April 15th is six weeks away; have you filed your tax return yet?
If the answer is yes, you’re not alone. The IRS reported last week that it has already received about a third of the individual tax returns that it expects to process this year. They’ve also issued more than 40 million refunds so far, at an average amount of $3155.
If you’re one of the happy refundees, that money may be burning a hole in your bank account as we speak. Before you squander it on something you won’t remember by tax time next year, consider using it for something that can actually help you save or even earn money in the long run. Here are four ideas:
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There’s no question that being an entrepreneur requires you to wear a lot of hats – from product development to logistics to marketing, and everything in between. And while most entrepreneurs will admit that they are weaker in some of these areas than others, there’s one aspect that few startups can afford to fall short on: fundraising.
Pitching a business idea to a potential investor is not an easy task, even for the most skilled salesperson or storyteller. This means that fundraising is twice as difficult for an entrepreneur whose passion lies in the product or service they’re developing, rather than in the thrill of the pitch. Fortunately there are a few ways to make the pitch process both easier and more successful for these folks, starting with these five tips:
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Student loan refinancing can have a huge impact on a borrower’s bottom line, saving you thousands or sometimes tens of thousands of dollars in interest over the life of your loan(s). So how do you know if this option is right for you? We’ve created this handy guide to illustrate the common characteristics of eligible borrowers, including four examples based on the profiles and savings of some of our real borrowers.
Want to know if student loan refinancing is right for you? Read on to find out!
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What comes to mind when you think of student loans? If you’re one of the 37 million people that are currently repaying student debt, your first thought is probably of the painful deduction that comes out of your bank account each month. Or maybe you picture someone you know who’s currently struggling with his or her loans. Or you recall an article you saw about the “student loan crisis.”
Whether you’ve had a personal experience with student loans or not, chances are you have a somewhat negative connotation of them. But the truth is that student loans can have some very positive, sometimes life-changing benefits – if they’re handled with care. For example:
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To get ahead in your career, technical expertise is a must-have. But many experts agree that it’s a mastery of the less tangible qualities – things like leadership, communication and interpersonal skills – that differentiates the great from the good. You can have advanced degrees, experience and IQ in spades, but if you don’t develop your EQ and other non-technical competencies, your career prospects will likely be limited.
These intangible qualities are often referred to as “soft skills,” which is a term I don’t like and never use because I think it belies their importance. The word “soft” implies that these things are easy, when really they are simple to understand but hard to do. If it was easy to be a good leader and communicator, everybody would do it. But we all know that’s not the case – and it’s typically the people who work hard at these things who rise to the top.
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