PoliceLink

Many folks applying for law enforcement jobs fret about such possible background issues as criminal history or driving record, but few consider the impact their credit report can have on them. Given the current national focus on economic and credit issues, the topic is particularly timely. To start to understand how police background investigators, recruiters, police chiefs and sheriffs view an ...

Memo to Americans: As a group, for every $1,000 we bring in after taxes, we are saving $7, according to the Commerce Department. Why bring this up? Because if you're anticipating an annual bonus this year, you should probably skip the cruise. Considering salary increases are barely keeping pace with inflation, no wonder white-collar workers are coveting those bonuses to help ...

If you're 40 or younger, it's tough to predict how much money you might need when retirement is decades away. A few key calculations, however, can help you make sure your savings plan is on track. h4. Saving Depends on Life Stage Rebecca Pace, a Cincinnati-based financial planner and CPA, recommends putting aside at least 10 percent of your income when ...

If you’ve declared bankruptcy in the past, be prepared to defend that decision to a potential employer. It’s illegal for an employer not to hire or promote you because you filed bankruptcy, but it’s sometimes OK to consider bad credit, which usually precedes bankruptcy. Companies often check credit when a job involves finance, accounting, cash or valuable merchandise and when a ...

If you're like a lot of folks, you may have just received a "Dear Valued Customer" letter in the mail from your credit card company. No, you aren't being fired, but it might feel like it. If you have an affiliate card issued through one of the big banks, it starts like this: "This challenging business climate has led Citibank, the ...

Tax season is right around the corner and several military families will attempt to file their taxes on paper. However filing taxes on paper is a long and cumbersome process. If an individual taxpayer chooses to file without the help of a certified public accountant (CPA), the process can take hours. And, if mistakes are made the repercussions can take the ...

The battle for a secure retirement is about to get even tougher. Several new surveys of company executives show that they plan to reduce or suspend their company's retirement-plan contributions this year. Dozens of employers in the past year have already slashed such costs. The trend means one important thing for workers: smaller nest eggs, unless they save enough to make ...

In 2008, legislation was passed to help rescue US markets and the economy. But did you know that these bailout bills also included a bundle of income tax breaks? The biggest ones are known as "extenders" - popular tax breaks that might seem permanent to most taxpayers, but actually must be renewed every year or two. Stuffed inside the *Emergency Economic ...

If you want to spend less time worrying about your money, then it’s time to get your financial act together. These six strategies can help improve your financial situation and simplify your life at the same time. h4. 1. Put Your Savings on Autopilot If you haven’t maxed out your 401k or other retirement plan at work, add an extra $50 ...

Everyone has at least one frugal friend who always crows about how much money he saves by clipping coupons or frequenting discount stores. And while this friend’s behavior/bragging is a great reminder of how you should be more financially savvy — especially when the U.S. economy isn’t in the best shape — he may overlook some simple savings strategies that you’ve ...

Once you have been laid off, one of the first things you are likely to think about is how you are going to replace your income. Unemployment Insurance (UI) was established by the government to provide unemployment benefits to workers when become unemployed due to factors outside their control to financially assist them while they are looking for employment. UI is ...

The Pension Protection Act, which both strengthens employers’ existing pension obligations and discourages them from undertaking new obligations, also makes a broader point to US workers: “The overall message of the bill is, you’re on your own,” says James Lange, a lawyer, CPA and author of Retire Secure. Even so, the 2006 law has also made it less daunting for workers ...

Baseball fans love to see what a big hitter might unleash at bat. Babe Ruth, the Great Bambino, won an astounding seven World Series rings with the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. He had a career slugging percentage of .690. The home-run race in 1998 between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa caught the attention of every kid with grass-stained ...

Ever wonder how much money you can save by cutting your commuting costs? How about enough to pay for two trips to Ireland plus several major home improvements? As chief of marketing for the Maryland Transit Administration, Buddy Alves set out to see how much money he and his wife could save on their commute from the Baltimore suburbs to their ...

When times are tough, companies find cost savings wherever they can. Now some employers are doing away with the 401(k) match, a benefit once considered almost sacred. The list of companies that have suspended or cut back corporate matching in their defined-contribution retirement plans this year is not trivial. It includes General Motors (GM), Frontier Airlines (FRNTQ), car-rental company Dollar Thrifty ...

According to a study of college students at the Ernst & Young International Intern Leadership Conference in Orlando, Florida, 59 percent of these young leaders expect to be millionaires within their lifetime. What's more, 5 percent of them expect to hit the million-dollar mark while in their 20s. And the super-rich are a growing group. The top 0.1 percent of the ...

Is there something personal in your financial past that you'd rather not explain to a stranger -- say bad credit, bankruptcy or a proclivity for spending thousands of dollars on lingerie at Victoria's Secret? Then applying for a new job or going after a promotion could put you in a tricky spot, because an employer can easily find out about all ...

No one is immune from layoffs. Whether you're 22 or 52, odds are that sooner or later you will find yourself, often through no fault of your own, out of work. So it makes sense to plan ahead. Most financial advisers suggest saving the equivalent of six months' salary to tide you over if you lose your job. You will probably ...

It's hard enough to job hunt in a thriving economy, but now, even the heartiest job seeker may be inclined to roll over and catch a few more z's rather than hit the streets. Don't quit looking before you start. Job hunting requires you to pull out all the stops and take the basics to a new level. You truly have ...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ - New rules adopted by the Office of Thrift Supervision today will help protect consumers from certain abusive credit card lending practices that can result in excessive fees and interest rate charges. The rules were developed in conjunction with the Federal Reserve Board and National Credit Union Administration, which are expected to adopt the same regulations later ...