An advance direction is a document expressing a person's wishes about critical care when he or she is unable to decide for him or herself. 

An advance directive, sometimes called a living will, is a document expressing a person's wishes about critical care when they are unable to decide for themselves. A person appointed as medical power of attorney must be willing to ask challenging questions and needs to put aside emotions about a medical procedure or option to ensure the incapacitated person's end-of-life wishes are fulfilled. A durable power of attorney allows an appointed person to act as a person's agent and make financial decisions on the person's behalf in case of an incapacitating medical condition. A person who wishes or does not wish to be placed on life support can create an advance directive that hospital staff will follow should the person become incapacitated. Two physicians must certify the person is terminally ill, seriously injured, in a coma, in the late stages of dementia or permanently unconscious and unable to make medical decisions before the living will is enacted.
An advance directive becomes legally valid in the United States after signing in front of a witness.

Advance Directive

Consumers Reports is the product-testing monthly magazine and website published by Consumers Union. 

Consumer Reports is a publication and independent, nonprofit member organization that has evaluated more than 9,000 consumer products and services since 1936. Consumer Reports is a publication and independent, nonprofit member organization that has evaluated more than 9,000 consumer products and services since 1936. It wasn't until well into the 2000s when Consumer Reports (CR) added robust web offerings, though behind a paywall.
Today, many of the product ratings and reviews that had been CR's mainstay have moved to the Internet, and much of it is user-generated. Consumer Reports has a long history dating back to 1936 when it was called Consumer's Union Reports.

Consumer Reports

Economic man refers to an idealized human being assumed to act rationally, and who seeks to maximize personal satisfaction and utility.

The term "economic man" (also referred to as "homo economicus") refers to an idealized person who acts rationally, with perfect knowledge and who seeks to maximize personal utility or satisfaction. However, they all offer the same critique of economic man: the reduction of economic actors to first principles is not robust enough to provide a full explanation of economic activity or markets. The abstraction known as the economic man was developed in the 19th century by philosophers like John Stuart Mill as part of the broader enlightenment project, the aim of which was to bring natural science to bear on all areas of knowledge. The economic man is a concept developed by economists to understand the behavior of humans engaged in economic activity. A body of work in economics that has come to be called behavioral economics presents the largest sustained challenge to the analytical construct of economic man.

Economic Man

Engel's law proposes as household incomes rise, the percentage of income allocated to food decreases, while money deviates to other goods or services.

Engel's Law is an economic theory introduced in 1857 by Ernst Engel, a German statistician, stating that the percentage of income allocated for food purchases decreases as income rises. As food costs increase, both for food at home (such as groceries) and food away from home (for example, at a restaurant), the percentage spent by lower-income households is expected to increase. Engel's Law similarly states that lower income households spend a greater proportion of their available income on food than middle or higher income households. As food consumption declines, luxury consumption and savings increase in turn.
In the mid 19th century, Ernst Engel wrote, “The poorer a family, the greater the proportion of its total expenditure that must be devoted to the provision of food.” Engel's Law is an economic theory introduced in 1857 by Ernst Engel, a German statistician, stating that the percentage of income allocated for food purchases decreases as income rises.

Engel's Law

An exit visa is a government document granting an individual permission to leave a country. It is a requirement for travelers to several countries.

An exit visa is a government-issued document granting an individual permission to leave a country. Generally, business visitors with commercial visas may be required to obtain an exit visa before leaving so that the local government can verify that any taxes owed on income earned in the country have been paid. Those who overstay a visa generally face a wait of three to 20 business days before obtaining an exit visa. In Saudi Arabia, obtaining an exit visa is an essential step in the departure process, mainly if the foreign citizen has been working in the country. A traveler may be at risk of not being allowed to leave a country for days if they lose or travel with an expired exit visa.

Exit Visa

Financial therapy merges finance with emotional support to help people cope with financial stress.

Financial therapy merges finance with emotional support to help people cope with financial stress. In many cases, behavioral issues cause a person to adapt unhealthy financial routines, including unhealthy spending habits (such as gambling or compulsive shopping), overworking oneself to hoard money, completely avoiding financial issues that must be dealt with, or hiding finances from a partner. Just as with any other form of therapy that addresses other aspects of a person's life, financial therapy provides support and advice geared specifically toward the financial realm and the stresses that go along with it. However, financial advisors often find themselves providing informal therapy to clients, and therapists often deal with emotional issues related to financial stress. However, therapy is not a financial advisor's area of expertise, and if a person requires real emotional support or needs help breaking bad habits, a licensed professional should be involved.

Financial Therapy

The middle class refers to individuals who fall between the working class and the upper class. Those in the middle class often are employed as professionals, managers, and civil servants.

The middle class is a description given to individuals and households who typically fall between the working class and the upper class within a socio-economic hierarchy. The middle class constitutes a slim majority of the U.S. population (around 52%), but that is still the least it has been as it has declined over nearly half a century.
Those in the middle class have enough disposable income to afford minor luxuries like vacations or restaurants, but also rely on borrowing for big-ticket items like homes and cars. The middle class is a description given to individuals and households who typically fall between the working class and the upper class within a socio-economic hierarchy. The middle class is a socio-economic strata that falls in between the working class and the upper class. In Western cultures, persons in the middle class tend to have a higher proportion of college degrees than those in the working class, have more income available for consumption, and may own property.

Middle Class

Learn the basics of what millennial need to know about finances, investing, and retirement.

For Young Americans, Unemployment Returns to Pre-Recession Levels

Declining Entrepreneurship, Labor Mobility, and Business Dynamism: A Demand-Side Approach (Executive Summary)

Table 1300. Age of Reference Person: Annual Expenditure Means, Shares, Standard Errors, and Coefficients of Variation, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2018

Only 1 in 3 Millennials Are Investing in the Stock Market

Table of Contents
Who Are the Digital Natives?
Millennial Economic Picture
Having Living Expenses
Becoming Financially Independent
Getting Out of Debt
Saving for a Big Purchase
Planning for the Future Your long-term saving and investment strategy should be based on whether you want partial retirement now plus working forever—or partial retirement now plus a conventional retirement (or if you’re really extraordinary, partial retirement now and early retirement).
David J. Bradley, a 23-year-old entrepreneur and MBA student based in Providence, R.I., sums up how many millennials feel about retirement—and by extension, life.
“The retirement experience should be lived throughout life,” he says. The BlackRock report found that while Baby Boomers spend only an average of two hours reviewing their investments each month, millennials dedicate up to seven hours per month (small wonder that a report from Forbes found that over the past few years more than $1 billion has been funneled into tech-related personal finance companies, particularly startups that target young investors with mobile-enabled, user-friendly software and platforms).
Among the most popular social media tools currently being leveraged by millennials is Tip'd Off. Part of the problem seems to be that a good percentage of millennials—26% total—are hoping that either their lottery ticket purchases will pay off or that they’ll inherit money to use toward retirement saving, according to a 2015 survey by the Insured Retirement Institute and the Center for Generational Kinetics.﻿﻿ With such unrealistic expectations, a good quarter of them will likely struggle financially during retirement years.
Another cause for concern: A full 70% of the folks surveyed believed as retirees they’ll be able to survive on $36,000 a year.﻿﻿ While millennials can sometimes be wary about investing, the availability of social media tools is making it easier and more comfortable for this age group to learn—and in fact, a survey from asset manager BlackRock found that 45% of millennials are more interested in investing in the stock market today than they were just five years ago.

Millennials: Finances, Investing, and Retirement

NEXUS is a government-sponsored Trusted Traveler Program that allows pre-screened U.S. and Canadian citizens to expedite border crossings. 

NEXUS is a government-sponsored Trusted Travelers Program that allows pre-screened U.S. and Canadian citizens to expedite border crossings.﻿﻿ U.S. and Canadian citizens using NEXUS experience expedited border crossings into the United States and Canada with less immigration and customs questioning. NEXUS is a government-sponsored Trusted Travelers Program that allows pre-screened U.S. and Canadian citizens to expedite border crossings.﻿﻿ U.S. and Canadian citizens using NEXUS experience expedited border crossings into the United States and Canada with less immigration and customs questioning. You may not be eligible for participation in the NEXUS program if you:
Provide false or incomplete information on the application
Have been convicted of any criminal offense or have pending criminal charges or outstanding warrants (to include driving under the influence)
Have been found in violation of any customs, immigration, or agriculture regulations or laws in any country
Are the subject of an ongoing investigation by any federal, state, or local law enforcement agency
Are inadmissible to the United States under immigration regulation, including applicants with approved waivers of inadmissibility or parole documentation
Cannot satisfy CBP or Canada Border Services Agency of your low-risk status Global Entry members can use the NEXUS program to cross the border from Canada into the United States without becoming NEXUS members. NEXUS applicants must pay a $50 fee (USD or CND) and submit to a background check and a personal interview.﻿﻿ If approved by both the United States' and Canadian governments, applicants receive a NEXUS ID card with their photo and radio frequency identification document (RFID) functionality.

NEXUS

Positional goods are luxury items in limited supply that convey a high relative standing within society. 

Positional goods are goods and services that people value because of their limited supply, and because they convey a high relative standing within society. If economic growth were to grow to the point where positional goods became affordable and widely available, the positional goods would lose their exclusivity, and likely their value. Positional goods project exclusivity, and companies that market positional goods are careful to craft an image that their products are not accessible to the masses. While there are far more positional goods in affluent countries and regions, most economies tend to have some goods that are considered positional. Positional goods are goods and services that people value because of their limited supply, and because they convey a high relative standing within society.

Positional Goods

A recessionista is a person able to remain stylish and fashionable during difficult economic times by being a savvy shopper of discount merchandise.

A recessionista is a person who can shop on a limited budget and still manage to be up-to-date on the most current fashions. A recessionista does not let a bad economy, a bear market, or high inflation damage their wardrobe, and opts to instead search for sales and shop at discount stores. Traditional department stores and brick-and-mortar specialty retailers, facing increasing competition from Amazon and other retail websites, are taking markdowns on full-price merchandise at a faster pace than they have in the past. Prior to the ongoing economic downturn, the last U.S. recession occurred between December 2007 and June 2009 and has been dubbed the Great Recession for its severity and its impact on the housing market. Designer or haute couture brands are now available for purchase at a fraction of their retail markup through outlet stores, consignment shops, and second-hand clothing chains.

Recessionista

Reverse culture shock is a phenomenon that can occur after a person who has lived overseas for an extended period returns home.

Reverse culture shock is the emotional and psychological distress suffered by some people when they return home after a number of years overseas. The degree of reverse culture shock may be directly proportional to the length of time spent overseas—the longer the time spent abroad, the greater the shock factor upon the eventual return home. Another factor that may influence the magnitude of reverse culture shock is the extent of the difference in cultures between the expatriate's home country and the foreign country. On a psychological and interpersonal level, the degree of reverse culture shock may be increased or lessened by the amount of communication that is maintained with family, friends, or coworkers in their home country. If there is little regular dialogue with relations from the home country, it may be easier to detach from the customs and demeanor of the home nation in favor of the new culture.

Reverse Culture Shock

The sandwich generation refers to middle-aged individuals who are pressured to support both aging parents and growing children.

'It’s Pretty Brutal’: The Sandwich Generation Pays a Price

What is the Sandwich Generation? Unique Stress and Responsibilities for Caregivers Between Generations

Table of Contents
What Is the Sandwich Generation?
More on the Sandwich Generation
Lessening the Financial Burden
Managing Stress This is not what has been spent caring for them; rather, it is what they have lost (.e.g., missed work, promotions, etc.) in caring for them.
The sandwich generation, in the traditional sense of the term, refers to people sandwiched between caring for their parents and children. The club sandwich generation refers to people in their 50s and 60s who care for their parents, adult children, and grandchildren. The sandwich generation refers to middle-aged adults (often in their 40s and 50s) who are caring for both elderly parents and their own children. The sandwich generation refers to middle-aged individuals who are pressured to support both aging parents and growing children.

Sandwich Generation

The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program is a service that allows travelers to register their trip with the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. 

The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program is a service that allows travelers to register their trip with the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. Travelers do not have to enroll in the STEP program to get assistance while abroad; however, the U.S. Department of State advises that it is unable to proactively contact travelers who are not enrolled if its embassy or consulate has important information about local safety or security conditions. The program provides travelers with updates about any safety or security issues in the country or region that they are planning to visit.
Infrequent travelers can enroll a single trip on the STEP homepage by clicking the “TRAVELING? Enroll a trip” option. In addition to these travel warnings and alerts, U.S. embassies and consulates may send out specific messages that include safety, security, and practical information for that locale; however, only travelers who are enrolled in STEP will receive these messages. The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) is a free service offered by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs to U.S. citizens and nationals traveling out of the country.

Smart Traveler Enrollment Program

The TSA PreCheck program allows travelers deemed low risk by the Transportation Security Administration to quickly move through security screening.

TSA PreCheck is a U.S. government program that allows travelers deemed low-risk by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), a U.S. Department of Homeland Security agency, to pass through an expedited security screening process at certain U.S. airports. TSA PreCheck is a U.S. government program that allows travelers deemed low-risk by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), a U.S. Department of Homeland Security agency, to pass through an expedited security screening process at certain U.S. airports. TSA PreCheck verifies which passengers are present the lowest risk to flight security, so these passengers can pass through security checkpoints without the need to remove shoes, belts, or jackets from their person or laptops and liquids from their bags. TSA PreCheck is a U.S. government program that allows air travelers deemed low-risk to enjoy an expedited security screening process at airports. The TSA PreCheck program is intended to speed up the passage of verified travelers through security checkpoints, which often become crowded as passengers gather to board their flights.

TSA PreCheck

A turnkey solution is a type of system built end-to-end for a customer that can be easily implemented into a current business process.

A turnkey solution is a type of system built end-to-end for a customer that can be easily implemented into a current business process. A turnkey solution is a type of system built end-to-end for a customer that can be easily implemented into a current business process. The use of a turnkey solution, in this case, allows the company to avoid the headaches of programming the tool in-house and the approvals associated with developing a billing system from scratch. When a company or business isn't looking for multiple bells and whistles, a turnkey solution may be an affordable and simple option. A turnkey business may refer to a business that can be purchased without having to make any changes to the business model or products sold.

Turnkey Solution

The Willie Sutton Rule was derived from bank robber Willie Sutton, who when asked why he steals from banks answered "Because that's where the money is." 

The Willie Sutton Rule is based on a statement by notorious American bank robber Willie Sutton, who, when asked by a reporter about why he stole from banks, answered: “Because that's where the money is.”
 In medicine, it is referred to when doctors make a diagnosis, suggesting that it is worthwhile to first focus on the obvious and conduct medical tests that may confirm the most likely diagnosis, rather than trying to diagnose a relatively uncommon medical condition. It states that when making a diagnosis, it is worthwhile to first focus on the obvious and conduct medical tests that may confirm the most likely diagnosis, rather than trying to diagnose a relatively uncommon medical condition. The Willie Sutton Rule is based on a statement by notorious American bank robber Willie Sutton, who, when asked by a reporter about why he stole from banks, answered: “Because that's where the money is.” Another school of thought with respect to investing and the Willie Sutton Rule is that it stresses the need for an individual to focus on activities that generate high returns, rather than on actions that might be frivolous or yield lower returns.

Lifestyle Advice

More in Personal Finance

Terms in Lifestyle Advice