Business

When Job Interview Questions Are Illegal

November 20, 2017 By Twila Van Leer

Illegal Job Interviews — Guidelines set out by the U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission make it illegal to discriminate against any individual based on age, gender, sexual orientation or pregnancy.

What if the person interviewing you for a job goes beyond the bounds of what’s legal? It happens fairly often, according to an Associated Press-CNBC survey. About half of the sample said they had been asked questions that could be used to discriminate against them under equal opportunity laws.

Questions that are disallowed include the applicant’s age, marital status, medical history or presence of a disability, whether they or a partner is pregnant or plans to have children or their religious beliefs. Guidelines set out by the U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission make it illegal to discriminate against any individual based on age, gender, sexual orientation or pregnancy.

An employer who persists in asking such questions of prospective employees may be investigated for creating a “pattern of discrimination.”

Unfortunately, many job applicants are not aware of anti-discrimination laws and fail to report instances. Most large businesses have taken steps to assure that their hiring practices don’t fall outside the law. The rule of thumb is to ask only questions directly related to the job in question.

People who feel they have been questioned inappropriately can report to the EEO. It is all right to walk out of an interview that crosses the bounds, experts in the field say.

Beauty Products Great Christmas Gifts

November 18, 2017 By Twila Van Leer

Beauty Products Christmas Gifts — Beauty products have been at the top of the gift lists for many women each Christmas

Traditionally, beauty products have been at the top of the gift lists for many women each Christmas and the merchants who deal in such items are doing what they can to make the gift-buying easier. Some stores, including Walmart and Target, are rearranging their displays and adding less expensive niche brands to their selections.

Korean-produced beauty products are being featured in some discount and drug chains. Glow Studio, created by the online Korean retailer Glow Recipe, is one of them. Ulta, whose whole product line is beauty goods, has gone to pains to offer products in a wide range of prices and features brow bars at some locations. Online merchants such as Colourpop and Glambot, feature high-end brands at lower prices.

With all that availability, there are some suggestions you might want to take shopping for beauty products. Here are five, compiled by BeautyStat.com.

First, know what you have to spend and decide how far you can make it go. If you choose to make a $100 expenditure for a high-end face cream, consider how it will be replaced in the future. Some stores, including Walgreen’s, share weekly circulars that include coupons that can cut the outlay. Aim for Black Friday for even better deals. J.C. Penney, which features Sephora displays in its 600 stores, doesn’t wait for the holidays. It has its products half off every Thursday.

Shop online. Use your phone to compare prices while you shop and read reviews on beauty products ahead of time. Check out eBay and Overstock.com. Glambot will trade your new but unloved products for cash.

Follow the bloggers, who keep current on product trends. They often can provide information on drug store deals on beauty products.

Take advantage of merchants’ offers to test the products before buying. Some have concierge services that allow customers to get first-hand information about such things as color-matching. Target has such services in 75 of its outlets. There also are subscription sites such as Birchbox that allows you to test five samples tailored to y our skin, hair and style. Subscriptions range from $10 a month to $100 for a year.

Sign up for loyalty programs. Sephora and Ulta have reward programs that offer points on purchases. If you spend $400 in a year, you qualify for Ulta Platinum, which gives you 1.25 points for each dollar you spend. The points can be used in conjunction with couples and other discount offers. Be aware that at Sephora, your loyalty points expire if you haven’t purchased for 18 months or more.

With such smart shopping, you can look forward to putting your best face on the holidays and sharing the same with those on your gift list.

Secrets Of Some Millionaires

November 12, 2017 By Twila Van Leer

Millionaire Secrets — According to financial guru Dave Ramsey, more than 80 percent of America’s millionaires are ordinary people who have accumulated their wealth in one generation.

Everyone knows that when you have a million dollars, give or take a few, that you live high. Right?

Wrong. In some instances, people with a lot of money continue to live modestly. For instance, in 1958, Warren Buffet, whose net worth today is pegged in excess of $75 million, bought a home in a quiet Omaha neighborhood for $31,500. He still lives there, although its value now is more than $800,000. That’s still pretty tony, but not what you’d expect for one of the richest men in the world.

Actually, according to financial guru Dave Ramsey, more than 80 percent of America’s millionaires are ordinary people who have accumulated their wealth in one generation. Their stories are told in a book by Thomas Stanley, “The Millionaire Next Door.”

Among the lessons Stanley draws from his study of the ultra-rich:

They read. On average, they read at least one non-fiction book a month. Quoting late-President Harry S Truman, “Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.” A constant desire to learn is a hallmark of the successful. They spend more time in books, particularly biographies and leadership how-tos than with the latest reality show. When they have free time, they use it wisely.

They understand the principle of delayed gratification. Many of those with money have spent a lifetime of sacrificing immediate gratification for long-term gain. They aren’t afraid to own a used car, live in a modest neighborhood and wear inexpensive clothing. They don’t waste time and resources in the elusive race with “the Joneses.” They tend to save for the things that they want, including education, a down payment for a home, retirement.

The popular concept of “debt as a tool” evades them. They avoid debt and prefer to save for what they want. Car payments, student loans and same-as-cash financing are things they avoid. They end up with more of their own cash to do with what they want.

Budgets are important to them. Ending up with a million or more dollars doesn’t just happen to the majority of the wealthy. They plan and they budget to reach their goals. On a monthly (or more frequent) basis, they assess where they are visa vie their money. Even those with plenty of money to spend, such as Ramsey, track it down to the penny.

They share. The majority of those with money to spare share it with those less fortunate. They tithe at their churches, contribute to charities, give to more needy persons in their circles of family and friends. They plan ahead to look after loved ones through sufficient inheritances, instead of spending it all on too-much house, $500-per-pair jeans and other unnecessary items.

You may never have to deal with money on the level of a millionaire, but the same principles can work for you.

Who’s The Richest Person On Earth?

November 9, 2017 By Twila Van Leer

World's Richest — Bezos moved from second place on the wealth rankings to first.

Jeff Bezos Hits Top Billing Of Richest Man On Earth.

On Friday, October 27, Amazon.com Inc. shares took an upward surge , lifting his net worth by $7.8 billion to top out at $91.8 billion as of 10 a.m. in New York. A 10 percent uptick in shares bought current share costs to $1,007.59. By October 31, shares are selling at $1,104.16.

Bezos moved from second place on the wealth rankings to first. He was behind Bill Gates, Microsoft Corp. co-founder, on July 27 of this year, even though he enjoyed a short time at the top of heap before Amazon shares dipped, leaving Gates the winner at the end of the day.

Thursday, Gates ended the day with a net worth of $88 billion, according to Bloomberg’s index, which tracks the world’s 500 richest people. Gates, 61, has topped the list since 2013.

On Friday, when Bezos appeared headed for top billing on the list, others also saw their wealth grow. Alphabet Inc.’s Sergey Brin and Larry Page added $2 billion in the first 30 minutes of trading, as did Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer. Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook Inc. added $600,000 to his total.

Bezos, 53, has increased his wealth by $18.1 billion this year, while Gates’ net worth rose by $5.6 billion. Gates donated $4.6 billion of Microsoft stock to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in August.

Analysts, looking at his public charity say Gates would be worth $150 billion if he had not donated almost 700 million Microsoft shares and cash and other assets to an amount of $2.9 billion since 1996.

Add a Selfie To Your Credit Card Application

November 4, 2017 By Twila Van Leer

Add Selfie to Identification — Banks and other financial companies are likely to see the advantages of biometric identification and offer it as another safeguard for customers

The ubiquitous selfie may find yet another niche in the area of personal finances. Your bank may request one when approving a purchase or considering a credit card application.

Visa Inc., a payment processing giant, is launching a platform that will allow banks to use various forms of biometrics such as fingerprints, face recognition, voice, etc., that will provide positive identification.

In its simplest form, a bank may ask for a selfie and a picture of a current driver’s license or passport as backup. The technology will compare the photos for facial similarities and the validity of the supporting license or passport, all within seconds.

Selfies also could come into the picture with online shopping. Chipped credit and debit cards have made some inroads into fraud in retail shopping, but protecting online shoppers still is a concern. One in six potential transactions is declined because of suspicious activity.

Banks routinely autodial a customer when there is a question. The new technology would allow the customer to use Apple’s Touch ID or other fingerprint recognition technology or provide a selfie to verify the transaction.

Visa Inc. officials believe that soon customers can choose among a variety of authentication methods, whichever technology suits them.

The recent breach of data at Equifax, a huge credit bureau, with millions of bits of personal data stolen, has been impetus for more serious thinking about how such information can be protected.

It is harder to mimic a person’s face, fingerprint or voice, the innovators say. Passwords that have been common methods of protecting information have flaws that make them vulnerable because few people change them frequently enough or make them complex enough to avoid fraud. If they use the same password for more than one purpose, a breach at one site will put other locations at risk.

It is likely that the technology will be initially used in larger financial institutions. It took two years for chip technology to integrate itself into financial transactions. But ultimately, banks and other financial companies are likely to see the advantages of biometric identification and offer it as another safeguard for customers.