Author: Staff Writer

Categories
Career Career & Education

7 Things You Can Do for Your Career

Career Work From Home

With the recent pandemic, millions of people have now found themselves home much more than they have in the recent past. Many of us don’t mind the additional comfort and decreased anxiety of pursuing our career from home, particularly when you get to see your spouse, child, or even your dog much more than before.

But to many people, the extended lockdowns and remote work have also felt like they were delaying or stagnating their career. Others were in constant fear or anxiety of the possibility of being laid off entirely. The numbers of those in fear grow each day that the economy becomes more volatile.

Even if you aren’t worried about job security, you probably still have pressures from remote working challenges, lack of networking opportunities, and the cancellation of many industry events like conferences and expos.

It can be frustrating in different ways for all of us. But we’ve also redefined how we work and collaborate using technology, so this also brings us opportunities. Here are some great ideas on preventing stagnation and malaise in your career while you’re stuck at home.

1.   Update And Stay Current

Have you even logged into your LinkedIn account this year? Take a day to update your resume and LinkedIn profile, making sure you pull old info and update with new. Don’t forget to highlight new career accomplishments!

2.   Continue Your Education

Learn something new. Another language, programming, an art skill, or any number of random things. There are a number of websites that offer micro-degrees or other structured courses that you can use to break up the time. Some may even add value to your skillset that you can leverage for more pay at work.

3.   Maintain Networking Connections And Bonds For Your Career

Just because you can’t hit happy hour and shake some hands, or attend the yearly industry events doesn’t mean you can’t keep networking. Communicate with your work contacts, especially ones you may have neglected recently, and see how they’re doing. Maybe set up a zoom coffee so you can chat.

4.   Start A New Project Outside of Work

Kick-off a new side-hustle outside of work, tweak your personal brand or even start a new blog, book, or website. Original content is valuable, particularly with the rise of NFTs.

5.   Get A Jump On Busywork

We spend an average of one day out of every five to six, simply researching our information and setting up documents. Take some time to cook up a few templates, references, or cheat sheet resources to help you save time down the road when you are at work.

6.   Volunteer For A Project That Scares You At Work

It doesn’t literally have to scare you but step out of your comfort zone, that’s not where growth happens. You’ll not only help your team and organization, but you may even inspire some enthusiasm.

7.   Crack A Book

We’ve got a lot of free time lately, which many of us are using to get some great information from experts. Many experts have written books about subjects that are incredibly important to your field or industry. Find one or two, and make it a point to read them over a month or so.

Categories
Legal Mass Tort

Mass Tort & Everything You Need To Know About It

Mass Tort Law

What is Mass Tort? There are times when organizations, businesses, or companies breach the duty of care they have to the public. These situations requiring legal remedy can be either intentional or unintentional. These breaches can cause injury and even wrongful death. Often these situations need to be litigated in order to receive a remedy and to prevent similar breaches and harm in the future.

Mass Tort law is an incredibly important aspect of practicing law, and it helps keep businesses in check and ensures that personal injury results in fair compensation via either litigation or settlement. This is why it is important to know the difference between a mass tort action, and a class-action lawsuit, even when you are working with an experienced law firm and are acting as a plaintiff in the litigation. There are also different variations of mass tort cases that may complicate things.

How Do Mass Tort Lawsuits And Class Action Lawsuits Differ?

While the terms are frequently used interchangeably by those who are uninformed on the differences, there are stark contrasts between the two.

Class Action

Class action suits are generally quite similar to mass tort cases, with the difference being that the pool of plaintiffs who were injured in the same way is often much larger. This means there is only one lawsuit, rather than several, however, there is only one person who acts as the representative for the class.

For example. If there were an herbicide that caused frequent users to develop cancers that were largely similar, that could become the basis for a class-action lawsuit. This group, or class of people, can get together and leverage their numbers in a class action case that will be heard in civil court.

Mass Tort

A mass tort is where a party referred to as the “tortfeasor”, who is the party liable for the injuries of several people, faces litigation from the people combined into a group. In mass tort litigation, each person is treated as an individual with regard to their complaint. One notable difference is that while each person has been harmed by the tortfeasor, the injuries may differ to an extent. These lawsuits have only been common for approximately the last 40-50 years.

For instance, if a local company dumped dangerous waste chemicals into a local waterway, which is where the drinking water of a nearby town is sourced. Dumping it was simply less expensive than properly disposing of it. This action results in many people in the town getting sick with different diseases caused by exposure or consumption.

Elements Of A Mass Tort

  • Duty of care – You must prove that the company owed you a duty of care
  • Breach of duty – You must prove that the duty of care was breached by the business
  • Clear causation proven by the plaintiff – You must prove that the breach is what caused your injuries
  • Documented injuries – You must prove that your injuries are real, often with medical records
Categories
Financial Real Estate

Zillow Home Estimates Are How Accurate?

How Accurate are Zillow Home Estimates

Zillow is one of the most popular websites and apps to find information on homes for sale. Founded in 2006, Zillow is a real estate database that lists information about millions of homes all across North America. Users of the service can even search an area for information using criteria such as price, square footage, the type of home, or any number of listed amenities.

One of the big draws to Zillow is the estimate that it calculates for how much any particular home is worth. These numbers come from public sales data, as well as comparable homes. Currently, Zillow provides estimates of value on about 100 million homes across the US. While they can be relatively handy in finding a starting point for home valuation, there are a number of reasons why they may not be correct for a significant number of homes.

1.   Garbage In, Garbage Out

Zillow uses complex algorithms to keep its estimates updated and as current as possible, updating them three times a week. But this is based on both publicly-submitted data, and publicly available information. By their own account, Zillow estimates are within “10 percent of the selling price of the home” but that estimate is only as good as the data behind it.

If incorrect information has been listed on the website, that can continually affect the integrity of the estimates. While users can correct this information, the updated estimate may not be immediately visible. Sometimes the change simply isn’t significant enough to change the price.

2.   Mistakes In Important Figures on Zillow

Since the price of the most recent sale is part of the determination of the estimate, but if that information is inaccurate, the resulting estimate will be off as well. Zillow does take into account the taxes that are paid, but the tax assessor’s values can be flawed.

3.   Old Information On Zillow Not Reflective Of The Current Home

The homeowner may have made some significant improvements to the home, but Zillow may not be notified until the next tax assessment. This can derail the estimates in the meantime, meaning they can be off until the following year. This can be a fully remodeled gourmet kitchen that adds $40k to the value of the home, but since it didn’t need a permit there isn’t a tax record. It can also be the added bedroom that needed a permit and has a tax payment on file.

4.   Turnover Rate Affects Accuracy, In A Good Way!

Since a large part of Zillow’s data comes from home sales and tax records, if there has been a number of home sales in your immediate area, they may have an abundance of data. This means your Zillow-generated estimate has the potential to be much more accurate.

For example, if you live in a hot Florida suburb, you may see a high rate of turnover, while in rural areas people tend to stay in their homes for many years, even several generations. It is highly market dependant.

Categories
Career & Education Education Government Grants

How to Finance Your Child’s College Education

pay for your child's college tuition

Finding out that your child has been accepted into college is most likely going to be one of your proudest experiences. But then the reality sets in of how much it’s going to cost to pay for tuition, fees, and even room and board for four years at a private college. With averages that top $30,000, paying for a college education isn’t as cheap as it used to be.

Thankfully, there are a handful of ways to make sure there is some financial wiggle room for when your little genius starts their higher education. Let’s take a look at the top ways.

1.   Federal Loans

This should be the student’s first stop If the funds haven’t already been saved. Filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA will help determine the amount of aid your student may be eligible for through federal and state programs. Some of these programs will be grants, but a major portion of the cost will likely be paid for by Federal Student Loans.

If your child is a dependent, they may also be eligible to get a Parent PLUS Loan, if you provide your information. It will depend on your credit, but it’s a fixed-rate and will cover up to the entire cost. The other option for federal loans is Stafford Loans.

2.   Private Loans

Even after grants, scholarships, and federal loans, depending on where your child is going to be enrolled, there still may be some costs due. This is where private student loans may be of benefit. They will often be at varying levels of interest, depending on credit, and each lender will have their own terms, just like with any other type of loan. Loans can be obtained either in the parent’s name or in the student’s with the parent as a co-signer.

3.   Leverage A 529 Plan

The 529 College Savings Plan is becoming increasingly popular these days. These savings plans allow a higher contribution than other savings plans, and the funds can be used for any college-related costs tax-free. The plan can be diversified significantly and offers a much better return than traditional savings accounts.

4.   Use Home Equity

This is one of the two “last resort” options. If you are the owner of your home you may be able to fund some or all of your child’s tuition with the equity in your home. This is not the highest-risk method, but it’s second in line. You can use either a home equity line of credit, take out a home equity loan, or even do a cash-out refinance. All carry some risk.

5.   Use Retirement Funds

This is an absolute last resort option. The type of funding available would depend heavily on the type of retirement account that was being drawn from. If this is an option you would like to pursue, you should reach out to your financial institution, as well as your tax professional, to discuss how to impact your retirement minimally.

Categories
Health & Home Recreation & Leisure

Recreational Activities to Keep You Fresh & Inspired

recreational activities

For innovative and productive recreational activity ideas, you need to loosen up some stress and think creatively. In this article, we are sharing some amazing ideas to help boost your imagination, so you stay inspired, fresh, and creative.

1.     Cycling

Cycling is a healthy and beneficial sport to keep you busy and active. If you work on your laptop for hours and develop back or neck pain, take a break and ride a cycle. After this activity, when you come back to your workstation, you will feel motivated and stress-free.

2.     Bowling

Bowling is an amazing sport to increase endurance, improve respiratory fitness, and strengthen your upper-body muscles. Furthermore, it also maintains your bone density. You can challenge your friend to a bowling game and improve your skills through daily practice.

3.     Challenge the Body

If you think that creativity is about thinking out of the box, you are absolutely wrong. Rather, you need to develop a mind-body connection. Once you achieve that level, you will no longer see the box. Physical activities will keep you relaxed and give you a break from your busy schedule.

4.     Meditate

You might consider meditation a boring and hard activity, but it doesn’t have to be so. You can benefit from meditation with easy and straightforward actions. This activity will help you clear up your mind, so you have enough room for new ideas.

5.     Morning Walks

Morning walks in the park and meeting new people is a passive recreational activity. You can relax even more when the park offers an amazing view. You can refresh your mind by watching ducks near the river or listening to the birds chirping. All these activities will affect your physical and mental health. Morning hours are more productive than any other part of the day. When you walk in the park, you can generate new ideas and organize your thoughts.

6.     Soothing Music

Listening to soothing and calm music is like therapy. When you are lost in the music, your mind will feel relaxed and comfortable. You can sit on your couch with your eyes closed and enjoy every note while listening to your favorite genre.

7.     Photography

Capturing the natural view is an amazing fun time activity. You can visit new locations and keep your mind away from stressful routines and presentations. Observing your neighborhood with a different perspective will give you new ideas and thoughts.

8.     Meet Like-Minded People

When you work throughout the week, struggling to maintain a work and life balance, you need some like-minded people to talk and discuss your problems with. Sharing ideas and experiences with similar people keeps you motivated and brings new ideas that you can work on.

Conclusion

You can become more creative by incorporating these activities into your daily life. These recreational tasks will provide you an escape from a tedious and stressful routine. Pick any one of these creative tasks and free up some space in your mind for new and innovative ideas.

Categories
Children Family Health & Home Recreation & Leisure

10 Fun Mother’s Day Activities to Do

super fun activities for mother's day

For centuries, different parts of the world have celebrated mother’s day on different dates. On this day, you’ll want to make your birth giver and other motherly figures feel extra special. From getting lavish bouquets and cooking something special to getting your mom a new outfit, there’s a lot you can do on mother’s day.

Unfortunately, due to the surge of COVID19 cases, outdoor activities this mother’s day are limited.  But you can still do plenty of things to make your mom feel extra special on mother’s day. Mentioned below are some super fun mother’s day activities for the whole fam.

1.    Create a Scrapbook

Get a bit of art and crafts in the mix this mother’s day by making a scrapbook of old pictures with your mom’s help. This way, both of you, including your family, can reminisce on the good old days. It’s a great way to think about how every one changed, but your mom’s love stayed constant.

2.    Visit the Farmers Market

Plan a fantastic start to the day by planning a trip to the farmer’s market with your mom.

3.    Plant Flowers For A Day

If your mom enjoys gardening, all of your family members can get together and plant different flowers in a garden. Or go on a plantation drive to support a great cause.

4.    Have a Karaoke Night

Explore each other’s crazy voices by hosting a karaoke night at your place. Mothers love getting the whole family together, and this is the best way to do that.

5.    Have a Swim Day

Engage in water sports by going to the swimming pool with your mom. You can enroll in a water yoga class or just lounge in the pool together.

6.    Watch a Movie Together

Plan a movie night with the whole family, and watch a classic that your mom would love to watch.

7.    Have a Spa Day

Book appointments for manicures and pedicures at a luxurious salon, and spend a relaxing day with your mom.

8.    Arrange a Scavenger Hunt

You can arrange a scavenger hunt by gathering all your family members together. Have your mom prepare two lists of things to get done. Whichever team gets all the things on the list done first wins.

9.    Play a Board Game

On mother’s day, play a board game with the whole family. From Monopoly to Taboo, you can choose between plenty of options.

10.  Go on a Family Bike Ride

If your mother likes getting active, arrange for the family to go on a bike ride on mother’s day. To make her day special, decorate your mom’s bike by adding fresh flowers and a cute basket. After all, it’s her day, so she must stand out! After a bike ride, arrange a lovely picnic in the park, and make some beautiful memories.

Mother’s Day Takeaways

You can enjoy these 10 fun-filled mother’s day activities with the whole family. Now, you can make your mom feel like the queen she is. And yes, don’t forget to give her the tightest hug and tell her that she means the world to you. It’s not enough to dedicate just one day to your mother, but it will remind you to be grateful every day.

Categories
Health & Home Home Improvement

Top 5 Ways to Heat Your Garage This Winter

5 ways to heat garages

Most of the time, you garage is merely meant to be a place for storing cars, lawn care items, and other tools, so they often lack insulation and heating ducts. As a result, you homeowners often find themselves with a workshop that is too cold to get any work done in the winter.


You don’t have to put off your hobbies and projects until the warmer months, however. If you would like to learn more about how to heat up garages, read on. We’ve come up with five things you can do to make your garage more comfortable for year-round use.

Install Insultation

Before you go out and buy the most expensive heater, you need to make sure that your garage is properly insulated. Otherwise, the warm air will continue to escape no matter how long you run the heating system. To prevent this from happening, we suggest that you insulate both your garage door and the walls.

Often times, garages are built with little to no insulations, so anything would be better than nothing. We recommend that homeowner install fiberglass batt insulation in the stud space of their garage walls. Then, you can finish the walls by adding drywall, plywood, or OSB.

Once you have your walls thoroughly insulated, you need to make sure that your door has insulation as well. This step is especially important if you have a thin metal door. You can buy a garage door insultation kit and install it yourself to see an increase of 10 degrees in your garage’s temperature this winter.

Eliminate Any Drafts

There are plenty of drafty spots in the average garage between the garage door frames and gaskets. If you have windows in your garages, that’s another problem area that you will need to handle. You will need to invest in weather-strip seals and shrink film window insulation. When you do, you will thoroughly seal off all of the drafts leaking cold air into your garage. All of these steps are easy enough to DIY, but they will make a huge difference.

Heat the Garage Floor

Once you finally have your garage well-insulated and sealed-off, you can finally start to install some heating products. Since hot air rises, it’s a good idea to start from the floor. Radiant heat can make a huge difference, but it can only be installed before you pour your concrete. Therefore, this isn’t a simple and affordable solution. If you already have a completed garage, you’ll have to tear out your existing floor and install a new one.

Homeowners who are willing to make the investment can expect a huge improvement in the comfort of their garage. Not only does the radiant heating help keep your floors warm, but it also heats the entire garage without blowing any dust and debris around. Mechanics will especially appreciate the radiant heat because they will no longer have to lay down on the cold cement floor.

Add a Ductless Heater

If you’re renovating an existing garage, you don’t have to rip the flooring up to install heat. In fact, you don’t have to install any intricate ductwork or elaborate heating systems to get good results. A well-insulated garage should be easy to heat with a ductless heating and cooling system. These systems are much easier to install, and they are a very efficient option, which is good news for your wallet!

Space Heaters

Lastly, we suggest a portable space heater as a simple and affordable alternative to the radiant floor heat and ductless heater. A space heater gives you a lot of flexibility. You can put it in your garage on days that you plan to work in your shop, or you can use it in your home on extra chilly days. A space heater is also a great way to supplement any heating system you’ve already installed in your garage.

We love space heaters because they come in a variety of sizes and prices. You can easily find a product that fits your garage’s needs and your budget. We recommend that you measure the square footage of your garage to determine which heater can most efficiently heat your space.

Make Your Garage Warmer This Winter

Are you ready to get to work? There are plenty of simple things you can do to make a huge difference in the comfort of your garage. You can follow all five of these steps, or you can pick the ones that best suit your needs. Even doing just one of the recommendations can have a huge impact! It’s up to you to decide which option best fits your skill level, garage, and budget.

Categories
Legal Social Security Disability

What Happens at a Disability Hearing?

social security disability hearing

While it may seem daunting, the average Social Security disability hearing will only last between 15 and 60 minutes. Many people become very anxious before their hearing. They tend to imagine it is similar to a court appearance, likely due to the “hearing” terminology. Hearings with Administrative Law Judges are generally fairly informal.

Despite the informal setting, the judge may be robed, and may sit elevated from the rest of the room. Sometimes, the hearing will even be held at an event center or conference room at a local hotel or bank, depending on the location and how far away the applicant or claimant lives. With quarantine measures in effect in many places, the hearing may even be conducted remotely via video conference.

What Is The Purpose Of A Disability Hearing?

The purpose of the hearing will be to determine the exact extent of how disabling your condition is. Most hearings will be quite similar, depending on the judge’s personal preference, there may be some variation. You should be assured, however, that your hearing will not resemble the stressful trials you see on TV.

The Judge Interviews The Applicant

Once the Administrative Law Judge has identified the persons in the room, they will then read a basic statement of facts regarding your SSDI or SSI application. Following that, the applicant or claimant will often be directly questioned.

The questions will center around your medical condition or conditions, treatment, your employment history, and the limitations that your disability has placed on your ability to work. You should remember that this is not an attempt by the judge or anyone else to prove you are not disabled, you are simply stating how your condition has negatively affected your ability to be employed.

The main objective is to collect all of the facts surrounding the claim. Also, to make a determination of whether or not those facts establish eligibility for SSDI or SSI benefits. It is important not to exaggerate your claims, but be sure you do not leave out any important information.

The Judge Will Hear Attorney Remarks

After you give your testimony, the judge will give your attorney the opportunity to speak on your behalf. They also may ask you additional questions. At this time, any expert witnesses, such as medical and vocational experts will provide their input as well.

If Your Disability Hearing Results In A Denial, You Can Request Reconsideration

In the event that your claim is denied, that isn’t the end of the road. Your next step should be filing a Request for Reconsideration. You can do this again after being denied twice. At which point you’ll have the opportunity to have a disability hearing with an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ).

Once you meet with the ALJ, your odds of being granted your benefits are much higher at this point. Having an experienced Social Security disability attorney on your side can help you win your case.

Categories
Legal Social Security Disability

The Difference Between SSDI and SSI Explained

SSDI vs. SSI: Difference Explained

Both the SSI and SSDI programs offer benefits for qualified disabled individuals. However, the requirements and income limitations for each are quite different. Not only are the limitations and prerequisites different, but applying for the wrong one or missing the qualifications can result in significant amounts of frustration and wasted time.

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) & Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

One of the primary differences between SSDI and SSI is that SSDI is only available to workers that have not only become disabled after working but who have also built up enough work credits to qualify. Supplemental Security Income is available as a disability benefit to those who have either never worked, or who are low to no income individuals who have not and will not earn enough credits for Social Security Disability Insurance.

Often people do not distinguish between SSDI and SSI when talking about Social Security disability benefits. However, they do need differentiation since they are two entirely different government programs. They are both administered and managed by the SSA, and they both use the same guidelines in determining eligibility on a medical level. But there are some important differences to note.

Social Security Disability Insurance, SSDI

Social Security Disability Insurance is the Social Security insurance that is deducted from your paycheck via federal payroll taxes. It can offer benefits to eligible recipients because they have worked and contributed to the program in a meaningful way. The contributions are made via the FICA taxes. An SSDI recipient must be younger than 65. They also must have contributed a predetermined number of “work credits” to the program before they can be considered “insured”.

The spouse and minor dependents of the disabled person can receive partial benefits based on the disabled person’s earnings record, just as the benefits for the disabled are calculated. However, there is a five-month waiting period from the date of disability until the benefits kick in. After two years on SSDI, the recipient can also qualify for medicare. Approval rates for SSDI claims tend to be higher than for SSI claims, on average.

Supplemental Security Income, SSI

Supplemental Security Income is a need-based program that is funded by a general tax fund, and not from the trust. SSI is referred to as a means-tested program so that it is not based on work history. Instead it is based on strict financial need. SSI applicants will need to demonstrate that they possess less than $2,000 in assets for an individual, or $3,000 for a couple. They will also need to show that they have a limited income. In general, if the applicant qualifies for SSI, they will also qualify for food stamps. Depending on the location and the state benefits, they may also qualify for state-aid like cash assistance. Qualified applicants will receive an amount dependent on their location and their regular income paid on the first of the month.

Categories
Health & Home Recreation & Leisure

Rainy Day? 22 Actually Fun Things to Do

Rainy Day Activities

The rain can ruin your plans, but it also gives you an opportunity to make new ones. You don’t need to enjoy the rain itself to have fun with a few activities. So instead of sulking around and watching the rain, get up and do something fun. To help you make the most of a rainy day, here are some fun things you can do.

1. Movie Marathon Time

It’s raining outside? No problem! Just grab some blankets and popcorn to set your living room for a movie marathon. Then, you can binge-watch your favorite shows and movies in one go.

2. Have a SPA Day Indoors

Since you’re bound indoors due to the rain, you can create your own DIY mini spa at home. It’ll be a fantastic day of self-care! You can enjoy the view of pouring rain outside while treating your feet to a relaxing soak.

3. Time to Bake

Fulfill your sweet cravings by baking your favorite banana bread or cookies, and pair it with a cup of coffee.

4. Karaoke Night

This is the best time to bond with your family, so why not have a karaoke night and sing your hearts out to ABBA during the pouring rain.

5. Work it Out

As the rain falls outside, it’ll motivate you to start working towards your fitness goals. So get a headstart and practice your at-home workout routine.

6. Hit The Closest Café

If it’s a light shower, why not head over to a café and grab a warm meal to enjoy as you watch the rain?

7. Video Game Tournament

If you’re love gaming, a rainy day is a perfect excuse for you and your friends to get together and play different videogames.

8. Indoor Ice-skating

If you’re missing the snow, then hit an indoor ice-skating rink to work on your skills.

9. Arrange a High Tea

If you’re in the mood to socialize, then having a tea party at home in the rain is a good idea as well!

10. Paint and Color

Add some color to your rainy day, and use this therapeutic activity to create some crazy drawings

11. Go, Bowling

A bowling night is irresistible with friends, especially on a rainy day!

12. Hit The Mall.

This might not be ideal for all in the rain, but who can ever say no to shopping?!

13. Organize your House

Since you’re stuck at home, make use of this time to organize your cupboard and draws you’ve wanted to clean for a while.

Other Activities

  1. Catch up With an Old Friend on Face time
  2. Get back to your Diary
  3. Try Out a New Recipe
  4. Start planning for a new event
  5. Start Reading a New Book
  6. Have  a Game Night
  7. Wine and Dine
  8. Try out Stitching
  9. Make DIY Jewelry

Final Thoughts

With the help of these fun activities mentioned above, it’s time to make your rainy days a little less depressing and more fun with these awesome activities.