Month: April 2021

Categories
Health & Home Media Recreation & Leisure Tech & Media

The Most Anticipated Books of Spring 2021

The Most Anticipated Books of Spring 2021

As we spend most of our time indoors, we have more time to satisfy our literary thirst by diving into our favorite reading lists. The literary landscape of 2021 is packed with promises. Here is a list of some of the most anticipated books that will help you escape from the pandemic world to indulge in an exciting and comforting affair.

While Justice Sleeps by Stacey Abrams

Stacey Abrams has eight published romantic books under her belt. ‘While Justice Sleeps’ is a story of Avery Keene, a young and intelligent law clerk, juggling her career demands with family troubles. Her life takes a dramatic turn when the renowned justice for whom she works goes into a state of coma for God Knows how much time. She takes over and becomes his legal guardian and power of attorney. As she takes her boss’s position, there is a series of controversies, political conspiracy, and more that won’t let you divert your attention to anything else when you read through.

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris

This book focuses on the life of a black girl, Nella Rogers, who works at Wagner Books as an editorial assistant. Till now, she’s the only black woman working at Wagner when Hazel, another black editorial assistant, steps in. This makes Nella ecstatic, and the two of them start working together, sharing their thoughts, interests, and frustrations until Hazel starts to rise in ranks while Nella stays behind.

One day, Nella sees a note saying ‘LEAVE WAGNER’ on her desk, and from there, the story of this intriguing novel takes a real flight. It is filled with unexpected and unsettling twists that’ll keep you engrossed throughout.

The Push by Ashley Audrain

If you are a fan of psychological thriller, this book is for you, which focus on the relationship between mother and daughter. Before the birth of Blythe’s daughter, she wants to develop deep bonding with her girl, which she could never have with her mother. But after the arrival of Violet, all her expectations go in vain as there was something wrong with that little girl. Then there is a stream of tragic and tense events that keeps you hooked from start to finish.

Somebody’s Daughter by Ashley C. Ford

This is a debut memoir of Ashley C. Ford in which she retraces the memories of her childhood and tells the heartfelt story of the imprisonment of her father, which she has not shared with anyone for a reason. She has layered the story in the complexities of her transforming body, relationship with her mother, and an abusive boyfriend. All this makes a heart-wrenching mix that’ll make you cry at times while reading this book.

One Last Stop By Casey McQuiston

This book is a light-hearted and charming romantic comedy that’ll take you on a fanciful journey. A 23 years old pessimistic woman who recently moved to New York falls hard for another woman whom she sees in a subway. The twist in the story is that the woman she falls for does not actually belong to this time but from the 1970s. She sets a stage for a unique and dazzling, fun-filled romance with plenty of humor.

Categories
Health & Home Media Recreation & Leisure Tech & Media

7 Netflix Features We Can’t Wait to Watch

7 Netflix Features We Can’t Wait to Watch

Netflix is coming with tons of new series and movies this season. Whether you love fantasy dramas, crime, sci-fi thrillers, nature docs, or reality shows, Netflix has you covered. While there is a long list of arrivals, we are eagerly looking forward to these 7 series on this largest streaming service. Just make sure to be strategic with your queue and enjoy quality time.

1. Jupiter’s Legacy Season 1

This series is based on the popular novels of Frank Quietly and Mark Millar. It will have eight episodes that promise to give you a lot of action and drama. You can watch its first episode on May 7 to know how one generation of superheroes or Earth’s protectors will pass on their legacy to new warriors.

2. A Boy Called Christmas

As the name suggests, this is a Christmas film that tells the story of a young boy called Nikolas. What’s special about the boy is that he was born on Christmas Day. He sets out on a journey to find his father, who is a woodcutter. You can watch Nikolas’s extraordinary adventure in November 2021.

3. Oxygen

It is a sci-fi adventure that will keep you curious throughout the season. This survival thriller is the story of a woman who wakes up in a cryogenic chamber and does not remember how she got there. Will she be able to escape before suffocating? This Netflix series begins streaming on May 12.

4. The Woman in the Window

Your wait is over! The Woman in the Window is finally coming to your screens after many delays due to pandemic-related and other problems. But now you don’t have to wait at all. You can watch this series on May 14 that revolves around the story of an agoraphobic woman. She believes that she has seen the murder of her neighbor, but she will have a hard time proving it.

5. Tall Girl 2

This is one series that girls will love to watch. You might know that Tall Girl was first released in 2019 but faced a lot of criticism because of height discrimination. The directors have worked hard to eliminate the concerns of the viewers in the coming series, which will be on Netflix in September 2021.

6. Don’t Look Up

If you want to watch the best film in 2021, then you should go for Don’t Look Up. You can see many popular celebrities, like Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Cate Blanchett, and others, in this movie. We must say, Leonardo DiCaprio’s presence is enough to force you to watch this movie.

7. Too Hot To Handle Season 2

This is a ridiculously amazing Netflix dating game series. The new episodes of Too Hot to Handle will begin streaming in June. It’s a Love Island-style experiment in romance.

Bottom Line

These are only a few of many new series, shows, and movies you can enjoy this Spring. If you can’t wait, you can binge-watch Outlander, Concrete Cowboy, and Thunder force on Netflix right now.

Categories
Health & Home Media Recreation & Leisure Tech & Media

15 Books to Read if You Loved “Bridgerton”

15 Books to Read if You Loved “Bridgerton”

If you loved Bridgerton, a story focusing on the romantic entanglements of eight close-knit siblings, and want to read more novels like it, you need to read the books we have listed below.

1. The Duke and I

This is an amazing series, and each book in this series is about one of the eight Bridgerton siblings. Not to mention, each book ends with the idea of happily ever after and covers their journey in an attempt to find love. 

2. The Countess Conspiracy

You can read more about Bridgerton brothers Benedict, Anthony, and Colin in this book. The best part of this book is that it reveals some shocking and mysterious actions of the Bridgerton family that you may not have heard before.

3. Bridgerton Collection Volume 3: The Last Two Books in the Bridgerton Series and the First Bridgerton Prequel

It is a collection of several books, including “In His Kiss” and “On the Way to the Wedding.” You can also read one of the most popular novels, “Because of Miss Bridgerton,” the primary reason for this series’ fame.

4. My Beautiful Enemy

As of its name, it brings the thrill, romance, and much more to the reader. You will also find about many scandals, the reunion of Catherine and a Chinese courtesan.

5. Hello Stranger: The Ravenels, Book 4

This book contains some amazing, descriptive, and mind-blowing phrases that will keep you captivated from start to the end of the novel. It is a combination of the historical and modern way of writing.

6. The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics: Feminine Pursuits

If you are looking for a book that is free of patriarchal ideology, then this is best for you. This is a different novel, like Bridgeton, that is the story of two incredibly intellectual women.

7. Rebel: Women Who Dare

Rebel is a novel set in the period after the Civil War in New Orleans. It revolves around a strong female character that is amazing and badass at the same time. She is determined to teach the children in the community despite facing resistance.

8. My Fake Rake

This novel tells the story of Lafe Grace Wyatt, who wants to grab the attention of a handsome gentleman. For this reason, she uses several tactics to make this naturalist fall for her.

9. A Gentleman Never Keeps Score

You can find everything in this book, including romance, thrill, drama, and much more. We must say this is a series that shows you the meaning of happily ever after.

10. The Luckiest Lady in London

It is a book of historical romance that shows both the negative and positive sides of society. This book reveals how society can make or break one’s perception. You will also read about a surprising wedding that helps a man to rise in his career.

11. Brazen and the Beast

The heroine of this novel decides to live her life to the fullest. She is ready to welcome all the pleasure and happiness in her life, which she was neglecting since she received spinster status.

12. While the Duke Was Sleeping

In this book, Poppy Fairchurch dreams of romancing the Duke of Auntenberry. This book is rich in fantasy, romance, and thrill, which makes it best for you to read.

13. The Marriage Game

As the name suggests, this novel revolves around marriages. If you love the character of Mrs. Bridgerton, then you will also love Layla Patel’s aunties. 

14. My Lady’s Choosing

If you are looking for the easiest way to love without dressing up, society drama, and encountering matchmaking mamas, then this book is ideal for you. This book contains great romance and adventure that will keep you curious till the end.

15. The Bromance Book Club

It is the story of the strapping alpha males who try to learn about the methods to attract women. They use tactics and strategies to make women fall for them.

Bottom Line

Bridgerton is a story that has all the elements, from interesting characters, romance, and thrill, you will find all in the same book. And if you are a fan of this series set in the Regency era in England, you will enjoy reading the books we have mentioned above.

Categories
Tech & Media Technology

iOS 14.5 Is Here – Here is Everything We Know

iOS 14.5 is here. Everything we know about Apple's new OS

Finally, iOS 14.5 is here, and it has brought a bunch of exciting features for iPhone users. From Face ID unlock while you’re wearing a mask to choosing different Siri voices and stopping apps from following you for marketing reasons, this new update has brought forward some new and useful features with bug fixes. You can download it right now.

Let’s explore some highlighting features of this latest update that’ll enhance your user experience immediately.

Phone Unlock Using Apple Watch While You Are Wearing a Mask

As wearing masks has become a norm, Apple has realized this and made it easier for us to unlock iPhone while we are wearing a mask. By downloading the iOS 14.5 update, you can find an ‘Unlock with Apple Watch’ option. This enables your iPhone to use Apple Watch as a secondary method for authentication when your iPhone’s Face ID is not able to view your entire face due to a mask.

When you enable this feature, you don’t need to enter a passcode or take off a mask for unlocking your iPhone. To use this feature, you need a running iOS 14.5 with Apple Watch having OS 7.4. You should enable it by going into the app settings.

Accidents, Speed Checks and Hazards Crowd Sourcing with Apple Maps

The latest iOS 14.5 update includes a unique crowdsourcing feature similar to Waze. It reports speeding checks, hazards, and accidents when getting directions along a route in Apple Maps.

You can get the reports by clicking the ‘report’ button in Apple Maps. This feature is similar to the Waze mapping app and available directly for use on your iPhone. By using this feature, you can avoid hazards and accidents.

Transparency in App Tracking

This is the most prominent addition to this update. Apple has enhanced the transparency of its policies by providing this feature. With the iOS 14.5 updated installed on your iPhone, you get a pop-up message asking if you want an app to track you when you download it. You can also select the app tracking settings by going into ‘Settings’ and managing which apps cannot and can track your phone usage.

Enjoy Siri’s New Voices

One of the significant changes to speaking changes in Siri is the addition of voices in Siri’s American English setting. The concept behind this change is a promotion of inclusivity and provides users better options to select a voice of their choice that resonates more with them. To choose the sound, go to the Settings app, select Siri and simply start a search. It’ll show different options. 2 and 3 are the new Siri voices.

Calibration of Battery Health

This new capability of iOS 14.5 aims to make it easy for you to see whether your iPhone battery is optimally performing or underperforming. The new tool fixes any inaccuracies in battery health reporting estimates. For now, this feature is available for iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max.

Some other feature updates include:

  • Teach your most loved music app to Siri
  • Support for PS controllers
  • Support for Apple AirPlay and Apple Fitness
  • Dual-Sim 5G support
  • Find My App feature
  • Features for Apple Card Family
Categories
Financial Health & Home Savings Wellness

5 Simple Lifestyle Swaps That Can Save You Money

5 Simple Lifestyle Swaps That Can Save You Money

Trying to save money can be difficult, especially at the beginning. Most people aren’t exactly sure how much money they spend every month and therefore end up overspending.

Maybe you are saving up for a purchase or may you’re just wanting to be better with your finances, either way, these five simple steps will go a long way.

Make a budget

Having a budget using a simple tool like a spreadsheet can show you how much money you can afford to spend in each area of your life. Save receipts or go back through your bank transactions and see how much you really spend every month.

Looking at the numbers may surprise you. Keeping track of expenses is the start of knowing how much money comes in and how much comes out.

Consider taking out the money you can afford to spend out in cash. Then, once this money is gone, you wait until the next month to withdraw money again.

Eat at home

This one is a basic step, but that’s because it really does save hundreds a month. You don’t have to be a chef or a whiz in the kitchen. Just make simple meals that you enjoy eating so you are less likely to order takeout.

Have one day a week that you eat out or order food so that you have that day to look forward to. You can also meal prep so that the food is ready for you whenever you need it.

If you hate cooking, sign up for a meal delivery service that is in your budget to help you out. Consider only drinking water as well to save money you spend on soda or alcohol.

Ditch cable or some streaming services to save money

Spending a few dollars a month on several streaming services may not seem like too much, but things quickly add up. Take a look at what you really watch and what you can go without.

Cancel all the services you do not use often, especially cable, as this can be the most expensive. Most streaming services probably offer most of the shows you watch anyway.

Do more things yourself

Is there a service that you pay for that you could really be doing yourself?

Go through the services you use and find out. Sometimes this can be paying for pest control, lawn care, or car washing services. If you have time to do these things yourself, cut the services.

Start being a coupon clipper to save money

Actually, you don’t have to clip. Most coupons can be found online. Check online at the places you normally shop or go to. Chances are there are coupons online somewhere for all the businesses you frequent.

Even just using a few coupons a month can save you tons of dollars throughout the course of the year.

Sometimes buying in bulk with coupons can save you more money later. Having more supplies in your home can keep you from constantly buying the same items every few days or weeks.

Categories
Health & Home Recreation & Leisure Wellness

15 Ways to Celebrate Yourself That Cost No Money

15 Ways to Celebrate Yourself That Cost No Money

Taking care of yourself and celebrating yourself is crucial to optimizing your mental and physical health. Some people don’t practice self-care because they think it has to be expensive.

Try these 15 ways of taking care of yourself that are absolutely free.

1. Write down your achievements

At the end of each week, write down everything you accomplished. These can be personal achievements or professional ones. This a perfect way to celebrate yourself and all that you have accomplished!

2. Organize your home

Cleaning out an old closet or room in your house can make you feel like you unburdened yourself. Take a few hours to organize and clean.

3. Get outside and celebrate

Being outside can make you feel like a new person. Spend a few hours reading, hiking, or just being in the sun.

4. Make a playlist

Create a playlist of songs that make you feel good and motivated. Listen to it every time you get something done.

5. Make a fancy meal for yourself

Use food you already have in your house to treat yourself to a fancy meal. If you don’t like to cook, make yourself a fancy coffee drink.

6. Journal about yourself

Write down things you have done lately that you are proud of. Look to the future and list some things you want to accomplish within the next few weeks or months.

7. Celebrate your brain

Celebrate your intelligence by learning a new skill. This can be done by downloading a language learning app or by listening to podcasts or Ted talks to get inspired.

8. Learn a new hobby

Many hobbies can be done at home and online for free. Try to think of something simple you have always wanted to do. Maybe it’s yoga and you can watch and practice free yoga videos.

9. Celebrate someone else

What better way to celebrate yourself than by celebrating a friend or family member? Send flowers to someone you know who just achieved something. Invite them over for a movie or walk to spend time talking with them.

10. Read a book

Taking time to finish that book you’ve had sitting around can make you feel like you did something productive. Ask to borrow a book from a friend if you want to, this way you’re not spending money.

11. Get up for the sunrise

Rising early can make you feel accomplished and productive. Spending some time outdoors at the beginning of the day also makes the rest of your day peaceful.

12. Make a routine

People who follow routines often get more done. This will give you more time to celebrate yourself.

13. Do an at-home spa day

Use cosmetic items you already have around the house and make a spa day for yourself.  You could take a warm bath or do a face mask. This is a perfect self-care day.

14. Get away from the phone

You don’t have to be on someone’s radar all the time. Set the phone down and think about yourself. You deserve to celebrate you!

15. Take a nap

Celebrate your day or morning by resting and spending some time alone.

Categories
Debt Financial

Debt-to-Income Ratio: Why Is It Important?

debt-to-income ratio

There are many unintuitive systems and statistics within banking. But above all of those, the most confusing is your “debt-to-income ratio”.

But what is debt-to-income ratio?

Debt-to-income ratio is the result of a math equation: First, take the amount of debt you have to pay every month. This includes house payments, car payments, student loans, medical bills, basic utilities, and rent. Add them all together and you have the “debt” part of the equation.

Then, add together all your monthly income sources. Banks will only care about your “official” sources of income—that is, those which are subject to taxes. That gives you the “income” part of the equation.

Now, divide the “debt” value by the “income”. If your income is greater than your debts, you will get a decimal point. For instance, if you have $3,000 in debt every month, but make $10,000 a month, this will divide into .30.

That .30 means that 30% of your income is tied up in debt. That percentage is your debt-to-income ratio.

But what happens if your debt is greater than your income? Well, to begin with, the number you will get from dividing “debt” by “income” will be above 1. This is a problem as far as banks are concerned.

Most banks will not give loans out to anyone whose debt-to-income ratio is higher than 43%. This includes mortgages, auto loans, and student loans.

Why did they pick that number? No one really knows, but it has been that way since the 80s. Whoever made the calculation that decided 43% was a red flag has long since faded into history.

While the reasoning behind the exact number is unknown, the reasoning behind having any kind of number at all is understandable. After all, banks have to have some method of determining your ability to pay off a loan.

Ratioing your debt with your income is one of banks’ primary methods of determining the viability of giving you loans. This means that it is an important factor in both a person and a business negotiating with their bank.

So, how do you manage such a thing? How do you keep your debt and income in a place where you can get the loans you need to make the moves in life you want to make?

It is easy to think of both your debts and your income as immovable things. This certainly feels true, but it is not always the case.

Remember that “debt” and “income”, in these cases, are both calculated before taxes and other things that might affect that total output of your income.

This means that if you wish to set aside more out of your income to pay your debts, it won’t affect this ratio. Paying your debts off doesn’t actually affect the ratio, but it can affect your bank’s willingness to look past the ratio.

Ultimately, it’s one factor among many in negotiating with your bank. It is not the final word.

Categories
Financial Tech & Media Technology

Best Stock Trading Apps for 2021

Best Stock Trading Apps

2021 has been an incredible year for retail investors. With the historic surge in Gamestop stock thanks to ongoing short selling and Reddit-fueled investment research, millions upon millions of everyday people are hopping on the rocketship.

There are a lot of stock trading apps out there, and they can all blur together if you don’t know the ups and downs of each one. We’re going to go over some of the more popular ones, and give you an idea of which might be right for you and your needs, depending on what those are. Let’s take a look.

Robinhood

This app was already doing well when it went viral during the first part of the year in connection with Gamestop. Robinhood boasts an app that allows anyone to invest. They allow investment in stocks, ETFs, as well as options trading, and they require no minimum to invest. Their app is extremely simple, and they offer very little in the way of research tools or in-depth functionality.

E-Trade

One of the zero-commission trade model pioneers, E-Trade is a very popular stock trading platform with zero fees on most trades, and no account minimums to begin. The app is super easy to use and offers a huge array of features. One of the many brokers that support fractional shares, they make it easy to invest a few dollars at a time, so that anyone can start building wealth.

Fidelity

Fidelity has been around for a long time. They offer a huge array of research and tools that are made available to their investors. Additionally, account approval can take a little while. However, the ability to trade regular stocks, as well as many penny stocks, makes this a very appealing platform to many new investors. One downside of the app is that it is basically a tiny version of the website. It does not offer much in the way of streamlining compared to the web version.

Schwab

Schwab is a great platform for new investors and offers zero fees on most trades. They have provided a consistent trade experience for a long time, and are highly trusted brokers. Schwab offers a highly enjoyable trade experience since their interfaces are always intuitive, regardless of the device, it’s viewed on. They do lack the ability to set various alerts on stock movements in their app, however.

TD Ameritrade

One of the most loved apps comes from TD Ameritrade, called Thinkorswim. It provides an amazing amount of functionality for doing market research. They have a legendary trading platform and offer a huge amount of financial education resources for thier customers. They offer zero-cost trades like many others, and also support fractional shares with no account minimum required to invest.

Webull

Another extremely simple to use mobile app like Robinhood, Webull offers a much more extensive feature set than Robinhood, but still struggles to compete with research giants like Schwab and Fidelity. They offer zero-cost trades for stocks, options, and even crypto.

Categories
Credit Financial

Credit Repair: How to fix bad Credit in 6 Easy Steps

Credit Repair: How to fix bad Credit in 6 Easy Steps

There are dozens of services that claim they can fix your bad credit for you. This is technically true. But what they don’t tell you is that everything they do, you can do yourself.

So, how do you go about fixing your own bad credit? There are at least six things you can do that are easy as pie.

1.  Take out a Credit Card (That you Never Use)

This tip sounds strange, but the purpose behind this becomes clear if you focus on the fact that you should never use this card.

You see, your credit can be improved in a number of ways. One of these ways is by having your debts paid and your credit even. If you take out a card, reports view this as a risk. After all, if you overcharge your card, your credit will suffer.

But if you don’t use the card at all, you won’t incur any negative credit. The existence of the risk will improve your score, even as you refrain from actually taking part in the risk.

2.  Dispute Inaccuracies in Your Credit Reports

There will tend to be more inaccuracies in your reports than you might expect. Disputing them is stressful, but it is absolutely worth it.

The most common inaccuracies come from car payments. Sometimes banks just will not register that you have paid for your car, even after you have finished your payments.

They are legally obligated to do this, however, so you can be certain they’ll capitulate to you if you apply any amount of pressure on them to recognize your status.

3.  Request Higher Credit Limits

This method requires a credit card, but again, you can have a card without using it.

The logic here is that a higher limit implies a greater risk. It’s basically you “calling your shot” and saying how much money you plan to spend.

The more you borrow, the more impressive it is when it’s paid off. So if you raise your limit, then pay it off or don’t use it, it will raise your score.

4. Become a Friend’s Co-Signer

This method relies on you having a friend with good credit. It doesn’t have to be exceptional either—if they follow all the steps on this list, you can help each other out.

Co-sign a loan they’re getting or become an authorized user on their card. Then, you are both participating in the “risk” associated with that credit. Hence, you will both be credited for it being paid off.

5.  Mix up Your Credit

There are many different types of credit. Bills and cards are on thing, while loans and property are another. If you have only one of these four, consider investing in the other three. Diversity builds more credit than reliability.

6.  Pay Your Bills!

This is the most obvious way to improve your score, and the one you have the most control over. But if you don’t pay your bills, you can’t expect anyone to take your credit seriously.

Your credit is in your hands, and no one is more qualified to improve it than you. Hopefully, you will have some idea of how to improve things now.

Categories
Financial Real Estate Savings

Rule of Thumb: How Much Should Your Rent Be?

Grab Your PopRule of Thumb: How Much Should You Spend on Rent

Now that winter has broken in many parts of the country, and it won’t be a punishment to move, people are heading to virtual rental tours in droves so look for new digs. But before you start cruising Zillow, Redfin, or other similar sites to look at your options, take a few minutes to figure out what you should be paying for rent.

The Short Answer Is 30%

Most experts agree that you should spend approximately 30% of your gross income. That’s before taxes are taken out. This means if you make $1,900 per month before Uncle Sam takes any, you should be planning on about $570 for monthly rent. Keep in mind that this is a general guideline and not a rule.

The major factor in how effective this estimate is is the cost of living in your area. While a simple one-bedroom apartment in the Bay Area or North Jersey could cost $2,000 or more per month, renters in rural areas of the midwest could see the rental of a 2 bedroom single-family home for less than $400 per month.

The 50/30/20 Method Works Well For Many

Another great method is the 50/30/20 split. This looks at your total take-home pay and splits it into three categories. This is 50% for your needs, 30% for your wants, and 20% for saving, investing, additional debt payments.

Your needs are expenses like insurance, broadband access, utilities, consistent debt payments, groceries, and of course, rent. Your wants are shopping splurges, dispensary trips or happy hour, concerts, and cosplay. For the last 20%, remember that you should only be keeping an emergency fund in a savings account, while all of your long-term savings should be invested in some fashion, so avoid inflation decay and begin building retirement income. If you have any debt, payments above the minimum should be in this category as well.

This means if you bring home $1,500 per month after taxes, your 50/30/20 split would look similar to this:

  • $750 for your needs
  • $450 for your wants
  • $300 for your future

The second and third categories are necessities, though in different ways than the first. You need a proper work-life balance, so if you can only afford to constantly work just to be able to eat, sleep, and work, your life can get bleak, fast. Make sure you make it a consistent goal to invest in your leisure, and your future.

With this in mind, you can get a really good idea of your rent payment by taking your $750 for needs, from our example, by starting with your relatively constant monthly bills, and working backward. For example, if broadband is $50, your groceries are $150 (I know, just pretend for our example), insurance is $35, and your minimum payment on your only high-interest debt account is $15, that comes to $250 in needs otherwise, so there’s $500 available for rent.