robertperkins24

[robertperkins24]

How to donate your credit card points or reward miles to charity

If you have a rewards credit card, and specifically sought out a card with super cool perks, it's likely that you have a stockpile of miles or points sitting in your account. While you can usually tap into those points for travel or cash back, another option allows you to donate your rewards to a favorite charity.

Unlike a monetary donation to a charity using your credit card, where a small processing charge is taken out of your gift, in most cases donating your rewards ensures your nonprofit of choice gets the full value of your donation. (If you want to read about how to use a credit card to help offset your carbon footprint, check out this story we did.)  Read more...

More about Personal Finance, Mashable Shopping, Social Good, and Work Life

[robertperkins24]

Learn to invest with this $20 online course taught by a venture capitalist

Tax season is prime time for taking stock of your financial situation. (If you're still procrastinating on your filings, here ya go.) After all, bookkeeping isn't just a task relegated to accountants. You should definitely have a handle on essential skills like balancing your books, modeling your finances, and calculating cash flow. If you're a business owner, you already know all this is a given in your world.

Need a refresher, or a quick upgrade to your existing finance skills? Look no further than this Introduction to Finance, Accounting, Modeling and Valuation course that's currently on sale. Read more...

More about Investing, Online Learning, Mashable Shopping, Shopping Stackcommerce, and Shopping Onlinelearning

[robertperkins24]

Slack quietly ended forced arbitration for harassment claims late last year

Apparently Slack isn't the bragging type. 

The company behind the collaborative workspace tool favored by tech and media companies around the world quietly ended its policy of making employees to agree to forced arbitration in cases of harassment claims. And it did so late last year, to absolutely zero public fanfare. 

SEE ALSO: Slack might be making it harder to know if your boss is reading your DMs

So reports Yahoo! Finance, which notes that Slack announced the change internally in November, which is shortly after Google employees demanded a similar change at their company. Last November, Facebook also decided it would no longer force employees to take claims of sexual harassment and misconduct to a closed-door legal proceeding known as arbitration.  Read more...

More about Slack, Workers Rights, Tech, and Big Tech Companies

[robertperkins24]

This super cheap bill-paying app is like having your own financial planner

Another day, another report bashing millennial spending habits.

Millennials get a lot of flak from their elders for dumping their mortgage down payments into daily avocado toast runs, but is it really their fault home ownership is fast becoming a distant dream?

Still, it doesn't hurt to double down on finances (we've previously published this money-saving guide to aid millennials who want to get a handle on their saving habits). And now we even have a handy money hack to complement that: the Chronicle Pro Budgeting Tool.

Made for iPhone, iPad, and Mac, this app is an easy, effective way to track all your payments that are due, plus coordinate and assess your spending all in one convenient place. In short, never miss a bill again, and keep those late fees away. Read more...

More about Personal Finance, Apps And Software, Mashable Shopping, Shopping Stackcommerce, and Tech

[robertperkins24]

Get last-minute tax help with these financial services and tools that are on sale

Forget winter — Tax Day is coming.

With the deadline to file your federal income tax return only two weeks away, you might find yourself among the millions of Americans who are just now trying to get their financial shit together. And you know what? You can't really be blamed: Preparing your return on your own can be an intimidatingly complicated process, especially with the recent changes in tax law, the impact of which less than half of all taxpayers understand. And if you're a freelancer or small business owner, it can be even tricker. (Read our guide to the best tax software for freelancers here.) Read more...

More about Personal Finance, Taxes, Mashable Shopping, Shopping List, and Tech

[robertperkins24]

How to use a credit card to help offset your carbon footprint

Credit cards can be an excellent tool for managing your cash flow and earning rewards from everyday purchases. (Some credit cards can even help give your love life a boost.) But what if you want to do more with each swipe than save money? 

If saving the planet is also top of mind, you may want to consider which credit cards do to the most to help you cut back on your carbon footprint. However, it’s important to understand environmental concerns with both the cards themselves and the institutions that issue them.

Some environmentally friendly credit cards are partnerships between issuing banks and nonprofits. Others are simply cards from issuers with an aim for environmental excellence and sustainability. We've compared what's out there to come up with this list of the 7 best credit cards to help offset your carbon footprint. Read more...

More about Social Good, Personal Finance, Mashable Shopping, Social Good, and Work Life

[robertperkins24]

Lyft investors are banking on self-driving cars, not ride-sharing

Lyft became the first ride-hailing app to go public on Friday, skyrocketing to a $23.4 billion valuation.

But don’t get too excited for drivers. Investments in Uber and Lyft are basically big bets on future products like autonomous vehicles, not the people behind the wheel. 

SEE ALSO: Lyft hits the stock market, sells shares for $72 in highly anticipated IPO

As we've seen, Lyft isn't profitable. Last year it lost nearly $1 billion. So it's not Lyft's cash flow bringing in investors — it's the company's growth and the potential of its platform. 

"Wall Street is infamous for caring more about growth than profits," said Investing.com senior analyst Clement Thibault in an email. "Lyft is likely to get a pass on profitability if it can manage to continue its impressive growth streak." Read more...

More about Ipo, Lyft, Ride Hailing Apps, Autonomous Vehicles, and Tech

[robertperkins24]

Get 5x the points for paying your bills the painless way with Paytm

Two years ago, Paytm Canada launched a first-of-its-kind, mobile bill payment application in Canada. In that time, Canadians have made it the #1 app in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store finance category. Paying your bills on your smartphone is not only easier — it’s also more rewarding with Paytm’s generous rewards program. 

Paytm Canada is celebrating its second anniversary by offering you lots of chances to earn big rewards from brands like Tims, Uber, Sephora, Starbucks, Cineplex, Winners, and so many more. 

5x the points

From now until April 18, 2019, Paytm is offering 5x Bonus Paytm Points, on top of their regular Paytm Points, when you use the app to make a credit card bill payment of at least $1,000. To break that down: let’s say you pay $1,000 on your Mastercard bill through the app using your linked bank account or Paytm Cash. You will instantly collect 1,000 Paytm Points (1 Paytm Point for every $1), then you will get an additional 5,000 Bonus Paytm Points credited to your Paytm account on April 25, 2019 (Terms & Conditions apply).Paytm is known for giving its customers several ways to earn rewards on the same bill payment transaction. Read more...

More about Paytm, Paytm Canada, Credit Card Rewards, Paytm Rewards, and Top Finance App

[robertperkins24]

Doing your own taxes? Here are the best tax software options for freelancers.

Freelancing isn’t all sweatpants and snooze buttons. 

Well, sometimes it is. But most of the time, it’s cabin fever, caffeine withdrawal, fickle cash flows, and fierce competition for clients. 

When you boil it down, being your own boss is really hard work — and no time is that more apparent than during tax season. 

Compared to those with a typical 9-to-5 job or even small business owners, freelancers and self-employed workers face a unique set of challenges in terms of filing an annual income tax return. For one thing, you need to maintain thorough records of all your business-related expenses throughout the year so that you’re organized once it’s time to start prepping your return. You’re also responsible for completing relevant paperwork on your own while hoping-slash-praying that you haven’t missed any deductions or tax breaks. Perhaps most frustratingly, you then have to cough up the year’s worth of taxes all at once because the money wasn’t automatically deducted from your paychecks. Read more...

More about Business, Personal Finance, Taxes, Mashable Shopping, and Tech

[robertperkins24]

A lifetime subscription to this powerful WiFi optimization tool is now under $20

The almighty WiFi connection reigns supreme at any office, and when it goes down, business comes crashing with it. Slow connections are responsible for an average revenue loss of $4,100 per hour, and it doesn’t help that businesses increasingly rely on bandwidth-intensive applications such as cloud-based file sharing and SaaS platforms.

And if you’re a remote worker whose lifeblood rests in your email inbox? Well, the second your home WiFi connection goes, so too does your livelihood. *Not* cool. Sure, some folks have tried outlandish ways of circumventing private WiFi usage, including opting exclusively for public hotspots, but experts highly recommend avoiding that for security reasons. Read more...

More about Wifi, Mashable Shopping, Shopping Stackcommerce, Apps And Services, and Tech

[robertperkins24]

Use credit card rewards to help your love life — here's how to do it

Match and eharmony may have changed how 21st century couples meet, but a healthy love life still depends on spending time together. The thing is though, these dates often cost money. And when you're on a budget, or simply looking to up your date night game, the right credit card can give you a much-needed boost. 

SEE ALSO: The best dating sites to find a connection this weekend

What credit card is the best for your love life? It all depends on your goals. Looking to earn rewards for a night on the town? There’s a credit card for that. Want to book a romantic getaway using hotel points or miles? You can find a credit card for that, too. Credit cards even offer perks that can help you book impossible dinner reservations or exclusive experiences. Read more...

More about Business, Personal Finance, Sex And Relationships, Mashable Shopping, and Watercooler

[robertperkins24]

Quicken Deluxe on sale for 50% off at Best Buy

So, you’ve done your taxes and now you’ve got budgeting on your mind. If you got a big refund and you don’t know the best use for it or you ended up owing more than you planned, it doesn’t hurt to invest in a budgeting tool. 

Quicken Deluxe helps you create a customized budget and manage your money, and today you can snag it for just $24.99 at Best Buy. Quicken’s official site has the software listed for 40% off, but Best Buy has a better deal at 50% off.

SEE ALSO: 10 of the best personal finance apps for clueless millennials

With Quicken Deluxe you’re able to import your checking and credit card bank transactions safely and automatically, making it easy to see where your money is going. Transactions are automatically categorized to make budgeting simpler. Import your loan, investment, and retirement accounts for an even fuller picture of your money situation — plus, Quicken even shows you how to pay off loans faster and save money by tracking principal and interest payments. Read more...

More about Personal Finance, Budgeting, Quicken, Mashable Shopping, and Shopping Bestbuy

[robertperkins24]

Learn all about Blockchain technology by taking this $30 class

If you've taken note of any trends in finance, technology, and investing over the past ten years, you've probably noticed the rise of cryptocurrency and blockchain technologies. You may have even heard through the grapevine that blockchain is what powers cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and more — but what is blockchain actually, and how is it used? 

You can learn all this and more with the Blockchain Certification Bundle, a set of online courses that are bundled together for just $29).

What is Blockchain?

Blockchain is, at the most basic level, digital information (the "blocks") stored in a public database (the "chain"). The blocks store three key pieces of information:  Read more...

More about Blockchain, Online Learning, Mashable Shopping, Shopping Stackcommerce, and Shopping Onlinelearning

[robertperkins24]

19 tweets about doing taxes to read while you procrastinate doing your taxes

We regret to inform you it's tax season once again.

Sadly, every year the time comes when people must either sit in front of a bunch of paperwork and think about their finances, or pay someone else to do it for them.

Filing taxes is an extremely unpleasant and confusing task, so it makes sense that many people put it off for as long as possible. If you're a tax procrastinator, you're not alone, and while we definitely won't do your taxes for you, we'd love to help entertain you while you agonize over them.

SEE ALSO: Still DIYing your taxes? Here are some reasons to go to a pro

If you loathe doing your taxes or are lost on how to get started, here are 19 relatable tweets to take comfort in reading while you fail to file. Read more...

More about Twitter, Taxes, Web Culture, Procrastination, and Tax Season

[robertperkins24]

Watch Jennifer Lawrence explain America's corrupt political system and how to fix it

If you don't trust America's political system, you have plenty of reasons not to — and you're not alone. 

In a video by RepresentUs, an organization aimed at ending corruption in politics, actress Jennifer Lawrence lays out a step-by-step guide that covers what's wrong with America's corrupt political system, but also how to fix it. Her confidence and revolutionary spirit resemble that of her fictional Hunger Games character Katniss Everdeen, but the issues she talks about are very real. 

SEE ALSO: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez masterfully exposed America's broken campaign finance system

Political conversations about passing laws, financing campaigns, and lobbying can sometimes feel complicated, boring, or pretentious. But this video is anything but, thanks to the colorful graphics and silly banter between Lawrence and Josh Silver, director of RepresentUs. Whether you're conservative, liberal, or somewhere in the middle, you'll want to watch this comprehensive yet easy-to-follow video on how to pass election and anti-corruption laws, and ultimately, give the power back to the people. Read more...

More about Politics, Corruption, Politics And Government, Social Good, and Celebrities

[robertperkins24]

Venmo is releasing a limited edition rainbow card

Venmo isn't just an app. Since launching an IRL debit card last year, it now has both a physical and digital presence.

Now, Venmo is expanding its collection of brightly coloured debit cards with a special rainbow-coloured one.

SEE ALSO: 10 of the best personal finance apps for clueless millennials

Just like the original collection of Venmo debit cards, the rainbow card will allow holders to pay using their Venmo balance any place MasterCard is accepted, and make withdrawals at ATMs.

Image: VEnmo

The rainbow Venmo debit card will be released to "top cardholders" (people who use their existing card most frequently, according to Venmo) as a limited edition on Friday, and will be available to all users on March 4, 2019. Venmo is currently only available in the U.S.  Read more...

More about Money, Venmo, Debit Card, Tech, and Consumer Tech

[robertperkins24]

Millennial spending habits are being questioned (again) and the internet isn't here for it

Another day, another headline about millennial spending. Sigh. 

This time, a study by Barclays looked into generational spending habits found that millennials spend more than £3,300 each year on coffee, food, going out, and clothes. 

SEE ALSO: I'm a millennial and, believe me, coffee is not the reason I'm broke

Per the findings, emailed to Mashable, a survey of 20 to 37-year-olds found that the average bill for these items comes to £3,312.74. In a press release, Barclays said that millennials could save "a whopping £10.5 billion a year by making minor changes to their spending habits."

A breakdown of the spending shows that millennials spend an average of £904.20 per annum on socialising, £738.96 on new clothing, £705.96 on eating out, £522.60 on takeout food, and £441 a on "daily treats (coffees etc)". That means that millennial coffee expenditure on average amounts to about £36.75 a month, which won't exactly break the bank (pun intended) in the grand scheme of things.  Read more...

More about Money, Personal Finance, Coffee, Millennials, and Culture