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☆ The Best Banks for Small Business
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +15 min

To find the best business banks, we evaluated two dozen of the biggest institutions, looking for accounts that are easy to use, with low or no fees, and that don’t require large balances. Amex is one of relatively few banks that offers a competitive interest rate on its business checking account, with a current APY of 1.3% on balances up to $500,000. If you’re on the lookout for a new business credit card, the American Express Business Gold Card is Buy Side’s pick for Best Business Credit Card. How we pickedTo pick Buy Side from WSJ’s Best Banks for Small Business, we evaluated small-business checking accounts offered by two dozen traditional and digital banking institutions. We looked for business checking accounts that offered the best combination of convenience, low fees and features that make running a business easier, like integration with other business technology platforms and the availability of (or ability to connect with) payment processing systems.

☆ Gen Zers and millennials are turning to freelancing in greater numbers than ever before. Here's why.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Alexandra York | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Gen Zers and millennials were more likely to pursue freelance work, it found. The reasons for freelancing vary, but common factors include flexibility and the desire for control. The platform's "Freelance Forward 2022" report, which studied 3,000 professionals, found Gen Z and millennials were the most likely to explore freelancing: In 2022, 46% of millennial professionals and 43% of Gen Z professionals surveyed performed freelance work. Insider spoke with Lilani, two millennial freelancers, and two Gen Z freelancers to learn why the type of work had attracted two generations of young professionals. For instance, Iyana Jones-Reese is a freelance photographer on top of her full-time job, while Levi Newman writes Amazon product descriptions for a living.

☆ Gig workers are choosing freedom over being chained to a desk — but that still leaves question marks around retirement
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A survey of 2,000 freelancers revealed more than half of respondents felt pressured to save a certain amount for retirement. The average freelancer anticipates needing at least $350,000 saved up to retire, Talker reported. One gig worker told Insider financial literacy and investments are key to planning for timely retirement. "When I'm able to decide what I want to do with my time, there are things I can do to help me learn and grow my own business," Hill told Insider. However, Hill said retiring from gig work in a timely manner is something only the financially literate can achieve, adding that odd jobs alone probably aren't enough to successfully reach that milestone.

☆ Junior bankers sound off: From how much sleep they get to what kind of company they want to work for next, first-year investment banking analysts spill the beans
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Junior bankers hold an interesting position on Wall Street. While these young investment bankers are often the butt of the joke — something something Murray Hill something something Patagonia vests — they also represent a key piece of the dealmaking machine. That's why I always find surveys of junior bankers so fascinating. Emmalyse examined 10 different slides from the poll, which was conducted by recruiting firm Odyssey Search Partners, that show what junior bankers like, and don't like, about their jobs. Click here to learn more about what junior bankers love, and hate, about their jobs.

I've been fired or laid off from a job nearly a dozen times in 19 years of work. I'm always prepared for job loss because I do all of the below-listed strategies between jobs as well as when I'm working full-time. I've spent hundreds of hours finding various ways I could do side hustles to bring in extra money. I've spent hundreds, if not thousands of hours, developing these skills by watching tutorials, taking online courses, and practicing by creating my own content. When I'm working, I'm always kind and friendly with as many people as possible as well.

☆ A freelancer is suing Kanye West's Yeezy brand, claiming she was only paid $15,000 of a $110,000 fee for a photoshoot
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A freelance creative director is suing Kanye West's Yeezy brand, claiming she is owed $95,000. Katelyn Mooney says she agreed a $110,000 fee for work she carried out, but has only been paid $15,000. The complaint states Mooney had to take out a loan to cover her rent due to the late payment. The complaint states that Yeezy had not complained about Mooney's work or the final product, but had since only paid her $15,000 of the $110,000 fee she had agreed on with Yeezy employees via text messages. West's Yeezy brand has been plagued with controversy in recent months.

☆ A stay-at-home mom started freelance writing on the side and now makes 6 figures a year — here's how
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Brina Patel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Engaging with potential clients on social media before reaching out directly also helped her. So she turned to job boards like Freelance Writing, ProBlogger, and Blogging Pro, as well as LinkedIn, to find higher-paying gigs. But, she said, her business really took off once she optimized her website, started guest posting for blogs in her niche, and reached out to potential clients through social media. One guest post on Blogging Wizard, she said, drove an increase in potential clients reaching out to her. She'll then take a look at her potential clients' websites and examine areas she can improve.

We are diversifying our income streams, maintaining a robust emergency fund, and keeping our pantry fully stocked. But beyond our regular jobs, we are looking for new ways to diversify our income streams. Maintaining a robust emergency fundA robust emergency fund has always been the cornerstone of my financial plans. But if all of our income streams dried up, I do know that we'd have some time to figure out our next move. Beyond taking a careful look at our holiday spending, we've started to look for other ways to cut down on our costs.

☆ Indigenous group denounces release of suspect in Amazon murder of British journalist, expert
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Dec 8 (Reuters) - An indigenous group from the area of the Amazon rainforest where British journalist Dom Phillips and indigenous expert Bruno Pereira were murdered in June on Thursday deplored the release of one of the suspects in the killing. The Union of Indigenous Peoples of the Javari Valley (Univaja) said in a statement that the man's release pointed to the negligence of Brazilian authorities in prosecuting the case and their failure to contain organized crime in the region. Federal Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the judge's decision. It seems that the investigations are being carried out in an ineffective way or have simply been stopped," Univaja said. The Amazonas court did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

☆ Elon Musk is bringing in new faces for Twitter 2.0 — including his cousins and Bari Weiss
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Jordan Parker Erb | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The makeup of Elon Musk's Twitter is changing, and not just because the offices are now bedrooms. With the majority of the company's former staff having been laid off — or fired, or resigned — Musk has brought in some of his own picks to work at Twitter 2.0. There's more on the new faces at Musk's social media company below, so let's get to it. Elon Musk is bringing in new faces for Twitter 2.0. And these aren't the only new faces at Twitter — hundreds of people have applied for a chance to work at Musk's new company.

“The world changed overnight, and that’s really amazing,” said Echo Ding, 30, a manager at a tech company in Beijing. They said it’s good, so then it’s good … that’s what I feel right now. In Beijing, authorities on Wednesday said a health code showing a negative Covid-19 test would still be required for dining in at restaurants or entering some entertainment venues – in conflict with the national guidelines. Now, with the new rules she knew she could largely go out freely, but instead she stayed at home to “wait and see.”“We are still waiting and watching. It is not the case that people all rushed out once the seal is off,” she said.

☆ Arielle Charnas' company, Something Navy, is floundering amid dwindling sales, an employee exodus, and furious suppliers
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Katie Warren | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +36 min

From the outside, it doesn't look as if Charnas' company is in trouble. Mark Sagliocco/Getty Images for Beach MagazineSeveral former employees told Insider they cut ties with Something Navy because they saw signs the company was struggling. Several current and former Something Navy employees told Insider they'd been inundated with emails since the spring from suppliers, freelancers, and models asking where their money was. In one email viewed by Insider, Scanlan told a supplier that cash was tight but promised payment was on the way. The current Something Navy employee said that based on data she'd seen, the retail locations most likely don't turn a profit.

☆ We asked hairstylists their biggest pet peeves at the salon — here are their 8 rules of customer etiquette
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Su-Jit Lin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Insider asked three hairstylists the things they wish clients knew, and not all of them are obvious. Now that salons are back with full steam, it's as good a time as any to brush up on salon etiquette. Insider spoke with seasoned and newer hairstylists in urban and suburban salons to find out their best customer etiquette tips across the board. Expect to get what you pay forWhen you enlist the service of a professional, you're not paying for that one service — you're paying for the years of experience that led to it. "There's one lady that comes to my salon who always tips $40 for a blowout, which is a lot," Fernandes said.

The Great Recession left an impression on millennials like me, but I'm still not not worried about the next one. They've been rare and brief in my lifetime, except for the 19-month Great Recession, which turned out to be the most severe economic collapse since the Great Depression. This isn't the Great RecessionThe main reason I'm not terrified of whatever the economy will do next is that recessions aren't always the Great Recession. We're not afraid of the next recession in my house because my partner and I are both self-employed — he's a freelance graphic designer and I run a financial education startup. Because my partner and I are both service-based business owners, our income is diversified across multiple companies and business sectors.

☆ Supreme Court's conservative majority appears sympathetic to Christian graphic designer who refuses to create websites for same-sex weddings
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The Supreme Court heard a free-speech challenge from a Christian graphic designer based in Colorado. Lorie Smith, the owner of 303 Creative, refuses to create websites for same-sex weddings. At the heart of the case is a Colorado law that forbids businesses from discriminating based on sexual orientation. "As a Christian, I can't separate my faith from who I am," Smith told Insider in a recent interview. The Supreme Court is expected to hand down its decision in the case, 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis, by June.

☆ I quit my tech job in Seattle because I was miserable — here's how I moved to Los Angeles and started over as a freelancer and content creator
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( Dayana Sabatin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Dayana Sabatin was working in tech in Seattle and feeling miserable with her career. She decided to make a major life change — so she moved to Los Angeles without a clear plan. So I made a plan and left my life in Seattle behind to move there. Since then, I've made a life for myself in LA — I'm a writer, blogger and YouTuber — but getting here was a journey. My family felt blindsided by the news that I was moving.

Here's everything you need to know about paying your taxes with a credit card and the best cards to use. How to pay taxes with a credit cardYou'll have to pay your taxes through a third-party payment processor if you want to use a credit card, and they all charge credit card processing fees. If you want to pay state taxes or local taxes (like property taxes) with a credit card, you can try seeing if your tax agency accepts credit cards and charges reasonable fees. You should only pay your taxes with a credit card if you can afford to pay off your credit card bill immediately. Pay taxes with a credit card frequently asked questions (FAQ)Is there a cash advance fee if I pay taxes with a credit card?

My family budget has a line item for my income: my paid work as a writer, and my unpaid work as a mom. This budgeting strategy gives my unpaid labor value — it recognizes that I work 12-14 hours a day. This unpaid labor balances out in the expense column, so there's no positive cash flow from it, but it appears on the budget anyway. If stay-at-home parents spoke up more about our monetary value, we might be more accurately seen as aggressively employed. Maybe the judgments would subside if we spoke up more about the monetary value of unpaid childcare, starting at home with our personal budgets.

We selected Capital One 360, Synovus Bank, Regions Bank, Delta Community Credit Union, and Credit Union of Atlanta as the best banks and credit unions in Georgia. These financial institutions have savings account rates that are lower than the average savings account. Delta Community Credit Union members will need to open the Delta Community Credit Union Personal Savings Account. Robins Financial Credit Union (Federally insured by the NCUA): Robins Financial Credit Union has a free checking account, but our top credit union has lower minimum opening deposits. We reviewed the 10 biggest banks and credit unions in the state, plus any financial institutions featured in our Black-owned banks and credit unions guide and Hispanic American-owned banks and credit unions guide.

I shared my finances with an advisor to get his advice for preparing for a recession. In addition to having a solid health insurance plan, Keil suggests looking into a plan that includes a health savings account. Another strategy Keil mentioned is that if you have an HSA but can cover a health expense out of pocket, do that and save the receipt. For example, some of my fixed costs include my rent payment, health insurance monthly premium, and utility bills (electricity, cable bills, etc.). Action step: Keil also recommends opening a Roth IRA since withdrawals of both contributions and earnings are tax-free once you turn 59 1/2.

My husband died when I was 31; we'd been diligently saving for retirement. As a widow, I'm spending on my home and mobility instead of saving for a future that's not promised. I hear some of you out there gasping at what may sound like a flippant attitude toward planning for my financial future. I'm saving for 3 things I care aboutRight now, I'm saving for home repairs and odd jobs around the house, driving lessons and a car, and a gravel bike. I've learned that life is short and I want to spend money on experiences and things I can enjoy now, but that doesn't mean I'm spending money recklessly.

'REFUGE FOR WINTER' AND BEYONDVisitors and more permanent residents are also arriving from Germany, which was highly dependent on Russian gas before the Ukraine war and is anxious about possible winter energy shortages. Airlines will increase by 31% the number of seats available to the Canary Islands, the regional tourism office said. Airbnb, the short-term rentals firm, said searches for winter stays in southern Europe tripled between April and June. "Even before the energy crisis, we would have liked to be in Portugal because of the weather," the 28-year-old said. "But with the energy crisis, (being in Portugal) gives us more security because of the climate."

I'm already living like we're in a recession to prepare myself for what could happen next year. I'm also looking into developing an online course to bring in more passive income. Even though I stick to a pretty tight budget throughout the other months of the year, starting in October, I find that I'm spending way more than I planned to. Finding new sources of passive incomeOver the years, I've been eager to incorporate additional passive income streams into my financial portfolio. That way, if my income changes as an entrepreneur and freelancer, I can count on steady cash coming in through other passive income streams.

I never thought I'd be a stay-at-home parent but the pull to be with my first daughter was strong. But these past few years as a stay-at-home parent have been some of the most rewarding and fulfilling of my life. As I transitioned to full-time, stay-at-home parenting, I did some financial coaching and started a podcast on the side. I was hoping to be able to continue writing and work part-time at a local high school. I'm sure that if I were working a full-time job I wouldn't be able to pursue these side projects.

☆ An audiobook narrator for authors like Margaret Atwood and Elena Ferrante says any self-starter can break into the field and make a lucrative living — but the work can be draining
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Elizabeth Alterman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Huber shared what goes into cultivating a career as a successful audiobook narrator. "I narrated a book and I read about three-quarters of it, and then I was like: 'You know, I'm good. "There's this idea among newer narrators that seasoned narrators are getting $600 an hour, and that is not the case. It's possible for an experienced audiobook narrator working full time to earn in the low six figures, Huber added. But even before considering that step, Huber suggested reading a book aloud for a long stretch.

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