Dollar Drink Night: Boozing With Coworkers Could Help You Financially

There's a group in every office. They hit the nearby watering hole for happy hour once or twice a week after work to vent shared frustrations, talk about the boss behind his back, maybe even plot future career moves. Thumbing your nose at this carousing crew? Think twice, turning down an invite to grab a post-shift drink might be hazardous to your financial future.

A recent study published by The Journal of Labor Research shows that drinkers earn 10 to 14 percent more than those who avoid the bottle altogether. The reason? The study contends it's something called social capital. That is, the more you're out enjoying a drink, the more people you meet. The more people you meet, the more doors that are opened for you professionally. And as is the general rule in the business world?it's not what you know, it's who you know.

The study contends that specifically, it's drinkers who hit the bar that see the most benefits financially, as opposed to those who tip the glass at home. It's all about social capital, which the study defines as ?a person's social characteristics, including social skills, charisma, and the size of his Rolodex, which enable him to reap market and nonmarket returns from interactions with others.? Drinkers who hit the bars have a lot of it, drinkers who sip alone have a little less, nondrinkers have less yet.

The study argues that it's possible that abstainers may steer clear of social occasions involving drinking, and if not, they will socialize with other nondrinkers or less social people. It's also possible that abstainers might be considered boring by drinkers, and not be invited to a gathering at all. Those who drink socially may have an easier time attaining a higher paying job or reinforce bonds with coworkers or associates who could have a direct impact on salary. Though the reasons behind nondrinkers? lack of social capital weren?t specifically tackled in the study, one thing is clear'drinkers earn significantly more than those who abstain.

For example, female drinkers pull in 14 percent more than their nondrinking counterparts. Men who hit the bottle regularly earn 10 percent more than guys who stick with soft drinks.

The pot gets even sweeter for males who hit their favorite watering hole on a regular basis. Men who visited a bar at least once a month earned an additional 7 percent over the 10 percent advantage. That isn?t the case for women barflies, however. No marked advantage was shown for ladies who visited pubs regularly over those who did not.

Though not sponsored by any interests in the alcohol industry, the study was conducted as a response to recent anti-alcohol campaigns on college campuses, limits on alcohol advertising, and tax increases on liquor. Authors of the study contend that since their research shows that drinkers earn significantly more than nondrinkers, perhaps attempting to discourage drinking in society might have a negative impact on our ability to earn.

So next time your cubicle partner asks you to join the crew for a drink after work, think twice before you pass. According to the stats, it might be to your benefit to say ?First round's on me?.

Read More

3 Reasons To Start A Passive Residual Income

Having a passive residual income flow can bring a lot of freedom and opportunities into your life. Following are 3 of the many reasons you should start building a passive residual income now.

1. Once you have built a residual cash flow, the money continues to come in after the initial work is done. You are making money even when you are not working. It comes in whether you are eating, sleeping, or taking a vacation. This really comes in handy if you become sick. Imagine you are stuck in the hospital for a few days or longer and your medical bills are piling up. At least you would still have cash coming in to help cover the expenses.

2. Passive income brings about personal freedom. If you build a large enough stream of residual income, you will not have to work for another employer or company. You can work when you want, take a day off when you want, spend time with your spouse and kids when you want, and take a cruise or trip when you want.

3. Residual income opens up a lot more opportunities. If you have a flow of money coming in that pays all your monthly bills you can take more chances. You might want to start your dream business. Having that passive cash flow can allow you to plunge into starting a new business without having to worry so much about failing. Many people fail in new business startups because they do not make enough early on to keep the business afloat. They cannot last long enough for the business to become established and feel pressure to make it an overnight success. Think about the times you had a great chance to buy something of value at a bargain price but didn't have the extra money for it. Someone else bought it and turned a nice profit. Or the times you could have invested in a stock before it fully took off (like Google). Having a passive income allows you to take full advantage of these opportunities.

Hopefully, this article has opened your eyes to the benefits that a passive residual income stream can bring to your life.

Read More

Get Inside Your Credit Rating

What do you know about your Credit rating? You may never even think about it until you get turned down for credit one day. However, the way you run your life may affect the way your credit profile looks years later.

Who Stores Credit Information?

There are two main agencies that store information about your credit history. They are Experian in Nottingham and Equifax in Glasgow. The credit file is opened the day you open a bank account. The longer you have had a bank account, the more trustworthy you seem, so it's best to keep one primary account for the sake of the credit report. That doesn't prevent you from having a second account that might offer other incentives, such as a better overdraft limit or interest rates.

Your credit score goes up depending on what services you have from the bank. So, if you have a cheque account, a savings account, a credit card and other products, this means the bank trusts you and is a big plus for your credit status.

On A Roll

Whether you decide to vote or not, it is a good idea to appear on the electoral roll. This makes it easy to track and confirm your address details. Lenders will be concerned about whether you own or rent your home, or whether you are living with parents. Owning your own home is a sign of responsibility, and the fact that you have been approved for a mortgage looks good too. It's best to have a telephone at home. If it is working, it means that you are up to date with your bill.

Stability And Responsibility

Responsibility is also the key factor when it comes to marriage and children. Being married with children means, in theory, that you are responsible. It also means that you are less likely to run off, leaving bad debt behind you. And the older you get, the more responsible you look in lenders' eyes, so there are some advantages to ageing.

Having a job is an indication that you will be able to repay any credit that you get. Again, staying in the same job for a while indicates responsibility. Lenders like to see some history of earning an income before they approve a loan.

Managing Credit

Finally, having credit really helps your Credit rating, as long as you have managed it well. Having credit agreements is good, as far as lenders are concerned. Making the necessary repayments on time is even better. Missing payments or defaults will lower your credit score, so they are best avoided.

If you do end up with a debt problem, arrears or County Court Judgements (CCJs), you may still be able to get credit. There are options such as payday loans for short term credit and secured loans for long term credit. There are even Credit Cards that cater for people with a poor Credit rating. However, the interest rates will not be as good as those offered to people with a good credit report.

Read More