Head coach John Kuester of the Detroit Pistons (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
The Detroit Pistons are entering the most important offseason of Troy Weaver’s tenure as General Manager.
He has torn down the roster and started to build it back up with foundational young talent in Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren, but four years of tanking is enough, and it is time to this team to start to compete.
No one is expecting the Pistons to win the title next season, but they at least need to make the kind of leap that teams like Orlando and OKC made to get within shouting distance of the play-in tournament or to actually make it.
If Weaver fails to build a coherent roster that looks like it is on its way to being a sustainable winner, his seat will start to get hot, though most fans are still happy with his work so far.
He has a tall task in front of him this offseason and has to avoid the types of mistakes that could set the rebuild back.
3 disastrous mistakes the Detroit Pistons must avoid this summer
#1: Hiring the wrong coach
As we saw in the late Joe Dumars era, a constant carousel of coaches is not the way to build a sustained winner. The Pistons have had Dwane Casey for the last five years, so there has been continuity, even if the team wasn’t winning.
This is Troy Weaver’s first chance to get “his guy” and he needs to get it right, as he needs to keep his young players happy and ready to sign extensions when the time comes. The Pistons don’t have enough credibility as a franchise right now (well done Tom Gores!) to be changing out coaches every other year, so they need to make the right hire of a guy who can grow with the team and provide the type of stability that Casey has over the last five seasons.
The early frontrunners are all younger coaches who have not had their first head coaching job yet, and if Weaver gets the right person, they could be coach for a long time coming. If he chooses the wrong one, we could be right back here in two years and someone else might be doing the hiring.
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The most significant of those rules was defensive three seconds.
Former Suns owner Jerry Colangelo believed that it could end up being "one of the most significant changes" since the league implemented a shot clock. While some didn't like it at the time — Shaquille O'Neal said it "stinks" — there's no denying that it has opened up the game.
How exactly does defensive three seconds work? Let's take a closer look.
Defensive three seconds and illegal defense is used synonymously.
The NBA implemented the rule to prevent defenders from planting themselves underneath the basket. When a defender is in the paint, they must be "actively guarding an opponent," meaning they are within arm's length of an offensive player and in a guarding position, within three seconds.
Also known as the lane or key, the paint is the rectangular area between the free throw line and baseline.
If the defender gets whistled for defensive three seconds, a technical foul is assessed, resulting in a free throw and possession of the ball for the opposing team.
According to the rule book, the count starts when the opposing team is in control of the ball in the frontcourt. It's stopped if one of the following happens:
A player is in the act of shooting.
There is a loss of team control.
The defender is actively guarding an opponent.
The defender completely clears the 16-foot lane.
It is imminent the defender will become legal.
How defenders avoid defensive three seconds
There are a few well-known ways that defenders skirt the defensive three-second rules.
The first is that defenders can hang out in the paint as long as they like if they are guarding the player in possession of the ball. Once the player gives up the ball, however, the defender either has to "actively guard" them or clear the lane.
You'll sometimes see teams have their best shot blocker defend the weakest shooter on the opposing team even if they play a different position so that they can stay closer to the basket.
This is an extreme example of LeBron James doing it to Ben Simmons:
Another tactic that has grown in popularity is called cleansing.
As The Athletic's Eric Nehm detailed, it's something Defensive Player of the Year finalist Brook Lopez does particularly well. When he's in the paint and someone he's not defending cuts around him, he'll touch them to "cleanse" himself of the three seconds count because he's "actively guarding an opponent."
“When someone comes through, it’s just a touch,” Lopez explained to Nehm. “Or if there is a back cut, just reach out and get that little touch and honestly they (the officials) give it to you sometimes as they just pass by (smiles). We’re just passing ships in the night and you don’t get him."
Lopez has also mastered the art of 2.9-ing or "two-nineing," which is when the defender will take a step outside of the key for a split-second to reset the defensive three seconds count.
You can see Raptors star Pascal Siakam try to do it here, but his right foot didn't quite clear the lane in time:
Some offensive players will use that to their advantage, knowing that a defender can't stay in the paint for more than 2.9 seconds.
Notice how Nikola Jokic points at Jusuf Nurkic to draw attention to him hanging in the paint and then attacks Damian Lillard when Nurkic steps outside of the paint.
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Wall Street was flat last week. I thought my "three stocks to avoid" -- Tesla Motors, and Crown Castle, and MicroStrategy -- were going to lose to the market in the past week. They declined 11%, 13%, and 3%, respectively. The final result was an average slide of 9% for the week.
The S&P 500 inched 0.1% lower. I was correct. I have been right 51 of the past 79 weeks, or 65% of the time.
Let's turn our attention to the week ahead. I see Altria(MO0.29%), and Intel(INTC2.89%), and MicroStrategy(MSTR8.36%) as stocks you might want to consider steering clear of this week. Let's go over my near-term concerns with all three investments.
1. Altria
Visit the landing page of Altria's website, and you'll be hit with Federal Court-mandated statements that all tobacco companies have to disclose on the risks of smoking. The very first thing you see when you hit its Investor Relations page is this unflattering case of self-flagellation.
We're guided by consumers and by the science that strongly supports the significant public health benefit of moving smokers toward a smoke-free future. Of course, the best choice for smokers is to quit.
It's hard to succeed when biting your lip is your marketing missive. To Altria's credit, it has moved beyond cigarettes over the years. Its empire went on to embrace wines, vaping, and cannabis, but at the end it's still at the mercy of vices with problematically addictive characteristics that can face regulatory crackdowns as it's experiencing now with its flagship product.
Image source: Getty Images.
Altria will discuss its first-quarter results on Thursday morning. Analysts see low single-digit growth on both ends of the income statement, but this is a former blue chip that has proven mortal lately. Altria used to routinely "smoke" Wall Street profit targets, but it has failed to beat earnings forecasts by more than 1% for three consecutive quarters. Analysts see revenue growing by less than 2% this year and again in 2024, failing to keep up with inflation.
Income investors will gravitate to Altria's addictive 8.1% yield, but the path to sustainability -- and much less growth -- isn't clear. With its debt-heavy balance sheet in a climate of rising borrowing costs and a dicey outlook for most of its businesses the near-term prospects aren't promising. It's hard to get excited about this week's financial update.
2. Intel
Another titan that could be serving up unsatisfactory quarterly results this week is Intel. The chipmaker has evolved beyond its PC roots, but even its data-centric solutions are struggling to show signs of life.
Analysts see a quarterly deficit when Intel reports fresh financials after the market close on Thursday, reversing a prior profit. Revenue is expected to fall sharply. It's not a fluke, as Wall Street's bracing for a 20% decline on the top line this year. The market isn't necessarily being conservative here. Intel has missed analyst earnings estimates in two of the last three reports.
Unlike Altria, Intel's 1.6% dividend yield isn't going to be a dinner bell when income investors can safely earn three times as much in a top money market fund. Analyst earnings estimates for this year and 2024 have fallen precipitously over the last few months. The old "Intel Inside" marketing campaign rings hollow when Intel has been out to the doghouse.
3. MicroStrategy
MicroStrategy was the best performer of the three stocks I figured would lose to the market last week, shedding 3% of its value against double-digit percentage losses with the other two entires. Let's keep it on this list. The stock has still more than doubled this year -- entirely on the rebound in Bitcoin(BTC0.00%) -- making it vulnerable unless cryptocurrency prices keeps climbing higher.
Its claim to fame is that MicroStrategy is the largest corporate holder of Bitcoin, shelling out $4.2 billion over the years for 140,000 Bitcoin. The stake is currently worth $3.9 billion, accounting for the majority of its $6.2 billion in enterprise value.
There isn't a lot to like about MicroStrategy, unless you see the point of buying a company that has 63% of its enterprise value backed by the current price of Bitcoin. Its core business intelligence software platform is woefully uninspiring. Revenue has declined in seven of the past eight years. Michael Saylor is the name everyone knows when it comes to MicroStrategy, but he stepped down as CEO last year after his 33-year tenure. He remains as the enterprise software specialist's executive chairman, but until the business itself shows signs of life this is basically a way to overpay for Bitcoin itself.
The stock market is always on the move. If you're looking for safe stocks, you aren't likely to find them in Altria, Intel, and MicroStrategy this week.
Rick Munarriz has positions in Bitcoin. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bitcoin, Crown Castle, and Tesla. The Motley Fool recommends Intel and recommends the following options: long January 2023 $57.50 calls on Intel and long January 2025 $45 calls on Intel. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Many know that capital gains taxes are what you owe when you sell an investment that has gained value since you bought it. What’s less well-known is that you can end up owing capital gains taxes on an investment that has lost value since you purchased it and that you haven’t even sold!
Getting caught in that capital gains tax trap has led many to unpleasant and expensive surprises come tax season. There’s a way to avoid this problem, but only if you understand why it happens.
Mutual Funds: Popular Investments, With Pitfalls
Mutual funds are attractive because they provide automatic diversification. Rather than having to buy dozens of different assets in order to diversify your portfolio, you can buy into a mutual fund that already owns a wide variety of assets.
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But because of how they’re structured, there are some interesting caveats to consider. When another investor in a mutual fund decides to sell their stake, the mutual fund has to pay them the value of their shares. Because the mutual fund itself doesn’t usually maintain large amounts of cash assets, when it owes money, it must raise those funds by selling its assets.
If those assets are worth more when the mutual fund sells them than they were when it bought them, the fund will owe capital gains taxes that its remaining members must pay. Members with large stakes in a mutual fund that sells a lot of assets that have greatly appreciated in value can find themselves owing tens of thousands of dollars in capital gains taxes, even if the overall value of the mutual fund went down in that tax year!
You might think an easy way to save members from owing large tax bills at the end of the year would be for a mutual fund to structure its asset sales such that some are sold at a loss in order to offset the assets that gained in value via tax-loss harvesting. You’d be right! Balanced selling would be a good solution, but for many mutual funds, there’s an incentive not to do that.
Highly Focused on Performance Metrics
Mutual fund performance metrics are based on how much value the mutual fund’s assets gain. Selling only assets that have gained in value increases the mutual fund’s performance assessment. Investors looking for a mutual fund to buy into are understandably more likely to choose one that reports highly positive performance than one that reports middling or negative performance.
In order to attract new investors by showing the highest performance possible, mutual funds often make decisions that negatively impact their current investors’ tax picture. There are several ways to avoid this problem:
If your mutual fund is part of an employer-sponsored 401(k), you’ll automatically avoid it because those accounts have different tax regulations that, by default, shield them from capital gains when funds inside them sell assets.
If you wish to invest in a mutual fund outside of an employer-sponsored account, look for a “tax-efficient” mutual fund. These funds take into account the tax burden they’re imposing on their investors when making divestment decisions.
However, these funds still have the fundamental weakness of you not being in control of what they do. You are relying on the decisions of the fund managers to make your investment worthwhile. Fund managers will naturally make decisions that prioritize the survival of the mutual fund itself rather than focusing on the tax implications for their investors. If those decisions aren’t in your favor, your retirement savings can suffer.
Avoiding the Tax Bomb: ETFs
Another option, and one we often steer our clients toward, is to avoid the mutual fund altogether and instead consider an ETF. In the past, people invested in mutual funds for diversification, even with small investments. Being able to spend $1,000 to invest in 3,000 companies is attractive because of the automatic diversity of your investment.
Today, ETFs do the same thing, but you avoid the risk of stumbling into the capital gains trap. We much prefer to see our clients invest in individual securities and ETFs for their taxable retirement accounts. The investor can derive the same portfolio diversity as with a mutual fund while gaining the ability to direct their investments personally. We feel that, when possible, it’s good practice to be completely in control of your investments.
It's Important to Work With a Fiduciary
The mutual fund tax bomb is one that’s often encountered by people whose financial professionals lack an individualized approach to each client and who have been incentivized to sell certain products — it’s common to encounter investment firms that are motivated to sell certain products.
If a broker receives a commission every time a client invests in a mutual fund, there’s a natural tendency for that broker to want every client to invest in that mutual fund! That’s why it’s important to choose an independent fiduciaryadviser who does not get paid based on which products their clients choose. Only with such independence can a client be confident that their interests are prioritized over their adviser’s profits.
This article was written by and presents the views of our contributing adviser, not the Kiplinger editorial staff. You can check adviser records with the SEC(opens in new tab) or with FINRA(opens in new tab).
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A moment of silence for all the relationships that soured faster than milk forgotten on the kitchen counter overnight the moment you asked to be repaid for money you loaned.
When someone finds themselves in a bind financially, it’s often those closest to them who they reach out to for support.
But financial loans between close friends or relatives can easily fall into awkward territory for both the potential lender and borrower; one party can find themselves feeling unfairly burdened with problems that are not theirs to resolve, while the other must tackle the almost inevitable discomfort attached to having to ask for help in the first place.
Blurring the lines between relationships and finances can put a strain on even the strongest of relationships, as borrowers may not feel the same urgency to repay their loan as they would be required to if approaching a financial institution.
So where does that leave you, the potential borrower? While you may want to hurriedly agree to your loved one’s request for a loan, it is best to press pause and process your own feelings before making any commitments.
Lending money- or choosing not to- is a personal decision which should never be made with guilt or pity as our main deciding factor.
Being prepared in advance gives you the upper hand to handle awkward money conversations before they arise.
Be firm but kind
It’s not always what you say but, in most cases, how you say it. Even as you enforce your financial boundaries, it is basic human decency to treat people with respect when they are in a vulnerable position as this can help to make an uncomfortable situation less jarring for them.
People will always remember how you made them feel during a low moment. The compassion you extend can preserve the closeness of your relationship without having to abandon your own boundaries.
And who knows- a day may come where you require the same empathy.
Offer to help in another way
Depending on the purpose for which you are being asked to borrow money, it can be helpful to explore with the person asking whether there is any other way you can be of assistance other than providing them with a cash bail out. A friend who needs help to hire a babysitter in order to fulfill a work obligation, for example, can benefit from an offer to look after their children for during the specific period. In the same way, a relative who is job hunting and needs suitable attire for their interview may be able to appreciate an item in your closet; what you offer will depend on the type of relationship the two of you enjoy.
People all need help from time to time, and making yourself available to help in some other way can lessen the blow of rejection while affirming your commitment to your loved one.
Keep your finances private
People instinctively want to share good news in their lives and financial progress is no different. While you may want to dote about a raise or lumpsum payment you recently received, sharing too much information can make you an attractive target for someone wanting to borrow money. Many people who experience financial success speak of friends either assuming that money can be easily lent because the person “has it to give”.
If someone moves from simply asking to demanding or expecting money on the basis of your financial status, it might be time to establish new boundaries. You’re also not obligated to explain the extent of your own financial responsibilities either. A healthy partner will respect your boundary without holding it against you.
Be aware of patterns
The unfortunate truth is that kind-hearted people are often taken for granted- and those who prey on others can have no limits to how much they will take.
By agreeing to be a crutch for a loved one who has grown accustomed to turning to you in their moments of need, you also handicap them from developing a sense of self sufficiency, in turn creating a cycle of over-dependence.
Also, pay attention to the purpose a person is asking for money. A general rule is to stick to choosing to offer assistance for necessities only.
In the event that you do decide to lend money, it’s still recommended to establish some rules to help the process to go as smoothly as possible.
Never lend more than you can afford to lose
It’s a good rule of thumb to lend only amounts you are able to do without for an extended period . This protects you from falling into you own precarious situation should the person repay their loan later than promised or, even worse, end up not paying at all.
Create a contractual agreement
Yes, even for your closest relative or friend. The truth is there can be a breakdown in relationships and a borrower who feels slighted may falter on their promise to repay.
The document doesn’t have to be a complex legal document but having a paper trail with a signed signature can protect you if the relationship goes sour.
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Healthy, well-kept trees and shrubs are an asset to any yard and there are varieties for every plot, whether you want trees to populate a large area or are looking for shrubs for a tiny spot.
Knowing how to prune them correctly is an important part of gardening. Get it right and you will have healthy, shapely trees and shrubs richly laden with blossom and fruits, but fall foul of common pruning mistakes and you could end up causing longterm damage to your plants.
Pruning can feel challenging to many gardeners, especially new ones, but once you know the main pruning mistakes to avoid it becomes much easier and less stressful. In fact, there is immense satisfaction in learning advice like the one third pruning rule to correctly prune an overgrown or neglected plant and watching it become a flourishing asset to your yard.
(Image credit: Annie Swithinbank/Future)
The top 5 pruning mistakes you need to know
Pruning is an important skill for every gardener and once you have mastered it your trees and shrubs will flourish.
However, if you have a pruning task that you think may be too large or beyond your capabilities, such as if a large branch needs to come down or a whole tree needs felling, never try to do it yourself. For your own safety, and that of the people around you, call in reputable, professional arborists or tree surgeons.
Here I talk you through the five most common pruning mistakes and show you how to avoid them.
1. Using dirty, blunt tools
One of the biggest pruning mistakes can happen even before you make the first cut. If your cutting tools are blunt, rusty or covered in dried sap from the last time you used them you are storing up a lot of problems for yourself.
Blunt tools don’t cut cleanly and will leave the bare ends of wood jagged and frayed, and this can create entry points for pests and diseases, so always clean and sharpen tools after use.
Pruners and shears that have been left rusty and dirty also carry the risk of infecting the plants they are subsequently used on, especially if they have previously been used on diseased wood. It is easy to clean garden tools, so there is no excuse not to!
Gently scour away rust using a steel wool scrubber, then oil the hinges and moving parts with Felco tool lubricant, available on Amazon(opens in new tab). If you want to disinfect your tools, I would recommend a general purpose disinfectant or antibacterial spray wiped over the blades.
Make sure you use the right cutting equipment for the right job too. Pruning shears like this gonicc bypass pair on Amazon(opens in new tab)are perfect for twigs the diameter of a pencil. Loppers are ideal for thicker stems – I use this ratcheted Fiskars pair available on Amazon(opens in new tab). And pruning saws, like this Rexbeti pruning saw on Amazon(opens in new tab), or bow saws, such as as this Great Neck saw on Amazon(opens in new tab), are what you need for the largest branches.
Dirty and blunt pruners will damage wood and potentially spread disease
(Image credit: Getty Images/Decha Khemthong)
2. Pruning at the wrong time
Different trees need pruning at different times of the year and if they are cut back at the wrong time it can check their growth or even kill them.
If trees are pruned when they are growing, in spring and summer, they will lose a lot of sap from the pruning wounds and this will weaken them and offer a way in for pests and disease.
Most deciduous trees (those that lose their leaves at the end of summer) are pruned when they are dormant, from fall to late winter, just before their leaf buds start to swell and open up.
The exception to this rule are trees that are affected by silver leaf disease, and they include plums and gages, apricots and peach trees, almonds and members of the cherry tree family. Silver leaf is a fungal disease caused by Chondrostereum purpureum. It infects through pruning wounds and the spores are at their most active in fall and winter, meaning it is best to prune the most susceptible varieties in summer.
Should any of your trees contract the disease, which causes a silver sheen on the foliage, dark stains within the wood when it is cut, and finally bracket fungi on dead branches, you should remove the diseased wood back to healthy growth. Dispose of the diseased wood immediately and disinfect cutting tools thoroughly. Never shred diseased wood, add it to your home compost heap or use it as a mulch as this will help to spread disease to other plants.
Mulching trees after pruning helps to feed their roots, then give them a general tree and shrub fertilizer in spring, such as this one by Bioadvance on Amazon(opens in new tab), to give them a boost as the growing season starts.
Evergreen trees should be pruned when the weather starts to warm up in spring, as cutting them back in the fall or winter can cause frost burns and dieback to the shortened stems.
Pruning trees, shrubs and climbers during the growing season will cause them to bleed sap which can weaken them
(Image credit: Alamy Stock Images/m.schuppich)
3. Ignoring disease and dieback
Never ignore signs of disease or dieback when pruning, even if only a small area of the tree or shrub is affected, because if it is left it is likely to spread and may eventually kill the plant.
The first thing to do when pruning is look for the ‘three Ds’: growth that is damaged, dead or diseased, and remove it back to healthy wood.
There is no need to use wound paint to protect fresh cuts, but do disinfect and sharpen your tools after each use to ensure there is no risk of spreading the disease to other plants.
Always remove dead wood back to healthy growth
(Image credit: Future/Ruth Hayes)
4. Removing too much wood
There is a well-known gardeners' saying 'look twice and prune once', and it always helps to remember it when cutting back trees and shrubs.
The wood and leaves removed when pruning contain two of the main food sources for the plant. Wood stores carbohydrates essential for growth, while the leaves make their own carbs when they photosynthesise.
If you prune too hard you remove the fuel needed for healthy growth and regeneration, which can lead to a weakened plant that is more vulnerable to pest attacks and disease.
Never ‘top’ a tree by removing the main leader or upright stem, as the tree will try and compensate by producing lots of leafy growth at the expense of flowers and fruit.
Removing too much wood from a tree or shrub can check its growth and even kill it
(Image credit: Alamy Stock Photos/Tim Gainey)
5. Neglecting pruning for several seasons
Leaving your tree or shrub to its own devices, to grow without being kept in check, is as bad as overpruning.
Annual pruning is important because it encourages the generation of healthy new growth to replace older wood that may not be as healthy or good at producing flowers and fruit.
Neglecting pruning will eventually result in a tree or shrub with a tangle of branches that looks a mess and adds very little to your backyard landscaping.
Over time the branches and leaves will grow so dense they prevent light from reaching the inner branches, causing a reduction in flowering and fruiting as well as the proliferation of pests and disease.
On the other hand, remembering to prune at the right time each year allows you to create the optimum silhouette for a tree or shrub.
This is an open goblet shape that allows maximum light and air to all the branches, helping dispel fungal problems that thrive in still, damp atmospheres and letting light and warmth into the blossom and fruit.
Neglecting trees will result in a tangle of branches and reduced flowers and fruits
(Image credit: Alamy Stock Photos/David Wei)
Once you have got to grips with the most common pruning mistakes and are feeling more confident, it is one of the most satisfying of garden tasks and allows you to create a wonderful looking plot with strong silhouettes and colors.
What's more, the longer twiggy off-cuts can come in very useful in your plot. I tend to use them as natural-looking plant supports in my borders in the summer months, so not only do my plants look better, pruning saves me spending more money too.
You’ve been entering the Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes for decades with high hopes. And then, one day, it happens. You get a phone call that you’ve won. But before you can claim your prize, there are a few things you’ll need to do, the phone representative says.
Wait. Stop. Pause and breathe. There are a few things you should know about potential Publishers Clearing House scams before you start spending that money.
Is Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes a Scam?
Publishers Clearing House is not a scam. PCH has been running its popular and beloved sweepstakes since 1967 and has awarded more than $315 million in prizes.
But while the company is legitimate, scammers have been posing as the long-running publishing house and preying on unsuspecting individuals. There are a few scenarios scammers might use to try to separate you from your hard-earned dollars without offering anything in return.
Publishers Clearing House Phone Scams
Seniors in Mississippi have received phone calls claiming that they won. The catch? Supposed “winners” have to pay money for taxes first.
Some scammers even ask people to provide their Social Security number and bank account information in order to claim the prize.
Publishers Clearing House Scam Letters
Scammers aren’t just reaching out via phone calls. People have reported receiving letters claiming they won the PCH sweepstakes. In Minnesota, one letter said that the recipient had to pay $15,000 in taxes to claim their multimillion-dollar prize, AARP reported.
In some cases, the letter will provide a phone number to call. Once the scammers have you on the phone, they might request payments in gift cards or cash. They could even request personal information, which they can use to steal your identity.
Scammers posing as PCH might also mail a large check and request that the “winner” cashes the check and sends a portion of the money back to cover fees. The check will bounce, and the recipient will be left without their expected prize winnings and may have to pay bank fees on top of that.
Signs You Didn’t Win the Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes
Fortunately, it’s easy to spot a Publishers Clearing House scam if you know what to look for.
If you get a phone call from someone claiming to be from PCH, hang up immediately. PCH never calls prize winners.
If you receive a letter in the mail, don’t celebrate yet. PCH often mails prize winners before the PCH Prize Patrol comes to town. But they don’t send the check in the mail. That’s a sign that your letter may not be from PCH.
Here is a look at some other signs of Publishers Clearing House scams.
You Never Entered the Sweepstakes
As the saying for a popular lottery goes, “You’ve gotta be in it to win it.” If you haven’t entered the PCH sweepstakes, you didn’t win. Full stop. You must mail in your card or complete the registration form on the PCH website by the deadline for the next drawing.
You Received a Check Larger Than $10,000 in the Mail
For prizes larger than $10,000, the PCH Prize Patrol arrives unannounced at your home with a giant check, roses and celebrities like Steve Harvey. You may receive a letter in advance, but you won’t receive the check via mail. If you receive a check that looks like it’s from PCH and is worth more than $10,000, it’s fake. Don’t cash it.
You Are Asked To Send Money or Gift Cards
If anyone asks you to send money to cover fees or requests your bank account information or Social Security number to claim your prize, it’s a scam.
You will be responsible for paying taxes on your PCH winnings, but you don’t have to pay them upfront before you receive your prize. PCH will never ask you for money.
PCH official Christopher Irving told AARP, “At some point, a scam artist will ask you to send money, to pay some type of fees… to get your prize. We do not make such requests.”
How To Confirm That You Actually Won PCH
PCH may send a letter to winners prior to arriving at your doorstep with the PCH Prize Patrol. If you receive a letter that looks like it’s from PCH, you can call PCH customer service at 800-459-4724 to confirm your winnings.
Can You Really Win the Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes?
Although PCH is a legitimate sweepstakes with winners every month, that doesn’t mean it’s easy to win. StatisticsHowTo.com says the odds of winning the lifelong $5,000 a week prize is 1 in 6.2 billion. Your odds of a one-time cash prize of just $2,500 is roughly 1 in 130 million.
PCH says the odds of winning the current sweepstakes, offering $300,000 per year for 29 years with an additional $6.3 million payment on the 30th year, are one in 7.2 billion. On the other hand, the odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are roughly 1 in 292 million, but you’ll need to pay to enter.
Final Note
With sweepstakes season in full swing, it’s important to protect your interests, your identity and your money. While winning the Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes may seem too good to be true, it can happen. Just make sure to confirm your prizes by calling PCH directly. Do not send money, gift cards or share personal information with anyone who may not be from PCH.
Editorial Note: This content is not provided by any entity covered in this article. Any opinions, analyses, reviews, ratings or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author alone and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any entity named in this article.
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“I’m feeling burnt out!” That’s a comment we’ve been hearing more often than ever. What is it? Well, burnout is a result of prolonged and excessive stress that puts you in a state of physical and emotional exhaustion. It can lead to a decline in work performance, decreased motivation, and poor physical and mental health. Burnout can affect anyone, regardless of their age, profession or social status. Read on to find out signs that indicate that you may be experiencing burnout and solutions to deal with it..
What are the signs of burnout?
Let’s take a look at what are some signs that you are experiencing burnout as shared through an Instagram post by well-known psychologist Dr Lalitaa Suglani:
1. Physical exhaustion
One of the most common signs of burnout is physical exhaustion. You may feel tired all the time, even after getting enough sleep. Your body may ache, and you may feel like you do not have the energy to do anything.
Solution: Dr Kamna Chhibber, Clinical Psychologist, Fortis Healthcare advises that you should slow down the pace of your work. Give yourself more time than you usually would to complete tasks and schedule fewer tasks than you typically would for the day. Ensure you try to get adequate sleep and rest and focus on nutrition and physical exercise.
2. Emotional exhaustion
Burnout can also lead to emotional exhaustion. You may feel emotionally drained, and it may be hard for you to feel joy or enthusiasm about anything. You may also find yourself becoming irritable, easily frustrated, or angry.
Solution: Create time for the activities that would help you feel relaxed and rejuvenated. “Make sure you share the experiences you are having with people around you so they understand you are not slacking but need to slow down to be able to regain energy and feel ready to take on tasks,” says Dr Chhibber.
Sometimes, it’s just good to sit back and relax! Image courtesy: Shutterstock
3. Lack of motivation
When you are burned out, you may find that you lack the motivation to do anything. You may feel like you are stuck in a rut and cannot move forward.
Solution: Dr Chhibber advises that one should identify the situations that are leading to the burnout and look toward solving the problems that are contributing towards the state. Sometimes, all it takes is a change of scenery or a different approach to a task to reignite your motivation.
4. Decreased job satisfaction
Burnout can also lead to decreased job satisfaction. You may feel like you are not making a difference or that your work is not valued.
Solution: Look for ways to find meaning and purpose in your work. Identify the aspects of your job that you enjoy and focus on those. Sometimes, finding a new challenge or learning a new skill can make a big difference in how you feel about your work.
5. Lack of focus
When you are burned out, it can be hard to concentrate on anything. You may find yourself easily distracted or unable to stay on task.
Solution: “Find ways to manage your thoughts and feelings, modulating them in a way that they do not overwhelm you,” suggests Dr Chhibber. Try to minimize distractions, create a quiet workspace, and take regular breaks to clear your mind.
6. Reduced creativity
Burnout can also affect your creativity. You may find it hard to come up with new ideas or feel like you are stuck in a rut.
Solution: Engage in creative activities that are not related to work. This can be anything from painting to playing an instrument to writing poetry. Finding a creative outlet can help you tap into your creativity and improve your mood.
Indulge in creative activities to uplift your mood! Image courtesy: Shutterstock
7. Increased absenteeism
Burnout can lead to increased absenteeism, as you may feel like you need to take time off to recover.
Solution: Take regular breaks throughout the day to recharge your batteries. This can be something as simple as taking a short walk outside or practicing deep breathing exercises.
8. Neglecting relationships
When you are burned out, it can be easy to neglect your relationships with friends and family. You may feel like you do not have the energy to socialize or that you do not have anything to talk about.
Solution: Make an effort to stay connected with the people in your life. Find time to catch up with them or make fun plans to hang out.
To recover from a burnout make time to hang with your loved ones. Image courtesy: Adobe Stock
Recognizing the signs of burnout and taking action to address them is important for maintaining good physical and mental health. By following the solutions provided above, you can take steps to overcome burnout and start feeling better. Remember, taking care of yourself is not a luxury, it’s a necessity.
Graphics card sag, or GPU sag, is something almost everyone who’s ever owned a high-end graphics card has experienced. It’s that sinking feeling you get when your expensive new GPU droops in its PCIExpress slot, testing the strength of its mounts to keep it in place. But even if it manages to do so, the long-term effect of GPU sag can be quite dramatic, leading to degradation and even failure.
Fortunately, it’s easy to fix GPU sag. If you act early, you’ve nothing to fear.
GPU sag is when a graphics card, typically a larger, heavier one, cannot be fully supported by the PCIExpress slot and PCI Bracket. Modern graphics cards can often carry large coolers, which have significant weight to them — more than these traditional mounting points can adequately handle. With the printed circuit board (PCB) unable to hold its rigidity, the board droops, or sags downwards at the top corner without direct support.
This isn’t necessarily a problem in the short term — as long as the card is in the slot fully, it should work just fine. However, there’s a reason that many manufacturers include additional support brackets with particularly big, heavy, and expensive graphics cards: GPU sag can damage your GPU. YouTuber KrisFix-Germany reported in April that he had samples of Nvidia RTX 2080 Ti GPUs that no longer work because the memory modules closest to the PCIExpress slot have damaged connection points. He noted failed solder joints on the PCB and oxidation on the memory contacts.
He suggests that this is caused by GPU sag, where the stressed PCB flexes as it warms and cools throughout use, eventually damaging nearby connections. Although he was able to fix this particular issue, it suggests GPU sag is a real problem that has the potential to break expensive hardware that otherwise has plenty of life left in it.
Cooler Master
How do you fix GPU sag?
GPU sag is caused by a GPU’s weight being inadequately supported, so the solution is to add more support!
There are several ways you can improve a GPU’s support. Certain cases have more robust PCIExpress bracket designs, and many high-end motherboards have additional reinforcement (sometimes called armor) around the PCIExpress slots.
The best way to add additional GPU support, though, is underneath it on that top corner. There are GPU support brackets designed specifically for this, like the fancy-looking Cooler Master solution above; many high-end GPUs come with one in the box. However, you don’t need to use a GPU support bracket. Anything that’s sturdy enough to take the weight and nonconductive will be absolutely fine. Lego bricks, a tupperware tub, or even a toilet paper roll will do.
Another option is to change the mounting of the GPU. Vertical graphics card mounting is possible in some cases, and there are expansion kits that can make it viable in others. This involves connecting the GPU to a ribbon cable that then plugs into the PCIExpress slot, letting you mount the graphics card in a vertical (or alternate) orientation. No longer fighting against gravity, the card can sit comfortably, sag-free.
LANSING – Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is warning consumers to beware of another method hackers have devised to steal their personal data.
The FBI calls it “Juice Jacking,” a cyber-theft tactic that can occur whenever an electronic device is plugged into a public charging station like those found in airports or hotel lobbies.
These public charging stations are open to anyone, including bad actors, who can secretly install malware into the stations. When unsuspecting consumers plug in their devices, the malware gains access to the device being charged. The malware can lock the device or export personal data and passwords.
Juice jacking can happen in 2 ways: by plugging a device into a public USB port with your own charging cable, or by using an infected cable provided by someone else. The FCC has even reported incidents of infected cables being given away as promotional gifts. In some cases, hackers will install and hide a skimming device inside the USB ports of the kiosk.
“This is yet another nefarious way bad actors have discovered that allows them to steal and profit from what doesn’t belong to them,” Nessel said. “Consumers typically don’t think twice before plugging into a public charging station. But knowing the risks and alternatives will allow them to protect themselves and their personal information.”
AG Nessel provided the following tips to avoid becoming a Juice Jacking victim.
Avoid using a public USB charging station. Use an AC power outlet instead.
Bring an AC outlet charger, car chargers, and your own USB cables with you when traveling.
Carry a portable charger or external battery.
Consider carrying a charging-only cable (which prevents data from sending or receiving while charging) from a trusted supplier.
If you plug your device into a USB port and a prompt appears asking you to select "share data" or “charge only,” always select “charge only.”
“Be vigilant when charging your devices in public because you never know who or what is waiting to snatch your data when you least expect it,” Nessel said.
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