Category: Brandpoint Business & Finance

2020-04-08T07:01:00

(BPT) – Wild swings in the U.S. stock market marked the past weeks as the nation reeled from the effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic, oil price wars and trade disputes, causing havoc to Americans’ finances.

In March alone, the Dow Jones Industrial Average had the five biggest daily gains and five biggest falls of its 135-year history as governments around the world responded to the outbreak, according to a March 17, 2020 BBC article.

Amid this market turmoil, it’s understandable to feel uneasy about your current finances as well as your long-term and retirement savings. Prudential research shows most consumers aren’t prepared for an unexpected financial hit. In fact, 54% of respondents in our recent survey on the impact of COVID-19 said they wouldn’t be financially ready for an outbreak that limits their ability to work for a few weeks.

The federal stimulus package that was just signed into law gives a much-needed boost to individuals and the economy. But many people still face the dilemma of meeting immediate needs while trying to figure out what to do about long-term goals.

Should you change asset allocations in your retirement or investment accounts? If faced with a financial hardship, can you take an early withdrawal from your 401(k) or IRA, or tap into life insurance? If you’re close to retirement or you just retired, you may be wondering about alternatives to preserve your savings.

In times like this, staying informed and seeking good counsel on financial matters is invaluable.

“The best solution to calming financial fears and creating a plan is to better understand the nature of the problem and the solutions available,” says Brad Hearn, president of Prudential Advisors. “Crisis or not, improving your financial literacy is crucial to achieving your short- and long-term goals.”

To improve your financial literacy, Hearn suggests the following:

• Learn the finances of “Me, Inc.” Since many of us are currently forced to spend more time at home, perhaps now is a good time to take a close look at your finances.
  • Get a handle on your budget.
  • Consider how much you’re spending and how much you’re saving.
  • Understand your own personal money flow like you would a business.
• Recognize that our finances can affect our overall well-being. A 2019 Prudential study found that 59% of workers who use financial wellness programs consider their overall mental health “good.” But that drops to 55% for those who do not use financial wellness programs.
• Learn more about how financial systems work — that can help you better understand your own finances. As much as possible, try to make financial decisions objectively and remove emotions from the equation.
• Talk to someone. A variety of resources is available to us all if we just look around. Tax professionals, financial professionals and accountants are certainly sources. Also consider financial wellness programs offered through houses of worship, credit counseling services and others. These can help you navigate common questions such as:
  • How much should you set aside for an emergency fund?
  • How long do periods of market volatility normally last?
  • How can you build a long-term financial plan that prepares you well for the future?

No matter who you rely on for financial advice, your goal should be to create a solid foundation by creating a holistic financial plan able to withstand future disruptions.

Prudential Advisors is a brand name of The Prudential Insurance Company of America and its subsidiaries located in Newark, NJ.

2020-04-06T08:59:00

(BPT) – By Kelly Greene, TIAA Sr. Director and co-author of The New York Times bestseller The Wall Street Journal Complete Retirement Guidebook

Don’t touch your face, and don’t touch your stocks — that advice went viral in the past few weeks, and it goes for retirement savings, too.

Like so many of you, I am trying to do everything imaginable right now to support the health of medically fragile family and friends.

But the only thing I haven’t woken up thinking about is whether I should be changing the way I’m saving for retirement. Here’s why: We’ve been on this roller-coaster ride before, and we were just as uncertain those times, too. No one knew what would happen in 2000 when the tech bubble burst, or in 2001 after the September 11 terrorist attacks. How we would emerge from the financial crisis in 2008 was a mystery for at least a few years.

I had a front-row seat for those economic calamities as a personal finance journalist covering retirement planning. In those earlier times of uncertainty, I interviewed hundreds of people, at all stages of their career and retirement, along with financial advisors. And many of the people who suffered financially were those who reacted emotionally — taking action right away.

Rushing a decision about retirement savings could lead to regrets and cost you more money unwinding a hasty move down the road. Here are some stories from recent times of turmoil that provide lessons for people at different points in their career:

Early Career Lesson: Resist selling low and buying high

I remember a 20-something-year-old friend, who, when the markets were falling in 2000, confided that he’d just liquidated his 401(k) because he couldn’t stand to lose any more money. “I’m out,” he said, throwing up his hands. The real pain came the next year, when he learned he owed hefty tax penalties for that emotional move.

Other people who kept their savings in a workplace plan, but sold off sinking equity funds, also lost out. It’s easy to forget to re-invest when markets start to improve, leading to a classic error: They sold low and then bought high.

The problem is, there’s no way to know exactly how long, or when, financial markets will hit bottom and start to bounce back. The lesson here is that it’s best to focus on what we can do and let our investments ride.

Mid to Late Career Lesson: Don’t put all your eggs in one basket

After a decade or two of making regular contributions in your retirement accounts, especially with employer contributions, it’s exciting to see savings add up. In the mid-2000s, a heady time for the markets, many mid-career investors moved savings into equities, dreaming of retiring early.

Then real estate lending started showing cracks, leading to 2008’s full-blown financial crisis. Retirement savings tumbled as much as 40% in value. That meant people with $1 million suddenly had $600,000. One retired banking executive I interviewed had invested his life’s savings in financial services stocks, because he felt comfortable investing in what he understood. By early 2009, he was back at work running a bank’s foreclosure unit to make ends meet.

It’s a great illustration of why we shouldn’t put all of our eggs in one basket. Some retirement-plan choices, such as target-date funds, will diversify our investments for us, based on when we plan to retire.

But if you want to choose your own retirement-plan investments, it’s important to keep your asset allocation on track. And if you haven’t thought about it in a few years, or ever, consider asking a financial advisor to help you make sure your current strategy aligns with your goals.

As you get closer to retirement, it’s important to consider additional ways to diversify beyond stocks and bonds. Increasingly, real estate, alternatives, annuities and other types of assets can provide more ways for retirement investors to spread risk.

Nearing Retirement Lesson: Use a three-legged stool

If you are getting ready to retire, should you wait? It depends on how you expect to generate your retirement income and how much cash you’ve set aside.

Retirement planners use models to talk about how to create your income stream. The most classic is the “three-legged stool” of Social Security, investments and a pension (all but extinct) or annuities. There are many variations on “buckets” to hold cash, short-term and long-term investments, with earnings trickling from the longer term holdings to cash.

If your “three-legged stool” includes enough sources of guaranteed lifetime income, or your “buckets” hold enough cash to avoid selling off investments that have lost value, you may be in good shape. If you’re not already working with a financial advisor, it might be worth getting a second opinion.

However, if your investments are still heavily weighted in stocks, you may want to re-evaluate your timing. If you do decide to delay your retirement date by a year or two, consider the approach that some would-be retirees took in 2008: By working a few more years than originally planned, they increased the size of their monthly Social Security checks.

Meanwhile, to reward themselves for staying on the job, they used a small part of their would-be savings to go ahead with a few retirement goals, such as travel or a kitchen renovation.

As you can see, amid so much other uncertainty right now, retirement planning is one part of your life that can be managed — either on your own, or with the help of a financial advisor. No matter where you are on your career path, there are strategies for dealing with market volatility while continuing to save for your financial future.

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As with all mutual funds, the principal value of a target date fund isn’t guaranteed at any time, including at the target date, and will fluctuate with market changes. The target date approximates when investors may plan to start making withdrawals. However, you are not required to withdraw the funds at that target date. After the target date has been reached, some of your money may be merged into a fund with a more stable asset allocation.

Target date funds share the risks associated with the types of securities held by each of the underlying funds in which they invest. In addition to the fees and expenses associated with the target date funds, there is exposure to the fees and expenses associated with the underlying mutual funds.

Any guarantees are backed by the claims-paying ability of the issuing company.

2020-03-31T08:01:00

(BPT) – Whether you’re in high school or college, here’s some big news — there are many more opportunities in the agriculture industry today than you may even be aware of. And the demand for skilled, educated professionals throughout the industry far exceeds the number of qualified candidates.

Before deciding what field to pursue, here are tips to help you launch your career.

Research the field

The best thing you can do to plan your career is to get informed. According to CareerAddict.com, the highest paying jobs in agriculture today are:

• Agricultural Lawyer
• Agricultural Economist
• Biochemist
• Environmental Engineer
• Bioinformatics Scientist
• Agronomy Sales Manager
• Agricultural Engineer
• Food Scientist
• Animal Geneticist
• Agricultural Operations Manager

And that’s just a sample of possible positions. Technology is rapidly changing agriculture, creating jobs that didn’t exist a short time ago. Future Farmers of America says the greatest growth careers in 2020 include:

• Drone Technologist
• Hydrologist
• Agriculture Communicator
• Food Scientist
• Precision Agriculture Technologist

How can you choose the right job for you? In addition to researching these positions online, the most informative way is to meet people in those careers.

According to Robin Thomas, commercial college recruitment lead for Syngenta, if students are interested in a position, “They should job shadow someone who does what they think they want to do. If job shadowing isn’t available, interviewing a professional about the job provides a lot of insight into what the role entails and if it interests them.”

Select the right school

Apply to schools offering the best education in fields that interest you. If you’re already in college, you could consider transferring to a school with a better program for your field.

Here are the top 10 schools in agriculture, according to Niche.com:

• Cornell University
• University of Florida
• University of Georgia, Athens
• Texas A&M University, College Station
• University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
• Kansas State University
• University of Wisconsin-Madison
• North Carolina State University, Raleigh
• California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
• University of California, Davis

Expand your experience

Beyond getting good grades and taking classes relevant to your field, what also matters to recruiters is how you spend your time outside class.

If you’re in high school, Thomas recommends joining groups such as the 4-H Club and the National FFA Organization (Future Farmers of America). Being active in organizations shows your interest in the field and helps you develop soft skills like communication, teamwork and leadership.

Part-time jobs, summer jobs, internships or positions in co-op programs also provide valuable experience, help build your resume and offer opportunities to make connections with people in the industry.

Start networking

While “networking” may sound intimidating, it just means getting to know people in your field. This can happen naturally as you participate in organizations or do internships, but it’s more effective to be proactive.

Join on-campus groups such as Agriculture Future of America. Keep track of people you meet at events or career fairs. Introduce yourself to peers and guest speakers, ask for their card or suggest connecting on LinkedIn. Write notes about that person on the back of the card or on your phone so you’ll remember them.

How do you make an impression on someone you’ve just met? Ask questions — and listen respectfully. Your questions show that you’re interested, so don’t be afraid to ask them.

All these relationships — from your classmates and instructors to leaders in the field — may help you someday, so stay in touch occasionally. One easy way is to follow people in your network on social media, offering periodic comments or questions on their posts.

Use campus career resources

On-campus career service centers offer help with everything from resume prep to interview practice, and much more. Attend career fairs and events to meet recruiters and practice presenting yourself in a professional manner, even if you’re just starting your education.

“I can’t emphasize enough how much of an impact it makes when college freshmen come to career fairs or other student events and introduce themselves, hand me a resume and tell me what they would like to do upon graduation,” Thomas says.

Use all the resources you can to seek opportunities and plan your next career move.

To learn more about careers in the agriculture field, visit SyngentaThrive.com.

2020-03-20T19:01:00

(BPT) – Having enough money to live comfortably in retirement is the primary saving and investing goal for most Americans. Retirement means different things to different people — it can be a time to travel, spend more time with family or pursue a personal passion. But while we look forward with anticipation to finally reaching that goal, flipping the switch from working and having a steady stream of income to tapping into decades’ worth of hard-earned savings can be very overwhelming, confusing and let’s face it — scary.

According to a recent survey* from the investment firm Charles Schwab, 52% of Americans within five years of retirement feel overwhelmed by how they will manage different income sources once they make the transition into retirement. With 10,000 Baby Boomers turning 65 every day**, people need help turning their savings into steady income and making their money last in retirement.

Schwab’s survey also found that nearly three-quarters of pre-retirees are worried about running out of money in retirement, so if that idea scares you, you’re not alone.

Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to better manage your income needs in retirement:

1. Have a plan about how much you can spend in retirement. Schwab’s survey found that retirement income planning is more overwhelming than other financial topics often considered stressful including the financial impact of losing a job, buying a home or paying for college. Mapping out a plan for how much money you’ll need, how to strategically withdraw money along the way and how to manage your investment portfolio will give you more confidence that you’re on the right path. You wouldn’t go on a long road trip without mapping out your journey — approach your retirement the same way.
2. Think about how to invest. Just because you’ve hit retirement and are starting to draw down from your savings doesn’t mean you should stop investing. A portion of your assets should remain invested in order to help contend with inflation and make your money last in retirement. Half of the pre-retirees surveyed by Schwab admit they find it difficult to know how to invest, so for some people it might help to get investing guidance from a professional.
3. Don’t forget about taxes. According to Schwab’s survey, 70% of pre-retirees are unfamiliar with the tax implications of withdrawing money from their retirement accounts. How you manage tax obligations will depend on your specific situation, but it can be important to think about diversifying your account types, including tax-deferred, taxable and tax-free Roth IRA accounts. And don’t forget about required minimum distributions from retirement accounts.

To help meet the needs of people making the transition into retirement and to simplify the steps above, Charles Schwab & Co. Inc. recently launched Schwab Intelligent Income™, an automated income solution available with Schwab Intelligent Portfolios, designed for people who want a simple, modern way to pay themselves in retirement, or any other time, from their investment portfolios. For those who want a comprehensive financial plan and unlimited guidance from a Certified Financial Planner™ professional, Schwab Intelligent Income is also available through Schwab Intelligent Portfolios Premium™.

Schwab Intelligent Income helps answer critical and often complex income-related questions about how much to withdraw, how to invest based on individual goals, risk tolerance and time horizon, and how to withdraw from a combination of taxable, tax-deferred and Roth enrolled accounts in a tax-smart and efficient way.

So much of the focus is on savings and investing for the future, and rightfully so, but having a plan in place to manage your savings once you hit your golden years is equally important.

More information about Schwab Intelligent Income is available here.

*Online survey of 1,000 Americans aged 55 and older with $100,000 or more in investable assets. Respondents self-defined as within five years of retirement.

**Pew Research survey

Please read the Schwab Intelligent Portfolios Solutions™ disclosure brochures for important information, pricing, and disclosures related to the Schwab Intelligent Portfolios and Schwab Intelligent Portfolios Premium programs.

Schwab Intelligent Portfolios^® and Schwab Intelligent Portfolios Premium™ are made available through Charles Schwab & Co. Inc. (“Schwab”), a dually registered investment advisor and broker dealer. Portfolio management services are provided by Charles Schwab Investment Advisory Inc. (“CSIA”). Schwab and CSIA are subsidiaries of The Charles Schwab Corporation.

Schwab Intelligent Income™ is an optional feature for clients to receive recurring automated withdrawals from their accounts. Schwab does not guarantee the amount or duration of Schwab Intelligent Income withdrawals nor does it guarantee any specific tax results such as meeting Required Minimum Distributions.

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2020-03-13T11:01:01

(BPT) – After 14 years as a professional athlete, 2015 Walter Payton Man of the Year and former football player Anquan Boldin found another calling. That’s why in 2017, Boldin retired from the game and became an entrepreneur, activist and philanthropist. Now, instead of running crossing patterns, he’s running budget meetings. As someone committed to helping other people do as he did, Anquan recently teamed up with Office Depot to share several tips for aspiring and current small business owners to truly pursue their passions too.

1. Surround Yourself with Those Who Share and Support Your Vision

“Being a small business owner requires 110 percent of your time and energy, and we often forget that we have other ‘jobs’ in our lives too — like husband, dad, friend and mentor,” says Anquan. “Whether it’s my work with the Players Coalition, the Q81 Foundation, or anything else in my life, I make sure to include family, friends and partners who share the same passion and want to grow together and make a difference. It’s a true bonding experience, while achieving success.

“That’s why my partnership and recent work with Office Depot has been such a natural fit,” Anquan adds. “Office Depot is dedicated to assisting the Q81 Foundation and other small businesses across the country with a full suite of solutions, like business products, print and copy, tech services and more, that help us grow our businesses and support us so that we may pursue our passions in life. They are there to support my Q81 Foundation with the tools and resources to ensure the operation of the business, so my team and I can continue to create a stronger impact in our local community and beyond.”

2. Have a Plan On Where You’re Going Next

“I’ve always had my eye on something bigger than football,” says Anquan. “I encourage small businesses of all shapes and sizes to always be thinking about where you want to go next. Explore and listen to your passions, and never lose sight of it. For me, it was giving back to the local community that raised me and advocating for social justice so that others have opportunities they may not have had otherwise. That’s where I committed to put my time, energy and passion. I jumped in and never looked back.”

3. Stay Connected Within Your Local Community

“When I played football in Arizona, I did a lot of work to support the efforts of a local car dealership in Phoenix,” notes Anquan. “This business employed nearly half of their workforce from a neighboring community and was dedicated to providing meaningful jobs and skills for their employees. This dealership continues to be one of the largest and most involved businesses in the greater Phoenix community.

“This taught me a lesson that I’ve carried with me about the relationship between business and the local community. Members of a local community want to support businesses that care, connect and give back to the neighborhoods and cities in which they operate. When communities succeed, so do local businesses.”

4. Give Back and Inspire Others

“As an athlete and now entrepreneur, I’ve learned many lessons that have inspired me and influenced my business decisions and organizational leadership,” says Anquan. “I strive to be that mentor and partner to others by sharing my past experiences, key learnings and successes to inspire them and help them realize opportunities and achieve their passions, too.

“A great example of this is the recent outreach that my foundation and I teamed up with Office Depot to benefit students in the South Florida Community. We worked together on a school outreach event in Pahokee, FL, to inspire young minds and the entrepreneurs of tomorrow by providing them school supplies and encouragement to dream big and realize the potential they have in the world and in their communities. Giving back is critical to develop deeper connections within communities and help elevate the community as a whole.”

For additional resources, products and services to help your business succeed, visit www.officedepot.com.

2020-03-12T07:01:00

(BPT) – In the United States, women now earn more college degrees than men do. They make up half the workforce and, furthermore, are the primary breadwinner in more than half of households. Women have never been more well-positioned, but they continue to face numerous barriers that can make it difficult to advance in the workplace and build financial stability.

Women face unique challenges when it comes to growing their career, often as a result of deeply rooted historical gender roles that, while shifting, are slow to let go completely. When it comes to household chores and caregiving, women spend 28 hours per week on such tasks—65% more than the average for men, according to Prudential Retirement research.

These challenges also manifest in other ways, such as the persistent wage gap. On average, women make $0.81 for every dollar earned by men. What’s more, while women are closing the gap in middle management, men typically get promoted faster and dominate the C-suite. Seventy-five percent of C-suite positions are still held by men, according to recent research.

Caroline Feeney, CEO of Prudential’s Individual Solutions group, was recently profiled in “Where are all the women CEOs?” by The Wall Street Journal, taking a deeper look at what is required to drive forward women’s advancement in the workplace.

“Companies that are dedicated to creating more pathways to leadership for women recognize that it takes looking at people through a different lens and rethinking traditional one-size-fits-all career paths,” Feeney explains.

For other women looking to close the gaps, break down barriers and find personal, professional and financial success, Feeney advises focusing on three key areas:

1. Stay true to yourself and your purpose

Women, particularly those in male-dominated industries, may feel pressure to be “one of the guys” in order to advance. But remaining true to yourself is important as you navigate through your personal and professional life. Embrace your gender and your differences. For example, research has shown that women are naturally more empathetic—so lean into this skill. Empathy can be a great asset in leadership roles and help women connect more easily with peers and build deeper relationships.

2. Find your “why” and set your career trajectory

Finding the “why” in your work can help women set a North Star that energizes them and helps to build confidence to take greater ownership of their role. That ownership and confidence is key to advancing to the next level. “It’s important for all women to have the confidence to step outside their comfort zone and strive for their goals,” says Feeney.

Taking thoughtful chances when possible to improve your skill set and build new leadership muscles can put your career on an upward trajectory. But it’s also important to remain mobile and shift as reality shifts. Your career path may not reflect that of a mentor, friend or even close colleague.

3. Find a company that supports your goals

It’s important to work for an organization that understands you and your goals, and that will provide support to achieve them. A commitment to diversity and women’s advancement that is visible at the board or C-suite level, from senior-level men and women, is a positive sign. One or more people at higher levels within the company who actively seek out, work with, and support future female leaders through their actions and words can make a world of difference. And studies have shown diversity at the top can be a competitive advantage, leading to better decisions and stronger performance.

4. Pay it forward

Women who reach senior levels can provide an essential lifeline to those who follow, by keeping a lookout for rising female talent and taking that extra step to support them through mentorship and sponsorship. As women advance in their career, oftentimes there are few female role models to emulate.

“Ultimately, those of us in senior positions have a responsibility to speak up and make our workplace a better environment for all employees,” Feeney explains. “Advancing our careers begins with all of us as women owning what we want our workplace to be.”

With focus and consistent effort, women can continue to close gaps and strive for the success they desire in all aspects of their lives. Let these steps inspire you to make a change for yourself and other females in your life.

© 2020 The Prudential Insurance Company of America, Newark, NJ.

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2020-03-11T08:01:00

(BPT) – If you are a young professional, you are likely already making financial choices at work and home that critically affect your future. But are you taking advantage of every available opportunity to help protect your assets? Perhaps no aspect of financial planning gets overlooked more than life insurance.

You might think life coverage is something you won’t need to think about until much later in life. But life coverage can help give financial peace of mind for those who depend on you, no matter how young you are.

Not convinced? Check out these three reasons why life insurance can be a wise financial investment.

Financial protection without a high price tag. Contrary to popular belief, life coverage doesn’t have to be expensive. A 2019 study gives this example¹: How much do you think a healthy 30-year-old will pay for $250,000 in term life insurance? If you said $500 a year or more, you agree with over half of those asked the same question — but you’d also be wrong. Would it surprise you that it is more like an average of $160 a year?

While the cost of life insurance varies for each person, one thing is for sure: Costs are likely to increase the older you get — all the more reason to jump on it early. You can usually lock in a lower premium rate when you invest in life coverage at a younger age that continues with you as you get older. In other words, financial protection without crazy-high costs.

Maintain your family’s lifestyle. It can be easy to see how life insurance is important for families with only one primary wage-earner. But what about families who depend on two incomes? After all, dual-income households make up 48.8% of families without kids and 63% of families with kids.² It is vital for these families to consider their living expenses and how their lifestyle might be affected financially if a wage-earner’s income ceases. That means taking into consideration how life coverage can help support present costs like the mortgage as well as future costs like a child’s college tuition.

Avoid financial burden for loved ones. Life coverage helps with final expenses, including funeral costs, medical bills and outstanding debt like student loans or credit cards. This can be especially difficult if you are one of the 10 million millennials in the U.S. who is a caregiver for an aging parent or grandparent.³ If these expenses are not considered, financial burden might fall on someone else’s shoulders. By investing in life coverage, you can help protect those you love from incurring additional financial stress while already dealing with the difficulty of losing a loved one.

No matter your age, there is significant value with life insurance — both in the immediate future and for the long term. Get to know what sets Aflac’s life coverage apart at Aflac.com/LifeInsurance.

¹ The 2019 Insurance Barometer Study by LIMRA and Life Happens.

² U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics.

³ “Millennials: The Emerging Generation of Family Caregivers” by AARP.

Aflac herein means American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus and American Family Life Assurance Company of New York. WWHQ | 1932 Wynnton Road | Columbus, GA 31999.

2020-03-10T13:15:00

(BPT) – Choosing the right tax professional is an important decision. Their expertise could positively or negatively impact your refund, the largest single financial transaction many people have all year. Tax pros review your financial info and have access to your personal data. Unfortunately, not all tax preparers have your best interest in mind. The IRS is even warning people to watch out for unethical “ghost” preparers who are looking to make a fast buck through fraudulent refund claims and direct deposit scams.

H&R Block tax professionals want to see the communities where their 10,000 offices are located thrive. Our purpose is to provide help and inspire confidence in our clients and communities everywhere. Here’s how you can have confidence knowing you found the right tax professional to help you:

Your tax preparer should know what they are doing

Inquire about the tax preparer’s credentials, years of experience and continuing education. Do they have the tax knowledge to accurately prepare your tax return? Are they up-to-date on the latest tax law changes?

H&R Block has tax professionals with experience to help with your specific situation, whether that is seasonal work, multiple jobs, the earned income tax credit or city taxes. H&R Block tax professionals have on average 12 years of experience and hundreds of hours of training. Before any new H&R Block tax professional prepares a single return, they’ve undergone more than 60 hours of initial training — and all returning tax professionals complete an additional 30 hours of training.

Your tax preparer should keep your information safe

Ask questions of your preparer to get a better understanding of how your preparer protects your personal information and never email tax documents. Criminals are increasingly targeting tax professionals, not only to steal client data but also to hack into a tax preparer’s network and steal the personal information of all clients that have filed with that preparer. This is one more thing to review when choosing your paid tax preparer.

H&R Block clients benefit from our digital solutions and the relationship with their tax professional. MyBlock, our client portal, enables secure document upload, private messaging with the tax professional, and gives visibility on return status. You may also be able to digitally sign your return and finish without coming into an office. With MyBlock, you can upload and organize your documents so everything is ready to file. MyBlock is free for anyone to create an account and use.

Your tax preparer should be trustworthy and provide upfront pricing

Beware of tax preparers who say they can obtain larger-than-average refunds. Refund estimations should be based on deductions and credits you are legally permitted to claim. The IRS says these preparers may be looking to make a fast buck by promising a big refund or charging fees based on the size of the refund. For any direct deposit refund, taxpayers should make sure both the routing and bank account number on the completed tax return are correct. Beware of improper actions taken by tax preparers such as not reporting all of your income or claiming inflated or false deductions.

Make sure you know the cost before tax prep begins. H&R Block believes people should know how much tax preparation will cost before they begin. That’s why we were the first major brand in the industry to offer upfront, transparent pricing. Our network of 70,000 tax professionals live and work in your community and understand your unique needs. We are committed to providing help, whether at tax time or throughout the year in the communities we serve.

You can visit us at hrblock.com or stop by your nearest office — it’s easy and quick.

2020-03-06T15:01:01

(BPT) – We’ve all been there: You embark on the job hunt and you’re full of excitement for what’s ahead — but you sometimes feel like one name in a sea of candidates, trying to figure out the hacks to break through, get noticed, and land that interview (and job offer!).

If this sounds all-too-familiar, you’re not alone — but the good news is LinkedIn is letting us in on the top 5 secrets to getting noticed and snagging that new job opportunity.

Get ahead of the pack: There are 100 million job applications on LinkedIn every month. This may sound overwhelming as a job seeker, but remember this: getting a head start can make all the difference. In fact, LinkedIn research shows that being one of the first to apply to a job can increase your chances of landing a job by 4x. Tip: Sign up for LinkedIn Job Alerts which will send you a notification within minutes of a relevant job posting.

Spruce up your online presence: A picture might say 1,000 words, but a strong LinkedIn profile can say a million. Refresh your profile photo, relevant skills, experience and summary section so that you show up in hiring managers’ searches. It’s a good idea to put in this work ahead of time because once you capture a recruiter’s interest, you want your profile to showcase why you’re the best for the job. Tip: Check out LinkedIn’s new “Featured” section, which allows you to showcase samples of your work on your profile.

Brush up on your skills — and let the world know: Showcasing your skills can make all the difference when it comes to being considered for a job. Everything you’ve learned from your past experience, education, courses and more make up who you are and how you shine as a professional — including hard skills, soft skills and transferable skills that round out everything you bring to the table. Tip: LinkedIn Learning offers 15,000 courses to help you brush up on or learn new skills, and taking a Skill Assessment validates your skills and displays them on your profile (according to LinkedIn, people who complete Skill Assessments are up to 30% more likely to get hired).

Use your secret weapon (people you know): You never know where reaching out to a connection on LinkedIn might lead. Getting introduced to someone through people you know and are connected to on LinkedIn can increase your chances of getting hired by 9x. And the best part is, you have this invaluable tool right at your fingertips! Tip: Start with your family and friends first (you never know who they’re connected to online) and consider joining LinkedIn Groups, where professionals in the same industry or with similar interests can share their insights and experiences, ask for guidance and build valuable connections.

Put in the practice: According to LinkedIn, 54% of job seekers say the interview phase is “moderately to extremely challenging” due to two reasons: uncertainty and lack of confidence. The trick? It’s all about preparation. Get ahead of the interview jitters by putting in the time, research and practice sessions to be sure you’re on your A-game when you walk through the door. Tip: Sign up for LinkedIn’s Premium Career Subscription and get the most out of it by using Interview Prep tools which offer videos and tips from experts and hiring managers to answer the most common interview questions. And, if you’re interviewing for a sales or finance-related job, LinkedIn has interview preparation tools that you can use for the nearly 2 million jobs in sales and finance on LinkedIn*.

LinkedIn has millions of jobs and the right one for you. And remember all the tools you have right at your fingertips to land the opportunity of your dreams!

*Methodology: research was conducted using LinkedIn Talent Insights that found 1.8 million open jobs on LinkedIn in sales and finance functions as of January 2020.

2020-03-05T16:13:00

(BPT) – For many Americans, the tax refund represents the most significant financial event of the year, with 86% of Americans saying their tax outcome impacts their financial confidence for the entire year, according to a recent H&R Block survey.

Customer service is core to our work at H&R Block and understanding the challenges Americans face at tax time is imperative to offering them greater financial confidence. The first thing I do every morning is read customer comments from the past 24 hours, and those comments are clear: Do-it-yourself (DIY) tax filers want the confidence to know they’re getting a good value, that they are filing their taxes correctly and that help is available if needed.

Transparency should be table stakes at tax time

No matter how you file — online, in an office or virtually with a tax professional — you should feel the process was easy, fair and a great value. Most Americans say they deserve to know how much money they’re paying before they agree to pay for a service, but other online tax services fail to provide an explanation of how price changes as you use the product.

At H&R Block, we’re proud to be the first major tax company to offer upfront transparent pricing and give our customers confidence they know exactly what to expect. This is unfortunately not the industry standard as other online tax services like TurboTax fail to provide a clear explanation of how the total price changes as you use the product. With H&R Block, all pricing is quoted upfront, and if something changes along the way, the Price Preview feature will notify you as part of H&R Block No Surprise Guarantee*.

Real experts instill real confidence

Knowing that even the most confident DIY tax filers may need some help along the way, H&R Block offers several ways to ask for assistance, to receive as much or as little help as they need from a tax pro trained for their unique tax filing situation. To ensure a greater feeling of support and instill financial confidence, clients using H&R Block Online Assist^SM receive unlimited, on-demand access via chat sessions, screen sharing or phone calls with a tax expert, enrolled agent or CPA with an average of 12 years of experience and hundreds of training hours.

This tax season remove the surprises: Make sure your tax filing process is transparent, delivered at a reasonable price and offers all the care and help you need. For greater financial confidence — and the backing of a trusted partner throughout the filing process — switch to H&R Block in as little as two clicks.

About the author: Heather Watts is Senior Vice President and General Manager of Digital at H&R Block. Heather oversees all the development, design, marketing and end-to-end client experience of all H&R Block online, software and mobile tax products and solutions.

H&R Block is a registered trademark of HRB Innovations, Inc.

TurboTax is a registered trademark of Intuit, Inc.

*Receive 20% off next year’s tax preparation if we fail to provide any of the 4 benefits included in our “No Surprise Guarantee” (Upfront Transparent Pricing, Transparent Process, Free Audit Assistance, and Free Midyear Tax Check-In). Limitations apply. Description of benefits and details at hrblock.com/guarantees.