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5 Best Tech Tools for 2021: Treat Yourself!
5 Best Tech Tools for 2021
Lose weight. Quit smoking. Manage finances better.
Sure, these are all popular and sincere New Year’s Resolutions – especially after the challenging year we’ve just endured — but you should also consider giving yourself a small tech makeover this year.
In fact, doing so can keep you safer, more productive, and even help the environment at the same time.
Perhaps you haven’t properly protected your devices, and thus leaving your info at risk? Maybe it’s the year you get friendly with the “Unsubscribe” option in your emails to clean up your inbox? And as you likely received new tech over the holidays, what do you plan on doing with your older gear?
Fortunately, there are some simple solutions for you to start 2021 off on the right foot. The following are a few techy resolutions to consider.
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I will back up my important info
You know the old adage – you don’t know what you got until it’s gone – so be sure to back up your important files on a regular basis in case of theft, fire or flood, a nasty virus, or power surge that fries your drive.
It doesn’t really matter how you back up your files, as long as you do something and fairly often. There are several inexpensive local back-up solutions, like inexpensive external hard drives and solid state drives (SSDs), networked drives or USB flash drives.
But also take advantage of one of the free online “cloud” storage options, which lets you access your files securely through a password-protected app or website. Popular cloud services include OneDrive, Google Drive, iCloud, and Dropbox, to name a few.
I will use cybersecurity software
A Pew Research survey found a majority of Americans have directly experienced some form of data theft or fraud, which has prompted them to use cybersecurity software.
But you don’t need to fall victim in order to proactively protect yourself from hackers, viruses (or other malicious software) or a phishing scam (if deceived into divulging confidential information).
Reputable cybersecurity software on all your devices – laptops, desktops, tablets, and smartphones — can identify, quarantine, delete, and report any suspicious activity. The most robust software offers a suite of services, including a firewall and encryption options.
On a related note, only use strong passwords (or passphrases) for all your online activities, and never use the same one twice (in case that company suffers a data breach). Free password manager apps – like Dashlane, Roboform, 1Password and Lastpass – are a handy way to store them all.
And make it harder for the bad guys to access your data by opting for two-factor authentication, which means you not only need a password or passcode (or biometrics log-on, like a fingerprint of facial scan) to confirm it’s you, but also typing in a one-time code sent to your mobile phone.
I will clean up my gear
April may be a few months away, but it’s not too early to spring clean your gadgets and gear – especially when we’re encouraged to be extra vigilant about handwashing and keeping surfaces clean from viruses, germs, and bacteria.
On the outside of your tech, use proper cleaning solutions to wipe down screens, keyboards, mice, remotes, and so on. It’s best to spray a rag instead of applying directly to your tech – in case the liquid does more harm than good.
There are also products that use ultraviolet light, which has been proven to kill up to 99.9% of bacteria and viruses. For example, the HoMedics UV-Clean Phone Sanitizer ($69) is a small pouch in which to place your smartphone – even a large one like iPhone 12 Pro Max or Samsung’s Galaxy Note20 – and once you zip it up and press a button, it uses UV-C LEDs to sanitize in just one minute. (HoMedics also has a larger UV-Clean Portable Sanitizer bag, for $89, that can fit other items, too, like car keys, eyeglasses, jewelry, TV remotes, and more.)
For desktop computers with a tower, use a handheld vacuum to clean out the fan to get rid of dust, pet hair, and so on.
Also clean up what you see on your screens and help make your devices run smoother. For example, is your desktop (on a PC) or home screens (on phones, tablets) littered with so many icons that you can’t see the photo behind it?
On a related note, uninstall unused apps to clear the clutter and free up storage space.
I will reduce unwanted email
Are you receiving email from stores you no longer shop at or newsletters that are of no interest to you?
These all should have an “Unsubscribe” button or link at the bottom of the message. Don’t be afraid to use it. Some email programs will even ask you if you want to unsubscribe and if you click or tap “yes,” it will take care of everything for you.
After all, the more emails you need to sift through in your inbox, the more time you’re wasting, and the less you’re looking at relevant work emails and other important correspondence.
Similarly, junk email (or “spam”) clutters up your inbox, promising everything from cheap pharmaceuticals to fixing bad credit. Chances are your email program, such as Microsoft Outlook, or web mail program (like Gmail) lets you bump up the filters so that it catches more junk mail.
Some cybersecurity software also combs through your email and drop suspicious messages into a Spam folder.
Also, be selective about to whom you’re giving out your email address when online and if you want to share it to trusted companies (such as a retailer) set up a free, secondary web mail address (like Gmail or Yahoo!), to keep your main inbox dedicated to family, friends or colleagues.
I will properly recycle old tech
There’s one obvious downside to our increasing reliance on technology: electronic waste.
“E-waste” refers to discarded rather than recycled electronic equipment accumulating in landfills each year – about 50 million tons of it worldwide, according to the United Nations Environment Program.
The issue, of course, is that consumer electronics contain toxic substances such as cadmium, lead, mercury, beryllium, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and brominated flame retardants (BFRs), to name a few of the nasty ones, and this toxic runoff poisons our soil, water and ecosystems.
So, what to do?
You know the ‘ol adage: If you can’t reuse, recycle.
It’s always better to hand down tech to those who could use it, whether it’s to a family member, friend, or donated to a community center, school, or church. But assuming it’s time to ditch it, you’ll want to properly recycle.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency lists several ways to donate or recycle electronics.
You can see all the options on where to bring in your larger tech items (like computers and printers) at various drop-off locations across the country, including retailers, or for smaller items (like smartphones) that can be traded in or mailed through programs offered by mobile phone carriers. There are some differences per state, so be sure to read the details.
Before you recycle, remember to back-up your information from the devices you’re recycling, and then properly delete the data from your devices so that it won’t fall into anyone’s hands.
Follow Marc on Twitter: @marc_saltzman. Email him or subscribe to his Tech It Out podcast at https://marcsaltzman.com/podcasts.
Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/2021/01/10/new-years-resolutions-ring-2021-these-5-tech-goals/4140032001/
There’s no limit on how many times you can refinance your car loan, but it may not be a good idea to do it more than once. We cover how refinancing works, and some advice on refinancing your auto loan multiple times.
Refinancing an Auto Loan More Than Once
It certainly is possible to refinance your car loan more than once, since there’s no rule that says otherwise. However, whether or not it’s a good idea to refinance multiple times depends on how you do it. And, you may not qualify for refinancing again once you’ve already done it.
Most of the time, borrowers refinance their car loans to get a lower monthly payment. This is done by either lowering your interest rate or lengthening your loan term (sometimes both). Qualifying for a lower interest rate is a great way to save money on your loan, but simply extending your loan term generally isn’t a good idea without qualifying for a lower interest rate.
This is especially true if you refinance to a longer loan term more than once. Extending your auto loan multiple times draws out how long you have a car payment, which increases your interest charges. Auto loans are typically simple interest loans, so your interest charges add up based on your auto loan balance.
If you always extend your loan, you’re always going to rack up more interest charges – the higher your interest rate, the more you pay. This can lead to years of paying off the same vehicle and possibly paying more for it than it’s worth. If you’ve already refinanced your car and extended your loan term, then doing it again means paying more for the same vehicle.
Qualifying for Auto Refinancing Multiple Times
The most difficult part of getting approved for refinancing can be having a vehicle that qualifies. Most refinance lenders require that the vehicle be less than 10 years old and have less than 100,000 miles on it. If your vehicle is older, and/or you drive a lot, refinancing may not be possible – it only gets harder as time goes on and the vehicle depreciates.
If you’ve qualified for refinancing in the past and want to try again, it could be more difficult the second time around. A lender may see that you’ve already refinanced your auto loan and may be hesitant to approve you again. Refinancing the same car loan multiple times could be a sign of overextension – your auto loan may be too big for you to chew and they may take notice.
If you’re not sure that refinancing your vehicle for the second time is possible or you’re concerned you don’t qualify, trading in the car for a more manageable loan could be the next step.
Trading In a Challenging Auto Loan
A very common way to upgrade a vehicle or get a more manageable car loan payment is by trading it in for something more affordable. Most dealerships accept trade-ins, and the money you receive from a dealer could be applied to your next vehicle’s down payment to lower the selling price.
For a trade-in to help you with your next car purchase, it needs to have equity. Equity is when you owe less on the loan than what the vehicle is worth. The actual cash value (ACV) of your trade-in is determined by the dealer after they appraise your vehicle. You can’t find the ACV ahead of time, but you can look up estimated values on websites such as Kelley Blue Book or NADAguides. Once you have an estimated value of your vehicle, compare it to your current loan balance to find out if there’s equity in your car.
If you find that your loan balance is higher than a possible trade-in value, you have negative equity – also called being upside-down. An auto loan in a negative equity position doesn’t help you lower the selling price of your next vehicle.
Additionally, it can be harder to remove the lien from the title in this position, because you have to finish paying your loan before you can trade-in your car. Without equity, you have to come up with the money to pay your lender out of pocket. Often you can combine cash with trade-in equity to come up with the amount you need. However, if you’re unable to do this, you may be able to roll over the negative equity onto your next loan.
Finding a dealership that can take your trade-in may be somewhat easy, even if it requires a little legwork. As we mentioned, most dealers accept trade-ins, and they prep them to be resold on their lots. It’s a good idea to call around to dealerships in your area and get some estimates over the phone, and we recommend calling at least one franchised dealership that sells your vehicle’s make, since you may get a higher offer from them.
Finding a Resources for Your Situation
Finding a lender that can refinance your car loan might prove difficult, especially if you’ve already refinanced before. If you’d like some more resources and information on refinancing a car loan, we want to help you find those here.
Even if most dealerships do accept trade-ins, you may not always be able to work with their lenders. It’s not always easy locating a dealership that can assist with bad credit situations, and qualifying for refinancing can be hard with poor credit, too.
There are dealers that are signed up with bad credit lenders, but they don’t always stick out from the crowd. Here at Auto Credit Express, we aim to make it easier for borrowers to find dealerships that specialize in helping those with poor credit. To get matched to a dealer in your area with the lender resources for tough credit situations, fill out our free auto loan request form.
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A: It’s a ratio of two measures of a company. One of the most common multiples is the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio, which is the stock’s current price divided by its earnings per share. Imagine Scruffy’s Chicken Shack (ticker: BUKBUK), trading at $80 per share. If it earned $4 per share over the past year, its P/E is 20 (80 divided by 4). It’s trading at a P/E ratio of 20.
There are also price-to-sales multiples, book-value multiples, cash-flow multiples and more. It can be helpful to compare a company’s multiples with those of its peers, to see whether its stock appears to be undervalued or overvalued. Nike, for example, recently sported a P/E ratio that was over 82, while Adidas’ was not quite 41. That suggests that Adidas is more attractively priced, though of course you’d want to assess many more factors.
Q: What’s the difference between a private company and a public one? – C.B., Bozeman, Mont.
A: Public companies have shares of stock available to trade on the open markets. They’re required to file quarterly earnings reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission, detailing revenue, expenses, debt loads, cash levels, taxes, income or losses – and much more. These reports are publicly available.
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Privately held companies are not public – meaning average investors can’t buy shares of them. They also don’t have to reveal much about their operations and financial health. According to Forbes, the 100 biggest private companies in America include Koch Industries, Cargill, Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Publix, Mars, H-E-B, Pilot Flying J, Enterprise Holdings (parent of the car-rental company), Bechtel, Cox Enterprises, Fidelity Investments, Bloomberg, SC Johnson, McKinsey & Company, Staples and Amway.
Fool’s School
Prepare for disasters: It’s fine to prepare for unlikely disasters, perhaps by buying earthquake insurance in a low-risk region, or keeping garlic on you in case of vampire attack. But be sure that you’re preparing for more likely disasters, too, such as these:
Having a bad credit score: A bad credit score will doom you to high interest rates when you’re looking to borrow money, such as for a home or car. Start beefing up your score by paying down your debts and paying bills on time.
Losing your job: As the ongoing pandemic has made clear, unexpected job losses happen, and they can put you in financial peril. Make sure you have an emergency fund stocked with at least several months’ worth of critical living expenses, such as food, housing, utilities, taxes, transportation and so on. It’s also good planning to make yourself more hirable by learning new skills or getting new certifications or degrees.
Needing long-term care: Long-term care is an important issue everyone should consider. If you’re wealthy, you can pay for any care you might need; if you’re poor, you probably won’t be able to pay for it at all. But if you’re in between, consider long-term care insurance. Learn more at LongTermCare.gov.
Not being able to retire: This is a big disaster awaiting millions of people who haven’t socked away enough money to retire on. The best way out of this problem is to read up well in advance, make a plan and act on it. Good strategies include working for a few more years, saving as much as possible in IRAs and 401(k)s, cutting back on spending, taking on a side gig or two and perhaps cashing out a life insurance policy if it’s no longer needed. One of your best moves might be to invest long-term dollars in the stock market, perhaps via a low-fee index fund (such as one that tracks the S&P 500).
My smartest investment
Widened Horizons: My smartest investment ever was leaving my hometown and broadening my horizons. – M.I., online
The Fool responds: That’s a terrific investment indeed. There are countless benefits of traveling: By exposing yourself to other regions and countries, you can get a sense of how other people live – which may help you appreciate just how good you have it compared to billions of others. Getting to know people in other places can help you get over any fears of outsiders or foreigners, and enjoying their hospitality can make you feel like a citizen of the world, not just your state or country. You may even end up making some very good friends around the country or the world.
Trying a wide variety of foods from various cuisines can introduce you to flavors and dishes that become lifelong favorites.
Travel abroad can be greatly enhanced if you take the time to learn the language spoken at your destination – and knowing at least one other language can also be an effective career booster, as lots of companies have (or want to have) international operations and may send employees to other countries.
Travel can boost your self-confidence, as you navigate unfamiliar locations and successfully deal with unexpected events (such as missing a train in Japan). Finally, travel can simply be fun and exciting, and it creates memories to look back on for the rest of your life.
Foolish trivia
Name that company: Back in 1833, two men – a miller and a druggist who grew herbs – decided to make and sell drugs and essential oils. Their company ended up a part of me, along with many others. I got my current name after the 1958 merger between Polak & Schwarz and van Ameringen-Haebler. Today, based in New York City and with a market value recently near $13 billion, I’m a worldwide force in scents, tastes and ingredients. In 2019, I raked in $5.1 billion from about 38,000 customers. I’m merging with DuPont’s Nutrition & Biosciences division. Who am I?
Last week’s trivia answer: I trace my roots back to 1904, when a son of Italian immigrants founded the Bank of Italy in San Francisco, which morphed over time to become the world’s largest commercial bank by the 1930s. I’ve gobbled up lots of companies, including credit card giant MBNA, U.S. Trust, FleetBoston Financial (which traced its roots to 1784) and even Merrill Lynch. Today, based in Charlotte, N.C., I sport a market value recently near $262 billion. I serve about 66 million customers via roughly 4,300 retail financial centers, and about 31 million customers bank with me using mobile devices. Who am I? (Answer: Bank of America)
The Motley Fool take
Tech Dividends: Cisco (Nasdaq: CSCO), the world’s largest producer of networking routers and switches, has posted declining revenue for four straight quarters. Its infrastructure business, which generates over half its revenue, struggled with sluggish network upgrades, competition from rivals, the loss of Chinese contracts during the ongoing trade war and pandemic-related disruptions. Its smaller security business continued growing, but couldn’t offset its other weaknesses.
Cisco’s revenue declined 5% in fiscal 2020, but its adjusted earnings grew 4% as it cut costs and repurchased more shares. Analysts expect both its revenue and earnings to dip by about 1% this year. Those growth rates might seem dismal, but Cisco’s core business should heat up again after the pandemic passes. Warmer relations between the U.S. and China under the Biden administration could stabilize Cisco’s Chinese business, and it might pull customers away from Huawei as the Chinese tech giant struggles with trade blacklists and sanctions. A growing need for cloud and data center upgrades should also spark fresh orders for its routers and switches worldwide.
Cisco’s stock isn’t likely to rally anytime soon, but its low forward-looking price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 14 and its recent dividend yield of 3.2% should limit its downside risk. It’s raised its dividend every year following its first payment in 2011, and is likely to keep doing so. Consider Cisco for your long-term portfolio.
Copyright 2021 the Motely Fool
Distributed by Andrews McMeel Syndication
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