Greatness Today

  Overall rankings: Car insurance rates among the five largest companies 1. Geico For the general population, Geico offers the cheapest car insurance quotes on average nationwide. NerdWallet found an average rate of $1,297 a year in our study. Geico also provides a variety of easy-to-score discounts that can cut costs. Motorists who’ve gone five years without an accident qualify for the company’s good driver discount. There are also opportunities to save by insuring multiple vehicles, driving a car with air bags, always wearing seat belts and taking advantage of various other discounts. 2. State Farm State Farm ranks second for pricing among the four largest companies, but with an average quote of $2,296 per year, nearly $1,000 per year higher than Geico. The good news is drivers have ample opportunity to trim their costs, especially if they have a clean driving record. Among other savings opportunities, State Farm offers four separa...

Taylor, whose company gives marketing advice to small businesses, offers these tips for coming up with a company name: Make it short. “Remember, your domain will also be used for social media profiles, so shorter is better,” she says. Make it memorable. “We don’t just type anymore, so make your name easy to remember,” Taylor says. “Also, if you have the kind of business that you’ll be promoting via video or radio, you’ll want to be able to say it and have people remember it.” Make it pronounceable. This is just as important as being memorable, Taylor says, “because if people can’t pronounce it, they won’t be able to remember or spell it.” It should be easy to spell a single way. “You don’t want to waste your marketing time and money teaching people how to spell your name. That doesn’t mean that you can’t get creative.” It should be “descriptive” or “brandable.” Taylor cites her own company name, DIYMarketers, which she said is “so clear, so brandable y...

1. Health care As the 75 million baby boomers age, there’s increased demand for health care services. According to an outlook by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than half of the 20 occupations projected to have the highest percent increase in employment by 2024 are in the health industry. Meeting the needs of an aging population creates opportunities for physical therapists, doctors, optometrists and other specialists to open their own practices. Don’t have the expertise to open that kind of business? Starting a home health aide staffing firm is one idea you could pursue. According to the bureau, employment of home health aides is expected to increase 38% by 2024, and finding employees may be relatively easy since the job doesn’t require a degree. 2. Marijuana Good news for those with green thumbs: 28 states and the District of Columbia have legalized medical marijuana. IBISWorld predicts that industry revenue for medical and recreational marijuana ...

  SBA loans, and microloans from nonprofits The U.S. Small Business Administration has a microloan program that offers up to $50,000 for small businesses and some not-for-profit child care centers. The average SBA microloan is about $13,000. Here’s a list of providers. The downside of the microloan is the “micro” part: Funding may not be sufficient for all borrowers. The SBA’s flagship 7(a) loan program also offers financing that borrowers can use to start businesses. But 7(a) loans are tough to get. They typically go to established businesses that can provide collateral — a physical asset, such as real estate or equipment, that the lender can sell if you default. The qualifications are strict, and even if you qualify, the process can take several months. Microlenders and nonprofit lenders can be a less difficult route, especially if you have shaky finances. Many focus on minority or traditionally disadvantaged small-business ow...

The Aspen Institute’s FIELD program runs the U.S. Microenterprise Census, which collects data from microlenders across the country. Here are the top five microlenders by total loan amount disbursed, according to the program’s 2014 survey, the most recent data available. Grameen America Grameen America is affiliated with the Grameen Foundation, an international organization known for programs that help poor communities address their own needs. Grameen America has disbursed more than $490 million in loans to tens of thousands of women in the U.S. The organization has a nontraditional lending system: Borrowers must form a group with four other women they trust. That group then participates in a week of financial training, at the end of which each member opens a savings account and receives a $1,500 microloan to build a small business. Microloans disbursed in 2014: $100.7 million LiftFund San Antonio-based LiftFund offers microloans in the sou...

1. Know that the riskier the investment, the higher the potential payoff. 2. Diversify, diversify, diversify. 3. Always buy or sell for a definable reason. 4. Invest for the long run, especially in the case of stocks.   5. Invest in companies and sectors you understand.      

Getting rich isn’t too far out of reach. Sure, millennials and young people are riddled with bills. According to a survey from Wells Fargo , 42 percent of millennials are "overwhelmed" with their financial debt. And 47 percent of millennials are sending half of their paychecks to different forms of debt, such as medical, student loans, credit card or auto debt. So, yeah, there’s a lot of dark clouds looming. But getting rich isn’t too far away, either. In fact, there are multiple practices that millennials and youngsters can get involved with in order to save up. Here are 10 things young people can do to get rich now. Invest young Want to be a millionaire over time? Then William Bernstein’s plan that he outlined for Business Insider might be the right way to go about things. The pla...

  Sometimes the hardest thing about saving money is just getting started. It can be difficult to figure out simple ways to save money and how to use your savings to pursue your financial goals. This step-by-step guide to money-saving habits can help you develop a realistic savings plan. 1.Record your expenses The first step to saving money is to figure out how much you spend. Keep track of all your expenses—that means every coffee, newspaper and snack you buy. Ideally, you can account for every penny. Once you have your data, organize the numbers by categories, such as gas, groceries and mortgage, and total each amount. Consider using your credit card or bank statements to help you with this. If you bank online, you may be able to filter your statements to easily break down your spending. 2.Make a budget Once you have an idea of what you spend in a month, you can begin to organize your recorded expenses into a workable budget. Your budget should out...