Ask MetaFilter questions in the work & money category

Are .edu emails professional looking for recent grads?

fontophilic — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:18:05 -0800

Are .edu emails professional looking for a recent grad? Is XYLastname@gmail.com better?

I'm under-empolyed and freelancing, but always job seeking. Does .edu look like I'm still in school?

I'm looking to transition to a Droid, which means I need to get friendly with some google services. My university uses google apps, and I've got a gmail account previously used as a dump/spam account. Both will be compatible with the Droid, but I'm looking to simplify my "digital life."*

So, which is better looking to potential clients/employers?

Alumni are guaranteed email for life, so that's not an issue. Thanks.

*I loathe that term as much as you do.

How to buy money with credit card

lometogo — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:04:47 -0800

Here's the deal. I need to use my credit card to get an additional 850 miles QUICKLY to buy an airline ticket. That means, in my card's scenario, that I need to spend $850 (1 point/$spent). However, I don't want to buy anything. I have heard of some place where you can buy coins, I think it was silver dollars, for a very small premium, and you could use a credit card. This would be the perfect solution because I'm using my credit card to buy negotiable currency. Anyone familiar with this, or can offer another alternative for me to build miles without having to get 'goods'?

Water shut off due to non-payment by landlord. What are my rights?

slavlin — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:18:28 -0800

My landlord pays the water bill for my apartment complex. Today the water was shut off in the middle of the day. When I called the water company, they said that the complex was shut off due to non-payment. Are there any legal requirements about notice or use of rental fees by the property management? I live in Tennessee. I have been living in this complex for about 9 years. Though it has had it's problems, it is spacious and fairly cheap, plus I hate moving. I do pay an additional fee for water (along with rent).

Also, I checked the Better Business Bureau and there is only one complaint on file and there was no response.

Finally, the property management is Starwood Property Management (Lease says Starwood Management LLC.) There is no address on the lease other than our complex. The management company is based out of New York, but the managers here have been told they are not allowed to give me the phone number for the main property office. Would they be required to do that, since they technically do have an office here that I can go to?

You own a Web Design biz, how would you advertise?

livin4u — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:02:56 -0800

You own a Web Design biz, how would you advertise? Until now it has been entirely word-of-mouth. Hey, I do Web Design and until now all business has come from word of mouth. Never did advertising for it.
What would you suggest doing to attract more clients.

Thanks for your time and input :)

Who would a Gibraltar company pay PAYE tax to for a UK employee?

Anonymous — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:00:55 -0800

If a company registered in Gibraltar is employing people in the UK, to whom is PAYE income tax paid to? Longish story follows... About 6 months ago, I was employed in the UK a company that for all intents and purposes does business in the UK; but is registered in Gibralter for, I think, tax dodging purposes.

(They don't pay VAT, claim all work is outsourced to Gibralter, etc.)

I've also never received a pay slip from them, though PAYE tax was obviously withheld from my normal salary at a normal rate.

Bracketing the dodgy stuff for now, who would a Gibraltar company pay PAYE tax to if they employ people in the UK?

Should they have been withholding PAYE at all?

I suspect that they were just pocketing the difference, since they certainly seem to have no problem committing VAT fraud worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.

I ask because I'm now involved in some potentially messy issues with the company, and I'd like all the ammunition I can get.

Throw away email, if you need it: dodgeytaxuk@gmail.com

Knock it off

Sophie1 — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:44:50 -0800

I have a creative block. Every time I start a creative pursuit, I accuse myself of a lack of originality and/or plagiarism and quit. I am a pretty decent craftsperson. I have two business ideas, one of which I would love to start but I have always found a way to talk myself out of business before I get my DBA. The self-talk usually goes like this:

Me: I would love to start business x! I'll look into how to do that!!!

EvilMe: There are so many other people doing business x and they've been doing it longer and are much better at it than I. Also, they're going to see what I've done and sue me for ripping off their ideas. I need to come up with a completely original idea of my own.

Me: Well, back to the drawing board then, because I'll never come up with anything in that area that's as creative as what others are doing.

I know this is just a bunch of negative self talk. I know that plenty of other people are making things that other people make. I can't seem to get out of this loop, though, where I am this person with integrity who would never do something that was even mildly hinting at plagiarism.

If I can convince myself that it's not a rip off, then I start the loop about how I'm not as good as others and should wait until I am better at it.

Writing it out, I sound like a psycho, but I could use a bit of help here.

What's a good career move for me, prefer travel?

photo guy — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:08:05 -0800

What's a good career move for me? Forgive the length, as I've been giving this a lot of thought and really need to resolve this. I'm a bit unhappy with my career and have been for a while now. As it happens, I'm at a point in my life where I can make a clean break and chase my dreams, I just need some guidance.

My history: I'm 29 years old, single, no kids, and up until I was laid off earlier this year was working as an engineer. I don't have a lot of money or possessions, but have very little debt. I also own a house that I'm renting out to make some extra money. I should also mention that I'm not really the typical engineer - much more outgoing, hate being in a cubicle all day, and get bored easily.

The past five years I've spent working for a small design firm, basically writing software for cheap electronics - mostly two-way radios. I'm not a very skilled programmer (Assembly and C, that's it), found the work too stressful, and am honestly surprised I lasted there as long as I did. Before that, I spent a couple of years pulling cable for a telecom company - mostly grunt work, but worth mentioning.

Despite my misgivings in college, I finished my BS in Electrical Engineering since I was always a math/science whiz. I did reasonably well I think, given how hard the program was.

What I'm looking for: What I would really like is a job that allowed me to live abroad, or at least travel frequently. I've taken a few extended trips over the past few years, and am convinced that's what I should be doing. If I have to work stateside for the next couple of years, I would prefer to be able to at least live in another part of the country. I've been living in the same mid-sized Midwestern city my whole life, and for reasons I won't go into here, would really like a change of scenery.

What I've considered/been suggested so far:

Foreign Service - This would be perfect! I'm applying as an SEO, but have been given the impression that I will most likely not get medical clearance (which is very stringent) due to a minor condition I have to take medication for.

Other federal jobs - I've contacted a few three-letter agencies (CIA, FBI, etc), but haven't heard anything back yet. I don't know if there are any other government jobs out there that fit what I'm looking for.

Military - I'm not really the military type, but I haven't ruled it out completely.

Teaching English - Not exactly a career I would want long-term, but at least it would get me out of the States for a while.

Any other suggestions? I'm open to re-schooling if necessary (although paying for it could be an issue).

REOs--do I want to attempt this?

thisperon — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 12:48:47 -0800

What's it like purchasing a REO? Is this something I should attempt as a first time homebuyer? I have 20% down, good credit, and am preapproved for a decent loan. I also lack a deadline on purchasing a home--that is, there's really no hurry to move out of my current place.

I am looking for a home the conventional way, but am also wondering about REOs. Are hunting for REOs and bidding for them worth my time? How do I even start? Any stories you'd like to share? Do I even want to attempt this as a real estate newbie?

Legitimacy of regular employee forced to become contract employee.

Oireachtac — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 12:10:50 -0800

Legitimacy of regular employee forced to become contract employee. (please reference my earlier long posting here... http://ask.metafilter.com/139060/Coping-with-a-boss-who-doesnt-care-about-the-business-any-more)

My employer, in a desperate act to save gross receipts taxes as an employer, is forcing me to accept transitioning from being a regular employee to being a contract employee...is this, in fact, legal?

Getting off the cable-internet habit.

codacorolla — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 09:56:27 -0800

I'm thinking about canceling my Comcast internet and TV service. To fulfill my internet needs I would switch from my current last-gen handset to a smart phone with a data plan. What should I consider before I make this move? There are a few reasons that I want to make this move:

1) I hate Comcast (I've posted about it in AskMeFi before, conincidentally) because of their business practices and customer service.

2) An extra $120 dollars a month (minus the cost of the data plan) would be pretty great for my finances, and allow me to save more money for grad school.

3) I've recently found myself wasting tons of time just randomly clicking back and forth between different sites online - at the expense of doing more productive things. I'd like to see how my life changes without that temptation there.

I work around computers all day, and can access my email and various social sites without affecting my job performance - so that's one source of internet access. I figure that a smart phone gets me into my email account and facebook at home.

I'm interested in hearing about anyone else who has made this switch, and anything I should consider before I try it. I'd also be interested in opinions on the best data plan (I'd be spending most of my time in the mid-Atlantic region).

Also, would it be possible to turn my phone into a 3G (or 4G) modem to use with my netbook and tower?

I have a feeling that if I do switch, and then decide to go back, Comcast will be charging me some ridiculous 'unhooking' and 'rehooking' fee for my efforts.

How do I go about securing my idea?

boo_radley — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 09:30:43 -0800

I have an awesome idea for an improvement for a product. What now? I have absolutely no idea on how to get this from "Awesome idea in my head" into a physical real product. I have some vague awareness that I need to write up a Business Case (a what?) and then have a venture capitalist come in and tell me my idea is rubbish before stealing it and leaving me destitute, but I'd like some help on the middle bits.

Do I need to patent the thing? Can I patent the thing without a physical representation? Do I just need a drawing?

Licensing art?

Liquidwolf — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 09:13:52 -0800

Any advice on how much to charge a music label for "unlimited rights" to album art that I created? I created album art for a fee of $2000. The label which is a major label, wants to know how much I'd charge for unlimited rights to use that cover art for whatever merch they want to make. They also want a fee for just shirts. This would be a flat rate, not royalties. Any advice on what to charge? thanks in advance.

Tell me about your sales engineer/field support job

Anonymous — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 09:07:40 -0800

After 12 or so unhappy years in the tech world, I'm looking for a career that is more people oriented. Wondering if sales engineering might be the way to go, and if so if I have the right skill set. Loved, loved, loved cs school, but never really found my career niche. By many perspectives I've created a great situation for myself - I work part time as a freelance software developer, and part time as a musician. So I should be happy, but....I think I may be ready to do something other than software development, and from trying to figure out what's missing, I know my next move needs to involve more interaction with people. I'm exploring some complete 360 career switches, but it'd be great to find an enjoyable/profitable way to leverage my tech experience.

I've seen sales engineering mentioned as a tech job that requires people skills. I think I've got the people skills, and I definitely need to do something where I'm problem solving. But I'm not sure I've got the tech skills. I look at the posting on job boards and frankly, my eyes glaze over, I can't make heads or tails of most of the job descriptions. Mostly I've built web/database applications (various languages), but I don't have a lot of experience in networking or systems admin, electrical engineering, I have little experience with enterprise systems like SAP, Salesforce, etc. The only remote experience I've had with sale engineering was when I was first out of school and worked for a medical device company and did some installations of our equipment in hospitals (tagging along so I could see how it was actually being used).

I would love to hear about your sales/support engineering position - what industry you are in, what you do, what skills you needed, etc. Double points if you live a distance away (several hours) from a large metropolis, or if you've managed to work only part time (I recognize I may have to give that part of my lifestyle up for a more rewarding career).

anon since I'd rather my coworkers not know I'm looking to move on

Tax scratch fever

ClaudiaCenter — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:22:51 -0800

USOpenEnrollmentFilter. Question about "health savings accounts" versus medical FSAs (flexible spending accounts). So, for years I used a medical FSA to pay for out-of-pocket medical expenses. My employer has switched to a "health savings account" program, and has phased out the medical FSA.

The problem is that the health savings account has an IRS cap of $3,050 annually for 2010. Our health coverage for 2010 has a $2,500 deductible (which the employer funds by putting the money into the health savings account, and then the employee e.g. me, I add money to hit the $3,050 cap), with the possibility of $1,500 more out-of-pocket following the meeting of the deductible.

So there's really only $550 at best for out-of-pocket costs. I have much more in out-of-pocket costs than $550 during a regular year in dental, glasses, alone. (The medical FSA does not have an IRS cap so I haven't faced this problem earlier.)

Is there anything a person can do? It seems as though a person generally cannot have a medical FSA if they already have a health savings account, so I don't think I can go out and try to get an individual medical FSA. (Which is what I really want because no limit -- some people don't like them because they are "use it or lose it," but that is not a problem for me. So if I'm wrong about that please tell me!)

Could you declare on your income tax all of your medical expenses (including those covered by the health savings account), take a tax deduction, and somehow "back out" the savings you already got through the health savings account? Would that even work?

I feel a little frustrated ...

Collection ended up on credit report--help please!

Anonymous — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 21:24:39 -0800

Through no fault of my own (in brief: I was unconscious, but may have been unwarrantedly credulous later), a collection agency's action has become visible on my credit reports. How can I remove these? Here's the story: About a year ago, I was transported to a local hospital by ambulance. Fortunately, I pulled through well, and was discharged within hours with no sequelae.

The ambulance company ("Company A") took my particulars en route. I was in no condition to give my address, so they copied it off my driver's license. However, they failed to notice that I had updated the address on that document, and did not read the back of the card, where the update was. (I live in California, where this incident occurred, and there's a space on the back of my driver's license for just this purpose.)

It has been some time since my first California driver's license was issued, and so the forwarding service from my initial address had long since expired. Therefore, I never received any bill that they sent. Furthermore, as I was unconscious until I reached the hospital, I did not note the ambulance company's name and address (or, for that matter, anything else about the journey).

Fast forward to autumn 2009. I receive a letter from a collection service, stating that I have an unpaid bill to Company A, for emergency medical transportation! I had never received a bill for this, and having been incapacitated, wouldn't have known who to pay. I called the collection agency and told them about this, and they said I should send payment to the ambulance company, and gave me a "trip number" to mention. They also said that if I did so, there would be no complaint on my credit report. I sent payment and heard nothing more of it.

Fast forward once again to the present day. I have recently requested my credit reports, and have seen that all three have collection activity posted owing to this episode.

I am nuclear-pissed about this. While I am considering getting ACAB tattooed on my knuckles and telling people it means All Collectors Are Bastards, I'd readily settle for getting all mention of this out of all of my credit files.

I know I've done some stupid things here (admitting the debt, dealing with the collection agency via non-written means, not following up, maybe even more things), but can I fix this going forward, and if so, how?

Which student loans to pay off first: Stafford or private?

Muffpub — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 19:03:02 -0800

Student loans in the United States: I have larger fixed-interest Stafford loans, and smaller private loans tied to LIBOR. Which should I pay back first? Thanks to anyone in advance for being patient enough to read this.

I'm just entering the beginning of my payback period for my student loans in the U.S. and I'm wondering which I should prioritize fiscally and pay off first, seeing as I'm going to have to lower my monthly payments on at least one set of loans.

So I have two sets of student loans:
- A set of three private loans with quite low interest rates (~3.29% right now - around LIBOR + 3%) but which may rise in the future;
- A set of four Stafford loans, three fixed at 6.8% and one mysteriously at 2.48%. (I have not yet consolidated, but plan on exploring that ASAP.) Together the Staffords add up to about 1.5 times the size of my private loans.

A part of what complicates the situation is my ignorance about consolidation, which is something that I have to explore further with Sallie Mae (who services my Staffords.) One of my loans is now a Department of Education loan (but not the 2.48 percent one...) and I have no idea if I can even consolidate those altogether.

The larger question I'm facing is this: I can focus on paying off the private loans, but get hit by the Staffords' higher interest rates compounding on an already significantly greater sum. And I'm assuming the interest rates, even fixed, will be even higher consolidated / pushed out.
Or,
I can focus on paying off my Staffords, but risk the LIBOR going up past six percent, as it has done in the past, which could really hurt down the line. If these were relatively small amounts I can see it not making much of a difference, but with sums as big as these (over $10,000 each) I don't want to take a decision lightly.

I feel more comfortable owing the government than owing a private lender, but apparently while I was in college the world decided that I could no longer make financial decisions based on fuzzy feelings. So I'm making them based on the hive mind's judgement instead. Thank you all.

over my head

Anonymous — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:08:35 -0800

Should I resign to finish graduate work and so I can find a position I can again succeed at? I've worked for the same company for 7+ years. I took a management position about a year ago, thinking I'd have enough time to finish up my graduate work (3 courses - I have been taking part-time), but because of the long hours I had to take a semester + off (and my GPA dropped). I asked to move back to my earlier position, and while my boss initially agreed it is no longer in the budget. Right after it was found to not be in the budget I got a written warning because of errors of my team or a few of my own. Also I am now told a may not be able to take a week-long vacation I have planned all year. Would it be better from a future hiring perspective to resign (with the reason of finishing graduate work) or be let go (with a chance of unemployment)?

I need a sense of urgency.

Kiwi — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 13:57:00 -0800

Like most people, I work much more efficiently when there is a looming deadline to focus my mind. Has anyone found a way to 'trick' their minds into thinking a deadline is more imminent than it is, to increase productivity?

Cost of a car

josher71 — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 13:51:07 -0800

How do I calculate if getting a car is worth it? Moving from NYC, I haven't had a car in many years. However, now that I'm in Baltimore it seems that many jobs are out in places where you need a car to reach. Having never, bought, leased, cared for, or had anything to do with a car ever in my life, how much money should I expect this to cost me yearly if I go the lowest cost route possible? Currently, I've got about 200 dollars a month to put towards anything car related.

I'm trying to figure out when comparing salaries what makes sense. For example I might only be able to find a job that pays 30k in the city, but there is job for 35k somewhere I could drive to. However, having a car costs 7k a year so I'd actually be losing money taking the job.

Dark clouds on the rates horizon.

Gordion Knott — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 11:06:40 -0800

The NY Times predicts a dramatic increase in mortgage rates come March, with rates climbing to 6 percent or higher. Ouch. Arguments for or against? In an article on December 13, the NY Times suggested that American interest rates would spike dramatically due to the expiration of a Federal program.

To save you the hassles of clicking, here's the meat:

"Rates went above 5 percent in 1952 and stayed there — until this year.
"The super-low rates are not likely to last much longer. The Federal Reserve program that has driven rates to such lows, which involves buying $1.25 trillion in mortgage-backed securities, is scheduled to expire in March, and Fed leaders have said that it would not be renewed.
"Some analysts believe rates could jump as high as 6 percent in the spring. On a $300,000 mortgage, such a jump would cost an extra $225 a month."

Now, NY Times articles (especially of late) tend to the sensational, and I'm aware that this prediction is likely skewed. There's much more to the picture than what is printed here. But even so, it could be a costly proposition for people with adjusting mortgages, or those who are planning a refinance or new mortgage in the second half of 2010.

What I'd like to know is, to what extent is this prediction of rate increases common to the media at large, and not just the Times? Is this widely perceived to be an accurate assessment? Are there any arguments against a definitive rate hike after the expiration of the Fed plan?

TempToPerm

sophist — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:21:12 -0800

What are your experiences with temp-to-perm contracts? Advice, things to watch out for? I was recently offered a position with a great company in a field I would very much like to move into. While it is technically a 6 month contract, everyone I talked to very much indicated that they were looking for a long term hire. So, if they were happy with my performance and I fit in with the team, I would be offered a salaried position at the end of my contract or before. Should I take them at their word? I have never worked as a contractor before, so I am open to any advice regarding this type of work.

How to handle taxes when you earn money in different ways?

lunalaguna — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:09:06 -0800

Tax advice for a freelancer, contractor, and full-time employee I'm trying to determine how to handle my January 15 quarterly taxes when I've been a freelancer, contractor, and full-time employee in 2009.

I was laid off from a full-time, salaried position at the end of January. In March, I started a job that was technically contract, but I was paid through a recruitment agency (taxes were taken out, and I'll receive a W2). When that contract ended in July, I began a part-time, salaried position, and also registered a DBA for freelance purposes.

Since I didn't have any freelance work in July or August, and honestly didn't have my shit together, I didn't file quarterly taxes on September 15. I did, however, have significant expenses over the summer related to starting a business and working from home (new computer equipment, software, office supplies, designer's fees for my logo).

Now I've had a fair amount of freelance work over this quarter for which I'll need to pay taxes.

My questions are:
1. Do I only need to factor in my freelance income for this quarter when I file? What about the already-taxed income I've earned during my contract earlier this year and the part-time position? Do I just claim that in April, when I've received my W2?

2. Can I deduct my summer business expenses on this quarter's filing? I've been told by other freelancers that you can space your business expense claims out during the year, and that you don't necessarily need to claim them for the quarter in which they happened. I don't know if this is true.

I know I should get an accountant, but with the holidays, I don't have the money to spend on one at all. Also, it'd be nice to learn how to deal with this myself.

Best way to turn gold into dollar bills?

kestralwing — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 12:25:03 -0800

Basic dumb question that could use a little expert advice. What's the best way to turn gold into cash? I've got two Krugerrands in my safe deposit box, but now I need the money. I live in a small town; we have banks and one coin shop. But I'm reluctant to just go up to someone at a counter and say "what will you give me?" Any advice? (Beyond "keep it, it's going up up up." I need to pay my dentist now.)

Help me with this report

doorsfan — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 11:21:07 -0800

Boss Left + (My Strategy Plan*Your Help) = Promotion I need your input on a strategy plan to get a promotion.

My boss just left the company and last week I had a meeting with my director saying that I want this newly vacant position that I’m fully qualified for. My director was open to my casual suggestion and we had a brief interview consisting of what I would do, and what he would do if he were me and trying to get this promotion. The end to this conversation was for me to provide him a strategy report on what I would do in this position and that our next steps would go from there (so yeah, this could be all for nothing but I got to take advantage of this opportunity).

My top three actions were actually in line with his top three things that need to be addressed so what I’m looking for is your professional guidance on what else I need to include in this strategy report.

Anything you got – layout, content, specific questions to address, examples. What is evident is that at his level there are always questions to be asked so outside of racking my brains for the next few days to make sure all angles of what I have in my head get covered I’m looking for things I may not have considered or better ways to pull this report together.

While not divulging too much I work for a medical device manufacture on the web marketing team (which today now only consists of me so additional headcount is something that needs to be addressed).

I plan on giving him my report this Friday, to get it in his head before the holidays and vacation. Thanks in advance!

Health Insurance reimbursement

slagerst — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 10:34:39 -0800

What examples can I cite to convince my employer to continue reimbursing my 3rd party health care? I’ve been employed for 6 years at a 12-person NYC non-profit (FWIW, 3rd longest in tenure). For the first 5 years, I had the company insurance policy, paid in full by the company. After I married, I switched insurance to my spouse’s policy, which we paid 100% (via pretax deduction from her salary paychecks). My company reimbursed me the added costs we incurred from my wife’s employer, up to the amount they would have paid had I been on their insurance.

Now, in conjunction with a merit-based salary raise, they want to stop reimbursing. I am free to rejoin the original company insurance, which I would do, meaning there is no cash savings to my company. As far as I’ve been told, it is simply a move to keep the books cleaner and more simple.

My problem is that I now have to cancel and re-instate insurance policies, and inform all my doctors, etc. Plus, the advantage of being on my spouse’s policy was (slightly) better benefits, and the simplicity of having 1 family policy for the 2 (sooner or later 3) of us.

What examples can I cite or arguments can I make to convince my employer to continue this cash-neutral situation my way? Are there companies that document their flexibility with compensation packages (salary, health ins., other)? Am I crazy for wanting this setup? "People say" that non-profits cannot offer salaries that are competitive to the private sector, but the allure is (in addition to doing good) they can offer greater flexibility to employees to keep good talent.