TessMore Finance Blog

I f you’re like most people, you might instinctively think that you need a full-time job to make ends meet. But is it really true? Can you actually make a living off of a part-time job? The simple answer is yes, of course! But it’s really more nuanced than that. Here’s what you need to know. What Does “Part-Time” Mean? First of all, let’s define what we mean by “part-time” work. Typically, a part-time job is one that requires you to work fewer than 35 hours per week. These jobs can be great because they usually offer a lot of flexibility and let you work around other commitments (like school or taking care of your kids). On the flip side, they often come with lower pay and fewer benefits than full-time jobs. But not always. There are high-paying part-time jobs and some part-time jobs that provide benefits . So if you have one of those really high-paying part-time jobs (more than $30/hour)then there’s probably nothing to worry about. This post isn’t for you. What I think most...

Are you an accredited investor looking to add greater diversification to your portfolio and potentially get higher returns? If so, we’ve compiled a list of the ten best investment opportunities for accredited investors. Some are available to non-accredited investors, so read on even if you’re not yet accredited. The table below provides a summary of ten alternative investments , followed by more detailed descriptions of each: Platform Investor Requirement Minimum Investment Asset Class Debt vs. Equity Fees AcreTrader Accredited only $20,000 – $30,000 Farmland Equity 2% upfront; 0.75% annually; 5% upon sale Yieldstreet Primarily accredited $1,000 – $5,000 Various hard assets Equity 1% – 2% annually Fundrise Mostly non-accredited $10 – $100,000 eREITs and eFunds invested in real estate Equity 1% annually Cadre Accredited only $50,000 Commercial real estate Equity 1% to 3.5% upfront; 1.75% or 2% annually CrowdStreet Accredited only $25,...

A parent’s financial problems can be a very difficult thing to deal with. This is one of the most difficult situations you may face in your financial life: realizing that your aging parents are in debt . Maybe they were caught off guard by rising medical expenses, or maybe they simply took too many years off from saving and investing. Whatever the cause, they’re going to need help getting their finances back on track, even if they don’t want to ask for it. Discussing their situation may be among the most challenging conversations you’ll ever have—and one of the most necessary. What to Ask Them If your parents are in debt , it can be very tough on your relationship with them. Your biggest challenge is not going to be coming up with a technical personal finance solution for their problem. Instead, it’s going to be asking lots of questions, listening carefully, and deciding if they actually want help, and if they’re ready to receive it. If they do, great! You can help them. But if the...

The growth of e-commerce stores and online entrepreneurs has shifted the payment industry to online methods. Accepting credit cards and other online payment options helps businesses to stay competitive in today’s marketplace. Though these methods offer many benefits to businesses and customers, they have created new opportunities for cybercrime. Security is a key concern when handling business payments online. Business owners must be aware of their responsibility in offering safe online payment methods. A security breach could cost your business and ruin its reputation. Fortunately, there are several ways to secure online payments. This article will discuss the necessary security procedures when handling digital payments. 1.   PCI Compliance Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliance ensures that businesses process, transmit, and store credit card information in a secure environment. You must comply with the protocols laid down by the Payment Card Industry Data Security S...

Let’s assume you have already dealt with the most important parts of your finances: your credit cards, bank accounts , spending, and investments. You’ve consciously decided what your Rich Life is, and you’ve built a financial system that is essentially on autopilot, letting you spend your time pursuing the things you love. You’re doing great. Especially considering that most people are still struggling with paying their monthly bills. So congratulations. But—of course there’s a “but”—if you’re seriously nerdy and want to know more about enhancing your finances, this is for you. Remember, though: This is extra credit, so don’t feel the need to follow the advice here unless you really want to. Get Honest About Why You Want More I was raised to be the best—to study harder, work longer, and perform better than everyone else. In many ways, those lessons have paid off. But I also see the dark side of blindly following the idea of being the best without reflecting on why you’re working so ...

“I help students kick ass in law school” — Larry Lee “I stayed sane and partied hard in law school” For Larry Lee, law school wasn’t about pulling all nighters and burying his nose deep in books. “For a lot of students, law school is three years of torture. But I was lucky to have friends who went before me. They steered me in the right direction by showing how to work smarter.” “Even though I edited the law journal, served as a teaching assistant, tutored first-year students, and worked as a researcher for a few professors, I stayed sane and partied hard. Law school was not a constant, angst-ridden process for me.” Larry not only completed law school, he crushed it. He graduated magna cum laude and got offers from top firms. Larry crushed law school. He was a successful lawyer for 9 years. That’s when the entrepreneurship bug bit him. “I graduated law school and practiced for 9 years. One of the things I thought about doing was starting about my own business. It didn’t neces...

Not just for 20-somethings. Look at James, a busy father with a successful online business. This story made me laugh. James’ wife was furious when she found out he had spend $1,000 on a course…that is, until he showed her the results. Check it out: James made an extra $60,000 from my Earn1K course, bringing his total tutor revenue to $180,000. But, living a Rich Life isn’t just about money. James had a family and a son on the way. He knew that there was a limit to what he could make tutoring — and also a limit on the time he wanted to spend with clients instead of family. What does a Rich Life mean for you? Here’s how James would answer that question: The thing is, James isn’t a tech or sales expert, he’s a chemistry teacher. When he first created an online product, he felt that he had the “haunting feeling he was missing something.” See how the tested system in Zero to Launch was able to fill the gaps that other experts couldn’t: How do you find paying customers in a ...

“My online business is fully built on the Zero to Launch system to this day.” — Tom Miller His first online business failed miserably Before joining Zero to Launch, Tom toyed with the idea of starting an online business. He even cut his full-time engineering job down to part-time so he could spend more time blogging. But with no system to follow, he quickly felt lost. “I wasted a good amount of time looking for articles online about marketing strategies and tactics and reading what other people were doing.” Without a roadmap, Tom’s business went nowhere. Hear him describe his struggle and how humiliating it was. “I had all this stuff in my head that I knew would benefit other people” Back in college, Tom had developed study techniques to help him get good grades while spending less time studying. Combining those skills with the knowledge he learned from my Earn1K course, he made good side money as a tutor. But he could only help so many students one-on-one. He wanted to ...