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Even in this tepid recovery, at some point you’re going to have to decide when is the right time to expand your work force? And how can you know how many employees to add without handcuffing yourself to higher-than-necessary overhead? Experts say when it comes to hiring, it’s a mixture of planning, projecting and, in some cases, more of an art than a science. 1. Consider Your Capacity The first thing to consider when it comes to hiring is figuring out how much ongoing work you will have to keep a new employee busy, says Andrew J. Sherman, a partner [...]

If you are buying a used car, one of the key things to determine is whether the car you are buying has been part of any recalls, and if so, whether it has been repaired. Car recalls are typically issued because of a problem or potential problem that relates to some safety issue. Unrepaired recalls could lead to a car fire or collision, possibly harming the occupants or causing a jump in car insurance rates.Car sellers are not required to get any recalled parts repaired before selling their cars. Nor are they required to even notify buyers of any recalls. [...]

SAN FRANCISCO Check Point Software Technologies shares fell as much as 10.5%, to $ 42.46 Wednesday, after the Internet and network security technology company gave a disappointing fourth-quarter forecast. Before the market opened, Check Point said that it expects to earn between 83 cents to 91 cents a share, excluding one-time items, on revenue in a range of $ 355 million to $ 387 million. Analysts surveyed by FactSet had forecast Check Point to earn 90 cents a share on almost $ 382 million [...]

It’s rare that a home remodeling project stays on schedule, but it’s more important for it to stay on budget. Most homeowners do not have an accurate sense of the costs associated with remodeling, which makes it hard to accurately create and stick to a budget.   Ac cording to a survey conducted by HomeAdvisors, a unit of IAC, one in three homeowners said they aren’t aware of the price of remodeling projects, although 75% want to undertake a home improvement project next year. Of the people looking to improve their home, half expressed interest in general upgrades like fresh [...]

Dear Dave, I’m an accountant, and my company is experiencing layoffs. I just learned that I’ll be losing my job in four weeks. I’ll receive a severance check, but I have no other savings set aside. Should I use some of the severance to pay off debt, or hold on to that money as long as I can? Frank Dear Frank, I’d hang on to that money and pile up as much other cash as I possibly could. Right now, the most important worries are food, lights, water and shelter. Debt is not on the list. We need to take [...]

Ryan says Obama did nothing with panel’s recommendationsRyan was one of eight Republicans on the panelRyan voted against debt commission plan Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan has a carefully crafted reputation as a deficit hawk on Capitol Hill and used those credentials to attack the growth of the federal debt on President Barack Obama’s watch.”He created a bipartisan debt commission. They came back with an urgent report. He thanked them, sent them on their way and then did exactly nothing,” Ryan, who served on that panel, told the Republican National Convention on Wednesday night.But what Ryan left out of [...]

When it comes to the home-buying process, experts point to the final walk-through as one of the most important steps in making an informed decision. Usually done just before the closing day, the final walk-through gives you a chance to make sure you’re getting the same house and amenities you originally made an offer on. From the timing to what should be on your checklist, here are the five steps that should be done for a successful walk-through. Get the Timing Right Timing is everything when it comes to a final walk-through. Since the whole idea behind the walk-through is [...]

A day at the office is really more like a day at the beach for Josh Altman, star of Bravo’s “Million Dollar Listing” and one of the leading real estate agents in the industry, moving luxury properties at Hilton & Ryland Real Estate in Beverly Hills, Calif. Specializing in high-end properties, his clientele consists mostly of entertainers, athletes and high net worth individuals from around the world. A few of Altman’s recognizable clients include Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian, whose closed deals have helped put Altman on track to hit the unimaginable pinnacle of $ 100 million in sales in [...]

“The Boomer” is a column written for adults nearing retirement age and those already in their “golden years.” It will also promote reader interaction by posting e-mail responses and answering reader questions. E-mail your questions or topic ideas to thefoxboomer@gmail.com. Health-care insurance has dominated headlines recently–between the Supreme Court’s ruling on the president’s health-care reform, unemployed workers struggling to cover medical costs and retirees facing rising costs, it’s hard to escape the debates. For the last 25 years, I have been covered by my wife’s health-care coverage through her employer, and we have watched our premium increase nearly every year. [...]