Casey O'Brien

eidl Featured

Will You Qualify for an EIDL Grant in the New Stimulus Package?

Included in the stimulus package [https://helloskip.com/blog/complete-details-of-the-new-900-billion-stimulus-package/?ref=skipblog] that Congress passed this week is funding for more EIDL grants for small businesses. The bill earmarked $20 billion for EIDL grants, which are grants of up to $10,000

ppp Featured

Everything You Need to Know About the Second Round of PPP Funding

After months of debate, leaders in Congress finally agreed on a stimulus package [https://helloskip.com/blog/congress-works-into-the-evening-to-finalize-a-stimulus-deal/] yesterday, December 20th. As of Monday evening, the House has passed this bill, and the Senate is expected to pass the bill on

stimulus

Breaking News: Stimulus Checks Will Likely Be Included in New Relief Bill

Stimulus negotiations took a new turn today as lawmakers continue to work to pass a relief bill this week. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is now in support of direct stimulus payments to individuals and is working to get other Republicans on board. Lawmakers will likely be working throughout the

driver license

Can I Get A Drivers' License If I Am Not a U.S. Citizen?

Getting a drivers’ license is a milestone that can open up new opportunities and the freedom to travel easily. But can you get a drivers’ license if you’re not a U.S. citizen? In this post, we will break down everything you need to know about getting a driver’

vaccine Featured

Pfizer Granted Emergency Approval by FDA

The FDA granted emergency use authorization this evening, December 11, to Pfizer and BioNTech to begin distribution of their COVID-19 vaccine. The approval followed on the heels of urging from the White House and threats from the White House Chief of Staff, Mark Meadows, to demand FDA commissioner Stephen

vaccine Featured

Vaccines Could Start To Be Distributed Next Week in US

An FDA advisory panel gave the green light today for Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine. This is a critical milestone for the vaccine. It is likely the FDA will give the final green light within days, giving health care workers and nursing home residents priority to begin receiving the

tsa-precheck Featured

Which Credit Cards Reimburse for TSA PreCheck?

TSA PreCheck helps you move through the airport more quickly and safely [https://helloskip.com/blog/tsa-urges-holiday-travelers-to-enroll-in-tsa-precheck/?ref=creditcardsprecheck] , since PreCheck lines are shorter and PreCheck passengers are not required to remove their shoes, belts or jackets (minimizing COVID-19 risk). Whether

tsa-precheck

TSA Urges Holiday Travelers to Enroll in TSA PreCheck

With COVID-19 cases spiking, Dr. Fauci and other public health officials have encouraged people to postpone travel as much as possible, and to avoid large gatherings for the holidays. If you do need to travel this holiday season, there are things you can do to stay safe. This week,

unemployment Featured

What is the Difference Between Partial and Full Unemployment?

If you pick up temporary holiday hours at a store after being laid off, or start driving for a rideshare app like Uber or Lyft, will you lose your unemployment benefits? Navigating unemployment can be confusing, especially when your work situation is changing. But in this post, we will break

small business

5 Unique Types of Businesses to Support This Holiday Season

What types of small businesses have you thought about supporting this year? With only a month left in 2020, small businesses in every industry are scrambling to bring in revenue before the end of the year. The holiday season is a key time for many business owners, and this year

news

Vaccine Update: Moderna Files for FDA Authorization

Moderna announced [https://abcnews.go.com/Health/moderna-seek-fda-emergency-authorization-covid-19-vaccine/story?id=74454936] that they will be filing for emergency FDA approval for their COVID-19 vaccine today. Moderna is the second company to do so, after Pfizer, increasing the chances of  COVID-19 vaccine

news

What You Need to Know About the New U.S. Citizenship Test

The citizenship process in the U.S. is continuing to change in the last few months of Donald Trump’s presidency. In mid-November, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced [https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/2020test]that the test to become a U.S. citizen is expanding significantly

travel Featured

More Countries Reopen to U.S. Tourists

Although most people are still staying home for now, some people are beginning to plan future travel for 2021 and beyond, and looking forward to exploring once it is safe again. Most countries remain closed to U.S. tourists, but some have begun to open their borders. Below, you’ll

news

Stock Market Update: Stocks Hit Record Highs with Biden Treasury Pick

News broke yesterday that President-Elect Biden will be nominating Janet Yellen [https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2020/11/23/bidens-pick-treasury-secretary-will-be-janet-yellen/] for Treasury Secretary. The news buoyed the U.S. stock market to record highs, with Wall Street confident that Yellen’s

passports

Latest Travel News: Passport Operations Resume On Limited Basis

After months of slow processing due to State Department office closures and remote working, the U.S. State Department is ramping up passport processing [https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/passports/passport-covid-19.html] . For the first time since March, in-person appointments for passport services are

dmv

California Extends All Driving Permits Through May of 2021

This week, the California DMV announced extensions [https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/news-and-media/dmv-extends-learners-permits-expiring-through-may-2021/] on all drivers’ license permits expiring between now and May 31st, 2021 to give drivers with California permits more time to schedule and take their behind-

ppp Featured

Here's How Stimulus Checks, PPP, and EIDL Funding Affect Your Taxes

As the end of the year approaches, many small business owners are beginning their year-end financial planning, making their final purchases for the year, and considering what expenses they can deduct from their 2020 taxes. This year, your tax deductions will likely look very different than in the past

covid-19

From Airports to Pharmacies, Where to Get a COVID-19 Test

The U.S. is officially in the midst of a third wave of coronavius cases, with total cases now topping 11 million. [https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/11/15/935229627/u-s-hits-11-million-coronavirus-cases-adding-1-million-in-a-week] The most recent

dmv

Behind the Scenes with Skip's Government Service Concierges

At Skip, we've been able to help over a million people navigate government services and there's one big secret to this: We have thousands of government service concierges helping people both online and offline. These concierges are like personal assistants but they've all learned

travel

Six Travel Bloggers Who Will Inspire You to Explore All Over the U.S.

Now more than ever, it’s important to get expert perspectives on travel when you’re planning a trip. COVID-19 restrictions have changed the way we explore the world. To help you plan a safe and enjoyable trip, Skip’s team of concierges have researched and compiled a list

covid-19 Featured

Everything You Need to Know About Pfizer's Coronavirus Vaccine

Amidst surging COVID-19 cases in the U.S. and Europe, the world got a bit of good news on the pandemic this week: early research from the pharmaceutical company Pfizer shows that their vaccine is very effective [https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/09/health/covid-vaccine-pfizer.html]

travel Featured

What is the Future of the Airline Industry? A Q and A with Airline Industry Analyst Henry Harteveldt

At the beginning of the pandemic, airlines cut routes and laid off employees to stay afloat amidst shutdowns. Now, as we inch closer to a year since the pandemic began, and travel begins to return slowly, airlines are adjusting their business practices for COVID-era travel. Skip caught up with

covid-19 Featured

Five Countries that Have Stopped COVID-19, and How They Did It

Although COVID-19 cases are rising sharply in much of the U.S and Europe, in other parts of the world the virus has been mostly eradicated and life has nearly returned to a pre-pandemic “normal”. With a combination of mask orders, contact tracing and closing borders, a handful

travel

Should You Use a Travel Agent During COVID-19? A Q & A with Travel Agent Sarah Kline

With restrictions, testing requirements and border closures changing every day, there’s more for travelers to keep track of than ever before. To help them understand regulations and travel safely, some travelers are opting to use travel agents. Skip caught up with travel agent Sarah Kline, the president of the

news

Is Now a Good Time to Rent or Buy a New Home?

With millions of people continuing to work remotely during the pandemic (as of this summer, over 40% [https://news.stanford.edu/2020/06/29/snapshot-new-working-home-economy/#:~:text=We%20see%20an%20incredible%2042,working%20on%20their%20business%20premises.] of the U.S. workforce was working from home), people