Finance

An index fund is a type of mutual fund whose performance is directly linked to that of an underlying stock of bond index. An index is a collection of securities (such as stocks and bonds) used to gauge the performance of an entire business sector, industry, segment of the market, and even country. Examples of popular indexes that are widely known include the Standard & Poor?s or S&P...

There is a lot of talk about market indexes these days. Turn on any financial news network and the latest valuation of the major markets are either on the screen or coming up shortly. Political careers can be made or broken by the rise and fall of these averages. A high number means things are going well; meanwhile, a lower than expected average can lead to increased volatility and a slide in c...

Fewer and fewer people carry cash around, instead depending on debit and credit cards for most in-person transactions. In order to accommodate the needs of customers, many businesses take advantage of merchant services so that they can offer their clients the option of paying with a card. The funds from debit and credit card transactions are available almost immediately, so it keeps cash flowi...

Savings accounts are the most basic kind of bank account, but many people are not getting savings accounts anymore. Instead, they use checking accounts to meet their everyday financial needs, such as paying rent and buying groceries. Unfortunately, when an individual uses one fluid account for every financial need, bad habits can be created. The biggest problem is that people who are accustomed...

Order management systems help companies of all sizes to organize incoming orders for products quickly and efficiently. When sellers are small, it might not be a problem at all to hand-process orders. Once the business starts growing, however, it can be harder for business owners to keep up. Order management systems help organize orders from different sales channels, delivering products on time ...

Filing taxes is much easier thanks to available tax-filing software. More than a dozen companies offer online tax filing services, and some of these services can be used entirely online without any need for downloads. These tax-preparation programs are designed for intuitive ease of use. Rather than spend hundreds of dollars on an accountant, people can use this tax-filing software to account f...

A commodities index fund is a type of mutual fund that is based on the performance of an underlying commodity or portfolio of commodities. A commodity, which is not classified as a security under the provisions of the federal Securities Act of 1933, are any material or natural resource that may be transformed into a consumer product or good. Examples of commodities include oil, sugar, oranges, ...

This year offers financial investors a unique opportunity in establishing a positive diversified index fund portfolio. Mainly, because this is the best possible strategy for investing during 2017, while the world is experiencing a slowing of corporate profits, political volatility, and monumental rises in interest rates. The Fed has been posturing over a few years now, but at each deadline, cho...

Donating to a cause that you care about doesn't just benefit the charity; it can be rewarding for you as well. Millions of people give to charities regularly to not only support a cause they believe in, but also for the positive effects it brings to their own lives. Knowing that you're helping others is empowering and can lead to feelings of happiness and fulfillment. If you are interested in d...

Many charities accept cars as donations. Some of these charities use the vehicles in their day-to-day operations for transportation or hauling goods. Others might use them to sell individually to people with lower incomes, or they might accept donations of vehicles and then sell them as a group to generate more income for the organization. Donating a vehicle can be a mutually beneficial endeavo...

When faced with a mountain of debt, bankruptcy can seem like an attractive alternative. Even though it is a scary option to consider, it might feel necessary when you simply can't make your monthly payments. There are two main bankruptcy options: Chapter 7 and Chapter 13. Using Chapter 7 discharges most of a person's unsecured debt, including credit cards and personal loans, and filers may be r...

Have you checked your credit report lately? You're entitled to an annual free credit report that can make you aware of unpaid debts or possible ID theft -- both of which can derail your finances if they go unnoticed for too long!?A good or a bad credit report can mean the difference between being approved or not approved for a loan, not being able to buy or rent, having to forego vital purcha...