Finance

Today, the average home has increased by 32.6%. If you’re in a major city, it has increased by up to 43%!

All of these startling numbers might have you wondering whether you’ll ever get to buy your dream home. The good news is that it’s possible with rent-to-own housing!

What is rent-to-own housing and is it worth it? Read on to explore the answers to these questions and see how beneficial it can be today.

How Does Rent-to-Own Work?

A rent-to-own agreement will look similar to a standard lease. It’ll talk about how long your lease is as well as standard terms and conditions which you can read more here.

This can include no pets, no smoking, occupancy limits, etc. If you violate these terms, they can kick you out. It can also cause you to lose the money that you’ve put toward your future home.

If you choose rent-to-own houses, that means that once the contract is up, you can buy the home. This means that if the lease states it’s for 3 years, then you’ll be able to buy the home for the 3 years during this time. You don’t have to worry about someone else taking it from you.

You’ll have to pay what’s called an option fee. Once you pay this, it’ll go toward the home’s purchase at the end of the term. If you decide not to buy the home, then you’ll lose that money.

There’s also a difference between a lease purchase and a lease option. A lease purchase means that you have to buy the home, and if you don’t, then the seller can take legal action. Whereas a lease option gives you the choice of whether or not to buy the home.

The Benefits of Legitimate Rent-to-Own Programs

First, it gives you time to save up money. Second, it lets you lock in the purchase price without having to worry about it increasing.

Rent-to-own houses also let you build equity over time. You’ll also be able to move in right away.

Is Rent-to-Own a Good Idea?

Keep in mind that there are cons such as the home’s value not increasing. Also, they might be unregulated deals depending on your location.

If you can’t qualify for a mortgage, then you can’t buy the home. This means that you’ll still need to qualify for a mortgage loan. You’ll also need to save for a down payment as well.

If you need time in order to save a down payment or increase your credit score, then rent-to-own might be a great option for you. Take a look at the current housing market and your financial situation to decide if it’s right for you.

Exploring if Rent-to-Own Housing Is Right for You

After exploring this guide, you should have a better idea of how rent-to-own housing works. Take your time deciding if it’s right for you and your family.

Would you like to read more real estate content? Check out our other articles today.

Is trading in a car worth it?

There is no one right answer, but this article is meant to provide some clarity. It is possible to lose money when you trade in a car, and many different variables will impact the cost of your vehicle. This is why we want to make sure you know about all of the factors before making any decisions.

If you would like more information on trading in cars, read on.

Vehicle Condition

What is my car worth?

When looking at a car, this is the first thing you will need to think about. If your vehicle is in good condition and without any damage, it could be worth more when you trade it in.

However, if there are dings or scratches on the exterior or interior, they can decrease its value by thousands before trading it in.

This does not mean that every scratch lowers the price by $500. Rather, these reports help dealers determine how much money they should offer for trading in a car with problems.

In other words, no two damaged vehicles will ever carry identical price tags because different buyers may value damages differently.

Vehicle Age

Another important factor is how old the car is. Newer vehicles will have more value when trading them in. This can mean a lot of money, and it should not be disregarded if you want to trade your vehicle in for something new or used.

However, there are some caveats here as well. Most dealerships prefer to purchase vehicles within three years because they make the most profit on these cars compared to any other age group. If you have an older vehicle (over five years), you may need to consider where else you could sell it before going through with a dealership trade-in option.

Vehicle Mileage

The mileage on your car can have a big impact on its value before you trade it in. In some cases, the difference between 100,000 miles and 120,000 miles is thousands of dollars before trading it in with or without damage. However, other factors could prevent this from being true for every situation.

If your vehicle has over 150K miles and/or numerous damages (both interior and exterior), dealerships will be less likely to give you top dollar because they do not know if parts need to be replaced soon after purchase.

If you drive an older model (older than seven years), then chances are even slimmer than anyone will pay top dollar.

Benefits of Trading in a Car: Dealer Reputation

You should also think about the dealership that you trade your vehicle in to. Some dealerships are more reputable than others. They all offer different prices depending on how much profit they expect to make with each trade-in option.

The best way to maximize trade-in value is by shopping around beforehand so you know which businesses will give you top dollar. This provides a great bargaining chip when speaking to any car dealership because you have an outside source willing to pay above-average if needed (or expected).

In other words, this gives them an incentive not to talk down too far from what their competition has already offered.

You can trade your in for cash in a reputable dealership.

Is Trading in a Car Worth It?

Trade-in cars can be worth a lot of money or very little, depending on how you do it. The only way to answer, “Is trading in a car worth it” is with the help of an outside source who knows what they are doing and wants to give you top dollar.

This is the only smart option because dealerships will try to talk down prices in their favor if possible. If you would like more interesting information, keep reading our posts.

Are you looking for a few ways to earn money to put towards your debt? Do you want to save up for an upcoming big purchase, such as a car or house? If so, then you need to learn all about how to earn money fast by selling your beanie babies.

Doing so can help you get the money you need. You can turn those old plushes into a new purchase with the cash you receive. Their value has never been higher!

See below for an in-depth guide on how to earn money fast selling beaning babies and other stuffed toys from your childhood.

1. Know the Rare Ones

Did you know that some beanie babies are worth thousands of dollars these days? If you have a few of those puppies in your possession, you could wind up with some serious cash!

But which ones? That’s the million-dollar question! It’s important to know which beanie babies are the most valuable so that you can rifle through your and your loved one’s collection and see if any of them fit the bill. 

Here are the top ten most valuable beanie babies right now:

• Patti the Platypus
• Gobbles the Turkey
• Iggy the Iguana
• Peanut the Elephant (Royal Blue)
• Valentino the Bear
• Claude the Crab
• Snort the Red Bull
• The Peace Bear
• McDonald’s International Bears
• The Purple Princess Diana Bear

Some articles out there list the prices for these bad boys, but that asking price fluctuates a little too much for us to list them. Not to mention that several factors cause the price to go up or down, such as the edition, condition, what it’s made of, and so forth.

Yes, you read that correctly. Different versions of the same beanie babies were made of different materials. Some were made with PVC while others were made with polyethene. Who would’ve thought the pellets would dictate the price?

2. Research Their Worth

Because of all those variables, you’ll need to perform a bit of research. Google the type of beanie babies you have to see what they’re currently going for.

For example, let’s say you have a Patti the Platypus that’s been well-loved (played with), but still has the original tag on it. See how much a similar Patti the Platypus sold for.

This will help you manage your expectations. Some won’t be worth as much as you’d hoped, while others will be a tremendous surprise!

3. Know Your Outlets to Sell

So… where should you sell a beanie baby if you have one of the ten above? That depends on a few things. 

First, how quickly are you hoping to sell? If the timetable is soon, then you’ll probably want to sell it online. If so, then you could choose to sell the beanie baby on sites like PlushCollector, Craigslist, eBay, Etsy, Pinterest, Facebook Marketplace, and so forth.

Some people have even decided to create their own website for reselling their collection since they have too many to facilitate. What a world we live in!

For those of you that are playing longball to find the best price, you’ll want to expand your horizons a bit by going to tradeshows and events where collectors are present. There are also groups you can join online to get connected.

Here’s the trick: don’t show your hand too early. If you have some time before you wish to sell the beanie babies in your collection, learn more about the group first. See how interested they are in adding some to their collection.

Then, you can expose your beanie baby to them. After all, it isn’t a good idea to go around shouting that you have stuffed animals worth thousands of dollars in your possession. 

Be sure to visit this website to learn more about how to make money selling beanie babies and get the most for your precious stuffed toys.

4. Take a Business-Minded Approach

We bet you weren’t expecting this to be a tidbit of advice in this article. Remember those people that we mentioned were making a website to sell their beanie babies?

Well, if you have even two or three valuable beanie babies in your possession, it just makes sense to create a site for your collection. That way, you can bring the customers to you, not the other way around.

In the end, this is just like any other sale. The more people you put it in front of, the likelier you are to get a higher price point. You might even start a bidding war between a few fanatics!

5. Communicate Often

One thing you’ll find about selling your beanie babies online is that there is a lot of open dialogue that’s required.

It isn’t like the typical sale, where people purchase an item right away. Even if you get interested buyers on your site, they’ll likely have a plethora of questions before they even think about purchasing it. That’s only fair, considering they’re about to drop hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars on it.

For that reason, you should keep yourself open to talking. Keep push notifications on your phone so that you can respond as soon as someone messages you.

Earn Money Fast by Selling Your Beanie Babies

Now that you have seen an in-depth guide on how to earn money fast by selling your beanie babies, be sure to use this information to your advantage.

Start by browsing our website for more articles on selling beanie babies, as well as other topics that you will find helpful.

Nowadays, there are many options when it comes to planning for the future. Traditional pensions have become old news and new, more dynamic, retirement plans have replaced them.

But it can be a challenge to navigate the choices and money myths that surround these plans. This is especially the case when it comes to the 401K.

There are a lot of polarizing statements about this form of investing. If you have found it confusing to make sense of all of the different information out there, keep reading to find out what you should know about 401K plans.

Myth 1: There Are No Fees

There are no free lunches when it comes to the 401k. Fees vary depending on the sponsors and the size of the plan. Usually, the bigger the plan, the smaller the percentage of fees involved.

Who pays those fees also varies depending on where you work. Some employees may choose to cover these fees for you, while some do not. 

What is worth knowing is that 401k sponsors are legally obligated to disclose their fees in regular statements, so keep an eye on these statements.

Myth 2: 401K Plans Offer a Variety of Investment Options

401K plans are quite limited in their investment choices. This is down to the selection of investments provided by employers. Because people misunderstand this fact, they often feel that their 401K doesn’t perform as they expected. This is mainly because they didn’t take the time to consider the option carefully.

Knowing that 401K plans are limited is not necessarily a disadvantage. Once you take the time to know what you’re working with, you can make very sound investment decisions based on the choices available.  

Myth 3: A 401K Assets Are Guaranteed 

It’s important to understand the mechanics of a 401K. It’s not some sort of “super pension plan”. The money is invested in the financial market and is subject to all of the same pros and cons that come with this type of investing.

Believing the above-mentioned myth has led many to make poor financial decisions, like overfunding their 401k. 

Knowing the truth can help you consider additional investment options and stop overfunding your 401k.

Myth 4: Matching Is the Most Important Feature

This is a dangerous myth for two reasons.

1) Many believe that employer matching is enough to retire comfortably.

2) If the employer doesn’t match, then there is no point contributing to a 401K at all.

The truth is that matching is a great bonus, but it shouldn’t be the be-all and end-all of how you view your 401K and how you use it. 

Debunking Money Myths

The 401K is a very useful instrument when used correctly. When used irresponsibly, it can cause more harm than good! One of the biggest reasons that people make poor financial decisions is due to poor financial education.

The world is saturated with money myths and it’s up to all of us to sepr¡erate the wheat from the chaff. So don’t let your finances and future be tainted by these common myths, staying alert to the truth is one of the best ways to protect your assets.

So, keep learning more about finances and more by browsing our site.

Cryptocurrency is a highly profitable investment opportunity for many investors. Unfortunately, it’s also a highly profitable opportunity for many fraudsters who are looking to take advantage of your hard-earned BTC.

What most people who trade cryptocurrency don’t know is how to avoid fraudsters and keep their cash safe. If you buy and sell crypto, you need to know how to keep your currency safe. Here are 5 common bitcoin frauds to keep an eye out for.

1. The Pump-and-Dump Scam

Pump-and-dump scams are some of the oldest tricks in the book. In these scams, an influencer starts by buying lots of altcoins that are supposedly going to “make it big.”

Then, they begin spreading the word that this coin is the next big thing. Their followers quickly jump on the wagon train and purchase large amounts of the altcoin, at which point the influencer dumps their stocks.

What happens is that the influencer makes out like a bandit while the followers are left with loads of useless crypto. Ouch!

2. The Social Media Scam

One of the first rules of crypto safety is to always double-check your transactions. That’s because bitcoin transactions cannot be reversed.

Some scammers will create fake social media profiles impersonating highly trusted individuals, such as Elon Musk. They’ll give fake promises to double the amount of bitcoin to anyone who sends their coin to the wallet address. Once the BTC is sent, that user never sees it again and can’t recover their lost coin.

3. The Fake Bitcoin Exchange

A very tough-to-spot scam is the fake bitcoin exchange scam. In this scam, fraudsters create an entire bitcoin exchange that offers great prices for anyone willing to sell their bitcoin.

However, what traders don’t realize is that their bitcoin is being poured into an exchange that doesn’t actually exist. The scammer on the other end of the line simply reaps all the bitcoin while the users are left with nothing to show from the transaction.

4. The Ponzi Scheme

In a twist on the classic Ponzi scheme, bitcoin fraudsters will promise high returns on anyone who invests bitcoin with their company. What they actually do is give back small “returns” from new investors while pocketing most of the money.

Just like the classic Ponzi scheme, this can leave plenty of innocent people without money. And it can leave the fraudster with piles of cash that they can never return.

5. The Fake Cryptocurrency Scam

The fake cryptocurrency scam is targeted at people who are interested in investing in bitcoin but haven’t yet. Fraudsters promise to get investors access to a new alternative to bitcoin that’s bound to be even more successful.

In reality, the scammers take investors’ cash and route it into their personal bank accounts. That leaves investors with no cash and no bitcoin and the scammers with a pocketful of money.

Protect Yourself From Bitcoin Frauds

There are plenty of different bitcoin frauds out there. In fact, these five are only scratching the surface! Following safety tips and tricks can help you protect your investments and keep your money safe.

If you’re interested in learning more about topics like this, you’re in the right place. Check out some of our other unique articles today!

Gift cards take the guesswork out of picking someone a present, especially if you don’t know the recipient that well. But it may shock you to hear that $3 billion worth of gift cards go unused every single year in America.

We all know what it’s like to receive unwanted gift cards. Wouldn’t it be easier if you had the cash instead?

Selling gift cards for cash doesn’t need to be complicated or time-consuming. To discover some of the simplest ways of making money online using your gift cards, just keep reading!

Friends and Family

A quick and cost-effective way to sell your unwanted gift cards for cash is through family and friends. There are two ways you can do this:

If a friend or family member frequently visits the shop or website of your gift card, then you’re in luck. Reach out to them!

Use social media to see if anybody would be interested in buying the gift card from you. Just be careful. The person who gave you the card might not be happy to see that you’re selling it.

The benefit of this method is that a friend or family member will often pay >95% of the card’s value, sometimes even the full 100%. It might require a bit more legwork, but the payoff can be worth it.

Gift Card Websites

Around 6% of gift cards are never used. So, it’s no surprise that there are a variety of gift card websites that allow you to sell them.

Some of these websites only allow you to trade your unwanted gift cards for other vouchers or cards. But if you want to sell your gift cards for cash, there are websites for that too.

Gift card websites can differ slightly in terms of their rules. For example, GiftCash and CardPool set the price of your card. For popular retailers, this can be as high as 93% of the card’s value. But you need to have at least $10-$15 on the card to sell it, and at least $5 on e-gift cards.

Raise is an example of a website that gives you the freedom to set the price of the card yourself. You can also sell cards that have partial balances on them. However, you’ll lose 15% of the final sale price as a commission.

Some gift card websites will even offer additional rewards or cashback, simply for buying or selling unwanted gift cards. Have a look at this example to see how it works.

Gift Card Kiosks

Another option is to use a gift card kiosk.

These machines work similarly to a website, whereby you input the info of your card, receive a value, and then choose whether to accept it. If you do, the machine prints off a receipt which can be exchanged for cash via a store cashier.

Gift card kiosks can pay up to 85% of the card’s value. The downside is searching for one and traveling to it.

Ready to Sell Your Gift Cards for Cash?

Did you enjoy the article? We’ve explored the three best options for selling gift cards for cash. If you have any other ideas, we’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment or reach out to us via social media!

Don’t forget to check out our homepage to discover more answers to your questions. We have articles on travel, health, finance, and tech, including ‘How to Sell Gold in 4 Easy Ways’ and ‘3 Tips to Prepare for Texas Hurricane Season’.

Here’s the deal: Gold is one of the most valuable precious metals in the whole world. So if you are interested in buying and selling gold, you are in good company.

Want to learn how to sell gold jewelry?

Gold can be a great investment, but we’ve got the inside scoop on the best ways to sell it. This guide explains how to sell gold in 4 easy ways!

1. Gold Bullions

If you’ve never considered selling gold bullions before, you’re in luck.

One of the best ways to start selling gold on your own is to purchase real gold coins or gold bars. Not only will you get the joys of feeling real gold, but you will also be able to look at it and enjoy its beauty whenever you’d like.

However, there are a couple of downsides as well, such as protecting your gold bullions from others. Be sure to keep this precious possession in a private place!

2. Gold Futures

Another great way to start selling gold is to invest in gold futures. This is one of the safest ways to bet on the value of rising or falling gold prices. As a matter of fact, you can even have the actual gold delivered to your home if you’d like, but that shouldn’t be your primary focus.

In addition to this, you don’t need much money to buy gold futures either. On the flip side, you’re almost guaranteed to make a ton of money quickly!

3. Gold Tracking ETFs

The biggest benefit of buying a gold-tracking ETF is that you can easily exchange it for money at the best market price. On top of trading your fund every single day that the gold market is open for business, you can also enjoy it as a liquid asset!

4. Gold Mining Stocks

Last but not least, it’s also a smart idea to invest in gold mining stocks while you can. By placing bets on the miners to manufacture your goods, you’ll be making an intelligent consumer choice.

Plus, you are almost guaranteed to receive a return on your gold investment. As the price of gold rises, a miner’s earnings will most likely rise as well, meaning a bigger return for your initial investment.

Looking for the best place to sell gold?

Hint: It pays to do your pawnshop research first!

Learn How to Sell Gold Today

Ready to learn how to sell gold today?

When it comes to selling gold online and investing in gold, we’ve got you covered. From selling gold bullions and futures to gold tracking EFTs and mining stocks, we have everything you need to succeed.

Besides diversifying your financial portfolio, investing in gold will also teach you how to receive a high return on your investment. Not to mention that managing liquid assets is a great skill too!

Still curious about gold prices?

Don’t hesitate to check out the rest of our blog now!

If you are either a beginner investor or a seasoned market hawk looking to diversify your portfolio, investing in precious metals may be the right decision. Comprising a $182 billion global market, precious metals are a cornerstone of any attractive investment vehicle.

While they are not as new and flashy as commodities such as crypto and tech stocks, precious metals have proven to be a durable and reliable asset for investors for centuries.

If you are new to the market and wondering how to invest in precious metals, you have come to the right place. Read this essential beginner’s guide to investing in precious metals to find out the essential things you need to know before you invest.

1. How to Go About Investing in Precious Metals

If you are wondering how to invest in gold and precious metals, it is worth explaining what this task actually entails. First, it is important to point out that you should not try to take physical ownership of any precious metals you invest in.

The vast majority of investors in gold, silver, and other metals will use a broker or investment platform to buy up their metals, which will remain stored in a secure vault.

You can, of course, take physical ownership of bullion, coins, and bars. However, doing this will make them extraordinarily difficult to sell, while delivery and storage costs may be as much as what you paid for the metals in the first place.

2. Gold is Still Good 

If you are trying to find the best precious metal to invest in now, you will likely be told that gold is the go-to. This is especially true in times of economic and social turbulence such as right now, as gold is traditionally seen by investors as a “safe haven” asset that will not lose value.

Gold is durable, never deteriorates, is always in demand, and is incredibly easy to buy and sell on the global marketplace at a transparent price. While gold is not the only precious metal worth investing in, it is an important hedge against uncertainty in any good investor’s portfolio.

3. Alternative Metals Are a Winner

That being said, gold is not the only option. Many investors are finding that silver is a more attractive precious metal, owing to the fact that it offers all of the benefits of gold at a much lower price. As this expert silver buyers guide explains, you can buy silver coins, bars, and rounds as an asset.

Silver is easier to take physical ownership of, especially if you’re opting for smaller assets such as silver coins. However, you can invest in silver via an online investment brokerage as part of a precious metals portfolio. Other attractive metals to invest in right now are platinum, palladium, and copper.

4. How Liquid Are Precious Metal Assets?

One of the benefits of investing in precious metals is that there is always a market for them, meaning that, should you need to quickly liquidate your assets, you will be able to do so. If you own precious metal ETFs, you can usually sell them online in a matter of minutes for a price determined by the global market.

However, if you physically own precious metals such as gold bars, the selling process will be more cumbersome. It is for this reason that such investments are considered long-term, lifelong investments.

Your Finance Questions, Answered

Now that you know all of the essentials for investing in precious metals, it is time to learn more about how to future-proof your finances and build a portfolio that will offer the security you need. For this, we have got you covered. Make sure to consult our expertly-curated Finance Guides for all of the latest investment advice.