Financial Future

It never seems too early or too late to focus on our financial future. When I presented to you all last Saturday, I left early because I was in a car accident a few hours prior to us taking our MOS Excel Certification exam. My vehicle was totaled and it forced me to look for another vehicle. This got me thinking about my financial future and what plans I need to set in place in order to reach my financial goals.

Purchasing a vehicle can be exciting and stressful. I took it upon myself to find another truck but not as expensive as my last one. This forced me to plan out how long it would take to pay off the vehicle while saving for the house and my long term investments. 

After thinking long and hard about which vehicle to purchase, I stumbled upon a recent article talking about index funds. Now, I'm a little familiar with index funds and what they do, but this article explained them in depth. I also found out I wasn't currently investing enough of my salary towards my retirement. This got me thinking about how I could add more to my retirement. My ultimate goal was to invest another 5% (currently invest 10%)  of my salary towards a long term fund that will be safe. I found out if you invest before you reach 30 years old, you still have lots of time save $1,000,000 for retirement. So in order to reach these goals, I opened up an index fund with vanguard. Rather than me focusing on beating the market, I'm going to play the long game and save up properly. When your in the market for another vehicle or house, do some research and look at the potential growth or depreciation of these large purchases. This can save you thousands upon thousands of dollars in the future. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.

Potential Jobs with a MOS Certification

 Hello everyone,

I hope everyone is doing well. Since we have our MOS Excel Certification tomorrow, I thought this would be a fitting post. While taking a smoke break at work, I thought about what kind of jobs do the MOS certifications qualify me for? Every Certification I posses and currently are on track to receive offers a large payday. This got me asking myself, how will the MOS Certifications attribute to my resume and overall attractiveness to potential employers. In my field of Networking, as an Administrator it's helpful to know these Applications but not necessary, but these certifications can make me stand out from the rest of my peers in a competitive environment. 

The images above are from a Google search for jobs that require a MOS Certification, such as Word, Excel, and Outlook. I though it would be beneficial to show the class what types of positions exist, and what they are qualified for currently, and they don't even require you to have your degree yet. I selected a few random positions in various states (it was difficult to find ones here in Las Vegas with a short search). I know a few companies that will hire college students with certifications and the pay can start out from $16 to $18 per hour. The world of Information Technology is expanding rapidly and they always need more qualified personnel to work and maintain the infrastructure. Good luck everyone on your MOS Excel certification exam tomorrow.

Rise of COVID-19 cases

 I know recently here in Southern Nevada we have seen a major rise in COVID-19 cases. The positivity rate is over 14% and the number of positive tests has soared to over 1300 per day. There are a few factors that is affecting these numbers. The first factor is tourists. After talking to the State Surgeon (she is the one tracking the Nevada Army National Guard soldiers who test positive), she stated that many people who have tested positive from out of state are tracked on our numbers. Secondly, it's flu season and many people are beginning to show flu like and cold like symptoms.

Based off the information I get daily from our unit Commander (he is on the state COVID task force), a shutdown looks inevitable. I'm very worried for our local economy and the health of all Clark Count residents. Everyone please heed the warnings and try to stay safe. Our Governor, Steve Sisolak, has just tested positive and December looks like it will not provide any sort of relief. During this holiday season, enjoy your time with family but also stay safe and take the necessary precautions. I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable week.

COVID-19

 Hello everyone, sorry that I have been missing all of your presentations. The reason why I missed last week was because I tested positive for the coronavirus. Long story short, many people at work tested positive and the office is on lockdown. I'm finally doing better after a week with a high fever and body aches. I still have symptoms will be on lockdown for at least another week. I'm trying to catch up on all of the schoolwork that I have fallen behind on but hopefully I'll make it to class on Saturday. 

Even if your young and healthy, coronavirus can still have a major impact on your health. Following guidelines and recommendations will help keep you all safe during this time. Southern Nevada is having another major spike in cases and I hope everyone stays safe during the holiday season. Take care everyone and I will try to see you on Saturday.