Month: March 2022

Categories
Legal Social Security Disability

Benefits And Insurance For People With Disabilities

Benefits And Insurance For People With Disabilities

If you’re sick, injured, or permanently disabled, you may be wondering what financial relief is available to you. Many people with disabilities are unable to work, but there are several programs in place to provide benefits and insurance for anyone in this situation.

Social Security Benefits

Social security benefits for people with disabilities include Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). If you have a disability that:

  • Prevents you from working
  • Is expected to last for at least one year
  • Is on SSA’s list of disabling medical conditions

Then you may qualify for SSDI or SSI. You can apply for these benefits online, by phone, or in person through the Social Security Administration.

VA Disability Compensation Benefits

Veterans or survivors of veterans who have suffered from a service-related disability may be eligible to receive VA disability compensation benefits. To qualify, you must meet both of the following requirements:

  • You have a current injury that affects your brain or body
  • You served on active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty training

And at least one of the following statements must be true:

  • Received your disability while serving in the military
  • Had a disability before joining the military and serving made it worse
  • You have a disability related to your service that didn’t appear until after you ended your service

Learn more about the claims process and file a VA disability claim by visiting the Veterans Affairs website.

Disability Insurance

In addition to federal disability programs, employers may offer short-term or long-term disability policies if you become sick or injured. A short-term policy may pay for up to two years, while a long-term policy may pay for a few years or up until the disability ends.

Check with your employer to learn how they define disability and whether you qualify, or shop around to buy a policy for added security. If you plan to buy your own policy, make sure to check:

  • How the policy defines disability
  • When disability benefits begin
  • How long the disability benefits will last
  • How much money the policy will pay

Apply for private disability insurance online or in person at an insurance company.

Health Insurance

There are several health insurance options for people with disabilities, including Medicaid, Medicare, and the Affordable Care Act Marketplace.

  • Medicaid provides free or low-cost health insurance to qualifying people with disabilities.
  • Medicare provides health insurance to people under 65 with certain disabilities or any age with end-stage renal disease.
  • Affordable Care Act Marketplace offers low-cost health insurance to people who have a disability and don’t qualify for disability benefits.

Visit the program websites for information on who qualifies for each. Additionally, several government agencies provide resources for people with disabilities, like the USA.gov Government Benefits page and the CDC.gov Disability and Heath section.

Final Thoughts

If you have a disability, you aren’t alone. There are many programs in place to help alleviate your financial burdens and stay healthy.

Categories
Career Career & Education

How To Build A Better Relationship With Your Boss?

How To Build A Better Relationship With Your Boss?

Maintaining a respectful and productive relationship with your boss is important for your growth and the company’s success. When you intend to initiate a relationship with your boss, you should be aware their goal. One of the most important goals of any boss is to work with hardworking employees. If you help your boss with this goal, they will appreciate your efforts.

Build a Better Relationship with Your Boss

Let’s be honest, you want to have a better relationship with your boss, and here is how you can do that:

1.     Give Your Boss Value

Keep in mind that your boss hired you for a reason. They want you to add value to their company. Bosses want their employees to agree with them as well as solve critical problems and challenges. Thus, you can win their heart by giving reasonable suggestions, showing confidence, and speaking facts. When your suggestions and ideas will result in the company’s growth, your boss will have confidence in your capabilities.

2.     Anticipate Their Challenges

You need to understand the challenges your boss faces every day. You can find solutions for their problems and make their tasks simpler. Sometimes, you have to anticipate their challenges before it occurs. So, when your boss will ask a question about the problem, you have a thoughtful answer supporting a solution. Thinking ahead to help your boos will make you a valuable team member.

Your boss undergoes a plethora of challenges every day. Reducing their problems will make them like you. They have a lot of work that you don’t know about. So, why not simplify the tasks that you know of. Also, if your boss has rude behavior, they might be under a lot of pressure. You should understand their position and make things easier for them.

3.     Learn to Communicate Well

You should learn how your boss wants to communicate with you. Whether they like to receive detailed or one-liner emails, you should keep the communication the way they want. If they ask you to send an outline for a project, you should always send them an outline to give them an overview. You should try to mimic their style and improve your communication skills according to their preference.

4.     Make Your Boss Look Good

Everybody wants to maintain a good reputation in the workplace and this includes your boss as well. So, if you want to make your boss happy, make them look good. Remember, when your boss is happy, they will make you happy. This means that you shouldn’t correct your boss when other employees are around. Making your boss embarrassed in front of others by pointing at their mistakes will make them angry.

5.     Ask for Feedback

Always share feedback about your tasks with your boss. Never think that your manager doesn’t have time for your feedback because they are busy with their tasks. Sharing feedback and progress about your tasks will remove the burden from their shoulders. As a result, they can think straight and stay focused on other tasks. A feedback email will do the trick.

Conclusion

In the end, if you want to build a better relationship with your boss, try to gain their trust. Consider your boss as a mentor and go-to person. Creating a better relationship with your boss will result in business success and rewarding for you as well.

Categories
Career & Education Education Financial Loans

Will This Type of Student Loan Forgiveness Be Next?

Could This Type of Student Loan Forgiveness Be Next?

A group of over one hundred organizations representing student loan borrowers recently wrote an open letter calling on the Education Department to overhaul its income-driven repayment program. The goal of an income-driven repayment plan is to make payments more affordable and give borrowing who have already been paying for 20 to 25 years a way out. However, these plans are so poorly designed that only 32 people have qualified for forgiveness as of the beginning of 2021.

According to the National Consumer Law Center, a consumer advocacy group, the government made a promise to borrowers that federal student loan payments would be affordable and would not be a lifetime burden. Unfortunately, the Education Department’s income-driven repayment program has “failed to deliver on every aspect of that promise.”

What is an income-driven repayment plan?

An income-driven repayment plan sets your monthly student loan payment to an affordable amount based on your income and family size. There are several different income-driven repayment plans, but they all generally require borrowers to pay between 10 and 20% of their discretionary income for 20 or 25 years.

What are the downsides to this type of student loan?

Although income-driven repayment plans exist to help low-income borrowers, they come with several downsides as well.

You might not qualify

Most private student loans don’t offer income-driven repayment plans, so you will likely only qualify if you’re a federal student loan borrower. The qualifications can be confusing though: Federal Parent PLUS loans are not directly eligible for this type of repayment plan but may become eligible by including the loans in a Federal Direct Consolidation Loan.

Your loan balance might increase

It’s also possible for student loans to be negatively amortized under this type of repayment plan, which means the loan payments you are making are less than the interest that accrues each month. This results in a higher loan balance which can feel like you’re making zero progress when paying down your debt.

Married borrowers might have a higher payment

Some income-driven repayment plan payments may increase if the borrower gets married and their spouse has a job. This is typically seen as a marriage penalty and can result in a much higher payment than you’re used to due to your joint income.

Student Loan Forgiveness takes a long time

If you’re seeking forgiveness of your student loan debt, you won’t see it until after 20 or 25 years of payment on an income-driven repayment plan. This can feel like you’re in debt forever since you’ll owe money for longer than the standard repayment plan and will end up paying more interest in the long run.

What’s next for student loans?

Advocates are calling for massive reform to the income-driven repayment program since the current program is too complicated, requires too much paperwork, and is poorly managed by the loan servicing companies that run them. Only about 34% of borrowers manage to recertify every year, which is a dismal amount considering these repayment plans are supposed to be helpful.

Categories
Media Tech & Media

15 Books If You Love The Queen & The Royal Family

15 Books To Read If You Love The Royal Family

Do you love to read about the British Royal Family and their secretive lives? To satisfy your curiosity about the most famous monarchs in the world, here’s a list of 15 books that you must read if you’re a fan of the Royal Family.

1. The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, the Dresser, and the Wardrobe

The book is all about life inside Buckingham Palace. Coming from the perspective of Queen Elizabeth’s dresser of 25 years, this book covers royal fashion.

2. HRH

While discussing one outfit after another, the author takes the reader through a journey from post-WWII to Megxit. The book talks about four of the most iconic Royal Family women.

3. Before the Crown

If you love reading romance novels, this book should be on the top of your list. It highlights and imagines a setting in which Princess Elizabeth meets Philip for marriage.

4. Buckingham Palace

From an interior designer who is also an artist, this book is a vivid description and guide to Buckingham Palace. This book plans the perfect illustrations for Royal Family fans.

5. Ninety-Nine Glimpses of Princess Margaret

Encompassing the possible aspects and imaginable outcomes of Queen’s sister’s life, this book is one of the most popular Royal biographies on the internet.

6. Queen Elizabeth and Philip: A Royal Love Story

If you’re interested in the background of the Royal Family, try out this book that covers the love story of Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth with some rare Royal Family photos.

7. Lady in Waiting

This book dramatically showcases the life of those in the inner circle of the Royal Family. It outlines the life of Anne Glenconner, befriending Princess Margaret and the Queen.

8. Matriarch

If you have spent enough time learning about what’s happening in the Royal Family these days, you’re probably curious about the family’s history. Here’s a book about Queen Elizabeth’s dear biological mother.

9. The Royal Family

Do you wonder if certain events actually took place? Read this amazing book that tells shocking details about some of the most memorable events involving the royal family.

10. Finding Freedom

Swift through this attention-grabbing book’s pages to learn about the events leading up to Meghan and Harry’s departure from the Royal Palace.

11. Elizabeth the Queen

Find out more about the life of Queen Elizabeth as a modern-day monarch in this book.

12. Meghan: A Hollywood Princess

What do you know about Meghan, Duchess of Sussex? Read this book to learn how Meghan met Harry in the author’s words.

13. Snowdon

Dive into the details of Princess Margaret’s husband’s life and how he tackled issues during his time with the Royal Family.

14. The Windsor Knot: The Queen

This novel series involves Queen Elizabeth and tracks the journey of her solving a murder mystery that took place surprisingly at a supper event.

15. The Duke

Right before the passing of Prince Philip, this book gained popularity as it outlined and covered the eccentricities of his life.

Conclusion

These 15 books can surely add to your fandom for the Royal Family. Consider reading them according to your interests and preferences to learn things about the Royal Family that you didn’t know before. Some of the books are also part of a series, so they have sequels as well!

Categories
Beauty Health & Home

Guess I Have Dry Skin Now— Here’s How to Treat It

Guess I Have Dry Skin Now— Here’s How to Treat It

While winter’s the most cheerful time of the year, it’s also when you have to start taking care of your body and skin. The temperatures have started dropping significantly, and soon, there will be hefty bursts of snowfalls in different US areas. Is your skin and body ready to face the seasonal changes that occur as you transition from warm to chilly weather? You should know that dry skin is a common occurrence during winter, so you should prepare an arsenal of self-care products.

So, here’s more on how you can deal with dry skin and enjoy the holidays as well.

Top Tips for Relieving Dry Skin as per Dermatologists

Winter brings low temperatures and dry winds. The lack of humidity in the air and harsh dry winds can sap the moisture out of your skin, leading to dryness. Furthermore, as the skin suffers from dehydration, it adversely affects the glands producing important oils underneath the skin. To help you avoid dry skin and stay moisturized, here are some ways that dermatologists propose healthier and not-so-dry winter skin.

  • Massage gently when it comes to taking showers
  • Avoid extremely hot water and consider switching it up with lukewarm
  • Don’t shower excessively as exposure to water or for longer periods can cause flaky and drier skin (as water dissolves the essential oils on the skin)
  • Dry your body gently using a soft towel
  • Apply moisturizer almost instantly after taking a shower and drying off to soothe your skin
  • Get a lip balm according to your taste and preference but make sure it soothes and protects the lips
  • Find the best milky lotions or ointments for your skin by contacting a reliable dermatologist and/or esthetician
  • Keep your clothes away from harsh chemicals containing-detergents and wash liquids
  • Wear comfortable clothing to avoid itchy and irritated skin
  • Avoid sitting directly near a fire such as a solid fireplace with burning wood or open flame as it dries the skin
  • Try to keep your body warm with general heating solutions. This includes wearing warm clothes, drinking hot beverages, and using suitable ointments
  • Contact a trusted and experienced dermatologist/skin specialist if your dry skin condition worsens even with proper treatment and relief practices
  • When using your hands to complete a task that involves exposure to water, don’t forget to wear gloves
  • Keep an extra jacket or coat with you in case it starts raining while you’re outdoors

Conclusion

Did you find these above-mentioned tips worthy of trying this winter? Many expert skin specialists and dermatologists support these tips. It’s important that you look after your skin to enjoy the festivities and celebrations of the holiday season. Besides, you shouldn’t have to worry about your dry skin rather than focusing on ways to make the year-end memorable for you and your family.

Categories
Career & Education Debt Education Financial

Is It Better To Finish College Faster Or Debt-Free?

Is It Better To Finish College Faster Or Debt-Free?

A college degree is a significant investment in your future, but no one wants to be saddled with student loan debt for the rest of their life. There are ways to finish your college education faster, but the cost of tuition can add up quickly. As you prepare to choose your college, it’s important to ask yourself: is it better to finish college faster or debt-free?

Working Through College To Be Debt-Free

One of your options to finish college with less debt is to work full-time while you attend classes part-time. If you’re supporting a family or already in a steady employment position, this can be a great option. However, attending school part-time means you will be in school longer, which can mean higher tuition in the long run.

To decide if this is the right option for you, consider how your earning power will increase once you graduate with your degree. Will the costs of attending full-time be offset by the increased income? If you have a lot of financial responsibilities, this might not be a factor as you have to meet your other financial obligations instead.

Applying for College Scholarships

If you qualify for scholarships and grants, you could attend school full-time and graduate faster without racking up student loan debt. There are so many scholarships out there that could help in whatever situation you’re facing, so before taking out student loans, be sure to search for scholarships you may qualify for.

Ask everyone you know if they’re aware of any scholarship opportunities or take your search online to any of several college scholarship search sites to figure out if you’ll qualify for any free money.

Taking Out Student Loans

Of course, if you don’t qualify for a scholarship or grant, you always have the option to take out student loans to cover your college expenses without working. Attending school full-time is expensive, but it also means you’ll graduate more quickly and can start earning more money faster.

If you can’t feasibly work and attend college, consider increasing your course load to graduate faster. Reduce your expenses by living as cheaply as you can and working during the summer to reduce the amount of money you have to borrow each year.

Finding a Balance

So, is it better to finish college faster or debt-free? There’s no single right answer. Some students have a hard time trying to work while attending college, so they’ll work over the summer and save money to balance out the amount of money they have to borrow. Other people have financial obligations to meet outside of school, so they work full-time and attend classes part-time or over the summer instead.

Finding the right balance for your needs is crucial, and a lot of it will depend on your major, your expected income, and how much you end up having to borrow. No matter which option you choose, make sure to follow a college budget and keep your expenses down.

Categories
Career & Education Education

Benefits of Going Back to School Later in Life

Benefits of Going Back to School Later in Life

Going back to school as an adult is very different than if you attend college straight out of high school, but it doesn’t have to be scary or daunting. In fact, there are many benefits of going back to school later in life! Thanks to your age, you’ll have more experience and knowledge to apply to your college education. Here are some advantages to going back to school as an adult:

Career-focused Education

Whether you’re looking into going back to school to switch careers or advance your current career, the education you receive as an adult is typically focused on your job field. Having professional experience to apply to your school is a huge benefit, as you can tailor your classes to match your career goals. Centering your education around your chosen career ensures you’ll be spending your time and money wisely, which isn’t always the case when attending college right out of high school.

Refine Your Skills

Refining your skills, whether they’re professional or personal, is one of the most common reasons why people return to school. Maybe you want more in-depth knowledge of a subject or there’s something you’ve always wanted to learn about. Now that you know what you’re interested in and what your areas for improvement are, attending college can help boost your desired skillset.

Personal Growth

As you grow older, it’s easy to lose sight of who you are by focusing on your family, job, and other responsibilities. Returning to school gives you the opportunity to focus on yourself again by exploring your interests and finding new passions, along with giving you a break from being the teacher or mentor yourself.

Earn More Money Through Education

Maybe you already have a great job, but you aren’t getting as much money as you could be in your field. Many jobs require a degree to advance or earn a higher income, which can earn you exciting new opportunities and the chance to land higher-paying gigs.

Professional Networking For Going Back To School

When you attend school with other adults, you can learn from them and expand your professional network. Studying with other students can help deepen your own learning as well as encourage you to connect with peers in your career field.

Flexible Courses

College courses for adult learning are typically more flexible since the professors know you have other responsibilities to deal with outside of school. They tend to be more balanced in terms of coursework and your home life, so you don’t have to worry about spending too much time on one or the other.

Final Thoughts

Going back to school as an adult can be an exciting and rewarding experience. For many people, it’s a chance to refine their skills, change careers, or earn more money, but it can also result in benefits like professional networking and personal growth. Regardless of your reason for returning to school, it’s a decision that can greatly benefit you in the long run.

Categories
Financial Real Estate

Single-Family Rents Rise Most In At Least 16 Years

Single-Family Rents Rise Most In At Least 16 Years

Rent on single-family homes rose by 12% from December 2020 to December 2021, which was more than three times the previous increase. It was the largest year-over-year increase since the CoreLogic Single-Family Rent Index started tracking rental data 16 years ago, and while the index growth managed to slow over last summer, rent growth is still higher than pre-pandemic levels when compared with the data from 2019.

What is the Single-Family Rent Index?

CoreLogic’s Single-Family Rent Index, or SFRI, tracks changes among single-family rental homes using a repeat-rent analysis to measure the same properties over time. According to the SFRI, there were record increases in both low-price and high-price rental properties, which contributed to the overall gain.

Single-Family Rent Growth by Price Tier

Rent costs for the low-price tier, which is defined as properties with rent less than 75% of the region’s median rental price, increased 8.3% last year, up from 2.4% in 2020. High-price rentals, which are defined as a property with rent prices greater than 125% of the region’s median rental price, rose 11% last year, up from 2.8% the previous year.

Growth by Property Type

During the pandemic, more renters chose to live in standalone properties in lower-density areas. A detached property is defined as a free-standing residential building, as opposed to an attached property type such as a duplex, townhouse, or condo. Rent growth on detached rentals increased 12.2% last year, compared with only 7.8% for attached rental properties.

Growth in Metro Areas

Of the 20 metro areas shown in the SFRI report, Miami had the highest year-over-year rent growth with 25.7%. Phoenix followed at 19.8%, then Las Vegas at 15.9%. These likely increased due to tourism returning to normal as pandemic restrictions lift.

Chicago showed the lowest rent increase at only 2.8%. Boston, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, and New York also showed low rent growth of under 5%.

Why is it rising?

More and more people are in the market for rentals as consumers continue to get priced out of buying a home. Many families can’t afford to pay the increasingly high asking prices for the low inventory of homes for sale, so they resort to renting a single-family home instead.

Although 93% of consumers believe that owning a home is a good investment, competition in the housing market forces more buyers to remain renters instead. Single-family rental units are the most popular choice since people want more space for their families, and as the labor market improves, the demand for larger single-family homes will grow as well.

Since occupancy rates are at a record high, rentals will keep rising in price and may become more difficult to find. Rental unit vacancies have practically disappeared since when one renter gives notice to move out, another renter swoops in to take over the unit. Gone are the days when rental units are available, so rental owners can charge more due to increased demand.

Categories
Career Career & Education

7 Work Hacks To Implement This Year

7 Work Hacks To Implement This Year

If you have the motivation and will to succeed in your new job, then all you need is guidance. Sometimes, work can get very exhausting and overwhelming, especially when you’re trying to do your level best. There is no need to stress out if you feel like you’re falling behind. Continue to read further below and go through some of the work hacks you must implement this year.

1.    Formulate a Work To-Do List

If you have a lot to take care of at work, prepare a to-do list. This way, you won’t miss out on any tasks and will feel a sense of achievement once you check each item off your list.  Try making your to-do lists as attractive as possible.

2.    Choose what’s important and what’s urgent

To narrow down which task to complete first, allocate which ones fall under important and urgent. Start by giving more importance to urgent tasks. Then, you can start moving on to the important ones. You can draw out a diagram and start plotting all your tasks in it.

3.    Switch Off Your Notifications When At Work

Our phones are one of the biggest distractions whether it comes to working, studying, or reading. When working, you need complete focus, and unless you want to be distracted by who commented on your Instagram post, it is best to switch off notifications. This will give you time to concentrate on work, so you get everything done much faster.

4.    Enable Email Batching

If you’re bound to get countless emails, then you should try out email batching. This will allow you to read and respond to emails at a given time frame. So you can read about two to three emails per day at particular intervals. With this method, you’re not constantly checking your inbox, allowing you to work and worry about other things.

5.    Create Templates

If you have a repetitive job that requires you to do the same tasks again and again, start creating templates. This will help you save so much time and ensure consistency. For example, if you have to keep sending the same response to certain emails, or give it the same contracts, keep these templates ready as they will make life at work so much easier.

6.    Make Time for Yourself Outside of Work

As much as you need to get work done on time, it’s important to remember that breaks are important. This means taking a day off and engaging in something relaxing and refreshing. This could be going to the gym, dinner, or a spa day with your best friend. If you have a hectic job, you need to keep yourself maintained to take the workload.

7.    Use the Pomodoro Technique

The Pomodoro technique is a way of time management that sets a specific amount of time on how long you work and when to take a break. This technique is very effective for those who have jobs where you have to constantly sit in one place.

Takeaway

With the help of these work hacks, you can easily complete any work task you want, no matter how difficult you might find it. All you have to be is confident and make use of these hacks.

Categories
Health & Home Home Improvement

6 Easy Styling Tips to Pull Your Bedroom Together

6 Easy Styling Tips to Instantly Pull Your Bedroom Together

If you spend most of your time in the bedroom it needs to be relaxing, practical, and comfortable. It should reflect your personal style. Adding anything generic in the bedroom will eliminate a sense of personality. Therefore, you should pull your bedroom together according to your personal style.

1.     Add a Comfy Rug

A large area rug will bring every element of your room together. Whether you include an area rug in your living room or bedroom, it adds warmth and coziness to the space. Thus, a comfy rug is a top priority in the bedroom. Imagine getting off from bed in the morning during winter and landing on a warm rug. Your feet will be thankful for that. Besides coziness, the rug also creates a contrast, brings definition, and adds dimension to the room.

2.     Place a Headboard Above Your Bed

If you have a mattress on the floor, you should add a stand-alone headboard. The headboard creates an eye-catching focal point in the home and adds additional texture to the room. Also, it gives a finished look to the room. Whether is rustic wood or tufted velvet, the headboard is important in the bedroom.

3.     Add a Large Mirror

Every day you wake up in the morning and start your wardrobe and beauty routine in the bathroom or closet. Thus, you think that these sections of your home require a mirror. But, the mirror plays an important role in your bedroom’s appearance as well. Having a large mirror in the bedroom will make your room look brighter and larger. Also, the light reflecting the mirror adds a hint of glamour to the room.

4.     Layer Your Bed Properly

When layering your bed, you should always focus on the pattern you love. Never consult a catalog as a reference for matching pillows. The easy way to master pattern and color coordination is to choose a primary and a secondary color. The pillow should match the foot blanket or the curtains. If you repeat two to three colors in your bedroom, it will make the room look pulled together.

5.     Improve Lightening In Your Bedroom

Bedroom lighting plays a major role to create space in the room. If you have more than one single lamp and more light fixtures, you can enhance the overall style of the room. If you have little space on the table, you can consider hanging pendants and wall-mounted sconces.

6.     Install Fabric Curtains

Curtains are the important décor item in your bedroom that connects your room together. If you install a blackout curtain in your home, it will provide more privacy. But, your bedroom will look like a dark cave. Thankfully, you can choose from fabric options for curtains. These curtains add the texture of color and layer to the room.

Conclusion

Following the above-mentioned styling tips to pull your bedroom together, you can bring coziness and warmth to the bedroom. These tips will make your walls, floor, and bed pop with textures and colors. Also, you can follow these tips for small as well as large bedrooms.