It’s no secret that finding a job these days is a difficult task. The national unemployment rate is at 10% for the month of November, that’s 15.4 million people out of work. Now that’s a lot of resumes floating around out there and if yours is one of them, it’s very easy for it to get lost in the stacks. So how do you get to the top of the pile or even in it at all?

It’s all about who you know.

That’s right, it’s all about networking, or is it? Networking these days has such a serious and uptight connotation that people who set out to just “network” end up becoming just a talking resume. Is it possible to effectively network without becoming another forgettable face? Of course!

-Get involved: Every professional community has mixers and organized events where you can meet people who work in the field you are trying to hire into. Go there not to “network”, but to be friendly with people, relax, chat it up, and the “networking” will follow.

-Relax: Most likely you will not get a job offer within thirty seconds of meeting someone, so don’t push like that’s your goal. Find some common ground to talk about, keep the conversation friendly and moving, and eventually it will flow into business. If it’s all about who you know, then it might be a good idea to take some time and get to know them.

-Leave your bubble: Some people have a comfort zone that they refuse to leave when meeting new people. If you’re at an event, don’t be afraid to walk up and start a conversation with someone. When you introduce yourself, stay away from questions that will result in one or two word answers, such as: “What’s up?” or “How’s it going?” These can quickly lead to some slightly awkward and forgettable encounters.

-No event, no problem: There are plenty of other ways to meet contacts while applying for jobs. For example, don’t just send in your resume to a company, call them up and see if the position is still open. When you do this, you connect a voice with the name on the paper and most of the time you will get a mini interview right over the phone.

-Not hiring at this time: If you call up and get this response, you should automatically be triggered to ask if they have an unpaid internship available or see if they have some time for you to come in and learn about the company. This tactic is always well received because it shows you have initiative to make contact and you’re willing to make the extra effort, even if there is no compensation involved.

-Forget stranger danger: Everyone you meet is a potential business contact. Start talking to people on the bus, at the grocery store, in the mall, or at the park. You’ll be surprised at how small of a world it is and how many people have a family member or close friend who they can put you in contact with.

So when you’re out there, be yourself, loosen up, and get your name out in a positive memorable way.

What are your thoughts on networking and how it should be approached?

Photo by: soschilds // CC BY 2.0
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Who doesn’t like rewards? But when do the rewards end up as extra weight or, even worse, taking your money? There are some considerations you should take when you sign up for any reward program. So before you fill anything out for rewards, ask yourself:

What are you signing up for? You could be signing up for a lot of hassle when going into certain reward programs. Make sure there are no hidden fees. Some companies will use this information to load up your mailbox with junk mail or spam, which will take time and effort to sift through. You should also be careful your information will not be sold to a third party.

How often are you going to be using the program? If you don’t really come in the store often, the card is just going to become dead weight in your wallet. If there is an annual or monthly fee for the rewards program, you could be losing money without getting any of these rewards.

How do you get points? Are they automatic or is there a code to redeem on receipts? You might have to invest extra time into the rewards program just to get points. If the points are difficult to earn, the program may not be good for the average consumer.

Are the points easy to redeem? With programs like frequent flyer miles, you have blackout dates and other restrictions making it hard to get your free plane ticket. Some rewards are easy to get, as they will automatically be sent to you as soon as you reach a certain point value.

Are the rewards worth it? You should only sign up when the reward is something valuable to you. Some programs will allow you to choose from a catalog while others have preselected rewards for you. Be sure to consider any purchasing decisions that come with the reward. If you get a coupon for $20 off a $100 purchase, are you going to be coerced to spend $100 when regularly you would only spend $40?

You’ll see people that are reward fanatics and will have all their cards on a big loop or people that absolutely hate them and won’t have a single one. Reward programs will reward you as long as they make sense to you. Ask yourself these questions when you are about to sign up for a rewards program. If everything sounds good to you, you can get some good deals and good rewards!

What are good reward programs that you know of?

You’re looking to have a movie night, but with movie theaters charging outrageous prices for tickets nowadays, it seems like a scam. If you don’t mind not having your movie on the big screen, there are plenty of alternatives that you can use.

NetFlix – A popular choice for many, it offers the convenience of having the movie or show you want right in your mailbox. And you are able to watch and exchange it at your leisure. Gaming systems, such as XBox360 or Playstation 3, and your computer are now capable of having instant play from NetFlix as well.

Redbox – You have seen Coinstar machines everywhere, now they are also doing movies. Redbox is a machine that will charge you $1 a day for each movie you rent out of the machine. The selection is limited, but it will have the most recent movies available for you!

Movie Rental Outlet – Places like Blockbuster have a wide range of movies, new and old, for you to choose from. While you’re there, you can also buy any movies they have on sale and get drinks or snacks. It’s like a one stop movie night store!

Online – Many online sites now stream movies for you to watch. You can find free sites like Hulu. Or pay to watch them on sites like, Epix, Netflix, or Amazon.

T.V. Guide – If you’re just looking for any movie, you can check the T.V. Guide. Instead of randomly channel surfing, you can know exactly when something will be on.

On Demand – Don’t want to wait? Many service providers offer an On Demand service where you are able to choose a movie, and watch it right away.

Friends – Ask around! If you know a friend has a movie that you’d like to watch, see if you can borrow it. Best thing is that it’s free! Just make sure to return it.

Library – Your local library can be a great resource for books, but it also could have a great movie selection as well.

You might not be able to watch the newest movie on the big screen, but you’ll only need to pay a fraction of the cost.

What’s the cost of going to the movie theater for you? Would you rather pay to see it at the theater or wait until it comes out to rent?

Happy Thanksgiving! Odds are you caught a glimpse of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade this morning flipping through channels. The Macy’s Parade has been a holiday tradition for over 80 years and it’s no wonder why. While this event provides the nation with a celebration of the season, it also demonstrates various aspects of economics (in some interesting ways!).

Consumption:
In 1924, 400 Macy’s employees marched through the streets of Manhattan alongside bands, balloons, floats, and various animals borrowed from the zoo. Santa Claus sat upon the last float, as he still does, giving the official welcome of the holiday season and, of course, holiday consumerism. Santa welcomed holiday shopping a little earlier in 1939, when Franklin D. Roosevelt designated Thanksgiving as the third Thursday of November, a decision made to stimulate the economy and increase consumption. In 1941, Congress passed legislation moving it back to the last Thursday in November.

Supply:
For the first time ever, the parade was put on hold in 1958 due to a shortage of helium and rubber. Macy’s deflated their balloons and donated the rubber from them to be used for war efforts. A total of around 650 pounds of scrap rubber was harvested from the former parade balloons for use in World War II.

Demand:
It comes as no surprise that there’s a high demand for a spot in the parade. With over 3 million spectators gathering in the city and around 44 million watching from home, a presence in the parade means major advertising. Companies can expect to spend around $190,000 their first year participating to have a balloon constructed and included in the parade. After that, it costs $90,000 each year to remain in the parade. Macy’s is exclusive about what they will allow in their parade too. All floats, balloons, performers, entertainers, and sponsors of the parade must provide an appropriate form of family-oriented entertainment for the spectators. This guideline prohibits anything that is too adult-oriented, including cigarettes and alcohol.

Exchange:
Macy’s realizes the importance of establishing ongoing partnerships with fellow businesses. They contracted Goodyear Tire Company to provide rubber for balloons in the parade and to store them in their Akron, Ohio factory each year between parades. Macy’s named GMC as the official truck of the parade, in exchange GMC trucks transport floats and balloons to New York City. By far the most noticeable agreement that Macy’s has regarding the annual parade is with NBC. Macy’s has an agreement stating that they will not cooperate with any other television station for coverage of the event.

Efficiency:
In 1990, the Sanitation Department estimated that is costs around $30,000 to clean up after the parade. Despite the abundance of festivities, waste from the parade rarely surpasses 10 tons.

Inflation:
Well, a different type of inflation—for the balloons in the parade! Macy’s creates balloons for their annual parade in an old Tootsie Roll factory located in Hoboken, New Jersey and transports them to New York City. In order to make it through the Holland Tunnel to the city, the balloons must be packed down to 8 feet. Once in the city, inflating the balloons is a process that takes six hours to complete. The inflation is done on 77th Street and 81st Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue.

For more information on the Macy’s Day Parade, visit their parade website.

Source: William & Mary Macy’s Day Parade Study. www.wm.edu
Photo by: marklyon // CC BY 2.0.

Time is of the essence. This phrase seems especially relevant in today’s mortgage industry. The J.D. Power and Associates 2009 Primary Mortgage Origination Satisfaction Study(SM) recently revealed a decline in overall customer satisfaction compared to that of 2008. This has been largely attributed to the increase in time it takes most lenders to get from submission to close on a home loan. The average time required to close a loan has gone from 30 days in 2008 to 47 days in 2009.

Forty-seven days is a long time to have to wait. So, what’s the hold up? Increased lending criteria have weighed down the process for many lenders who are not accustomed to such careful practices. In effect, customers have become dissatisfied by the level of customer service they are receiving due to the lengthened process.

Fortunately, if you are purchasing a home, you do not have to look forward to a 47-day wait to get to the closing table. Despite trends of an increased time span, some lenders are actually decreasing the time it takes to go from submission to close. Shore Mortgage, a direct lender in the business for over 25 years, has reduced their time to an average of 19.8 days to close. That’s less than three weeks! United Wholesale Mortgage has been in the business for over 9 years and boasts the fastest closings in the nation, closing loans submitted by brokers in an average of just 8.4 days, which helps the brokers better service their borrowers. Imagine applying for a loan, then walking into your closing meeting a little over a week later.

Research from this J.D. Power and Associates study revealed, a vital factor in an efficient and satisfying customer experiences is communication. This comes as no surprise, considering Shore Mortgage and United Wholesale Mortgage both recognize the importance of quality communication by offering around-the-clock availability for their customers.

You’ve waited long enough to finally be able to purchase your home. This part of the experience should be enjoyable, not stressful and drawn out. Shouldn’t it?

Source: CNN Money. money.cnn.com

Can you imagine being homeless? Many people dream of the day they can finally buy a home, though there are people who don’t even have a roof to sleep under (rented or bought). Homelessness is something that is often misunderstood. There’s the idea that all homeless people deserve to be homeless. Or that homelessness is very rare.

Contrary to what you may have heard, there are many factors that may contribute to homelessness. Here are a few:

Foreclosure: There has been a 32% increase in the number of foreclosures between April 2008 and April 2009.

Poverty: In 2007, 12.5% of the U.S. population, or 37,300,000 people lived in poverty. Children compose 35.7% of this number.

Unemployment: Unemployment rates have been increasing, and in some places have reached double digits. In May 2009, the national rate was 9.4%.

Decline in Public Assistance: With the economy struggling to make a recovery, public assistance programs have not yet seen a rebound in much-needed funding.

Lack of Affordable Housing: From 1980 to 2003, government public housing support for low-income housing has fallen 49% while rental prices have increased.

With the holiday season approaching and cooler temperatures creeping in, it seems the perfect time to lend a helping hand for those who may have found themselves in this unfortunate situation. As you save up for that perfect home you dream of one day owning, think about setting aside a little extra to help those whose dreams still center around looking up and seeing a ceiling above their heads.

For more information on homelessness, visit www.nationalhomeless.org.

For ways that you can help, visit http://feedingamerica.org.

Photo by: londonmatt // CC BY 2.0

We all get stressed out every once in a while. Do you have bad habits when you get stressed? Stress can affect us in different ways, for many, they go on stress induced spending sprees. This can lead to unnecessary debt. So catch yourself before you go out on one of these sprees, find something that will relax you.

Here are a couple ideas to get you started:

Clean – Your environment can really affect your mood, which includes your stress. Cleaning up your room or your house can clear up your living area as well as clear your head.

Library – The perfect area if all you want is a good quiet place. There’s also a bunch of free stuff to do at the library as well.

Phone a friend – Asking a friend just to hang out can really help your mood.

Hobbies – From cooking to woodworking, a good hobby can get your mind off of whatever is stressing you out.

Walk – If you have a dog, bring it along! Getting some fresh air and exercise can really work out anything stressful.

Entertainment – Whether you read a book, watch a movie, or play a game, finding something you enjoy will be a good remedy.

Nap – Taking a nap can help you become re-energized physically and mentally.

Getting away from stress is the main focus—you can do one of these or even all of these.

How do you deal with your stress without spending?

Excellent news if you didn’t get a chance to take advantage of the $8000 First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit – it’s been extended! The Senate voted unanimously yesterday to approve an extension of the credit through April 2010. They also amended the bill to expand it to allow those purchasing their second home a credit of up to $6500. All that’s left is the President’s John Hancock sealing the deal.

The credit was approved largely in part due to the boost that it gave to the economy this first time around. The National Association of Realtors and the National Association of Homebuyer have played vital roles in lobbying for this extension to become a reality.

For those who were thinking about purchasing, this is an excellent incentive. We are all hopeful that this will further the momentum that was gained from the original tax credit.

What do you think of this extension? Will this affect your decision to purchase a home?

Source: Housing Wire. www.housingwire.com
Photo by: jakemohan // CC BY 2.0

Pens and paper can be good for lots of things: writing down ideas, getting unexpected autographs, and making doodles whenever you want, and now, it can also help you save money! Here’s a couple ways keeping a notepad in your pocket can help you save some cash:

Grocery Lists: Creating a list of things you need to get at the store keeps you from making extra trips to the store because you forgot something.

Future Gifts: If you see a gift for someone, but their birthday is a couple months away, write it down. It will also give you some time to see if you can find a good deal on it before their birthday rolls around.

Bargain Hunter: If you like to shop for bargains, keep the notepad on you to write down the store and their prices. You can go even further to calculate pricing for weight if the stores have different sizes.

Efficiency Managing: Sometimes you will have a busy day of running around. If you have these written down in your notepad, you can plan out your route. By seeing when and where you need to be, you can time out your day to make sure you don’t waste time backtracking, which will save you gas as well.

Research Notes: If you’re looking at specific brands, you can write down notes from home and compare the pros and cons from reviews, while looking at the product in the store. This will make sure you get a good deal.

Getting the Number: If you will see a ‘For Sale’ sign on a car or a house, don’t try to commit it to your memory. Writing it down will make sure you have the phone number to save for later.

Calculating: For situations where you are going to need to finance, write down the APR and the period of time you will be paying for. Take the numbers home to figure out how much you will actually be paying.

Just make sure to keep a good pen on you as well to make sure you can jot everything down!

Have any other ideas what your notepad could be used for?

Yesterday the 100th bank failed in the United States. Shortly after, others followed, adding to the long list of banks that have gone under. It’s scary to think about the place where you keep all of your savings someday just disappearing. Before you get too nervous about your bank failing, there are some things you should know in order to ensure you won’t lose any money. Here are some common questions and answers.

How do I know if my bank fails?

The truth is you may not even realize it until your debit card is denied or you see a new sign going up in front of your old bank. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) takes over banks when they fail, but will not directly notify you when your bank has failed or is about to fail. They update a list on their website of banks that have failed. The list also details how each situation was handled.

What will happen to my money?

As long as your money is insured, you will not lose any of it. The FDIC insures up to $100,000 per person per bank, or up to $200,000 per two people with a joint account per bank. They will insure up to $250,000 per person per bank for some retirement accounts as well. As long as you do not have more than the insured limit at one bank, you will not be affected.

Ususally, another bank will take over a failed bank and you will have full access to your funds within a day or two. Most of the time, branches of your old bank will reopen under a new name, but not much else will change.

What will happen to my mortgage?

Unfortunately, when a bank fails your mortgage will not disappear with it. In fact, you probably won’t notice any change at all in your mortgage payments, except you may have to mail them to another location. The bank that originated your mortgage may not even be the current owner of it. It is not uncommon for banks to sell off mortgages to other loan servicers and pass payments along as you make them. This may have happened years ago without you even knowing.

If your bank still holds your mortgage, it will be transferred to another loan servicer who will send you documentation with instructions on where you should send future payments. Normally, there is no change involved in payment amounts or mortgage rates.

Be sure to watch out for scams if the bank your mortgage is through fails. Scammers will sometimes send false information to you regarding where you should send your mortgage payments. Verify that all information is accurate before you mail the check.

Has your bank failed? Did this cause any problems for you?

Photo by:pong // CC BY 2.0