Life Style

Even the Middle Class is Struggling to Survive in Modern Day America

Written by adminAugust 7, 2018

There’s a phenomenon happening in the United States, and it’s killing the middle class. The cost of living is rising significantly and its vastly outperforming salary increases. That means you could’ve once lived a comfortable life, the pinnacle of the American dream, but now you’re struggling to make it with virtually no change in your salary.

How can such a thing happen?

Matt and Nicole Barry are school teachers at Live Oak High School in California. Together, they make nearly $70,000. This, at one time, could afford the family life most of us wish we had. They live in a beautiful home in a nice neighborhood, but as of late, they’ve been getting squeezed.

Real estate costs in their city have skyrocketed. Not just that, but the price of literally everything has gone up too, from gas for the car to the food they eat. Taxes have risen, too. What was once a comfortable salary quickly turned into panic, as the Barry family found themselves not being able to cover their bills and their salary remains stagnant.

To make up for it, Matt has turned to Uber to make a bit of extra cash, which is a second job he really shouldn’t be forced to do. If you know anything about the teaching profession, it’s not a normal 9-to-5 job. It requires early mornings and late nights grading papers and planning a curriculum for students.

“Teachers are killing themselves,” says Matt Barry. “I shouldn’t be having to drive Uber at eight o’clock at night on a weekday. I just shut down from the mental toll: grading papers between rides, thinking of what I could be doing instead of driving — like creating a curriculum.”

Costs for the Middle Class Only Going Up

Currently, the cost of living in the middle class is up as much as 30% higher than it was two decades ago. Everything is more expensive, from housing, to healthcare, getting a college degree, and raising a child. For a lot of families, who were once enjoying the good life, that daily cost of life has more than doubled.

Only one-forth of U.S. citizens considered themselves as part of the lower class before the 2008 crash, according to a Pew study. Now, that number has risen to over 40%. If less than half of all Americans believe themselves to be financially in the lower class, it shows how much the gap is widening between the wealthy and what used to be a healthy middle class.

Also: http://financialhelpers.com/5-tips-to-get-lower-auto-insurance-rates/

It has really been the stability of our system that held up the middle class for so long. Jobs were secure, salaries rose to meet the cost of living, it was cheap to go to college and better your life, and benefits were plenty. Now, going to college is no longer a ‘need-to’ proposition. Students are graduating with useless degrees and with $40,000-$100,000 in debt.

It’s Tougher for Women

And these are just the jobs that are usually know for security. If you want to be a lawyer or a doctor, it’s becoming almost impossible to find meaningful work. But what about the rest of Americans who have been struggling at $20,000/year and women who can’t seem to catch a break?

The Center for WorkLife Law has found that discrimination cases have risen 269% in the last decade as women seem to make less and less. Their salaries appear to job 7% for each child they have. At a time when woman are trying to do everything they can to prepare for life as a parent, they face tremendous standard-of-living obstacles most of us don’t.

Technology also plays a major part. If factories and manufacturers can replace a working body with a robot, they can. They don’t have to pay a salary or benefits to robots who can work 24/7 without needing a day off. These types of jobs are being eliminated at a furious rate. It’s expected that 30% of the tasks currently requiring human hands will be replaced in the near future.

Some Jobs Are Economy Proof

There are a few economy-proof jobs that still exist, such as nursing, truckers, journalists, etc, but even these can see their share of drop-offs. Driverless trucks are making their debut and more doctors are seeing their patients via online Skype or FaceTime calls.

Most of these challenges appear to be holdovers from The Great Recession that hit our country in 2008. Jobs were hard to find and employers had a rush of new people coming in looking for work. Because the economy was down considerably, they didn’t feel it was safe to hire. That appears to be changing.

Currently, there are more open jobs than workers to fill them. Industries like the trucking industry have a rash of vacant seats they need filled immediately. The problem is, a lot of these jobs require training and/or being well-verses in a trade. Proponents for trade jobs like Mike Rowe keep pushing the need for skilled workers to fill these positions.

The country is changing, and everyone must figure out quickly where they belong in the new hierarchy. Those who figure it out are doing quite well and gaining most of the wealth. The others fall behind trying to work jobs that used to have security and a high wage.

President Trump has recently come out with a new tax idea aimed at helping the middle class. He wants to cut their taxes and create programs to incentivize saving money. Hopefully this move will help people like the Barry family get back to normal. They deserve every chance to continue to focus on changing the lives.

Written by adminAugust 2, 2018

Life Style

Summer going into fall is one of the worst times for a natural disaster in the United States. Hurricanes and other tropical storms can hit with a vengeance, but usually offer plenty of warning for people to be prepared.

Even if you don’t live near a tropical area, tornadoes and other severe storms can hit without warning at any time, and it’s best to stay 100% prepared at all times. Thankfully, technology is improving and weather prediction has increased accuracy as well.

Sadly, many Americans are not prepared for a big storm, earthquake, or other natural disaster to hit their area. Ipsos, a market research company, found that 51% of all Americans are ready for a major event, or the aftermath that comes after.

Of course, these numbers vary by state. Most Floridians, for example, are probably prepared for the inevitable. In fact, most natives who grew up in Florida hardly blink for anything below a Category 3 while anyone elsewhere would be shaking in their boots.

According to a Natural Disaster Survey

“Respondents generally feel most prepared for disasters more typical to their state,” Ipsos says. “California residents feel most prepared for earthquakes (62 percent) and wildfires (44 percent); Florida feels most prepared for hurricanes (89 percent), and Texas respondents feel most prepared for floods (57 percent).”

Another survey conducted by Esurance said 80% of Americans are worried about an increase in storms. But, only 25% are actually ready for it, which is a tough thing to reconcile. Only 17% of the country says they’re ‘well-prepared’.

Also: http://financialhelpers.com/not-going-to-make-the-tax-deadline-heres-what-you-should-know/

Most people who claim they are ready just have some additional food and candles, but haven’t invested in necessary tools, like generators or storm panels. If a disaster strikes, you could be without food or power for days or even weeks.

If you’re unsure about your preparedness level, we’re here to help. Here are 5 steps you can take right now to keep you and your family safe.

1) It’s a good idea to back up your records digitally or in the cloud.

If your house is destroyed, it’s possible your paper records will be too. Many keep their records locked up in a safe, but it’s still a good idea to scan everything you have, like birth certificates, marriage license, IDs, proof of ownership, and everything else you have to be safely stored where no storm can destroy it.

2) Take good pictures of your property and set up security footage.

Thanks to technology, a lot of people are setting up surveillance equipment around their home for cheap. Doing such a thing is a great idea so you can prove if a theft happens, or to see how your property looked before a storm to compare afterward. This will lower the chance your claim gets denied.

3) Use Wi-Fi

Most people don’t realize that one of the major structures that often get destroyed during a storm or natural disaster are cell phone towers. They can be out much longer than powerlines, and if you have a generator, as long as the cable lines (which are usually underground) are safe, you can still connect to the outside world.

4) Invest in smart technology.

Homes are getting smarter and you can get alerts to your phone that can save your life. Do your research on the various technologies and apps out there today.

5) Find a way to communicate with the outside world.

If a natural disaster hits your town, your family and friends will be worried sick about you. They may call law enforcement which would divert resources to find you when you’re safe. If you can contact family and friends and let them know you’re safe, it will help recovery efforts.

It will also pay to have radios, batteries, basic TV, and other things at the ready in the event of a disaster so you can keep up with everything going on, especially if you need to be evacuated.

Of course, these are only a few tips. Being prepared also includes having money saved. Leave if asked to evacuate. Have a safe route out of town. And teach kids about what to do during an emergency.

Written by adminAugust 1, 2018

Life Style

For months, we’ve been hearing that the tax cuts implemented by President Trump weren’t good enough. Last December’s vote was only for the wealthy. Only mega corporations and the wealthiest top 1% had any chance of seeing benefits. Small businesses be damned!

Well, tell that to small businesses all over the country who are now thriving under the new tax code. It’s not just the taxes either, but the removal of numerous job-killing regulations. Combined, they’ve allowed small business in Main Street USA to soar.

Shark Tank Star Says Small Businesses Thriving

Kevin O’Leary of Shark Tank fame spoke on regulation cuts.

“The reduction of regulations has been remarkable in how it has accelerated small business,” he said. “These things are quietly being changed, and I really — I credit the administration for doing this. They’re making it easier to run a small business in pretty well every state I’m involved in. So that’s working.”

Wettlin Treppendahl, owner of Treppendahl Super Foods and 4th generation store owner, spoke to Congress on July 25th.

“The new tax law has had an immediate positive impact on my family business’ ability to invest in our store and local community,” he said.

Also: http://financialhelpers.com/why-are-millennials-still-struggling-to-buy-a-home/

And invest they have. Job numbers are through the roof, and part of that has to do with small businesses reinvesting their money back into their business. Treppendahl said he was able to upgrade his store and hire new employees.

Thankfully, this has a ripple effect throughout whole communities. Not only do more people get work, the act of upgrading his store provided work for local contractors and a refrigeration company. He was able to replace 12 sections of the frozen food aisle. Surprisingly, he also gave raises to his full-time workers.

Growth is Everywhere

Still, we see this unprecedented growth all over the country with similar stories everywhere you look. It is even forcing the big companies to reevaluate their plans to leave the U.S. and decide to reinvest here. Thankfully, Ford was one of those companies who chose to reinvest money into their plants in Michigan.

Gary Ellerhorst, CEO of Crown Plastics in Harrison, OH is ecstatic by the boost in business.

“The recent tax reduction in and of itself will have a positive impact on our employees and our business in 2018 and beyond. Yet, when augmented by reduction in regulation and, most importantly, the hugely positive outlook by business leaders and consumers. Which started the day after the 2016 election, the resulting booming economy takes that positive impact of the tax bill and increases it exponentially,” he said.
Tiberiu Czentye is a Romanian immigrant and CEO of All Pro Solutions. He says the tax and regulation cuts have improved the outlook and optimism of business owners everywhere.

“Until last year, many companies, including us, didn’t want to spend their money,” he said in a statement to Congress. “Because of this big tax cut, any entrepreneur can see the opportunity to invest in its company with the goal to make more money for the company and its employees. Good feeling.”

There is a small concern. These provisions will extend through 2025. Still, the hope is that the tax and regulation cuts will remain permanent, but these issues change with the weather (and with whoever is in office at the time).

Written by adminJuly 31, 2018

Life Style

If you have a pet, there’s no doubt you love them like family. You may even consider yourself a parent to your fur baby and count them among your children when people ask how many you have. That’s purrfectly okay with us!

What a lot of new pet owners don’t realize is how expensive it can be. You might think all you have to do is water and feed them, but that’s not exactly the case. If you live in an apartment, you might be charged several hundred dollars and pay extra in rent. Some towns require a yearly tax and regular vaccines.

It’s easy to spend hundreds of dollars per year on toys, food, grooming, pet sitters and walkers if you’re out of town, and so much more. It’s totally worth it, but if you’re living on a tight budget, it can be difficult to keep up with everything that goes along with owning a pet.

Here are 6 ways you can lower the cost of pet ownership:

1) Find a Vet that Does Free Initial Exams

There are numerous vets out there that offer free exams as a way of getting new clients in the door. If you need to take your pet in for any reason, you can save money by choosing one of these vets instead of paying the $60 for a visit. It’s not often pet owners have to take their pets in, but in the event it happens, this will save them money.

2) Don’t Get Your Meds from the Vet

Of course, when you do take your vet in to get checked out, they will push a variety of supplements and medications, which they sell at a huge mark-up in price. If it’s a required medication, have the vet write a script instead. Many normal pharmacies, like Walgreens ad Rite-Aid, will offer pet prescriptions savings programs.

3) Look Around for Mobile Clinics

A lot of cities are willing to help control the pet population and keep the animals we do have as healthy as possible. That’s why you might find a place that offers free screenings, free spay and neutering, and extremely cheap vaccinations, flea and heartworm meds, and microchips.

4) Ask a Friend to Pet Sit

You probably do this anyway, but if you know you’re going to be away for awhile and can’t take your furry friend with you, maybe you can drop them off at a friend’s house or with a family member while you’re away. It sure beats having to pay an additional $60+ per night at a kennel.

5) Don’t Buy Brand New Toys

Pets love stuffed animals and toys as much as the kids do, but unlike your kids, the pets won’t know if the toy you gave them is fresh out of the box, nor will they care. Why buy a brand new stuffed animal for $12 when you can browse a garage sale and get several for a quarter?

6) Comparison Shop

Just like when you by groceries for the family, take the time to do a bit of comparison shopping before purchasing things like meds and food for your pet. Amazon might have a great deal over the local pet store. And as we stated earlier, don’t buy your meds at the vet. Save money and look around first.

Written by adminJuly 30, 2018

Life Style

When you grow up during a time of turmoil, it can distort your thinking to the point of learning not to trust a certain institution…or you might get bit!

Can we really blame millennials for not trusting the stock market after the big collapse? During the past decade, millennials either struggled through it themselves or watched their parents fight to keep their homes and jobs during the worse economic disaster since the Great Depression.

The thing is, millennials say they’re confident in investing in the various vehicles, like stocks and bonds. 66% of them say they know what to do, but they seem keener on stuffing that money in a jar in the backyard rather than investing it. In fact, 2/3rds of young adults have decided it’s best to keep their money out of the market and in their own hands.

According to Ryan Bailey, the head of Bank of the West, they’re putting their money at risk by doing this.

“Millennials have been stuffing their savings under the mattress instead of putting their income to work through strategic investments. While this may seem safe, they are putting their goals at risk by keeping cash on hand. While they are young, millennials have time on their side and could be missing an opportunity to grow their savings over a lifetime.”

That might be exactly the thing on their minds. They’re still young and have plenty of time to plan for retirement. We’ve written previously about millennials not so focused on retirement just yet. They’re more invested on digging out of extreme student debt or saving to buy a house.

According to a survey, 65% of millennials say the Great Recession has given them pause to invest in the stock market. This is despite an extremely bullish few years that saw stocks rise to their highest levels in its history. It seemed as if a new record was set every other day, making those who dared to invest quite wealthy.

Still, millennials aren’t too concerned with their future. And it’s just not their age group. 21% of all Americans have no retirement plan or savings at all. Either they can’t afford to save or they aren’t too concerned. That seems to be a major habit of a lot of Americans as the economy gets better…live for today and they’ll worry about tomorrow when it comes.

Due to this fear, the Trump administration wants to make it easier for all Americans to prepare for retirement, either by saving or helping to incentivize employers to provide plans to their employees, with the second round of tax cuts.

Written by adminJuly 27, 2018

Life Style

After Toys-R-Us closed their doors, many companies rushed in to grab their share of the market left behind. We’ve covered Party City staking their claim within the toy industry. They plan to rent out the abandoned box stores left behind and sell toys during the holiday season.

Amazon has also stepped up their toy game by expanding their toy sales. A lot of ecommerce stores took advantage of Toys-R-Us’ closing by buying up the remaining clearance items as prices were slashed, and resold them on their sites at regular price.

Now, Walmart wants in on the fun. On Thursday, the Walmart website launched their new shopping designation specifically designed for babies and their needs. It’s been dramatically increasing their baby selections for the past year in preparation for the launch.

The website will allow you to design your own nursery so you can choose the right styles that match the look you’re going for. Over the course of the last year, Walmart added over 30,000 items related to all things baby, which has helped online searches for baby items grow over 40%.

This section of the market has allowed Walmart to remain competitive with Amazon and has been a part of the larger overall redesign of their website. Midsummer is also the time when most babies are born historically, so the release of this section of their website is perfectly timed to meet demand and spark interest.

“It also follows efforts to create a new in-store experience in the baby department in more than 2,000 stores across the country,” said Lauren Uppington, the vice president of Walmart’s baby division.

Other stores aren’t going to sit by idly and let Walmart steal all of the fun. Target and Amazon have been making waves themselves within this industry.

Target has been making moves to expand their own private-label brand Cloud Island and offered free gift bags to future moms if they register at their stores. Amazon took things several steps forward by famously throwing Kim Kardashian a baby shower earlier this year, who returned the favor by plugging Amazon to her over 70 million followers.

These are the moves Toys-R-Us and Babies-R-Us should’ve been making all along to stay competitive within their niche, but in their abrupt absence, has left their competitors all fighting for a piece of the market.

This also proves without a doubt how powerful online shopping has become, sucking in a larger portion of all shopping dollars spent with each passing year.

Written by adminJuly 26, 2018

Life Style

Millennials get a lot of slack for being a generation who grew up in mostly wealthy households without much struggle. Many still live at home with their parents, well into their 20s and 30s.

Yet, despite a major debt crisis, crushing student loan debt impacting them directly, and an economy that’s still recovering from the Great Recession, Millennials remain a financially optimistic group of people.

TD Ameritrade conducted a survey that found 53% of millennials believe they’ll become millionaires in their lifetime. A majority of them believe they’ll retire early, before the age of 56.

Despite this burst of optimism in their ability to gain wealth, very few millennials actually know how to make that dream a reality. They haven’t developed a knowledge in how to properly invest and save their money.

The cruel reality is, the age of retirement is getting pushed back longer and longer, with many experts predicting that a lot of retirees will be forced to work until they die. Social security is dwindling to nothing and younger generations are taking on so much debt, it’s nearly impossible to save during crucial years when they need to start.

Millennials simply don’t have the financial literary yet to make a realistic retirement goal. Mass Mutual wanted to find out how many people from this generation actually knew about financial matters, and only 17% of 500 millennials got a perfect score.

As they age, they will be faced with the harsh reality that they simply weren’t prepared for life on their own.

This article isn’t meant to be a judgement of millennials, but a wake-up call. Life won’t turn out how they expected and they must be confronted with that reality as soon as possible if they hope to make it. The future looks grim, so they must be prepared for the fight ahead, as they will endure harsher obstacles than past generations did.

In fact, millennials will have to start saving money in their early 20s, which seems incredibly difficult if they’re living at home due to the high cost of rent and tremendous student debt weighing them down.

The best thing they can do for themselves is become educated on their options. If you’re paying back a lot of student debt, it is extremely difficult to save money. There are government programs that can help you pay off those debts MUCH sooner. Financial Helpers can help you navigate those tricky waters before the programs are shut down for good.

Give us a call to learn your options at:

Call Now 1-844-332-2079

Another thing is to look at ways to curb spending so you can pay off your debts sooner than anticipated. That’s why a lot of millennials still live at home. They simply can’t afford their own place and all the bills that go along with it.

But rather than piling debt on top of debt, millennials can use public transportation, not eat out as much, learn better budgeting skills, get a side gig, make coffee at home rather than the expensive coffee stores, and don’t get a credit card unless it’s low interest.

These steps will help, but it’s up to the person to take the time to gain better financial literacy and have a more realistic picture of their future finances.

Written by adminJuly 25, 2018

Life Style

If it’s one thing the majority of Americans struggle with on a regular basis, it’s childcare costs. In fact, 70% of families say childcare simply isn’t affordable for them, according to a survey from Care.com. There are several reasons for this.

If you’ve been reading our previous blogs, then you know debt is sky high! Americans can barely afford healthcare and savings, much less childcare or other expenditures. It’s even tougher when the economy takes a hit, jobs become scarce, and families end up making less overall.

The reality is, when that happens, the inability to afford childcare will force a parent to stay home with their kids rather than finding work to help contribute to the budget. When that happens, it can cause a lot of strain, as money problems are currently the #1 cause of divorce.

Thanks to these reasons, a lot of couples are waiting even longer to have kids, pushing it off indefinitely until it becomes more affordable for them. In this current economic climate, it’s unaffordable to pay the bills, take care of debt, and save money without BOTH working a full-time job.

To the couples already with kids or thinking about having kids and struggling to get by, they’ll need to figure out new ways to budget to accommodate childcare costs along with saving for other needed expenses. Here are 4 strategies you can try to do just that:

1) Budget for a Baby Beforehand

Before you have kids, life may seem simpler and budgeting isn’t much of a priority. In fact, 68% of families say they didn’t start budgeting until their first child. They didn’t realize or anticipate exactly how expensive things would be until the time came to start paying for their new bundle of joy.

You really need to sit down and determine what you can afford before you even start thinking about a baby, not after. Add up all your bills and see what you have left over for the month. If you’re not sure you make enough, you’ll have to see what you can consider cutting back on for the sake of the child.

2) Look at the Different Options You Have and Compare

Whether you’re looking to have a child, or already have one and are budgeting for the first time, you should have a good idea of what you can spend. Compare that to the type of care you need by doing research on your options.

Do you just need a sitter for after school? A daycare center during the day? Can you afford to hire a nanny? Each option has differing costs. Either way, expect to pay anywhere from $200/week to $600/week for childcare service.

3) Don’t Forget to Incorporate Tax Breaks

The government wants to help families be able to afford childcare, so they offer tax breaks that can add up to over $3,000 per year. There are also flexible spending accounts where they can save up to $5,000 to pay for whatever childcare option they choose. All you have to do to receive this tax break is to fill out an application when doing the rest of your taxes.

4) Ask Your Employer What They Offer

A lot of employers offer a variety of childcare services to help their employees, from offering their own daycare service, to helping their workers pay for their own. You may even have the ability to take advantage of flexible work arrangements that allow you to work from home as needed.

Childcare is a major obstacle for any working parent, but as long as you do your best to budget and find a service within your budget, it’s very doable. This is especially true if you’re able to tap into government and/or employer assistance.

Written by adminJuly 24, 2018

Life Style

It’s that time again. While most parents are secretly (or not so secretly) cheering the end of summer and return of the school season, they also hate it.

According to a survey from eBates, 75% of U.S. parents hate back-to-school shopping season, and just as many teens believe the same. It’s not just the end of summer, though, that causes frustration. It’s the tension between parents and teens that make shopping unbearable.

Teens say their parents tend to wait until the very last minute to get any school shopping done and wish they’d start taking it more seriously. But parents, on the other hand, don’t like that their kids only want name brand clothes and items, which is stuff they usually can’t afford. This is especially true for families with multiple kids going back at the same time.

There’s a lot of peer pressure on teens to only get the latest, greatest fashions, leaving parents to figure out how to appease them while not destroying their budget. It’s not as if parents don’t want to buy their kids the best stuff…they just can’t afford it.

It’s quite easy for parents to give in, as emotions are often put before practical uses of money. Every holiday season, millions of people go into debt to appease family and friends. And more often than not, parents give in and buy their teens the greatest, most expensive clothes and supplies to the detriment of their budget.

Some of what they buy isn’t even practical, but because their kids demanded it, it found its way into the cart. In fact, parents spent over $70 billion last year for back-to-school.

Since it’s mostly teenagers who demand the more expensive items on their list, it leaves us wondering if parents are missing out on a grand opportunity to teach kids about budgeting and the value of money.

In short: if they want the latest and great stuff, why not have them buy it themselves? If you give your children an allowance, tell them you’re only going to spend “X” amount of money for clothes and supplies, so if they want more than that, they need to save and chip in.

Or, if they’re older, a few summer jobs can be used for more than just extra spending money. You can teach your kids how to save some of what they earn to take care of their own needs. Once they realize how expensive their choice of style is, it might bring down some of the tension this time of year.

Of course, it might not, but at least they’ll learn about money, and that’s more important. They’re soon realize that if they want the best of the best, they’ll have to pay for it and it will motivate them to do so.

Another idea is to itemize each ‘category’ and shop online beforehand. They’ll need new clothes, gadgets, school supplies, shoes, and other stuff, so write it all down. Maybe sit down with your teen and plan out everything you want to buy, with the cost, within the budget you set.

And whatever happens, don’t give in. Keeping your budget intact is more important than adding to your debt just to ensure your kid is fashionable going into the new school year.

Written by adminJuly 20, 2018

Life Style

Gone are the days when advertising was simple and non-invasive. The most an advertiser knew about their audience was the time of day they were expected to watch TV or what newspaper they frequented. If they knew you drove a specific road, you’d find a billboard or twenty lined up on your daily route to work.

Now, the process is much more complicated, but highly targeted for efficiency. Advertisers have a wealth of information at their fingertips and have a delivery system called the internet that allows them to put their ad in front of the right person.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re being watched, you pretty much are. Not physically, but every step you take is monitored, recorded, and sold to be used by the highest bidder. In fact, companies pay billions each year for our information.

Yes, most of us probably realize this already, as we’ve been aware of our usage dropping cookies since the early 2000’s. What most people don’t know is the massive ecosystem of data that’s out there, and there are companies who make a lot of dough buying and selling data at a premium. They’re known as data brokers.

It all starts with a script, or what’s more commonly known as a pixel.

As you access a website, you’ll see the images and content loading, but there’s a lot more going on behind the scenes. A website is built using first-party scripts, which is where the typical content is assembled.

Most sites also have what are called third-party scripts that are provided by someone other than the website owner. There are different types of third-party content on a site, such as an ad that pops up, social media widgets, fonts, and tracking pixels used by Google Analytics.

Using these third-party scripts, the companies running them collect the data and sell it to brokers who process the information they receive and place it into segments. Here’s a snapshot at some of the different segments that are created:

-Relationship status

-Interests

-Ethnicity

-Age group

-Gender

-Connected devices

-Home Value

-Annual income

This data then provides advertisers to pull different aspects of these segments they want to use and target directly the specific audience they want to reach.

Websites like Facebook will follow you around the internet and collect information on everything you do. There are hundreds of ways they can target you.

Ever wondered how you can look at that new 4K TV on Amazon, then you go to your Facebook page and you see it advertised everywhere? If you download a song, they know. If you’re buying tickets for that vacation to Aruba, they know about it.

If a seller wants to create a Facebook page to sell Dave Grohl shirts, they can target every single person who liked the Foo Fighters page.

With all this personal data, there’s a lot of responsibility that goes with it. That’s why Mark Zuckerberg appeared before Congress recently to discuss how they use this data, and the EU felt compelled to enact strict laws to better protect its citizens.

In this digital age, there’s not much recourse for people who feel their data is being abused. You agree to allow Facebook to use your data when you sign up and willingly put yourself out there when you fill out your profile.

This makes it so every person is responsible for their data based upon what they decide to share.

Costs for the Middle Class Only Going Up

It’s Tougher for Women

Some Jobs Are Economy Proof

According to a Natural Disaster Survey

1) It’s a good idea to back up your records digitally or in the cloud.

2) Take good pictures of your property and set up security footage.

3) Use Wi-Fi

4) Invest in smart technology.

5) Find a way to communicate with the outside world.

Shark Tank Star Says Small Businesses Thriving

Growth is Everywhere

Recent Posts

Recent Comments

Categories

Become a member

Popular Posts