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Can You Drive for Uber With a DUI?

April 23, 2019 By Kathryn Vercillo Leave a Comment

You don’t have to have a perfect driving record to drive for Uber. However, you do have to have a relatively clean driving record. In other words, if you have a couple of speeding tickets then most likely you’re still going to meet their minimum driver requirements. However, can you drive for Uber if you have a DUI? The short answer is no, but there is a little bit more to it than that.

Uber Checks Your Driving Record

To drive for Uber, you and your car both have to meet some minimum requirements. For example, you need to have a 4-door vehicle, rather than a 2-door car. Additionally, you need to have a minimum of one year of driving experience. Once you’ve met all of the minimum requirements, Uber will do a final background check on you. There are two parts to this background check: your criminal record and your driving record.

A DUI might show up on your criminal record or your driving record. Therefore, there are two potential chances for Uber to screen you out as a driver based on having a DUI. This is important to know because some people wonder if they can drive with Uber if they get their DUI expunged from their record. Doing so isn’t a bad idea, but it will only erase the DUI from your criminal record. The DUI will still show up on your driving record. Therefore, Uber will still see that DUI when they screen you as a potential driver.

If Your DUI Was More Than 7 Years Ago, You Should Be Okay

According to Uber’s official policy, they look at the past seven years of your driving record. Therefore, if you had a DUI 8 or more years ago, then it shouldn’t affect your ability to drive for Uber. Similarly, Uber checks your driving record for fatal accidents and a history of reckless driving. Sometimes people make mistakes when they are young, so if you have a very old DUI but haven’t had any issues since that time, then you should be fine.

That said, it’s unclear whether Uber strictly follows that “7-year rule” in every state. Some states clear your record after seven years. In other words, if Uber pulls your driving record in certain states, then all they will see is information for the past seven years. However, each state’s rules are different for how long a DUI remains on the record. In many states, including California, a DUI stays on the record for 10 years. Uber reportedly only checks the last seven years, but if they pull your California driving history, they’ll see a DUI on there anytime in the past decade. At least one Reddit user reports that they were able to drive for Uber in California with a DUI that was older than seven years but hadn’t expired off of the 10-year record, yet.

Some states have even stricter rules when it comes to DUI records. For example, in Florida, a DUI stays on your record for 75 years, which is effectively your entire driving lifetime. Similarly, DUIs never go off of your record in Alaska. That said, Uber probably isn’t going to reject a driver who had a DUI 20 years ago and has had a clean driving record ever since. After all, the reason they look at your driving record is simply that they want to make sure that their drivers are safe to be on the road.

A Criminal DUI May Never Go Away

There is one more important thing to understand about that time frame for getting a DUI off of your record. The laws are about how long the DUI stays on your driving record. However, they aren’t the same as for your criminal record. If you got convicted of a felony DUI, then you are legally considered a convicted felon. Uber has a policy against hiring convicted felons of any kind. Therefore, if you have a felony DUI on your criminal record, then you can’t drive for Uber, even if that DUI happened decades ago. If you have an old DUI like that and you want to drive for Uber, then it might be to your benefit to try to get that DUI expunged from your criminal record.

What if I Get A DUI While Driving for Uber?

If you are already an Uber driver and you get a DUI, then the chances are that you’re not going to be able to continue driving with Uber. They periodically check the driving records of current drivers. Therefore, they’ll see that DUI. It isn’t safe for their drivers to drive around drunk (whether or not they’re on the clock at the time) so they won’t allow you to keep driving for them if you get a DUI.

Of course, you may get a DUI then go to court and have the charges dropped. If that happens, then you can contact Uber. If you can prove that you never actually got convicted of a DUI, then it’s the same thing as never having had one, and Uber will likely allow you to resume driving for them. Therefore, it may be worth it to go to court if you get a DUI.

Uber Got In Legal Trouble For Allowing Drivers with DUIs

In the past, Uber has gotten into legal trouble for their failure to carefully screen their drivers for DUIs and other violations. For example, in 2017, they lost a nearly $9 million lawsuit in Colorado. State officials there found that the company had at least 50 drivers who violated the minimum rules including felony convictions, driving without a license and DUIs. This is just one example of a state where Uber has gotten in trouble for this. Therefore, they’ve cracked down more in recent years. They’re more careful with the initial background check. Furthermore, they check their driver’s current records more frequently than they did in the past.

DUI Rates Lower in Uber Cities

One of the things that Uber is quick to point out is that despite the legal problems with their drivers, Uber tends to reduce DUI rates overall. In 2014, they reported that DUI arrests were down 10% in Seattle since Uber came on the scene. The conclusion they draw, of course, is that if people can easily Uber home from the bar, then they won’t take the chance on drunk driving. Uber frequently offers deals, promotions, and collaborative opportunities to further reduce drunk driving on holidays including New Year’s Eve.

Uber Eats Driver Requirements: Car, Scooter, and Bicycle

March 12, 2019 By Kathryn Vercillo Leave a Comment

The Uber Eats driver requirements are more flexible than those for regular Uber drivers. The requirements are the same if you’re planning to deliver Uber Eats by car. However, you can also deliver Uber eats by scooter or bicycle. Therefore, you have more options available to you. Those options do vary by location, so even though we’ve provided extensive information on the topic below, it’s important to note that your own experience might differ depending on where you live.

Uber Eats Driver Requirements – By Car

If you are already an Uber driver, then it’s really easy to become an Uber Eats driver. You simply go into your app, select “account” and then select “vehicle options. From there, you accept the terms of agreement that allow you to receive Uber eats deliver requests. You can keep this option on every time that you drive. On the other hand, you can easily toggle it off if you don’t want to deliver food for a little while.

If you aren’t yet an Uber driver, then you need to sign up to deliver Uber Eats. Like with regular Uber drivers, you’ll go through a screening process. You’ll have to upload your photo and required documents. Then, once approved, you’ll be able to begin accepting deliveries.

It’s fairly easy to meet the Uber Eats driver requirements for car delivery. They’re mostly common sense rules for driving a car. You have to meet the minimum age to drive in your city. In most cities, the age is 19. Plus you have to have a valid driver’s license, insurance, and registration. Those things are pretty obvious. Additionally, you need to have at least one year of driving experience under your belt.

Finally, you have to have a car (2-door or 4-door), that is no older than 1998. Note that regular Uber drivers have to have a car that’s 2006 or newer, so the requirements for Uber Eats drivers aren’t as strict. If you think about it, that is sensible. Nobody else is entering your car when you just do food delivery for Uber. Therefore, it doesn’t have to be sparkling new. Of course, it still has to run reliably so that you can deliver food quickly.

Regular Uber Driver Requirements

If you want to sign up to be a regular Uber driver in addition to delivering Uber Eats, then the process is slightly more stringent. You have to have a 4-door car, not a 2-door car. If you are under age 23, then you need three years of driving experience instead of just one year. Furthermore, Uber will closely examine your car and your driving record before approving you.

Need to earn some extra money? Sign up to be an Uber Eats driver here!

Uber Eats Driver Requirements – By Scooter

The Uber Eats driver requirements for scooter drivers are pretty simple. You can use any 2-wheel scooter as long it meets the following two restrictions:

50 cc or less motor
Doesn’t travel faster than 30 mph

In other words, you have to deliver by scooter, not motorcycle. If you have or can borrow, a scooter that meets those requirements, then you can be an Uber Eats scooter delivery person. Of course, in order to drive a scooter, you still need to have a driver’s license. Plus you have to have a year of driving experience to meet the minimum Uber Eats driver requirements. In most cities, you’ll need to be 19 to drive a scooter for Uber Eats. However, this varies by location.

Uber Eats Driver Requirements – By Bicycle

If you’re at least 18 years old, then you can sign up to be a bicycle delivery person with Uber Eats. You must have a government ID, but it does not have to be a driver’s license. When you sign up for the service, there’s a section that asked about your transportation. Obviously, you’ll choose “bicycle” in this section. It’s fairly straightforward.

There aren’t any requirements or limitations regarding the type of bicycle that you can use for Uber Eats delivery. You’ll probably want something fast so that you can get to your delivery spots quickly. After all, the more you deliver, the more money you make. Plus you’re more likely to get good tips on fast deliveries. Additionally, you’ll be carrying food with you, so some type of on-bike storage is a good idea.

You Need a Phone for Uber Eats Delivery

This probably goes without saying, but you need to have a smartphone in order to become an Uber Eats delivery driver. After all, the phone is your tool to receive order information. Your phone must have airtime because you might occasionally need to call a customer about a delivery. It must also have up-to-date app and GPS capability. Here are additional Uber Eats driver requirements for the phone:

Minimum of 2 GB RAM
Minimum of 2 GHX processing speed
4.7″ or larger screen size

If you have an Android device, then it must be 6.0 or newer. If you have an iPhone, then it must be iPhone 6 or newer. You can check the Uber website for a list of currently banned devices that don’t meet these minimum requirements. If you have a relatively new smartphone, then you are probably in the clear. Do note that the newer your device, the more likely it will be that you’ll get the best results. The apps are kept up to date, so if you have an older iOS, then it might not run as smoothly.

Check Uber Eats Driver Requirements In Your City

The requirements listed above apply to drivers in most US cities. However, each city has different rules when it comes to Uber and other rideshare and food delivery services. Furthermore, laws are constantly changing. Therefore, it’s important to check the current laws in your city that apply to Uber Eats delivery.

Furthermore, some of the food delivery options aren’t available in every area. For example, delivery by bike is limited primarily to dense urban areas. If you live in a more sprawled-out area, then you might not be able to deliver by bike. This makes sense because people want their food delivered quickly and a bike can only go so fast. When you sign up for Uber Eats, you’ll have that section where you have to choose your transportation mode. If “bicycle” isn’t listed there, then you’ll know that it’s not currently a delivery option in your area.

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5 Animal Businesses You Can Do From Home

March 1, 2019 By David G. Mitchell 33 Comments

Yesterday, I got a dog. We named him “Peter’s Lucky Biscuit” and he is adorable. We had to get a pure breed because we needed a hypoallergenic breed that would be more likely to be compatible with our son’s allergies.

Our son has always wanted a dog. He did all of the research on hypoallergenic breeds and made a very compelling case for getting either a doodle, a Portuguese Water Dog or, my favorite, a basenji. We loved every aspect of the Labradoodles that we met, except for the price tag. We met with two breeders, and both told us the same price — $2500!

Animal Business Ideas: Dog Breeding?

The breeders we met had one thing in common. Dog breeding was a “second job.” In each case, both the husband and wife had day jobs, and the dogs were their second source of income. Both breeders also involved their children and turned breeding into a family activity — one that pays really well.

The breeder from whom we purchased our Biscuit has dogs who have had litters in each of March, April, and May. She has already sold all of the puppies from the April and May litters — 14 puppies at $2500 each. Admittedly there are some overhead costs for food, toys, veterinarian bills, and stud fees, but a huge portion of that $2500 per animal is profit.

Our breeder told us that she and her husband sat down with their two daughters six years ago and had a family meeting. They considered whether breeding was something they wanted to do together. After unanimously agreeing, they purchased two breeding doodles, did a lot of research, and have not looked back since. The younger daughter, now 13, is in charge of photography and the breeder’s website. The elder daughter, now 17, does a lot of the caregiving for the puppies and she must do a good job of it — she just bought a new Volvo convertible with cash she earned caring for puppies.

I’ve learned a lot about animals this month, some of it unpleasant, but most of it wonderful, and I have learned that there are a lot of ways to turn a love of animals, or at least an interest in them, into ways to make money. Here are five animal business ideas you can operate from your home.

Become a Pet Breeder

Whether you breed cats or dogs, you can earn money raising healthy, pure breed animals. If you own your home, you can certainly earn more than enough to pay your annual mortgage with one litter per year. Raising puppies is a lot of work, but it’s also amazingly rewarding. A window pet door and plenty of puppy potty training pads are worthwhile investments as a breeder. Our breeder told us the joy she gets from putting a puppy in a good home makes her feel wonderful for days, even though it is hard to see her “babies” leave her house.

Become a Groomer

In my community, several mobile pet groomers are available to groom pets from a van in the owner’s driveway. One in particular charges anywhere from $50 to $150 per hour depending on the services you choose. There are pet grooming schools in all 50 states. If you love animals and like to be out and about during the day, pet grooming is a great way to earn a living.

Become a Dog Walker

If you live in an urban area, many professionals do not have time to walk their dogs, especially on weekdays. Dog walkers can earn up to $30 per hour and sometimes even more. All you need is a means of traveling to the dogs and a way to advertise your services, and you can set yourself up as a dog walker.

Become a Pet Sitter

When pet owners travel, they do not want to worry about their pets. Pet sitters will visit a pet regularly during the day, feed and water the animal, take the animal for walks, and generally look after the pet while the owner is unable to do so.

Become a Pet Chauffeur

Many pet owners, especially the elderly, are unable to take their pets to veterinary appointments or other appointments (and to be honest, I really cannot figure out what those “other” appointments might be). Pet chauffeurs are drivers who will take pets to those appointments so that the owner does not have to find a way to do so.

Are you an animal lover? Do you already work with animals? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

21 Reasons Dave Ramsey Sucks at Giving Credit Score Advice

February 17, 2019 By Jeffrey Strain 118 Comments

There are huge disadvantages of having no credit score. I actually know this better than most. After living over ten years in Japan, I came back to the US naively assuming that the credit history I had built over there would transfer back to the US. That wasn’t the case and I found myself having to deal with numerous situations without a credit score. From my personal experience of having to deal with all the negatives that come with having no credit score, as well as knowing a number of others who experienced a similar situation to me when they returned, I can say with conviction that Dave Ramsey gives horrible credit score advice.

For those unfamiliar, Dave Ramsey refers to a credit score as the “I-Love-Debt Score” and makes the statement that “the only way to have a good credit score is to go into debt, stay in debt, and continually pay your accounts perfectly — without adding too much debt or paying too much off. In other words, stay in debt for as long as you can.” This is patently false as I currently have no debt whatsoever and yet have a good credit score. Others do too.

He then advises that since you are working to become debt free, once you reach that goal you “…don’t need a credit score, anyway, since you don’t plan on using credit!” While this might sound nice, I can attest that even when you are debt free, a good credit score comes in extremely handy. I would even argue that having one is essential if you want to truly be financially savvy since it can save you a lot of money. If you care about getting the most out of your money, a credit score, whether we like it or not, is important to have.

While you may have heard some of the below arguments before regarding why a credit score can be important, my guess is that some of my arguments you may never have considered before. Below are 21 reasons that it’s important to keep a good credit score even if you’re debt free (and why Dave Ramsey sucks at giving credit score advice).

Wasted Time

This one is huge and one that I rarely see mentioned. I can’t over emphasize this point enough, and I would argue for this reason alone, you want to keep a good credit score. Not having one will mean that you will have to spend a lot more time when it comes to numerous financial situations, including any of the ones mentioned below. If you believe that your time is worth something as I do, wasted time can be a huge cost. Even when you are able to get what you want, you usually have to spend a lot more time explaining why you don’t have a credit score even though you don’t have any debt. I had to spend countless extra hours, many being extremely frustrating, sorting out my financial situation which should have been straight forward and simple all because I had no credit history.

Difficulties Even When Successful

Another problem with having no credit score is that even when you successfully get what you want, it’s much more difficult to get it than if you had a good credit score. Not having a credit score often means going through several layers of management until you can reach someone who will approve what you need. The fact is that for most entry-level employees, if anything isn’t exactly correct, they can’t approve it. That means that people who don’t have credit scores have to work much harder to get things than others that have a good credit score can get without any hassles.

Poor Customer Service

This is another aspect of not having a credit score that is often not mentioned, but the reality is that if you have no credit score, you don’t get treated nearly as well in many situations as you do when you have a good credit. When institutions look up my credit these days, they always seem to come back with a smile and an attitude that they are willing to do anything they can to help me. When I had no credit score, they always came back with concerned looks and a demeanor telling me that it was going to be difficult to help me even if they did the best that they could. The fact is, having a good score means that you will get better treatment from anyone who looks it up.

Lack of Financial Flexibility

Having a good credit score gives you a lot of financial flexibility that isn’t available for those with no credit score. When you have a good credit score, there are many financial institutions that want to work with you. That’s not the case when you have no credit score. Having a quality credit score means that you can get a much better deal when it come to virtually any financial transaction than you could get with no credit score at all. When the unexpected happens and you need to get funds for something that you had never anticipated, you simply have more flexibility in getting them than you do without a score to your name. This include the flexibility of financially helping out others if you choose to do so.

Increase Large Transaction Risks

One of the things that I immediately realized when I was still trying to get a credit card (which I was having trouble doing because I didn’t have a credit score) was the additional risk that came when making large purchases. I have always put the purchase of my airline tickets on credit cards because years ago I had a ticket on an airline that suddenly went bankrupt. Since I had made the purchase with a credit card, the credit card company refunded the amount back to me since I never received the service I had paid for. Had I not paid with a credit card in that instance, I would have simply lost the money. I had to make a number of large purchases upon arriving back in the US and although I was able to make them in other ways, I felt a bit uneasy knowing that if things went wrong, I really had no protection simply due to the lack of a credit rating.

Emergency Cash

Having lived through the Great Hanshin Earthquake (along with a number of smaller natural disasters), I know the importance of having access to emergency funds. When these disasters happen, it’s often impossible to get access to money that you have in your bank account (in the case of the Hanshin Earthquake, it was over 2 weeks before I had access to those funds). It helps to have cash in the days immediately after the disaster when many of the electronic transaction systems are down, but it also helps to have a credit card. During that time, my credit card was a lifesaver in securing a hotel room and other needs when I needed to spend thousands of dollars to get out of the city and find other lodging, but still didn’t have access to my bank accounts. Living in an area of the US where I knew a similar disaster could take place, I found that I needed to keep a lot more cash on hand in case of an emergency. I ended up losing interest on the cash I took out of the bank account plus there was the risk that it might get stolen, or in an emergency I wouldn’t be able to get to where I kept it in my house. Even with a large amount of cash on hand, I still felt my financial preparation was far from adequate had a true emergency happened. That is not the case now that I have good credit and credit cards.

Debit Cards Have Drawbacks

It’s often argued that there really is no need to have credit cards if you have a debit card, but in my experience, there are some definite drawbacks to this argument. I had a friend who had his debit card stolen and his account compromised. While he eventually got all the money that was taken out of his account back, his account ended up being frozen for a few weeks while an investigation took place. During this time, he had no access to any of his banking funds. As mentioned above, in an emergency you might need to access more funds than are in your debit card account with no way to transfer additional funds to it. It also doesn’t cover you with large transactions like an airline ticket refund if an airline goes bankrupt.

Difficulty Getting Security Clearance

One of my friends who came back after living overseas for a number of years landed a great job, but the job required security clearance. The lack of a credit score turned out to be a major stumbling block for him to get his clearance. He eventually did, but it took a lot of time and effort since his lack of one sent up a red flag, and even ended up meaning much more scrutiny in other areas of his life as well to get the clearance. Again, if you consider time and aggravation as a cost, then there is a definite one when you don’t have a score to your name.

Difficulty Getting an Apartment

I remember talking with one apartment manager when returning to the US that told me as soon as I mentioned that I didn’t have a credit score that I wouldn’t get approved for an apartment in his complex. He explained that there was high demand for the apartments so it simply wasn’t worth the risk to management even though I had a good explanation as to why I didn’t have one. While I did eventually find an apartment, the lack of a score caused some type of issue at each complex I looked at, making the entire process much more difficult than it ever should have been, and definitely much more so than if mine had been good.

The Possibility of Divorce

Nobody ever thinks they are going to get divorced when they first get married, but the truth of the matter is a high percentage of couples do. If you go into a divorce without a credit score, this can cause a number of issue both during and after. When people believe that they will never have to take out another loan when they become debt free, they are probably at a point where they never think they will get divorced either. The problem with divorce is that it can be an extremely expensive process and can quickly wipe out any savings and emergency funds that you might have had. Once divorced, financial circumstances can greatly change to where loans you thought you would once never need, might be needed to bridge gaps until you can create a new budget for your new reality. Hiring lawyers, finding a new job, getting a new place to live all become more difficult without a score in an already stressful time.

Difficulty Getting Loan Approval

If there is ever a situation when you need a loan, not having a credit score will make it many times more difficult to secure it than if you have a good credit. The thing is, even if you anticipate never needing to get another loan again, circumstances change and life could place a wrench into your best laid plans. Even if you are debt free at a moment and don’t anticipate ever needing a loan, that can quickly change if you unexpectedly lose a job and are unable to find a new one as quickly as you hoped. Life throws curve balls from time to time and if you are thrown one without a good credit to your name, recovering from it can be a lot more difficult than if you had it.

A More Expensive Mortgage

If you need to take out a mortgage, you will end up paying much more if you don’t have a credit score. The problem is that no credit score is equivalent to a bad credit score to most lending institutions. If they have no records that you can pay off your debts, they assume the worst and assume that you can’t. This means no score is the same as having a terrible score in the eyes of lending institutions. While you still may be able to secure a loan (and you may not), you will end up having to pay a larger interest rate to do it which can mean paying tens of thousands of dollars more over the lifetime of the loan.

Difficulty Securing Utility Services

When I needed to get utilities in my name after returning from Japan, I couldn’t just call and have them turned on like I expected. Several required me to pay a deposit in order to put the service in my name since I had no credit history of paying these bills in the past. It makes for an extra step in the process, it takes more time to get the service and you lose the interest that you could have earned from the money that you must give as a deposit.

Trouble Getting a Cell Phone Contract

Upon my return to the US, I was actually denied the first cell phone contract I tried to get due to no credit history. I was eventually able to secure one, but I ended up having to pay a deposit to do so much like I had to when it came to the utilities. While the deposit wasn’t a huge amount, I did lose the interest that I could have been earning on it. Far more frustrating was the extra time and headaches (and the costs associated with them) caused by not having a score that would have never come into play if I had a good one.

Possible Negative Effect on Job Opportunities

One thing that many people fail to realize is that as many as 70% of companies will check the credit history of a candidate for a job before they hire. With so many qualified people in the job market these days, it’s often the little things that end up determining who gets hired. A lack of a credit score compared with someone with the same qualifications that has a stellar one could be the difference in who gets the job. Similar small details can make the difference on promotions within certain corporations, especially for sensitive positions. If you lose a job or are passed over a promotion, that can mean thousands of dollars in lost income.

Pay More for a Car

There have been a number of surveys over the years that show that some car dealers have a tiered system on how much they mark-up a car depending on the credit score of the individual buying the car. Those who are deemed the least credit worthy, which would include those with no credit score, can be charged as much as 3.5% more for a car than those with top scores. This has nothing to do with the interest rate on a car loan, but the actual amount that is charged for the car. That means that even if you don’t need a car loan, you can potentially end up paying more for a car when you don’t have a score.

Another way that lack of a score can cost you more, as pointed out by Anni in the comments, is that you can often get dealer discounts by financing a car worth thousands of dollars, then pay off the car loan soon after. I know that this situation arises because I did it once for one of my car purchases. I had the cash to purchase the car in full, but there was a deal to save $2000 through the credit section of the car maker if I agreed to finance the car, so it made good financial sense to do so. I took the $2000 discount and the loan, but as soon as the $2000 credit came through, I paid off the entire loan. The key here is that to take advantage of these car maker financing discounts, you have to qualify for them, and if you don’t have a credit score, you’re not likely to do so.

A More Expensive Car Loan

If you do need to take out a car loan, you will end up paying thousands of dollars more in interest charges with no score than you would with a good one. Interest rates for those with good credit are usually in the low single digits, while those without will pay double-digit interest rates on the exact same loan. While you may not think you will ever need to take out a loan again, something that you never expected like a divorce or a lost job could result in you needing to get one.

More Expensive Insurance

The insurance industry is in the business of assessing risk. They look at a wide variety of things to determine the risks of the individuals and families that use their services. One of the things that they look at is your credit score. Having one that is poor makes you a higher risk than an individual who has one that is high. The problem is that having no score doesn’t allow them to determine whether you are a higher or lower risk, so they will always make the assumption that you are a higher risk when the risk is unknown. What that all means is that if you have no score, you will end up paying more for life insurance, car insurance and homeowners insurance than you would if you hade a good score.

Difficulty Getting a Credit Card

One of the things that Dave Ramsey says is that you don’t want credit cards, but this is only true if you can’t control yourself. The truth is that credit cards are only a disadvantage if you don’t pay them off fully each month. Once you are out of debt and have built an emergency fund so that there is no need to put expenses on your credit card that you can’t pay off in full each month, credit cards are actually a financially savvy tool to use. They give you insurance in many transactions you may not have otherwise, they may provide additional insurance for you with certain purchases such as airline tickets and car rentals, and they can even pay you cash back for purchases you would otherwise make. The problem is that if you ever find yourself in a situation where you need a credit card, but you don’t have a score, it can be extremely difficult to get one. Even when you do, you can expect to have a very low credit limit that will take years to grow to where it can be useful for larger purchases. I know because the only credit card I could qualify for when I returned was with a bank that I had been with for over 20 years, and they still would only give me one with a $500 limit to start.

Difficulty Getting School Loans

If you ever decide to go back to school, having no score can make it difficult to secure loans. Again, many assume that they will never need to go to school again, but further education might be the only way to secure a job if you happened to lose the one you have. If you can’t qualify for student loans from your school or federally funded loans to pay for your education, you will have to turn to private loans which have interest rates much higher and can end up costing you thousands of dollar more for the same education.

Difficulty Getting Business Loans

If at any time you decide that you would like to start a business, not having a score can hurt you financially in trying to secure a loan for the business. When banks give business loans to individuals, they want to see that they have a track record of paying out the other loans that they have taken out. With no score to your name, that record doesn’t exist and you become a greater risk to give a business loan to. With no score, you might not be able to qualify for one at all without putting up a large amount of collateral, and even if you do, you are likely to pay a higher interest rate on the loan than if you had good credit. You will definitely have a much more difficult time securing the loan which can mean many more hours (if not days) trying to get the money you need.

Dave Ramsey gives lousy credit score advice because he fails to take into account that life can get messy in ways that we never anticipate. In addition, he doesn’t take into account the costs associated with the extra time and aggravations that can come with not having a score. If it were true that you needed to always remain in debt in order to have a good credit score as he states, I might give him some slack, but the fact is that this statement is patently false, I know because I’m currently debt free with a good score. While I’m certainly not saying that all the advice that he gives is bad, the advice he gives regarding credit scores sucks.

Finally, if you don’t like my analysis and want to see what Dave Ramsey has to say, think about getting a copy of his book The Total Money Makeover. The book is an combination of educational handbook, inspirational coaching guide and self study manual. It has sold something like 5 million copies – so its a good example of his best work.

102 Ways to Make Some Extra Cash

February 11, 2019 By Jennifer Derrick 19 Comments

People often ask me if I know of any ways to make some extra cash. And, although there are tons of ways you can make more money, some of them might take a little longer than others. If you need some ideas for generating some extra money right now, here are 102 quick ideas – particularly if you pick more than one from the list. Below is my list of (relatively) fast and easy ways to come up with a little extra cash in your pocket.

1. Sell your old gold.

2. Collect aluminum and other metals and sell them to a metal recycler. A metal detector makes this easier if you have one. You can also collect cans from your employer if they don’t already have a recycler.

3. Consider driving for Uber or delivering food with UberEats.

4. Do what you do for a full-time job on a freelance basis.

5. Clean out the house and cars and put all the money you find aside. It might surprise you how much small change is lying in the back of drawers, in ashtrays, and between seat cushions.

6. Walk dogs or petsit.

7. Babysit

8. Have a yard sale or open a booth at the flea market.

9. Sell your junk on eBay, Craigslist, Amazon or any of the other good used marketplace websites.

10. Make crafts and sell them on Etsy or at local craft shows.

11. Clip coupons out of the paper and sell them on eBay (yes, people do this).

12. Take online surveys or join rewards programs.

13. If you must spend money, use a rewards credit card that pays cash back and cash out as soon as you’re eligible to do so.

14. Return items you bought but haven’t used for a refund.

15. Pawn something.

16. Rake leaves/shovel snow/cut grass/clean gutters for others.

17. Rent out a room in your house.

18. Start a blog and put ads on it using Google’s AdSense.

19. Become a freelance writer.

20. Become a temporary worker.

21. Become a medical guinea pig or sign up for clinical trials of drugs.

22. Donate plasma.

23. Sell your hair to a wig maker.

24. Sell your eggs to a fertility specialist.

25. Donate sperm at a sperm bank.

26. Start vegetable plants and sell the starter plants for a fraction of what nurseries charge.

27. Drop services you don’t need like cell service, cable, lawn/pool service, or Internet and free upwards of $100/month.

28. Conserve energy and water aggressively and lower those bills to free up extra cash.

29. Return cans and bottles for the deposit if it’s available where you live.

30. Teach something that you are good at to others, either through a community school or private lessons.

31. Sew/make alterations for others.

32. Help the elderly. Offer to do the shopping and take them to appointments, for a small fee.

33. Offer handyman services.

34. Collect ink cartridges from friends and coworkers (and your office if they don’t recycle) and give them to places like Office Depot or Staples for cash back.

35. Wash/detail cars.

36. Wash/detail pets.

37. Sell your stuff to a consignment shop. Here are some tips.

38. Sell food to workers at a construction site.

39. Sell your wedding china to Replacements Ltd.

40. Cash out any “points” you have lying around. Whether it’s from credit/debit card reward programs, store/product loyalty programs, gas rewards, or rewards sites, cash in everything you can and use the cash or gift cards to cover household expenses.

41. Tutor kids.

42. Take a part-time job.

43. Use equipment you already own to make money (power washing, snow blowing, etc.)

44. Help someone move.

45. Act as a driver for the schools. Some public and private schools take on private drivers to go where buses can’t or won’t go.

46. Turn a hobby into profit (photography, cake decorating, scrapbooking, etc.)

47. Use your skills to enter and win contests that pay cash (bake-offs, craft contests, state fairs, etc.)

48. Change people’s oil for them.

49. Use your van or truck to haul heavy things for people.

50. Take any overtime your regular job offers.

51. Clean houses

52. If you have a lot of land, open some up for RV or boat storage at cheap rates.

53. Quit smoking/drinking.

54. Go through drive-through lanes and parking lots after hours and pick up the spare change you find.

55. Use programs like CVS Extra Care and coupons to get toiletry and cleaning items for free. Sell them at your next yard sale.

56. Use coupons and add what you save to your cash stash.

57. Refinance your mortgage. If you can swing the closing costs and you can save a point or two on your interest rate, it may be worthwhile to lower that monthly payment (particularly if you’re carrying PMI and can get out of it by refinancing). Just don’t cash out the equity.

58. Collect old cell phones from friends. family and co-workers and sell them to recyclers such as Greephone.com.

59. Become a human or car billboard. Places will pay you to decorate your car with their logos or wear their logos to popular events.

60. Become a mystery shopper.

61. If there’s a big event coming to your area like a major sports tournament or convention, rent out your house.

62. Panhandle, if it’s legal, or wash windshields at a busy intersection.

63. If you have more than one vehicle, sell one.

64. Unload any tickets you’re holding. If you’ve got season sporting tickets or tickets to the upcoming concert, sell them (just don’t scalp them for more than face value).

65. Test drive for cash. Some car dealers will give you cash or gift cards to come in and test drive a vehicle with no obligation.

66. Drop unnecessary insurance coverage.

67. Drop any “double” services you find. For example, do you have AAA and an insurance policy that provides roadside assistance? Either don’t renew AAA or drop the roadside from your insurance coverage and save the money.

68. Check your state’s unclaimed property office to see if you are owed any money.

69. Cash in any savings bonds you have lying around. You’d be surprised how many people have them gathering dust in a drawer or safe deposit box.

70. Try to negotiate a lower interest rate on any credit card debt you have to lower the monthly payment.

71. Don’t renew magazines, gym memberships, club memberships or any other subscription/membership when it comes up. Let it go and pocket the cash.

72. Use your own ATM. Don’t pay transaction fees at another bank’s machine.

73. Sell any gift cards that you can’t/won’t use on eBay or swap them for ones you will use.

74. Write a book and sell it through LuLu or as a digital download.

75. Make music, art, computer themes, canned websites or clipart and sell them online.

76. Look into bundling the services you need to keep. It might lower the monthly bill.

77. Call all your service providers and ask if you can get a discount because you’re a good customer, always paid on time, or if you’re a member of a certain union or organization. Negotiate a discount if you can.

78. Brown bag your lunch instead of eating out.

79. Actually complete and send in those rebate forms you’ve been meaning to do.

80. Sell your double stuff. Have you digitized your music or video collection to the point where the discs never see the light of day anymore? Sell them.

81. Scrounge the local trash piles for good, intact items and sell them on Craigslist or eBay.

82. You can question the ethics of this one, but people do it all the time: Buy (or acquire for free) items from sites like Freecycle or Craigslist, or at the local thrift shop, and then resell them for a profit.

83. Be a plant/garden sitter. You water and tend to the plants while the owners are away.

84. Become a paid guide at a search website like ChaCha.com.

85. Get paid to submit video reviews of products at sites like ExpoTV.

86. Open a bank account that will pay you a cash bonus for opening the account.

87. Become a focus group participant. Look on Craigslist or in the want ads for postings in your area. Research companies are often listed in the Yellow Pages, as well.

88. Enter contests that give out physical prizes and sell any prizes you win.

89. Send in your FSA or HSA claims. Don’t wait until the end of the year, go ahead and get your money back.

90. Check your health insurance plan for any rebates you’re entitled to. Some reimburse wellness materials like gym memberships or weight loss programs. If you’re paying out of pocket, check and see if you can get the money back.

91. Use a site like Ebates or another rewards program to get cash back on online shopping. Pocket the difference.

92. Ask for a raise at your regular job. It might happen and it never hurts to ask. Even in this economy, you might get it if you’re a valuable employee.

93. If you have a vacant office, room, or garage in your home, rent it out as studio space to artists or musicians whose only alternative is to pay for expensive time in a “real” studio.

94. If you are popular on a message board, ask about a moderator gig. Some are paid a tiny bit each month.

95. Get free samples from sites like StartSampling.com, WalMart.com or many others. It’s not outright cash, but every sample you get and can use or sell reduces the amount of money you have to spend on products.

96. Add affiliate links to your website or blog and get paid when people buy products through your links.

97. Get back anything you’re entitled to. If you replace your car battery yourself, be sure to take the old one back and get the core charge refunded. Get price adjustments on items that go on sale within the store’s specified time frame. Get your security and utility deposits back when you move. Don’t leave any money on the table.

98. Deliver newspapers.

99. Rent out parking spaces. If you live in an area with little parking or near a big event center/arena and you have a little extra space, rent it out for parking.

100. Sign up with Mechanical Turk (Mturk.com) from Amazon.com and take on tasks that interest you.

101. If you have old electronics that won’t sell, try trading them in. There are several stores/websites that offer trade-ins or take backs for cash or gift cards.

102. Stop spending on stuff you don’t need. Seriously. This is the best way to free up cash.

Note that none of these tips require incurring additional debt or cashing out any savings like home equity or raiding a retirement plan. Those are courses of last resort. Try generating extra cash first. If you really want to make some extra money, try turning something you like into a home-based business. There are a lot of ways to generate extra cash if you’re willing to put forth the effort. Use your imagination and draw on your expertise and you can find several ways to bring in some extra money.

Finally, if you are serious about finding ways to make extra cash get and read a copy of One Thousand Ways to Make $1,000. This book is reputed by Warren Buffett’s biographers to be one of the major influences on the legendary investor’s business acumen. After pulling a copy of One Thousand Ways off a shelf at age eleven and devouring F.C. Minaker’s practical advice, Buffett declared that he would be a millionaire by the time he was in his 30s. Written in a plain and conversational style this book is full of inventive ideas on how to make money through hard work, excellent salesmanship, and resourcefulness. Get it from Amazon.com here.

Do you have any ideas for making extra cash? Share with us in the comments below!

What Are the Car Requirements for Lyft Plus?

February 6, 2019 By Tamila McDonald Leave a Comment

Lyft has multiple tiers for the company’s rideshare service. Along with basic Lyft, there is Lyft XL (formerly Lyft Plus), Lyft Lux, and Lyft Lux Black. By having a vehicle that qualifies for one of the categories beyond the basic Lyft, drivers can earn more for each trip. However, not every vehicle is eligible. Here is what you need to know about Lyft XL.

Car Requirements for Lyft Plus / Lyft XL

The vehicle requirements for Lyft XL are pretty simple. First, your vehicle must have at least four doors, not including jump doors. Second, you need to have at least six passenger seats available – a minimum of seven total, as you would need one for a driver. Usually, this means a car will not qualify. Instead, you would need to drive a minivan, SUV, or something similar.

Additionally, there are vehicle age requirements, though they vary by location. Here is an overview of the vehicle age requirements, based on the state:

Alabama – 2004 or newer
Alaska – 2007 or newer
Arizona – 2003 or newer (2005 or newer for Eastern Arizona, Lake Havasu City/Kingman, Northern Arizona, Yuma)
Arkansas – 2003 or newer (2005 or newer for Fayetteville)
California 2003 or newer (2005 or newer for Bakersfield, Eastern Sierras, Fresno, Inland Empire/San Bernardino, Lake Tahoe, Los Angeles, Modesto, Monterey, Napa & Sonoma, Orange County, Sacramento, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Stockton, Ventura; 2004 or newer for San Francisco, Silicon Valley/San Jose)
Colorado – 2004 or newer
Connecticut – 2007 or newer
Delaware – 2003 or newer
Florida – 2003 or newer (2007 or newer for Bradenton, Jacksonville, Miami/South FL, Naples, Orlando, Port of Charlotte, Sarasota, Tampa; 2004 or newer for Daytona Beach, Florida Keys, Fort Myers, Lakeland, Ocala, Port St. Lucie)
Georgia – 2007 or newer
Hawaii – 2003 or newer
Idaho – 2005 or newer for Coeur d’Alene, Idaho Falls; 2004 or newer for Boise
Illinois – 2003 or newer (2004 or newer for Chicago; 2009 or newer for Bloomington; 2005 or newer for Decatur, Kankakee)
Indiana – 2003 or newer (2005 or newer for Gary, Muncie, Terre Haute)
Iowa – 2003 or newer
Kansas – 2003 or newer (2005 or newer for Manhattan, Topeka, Western Kansas)
Kentucky – 2003 or newer
Louisiana – 2003 or newer (2011 or newer for New Orleans; 2006 or newer for Baton Rouge; 2005 or newer for Monroe)
Maine – 2004 or newer
Maryland – 2007 or newer
Massachusetts – 2003 or newer (2004 or newer for Cape Cod, Springfield, Worcester)
Michigan – 2006 or newer
Minnesota – 2003 or newer (2004 or newer for Minneapolis/St. Paul, though 2008 or older vehicles much has less than 150,000 miles on them; 2009 or newer for Duluth)
Mississippi – 2003 or newer (2005 or newer for Gulfport-Biloxi)
Missouri – 2003 or newer (2007 or newer for St. Louis; 2005 or newer for Springfield)
Montana – 2004 or newer
Nebraska – 2003 or newer (2005 or newer for Western Nebraska)
Nevada – 2003 or newer (2009 or newer for Las Vegas Area)
New Hampshire – 2003 or newer
New Jersey – 2004 or newer
New Mexico – 2003 or newer (2005 or newer for Las Cruces, Roswell, Taos)
New York – 2004 or newer (All NYC vehicles requirements are governed by the city’s Taxi and Limousine Commission)
North Carolina – 2003 or newer (2005 or newer for Outer Banks)
North Dakota – 2003 or newer
Ohio – 2003 or newer
Oklahoma – 2003 or newer (2009 or newer for Ardmore, Woodward)
Oregon – 2004 or newer (2009 or newer for Portland; 2003 or newer for Medford)
Pennsylvania – 2004 or newer, and fewer than 350,000 miles
Rhode Island – 2004 or newer
South Carolina – 2003 or newer
South Dakota – 2009 or newer
Tennessee – 2003 or newer (2005 or newer for Cookeville, Jackson, Johnson City)
Texas – 2003 or newer (2005 or newer for Abilene, Amarillo, Tyler, Victoria)
Utah – 2005 or newer
Vermont – 2009 or newer
Virginia – 2003 or newer (2005 or newer for Fredericksburg)
Washington – 2004 or newer (2009 or newer for King County/Seattle/Tacoma, Olympia)
Washington DC – 2009 or newer
West Virginia – 2003 or newer (2005 or newer for Martinsburg)
Wisconsin – 2003 or newer (2004 or newer for Green Bay; 2005 or newer for Janesville, Madison, Milwaukee, Sheboygan-Fond du Lac Area)
Wyoming – 2005 or newer

It’s important to note that these requirements may change. States may alter the oldest model year that is acceptable, potentially annually, to keep the maximum age in line with their standards.

Additionally, the Lyft Lux Black XL program has additional requirements. Namely, that the vehicle needs to be a black SUV and ultra-high-end, including leather or leather-like seats. Some examples of qualifying Lyft Lux Black XL vehicles are:

BMW X5
Cadillac Escalade
Lincoln Navigator

Becoming a Lyft XL Driver

Signing up as a Lyft XL driver is incredibly simple. If your vehicle meets the requirements, Lyft opts you into the program automatically. You do not have to take any additional steps if the qualifying vehicle is on the platform.

However, if you were driving for Lyft with a smaller car before, you will need to adjust your profile to qualify for Lyft XL. The company only allows one vehicle to be approved on an account, so you will need to add details about your larger one so you can make the switch.

To make the change, head over to your Driver Dashboard in the Vehicle section of the app. There, you can add details and upload documentation (inspection, insurance, and possibly registration information) for your bigger vehicle. Typically, it takes no more than 24 hours for the new vehicle to be approved by Lyft, suggesting what you submitted is complete and meets the company’s requirements.

If you want to be a Lyft Lux Black XL driver, you also have to maintain a driver rating of 4.7 or higher. New drivers have to build that rating through other programs before being eligible.

Do you drive or use Lyft Plus? Tell us about your experience in the comments below.

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