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The IRS on Monday halted a decadeslong practice of unannounced visits to homes or businesses to collect unpaid balances for most taxpayers.
The decision comes amid safety concerns from IRS employees and taxpayers, according to IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel.
Effective immediately, the agency will now make initial contact via mailed letters to schedule in-person meetings.

IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel speaks at a Senate Finance Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., on April 19, 2023.
Al Drago | Bloomberg | Getty Images

The IRS on Monday ended its controversial practice of unannounced visits to homes or businesses from agency revenue officers for most taxpayers. Part of a broader IRS overhaul, the policy change aims to lessen public confusion and improve safety.
“Starting today, if someone’s ringing your doorbell, it’s extremely unlikely to be an IRS collection employee unless you made an appointment for a home visit,” IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel told reporters on a call. “The change reverses a long-standing practice by IRS revenue officers that goes back decades.”

Previously, revenue officers — different from the revenue agents who conduct audits — visited homes and businesses unannounced to recover “substantial tax debt” with a median unpaid balance of $110,000, he said.
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The decision comes amid safety concerns from IRS employees and taxpayers, according to Werfel. “Knocking on someone’s door today is a different scenario than it was 10 or 15 years ago, and there have been significant reports from IRS employees where they have felt unsafe,” he said.
Effective immediately, the agency will now make initial contact via a mailed letter, known as a 725-B, to schedule in-person meetings with taxpayers in most cases. “We have the tools we need to successfully collect revenue without adding stress with unannounced visits,” Werfel said.
The National Treasury Employees Union, which represents employees at 34 federal agencies, including IRS workers, said it supports the policy change. “Unfortunately, the hostile rhetoric and false claims about IRS employees have made their work more dangerous in recent years,” Tony Reardon, national president of the National Treasury Employees Union said in a statement. Some Republicans have cited concerns about “new IRS agents” in a push to strip IRS funding.

“The revenue officers we represent will continue to efficiently and effectively carry out their mission of helping taxpayers meet their lawful tax obligations through other means of communication,” Reardon said. 

IRS visits may still occur in ‘extremely limited situations’

While the policy change eliminates most unannounced visits, there are “extremely limited situations” when they could still occur, such as summonses and subpoenas or the seizure of assets. “These activities are just a drop in the bucket compared to the number of visits that have taken place in the past,” Werfel said.
There are typically a few hundred of these types of visits each year, compared to tens of thousands of unannounced visits annually under the old policy, he said.
Previously, unannounced visits were “a routine part of the job” for the agency’s revenue officers, with 100,000 cases assigned each year, Werfel said. But it’s unclear exactly how many unannounced visits occurred annually. More

More small businesses are relying on influencers to build brand recognition on social media.
When Ariana Madix, one of the stars of Bravo’s “Vanderpump Rules,” stepped out wearing a Boys Lie hoodie and matching sweatpants post-breakup, sales of the sweatsuit skyrocketed, according to the brand’s co-founders.
The brand’s marketing strategy involves gifting the clothes to celebrities and social media influencers at no cost, in hopes they will post photos in the apparel on their own feeds.

It was the betrayal heard around the world.
Earlier this year, when Bravo’s “Vanderpump Rules” star Tom Sandoval cheated on his long-time girlfriend Ariana Madix with their co-star and real-life friend, Raquel Leviss, it reverberated from social media to front-page news.

Madix summed up the cheating scandal, dubbed “Scandoval,” well, stepping out days later on her way to tape the highly anticipated “Vanderpump Rules” reunion in a yellow hoodie and matching sweatpants from the clothing brand Boys Lie.

Arrows pointing outwards

Tori Robinson and Leah O’Malley, best friends and co-founders of Los Angeles-based Boys Lie, said the paparazzi photo caused an immediate spike in sales of the brand’s “1-800-BOYS-LIE” sweatshirt and sweatpants.
“It blew up in a way we had never seen before,” Robinson said.
Robinson and O’Malley started the business in 2018, but it wasn’t until they began making clothing with their simple catch phrase, “boys lie” — and celebrities started wearing it — that their brand got off the ground.
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More recently, Tori Spelling wore a Boys Lie T-shirt in her first outing after news of her divorce from Dean McDermott broke after 17 years of marriage. Once again, the catchy logo caused a stir.
“Our brand is a way to represent your emotions without having to say anything at all,” O’Malley said.
Their marketing strategy involves gifting the clothes to celebrities and social media influencers at no cost. In return, Robinson and O’Malley hope the celebrities and influencers will post photos in the apparel on their own on feeds. This, alone, helps drives sales.

A business born on Instagram

Tori Robinson and Leah O’Malley, co-founders of Los Angeles-based Boys Lie.

“We strictly gift out with the hope that a celebrity will wear it,” Robinson said, then they circulate the photos online. So far, it has worked. Last year, the pair made $8 million in revenue by selling both wholesale and direct to consumer and are on track to hit between $9 million and $10 million in 2023, according to the company.
TikTok and Instagram have quickly become the easiest and cheapest way to launch a business.
As e-commerce platforms, they are highly effective, too. Most people, particularly millennials and Gen Zers, have spent money they weren’t originally planning to on products they saw in their social media feeds, several studies show.

What’s next for Boys Lie

Now the duo is working on their next “drop” and have a podcast by the same name. Boys Lie has become “more of a lifestyle,” Robinson said.
O’Malley likens them to “big sisters” for their customers who often write in to share their own relationship horror stories.
“Anyone can go through heartbreak,” she said. “We’ve become a voice to vent.”
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While the job market remains favorable for workers, 1 in 3 respondents kept their latest job exit a secret from family, according to a report.
The decision to keep the news to yourself is understandable, but you should be “getting your bearings and making a plan,” said Mandi Woodruff-Santos, a career and money expert.
If you don’t feel comfortable about sharing the news publicly on social media platforms, make sure you have a plan to contact people in your network directly to find new openings.

Woman carrying a cardboard box, leaving office.
JGI/Tom Grill

Even though the job market is still favorable for workers, Americans looking for a new role are facing more competition compared with two years ago. But workers who find themselves unexpectedly job hunting aren’t always making the most of a valuable resource: their network.
To that point, 31% of workers who were fired kept their recent job exit a secret from family and only 29% told their friends, according to a survey by career advice website Zety. The website surveyed 990 respondents, including 26% who said they were fired from their last job and 57% who quit their last job.

People with an annual salary over $75,000 are more likely to stay quiet about losing a job compared with people who earned up to $50,000 a year, at 43% versus 21%, Zety found.

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It’s understandable that you may want to keep the news to yourself for a while because even well-meaning family members and friends may add to your stress or heighten anxiety when you should be “getting your bearings and making a plan,” said career and money expert Mandi Woodruff-Santos.
However, make a plan of action and focus on taking your next steps, because reaching out to people in your network is “about creating professional resiliency,” said Woodruff-Santos, who is the co-host of the podcast series “Brown Ambition” and founder of MandiMoney Makers.At some point, you’ll need to share the news and can benefit in the long run.

‘You’re going to have to learn how to talk about it’

Even if you’re not ready to share your job loss with friends and family, it is in your best interest to at least reach out to people in your industry for potential leads, said Caroline Ceniza-Levine, founder and career coach at DreamCareerClub.com.
Your network “is your biggest source of leads to get your next job,” said Ceniza-Levine. “I can see maybe people don’t want to talk about it, but the reality is that you’re going to have to learn how to talk about it.”

If you don’t feel comfortable about sharing the news publicly on social media platforms, make sure you have a plan to contact people in your network directly to find new openings. If you don’t start soon, you may miss opportunities, Woodruff-Santos said.It will benefit you in the long run the sooner you learn to talk about it by overcoming your emotions, said Ceniza-Levine. Have an in-depth conversation with a reliable friend or mentor about your last job and what you’re looking for, she added.
On the other hand, don’t immediately turn to your keyboard and publish your initial reactions to your job loss on social media. There are measures you should take before making that jump.

How to frame your job loss when hunting for a new role

While the term “fired” is used interchangeably, it is widely used when you are let go for cause or when “there are performance-related reasons,” Ceniza-Levine said. The term “laid off” could be tied to internal restructuring in the company.
If you were recently let go for cause, it is in your best interest to steer away from any social media platform to “air your grievances” while the tension is still high, Woodruff-Santos said. While it may feel good in the moment to vent in a public forum, you may be drawing unwanted attention, she added.
Additionally, you may be legally barred from doing so. Your former employer may have asked you to sign a legal agreement that prohibits you from sharing confidential or internal company information, she added. With or without the legal guardrail, a rant may look bad to future employers.

When you are ready to post a statement about your job loss, keep it professional. For instance, a good start would be the following: “I’ve parted ways with my company and I’m excited for a new opportunity. Here’s what I am looking for in this new chapter,” said Woodruff-Santos.
As you apply for new roles, avoid getting into all the details of your job exit until you have established yourself as a good candidate in the interview process, Ceniza-Levine said.
If and when your job exit comes up with a prospective employer, be honest and stick to the facts. Focus on your next steps by saying you are ready for the new role. You’re not “hiding something that’s dirty or shameful” with this approach, said Ceniza-Levine.”You never want to be a job candidate that lives in the past,” she added. More

The Rivian name is shown on one of their new electric SUV vehicles in San Diego, U.S., December 16, 2022.
Mike Blake | Reuters

There is more to investing in the right stocks than just buying them after a hot earnings report.
Investors can become better informed by researching the opinions of Wall Street experts, especially as they dive into the details of companies’ quarterly results.

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Here are five stocks chosen by Wall Street’s top analysts, according to TipRanks, a platform that ranks analysts based on their past performance.

Salesforce

First on this week’s list is cloud-based customer relationship management software provider Salesforce (CRM). The company recently announced that it would be raising the prices for some of its cloud products by 9% on average starting in August.
This marked the first price hike for Salesforce in seven years. Also, it comes at a time when cloud players are under pressure, as clients are optimizing their IT spending due to macro challenges. (See Salesforce Blogger Opinions & Sentiment on TipRanks) 
BMO Capital analyst Keith Bachman thinks that the company’s new generative artificial intelligence products and price increases across its core cloud products, including Sales, Service and Marketing clouds, as well as Tableau, could drive growth in fiscal year 2025 (calendar year 2024).
The analyst added that generative AI increases the importance of data, thus providing an advantage to companies that can help consolidate, curate and protect data. “In our opinion, Salesforce is well positioned to help companies leverage data, including GenAI,” said Bachman.

Bachman reiterated a buy rating on Salesforce and raised his price target to $255 from $245. He ranks No. 463 out of more than 8,500 analysts tracked on TipRanks. Also, 59% percent of his ratings have been profitable, with an average return of 8.6%.

Dell

Personal computer makers, including Dell (DELL), have been facing significant headwinds, as the demand for desktops and laptops plunged following a pandemic-driven rush.
However, Deutsche Bank analyst Sidney Ho highlighted that recent data points in the PC supply chain indicate that inventory has normalized, raising hopes that PC shipments could be above-seasonal levels in the second half of 2023.
Ho sees an upside to Dell’s Client Solutions Group (CSG) fiscal second-quarter revenue guidance of “roughly flat” on a quarter-over-quarter basis. Further, Gartner data indicates a gradual improvement in business demand trends, which works well for Dell as it has a significantly higher market share of 23% in the commercial PC market compared to a 9% share in the consumer PC market. Still, Ho cautioned about continued risks in the server market.
“Looking beyond the cyclical downturn, we believe a strong capital returns program could be a source of EPS upside for DELL, especially as its leverage ratio approaches its target level,” explained Ho.
Ho raised the price target on DELL to $60 from $48 and reiterated a buy rating. The analyst ranks 65th among more than 8,500 analysts on TipRanks. Ho’s ratings have been profitable 66% of the time, with each one delivering an average return of 23.9%. (See DELL Insider Trading Activity on TipRanks)         

Rivian Automotive

Next on our list is U.S. electric vehicle maker Rivian (RIVN), which impressed investors earlier this month with higher-than-expected deliveries for the second quarter. The company also reaffirmed its annual production guidance of 50,000 vehicles for 2023.
Mizuho analyst Vijay Rakesh sees a possibility of Rivian exceeding its 50,000 production guidance. The analyst noted that the company is executing well, with second-quarter production rising 49% quarter-over-quarter to about 14,000 units and handily exceeding his growth estimate of 23%.   
“We see the strong 1H23 deliveries positioning RIVN well for future ramps into 2H23E and beyond,” said Rakesh, who ranks 32 among more than 8,500 analysts on TipRanks. (See Rivian Financial Statements on TipRanks) 
The analyst increased his 2023 delivery estimate for Rivian’s R1 vehicle lines to about 39,000 units from 37,000, while maintaining the estimate for its EDVs (electric delivery vans) at 11,000. The analyst expects Rivian to deliver over 92,000 and 115,000 vehicles in 2024 and 2025, respectively.
In line with his bullish stance, Rakesh increased his price target for RIVN to $30 from $27 and maintained a buy rating. Rakesh has a success rate of 64% and each of his ratings has returned 23.9%, on average.

Mobileye Global

Rakesh is also bullish on Mobileye Global (MBLY), an Israel-based provider of autonomous driving technology. The analyst said that recent trends in the electric vehicle and advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) bode well for Mobileye.
Rakesh noted that Mobileye’s key customer Zeekr, an EV brand owned by Geely Automobile, is ramping its production, with the June quarter units rising 80% sequentially to 27,000. This implies stronger prospects for Mobileye’s SuperVision systems in the June and September quarters.
The analyst now expects SuperVision units to increase 83% to about 163,000 this year, up from his prior outlook of 150,000. He also thinks that problems at Volkswagen’s software unit Cariad could create new opportunities for SuperVision at Porsche and other Volkswagen brands.
Rakesh raised his price target for MBLY to $48 from $43 and reiterated a buy rating on the stock. “We continue to see MBLY positioned well with ~70% market share and a strong AV [autonomous vehicles] roadmap,” he said. (See Mobileye Hedge Fund Trading Activity on TipRanks)           

Alphabet

The rapid growth of OpenAI’s ChatGPT has triggered massive interest in generative artificial intelligence. Tech giants, including Google parent Alphabet (GOOGL), have joined the race and are making huge investments to capture opportunities in this space.
Tigress Financial Partners analyst Ivan Feinseth thinks that the growing integration of AI functionality will help Alphabet maintain its dominant position across all key technology trends, including search, mobile, cloud, data center, home automation, autonomous vehicle tech and more.
He also expects the company to benefit from the increased integration of its Android operating system into Internet of Things devices. It will also benefit from Android’s adoption by several leading automotive original equipment manufacturers as the key driver of their infotainment platforms.
Further, GOOGL continues to build and strengthen its product portfolio through strategic acquisitions and collaborations, including those focusing on AI technology. Indeed, the company is a backer of AI startup Anthropic.
“GOOGL’s strong balance sheet and cash flow enable the ongoing funding of key growth initiatives, strategic acquisitions, and the further enhancement of shareholder returns through ongoing share repurchase,” said Feinseth.    
Feinseth increased his price target for GOOGL to $172 from $160 and maintained a buy rating on the stock. The analyst holds the 201st position among more than 8,500 analysts on TipRanks. His ratings have been profitable 61% of the time, with each rating delivering an average return of 13.2%. (See Alphabet Stock Chart on TipRanks) More

The thought of retiring and funding your retirement adequately might be daunting. But if you start planning now, you’ll certainly be thankful later. It’s never too early to start thinking about retirement.
Retirement usually entails replacing your annual salary from a workplace with other income sources to maintain your current lifestyle. While Social Security may cover part of your budget, there are understandably reasons to be concerned about how much you could receive from Social Security by the time you retire. The rest of your money will most likely need to come from your savings and investments.

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CNBC crunched the numbers, and we can tell you how much you need to save now to get $40,000, $50,000 and $60,000 every year in retirement, without taking a bite out of your principal. It might not be as difficult as you think.

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First, there are some ground rules. The numbers assume you will retire at age 65 and that you currently have no money in savings.
Financial advisors typically recommend the mix of investments in your portfolio shift gradually to become more conservative as you approach retirement. But even in retirement, you’ll likely still have a mix of stocks and bonds, as well as cash. For investing, we assume a conservative annual 6% return when you are working and an even more conservative 3% rate during your “interest-only” retirement.
We also do not factor in inflation, taxes or any additional income you may get from Social Security or your 401(k) investment plan.
We have a full breakdown of how much you need to save now if your goal is to get to $40,000, $50,000 or $60,000 every year in retirement.
Watch the video above to learn more. More

Modelo Especial beer arranged in the Brooklyn Borough of New York, U.S., on Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2021.
Gabby Jones | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Company: Constellation Brands (STZ)

Business: Constellation Brands is an international producer and marketer of beer, wine and spirits with operations in the U.S., Mexico, New Zealand and Italy with powerful, consumer-connected, high-quality brands like Corona Extra, Modelo Especial, the Robert Mondavi brand family, Kim Crawford, Meiomi, The Prisoner Wine Company, High West, Casa Noble and Mi Campo.
Stock Market Value: $49.4B ($269.50 per share)

Activist: Elliott Investment Management

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Percentage Ownership:  n/a
Average Cost: n/a
Activist Commentary: Elliott is a very successful and astute activist investor, particularly in the technology sector. The firm’s team includes analysts from leading tech private equity firms, engineers, operating partners – former technology CEO and COOs. When evaluating an investment, the firm also hires specialty and general management consultants, expert cost analysts and industry specialists. Elliott often watches companies for many years before investing and has an extensive stable of impressive board candidates. The firm has not disclosed its stake in this investment, but based on its history, we would expect it to be in excess of $1 billion.

What’s happening?

On July 18, Elliott and Constellation entered into a cooperation agreement, pursuant to which the company agreed to increase the size of its board to 13 directors from 11 and appoint William T. Giles (former chief financial officer and executive vice president – finance, information technology and store development, customer satisfaction for AutoZone), and Luca Zaramella (CFO and EVP of Mondelez International), as members of the board with initial terms expiring at the company’s 2024 annual meeting. Elliott agreed to abide by certain customary voting and standstill provisions.

Behind the scenes

Constellation Brands produces and markets beer, wine and spirits, but it’s essentially a beer company with 85% of its revenue coming from beer sales. Historically, it has been a niche brand marketer in a family-controlled business. But that is all changing. In November 2022, the company undertook a reclassification, which led to the Sands family getting paid $1.5 billion for their Class B stock and took the company out of family control. Moreover, it is not just a niche beer business anymore. Modelo Especial has become the No. 1 selling beer in the U.S. and has high single-digit volume growth, something that is very rare in the oligopoly of the beer industry. This is an industry with stable cash flow and high margins. Similar businesses trade at 30 to 35 times earnings as opposed to 22.6 times for Constellation. So, what has gone wrong here?

First, the company has traded at a discount because of the dual-class share structure that allowed the Sands family to control Constellation. Second, as we often see with family-controlled companies, there has been a lack of discipline that has led to the erosion of shareholder value and the loss of shareholder confidence. In 2018, Constellation raised its stake in a cannabis company, Canopy Growth, by $4 billion. That’s in addition to its initial investment of about $190 million in 2017. The arrangement has not worked out, leading to a write down of more than $1 billion. The company had also commenced the construction of a $1.4 billion brewery in Mexicali, Mexico and ultimately was forced to close it in 2020. Constellation also bought craft brewer Ballast Point in 2015 for $1 billion, only to sell it about four years later.
However, since these missteps the company, has taken meaningful steps in the right direction. In March 2019, Bill Newlands became president and CEO, succeeding Rob Sands. Also, the restructuring took the company out of family control and led to the Sands family abdicating their executive and committee roles, including Rob Sands announcing his retirement as chairman earlier this month. Now, they have appointed two activist-induced directors to the board after Elliott has been working amicably with the CEO and management for several months. Now, the company is looking for a new independent chair and for the first time ever is in a position to be run like a public company for the benefit of shareholders.
That should not be that difficult for a company like this. The low hanging fruit here is for management to just stay out of its own way. A refreshed board with a CEO not beholden to the Sands family should lead to a more disciplined capex and strategic plan that should not only avoid the self-induced errors of the past but be accretive to shareholder value and earnings per share. This leaves a core beer business that can now be operated without unnecessary distractions. This business has had consistent revenue growth of high single digits. While some of this can be attributed to missteps made by Anheuser-Busch, Modelo has established itself as a top brand along Budweiser and Coors and has a much larger path for growth. Unlike Budweiser and Coors, Modelo does not currently enjoy mass U.S. penetration. It is very well represented in the West, but has a lot of distribution growth opportunity throughout the rest of the country, particularly in the middle of the country and the Eastern Seaboard. It should not take more than just basic “blocking and tackling” to continue this growth and the high margins that come along with it. Finally, there is an opportunity to grow and operate the wine and spirits business. A disciplined board and management team that regains the confidence of shareholders could do some strategic acquisitions to grow this business.
Ken Squire is the founder and president of 13D Monitor, an institutional research service on shareholder activism, and the founder and portfolio manager of the 13D Activist Fund, a mutual fund that invests in a portfolio of activist 13D investments. More

Early dating has a new challenge: the ubiquity of gratuity screens and changing expectations of when we should tip and how much. 
“It could be a deal breaker on a first date,” said Lizzie Post, co-host of the “Awesome Etiquette” podcast, about someone’s tipping practices.

Voronchuk Daria | Istock | Getty Images

Last summer, Sherry Gui brought a date to her local bar in Manhattan. Gui, a law school student, had been going to the establishment for three years, and was friends with the bartenders and staff. When the evening ended, the guy picked up the check, which she was grateful for — until he wrote in the tip amount.
“It was lower than what I normally would [tip] and actually lower than the expectation I had of him, like he has a respectable job,” said Gui, 29. “I just felt like it was a representation of me, as well.”

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Early dating can put a magnifying glass on the differences between two people. One of those areas may be tipping practices, made only more fraught of late with the ubiquity of gratuity screens and changing expectations of when we should tip and how much. 
“It could be a deal breaker on a first date,” said Lizzie Post, co-host of the “Awesome Etiquette” podcast, about someone’s tipping practices. You or your date may conclude, Post said, “‘I’m not even going to give them a second chance.'” 

Tipping may ‘correlate with other types of generosity’ 

The main question in most people’s minds during the first few dates is often: Do I want to keep seeing this person? And so it makes sense that single people are taking everything into consideration about the person across from them at the table.
Their tipping behavior might be especially revealing, said Irina Manta, a New York-based dating coach and consultant. 

“I do think that someone who does not tip properly is probably going to correlate with other types of generosity,” said Manta, who also co-hosts “Strangers on the Internet,” a podcast series about online dating.
Simply put, not leaving a good tip — or any tip — can be a huge turn off, Manta added. 
Blaine Anderson, a dating coach for men in Austin, Texas, agreed, Tipping “is important because it can be a proxy for how you treat everyone in your life.”

‘Make sure you’re doing the minimum’ 

But if you’re confused about how much to tip and when on a date, you’re not alone. 
During the fourth quarter of 2022, the frequency of tips provided at full-service restaurants grew 17% while tip frequency at quick-service restaurants — like coffee shops — swelled 16%, according to a study from payment processor company Square. 

It can get tense if waitstaff presents you with bigger tip percentages than they used to, or your barista flips the screen with tip options, when you’re with someone you’re trying to impress.
Keep in mind that some traditions remain in place, said Nick Leighton, co-host of the etiquette podcast “Were You Raised by Wolves?”
“While the number of iPads asking us to tip 25%, 35% or 45% for a cup of coffee may be growing, the etiquette rules around tipping haven’t actually changed,” Leighton said.
Leaving a 20% tip at restaurants is still the standard, experts say. “You want to at least make sure you’re doing the minimum when it comes to tipping,” Post said. 
For pick-up food and drink options, there is more discretion. These situations should make you think back to the tip jar days, Post said, “You often leave a dollar or two per drink, depending on how complex the drink is.”

[Tipping] is important because it can be a proxy for how you treat everyone in your life.

Blaine Anderson
Dating coach

Meanwhile, you always want to have a range of bills handy for moments where cash tips are appropriate, Anderson said, “Being prepared with cash for these situations makes you look smooth.”
Manta, the New York dating coach, said it was bad form to be too nosy about your date’s tipping practices. When she was dating, she wouldn’t lean over to the other side of the table to get a look at the check. 
“It’s not like I played Sherlock Holmes to find out how they tipped,” Manta said.

Don’t be flashy or false with your tip

While being a generous tipper can impress your date — and more importantly, fulfil your responsibility to the people serving you — you don’t want to be a show off, experts say.
“Definitely don’t call attention to your tip, no matter how generous it is,” Anderson said.
You want your tipping to be “a gracious moment,” Post said.
“If you flash your money to try to get better service, or if you’re really showy, it does just come off a little tasteless,” Post said. “People feel the show of that and it doesn’t always feel comfortable.”
You also don’t want to tip any differently on a date than you normally would, Leighton said: “If you never actually tip, that’s something your date should know about you and you shouldn’t pretend otherwise.”
In 2017, Manta matched with Carlos Farini on the dating app Bumble.
They had a few glasses of wine at a bar on their first date. As a former service worker himself, Farini always tipped well, which reflected the No. 1 quality she searched for in a partner — kindness.
They’ve now been happily married for five years. More

Accessible, affordable housing is currently out of reach for many disabled or elderly Americans.
At a Thursday Senate hearing, experts suggested possible solutions, including updating existing homes and construction of new homes that would be available to people with lower incomes.

Lucy Lambriex | DigitalVision | Getty Images

Despite a sizeable elderly and disabled population in the U.S., there is not enough affordable housing to accommodate those individuals.
“For millions of Americans, adequate housing is more of an aspiration than a reality,” said Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., who serves as chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, at a Thursday hearing.

“In particular, too many older adults and people with disabilities cannot afford accessible housing,” Casey said.
About 26% of the U.S. population — or about 61 million people — have a disability, Casey said. At the same time, 1 in 5 Americans will be older than 65 by 2030.
Accessible homes — which offer specific features or technologies — can help older and disabled individuals continue to live in their own homes or in communities they choose. That may include wider doorways, lower counters and sinks and accessible bathrooms.
Yet less than 5% of the national housing supply is accessible, Casey said. Moreover, less than 1% of housing is available to wheelchairs.
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Leaders on both sides of the political aisle agree the shortage of adequate housing is a problem.
The U.S. is between 3 million and 6 million houses short of what the market needs, noted Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., ranking member of the Senate aging committee.
The problem has been complicated by state and federal regulatory burdens, higher infrastructure costs, supply chain constraints, work force shortages and increased materials costs due to inflation, Braun noted.
“Sometimes we’re at odds in terms of what we should do, but there’s always practical legislation in the middle, and I’d hope that we can have those conversations that get us there,” Braun said.
Suggestions for improvements emerged during Thursday’s hearing.

Develop affordable, accessible housing

For Dominique Howell, a disability housing advocate based in Philadelphia, finding an adequate place to call home that can accommodate her disability has been a struggle, she testified at Thursday’s hearing.
Five years ago, Howell said, she was “wrongfully evicted” from her home, along with her daughter, who was 3 years old at the time, and her grandmother.
Howell was initially prohibited from entering a shelter, due to the home- and community-based services she receives. After finding legal representation, she was able to enter the shelter, though she slept in her power wheelchair for a year.
Today, Howell and her daughter have found a home. However, it still has accessibility challenges, she said. When the elevator breaks, she and other residents are sometimes forced to spend weeks in their homes.

“Housing is a human right and unfortunately for too many Americans, especially people with disabilities, are not being equally granted the right of housing they can afford that is accessible,” Howell said.
To address the situation, Pennsylvania and other states should “develop affordable accessible housing to match the needs of residents,” she said.
Retrofitting older homes to update them and improve accessibility may be one solution, said Jenny Schuetz, a senior fellow at Brookings Metro. However, updating millions of homes is an “enormous task” that would require both private and public capital, she said.
Making homes more affordable for elderly and disabled populations is crucial, said Allie Cannington, senior manager of advocacy at The Kelsey, a disability-forward housing developer.
“For people with disabilities who rely on Supplemental Security Income and other forms of federal assistance, there is no U.S. housing market where rent is affordable,” Cannington said, an issue that affects more than 4.8 million people with disabilities.

Encourage new housing construction

The U.S. has not built enough housing since the Great Recession to keep up with job and population growth, noted Schuetz. To fill the gap, the U.S. needs about 3.8 million additional homes nationally, according to estimates, she said.
Local markets are also feeling the effects. In Indiana, for example, 18,000 to 22,000 new houses per year are needed in order to meet average demand, according to Rick Wajda, chief executive of the Indiana Builders Association. Yet the state only reached those levels of production in 2020 for the first time since 2007, he said.
To reverse the “underbuilding” trend that has been prevalent since the Great Recession, there should be financial incentives for local governments to revise zoning to allow for more kinds of structures, Schuetz said.

Regulations may be relaxed to shorten delays that often lead to increased building costs, according to Wajda. Permit, hookup or impact fees, as well as development and construction standards, may get in the way of development, he said.
Restrictive building codes may also add thousands of dollars to a house’s cost, thereby adding thousands of dollars to the cost of a house, Wajda said.
“All regulations should be examined for their impact on housing affordability,” he said.
To address the shortage of accessible and affordable housing for vulnerable populations, Casey has proposed a bill that would require a percentage of homes built through the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program to meet accessibility standards.
It remains to be seen whether the proposal will receive the support needed to become law. More