Jason Butler, Author at Dinks Finance

About Jason Butler

Jason Butler is an Atlanta native, as well as businessman, blogger and teacher. Not only is Jason a prolific flipper, marketer, writer and side hustler his number of years in higher education and student support have given him expert knowledge in understanding the economics of the student loan industry.

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Surviving a Company Merger

Posted on October 17, 2016 - 6:30 am by Jason Butler 1

company merger, surviving a merger, how to survive a company merger

When you’re working in corporate America, the chance of your company merging with another one is always there. Having been a part of two mergers, I’ll be the first to say that everything does not always go smoothly. You job title and job could change. Your pay could change or something worse could happen. Your position could be phased out. I’ve been lucky enough to have things go decently in the mergers that I’ve been a part of.

The first merger that I was a part of happened with Wells Fargo and Wachovia Bank. The merger was officially approved in 2008. My branch in Savannah, Ga started making changes in 2010. They officially changed its name, systems and its signs in 2011. The first few months of the merger were a struggle. The Wells Fargo teller system was vastly different than Wachovia’s. It took a while to get used to it. We also had to learn various products and serve both Wachovia and Wells Fargo customers now. There were times where I wanted to quit, but I realized that wouldn’t solve anything. I continued to do my job. That’s what you should do if your company goes through a merger.

The second thing that I want you to do is to do everything you can to help the merger go smoothly. You can attend extra training or help coworkers out who are having difficulty during that time. Mergers can be very stressful times. Your manager will appreciate anything that you do to help the merger go smoothly.

The next thing that you should do is to review your compensation & benefits with the company. Things may change. When my current job merged at the beginning of the year, we actually received a raise. Our benefits stayed the same because of the industry that I’m in. That may not always be the case. Your human resource office or manager should send you updated information about your pay and benefits. If they don’t, you will want to contact them when you get the chance.

If you have questions about the merger, don’t be afraid to contact management or HR. They are supposed to be there to help you during the merger. There is no such thing as a stupid question. If you don’t know something, don’t be afraid to speak up and ask.

Some people don’t want to deal with a merger, so they begin to plan an escape. If you don’t particularly like what you’re doing, this may be the move for you. Before you make a decision, make sure to talk with your significant other. You don’t want to go from being a Dink to a Sink (single income no kids) without letting them know. While planning your escape, you can fine tune your resume, learn a new skill and reach out to your network. It is possible that you will have a new job before the merger is complete.

Mergers and acquisitions are a part of the business world. Companies merge all the time. While it’s not always the easiest thing to do, you can survive it. Following these tips should help you get through the merger.

Have you ever been through a company merger?

5 Benefits of a Foreclosed Mobile Home

Posted on October 14, 2016 - 6:30 am by Jason Butler 1

benefits of a foreclosed mobile home, foreclosed mobile homes, foreclosed properties advice

Hello, Dinks. Many people are rethinking buying the large home these days. They are looking for other options. As Dinks, you don’t need much space since you don’t have any kids. Here’s an interesting option to look at. Have you ever considered purchasing a foreclosed mobile home?

When people think of foreclosed homes, they think of larger homes that people haven’t been able to pay for. They think of expensive, bigger homes that people just weren’t able to pay for. While a lot of foreclosed homes follow that pattern, they are not the only type on the market. There are plenty of home types out there that have gone through foreclosure. Mobile homes are one of the latest ones to be featured in the market. A lot of people stay away from mobile homes, though. Some think they have a certain stigma labeled to them. Others just don’t think about living in them. If you are looking for something different or even temporary, you should consider these five benefits of a foreclosed mobile home.

Low price

Most mobile homes are not worth as much as other homes. The value of the mobile home is also low. That helps make a low final cost for the buyer. You are able to get a small loan which will make it easier for you to afford the mobile home. According to home.costhelper.com, the average price for a single wide mobile home is $37,000. The average price for a double wide is $73,000. The price doesn’t include the land. It is pretty affordable.

Low monthly costs

With mobile homes being a lot more affordable that traditional housing, you can expect the mortgage to be lower as well. Depending on how much money you earn, you may be able to purchase your mobile home outright. If not, your mortgage will still be pretty low.

Easier to get accepted for

It is easier to get accepted for a mobile home for a few reasons. You don’t have to have the best credit score to be considered because of the lower value of the home. Also, it is easier to get approved for a loan for a mobile home because the amount will be smaller. There will probably be fewer people looking at the property, so that will be less stress for you.

Good starter home

A mobile home can be a great starter home for anyone trying to purchase their first home. Dinks can save money and stress by doing this. By looking at a mobile home as a starter home instead of a permanent home, you could even get an emotional benefit from purchasing a forecloses mobile home.

Small size

People are scaling back these days. They like smaller places. Mobile homes are small in size. They are perfect if you want to live somewhere smaller. The space could be similar to some of the homes seen on Tiny House Nation. Those tiny houses are taking the nation by storm. The mobile home can be a nice alternate.

In summary. The five benefits of foreclosed mobile homes are the low price, the low monthly cost, they are easier to get approved for, they are good starter homes, and they are small in size. If you don’t have a problem with mobile homes, then this may be a good option for you and your significant other. If you are looking for a foreclosed home, but want to make sure that you can afford it, then a mobile home foreclosure is for you.

Would you consider a mobile home?

What You Should Know About Your Credit Score Agencies

Posted on October 12, 2016 - 6:30 am by Jason Butler

credit score advice, credit score agency tips, building credit advice

What’s going on Dinks? I’ve been working hard on raising my credit score. 2015 was a banner year for me because I was able to increase it by 168 pts in 8 months. I know many of y’all are trying to raise your scores as well. In today’s post, I want to go over some brief information about the three largest credit reporting agencies in the United States. They are Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian.

Equifax was founded in 1899. It is the oldest of the three agencies. The headquarters is located in Atlanta. TransUnion was formed in 1968. Their headquarters is in Chicago. Experian is the youngest of the three. It was founded in 1996. They are located in Costa Mesa, CA. These three companies are mostly responsible for gathering financial information on virtually everybody in the US. They will provide their findings to those businesses that request for it.

Several companies can request your credit information. Some of them are car dealerships, banks, credit unions, landlords, utility companies, and even potential employers. They use that data to get an idea of an individual’s credit risk.

Your credit score has a direct impact not only on how high or low you loan interest rates will be, but also whether or not you can get the loan at all. In the past, I’ve been denied loans due to having a low credit score. At the time, I was embarrassed, but it motivated me to get my credit in order. It took some time, but my credit is finally in a much better place that it was.

As you probably already know, your credit score has a direct impact on your interest rates. If your score is low, your rates will be high and vice versa. It’s imperative to keep your credit high. Try not to do anything to ruin it such as being late on payments or using too much of yours.

Contact the credit agencies at least once a year to get a free copy of your credit report. Review them for any mistakes or inaccuracies. I’ve been lucky enough not to have anything reported incorrectly on my credit report. Mistakes could cost you money in the long run. If you see something wrong, it’s best to report it to the credit agency as soon as possible.

There are other financial behaviors that credit score agencies tend to frown upon besides being late on your payments. Too much activity on an account in a short amount of time is one such flag. Another one is getting a lot of requests for your credit report in a short time. This gives one appearance that you are shopping for credit. They believe that you may be running up more debt than you can pay down.

Something that I noticed was that each of the three credit reporting agencies might generate a slightly different credit score for you. That happens because different creditors report to various agencies. Some will report to all three, but others don’t. Because of that, bigger lenders will average the three different scores to get an accurate idea of what your actual credit score is.

How to Invest in Oil Wells Without Any Risk

Posted on October 10, 2016 - 6:30 am by Jason Butler 2

alternative investment options, investing in oil wells, investment options

Oil is the most proficient form of generating energy and is one of the most utilized energy sources. Oil always remains in demand and has the potential to be one’s highly profitable business. Petroleum is the most renowned oil in the world. It has the proficiency in generating electricity in massive amounts, BTUs (British Thermal Units) and kilowatt-hours. Natural gas is mostly used as a source of heating and cooking food. This natural gas can also be altered into diesel fuel and electricity along with being a vital component in the creation of chemical fertilizers. So, investing and buying oil wells are always a good choice to improve your worth and living standards. Here are some of the important approaches that can help you in buying oil wells all around the world.

Mutual Funds or ETFs

Instead of purchasing or having partnerships in the oil markets, shares in many oil and gas-focused mutual funds or ETFs can be bought. This way of investing money in the field of oil and gas will give more beneficial results. It does so in gaining significant exposure to the commodity without tying too much of your riches to the prospects of any company along with being safe from taking any direct risk in product spot prices.

Large Cap stock or ADRs

These two methods are mostly used to gain revelation to the oil and gas markets, both using in public traded companies. The most obvious and renowned among them is Exxon-Mobile (NYSE:XOM) which is one of the leading companies in the world, as specified by market capitalization. Stocks in other businesses like British Petroleum, PetroChina, Chevron, ConocoPhilips, the Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, and many others can also be bought. That will help you gain more exposure in the market. All these companies participate in oil exploration. One can have direct coverage to them simply by buying shares or ADRs (American Depositary Receipts) through their brokers.

Future Contracts

You can also buy derivatives like oil and gas future contracts. With those, the contract buyers settle for taking the delivery of a precise amount of oil from the vendor at a fixed value on a future date. These future contracts can prove to be risky as the future contracts can and do often expire without any worth.

Small or Micro-Cap Stock and Limited Partnerships

If you are willing to take a precise equity position in the field of oil and gas or a smaller company or project, consider making a play further down the oil and gas industry “food chain” into a small or micro-cap stock. Another good choice has a limited partnership that focuses on oil and gas. This is a professional and more focused way of investing. If your business is not publicly traded then, you will need to get involved with the services of a broker who is an expert in this industry to get access to these kinds of businesses. If you have a major amount to capitalize then dealing with company’s managements directly for an isolated engagement opportunity will be accurate enough to prove beneficial.

What Happened to Your Goals

Posted on October 5, 2016 - 6:30 am by Jason Butler 3

goal setting, achieving goals, goals check-up

In January everyone was happy about their goals for the New Year. People were hype. They were going to the gym faithfully, eating better and actively working on a side hustle or two. By March, many people had stopped doing those things. I hope you’re one of the people who kept at their goals. If not, don’t get down on yourself too bad. Be prepared to go harder next year. There are a few reasons why people didn’t make their goals this year. Keep reading to find out why.

Laziness

The first reason that some people did not make their goals this year is because they are just lazy. They set multiple goals knowing that they weren’t going to complete them all in the first place. That’s just not smart.

How do you get rid of laziness?

One way that you can get rid of laziness is to ignore distractions. Turn the TV off if you need to. Stop looking at your cell phone every 10 minutes and turn it off while you’re working. You’ll be surprised at what happens when you do those two things. You’ll be able to get focused and get more done. Try it today if you can.

Another way to get rid of laziness is just to get started. Whatever your goal is, make sure that you do something to help you get it accomplished. For example, if your goal is to write a book, write a couple of pages every day. Don’t try to have it all done in two or three weeks. You want to take your time to write the best book possible.

No accountability partner

The next reason that people don’t reach their goals is that they don’t have an accountability partner. They attempt to do their goals by themselves without sharing them with anyone else. While that works for some, it has the opposite reaction to others. Most of the people reading this are DINKS, so that means you should have no problem in finding an accountability partner in your significant other. Let them know your goals. They will be able to check with you multiple times during the year to see where you’re at with them. That way, you can’t afford to be lazy.

Busy

Some people are so busy that they forget to finish individual goals. Unfortunately, I have fallen into that group before. A few years ago, I made a goal to learn Spanish. I found a class on Meetup and attended it for two months. After the second month, I started working two jobs because I needed the money. I haven’t been back to Spanish class since. Honestly, I need to get back in one sooner than later. I have to prioritize it this time. I understand that people can be busy sometimes. You just have to make your goal a priority. As yourself do you really want to achieve them or are you just playing?

Procrastination

The final reason that people don’t reach their goals is because of procrastination. Procrastination is no joke. You can put something off for so long that you forget about it. I’ve done it before. If you have an issue procrastinating, you have to focus on making your goal happen. Take 30 minutes to an hour each day to work on your goal. Also, reward yourself for doing it. You will have better habits in no time. The procrastination will be a thing of the past.

Tips For Getting A Seasonal Job

Posted on October 3, 2016 - 6:30 am by Jason Butler 1

seasonal job tips, getting a seasonal job, short term jobs advice

Can you believe that it’s already October? Football and cooler temps are in full effect. Before we know it, it will be the holiday season. During this time, individual businesses such as retail stores look to bring on more employees for the holidays. Are you or your significant other planning on getting a seasonal job? If so, today’s post is for you. I will be going over several tips that can help you get that seasonal job.

Check several businesses

Checking several companies for seasonal employment opportunities is very important when looking for that position. You can check different employer’s websites. Many retail stores and delivery businesses hire part-time workers during the holiday seasons. You can also ask your friends if they know of any places that are hiring. One year I worked at a store in the mall called Things Remembered. I was able to get the job because one of my friends was the assistant manager.

Be flexible and strategize

When looking for a seasonal job, it is important to always to be flexible. Your ability to work in the evenings, on weekends and holidays will help you land a job. Make sure that you tailor your resume in a way that it will catch the attention of the recruiter by highlighting any past experiences that are related to the position you are applying for. For example, if you are applying for a cashier’s job, you should highlight ant previous cashiers experience that you have. Doing that should help you get a leg up on the other applicants. If the companies that you’re applying for have more than one position available make sure you apply to a few them. That will make your chances of getting hired much better.

Apply early

The best thing that you can do is apply early for a seasonal job. Applying for a seasonal job in November is too late. Many people start shopping for the holidays in October. Many retail stores recruit part-time employees to work for them during the Christmas time. Most of them start looking for workers in late September or early October. The longer you take to apply, the harder it is to get a part-time job.

Keep at it

If you are given a date when a company intends to start recruiting for seasonal jobs, make sure to check with that company closer to that time. If they hire someone else, look for another company or position ASAP. For example, if Fed Ex doesn’t have any positions available, check with UPS. The key here is not to give up.

Be professional

Your seasonal job is a means to make some extra money temporarily. Even if it has nothing to do with your real career, please make sure that you are professional. Please dress appropriately for the interview. Also, make sure that you are on time.

Retailers and other businesses are looking to fill seasonal positions every year. If you are looking for one, make sure that you pay attention to these tips. If you do, you may have your seasonal job in no time.

10 Unique Date Night Ideas For Married Couples

Posted on September 30, 2016 - 6:30 am by Jason Butler 3

date night ideas, married couples tips, unique date ideas

Hello, Dinks. I hope all is well. In previous posts, I’ve shared different date ideas for married couples. Those date ideas can be fun, but they seem to be the norm. I wanted to dig a little deeper. In this post, I have come up with 10 unique date ideas for married couples. The ideas range in price. Some of them are free, while others may cost a little bit of money.

Go to an arcade

Going to an arcade together is the first unique date ideas. You don’t have to be a kid to have fun in an arcade. There are numerous games that you can participate in such as Super Mario Brothers, Mortal Combat, and skeeball. You can play each other for prizes or for fun.

Dance lessons

Taking dance lessons can be very fun. For this date idea, you don’t have to have the most rhythm. If would help a little bit, though. There are a lot of different dance classes to choose from. The Fox Trot, Tango, and The Waltz are three popular choices.

Workout class

Attending a workout class with your significant other is another fun date. Working up a sweat is good for you. It means that you are burning calories. Zumba and Spin are two popular workout classes in the moment.

Karaoke

I will tell you one thing. Karaoke is pretty fun. I can’t sing at all, but I’ve done it a few times. Karaoke allows you to get out of your comfort zone a little bit and take yourself so seriously. A karaoke date will allow you to find out who’s the singer in the relationship.

Comedy show

A comedy show can be pretty fun. Laughter is good for the soul. Comedy shows can differ in price range. You can find them dirt cheap if the show features new comics. If the comics are well known, expect to pay a little more. Also, make sure that you do not sit in the front row. Comedians love to make jokes about the attendees especially if they are at the front.

Karate class

You guys can channel your inner power ranger by taking a karate class together. This another date where you will get your exercise. It could be very fun. Karate is good for flexibility and endurance.

Tour around the city

The next date idea is to take a tour around parts of your city. I’m not taking a walking tour, though. You have to do the tour using a trolley, riding a bike, or using a Segway. Those options may vary depending on what city you’re in.

Volunteer

Volunteering your time for a cause could be a great time. You and your wife or husband should find a charity that you like and then figure out what kind of volunteer opportunities they have.

Whiskey tasting

Whiskey tastings can be pretty fun. I’ve been to one before and had a good time. You get to learn how whiskey is made and you get to try several samples.

Make homemade pizza

The final unique date idea is to make homemade pizza. The date idea allows you and your significant to work together on your pizza. You guys can experiment with a lot of toppings. My suggestion would be to leave the anchovies at the store.

Have you participated in any of these types of dates before?

Five Steps You Can Take to Increase Your Credit Score

Posted on September 28, 2016 - 7:10 am by Jason Butler 5

increase creditworthiness, boosting credit, building credit advice

Hello, Dinks. My credit score has not always been the best. Over the years it has gone up and down. Your score along with your credit history determines what type of loans you may qualify for as well as the amount of interest that you will pay. The higher the score, the better the interest rate will be. People’s scores can fluctuate for different reasons. Bad spending habits and paying your bills late are just a few of them. Today I want to discuss five steps you can take to increase your credit score.

Review your score

The first thing you should do is to review your current credit score. How can you expect to boost your score if you’re not sure what it currently is? Several companies such as Credit Karma, Quizzle, and Credit Sesame offer free credit scores. Sign up for one of those today.

Pay off your debt

You should pay off your debt if you’re trying to boost your credit score. Your debt to credit ratio is one of the major things that lenders look at when deciding what you qualify for. You don’t want your debt to credit ratio to be too high. Find a way to get that debt down as soon as possible.

Negotiate

The next thing that you can do is to negotiate a payment with your creditors. People are busy. Sometimes we don’t always pay our bills. You might forget about one of them, or you could lose your job and not have the funds to pay it at the time you received the bill. In this age of technology, you’d be surprised that writing to your creditors is very popular when negotiating. You can also try and call the company. The main thing that you want to do is get in contact with them and come up with a plan to pay it off.

Dispute any errors

If you see any errors on your credit report, you should dispute them. Sometimes mistakes do happen. I’ve been lucky enough to have not had any errors show up on my credit report. If you have problems understanding your credit report, ask someone that you’re close with to help you go over it. If you do have an error on there, contact one of the three major credit bureaus so that you can dispute it.

Pay bills on time

Paying your bills on time is another thing that you should do to boost your credit score. On time payments account for a little over a third of your credit score. You read that correct, paying on time accounts for a third of your credit score. When I was younger, I used to pay a few of my bills a couple of days late every month. At the end of 2014, I stopped doing that. Eight months after I did that my credit score went up by 168 points. Pay those bills on time people.

How is your credit score? Is it where you want it to be? What did you do to get it there?

What I Did to Become Creditworthy

Posted on September 26, 2016 - 6:30 am by Jason Butler 1

creditworthy tips, building credit, credit score tips

For years after college, I struggled. I had a low paying job and horrible finances. There always seemed to be more bills left than I had money. As I got closer to age 30, I knew that I had to get serious about my finances. I hadn’t checked my credit score in years but figured that it was time for me to do so. I looked at my score and saw something that made me focus on my finances even harder. My score was in the low 500’s.

That had to change. I slowly devised a plan on how I could get things in order. I officially started making changed in January 2015. By August of that year, my credit score had gone up by 168 points. I was shocked. Who knew making a few changes with my finances would make such a big difference in your score. In today’s post, I want to go over those things that I did to increase my credit score.

The first thing that I did was get a better job. One reason that I was in the situation was that I didn’t make enough money to pay all my bills and debts. It took me some time to get used to life after college. I will be the first to say that I wasn’t ready for my student loan payments to kick in. I knew they were coming, but I didn’t focus on them. In November 2014, I started a new job. The new job paid significantly more than my previous one did.

Since I started a new job, I was able to get current on every debt that I had. That included credit cards and student loans. For some of the debts, it took me a couple of months to get current because I was so far behind. I realized that 35% of your credit score is your payment history. One of the reasons that mine was so bad was because I was late for so many of them. I also set up auto payments for the two of my bills. I had never done that before in the past, but I knew it was time to change some things up.

Something else that I did was to stop using my credit cards. I used them for emergencies or when my money started to get low. At one point I was using 95% of my available credit. Credit companies don’t like that. You are looked at as higher risk customer. The ideal credit utilization is 30%. I was very far from that amount, so I stopped using them. My current credit utilization rate is 44%. With more hard work, I will be at 30% in no time.

Doing those two things helped me become more creditworthy. Anyone can do these two things if they choose to. I’m still shocked at how much my credit score went up in just eight months. I’m proof that even if you’re in debt, you can still raise your score. If you have a low credit, score I want you to realize that there is hope for you. The main thing that I want you to remember is that 65% of your credit score consists of your payment history and your credit utilization ratio.

Are you looking to become more creditworthy?

Getting Debt Collectors to Stop Harassing You

Posted on September 23, 2016 - 6:30 am by Jason Butler 3

debt collection tips, debt collector harassment advice, getting out of debt

Good morning Dinks. Some of us have been in a situation where debt collectors would call repeatedly and try to collect the debt. In my younger days, I used to dodge those calls all the time. I was going through some hard times and paying off debt was the last thing on my mind. My rent and power bill being paid were much more important. I’m so happy that my finances have gotten better, and I don’t have to worry about debt collectors calling me anymore. I haven’t missed a debt payment in nearly two years. There are a few things that you can do to get debt collectors to stop harassing you. Today, I want to discuss a couple of ways on how you can do just that.

Pay your debts

The easiest way to getting debt collectors to stop contacting you is to pay your debts. It’s that simple. Once my income got better, I started to make payments on all my debts. Once I did that, the phone calls “miraculously” stopped. If you’re not struggling financially, the easiest thing is just to pay your debts. The sooner that you do that, the sooner that they will be a thing of the past.

If you are struggling financially, you might not be able to make payments. Instead of ducking and dodging the debt collectors, you should pick up the phone and talk to them. By speaking with them, you can get an idea of what’s going on. First, you will be able to verify if the debt is legit or not. Second, you can figure out how much you need to pay. Third, you can let the debt collectors know your situation. You might be able to negotiate a better deal than you’d expect. If you’re really lucky, you may be able to postpone your payments to another date. I’m not sure if many debt collectors will let you delay a payment, but it is worth a shot. If you’re fed up and still choose to ignore your creditors, here’s how to get them to stop contacting you.

FDCPA

You should cite the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act (FDCPA). The FDCPA is an act that prevents debt collectors from acting out of line. It can be your main leverage when it comes to getting debt collectors off your back. If you want debt collectors to stop contacting you, all you need to do is send them a letter citing the FDCPA. Ask them to cease all contact with you as required by law. I wish I would have known about this a few years ago. It would have come in handy. Make sure you send the letter with a return receipt. That way you will know when they received the letter. Once they received it, they cannot try to collect a debt any longer. The only two reasons they can contact you is to either let you know that they’ve added you to their do not contact list or to inform you of further action, such as a lawsuit. There are many versions of the letter online. Just print on out, change the address and send it off.

If they still contact you after you’ve sent them the letter, you’re eligible for a lawsuit. You can get paid $1000 plus legal fees if a debt collector still continues to contact you after you’ve requested them to stop. This simple method can get debt collectors off of your back in no time. If you have a lot of debt and can’t pay it right away, this might be an option for you.