Business Builder Plan Blog

Unemployment topped 10 percent in 15 states and the District of Columbia last month, according to federal data released Friday. The rate in Michigan surpassed 15 percent, the first time any state hit that mark since 1984.

The Federal Reserve this week projected that the national unemployment rate, currently at a 26-year high of 9.5 percent, will pass 10 percent by the end of the year. Most Fed policymakers said it could take “five or six years” for the economy and the labor market to get back on a path of long-term health. To get there, consumers must return to a regular spending groove and housing prices need to start rising again.

Losing your job is one of the most stressful events that can happen in your lifetime. It can wreak havoc with your finances, your relationships, and your self-esteem. With little control over much of the situation, it's easy to feel helpless and hopeless, but in reality your perception of your circumstances can make a huge difference.

Losing a job may change many aspects of your life, but it can also be an opportunity for growth. Like most life challenges, how you react to this situation will determine whether you ultimately wind up better or worse for the experience.

Grief

It’s an age-old dilemma. You have a job that pays well but is less than satisfying. You’ve considering jumping ship, but you have bills to pay. Here’s the lowdown on when you should change careers, when you shouldn’t, and how to do it without turning your entire world upside down.

Evan Carmichael, master of small business motivation and strategies, warns about “The Cage”–a stable, well-paying job that lacks many of the characteristics that translates into a happy professional. If you’re suffering from a lack of fulfillment, feel as though you’re not being challenged, or that you’re sorely undervalued, you just might be a candidate for a job change. But breaking out of the cage requires a delicate combination of audacity and strategy. Simply jumping ship could end in disaster. Recognizing the need for change and then knowing when and how to do it are keys to a successful transition.

If you have career gaps for whatever reason, they will need explaining in your CV or resume otherwise your potential employer may be suspicious of you.

There are lots of reasons as to why an individual may have gaps in the Career History section of their CV (resume). Gaps can occur to allow for travel, further education, volunteering, caring for a child, parent or relative, or following redundancy. Explaining this type of gap on your CV can however be tricky. In fact even CV advisors aren’t too sure as to how this type of gap should be addressed! There are lots of commercially available CV writing guides, books and factsheets out there, but the advice they give regarding ‘addressing gaps’ is conflicting?, and in some instances missing entirely!

Almost everyone can see the logic of carrying a high-deductible health insurance plan to protect against the major unexpected expenses. Yet a high deductible can make some people a little nervous. Even a short trip to the emergency room to get stitches can cost several hundred dollars. If you break your leg skiing, the cost could quickly run into thousands of dollars.

Fortunately for people with these concerns, inexpensive supplemental accident plans are available which can reduce your deductible to just $100.

Though any type of medical expense can sneak up on you, most chronic illnesses provide clues long before they get serious. If you’re overweight, if you have digestive issues, or if you have a difficult time climbing a flight of stairs, you’re aware that you have health concerns long before your doctor or insurance company knows. But nothing sneaks up on you faster than an accident.