The New Heart Health Guidelines You Need To Know About

The New Heart Health Guidelines You Need To Know About

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HuffPost.com | Jillian Wilson | Nov 16, 2022, 05:45 AM EST | Health Insurance | Heart Health

You can cut your risk of cardiovascular disease by following this advice from the American Heart Association.

Maintaining a healthy heart is a challenge for many people. It requires dedication to a workout regimen, eating healthy food, and staying in touch with your doctor about your cardiovascular disease risk factors (high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, and more).

Cardiovascular disease ― which includes heart disease, heart attack, stroke, heart failure, arrhythmia, and heart valve problems ― is the No. 1 killer of Americans, according to Dr. Leslie Cho, the section head of preventive cardiology at Cleveland Clinic. Every 34 seconds, someone in the U.S. dies of cardiovascular disease.

This all may sound pretty scary, and it is. But “90% of heart disease is preventable,” Cho said. And those preventable measures are outlined in the American Heart Association’s recently updated Life’s Essential 8, which is described by AHA as “key measures for improving and maintaining cardiovascular health.”

Here’s what to know:

Sleep is now included in the heart health guidelines.

For the first time, sleep is included in the heart health guidelines because it is “vital to cardiovascular health,” according to the AHA. Adults should get seven to nine hours of sleep each night to have an optimal immune system, for cell, blood vessel, and tissue restoration, to improve brain function, and to lessen the risk of chronic disease.

“There’s lots of data about Americans not getting enough sleep or having bad sleep, and we know a lot more about if you have poor sleep, that increases your risk factor for cardiovascular disease, but also things like high blood pressure and heart failure,” Cho said.

She added that studies show sleep deprivation can also increase cardiovascular risk factors like obesity and diabetes. “It’s a vicious cycle,” she said.

And there is even more risk for people with sleep apnea, a condition in which you stop breathing in your sleep. The condition has “been linked to things like high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation and heart failure,” Cho said, noting that it’s important to talk to your doctors about your quality of sleep to see if you might be suffering from sleep apnea or another sleep issue.

Secondhand smoke and vaping are now official risk factors (though they were already well-known risks).

Quitting smoking has always been an important way to cut your risk of cardiovascular disease, but now the guidelines explicitly include the dangers of secondhand smoke and vaping.

According to the AHA, “about a third of U.S. children ages 3-11 are exposed to secondhand smoke or vaping,” and both are linked to an increased risk of heart disease and certain kinds of cancer.

“In modern America, we’ve been led to believe that vaping is better than smoking, and that’s not true,” Cho said. Vaping can cause lung problems and cancer, and delivers nicotine, which is highly addictive, she said.

The heart health guidelines also underscore the importance of other healthy lifestyle habits.

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Wearable Devices: Tech’s Real-Time Ergonomic Data Is a Workers’ Comp Game Changer

Wearable Devices: Tech’s Real-Time Ergonomic Data Is a Workers’ Comp Game Changer

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RiskInsurance.com | By: Abi Potter Clough | November 1, 2022 | Business Insurance | Wearable Devices

Technology is changing the scope of treatment plans and helping to keep employees safer by stopping injuries before they happen.

Carriers and risk managers share a vested interest in helping workers avoid injuries, but until now, many of the available interventions have suffered timing issues.

Training workers in advance, showing them safety demonstrations, and teaching ergonomics are all interventions before employees start working. And corrections or reprimands from management after an incident are too late to stop an injury from occurring and are quickly forgotten before the next incident.

Technology solves some of these challenges with real-time interventions, better data collection and analysis designed to influence patient outcomes over time.

Wearable devices equipped with artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT) are one way to help keep workers safe by reducing and preventing injuries through behavior modification.

Mike Rhine, SVP, chief operating officer at Onsites at Concentra, and Sean Petterson, founder and CEO at StrongArm Tech, tackled this topic at the 2022 National Comp conference, in the session “How Wearables, AI and IoT are Informing Injury Treatment and Protecting Employee Health.”

As Petterson commented in the session, “Injuries happen fast, and we need to be faster.”

Wearable Devices Help Create a Culture of Safety

Wearables are changing the timing game by providing in-the-moment alerts, notifications and corrections designed to alter human behavior before an injury happens.

When a worker is wearing an IoT-enabled device, they can receive immediate feedback based on their actual movements — critical information designed to stop risky behaviors and teach safer ones.

These small devices can tell if a worker is moving in ways that will cause repetition-based injuries over time or if an employee is about to get hurt through their actions.

A haptic notification alerts the worker in real time of any dangers so they can modify their actions. The sensors also provide a safety score to each worker at the end of each day, then the worker sees customized tips at the start of their next shift to help them improve their score.

Wearables can help develop a safety culture through these real-time alerts and daily interventions.

“There is nothing more potent than a positive safety culture. But it has been impossible to manage in the past. Now, we can measure the impacts and the effects of a safety program, like injury reduction, and attach ROI to different training programs, IoT, wearables and so on. Wearables are bringing a new way to look at problems,” Petterson said.

Wearable devices are often small sensors that fit in a pocket or can be clipped to a worker’s collar or belt.

They aim to prevent injuries and see what happens to employees over time so measures can be introduced to keep people safer at work and reduce claims.

By understanding how injuries occur, they can be prevented.

Petterson said, “We want to make it simple. We don’t need to measure every single movement, but we want enough data to meet the needs of operations and to create a baseline for understanding how real-time risk changes can impact operations, like how pushing a workforce too far can lead to injury. This correlation wasn’t always seen. Humans were once viewed as a cost of doing business, but that’s no longer an option.”

“It’s about keeping employees healthy, not watching their every move,” Rhine added.

Wearable Devices Change the Landscape of Injury Prevention

Rhine described how small wearable sensors could change the landscape of injury prevention.

With wearables, employers can observe how employees’ behavior changes throughout their shift due to fatigue or other issues. And the wearable device allows employers to see exactly when and how an injury occurred — helpful both for investigating the injury and preventing similar incidents in the future.

“With wearables, we know what happened when they got hurt, so we can clinically intervene and incorporate some training, job rotation, more conditioning, to allow us to impact health outcomes. Without wearable data, we rely on clinicians being on site and observing workers. They may spend a half hour watching an individual employee but miss fatigue issues at hour six, for example,” Rhine elaborated.

“The sensor feeds data right to an onsite clinician. In addition to using the data, we can apply clinical learning and an ergonomic eye to the workstation.”

This best-of-both-worlds approach combines data that wasn’t readily available in the past with the clinical observations only a human can bring to the table, with an end goal of fewer employee injuries and healthier workers.

Broad Impacts of Wearable Devices

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Used-Car Prices Are Falling, but Buying Is Still a Challenge

Used-Car Prices Are Falling, but Buying Is Still a Challenge

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As used-car prices ease from all-time highs, higher interest rates are ramping up monthly payments

Consumer Reports | By Benjamin Preston | Updated November 10, 2022 | Used-Car

After a historic used-car price spike throughout much of last year, prices have begun to come down. Although they haven’t yet deflated to levels that would fall into the deal territory, a recent drop of nearly 4 percent may offer hope to used-car shoppers, albeit mainly those paying with cash. Rising interest rates will likely negate the drop in prices for buyers who have to finance, meaning you could end up paying more over the life of the loan.

That said, the luxury of waiting for a sunnier economic outlook isn’t available to everyone. If you need to buy a used car now, Consumer Reports can tell you how to make the best of the current situation, with expert advice and market insights from industry insiders.

In good times and bad, Consumer Reports members can search our Used Car Marketplace for vehicles for sale in their area, sorting by the factors that matter most. The listings include CR reliability and owner satisfaction ratings, and there’s a free Carfax report for most of the vehicles. Members can also access ratings and information on used vehicles going as far back as 20 years.

Our main advice for buyers in this tricky market is to act quickly and negotiate from an informed perspective. That can make the difference between getting a fair deal or paying too much. Also, it’s never been more important to make sure your credit is in as good shape as it can be. Interest rates are up, but the most competitive rates are reserved for those with strong credit ratings.

Here are some other ways to make the best of a tricky market.

Consider buying a new car instead of a Used-Car

If you’re looking at newer used cars—models in the 1- to 3-year-old range, you may find that prices are still relatively close to what they sold for new. If you have to borrow money to buy the car, it may be better to find a new car that can qualify you for a lower interest rate, to say nothing of the benefit of a fresh factory warranty. Many manufacturers subsidize financing and may offer interest rates that are much lower than normal to qualified buyers. Check dealer incentives in your area and see what’s being offered.

Look at older models of Used-Cars

Everything is more expensive, so your budget may preclude used cars on the newer end of the spectrum. Also, prices on older cars have dropped the fastest. If you go the older car route, Consumer Reports recommends looking at models known for reliability. They will provide better value than more recent models that can be closer in price to new cars. The downside is that if you have to finance the purchase, interest rates tend to be higher on loans for older cars.

Prearrange financing. Used-Car

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New ways to find holiday deals on Google

New ways to find holiday deals on Google

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Google.com | Nov 01, 2022 | Shashi Thakur, VP/GM, Consumer Shopping | Holiday Deals | Home Insurance

Find the best holiday deals on Google with new features like promotion badges, coupon clipping, deals comparisons, and price insights.

The holiday season is upon us, and many are already getting into the (shopping) spirit. Holiday Deals are particularly top of mind this year: Among Americans planning to shop for the holidays, 43% are planning to look for deals and sales more than last year.1 So we’re sharing a few new features to help you easily find those discounts and get the perfect gift at the right price.

New labels for coupons and promotions

Coupon codes are a great way to save, but finding them — and making sure they work — can be challenging. To help shoppers save money and time, we’re bringing promotions front and center in product searches.

A mobile search for “shop holiday party dresses” loads colorful results. The screen scrolls down to a red dress option with a special offer label, clicks the item and copies a coupon code.

Our new promotion badge will show up in Search on items running a promotion (like “15% off with coupon code HOLIDAYS”). While in the past we’ve shown when items are on sale or the price has dropped, you can now see specific promotions and compare them to others right in Search.

We’re also adding a new coupon clipping feature, which allows you to easily copy promo codes when you’re ready to buy. These new features will roll out in the coming weeks.

Compare holiday deals side by side

For the past year, more than half of U.S. shoppers have visited multiple websites before settling on what and where to buy.2 We’re bringing you a new, easy way to cut down on all that research time and compare shopping deals across retailers.

A mobile search for “shop women’s puffer jackets” scrolls down to a section labeled “deals” showing products with discounted prices from various merchants.

If you search for a women’s puffer coat, for example, we’ll show you a side-by-side comparison of available puffer coat deals right in your results. This new view will roll out in the U.S. this month, just in time for the holidays.

Get price insights

While it’s easy to get enticed by holiday sales, it can be hard to tell whether something is a good value. So we’re bringing our price insights feature to Search to help shoppers understand the prices they see and make better buying decisions. Now, you’ll quickly see how one merchant’s price compares to others’ and whether it’s low, typical, or high for that product.

A mobile search for “shop speaker jbl tune 130nc” shows results for speakers. It scrolls down to an “online stores” section, where the color “white” is selected from a drop-down menu and a graph shows different price ranges.

And merchants, don’t forget you can always see how your deals are performing and review your business’ promotions wherever you manage your product listings on Google.

These new features will make it easier to find great prices and check everything off your list this season.

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Year-end financial checklist

Year-end Financial Checklist

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US Bank.com | October 11, 2022 | Shield Life Insurance | Financial Checklist

An end-of-the-year financial checklist is a good opportunity to make sure you’re still on track toward your financial goals. 

Sometimes it feels like a year can disappear in the blink of an eye. When you look back over the previous 12 months, you might be surprised at what may have changed for you, whether that’s in terms of the economy at large, your individual finances, or your personal circumstances.

That’s why the end of the year is a good time to review your accounts and investments and make smart adjustments for the new year. Also, with tax season around the corner, reviewing your portfolio and personal finances now could potentially help reduce your tax liability.

Use this year-end financial checklist as a guide.

1. Review your financial plan

Think about what you spent money on this year, and how much. Whether it was home improvements, a vacation, or boosting a loved one’s college savings, did you achieve your family’s financial goals? Or did you put some on hold in favor of other priorities that came up during the year? Do you foresee having to make any large purchases in the next year?

Also, consider what changed in your life this year. Births, deaths, marriage, divorce, and retirement can all have an impact on both your personal finances and your strategic financial plan.

Financial planning tips

  • Be honest with yourself. If money was tight, or if you had a surplus, this is a good time to adjust your spending and priorities.
  • Use a financial professional as a sounding board. An outside perspective is helpful when reviewing short- and long-term family financial goals. A financial professional might be able to make suggestions you haven’t thought about. 

2. Review your employee benefits

It’s tempting to just keep your employee benefits humming along in the background, but reviewing them yearly can make a big difference. Look at your employer-sponsored 401(k) or IRA account contributions for the year. Did you max out your contributions? If not, did you at least contribute as much as the company match?

For the 2022 tax year, the maximum 401(k) contribution is $20,500, plus an additional $6,500 if you’re 50+. The maximum IRA contribution is $6,000, plus $1,000 if you’re 50+. If you’re not maxing out your contribution, consider at least increasing it on an annual basis.

Don’t forget to pay attention to your allocations. Are you happy with the ratio of stocks, bonds and other assets, or do you need to rebalance?

Other employee benefits to review and adjust—with a financial professional, if you like—include corporate stock options and other incentive plans (restricted stock, restricted award units, etc.); health, life and disability insurance coverage; and your flexible spending account (FSA).

And don’t forget your health spending account (HSA), if you have one. For the 2022 tax year, the maximum HSA contributions are $3,650 for individuals, $7,300 for families, and an additional $1,000 for individuals age 55+.

Finally, are your beneficiaries up to date? Can you also designate a successor beneficiary? You work hard for your employees’ benefits, so be sure they end up where you want them.

Employee benefit tips

  • Calculate your remaining health insurance deductible. Can you accelerate or postpone medical treatments?
  • Use up your FSA. There are some qualified products you may not have thought of, from contact lens solution to bandages, that you can purchase with those funds.

3. Conduct a year-end tax review

Tax Day might not be until April 15, but it’s always a good idea to get a head start on preparation. For example, did you experience any life transitions (marriage, births, divorce, deaths, retirement, etc.) in the last year that could affect your tax withholding status?

Based on your anticipated income for next year, would deferring or accelerating any bonuses, property sales, other taxable transactions, deductible expenses, charitable gifts, etc., benefit you from a tax perspective? A financial professional can help you review your options.

Tax review tip

  • Explore tax loss harvesting. If you had investments that lost money, tax loss harvesting can help you reduce your tax liability. There are strict rules around how this is executed, so to avoid potential penalties, consider talking to a financial or tax professional before using this strategy.

4. Assess your investments

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Can I get Health Insurance with Pre-existing Conditions?

Can I get Health Insurance with Pre-existing Conditions?

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Health Insurance | Over 65? Click here

Many people wouldn’t be able to afford healthcare if they had to pay for it out of pocket. This is one of the many reasons why health insurance is a wise investment. Our team of insurance experts at Shield Insurance Agency is dedicated to helping Michigan residents understand the benefits of health insurance.     

What is Health Insurance?

In short, health insurance helps you pay for your healthcare. Your health insurance will pay for a portion of your healthcare costs or all of the costs after you pay a monthly premium.

Can I get Health Insurance with Pre-existing Conditions?

As a result of the Affordable Care Act, health insurance companies can’t deny a person coverage based on their pre-existing health condition. A pre-existing condition is a health issue that was present before you got healthcare coverage. Health insurance companies aren’t allowed to deny you coverage based on a pre-existing condition.

They’re also not allowed to charge you more as a result of any prior/ pre-existing health issues. Many health insurance companies consider many common chronic ailments as pre-existing conditions. A person with cancer, diabetes, asthma, and more, would be examples of pre-existing conditions. Even pregnancy can be considered a pre-existing condition. Health insurance companies aren’t allowed to discriminate against people who have these pre-existing conditions and more. 

Conversely…

If you enrolled in your healthcare plan prior to the Affordable Health Insurance Act, you have a grandfathered plan. This means that your insurance policy can still cancel your policy or raise your rates due to a pre-existing condition. However, our team is committed to answering your healthcare questions and getting the coverage you need.

Contact Us Today

We at Shield Insurance Agency are standing by to serve Michigan residents. If you are enrolled in a plan that started before 2010, you have a “grandfathered plan”. These plans can cancel your coverage or can charge you higher rates due to a pre-existing condition.

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How to Turn Holiday Shoppers into Year-Round Customers

How to Turn Holiday Shoppers into Year-Round Customers

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ZenBusiness.com | By Elizabeth FelsNovember 1, 2022 | Holiday Shoppers | Auto Insurance

Right now your holiday shoppers are visiting your website, social media pages, and store. In just a few short weeks, though, the holiday shopping will be over, but you can get those holiday shoppers back and turn them into loyal, year-round customers with these tips.

For many retail and specialty shops, the mad shopping scramble that erupts in November shortly before Black Friday and continues throughout the holiday season leaves the business owner little time to focus on anything other than managing employee schedules, keeping the shelves stocked and neat, and helping customers find and buy the things they want. The objective, of course, is to do as much business as possible while customers are in the mood to spend and have a deadline to complete their purchases.

But if your only focus during the holidays is on getting customers to buy now, you’re missing an opportunity to make your business more profitable throughout the entire year. In addition to encouraging people to buy now, your holiday efforts should include strategies to get those shoppers to come back repeatedly after the holidays are over. Here are several tips for accomplishing that goal.

Show holiday shoppers you care

Although the pandemic appears to be waning, it has changed consumer habits, possibly forever. Virus-related health concerns have caused a large number of people to be concerned about shopping indoors at retail establishments and eating indoors — even when stores and restaurants aren’t operating under mandated restrictions.

So, one of the most important ways to show shoppers you care about them is to let them know what precautions you’re taking to ensure their safety. The steps you take now will help them remember you as a safe and worthwhile place to shop after the holidays (and after the pandemic passes). Here are several things you can do:

  • Follow CDC safety guidelines regarding store capacity and mask-wearing.
  • Be sure your employees are wearing their masks properly. If they don’t, one or more customers might complain on local social media sites like NextDoor and tell people to stay away from your store or restaurant. (Yes, people really do that. They’ll also post comments if your store or restaurant looks dirty, your employees were rude, and other things they don’t like.)
  • Reassure customers that you care about their safety by posting signage with the steps you are taking to keep them and your staff safe this year.
  • Take employees’ temperatures every day and remind them not to come into work if they’re sick or have been in contact recently with someone who’s been sick.
  • Post masking, capacity, and social distancing notices at the doors. If your store gets a lot of foot traffic, assign employees to keep track of the number of people entering and leaving to prevent going over capacity.
  • Have hand sanitizer, sanitizing wipes, and extra masks available at the door for customers who want them.
  • Offer online ordering if possible, with curbside pickup or delivery options for consumers and patrons who don’t want to come into your facility.
  • Consider hiring extra part-time employees to help with curbside delivery, door checks, and filling in for staff who call in sick.

First impressions are important

Aside from health-related issues, it’s crucial to make sure your business does everything it can to maximize shoppers’ first impressions in other ways, too.

Train employees to greet your customers with a smile and ask if they need help finding anything. If you have an online store or take orders on the phone, be sure the people who answer your phone are pleasant and polite with all callers. It’s always easier to get a shopper back to your store if they’re able to find exactly what they need quickly, particularly if you have friendly, helpful staff ready to assist them.

Work hard to ensure that your business is staffed appropriately at all times and has enough stock to ensure a good experience.

Train your employees to help keep the store looking as neat and clean as possible throughout the day. Hurried (and inconsiderate) shoppers can mess up counters and displays and move merchandise to places other shoppers would never look for it. Be sure merchandise is folded or hanging neatly, and that sizes and colors are where they should be.

Make it easy for new customers to navigate your store or your online storefront. In your physical location, make sure that all of your displays are well-organized and logically grouped together. If you have specific items that you know customers will be looking for during this time of year, make sure they stand out and are easily accessible. If you sell online, feature hot-selling items on the homepage, and have a navigation menu that makes it easy for customers to find what they’re looking for by category and, if possible, by price.

Don’t forget how important it is to follow through with new shoppers. If you tell a customer to expect a product to ship in a few days, do your best to get it to them early or at least on time; if it’s going to be later, make sure to contact them. Following through on your word can lead to repeat business and possibly even a good review. As important as a product may be, remember that your customers can probably find it, or something like it, anywhere. However, a good experience can stand out in their mind for a long time.

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Infrared thermography utilizes special cameras to detect heat that cannot be seen by the human eye. This heat is typically produced through an increase in resistance in electrical equipment. Increased temperatures indicate a potential trouble spot that could lead to failure of the component and/or arcing. This can result in a shutdown in operations and personnel injury.

Infrared Thermography

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Liberty Mutual | Published 10/24/2022 | Business Insurance | Infrared Thermography

An often-forgotten utility

Electrical distribution can often go forgotten, leading to lax or inconsistent maintenance and inspection. When electrical equipment fails it often leads to high equipment replacement costs, lengthy downtimes, and interruptions in production or operations. One form of maintenance that can provide a huge benefit, with limited interruption in operation, is infrared thermography.

Infrared thermography

Often referred to as an infrared scan, infrared thermography utilizes special cameras to detect heat that cannot be seen by the human eye. This heat is typically produced through an increase in resistance in electrical equipment. Increased temperatures indicate a potential trouble spot that could lead to failure of the component and/or arcing. This can result in a shutdown in operations and personnel injury.

Because of this consideration, both the International Electrical Testing Association (NETA) and the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA) recommend periodic infrared testing of critical equipment.

Benefits of a thermographic predictive maintenance program include:

  • Minimized failures. Thermographic surveys help minimize maintenance costs and unscheduled outages.
  • Increased safety. Detection of hot spots could prevent fire or arcing events. 
  • Minimal production interruption. Infrared thermography has to be completed when the equipment is at load; therefore, the maintenance activity will have minimal impact on production.

Infrared thermography can expand beyond electrical inspections to mechanical equipment. This is due to heat being generated when friction exists, or a lack of cooling medium being present. This allows the camera to see misalignment, bearing issues, clogged or obstructed cooling, and several other conditions which result in elevated heat.

What to expect with an Infrared Thermography Scan

Infrared scans do require some preparation and certain expectations should be made regarding a finished product. This will vary depending on the company completing the scan, as well as where the scan is completed.

The following items should be noted in preparation of a scan:

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What Is Financial Leverage?

What Is Financial Leverage?

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Experian.com | August 23, 2022 | By Marianne Hayes | Financial Leverage

Quick Answer

Financial leverage is when you borrow money to make an investment that will hopefully lead to greater returns. It’s built on the idea of spending money to make money. Examples of financial leverage can include: Buying a home, investing in a business and buying an investment property.

We’ve all heard the saying, “You’ve got to spend money to make money.” In finance, leverage is when you borrow money to make an investment that will hopefully lead to greater returns. No investment is ever a 100% guarantee—there’s always risk. Financial leverage leans into the idea that borrowing cash to cover a new investment has the potential to pay off in the long run.

Let’s look more closely at how financial leverage works, along with its potential benefits and drawbacks.

How Financial Leverage Works

What is leverage? It has to do with maximizing your advantage. Leverage in personal investing involves using borrowed funds to buy into an investment. It’s widely used in the corporate world as well. Lots of companies, especially startups, continually seek leverage in the form of investor capital they can use to grow their businesses and meet important milestones.

Individual consumers use financial leverage in a different way. Here the focus is on building personal wealth. If you’re an entrepreneur or business investor, that might involve putting money into growing businesses. Otherwise, financial leverage covers any personal investment that’s made with borrowed funds.

Examples of Financial Leverage

Borrowing Money to Buy an Investment Property

Buying an investment property is a prime example of financial leverage. That may be a rental property that you maintain and lease out to tenants, which can create a steady flow of passive income each month. Alternatively, you may fix and flip properties. In this case, the goal is to turn a profit after buying a property, sprucing it up and putting it back on the market.

Both options require upfront capital. In addition to making the purchase, rental properties require ongoing maintenance and repairs. There are also property taxes, homeowners insurance and other recurring expenses.

Flipping homes has its own financial demands. You’ll need funding to complete the purchase and all the necessary repairs and upgrades, which will determine your asking price when you’re ready to sell. Unless you’ve got cash on hand to cover the purchase, you’ll have to take out a loan to buy an investment property. It’s typically more complicated than buying a primary residence, and may require a larger down payment (usually 20% to 30%). Interest rates and credit score requirements are usually higher too.

Taking Out a Mortgage to Buy a New Home

Everyday folks who take out a mortgage to buy a new home are also flexing their financial leverage. That’s because the money you borrow through your home loan is being used to purchase an asset, which is part of your financial portfolio. Every monthly payment you make reduces your loan balance and increases your home equity. This is the amount of your home’s value you actually own. The more equity you have, the more money you’ll pocket when it comes time to sell.

You can also use home equity to unlock financing. This includes a home equity loan or line of credit, as well as a cash-out refinance. Each option allows you to trade equity for upfront cash. You might use it to cover home renovations, college costs, debt repayment or other major life expenses.

Learn more about Financial Leverage

Getting Student Loans for College

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November is Native American Heritage Month

Native American Heritage Month

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November 2022 | National American Heritage | Native American | Special Event Insurance

About National Native American Heritage Month

What started at the turn of the century as an effort to gain a day of recognition for the significant contributions the first Americans made to the establishment and growth of the U.S., has resulted in a whole month being designated for that purpose.

One of the very proponents of an American Indian Day was Dr. Arthur C. Parker, a Seneca Indian, who was the director of the Museum of Arts and Science in Rochester, N.Y. He persuaded the Boy Scouts of America to set aside a day for the “First Americans” and for three years they adopted such a day. In 1915, the annual Congress of the American Indian Association meeting in Lawrence, Kans., formally approved a plan concerning American Indian Day. It directed its president, Rev. Sherman Coolidge, an Arapahoe, to call upon the country to observe such a day. Coolidge issued a proclamation on Sept. 28, 1915, which declared the second Saturday of each May as an American Indian Day and contained the first formal appeal for recognition of Indians as citizens.

The year before this proclamation was issued, Red Fox James, a Blackfoot Indian, rode horseback from state to state seeking approval for a day to honor Indians. On December 14, 1915, he presented the endorsements of 24 state governments at the White House. There is no record, however, of such a national day being proclaimed.

November is National American Indian Heritage Month The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the rich ancestry and traditions of Native Americans.

The first American Indian Day in a state was declared on the second Saturday in May 1916 by the governor of New York. Several states celebrate the fourth Friday in September. In Illinois, for example, legislators enacted such a day in 1919. Presently, several states have designated Columbus Day as Native American Day, but it continues to be a day we observe without any recognition as a national legal holiday.

In 1990 President George H. W. Bush approved a joint resolution designating November 1990 “National American Indian Heritage Month.” Similar proclamations, under variants on the name (including “Native American Heritage Month” and “National American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month”) have been issued each year since 1994.

Native American Heritage Month

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