unemployed

One of the pitfalls of being self-employed is what happens if you lose your business through no fault of your own. If you worked in a traditional job, you’d know what to do next: apply for benefits at the local unemployment office. But things are trickier when the job you lost was your own business. However, it is still possible for you to qualify for assistance as you move on to the next chapter in your life:

1. Be careful if you incorporate. If you collect a salary from your incorporated business, then you have been paying self-employment tax. Ditto for sole proprietors and partnerships. This means you made contributions to your state unemployment insurance fund, and you are eligible for benefits if you lose your business. On the other hand, some small business owners have been trying to avoid the self employment taxes by not paying themselves a salary. If this is the case, then don’t be surprised that you are denied if you apply for unemployment relief.

Incorporating your company has other benefits like separating your personal tax liability from that of your business. It also protects the owner of a business from any personal financial liability if the corporation needs to declare bankruptcy. Incorporation is one way to protect yourself from the ups and downs of self-employment, but avoiding taxes isn’t one of them.
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I think every parent can relate to having way too many baby and kid clothes piled up in their homes. It seems like no matter what, clothing quickly piles up from hand-me-downs and gifts — even if you never buy new clothing for your children.

In an effort to get rid of the excess clutter while making some extra money, over the past three years, I have sold baby and kid clothes in several different ways.

Here are 3 of my favorite places to sell children’s clothes quickly and easily.

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No one was anticipating the rates on loans to come down, but we are seeing extremely low rates again. This is awesome news for those looking to buy on credit, but people who already have loans should also rejoice since there is now a good chance that you can refinance to save some money. After all, getting a good rate on your loan is one of the better ways to save money over time. A lower interest rate is vital if you want to save more money — especially on larger loans that span a longer period of time.

If you want the best possible loan, there are some tried and true tips. Michelle Dosher is the managing editor of the Home and Family Resource Center at the Credit Union National Association. She has 4 tips that will remind you to get back to basics as you attempt to get the best loan rate:
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budget wedding

When it feels like everyone you know is getting married, it can be overwhelming on your budget. Whether you are invited to weddings of friends, family members, or co-workers, here are five ways to stay on budget.

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I recently switched my cellphone service provider to Ting, and I imagine I would write a letter similar to the one below if my former cellphone carrier was a person.

Dear AT&T,

I’ve had my sights on you from the beginning. When I found out you run on the GSM network, I knew you were the one. But after 16 years, and countless attempts to make things work, I’m so sorry to say that I found someone else.

The bottom line is that you are just too high maintenance. I would love to keep our relationship going forever, but I just can’t handle the payments.

I’m sorry. Times are different now and I’ve moved on…

Best of luck,
David

I would feel really bad to break up such a long relationship. Luckily, AT&T isn’t a person and I feel absolutely no obligation to overpay for essentially the same service. In fact, switching over to Ting has been one of the best decisions I’ve made in recent times because cellphone bills come monthly and the new reduced bill always remind me how our family is saving $70 every single month.

What to find out more? Here’s my review of Ting so far after six months of switching over.
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financial progress

We are all at different places when it comes to financial progress. Indeed, some of us may not even measure progress the same way. Just as being “rich” means different things to different people, the way you measure financial progress might vary from the way your neighbor measures it.

But it is important to understand how you feel about your finances, and be prepared to measure your progress in a way that works for you. Here are five suggestions of how to do it:
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