Tag: money

Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared on The Penny Hoarder.

A few years ago, I was invited to participate in a focus group. I visited in-person along with about 15 other people. For two hours, we vented all of our feelings about the ways a particular health insurance company interacts with its customer base.

At the end, we each walked out with $125. The health insurance company wanted consumer feedback on their products and customer service, and it compensated us for providing our insights. Focus groups can be a lucrative side hustle when you break down per-hour pay. You get to be a part of a company’s market research efforts, magnifying your opinion above those of other potential consumers.

These days, you can participate in paid focus groups in person or online. We’ll focus here on the online space. These focus group platforms let you earn

Are you retired — or planning to quit work soon — and looking for ways to put a little extra cash in your pocket?

Your years of hard work and experience can be valuable after you retire. Now, you’re in a position to leverage those skills in a new way or to try your hand at something completely different.

Here are ideas for your next phase of work.

Earn cash back

Did you know you can get paid for buying things you were going to buy anyway? All you have to do is go through a cash-back website such as Rakuten.

Just sign up for an account, which is free. Then, the next time you shop online, head to Rakuten’s website first and click on the retailer where you want to shop. That will direct you to the retailer’s site, where

American workers have spoken: They want to work from home whenever possible.

Of course, some still enjoy office life. But surveys show that the majority of employees prefer to work remotely much of the time.

While some companies are reluctant to embrace the work-from-home ethos, others are only too happy to let their employees log in to work remotely.

Recently, ZipRecruiter highlighted companies that posted the most remote job openings in the first eight months of 2022. Following is a list of those that posted more than 20,000 such openings during that time.

1. Anthem

Remote jobs this company posted from January through August 2022: 60,445

Anthem recently changed its name to Elevance Health. The company long has provided health insurance plans to American consumers.

It says that in its new incarnation, it has “evolved beyond traditional health insurance to focus

Are you looking for a way to beat inflation, as well as diversifying and strengthening your savings?

Of course you are: Everybody is.

Well, gold could be part of the answer.

It’s no accident that gold has been a currency, store of value and go-to investment all over the world for thousands for years.

Here are a few reasons why buying gold today could be a smart move.

1. Gold is an inflation hedge

We’ve all experienced it.

The government prints money, the value of the dollar declines and inflation soars, sending prices higher on everything from pickles to pickups.

In 2022, inflation was worse than it has been in 40 years.

How to fight back? With gold.

Gold has historically held its value over time, making it an ideal asset to protect against inflation.

So, if you’re worried about out-of-control politicians and rampant government spending, gold could be part

Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared on Point2.

Remote work is now more common than ever — a simple convenience born of a very inconvenient pandemic. While there are many more remote work opportunities than ever before, there’s much more competition for these jobs.

Experience is important in an office or online. It proves you can do the work, and it helps you stand out from the crowd. But not all work-from-home jobs require a lot of experience.

For these remote jobs, skills and willingness to learn tend to matter more than years of service.

1. Customer Service Representative

It’s not hard to tell if someone has good people skills and is an effective communicator. Employers looking for customer service representatives can tell if you have these skills through interviews and tests.

Any experience you lack can be made up for with on-the-job

Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared on Smartest Dollar.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought a number of abrupt changes to the U.S. economy, but some of the most lasting impacts could be in the future of work. From the rise of hybrid and remote work to the Great Resignation and “quiet quitting,” workers have been renegotiating how they work and what they look for in a job over the last 2½ years.

And amid continued tightness in the labor market, employers have been forced to respond and make jobs more appealing to current and potential employees. The Great Resignation is perhaps the most significant trend demonstrating workers’ increased power and mobility since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

While the Great Resignation has affected all industries and income levels, turnover has been most concentrated in low-wage sectors. Fields like retail and hospitality have seen a disproportionate share

Shopping thrift stores, flea markets and estate sales can be overwhelming. With the sheer volume of stuff, how do you know where to start? How do you spot gems amid all the … well, junk?

As a professional reseller who has been combing through thrift stores for the better part of 30 years, I can help. If you’re ready to cut your shopping time in half, score bigger bargains or walk away with brag-worthy finds you can flip for cash, read on.

From hard-to-find household items to resale money-makers, everything featured in my “Thrift Shop Like a Pro” series qualifies as a BOLO (Be On the Look-Out for) item. When you find it, buy it!

Featured find: Vintage fleece jackets by Patagonia

Autumn is the perfect time to talk about fleece jackets, and Patagonia makes some of the best. The company’s growing popularity in the retail market has sparked

If you’re the type who insists on the safety of bank money market accounts and certificates of deposit, your time has finally arrived.

After years of waiting, you’re earning more than a pathetic pittance on your savings. But there’s a simple way to earn even more without taking on more risk: investing in United States Treasurys.

Following are many reasons you should be putting money in Treasury securities instead of bank certificates of deposit or savings accounts.

1. Treasurys pay more

As you’re likely aware, rates have been steadily rising this year as the Federal Reserve jacks interest rates to crush inflation.

Rising rates show up everywhere, including banks. But the interest on Treasury bills (maturing within one year), notes (maturing from two to 10 years) and bonds (maturing from 20 to 30 years) are now paying more than the vast majority of bank offerings, and they’re adjusting faster to

Editor’s Note: This column about investing is available to members only. If you’re not already a member of Money Talks News, please join. Not only does your membership support our journalism, you also get lots of additional benefits, like ad-free reading, free books, course discounts and much more. And it’s cheap: just $5/month. I hope advice columns like this one alone are worth that much! Learn more here.

It’s been a wild week.

On Wednesday, in a prepared speech, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell suggested the Fed was likely to soon begin easing up on rate hikes, thanks to falling inflation.

Since lower rates are good for stocks, the market rejoiced. In one day, the S&P 500 jumped 3.1%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 2.2% and the Nasdaq composite soared by 4.4%. European and Asian stocks followed suit, adding billions more in market value to shares worldwide.

Then,

In this article, I will share some practical tips on how to make your blog rank higher on Google. Some bloggers may have already been implemented, and a few don’t know what to do. If you are the few, here is the solution.

Driving Traffic is the most crucial part of success in blogging. Did you remember when did you search — How to make your blog rank higher on Google?

More than 80% of bloggers are worrying about their blog traffic. They are under pressure and need to find a way to rank their blog posts.

Are you frustrated after seeing fewer (or no) views and engagement on your blog posts? Are you stuck in finding the right way to rank in Google?

Newbie bloggers are taught to produce a large number of articles by spending extra time. Hence, budding bloggers forget that blog marketing is essential to drive