periods have passed. In this case, the deferred asset is more likely to be recorded as a long-term asset in the balance sheet.

Examples of expenditures that are routinely treated as deferred assets are:

• Prepaid insurance
• Prepaid rent
• Prepaid advertising
• Bond issuance costs

The reason for treating expenditures as deferred assets is that they would otherwise be charged to expense before the related benefits had been consumed, resulting in inordinately high expense recognition in earlier reporting periods, and excessively low expense recognition in later periods.

The deferred asset concept is not applied when a business uses the cash basis of accounting, since expenditures are recorded as expenses as soon as they are paid for under that method. Thus, these items would be charged to expense at once under the cash basis of accounting.

It is easy to forget about deferred asset items that are sitting on the balance sheet, which means that there tends to be a large write-off of these items at year end, when accounts are being examined by the auditors. To avoid this potentially large write-off, track all deferred asset items on a spreadsheet, reconcile the amounts on the spreadsheet to the account balance listed in the general ledger at the end of each reporting period, and adjust the account balance (usually with a periodic charge to expense) as necessary.

To avoid the labor associated with tracking deferred assets, consider adopting an accounting policy under which expenditures falling beneath a minimum amount are automatically charged to expense.

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5 Facts About Women and Money for International Women’s Day

by Chelsea Brennan @ Chime Banking

Thu Mar 08 14:46:51 PST 2018

Did you know that only 22% of U.S. women can answer three fundamental finance-related questions correctly? It’s sad but true. While women have made significant strides to close the gender gaps in education, employment, and even wealth, the gap in financial literacy is still glaring. But, in order to even begin bridging this gap, it’s important to understand that […]

The post 5 Facts About Women and Money for International Women’s Day appeared first on Chime Banking.

Two legitimate ways to get free Disney World tickets

by Theo Thimou @ clark.com

Mon Mar 26 10:42:33 PDT 2018

Who says there's no free lunch? Turns out there might actually be a way to score free tickets to Walt Disney World and Disneyland — in some circumstances.

You can buy almost anything at Walmart…why not a used car, too?

by Theo Thimou @ clark.com

Mon Mar 26 13:24:17 PDT 2018

Used car buyers have historically been faced with a lot of both hazard and opportunity.

The hazard comes into the equation because used cars come with a history and you don’t want to be buying someone else’s headache.

But the …

Earn $10 in Free Bitcoin With New Coinbase Accounts

by Tracy Banks @ Banklady.com

Thu Nov 30 05:19:21 PST 2017

Coinbase is running a promotional offer if you’re looking to invest or become part of the new digital wallet revolution. While some experts say it’s a bad time to get in while Bitcoin has topped $10,000 USD some are saying the run on this bull has just begun. The offer is Free $10 in Bitcoin […]

Valuation account

by Steven Bragg @ Articles - AccountingTools

Tue Mar 27 13:57:00 PDT 2018

A valuation account is paired with an asset or liability account, and is used to offset the value of the assets or liabilities recorded in the account with which it is paired. The result of this account pairing is a net balance, which is the carrying amount of the underlying asset or liability. The "valuation account" term is a less-used phrase that has the same meaning as the contra account concept.

Examples of valuation accounts are:

• Allowance for doubtful accounts (paired with the trade accounts receivable account)
• Allowance for obsolete inventory (paired with the inventory account)
• Accumulated depreciation (paired with the various fixed asset accounts)
• Discount on bonds payable (paired with the bonds payable account)
• Premium on bonds payable (paired with the bonds payable account)

The valuation account concept is useful for estimating any possible reductions in the values of assets or liabilities prior to a more definitive transaction that firmly establishes a reduction.

Valuation accounts are only used in accrual basis accounting. They are not used in cash basis accounting.

Similar Terms

A valuation account is also known as a valuation reserve or contra account.

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How to Save Money on Your Utility Bills

by Melanie Lockert @ Chime Banking

Mon Mar 26 11:21:00 PDT 2018

Do you cringe each month when you get your utility bills? When you see a super high bill, do you wonder what happened? We’ve all been there, and high bills for gas, electricity and cable can certainly put a dent in your bank account. But all is not lost. If you want to keep your […]

The post How to Save Money on Your Utility Bills appeared first on Chime Banking.

Police Mistook Her Vitamins For Drugs. She Then Spent 5 Months In Jail.

by Daniel Jennings @ Off The Grid News

Tue Mar 27 14:10:06 PDT 2018

Rebecca Shaw spent five months in jail because a sheriff’s deputy conducted a field test that could not tell the difference between vitamins and oxycodone pills. To make matters worse, it took a year for the state crime lab to test the pills and clear Shaw’s name. “He does the field drug test and because ...

Here’s how to deactivate your Facebook account

by Craig Johnson @ clark.com

Mon Mar 26 10:49:55 PDT 2018

Over the weekend, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg released a full-page ad in major U.S. and U.K. newspapers apologizing for the company’s role in allowing a controversial company’s app to access users’ personal data.

“This was a breach of trust, and …

Self Lender offers a new way to build credit when you have none

by Theo Thimou @ clark.com

Tue Mar 27 08:30:20 PDT 2018

Need to build credit quickly? Imagine having the ability to save money each month into an account that earns interest and builds your credit history with the three main credit bureaus at the same time.

Can Clark tell the difference between his favorite diet soda and a discount store knockoff???

by Beth Marcinko @ clark.com

Tue Mar 27 09:24:23 PDT 2018

Clark loves diet soda, but does he really know the difference between the name brand and generic? His blind taste test says it all.

Buying prescription glasses online

by Clark Howard Staff @ clark.com

Sun Mar 25 21:00:00 PDT 2018

Did you know you can get prescription glasses for $15? Well, you can and Clark has all the info just for you!

The difference between an invoice and a statement

by Steven Bragg @ Articles - AccountingTools

Tue Mar 27 16:21:00 PDT 2018

A customer may receive an invoice and a statement from a supplier. What is the difference between these two documents? When a seller issues an invoice to a buyer, the invoice is related to a specific sale transaction where goods or services were provided to the buyer. Since the invoice relates to a specific sale transaction, it itemizes all of the information the buyer needs to know in order to pay the seller, including:

• Invoice number
• Invoice date
• Item description
• Item price
• Shipping and handling charges
• Sales tax
• Total amount payable
• Remit to address
• Payment terms and early payment discount terms (if any)

The intent of an invoice is either to collect payment from the buyer, or to create evidence of the sale (if payment was made in advance or in cash). If payment was made at the time of sale, the invoice is stamped "Paid" before issuing it to the buyer.

When a seller issues a statement, the document itemizes all invoices that have not yet been paid by the buyer, as well as partial payments. In this case, the intent is to remind the buyer that it has an obligation to pay the seller. Since the statement is more aggregated than an invoice, it provides less detailed information at the invoice level. It typically includes the following items:

• Statement date
• Invoice numbers
• Invoice dates
• Invoice totals

A more sophisticated statement will aggregate invoice totals by time bucket, so that overdue invoices are clearly shown.

Invoices are issued whenever a sale has been completed, so they may be issued every day and in significant quantities. However, statements are usually only issued at regular intervals, such as once a month, as part of a company's collection activities.

From the perspective of the buyer, the receipt of an invoice triggers an accounting transaction, which is an account payable. Conversely, the receipt of a statement is strictly informational - it does not trigger the creation of an accounting transaction.

It can be unwise to treat a statement as an invoice and pay items listed on the statement, since it is possible that the buyer already paid for those items, but the payment has not yet been reflected in the seller's accounting system. A better alternative for the buyer is to make inquiries about any invoices that are listed on the statement, and obtain more detailed information before issuing a payment.

There can be some confusion between the invoice and statement terms when dealing with credit card providers, since they issue a "statement" that is actually an invoice.

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HSBC Bank up to $750 Checking Account Bonus Offer

by Tracy Banks @ Banklady.com

Thu Mar 01 14:31:17 PST 2018

HSBC Bank will give you up to a $750 bonus when you open a new HSBC Choice Checking, Advance Checking, or Premier Checking relationship and make a qualifying deposit for 90 days. This offer is available nationwide to anybody in the United States who wants to open an HSBC Bank checking account. See our full […]

Recall alert: Organic coconut flour poses salmonella risk

by Craig Johnson @ clark.com

Mon Mar 26 12:15:22 PDT 2018

The King Arthur Flour Co. is recalling its organic coconut flour due to the potential presence of salmonella, the company has announced. People should check their cupboards for the product and take prompt action, the company said.

“Consumers who have …

Get a Free Share of Stock from Trying Out This App

by Tracy Banks @ Banklady.com

Wed Aug 09 14:23:37 PDT 2017

Robinhood is a trending stock trading app that charges absolutely no commissions. They recently raised $110 million at a $1.3 billion valuation and are giving away tons of stocks with their latest promotion. They’ve started rolling out different promotions for referring new accounts as you will read below. The most exciting of which is a […]

Big tipper? Find out which states are most and least generous with gratuities

by Craig Johnson @ clark.com

Fri Mar 23 11:01:44 PDT 2018

If you’re like many Americans, you may feel that what you tip at a particular restaurant has everything to do with the service you’re getting – but that may not necessarily be the case. A recent study shows which region …

Clark Howard 3.23.18

by @ clark.com

Fri Mar 23 14:00:00 PDT 2018

Topics: Clark Stinks; There’s a massive shortage of homes in the US right now

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

Don’t Believe Anything Equifax Says in the Breach of 1/2 the U.S. Population

by Tracy Banks @ Banklady.com

Fri Sep 08 14:05:00 PDT 2017

First, Let’s start with the Banklady’s take on the Reasons why the Equifax data breach is a total disaster: Security breach on their end. They knew a month ago and waited this long to give the details to the people impacted (that’s us). It looks like some of their shady executives were dumping stock in […]

ACS/Conduent Loan Servicing Problems – How to Avoid & Fix Them

by Jim Wang @ Wallet Hacks

Fri Mar 23 04:00:40 PDT 2018

Over 15 years ago, I graduated college with $35,000 of student loan debt. It was a mixture of different types of loans but I was able to consolidate them into a single fixed rate, somewhere in the 3% range, and serviced by ACS Education Services. ACS, short for Affiliated Computer Services, recently changed their name […]

The post ACS/Conduent Loan Servicing Problems – How to Avoid & Fix Them appeared first on Wallet Hacks.

Throughput definition

by Steven Bragg @ Articles - AccountingTools

Tue Mar 27 15:19:00 PDT 2018

Throughput is the number of units that pass through a process during a period of time. This general definition can be refined into the following two variations, which are:

• Operational perspective. Throughput is the number of units that can be produced by a production process within a certain period of time. For example, if 800 units can be produced during an eight-hour shift, then the production process generates throughput of 100 units per hour.
• Financial perspective. Throughput is the revenues generated by a production process, minus all completely variable expenses incurred by that process. In most cases, the only completely variable expenses are direct materials and sales commissions. Given the small number of expenses, throughput tends to be quite high, except for those situations in which prices are set only slightly higher than variable expenses.

For operations, throughput can be increased by enhancing the productivity of the bottleneck operation that is constraining production. For example, an additional machine can be purchased, or overtime can be authorized in order to run a machine for an extra shift. The key point is to focus attention on the productivity of the bottleneck operation. If other operations are improved, the overall throughput of the system will not increase, since the bottleneck operation has not been enhanced. This means that the key focus of investment in the production area should be on the bottleneck, not other operations.

For financial analysis, throughput can be increased by altering the mix of products being produced, to increase the priority on those products that have the highest throughput per minute of time required at the constrained resource. If a product has a smaller amount of throughput per minute, it can instead be routed to a third party for processing, rather than interfering with the bottleneck operation. As long as some positive throughput is gained by outsourcing, the result is an increased overall level of the throughput for the company as a whole.

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Competitive advantage

by Steven Bragg @ Articles - AccountingTools

Tue Mar 27 14:27:00 PDT 2018

Competitive advantage is the ability of an organization to gain a material edge over its competitors. Having such an advantage can result in above-average profits or high levels of customer loyalty. There are many types of competitive advantage that a business can take advantage of, such as the following:

• Having a supply of unusually inexpensive raw materials
• Having access to a low-cost labor force
• Owning a patent that is key to a product category
• Having a large field servicing operation that can maintain products on short notice
• Having a large chain of retail stores through which goods can be sold
• Having a highly-regarded Internet store that experiences a large number of return visits
• Having a design team that routinely produces leading-edge designs
• Having a short product development cycle that pushes new products into the marketplace faster than what competitors can achieve

An example of how a core competency is used is to leverage a strong field service operation by noting the company's 24-hour response time when pitching a prospective sale to a customer. Another example is being able to offer a commodity product to a customer at an unusually low price, since the seller's workforce is located overseas, where labor costs are reduced by more than half.

Competitive advantage can be taken away by a determined competitor in one of two ways:

• Match and then exceed the advantage offered by the company; or
• Undermine the company's position by developing an entirely new competitive advantage that is highly prized by customers.

It is essential to maintain a competitive advantage, in order to sustain long-term profitability. This means that management must be aware of the advantage and continually reinforce it with ongoing investments in the targeted area.

A competitive advantage can even be achieved by unethical means, such as by offering bribes to the purchasing manager of a customer. Since other sellers are presumably not willing to engage in unethical behavior, the use of bribes can be seen as a competitive advantage.

Nonprofit accounting

by Steven Bragg @ Articles - AccountingTools

Wed Mar 28 04:55:00 PDT 2018

Nonprofit accounting refers to the unique system of recordation and reporting that is applied to the business transactions engaged in by a nonprofit organization. A nonprofit entity is one that has no ownership interests, has an operating purpose other than to earn a profit, and which receives significant contributions from third parties that do not expect to receive a return. Nonprofit accounting employs the following concepts that differ from the accounting by a for-profit entity:

• Net assets. Net assets take the place of equity in the balance sheet, since there are no investors to take an equity position in a nonprofit.
• Donor restrictions. Net assets are classified as being either with donor restrictions or without donor restrictions. Assets with donor restrictions can only be used in certain ways, frequently being assigned only to specific programs. Assets without donor restrictions can be used for any purpose.
• Programs. A nonprofit exists in order to provide some kind of service, which is called a program. A nonprofit may operate a number of different programs, each of which is accounted for separately. By doing so, one can view the revenues and expenses associated with each program.
• Management and administration. Costs may be assigned to the management and administration classification, which refers to the general overhead structure of a nonprofit. Donors want this figure to be as low as possible, which implies that the bulk of their contributions are going straight to programs.
• Fund raising. Costs may be assigned to the fund raising classification, which refers to the sales and marketing activities of a nonprofit, such as solicitations, fund raising events, and writing grant proposals.
• Financial statements. The financial statements produced by a nonprofit entity differ in several respects from those issued by a for-profit entity. For example, the statement of activities replaces the income statement, while the statement of financial position replaces the balance sheet. Both for-profit and nonprofit entities issue a statement of cash flows. Finally, there is no nonprofit equivalent for the statement of stockholders' equity, since a nonprofit has no equity.

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How not to get kicked out of your Airbnb rental

by Craig Johnson @ clark.com

Fri Mar 23 13:54:41 PDT 2018

While travel season used to be a boon for hotels, it has now turned into a blessing for many homeowners, too, thanks to Airbnb.

The homesharing service is disrupting the hotel industry by providing affordable lodging from people who are …

How Grads Can Get Another Shot at Student Loan Forgiveness

by Anna Helhoski @ NerdWallet

Tue Mar 27 09:20:39 PDT 2018

The Trump administration is giving student loan borrowers who missed out on public service loan forgiveness a second chance, and they should move now to prepare. The recently passed $1.3 trillion federal…

Apple Watch, Fitbit make strides in detecting heart problem

by Theo Thimou @ clark.com

Thu Mar 22 15:26:55 PDT 2018

If you're a fan of the Apple universe, the Apple Watch may have already won your heart. But did you know it may be able to proactively protect your heart, too?

7 Habits That Will Help You Lead a More Successful and Productive Life

by Due.com @ Chime Banking

Tue Mar 13 15:54:24 PDT 2018

Regardless what path in life you’re on, your habits will dictate your success. They can empower you to achieve your goals just as easily as they can derail you. That said it’s just as important to focus on maintaining good habits as it is to rid yourself of the bad ones. In this article we’ll cover […]

The post 7 Habits That Will Help You Lead a More Successful and Productive Life appeared first on Chime Banking.

Evaluation of internal controls

by Steven Bragg @ Articles - AccountingTools

Wed Mar 28 05:50:00 PDT 2018

An evaluation of internal control involves an examination of the effectiveness of an organization's system of internal controls. By engaging in this evaluation, an auditor can determine the extent of other tests that must be performed in order to arrive at an opinion regarding the fairness of the entity's financial statements. A robust system of internal controls reduces the risk of fraudulent activity, which moderates the need for additional audit procedures. The examination concentrates on such issues as:

• The separation of duties
• Checks and balances
• Safeguarding of records
• The training level and competence of employees
• The effectiveness of the entity's internal audit function

The steps involved in this evaluation process include the following:

1. Determine the extent and types of controls being used by the client.
2. Determine which of these controls the auditor intends to rely upon.
3. Based on the first two steps, determine which audit procedures should be expanded or reduced.
4. Make recommendations to the client regarding how to improve its system of internal controls.

The last of the preceding steps is useful for improving the control environment for the auditor in the following year's audit.

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Clark Howard 3.26.18

by @ clark.com

Mon Mar 26 14:05:29 PDT 2018

Topics: Walmart is now selling used cars; Congress doesn’t want you to know about future data breaches; Awesome deals today from Moviepass, Costco, and more

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

Why the ‘official bank’ of your campus is likely the wrong bank to do business with

by Theo Thimou @ clark.com

Fri Mar 23 06:45:00 PDT 2018

Chances are your school has forged an "official bank of..." relationship with some bank. And while that partnership may be in the university's best interest, it's seldom in your best interest!

Amazon is now offering luxury beauty samples

by Amanda Swan @ finder US

Tue Mar 27 07:00:35 PDT 2018

Prime members have yet another perk to look forward to with luxury beauty samples now available from brands like Elizabeth Arden and Pureology.

Organic growth

by Steven Bragg @ Articles - AccountingTools

Tue Mar 27 12:42:00 PDT 2018

Organic growth is the increase in sales of a business generated by those of its operations that were in existence at the beginning of the measurement period. The concept is used to differentiate between sales generated from existing operations and those operations that were acquired during the measurement period. In particular, organic growth is used to determine whether existing operations are in a state of decline, neutral growth, or expansion. It is entirely possible that organic "growth" will actually be negative.

For example, a company may report 100% growth during a period, but further analysis may reveal that 95% of the growth was from sales attributable to an acquisition and 5% to existing operations.

Organic growth can be caused by any of the following:

• An increase in prices
• An increase in units sold of existing products
• Sales of new products from existing operations
• Sales to new customers for products from existing operations
• Sales generated by new distribution channels
• Sales generated in new sales regions

Organic growth nearly always refers to changes in revenue, but can be used in reference to changes in profitability or cash flows.

The organic growth concept is a solid growth strategy for many businesses. This approach depends on internally-generated growth, rather than through acquisitions, and is a particularly viable option for a business that does not have sufficient cash to acquire other entities. However, this type of growth tends to be rather slow, especially when compared to the massive sales gains that can be achieved through an acquisition strategy. Also, organic growth could be in a sales segment that does not generate much cash flow, whereas an acquisition could generate sales in a more profitable segment of the market.

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Clark Howard 3.23.18

by @ clark.com

Fri Mar 23 14:00:00 PDT 2018

Topics: Clark Stinks; There’s a massive shortage of homes in the US right now

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

FIFO

by Steven Bragg @ Articles - AccountingTools

Mon Mar 26 15:46:00 PDT 2018

FIFO is a cost layering concept under which the first goods purchased are assumed to be the first goods sold. The concept is used to devise the valuation of ending inventory, which in turn is used to calculate the cost of goods sold.

The FIFO concept (also known as first in, first out) is best shown with an example. ABC Company buys ten green widgets for $5 each in January, and an additional ten green widgets in February for $7 each. In March, it sells ten widgets. Based on the FIFO concept, the first ten units that ABC purchased should be charged to the cost of goods sold, on the theory that the first units into inventory should be the first ones removed from it. Thus, the cost of goods sold in March should be $50, while the value of the inventory at the end of March should be $70. Even if some of the actual $7 green widgets were sold in March, the FIFO concept states that the cost of the earliest units should still be charged to the cost of goods sold first.

A company that uses FIFO will find that the costs it maintains in its records for its inventory will always be the most current costs, since the last items purchased are still assumed to be in stock. Conversely, the cost of the oldest items will be charged to the cost of goods sold. In a normal inflationary environment, this means that the cost of goods sold will be relatively low in comparison to current costs, which will increase the amount of taxable income; also, the inventory value reported on the balance sheet will approximately match current costs.

Alternative methods of accounting for inventory are the weighted average method, the last-in first-out method, and the specific identification method.

The FIFO concept also applies to the actual usage of inventory. When inventory items have a relatively short life span, it can be of considerable importance to structure the warehousing storage system so that the oldest items are presented to pickers first. Doing so reduces the risk of inventory spoilage.

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Here’s How to Improve Your Credit Score Faster

by Paul Sisolak @ Chime Banking

Thu Mar 08 14:44:08 PST 2018

Good things may come to those who wait, but time isn’t on your side if you’re struggling to raise your credit score quickly. More than 30 percent of Americans have poor credit, and if you’re one of them it can be hard to improve it. Many people aim for a credit-building secured credit card, but it could […]

The post Here’s How to Improve Your Credit Score Faster appeared first on Chime Banking.

WWII Pilots Said It Boosted Vision. And Native Americans Insisted It Cured Heart Problems.

by Erin Goodin @ Off The Grid News

Mon Mar 26 22:03:30 PDT 2018

  It’s related to and often confused for blueberries, and has a time-honored role in both folk and herbal medicine. It is the bilberry, a delicious blue fruit that can be distinguished from blueberries by looking at the flesh. The flesh of the bilberry is dark and juicy, while the flesh of the blueberry is ...

How to Watch Live Sports Online for Free

by Jim Wang @ Wallet Hacks

Tue Mar 13 04:00:27 PDT 2018

I have a secret. I live in Maryland but I love my New York teams (I'm that weird Mets, Jets, Knicks combo). I'm not a die-hard fan in that I rearrange my schedule because I must watch every game (good luck — that's 260 games combined), but I like catching a game when I can. […]

The post How to Watch Live Sports Online for Free appeared first on Wallet Hacks.

The 9 Most Nutrient-Dense, Long-Term Storage Foods You Can Stockpile

by Trent Rhode @ Off The Grid News

Mon Mar 26 22:05:57 PDT 2018

  There are many foods that store well, and many foods that are super-nutritious or have high caloric value, but the number of foods that store well and are especially nutrient- and calorie-rich are much fewer. Calories without nutrients won’t satisfy your body, leading to continual hunger that will cause you to eat more calories ...

This Is Why Research On Behavioral Finance Won the Nobel Prize

by Cat Alford @ Chime Banking

Mon Mar 12 15:50:20 PDT 2018

In October 2017, Richard Thaler got the call he’d been hoping for. After 40 plus years of economics research, he learned he won the Nobel Prize. As an economist, he faced ridicule from his colleagues for his research connecting human behavior to economics. Winning the Nobel Prize for his work in behavioral finance meant that his […]

The post This Is Why Research On Behavioral Finance Won the Nobel Prize appeared first on Chime Banking.

Best FIRE (Financial Independence, Early Retirement) Blogs You Shouldn’t Miss

by Jim Wang @ Wallet Hacks

Mon Mar 26 04:00:46 PDT 2018

Behind every mainstream story about a couple retiring in their 30s and traveling the world is a story of struggle, sacrifice, and smart trade-offs. The idea that you could retire early, that is to say before you were in your 60s, has been around for centuries. This History of F.I.R.E. published on Rockstar Finance is […]

The post Best FIRE (Financial Independence, Early Retirement) Blogs You Shouldn’t Miss appeared first on Wallet Hacks.

Wells Fargo Banking Promotions: $200 Checking Bonus

by Jim Wang @ Wallet Hacks

Wed Mar 14 04:00:49 PDT 2018

Banks need accounts. You need more cash. How about $200 to open a Wells Fargo Everyday Checking account and making it your main bank account? That's what Wells Fargo is willing to do if you're willing to open an account and set up a direct deposit of at least $500. After you've had three deposits […]

The post Wells Fargo Banking Promotions: $200 Checking Bonus appeared first on Wallet Hacks.

How to Prepare for an Interview When You’re Self-Employed

by Due.com @ Chime Banking

Tue Mar 27 13:03:23 PDT 2018

There are many myths about self-employment that people may start to mistake for fact. Working for yourself can be a great thing, but it doesn’t always mean you’ll be 100% in control of your career and the day-to-day operations. Often times, you’ll still have to work with others and may even have to please clients if you’re […]

The post How to Prepare for an Interview When You’re Self-Employed appeared first on Chime Banking.

How to Turn a Tax Refund Into a Fatter Paycheck

by Tina Orem @ NerdWallet

Fri Mar 23 12:34:45 PDT 2018

Getting a tax refund may seem great, but tax pros say it’s also a sign two things could be happening: You may not be doing enough tax planning, and you…

Quicken 2018 Review

by Jim Wang @ Wallet Hacks

Fri Mar 09 04:00:58 PST 2018

Quicken is one of the oldest personal finance software packages. Quicken's origins go all the way back into the 1980s, when Scott Cook and Tom Proulx founded Intuit in Palo Alto, CA. As Intuit's history tells it, they realized that personal computers would change the way people did personal accounting. Quicken was programmed in Microsoft […]

The post Quicken 2018 Review appeared first on Wallet Hacks.

Turnover ratios

by Steven Bragg @ Articles - AccountingTools

Tue Mar 27 15:24:00 PDT 2018

A turnover ratio represents the amount of assets or liabilities that a company replaces in relation to its sales. The concept is useful for determining the efficiency with which a business utilizes its assets. In most cases, a high asset turnover ratio is considered good, since it implies that receivables are collected quickly, fixed assets are heavily utilized, and little excess inventory is kept on hand. This implies a minimal need for invested funds, and therefore a high return on investment.

Conversely, a low liability turnover ratio (usually in relation to accounts payable) is considered good, since it implies that a company is taking the longest possible amount of time in which to pay its suppliers, and so has use of its cash for a longer period of time.

Examples of turnover ratios are:

• Accounts receivable turnover ratio. Measures the time it takes to collect an average amount of accounts receivable. It can be impacted by the corporate credit policy, payment terms, the accuracy of billings, the activity level of the collections staff, the promptness of deduction processing, and a multitude of other factors.
• Inventory turnover ratio. Measures the amount of inventory that must be maintained to support a given amount of sales. It can be impacted by the type of production process flow system used, the presence of obsolete inventory, management's policy for filling orders, inventory record accuracy, the use of manufacturing outsourcing, and so on.
• Fixed asset turnover ratio. Measures the fixed asset investment needed to maintain a given amount of sales. It can be impacted by the use of throughput analysis, manufacturing outsourcing, capacity management, and other factors.
• Accounts payable turnover ratio. Measures the time period over which a company is allowed to hold trade payables before being obligated to pay suppliers. It is primarily impacted by the terms negotiated with suppliers and the presence of early payment discounts.

The turnover ratio concept is also used in relation to investment funds. In this context, it refers to the proportion of investment holdings that have been replaced in a given year. A low turnover ratio implies that the fund manager is not incurring many brokerage transaction fees to sell off and/or purchase securities. The turnover level for a fund is typically based on the investment strategy of the fund manager, so a buy-and-hold manager will experience a low turnover ratio, while a manager with a more active strategy will be more likely to experience a high turnover ratio and must generate greater returns in order to offset the increased transaction fees.

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The chart of accounts most suitable for a small company

by Steven Bragg @ Articles - AccountingTools

Mon Mar 26 16:31:00 PDT 2018

A smaller business can dispense with many of the more specialized accounts and instead use an abbreviated chart of accounts. By doing so, it can greatly simplify the chore of recording business transactions. The following list of accounts may be adequate for compiling an income statement and balance sheet under a double entry bookkeeping system. However, please note that there are nearly always special accounts used in some industries, which are not mentioned in the following list. The basic accounts are:

Assets

• Cash. Includes the balances in all checking and savings accounts.
• Accounts receivable. Includes all trade receivables. It may be necessary to also have an "Other Receivables" account for other types of receivables, such as advances to employees.
• Inventory. Includes raw materials, work-in-process, and finished goods inventory.
• Fixed assets. Can be subdivided into multiple additional accounts, such as machinery, equipment, land, buildings, and furniture.
• Accumulated depreciation. One account is generally used to compile the accumulated depreciation for all types of fixed assets.

Liabilities

• Accounts payable. Includes all trade payables due to suppliers.
• Accrued expenses. Includes all accrued liabilities, such as for wages and taxes.
• Sales taxes payable. Includes all sales taxes billed to customers, and to be remitted to the applicable local governments.
• Notes payable. Includes the remaining balance on all loans payable. For tracking purposes, it may be easier to create a separate account for each loan payable.

Equity (assumes a corporation)

• Common stock. Includes the amount originally paid by shareholders for their stock.
• Retained earnings. Includes all cash retained in the business from profits, which have not been distributed to shareholders.

Revenue

• Service revenues. Includes all sales related to the provision of services to customers.
• Product revenues. Includes all sales of products to customers.
• Repair revenues. Includes sales generated by repair work and the sale of spare parts to customers.

Expenses

• Cost of goods sold. This includes at least the material cost of items sold, and at a more sophisticated level, can include the cost of direct labor and allocated factory overhead.
• Salaries and wages. Includes the cost of all salaries and wages not already included in the cost of goods sold.
• Rent expense. Includes the cost of rent for building space, vehicles, equipment, and so forth.
• Utilities expense. Includes the cost of heat, electricity, broadband, phones, and so forth.
• Travel and entertainment expense. Includes the cost of travel, meals, housing, and related expenses incurred during employee travel on company business.
• Advertising expense. Includes advertising and other marketing expenses.
• Depreciation expense. Includes the expense related to depreciation. This is a non-cash expense.

Non-Operating Revenues and Expenses

• Interest income. Includes income on all invested funds.
• Interest expense. Includes interest paid and accrued on debts owed by the company to lenders.
• Gain on sale of assets. Includes any gains on the sale of assets.
• Loss on sale of assets. Includes any losses on the sale of assets.

It is best to consult with a CPA who understands a company's industry to see if any additional accounts should be added to this list. In general, however, the preceding chart of accounts should be sufficient for a small company.

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Average 401(k) Retirement Savings – Why We Need to Save More. Way More!

by Jim Wang @ Wallet Hacks

Mon Mar 19 04:00:30 PDT 2018

How much do you have saved up in retirement? If you're like most Americans, the answer is not much. The average net worth of Americans is just $80,039. When you take out home equity, it's only $25,116. That's across the entire population of the United States – single, married, 65, 25, black, white, etc. Do […]

The post Average 401(k) Retirement Savings – Why We Need to Save More. Way More! appeared first on Wallet Hacks.

Expense accounting

by Steven Bragg @ Articles - AccountingTools

Mon Mar 26 16:24:00 PDT 2018

Expense accounting involves the proper recognition and recordation of a consumed expenditure or an incurred obligation. This process is critical to recognizing expenses in the correct amount and reporting period. The following activities are needed in expense accounting:

Consumed Expenditures - Occurs when a supplier invoice is received or cash payment made in exchange for goods or services.

1. Decide whether the amount is to be treated as an expense or asset. If the item can be consumed over multiple periods, it is likely to be treated as an asset.
2. If an expense, recognize it within the correct expense account, such as direct materials, supplies, or utilities.
3. If an asset, record it in either the prepaid expenses account (for short-term assets) or a fixed assets account (for longer-term assets).
4. If a prepaid expense, monitor it each month and charge it to expense as consumed.
5. If a fixed asset, charge a consistent portion of it to depreciation expense in each month, until it is fully consumed.
6. If no invoice has been received or payment made, there may still be an obligation to pay a supplier. If so, create a reversing journal entry that records an accrued expense in the current period, and reverses it in the next period. Doing so ensures that the expense is recognized in the correct period. When the invoice is received or payment made in the next period, it offsets the reversal, resulting in no net entry in the following period.

Incurred Obligations - Occurs when a business takes on an obligation to pay a third party.

1. Decide whether there is a probable obligation and the amount can be clearly determined. If so, record a liability. The offset to the liability is a charge to expense.
2. Review the obligation in later periods to see if the amount has changed. If so, adjust the liability and the offsetting expense.

The expense accounting noted here is used in an accrual basis accounting system.

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Report: Draft bill would allow credit reporting agencies, banks to conceal data breaches

by Craig Johnson @ clark.com

Mon Mar 26 13:37:24 PDT 2018

As we have chronicled over the past several months, congressional scrutiny of the Equifax data breach has ebbed and flowed with the headlines.

Lasting consumer protections have been hard to come by for various reasons. But one of the more …

The negative confirmation

by Steven Bragg @ Articles - AccountingTools

Tue Mar 27 08:18:00 PDT 2018

A negative confirmation is a document issued by an auditor to the customers of a client company. The letter asks the customers to respond to the auditor only if they find a discrepancy between their records and the information about the client company's financial records that are supplied by the auditor. For example, a confirmation letter tells a customer that the client company's records at year-end show an ending accounts receivable balance for that customer of $500,000. If the customer agrees with this number, it does not have to contact the auditor to confirm the supplied information. The auditor will then assume that the customer agrees with the information presented to it in the confirmation.

A negative confirmation is designed for use in situations where a client company's internal controls are already considered to be quite strong, so that the confirmation process is used as a secondary audit method for the accounts under review.

A positive confirmation is one in which the customer is required to send back a document, either confirming or disputing the account information sent to it by the auditor.

A negative confirmation does not require as much follow-up work by auditors as a positive confirmation, but is also not considered to be as high-quality a source of audit evidence as the positive confirmation, since some customers may not be bothering to send back a confirmation document, even though they have detected a discrepancy. For this reason, most auditors prefer to use positive confirmations over negative confirmations, despite the additional cost.

A negative or positive confirmation is not restricted for use with a client company's customers. They are also commonly used with suppliers to confirm small-dollar account balances. A negative confirmation is rarely used with a lender, since auditors want to be very sure about the ending debt balances reported by their clients. In this case, positive confirmations are nearly always used.

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Growing crop

by Steven Bragg @ Articles - AccountingTools

Tue Mar 27 04:56:33 PDT 2018

A growing crop is a bush, field, tree, or vine crop prior to being harvested. Field and row crops are typically planted from seeds or transplanted from beds, and then developed to the point of harvesting within a period of months. When these crops have a cycle of less than one year, they are referred to as annuals. Examples of annuals are barley, beans, cabbage, and corn.

All costs of growing crops are to be accumulated until harvesting time. This rule includes crop costs that are incurred before planting, such as the cost of soil preparation.

Some costs associated with growing crops are not incurred until after the harvest, perhaps not until the next year. For example, there may be a residue of harvested crops in the fields that is not cleared until the start of the next growing season. These costs should be accrued and allocated to the harvested crop.

The cost of growing crops should be reported at the lower of cost or market.

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Rihanna unveils Fenty Beauty body glitter

by Amanda Swan @ finder US

Tue Mar 27 10:57:12 PDT 2018

All that glitters may not be gold, but everything Rihanna touches seems to turn to it.

Best Business Bank Bonuses for New Accounts 2018

by Tracy Banks @ Banklady.com

Thu Mar 01 15:50:56 PST 2018

We listed the personal bank accounts here but below you will find the business checking incentives by banks for 2018 so far. See more here about Business Credit Cards. Bank of America $2,500 Business Checking Bonus – Nationwide Massive bonus and most people should be able to get $1,000 without too much fuss if they […]

Where’s My Refund? How to Get Your Tax Refund As Quickly As Possible

by Jim Wang @ Wallet Hacks

Mon Mar 12 04:00:55 PDT 2018

Are you ahead of the game and already filed your tax return? You rock! Now you're wondering “where's my refund?” We can help! You're in the right place. The IRS isn't very straightforward with a lot of tax items, since there is so many gray and “up to interpretation” areas, but on the tax refund […]

The post Where’s My Refund? How to Get Your Tax Refund As Quickly As Possible appeared first on Wallet Hacks.

12 Clever Places to Donate Your Used Old Books

by Makenzi Wood @ Wallet Hacks

Wed Mar 21 04:00:34 PDT 2018

If you're like me, you know there's nothing quite like cracking open a book. For decades us bookworms have amassed impressive collections of books to expand our small slice of the world. However, it's easy to get overwhelmed with books. I used to have an entire room in my house just for my books. It […]

The post 12 Clever Places to Donate Your Used Old Books appeared first on Wallet Hacks.

Human resource accounting

by Steven Bragg @ Articles - AccountingTools

Wed Mar 28 16:21:00 PDT 2018

Human resource accounting involves the tracking of all costs related to employees in a separate report. These costs may include the following:

• Employee compensation
• Employee payroll taxes
• Employee benefits
• Employee training

Such an accounting system can be used to determine where human resources costs are especially heavy or light in an organization. This information can be used to redirect employees toward those activities to which they can bring the most value. Conversely, the report can be used to identify those areas in which employee costs are too high, which may lead to a reduction in force or a reallocation of staff away from those areas.

A more comprehensive human resource accounting system goes beyond the simple tracking of employee-related costs, and addresses the following two additional areas:

• Budgeting. An organization's annual budget includes a component, in which is concentrated all employee costs being incurred from across the organization. By concentrating cost information by its nature, management can more clearly see the total impact of human resource costs on the entity.
• Employee valuation. Rather than looking at employees as costs, the system is redirected toward viewing them as assets. This can involve the assignment of values to employees based on their experience, education, innovativeness, leadership, and so forth. This can be a difficult area in which to achieve a verifiable level of quantification, and so may have limited value from a management perspective.

From an accounting perspective, the expense-based view of human resources is quite easy - employee costs from the various departments are simply aggregated into a report. The employee valuation approach is not a tenable concept for the accountant, since this is an internally-generated intangible asset, and so cannot be recorded in the accounting system.

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Types of financial analysis

by Steven Bragg @ Articles - AccountingTools

Tue Mar 27 14:44:00 PDT 2018

Financial analysis involves the review of an organization's financial information in order to arrive at business decisions. This analysis can take several forms, with each one intended for a different use. The types of financial analysis are:

• Horizontal analysis. This involves the side-by-side comparison of the financial results of an organization for a number of consecutive reporting periods. The intent is to discern any spikes or declines in the data that could be used as the basis for a more detailed examination of financial results.
• Vertical analysis. This is a proportional analysis of the various expenses on the income statement, measured as a percentage of net sales. The same analysis can be used for the balance sheet. These proportions should be consistent over time; if not, one can investigate further into the reasons for a percentage change.
• Short term analysis. This is a detailed review of working capital, involving the calculation of turnover rates for accounts receivable, inventory, and accounts payable. Any differences from the long-term average turnover rate are worth investigating further, since working capital is a key user of cash.
• Multi-company comparison. This involves the calculation and comparison of the key financial ratios of two organizations, usually within the same industry. The intent is to determine the comparative financial strengths and weaknesses of the two firms, based on their financial statements.
• Industry comparison. This is similar to the multi-company comparison, except that the comparison is between the results of a specific business and the average results of an entire industry. The intent is to see if there are any unusual results in comparison to the average method of doing business.

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Align Probiotic Class Action Settlement (up to $49.26 – no proof needed)

by Tracy Banks @ Banklady.com

Wed Jan 17 09:21:51 PST 2018

Here is a class action settlement that is available for anyone who bought any type of “clinically proven” Align Probiotic products between 03/01/09 and 06/06/16. Note, there is no proof of purchase needed to claim what is owed to you, so you don’t need to go searching for old receipts. The deadline for this offer […]

Top Checking & Savings Bonus Offers 2018

by Tracy Banks @ Banklady.com

Thu Mar 01 16:08:34 PST 2018

We put together a list of the best checking and savings bonus offers for 2018 so far. This includes mostly national banks with soft credit pulls when you open an account with a few exceptions. We do live a few with hard pulls and a few from credit unions and regional banks. If you find […]

Payroll records

by Steven Bragg @ Articles - AccountingTools

Tue Mar 27 12:00:00 PDT 2018

Payroll records contain information about the compensation paid to employees and any deductions from their pay. These records are needed by the payroll staff to calculate gross pay and net pay for employees. Payroll records typically include information about the following items:

• Bereavement pay
• Bonuses
• Commissions
• Deductions for pensions, benefits, charitable contributions, stock purchase plans, and so forth
• Direct deposit information
• Gross wages
• Hours worked
• Manual check payments
• Net wages paid
• Salary rates
• Vacation and/or sick pay

The information in payroll records have traditionally been stored on paper documents, but can also be recorded as electronic documents.

Payroll records can be considered a subset of the information stored in human resources records, which can contain considerably more information than items pertaining to just employee pay and deductions.

The time period over which payroll records must be retained will depend upon government requirements. The Internal Revenue Service typically states a required retention period in each document it issues dealing with payroll issues. In general, wage calculations should be retained for two years, while collective bargaining agreements should be retained for three years.

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The Single Parent’s Guide to Life Insurance

by Barbara Marquand @ NerdWallet

Thu Mar 22 17:39:02 PDT 2018

Even though it might be hard sometimes to picture your young children as independent adults, you hope to live long enough to see that day. Life insurance provides a financial…

Achieve the Dream of a College Education with the Maryland 529 Save4College Program

by Jim Wang @ Wallet Hacks

Mon Mar 19 06:01:14 PDT 2018

College is expensive. I graduated with $35,000 in student loan debt. Some graduate with hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt. I never had access to a 529 plan. I started college in 1998 and they were created in 1996 as Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code. Even if we knew about it, it […]

The post Achieve the Dream of a College Education with the Maryland 529 Save4College Program appeared first on Wallet Hacks.

Price to book ratio

by Steven Bragg @ Articles - AccountingTools

Wed Mar 28 04:53:00 PDT 2018

The price to book ratio compares the current market price of a company's stock to its aggregate book value. When the ratio is excessively high, it can indicate that a company's shares are over-priced, especially when the ratio is high in comparison to the same calculation for other companies in the same industry. The calculation is:

Closing price of the stock ÷ (Total assets - Intangible assets - Liabilities)

Investors like to use the price to book ratio to search for undervalued companies, and invest in their stock in hopes of having the share price return to a more normal level over time. However, there are a number of issues with the ratio to be aware of, including the following:

• The ratio could be low because the company has been mismanaged, in which case there can be no expectation that the ratio will improve over time.
• The ratio could skewed too high because the company is using accelerated depreciation to write down the value of its fixed assets at an accelerated rate.
• The company may have valuable intellectual property that does not appear on its balance sheet at all, but which is being recognized by investors through a high market price for its stock.
• The company may be investing a large amount in research and development costs, which must be charged to expense as incurred, rather than capitalized. This tends to result in a comparatively low book value for the business.
• The ratio is not overly useful when evaluating services firms and technology companies, since these entities have comparatively fewer fixed assets on their balance sheets.

Related Courses

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Financial model

by Steven Bragg @ Articles - AccountingTools

Wed Mar 28 16:52:00 PDT 2018

A financial model is a mathematical representation of the key variables impacting an organization, which is used to make estimates of how future scenarios will impact the performance and financial position of the business. This model is usually constructed on an electronic spreadsheet, using summary-level revenues and expenses, and employing formulas that change the results of the model when certain variables are altered. For example, variables could be used to model the impact of an increase in energy prices, a decline in product prices, a product recall, a change in the rate of sales growth, or a successful employee strike that results in increased compensation and benefit costs.

A financial model is useful for estimating the effects of a number of scenarios within a short period of time, though its effectiveness depends on how well the model mimics the business. An analyst can use a financial model for a number of purposes, such as:

• Acquisitions. To determine the range of possible outcomes that an acquirer can expect with an acquiree, depending on the actions it takes after the deal has been closed.
• Budgeting. To develop several scenarios as part of the budgeting process, to decide which scenarios to pursue when a detailed budget is constructed.
• Capital budgeting. To determine a range of outcomes that might impact the cash flow return related to a prospective fixed asset purchase.
• Risk analysis. To determine which variables can have the greatest negative effect on a firm, as part of a formal risk analysis.

There are two potential problems with financial models. One is that a model may not properly account for the variables that will impact the model's projected future results. The other problem is that a more complex model is at risk of having calculation errors built into it, which can be difficult to detect.

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Inventory change

by Steven Bragg @ Articles - AccountingTools

Tue Mar 27 13:22:00 PDT 2018

Inventory change is the difference between the inventory totals for the last reporting period and the current reporting period. The concept is used in calculating the cost of goods sold, and in the materials management department as the starting point for reviewing how well inventory is being managed. It is also used in budgeting to estimate future cash requirements. If a business only issues financial statements on an annual basis, then the calculation of the inventory change will span a one-year time period. More commonly, the inventory change is calculated over only one month or a quarter, which is indicative of the more normal frequency with which financial statements are issued.

For example, if the ending inventory at the end of February was $400,000 and the ending inventory at the end of March was $500,000, then the inventory change was +$100,000.

The inventory change calculation is applicable to the following areas:

• Accounting. Inventory change is part of the formula used to calculate the cost of goods sold for a reporting period. The full formula is: Beginning inventory + Purchases - Ending inventory = Cost of goods sold. The inventory change figure can be substituted into this formula, so that the replacement formula is: Purchases + Inventory decrease  - Inventory increase = Cost of goods sold. Thus, it can be used to slightly compress the calculation of the cost of goods sold.
• Inventory management. The materials management staff uses the inventory change concept to determine how its purchasing and materials usage policies have altered the company's net investment in inventory. They typically drill down from the inventory change figure and review changes for each type of inventory (e.g., raw materials, work in process, and finished goods), and then drill down further to see where changes arose at the level of each stock keeping unit. The result of this analysis may include changes in ordering policies, the correction of faulty bills of material, and alterations to the production schedule.
• Cash budgeting. The budgeting staff estimates the inventory change in each future period. Doing so impacts the amount of cash needed in each of these periods, since a reduction in inventory generates cash for other purposes, while an increase in inventory will require the use of cash.

The concept is also used in a general sense to keep track of the overall investment in inventory, which management may monitor to see if working capital levels are increasing at too rapid a pace.

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The King Rides In

by Bill Heid @ Off The Grid News

Sat Mar 24 22:01:29 PDT 2018

Now shrugging off his rags the wiliest fighter of the island leapt and stood on the broad door sill, his own bow in his hand. —Homer, The Odyssey (c. 8th century BC) The king has returned! —Rafiki, The Lion King (1994) The Return of the True King The exiled king story is one of the ...

5 Kids, 40 Acres, And A $25,000 House

by Tricia Drevets @ Off The Grid News

Sun Mar 25 22:05:34 PDT 2018

If you are attracted to the idea of living off the grid, but you think there is no way you could do it with a large family, you need to meet Jeff and Rose and their five daughters. With a strong desire to live an inexpensive and debt-free lifestyle, Jeff and Rose purchased 40 acres ...

Dollar Store Guide to Health and Wellness: Five You Should Buy, Six You Should Skip

by Makenzi Wood @ Wallet Hacks

Thu Mar 15 04:00:56 PDT 2018

Ahh, the dollar store. In an age where prices are soaring, it’s the beacon of thrifty shopping options for people looking to save a buck. While you can easily score cheap party decorations and glass bowls at the dollar store, it can be tough to know what is and isn’t a good deal when it […]

The post Dollar Store Guide to Health and Wellness: Five You Should Buy, Six You Should Skip appeared first on Wallet Hacks.

It’s The Vehicle You’ll Need When Society Collapses. And It Doesn’t Need Gas.

by Rich M @ Off The Grid News

Sun Mar 25 22:01:09 PDT 2018

I am constantly thinking through and rethinking survival scenarios. Of all of these, the loss of our electric grid, either due to a solar event or an EMP attack, is probably the most challenging, as well as being the most likely end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it event we might see. As such, it is one that deserves close study. ...

The Problem with Overdraft Fees

by Paul Sisolak @ Chime Banking

Tue Mar 20 02:52:00 PDT 2018

“Overdraft” is not a word we like to hear. Why? It generally means you’ll be dinged with a fee you don’t want to pay. To clarify, an overdraft fee occurs when you don’t have enough money in your bank account to pay for a purchase. When this happens, your bank will pay for the transaction […]

The post The Problem with Overdraft Fees appeared first on Chime Banking.

5 Creative Habits That Will Keep Your Finances On Track

by Ben Luthi @ Chime Banking

Tue Mar 27 13:29:00 PDT 2018

Improving your financial situation may seem as easy as saving more money and decreasing your expenses. But here’s the thing: if you want to see long-term improvements, you’ve got to first establish some good financial habits. This will help you both get on the right track and achieve your money goals. Financial habits are really […]

The post 5 Creative Habits That Will Keep Your Finances On Track appeared first on Chime Banking.

The Equifax Hack Was Worse Than Expected. What to Do Next

by Jeanine Skowronski @ Chime Banking

Thu Mar 15 15:59:14 PDT 2018

Looks like that worst-ever Equifax data breach was … actually worse. In late 2017, the credit reporting agency divulged a systems breach exposed the personal information of 145.5 millions Americans, including names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses, dispute documents, as well as some credit card account and driver’s license numbers. But the hackers also obtained […]

The post The Equifax Hack Was Worse Than Expected. What to Do Next appeared first on Chime Banking.

How to Save Money When You Get a Windfall of Cash

by Jackie Lam @ Chime Banking

Mon Mar 19 16:02:11 PDT 2018

Ah, there’s nothing quite like receiving a windfall of money. It may come by way of an unexpected inheritance, a work bonus or a job promotion. And depending on how you spend it, that sweet bit of extra cash may leave you feeling either relaxed or stressed out. While it’s tempting to spend it immediately, […]

The post How to Save Money When You Get a Windfall of Cash appeared first on Chime Banking.