If you’ve incurred a business expense and are unsure what your employer will reimburse, submit it all. Don’t decide for your employer; let your employer make that decision. You might be pleasantly surprised by the amount your employer is willing to reimburse. If your employer doesn’t reimburse something you’re certain should be reimbursed based on your employer’s stated [...]
Archive for the ‘Finances’ Category
Liberally Pursue Expense Reimbursements
Posted in Finances, Getting Ahead, tagged Benefits, Business, Employee Benefits, Employment, Expense, Reimbursement, Work on 2012/04/21 | Leave a Comment »
A Polite Short-Cut To Customer Service
Posted in Business, Finances, Getting Ahead, tagged Business, Communication, Customer Service, Dispute, Management, Success on 2012/02/10 | Leave a Comment »
If you’re struggling to reach customer service, call a department in the home office that employs licensed professionals – generally, they’ll make more effort to connect you to the appropriate, helpful person.
Posted in Finances, Penny Recipes, tagged Cook, Food, Home, Leftovers, Pasta, Recipe, Salad on 2012/01/13 | Leave a Comment »
Make more out of your leftovers by adding them to salad or pasta dishes, or use them as a base in creating a new salad or pasta dish.
Acting On Unconfirmed Chatter Can Sink A Ship
Posted in Finances, Getting Ahead, tagged Business, Confidence, Finance, Gossip, Investment, Restructuring, Success on 2011/12/08 | Leave a Comment »
Just because you overhear something presumably confidential doesn’t mean it is accurate. Acting on that information without further investigation can be foolish. For example, corporate restructurings are discussed all the time, but don’t always go through. Buying or selling stock based on intercepted chatter of a corporate restructuring can lead to financial loss.
If You Care, Don’t Leave Everything To An Attorney
Posted in Finances, Getting Ahead, Lessons From Divorce, tagged Friends, Law, Lawsuit, Legal Matters, Life, Perspective, Politics on 2011/12/03 | Leave a Comment »
If you’re struggling through a legal matter in which you are emotionally involved, ask a friend to objectively evaluate the situation. An objective third-party that walks through the facts and reads all related materials can keep the situation in perspective, ensuring all critical issues are captured. This will be especially handy if you have an [...]
When Other People’s Credit Errors Haunt You
Posted in Finances, Politics, tagged Credit, Credit Card, Credit History, Equifax, Experian, Nightmares, Personal Finance, Transunion on 2011/11/20 | Leave a Comment »
Take care letting someone put you on their credit card (or other form of credit), whether as a cosigner or additional user. Even if your name is removed from the credit card, any delinquency or other deficiency related to that card showing up on the other person’s credit report might show up on yours. At that point, [...]
Worker’s Comp May Cover Workplace Bullying
Posted in Finances, Politics, Resignation Tips, Unemployment, tagged Bullies, Employment, Insurance, Law, Workers Compensation, Workplace Bullies on 2011/11/17 | Leave a Comment »
If bullying or harassing behavior leads to severe emotional or mental distress you might be eligible for worker’s compensation. If you feel compelled to leave an employer, or are compelled to temporarily separate from an employer (such as due to hospitalization) due to the emotional, mental, or physical consequences of bullying or harassing behavior, consider looking into [...]
Posted in Finances, Getting Ahead, tagged Business, Home Insurance, Insurance, Policy on 2011/11/16 | Leave a Comment »
A wise person does not base her decisions on guidance from an insurance company that something will most likely never happen (e.g. flooding), or that something is almost absolutely certain to occur (e.g. insurance will cover a complete loss above estimated replacement value).
Negotiate From The Mountain Top, Not The Base
Posted in Business, Finances, Getting Ahead, Manage Successfully, tagged Law, Negotiation, Parties, Politics on 2011/11/15 | Leave a Comment »
If you are going to negotiate over something, the best approach is to be fully informed. Prior to going in, contemplate what actions might be required by the other party in response to any proposals or ultimatums you might make. Legal or practical obligations can affect the other party’s response.
Flat Taxes Do Not Simplify The Tax Code
Posted in Finances, Politics, tagged 999, Herman Cain, Income, Income Tax, Politics, Republicans, Rick Perry, Tax on 2011/10/26 | 1 Comment »
The problem with flat income taxes is that income must be defined still. For example, will income include interest and dividends? Will income include revenue from foreign sources? Will income include gifts? If yes, how will the value of non-cash gifts be determined? Will income include amounts received from the sale of an item? If yes, will the total amount [...]
Working Conditions Of A Company’s Consultants Can Be An Indicator Of Reliability
Posted in Finances, tagged Audit, Auditors, Earnings, Finances, Income, Investments on 2011/10/06 | 1 Comment »
Want to get an idea of how reliable is a company’s financials? Get some information on the working conditions of its consultants, such as auditors. If the auditors are locked in a closet over night for a full weekend because the audit’s limited to a few days, there’s a very good chance weaknesses exist in [...]
Check With Your State’s Labor Department If You’re Not Paid After Giving Notice
Posted in Finances, Resignation Tips, Unemployment, tagged Employment, Ethics, Finances, Labor Department, Money, Pay, Resignation, Salary, Unemployment, Wage, Work on 2011/09/30 | Leave a Comment »
If an employer walks you out after giving notice, it might still owe you money for the days you committed to work in your notice yet were not permitted to work. Check with your state’s Labor Department if you’ve not been paid for those days and you believe it might be owed.
If It Saves You Future Money, Your Time Now Is An Investment
Posted in Finances, House Matters, tagged Finances, Investment, Money on 2011/09/24 | Leave a Comment »
If something will cost you considerably more money to replace or fix in the future than it costs to remedy now, take care of the item. Because you’re reducing future costs, the time you take to maintain items, such as sealing a deck or reseeding a lawn, is, in a way, a financial investment.
Enrich The Experience, Enrich You
Posted in Finances, tagged Etiquette, Hosting, Money, Service, Tips, Waiting Tables on 2011/09/14 | Leave a Comment »
Punishing a diner will not convince him to give you a good tip. Likewise, being rude does not inspire generosity. Instead, the best way to getting a good tip is being hospitable, inviting, and chummy. Doing this consistently can lead to repeat and more frequent customers with increasing generosity. Plus, being nice to people generally does not require a [...]
There Might Be No Benefit In The Bonus
Posted in Finances, Getting Ahead, Unemployment, tagged Benefits, Bonuses, Employment, Getting Ahead, Job Offer, Job Search, Jobs, Unemployment on 2011/09/10 | Leave a Comment »
Do not make employment decisions based on the benefits and bonus you might receive. In fact, it would be best not to include potential benefits and bonuses in your consideration because benefits can change and an employer might not honor the bonus. Evidence of both was plentiful during 2008 through 2010. After all, what are [...]
Maintain Your Own Fund, Even If Promised A Pension
Posted in Finances, Getting Ahead, tagged Benefits, Employment, Getting Ahead, Investment, Jobs, Money, Pension, Retirement, Savings on 2011/09/09 | Leave a Comment »
If you’re under age 50, do not bank on receiving a pension when you retire unless it is fully funded. Even then, you might receive only a portion of what was paid in. Many government bodies are now acknowledging what businesses learned years earlier: pensions, especially unfunded pensions, can break the bank. As such, to ensure [...]
Why Invite Injury?
Posted in Beauty, Business, Finances, Getting Ahead, House Matters, Things Better Off Said, tagged Children & Family, Faith, Friends, Generosity, Trust on 2011/09/05 | Leave a Comment »
Don’t give someone the opportunity to hurt you unless it’s absolutely necessary. When it comes to your and your family’s long term wellbeing, concern for the feelings of others should be set aside. If you don’t trust a person to do a satisfactory job, don’t let him do something for or to you and your family, such as [...]
Posted in Business, Finances, Getting Ahead, Personal Enrichment, tagged Acting, Art, Comedy, Criticism, Critics, Entertainment, Performance, Pleasure, Success, Writing on 2011/08/21 | Leave a Comment »
Who cares what the critics say, as long as the money comes in and your audience is pleased?
Creating A Thriving Legacy
Posted in Finances, Getting Ahead, Things Better Off Said, tagged Business, Celebrity, Finance, Financial Security, Getting Ahead, Industry, Inheritance, Investment, Legacy, Success, Tribute on 2011/08/20 | Leave a Comment »
If you’re going to try to build an industry around you, try to do this in a way that does not depend on you in order to thrive. For example, branch out by creating organizations or investing in projects that don’t require you to act as the central figure or your participation in order to succeed.
Cutting Benefits To Soldiers Is Not Supporting Soldiers – Cut The Dependence On Contractors & Reward Soldiers, Instead
Posted in Finances, Politics, tagged Budget Cuts, Congress, Families, Military, Military Contractors, National Security, Soldiers, Super Committee, Wage on 2011/08/17 | Leave a Comment »
Rather than cutting the wages and benefits earned by members of the military, Congress should cut the amount paid to military contractors and source the dollars and opportunities back to members of the military. A contractor’s annual wage can be 10 times that of a soldier, and a contractor’s signing bonus can be more than a soldier’s annual [...]
Reject Earned Sick Days, And You’re Rejecting Compensation
Posted in Finances, Getting Ahead, Personal Enrichment, tagged Compensation, Earnings, Family Leave, Paid Time Off, Personal Day, PTO, Salary, Sick, Sick Day, Sick Time, Time Off, Vacation, Wage on 2011/08/14 | Leave a Comment »
Sick time and other forms of PTO (paid time off) are part of your compensation. There is nothing wrong with utilizing all of your PTO. Not taking earned time off is akin to handing money back to your employer. Why would you hand back a portion of your pay that had been legally earned? Plus, your colleagues [...]
Stock Up On Vacation
Posted in Finances, Getting Ahead, Unemployment, tagged Earnings, Employment, Getting Ahead, Hedge Bets, Hedging, Job Search, Jobs, Laid Off, Lay Off, Office Politics, Paid Time Off, PTO, Resign, Resignation, Salary, Strategy, Think Strategically, Time Off, Unemployment, Vacation, Wage on 2011/07/22 | Leave a Comment »
In this economy, it’s good to take every opportunity hedge bets and plan strategically. One way to do so is to conserve as much vacation as possible. If you can carry unused vacation or paid time off (PTO) to the next year, maximize the amount you carry forward. That way, if you must leave the company, [...]
It’s Your Life, Act Like You Own It
Posted in Education, Finances, Getting Ahead, tagged Capital, College, Education, Financial Aid, Funding, Getting Ahead, Happiness, Health, Left Behind, Life, Proactive, Results, Success, University, Youth on 2011/07/18 | Leave a Comment »
Even in high school and college, you have to be proactive about your life or you can be left behind. Actively identify what needs to be done in order to accomplish tasks and take steps immediately to fulfill those needs. For example, don’t wait until summer to begin identifying your financial needs for the upcoming [...]
Project Wisdom: Step 1
Posted in Finances, Getting Ahead, Improving Relationships, tagged Ask Questions, Assumptions, Axiom, Conclusions, Getting Ahead, Indigo, Inquire, Intelligence, Investigate, Smart, Success, Successful Management, Wisdom on 2011/06/24 | Leave a Comment »
A common axiom is that “assumptions make an ass out of you and me.” Project wisdom by asking questions and trying to gather all the facts before jumping to conclusions. you might find that your assumptions were wildly incorrect, and if you’ve communicated your assumptions or taken actions based on your assumptions, you might lose [...]
Finding Exercise & Motivation In The Boonies
Posted in Beauty, Finances, Personal Enrichment, tagged Boondocks, Boonies, Exercise, Get In Shape, Gym, Happiness, Health, Health Club, Neighbor, Physical Exercise, Physical Health, Workout on 2011/05/11 | Leave a Comment »
If you live in an underdeveloped or developing area without health clubs, you can form an informal health club with your neighbors. There are different forms the club could take. For example, you and your neighbors can plan to meet at a certain time regularly to work out. You can agree to rotate locations and [...]
Can Raising Taxes Improve The Economy?
Posted in Business, Finances, Getting Ahead, Hiring Decisions, Manage Successfully, Politics, Unemployment, tagged Business, Business Development, Debate, Depression, Economic Development, Economic Growth, Economic Stimulus, Economist, Economy, Ethics, Government Spending, Growth, Income, Investment, Life, Middle Class, Perspective, Political Arguments, Political Debate, Politics, Poor, President Obama, Propaganda, Raise Taxes, Recession, Rich, Spending, Stagflation, Stagnation, Stimulus, Tax Cut, Tax Cuts, Tax Rate Increases, Tax Rates, Taxes, The WSJ, Unemployment, Wages, Wealthy, WWII on 2011/03/20 | Leave a Comment »
In an earlier post, we considered whether tax rate increases can spur economic development from a historical vantage point. From a conceptual vantage point, it is also evident that tax rate increases can spur economic development. Currently, U.S. effective tax rates (the actual tax liability as a percentage of income)* are nearly the lowest since entering WWII and among [...]
Posted in Finances, Politics, Psychology, tagged Life, Etiquette, Office Politics, Hiring Decisions, Unemployment, Relationship, Poll, Employment, Jobs, Ethics, Perspective, Politics, Bullies, Workplace Bullies, Theft, Rich, Poor, Health, Wage, Wealth, Poverty, Labor, Salary, Servitude, Vassal, Indenture, Enslavement, Feudalism, Enslave, Humiliation, Broke, Broken, Debase, Crush, Shame, Vanquish, Desperation on 2011/03/05 | Leave a Comment »
When everything is taken away from the poor, what more is there to take?
Keep A Record
Posted in Finances, House Matters, Personal Enrichment, tagged Behavior, Colleagues, Contributions, Donations, Friends, Gifts, Going Crazy, Habits, Happiness, Loans, Memory, Problem Solving, Relationship, Self Improvement, Tips on 2010/12/20 | Leave a Comment »
If you’re like us, you’ll occasionally forget where you placed an item. The habit two TPLL contributors plan to adopt may reduce the frequency of such occurrences experienced in the future. Recently, the two contributors were unable to locate a valuable collectible they planned to donate. The couple could not remember if they had loaned it to [...]
Little Pieces Left Behind
Posted in Finances, Unemployment, tagged Bankruptcy, Business, Credit, Credit History, Credit Report, Foreclosure, Judgments, Life, Politics, Privacy, Records, Unemployment, Wages on 2010/10/04 | Leave a Comment »
So many sites retain historical data, it might be best to assume that whatever affects your credit will remain available to others indefinitely. For example, if your house is foreclosed upon, this information is generally maintained with the property’s records. If you declare bankruptcy, or have a judgment regarding a debt, echos of such actions might be [...]
Tool For Making Consequential Decisions
Posted in Business, Dating, Family Enrichment, Finances, Getting Ahead, House Matters, Improving Relationships, Job Search, Lessons From Divorce, Manage Successfully, Personal Enrichment, Resignation Tips, tagged Decision Making, Decisions, Goals, Guidance, Life, Making Decisions, Priorities, Problem Solving, Resign, Resignation, Successful Management, What to do? on 2010/09/24 | Leave a Comment »
Trying to make a big decision, such as leaving a job or buying a house? The following steps might aid in making the decision. Identify your goals and priorities. To the extent possible, establish measurements for these two items. Identify why you want to make the decision. What are the differences achieved by the decision? [...]
An Employer Is Obligated To Compensate You
Posted in Finances, Getting Ahead, tagged Unemployment, Wages on 2010/09/02 | 3 Comments »
If you worked, an employer is required to pay you for that work – even if there was a mix-up in the schedule and you were not supposed to work that day. If your employer did not send you home, then he accepted your work. Contact the state’s Labor Department or equivalent government agency immediately if you [...]
Site Of The Week: Modeled Behavior
Posted in Business, Education, Finances, Noteworthy Sites, Politics, tagged Business, Enrichment, Industry, Life, Site of the Week on 2010/08/27 | Leave a Comment »
Modeled Behavior applies statistics to a diversity of matters - economic, political, social, etc. – in a cooperative environment with its readers.
References That Don’t Work: Building Contractors
Posted in Finances, House Matters, tagged Building, Contractors, House, Reconstruction on 2010/08/21 | Leave a Comment »
Requesting references for building contracts can be ineffective - unless you or someone you trust knows a contractor’s references, you’ll have to perform due diligence to confirm that the contractor completed the work, to code, for which it is giving references.
Tricks To Rob You Of Unemployment Benefits
Posted in Finances, Getting Ahead, Job Search, Unemployment on 2010/08/06 | Leave a Comment »
There are some tricks temporary/contract employers can play to rob you of unemployment benefits while you wait for the next contract to begin. The ability of the companies to take advantage of these tricks differs state by state. Offer a lesser role than your previous role, such as an Analyst role to a Manager, then [...]
Best Use Of Debt Is To Facilitate Prosperity
Posted in Finances, Personal Enrichment on 2010/07/17 | Leave a Comment »
Try to use debt only as a means to invest in something you expect to provide a return, such as education, license, business, wealth.
