In this era of tight economy, with the threat of recession looming larger than life in the horizon, people tend to adopt a rather stoic and placid attitude towards life in general and jobs in particular, especially when the job market seemingly dull. Forget about pay hike, holding on to the present job itself is considered as an achievement. In such a scenario, one might even assume that requesting a raise could jeopardise the job itself. But that does not resolve the never ending monetary issues. The fact remains that if you want more money in the saving, more money should come in. No amount of penny pinching can ever help in saving money like a hike in the salary can.

So how can one go about earning a bigger pay check without being awkward or risking humiliation? Here is how. Understand and follow these golden guidelines.

1. Know your worth. Websites like salary.com can give fairly good idea about this and based on that information, go for the most reasonable figure you deserve as a raise.

2. Find out how stable and healthy the company is financially. The raise is possible only if the company has the actual means to provide it.

3. Request a meeting with the boss to understand what targets you re expected to achieve.

4. Document all your accomplishments especially those that have added value to the company.

Now ascertain that circumstances are favourable generally before going for it.

If they are not particularly favourable and the budget appears tight, there is another strategy that can be employed as long as there is a positive feedback regarding your work.

5. Tactfully point out the extra work done on top of the expected target along with the accomplishments. Request for a stipend towards the extra work alone till the normal raise if any is due.

6. If not a raise, try for a bonus that is one off pay and therefore practically more feasible.

7. Request for an overtime pay. Working overtime is the most effective way to achieve a bigger salary minus the raise. But unfortunately most of the companies seldom pay for overtime. In such cases try pushing for an overload payment for work overload done within your own timings of work.

8. Referral bonus if applicable can be claimed by referring new talents who are cultural as well as organisational fit to the company, for new recruitment. Here as the company saves time man power and money that could have been otherwise spent on training the recruit. So a known referee in the company makes a world of difference and therefore deserves a bonus.

9. Request for paid time off instead of cash. Earn money doing seasonal work or any part time work during that period. In effect it brings home more cash.

10. Here, the raise is yours without even asking. Care to know how? Be an expert in some area, do twice your normal and outperform yourself. Show your strong commitment towards the company. This is bound to get you noticed by the management. This will automatically ensure your place as the first choice in case the company is considering someone for a raise.

Even though these are really clever tips, nothing is guaranteed. A promotion, a raise or a bonus is something over which you have no control of even if you are the most deserving candidate simply because it has to be offered by someone else. But these tips surely do increase your chance for a raise tremendously.

Chesapeake Energy Corporation, well known as the profoundly indebted shale maker, said for the current week, it is capable of clinging to its four billion dollar bank line provided it posts pretty much all that it possesses as collateral.

Huge numbers of its rivals are faring far more regrettable. Right around 2 years experiencing the most terrible bust of oil in an era, loan specialists including JPMorgan Chase and Co., Bank of America Corporation also, Wells Fargo and Co. are cutting lines of credit for battling energy companies. It's an unsaid affirmation that energy costs aren't returning, and speaks to an unexpected turnaround from a year ago the time banks remained indulgent on battling drillers in the trust that good times were approaching.

Ever since 2016 began, loan specialists have taken out 5.6 billion dollars of credit in the possession of 36 gas and oil makers, a diminish of 12%, resulting in the most serious retreat since crude started falling in the middle of 2014.

What's more, the end has not come yet. Financial institutions are amidst a two times a year survey of loans for energy, where the financial institution choose the amount of credit they can stretch out to low evaluated organizations taking into account the estimation of their gas and oil reserves. With crude floating close 40 dollars for one barrel, drillers' advantages are currently worth a lot short of what they were worth 2 years back.

Under Pressure

Most Financial institutions are reducing their gas and oil exposure to a limited extent since they're confronting pressure from investors and regulators to control risk. JPMorgan communicated that it put aside some 529 million dollars in the main quarter in order to take care of anticipated loss gotten from loans to gas and oil organizations. JPMorgan has a sum of 14 billion dollars of loan loss back up by March, rising from the initial 13.6 billion dollar by the end of the final quarter.

Lower Credit

No less than 15 organizations have witnessed their available credit lines reduced, including Rex Energy Corp., Whiting Petroleum Corp., and Halcon Resources Corporation. Goodrich Petroleum Corporation's loan specialists reduced their credit line since January to 40.3 million dollars from 75 million dollars, placing limitations on how much the money starved organization could get access to.

Boosting reserves

Banks are putting aside more cash to cover misfortunes on loans for energy. Wells Fargo, the company that had 17.4 billion dollars in outstanding gas and oil loans toward 2015 end, put aside 1.2 billion dollars to take care of possible losses.

Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, JPMorgan and Citigroup might require an extra 9 billion dollars to take care of souring gas and oil loans in the direst outcome imaginable, Moody's Investors Administration communicated to the public in an April 7 report. Yet, the loan specialists would have the capacity to assimilate such misfortunes out of one quarter's income or earnings.

The most noticeably period of the oil accident is over and costs ought to be more grounded by year's end, six of the world's greatest energy dealers said during the FT Worldwide commodities Summit as the cost of Brent unrefined moved to another high for the year.

As indicated by some high regarded brokers who talked at the FT Worldwide commodities Summit, oil business were practically consistent in saying the business sector was beginning to come into equalization, with interest anticipated that would begin exceeding supply in the second 50% of 2016. Most dealers present were seen to have agreed. It was likewise noticed that the main impetus for the business sector going ahead is when, not if, the alleged rebalancing happens and supply and request gets once again into equalization

What's more, there will be a great deal of instability going ahead, however starting now and into the foreseeable future, the pattern is up. It won't be as quick as a few examiners think today, however it will happen.

The organizations, which together exchange enough oil day by day to meet just about a fifth of worldwide interest, said the almost two-year value breakdown had set off a surge sought after and prompted a breakdown in interest in new supplies. Brent raw petroleum, the universal benchmark, hit a 2016 high on Tuesday of $43.58 a barrel.

Most dealers still feel they are yet to see the base, unless a disastrous occasion happens. It is trusted that supply and request will be intersection by the time the third or final quarter comes to an end.

Amid the Worldwide summit Ian Taylor, the world's biggest autonomous oil dealer, told the FT that the business sector "is moving marginally towards a superior parity". He included that the world's biggest makers would likely discover consent to "stop" yield the next week.

As indicated by Marco Dunand, CEO of Mercuria, the accident in costs to underneath $30 a barrel toward the start of this current year had quickened the recuperation, driving further venture reductions. Marco Dunand explained that at the point when oil costs as of late plunged beneath 28 dollars, it was a good sign for crude as forward costs fell quicker than present ones, provoking real generation undertakings to be scratched off,

At $30 a barrel there was a second flood of spending cuts. The vast majority foresees costs to recoup in 2017-18, however when the lows were hit, the back-end of the business sector was falling speedier than the front-end and that executed a great deal of ventures.

In any case, Glencore's oil sector head communicated a note of alert, saying that while supply and request would likely adjust in the second half, rough and refined item stockpiles have expanded generously since costs began tumbling from above $100 a barrel in mid-2014.

To get any huge rally, there's an expansive stockpile to work through and it's improbable it will come rapidly.

What do business leaders in the U.S. have in common? Actually, a better question is: what do they have in common besides money and success? They certainly didn't all start their own businesses. They don't all dress in any particular manner or brand of clothing. They don't all have some secret diet plan or pill that keeps them functioning on a higher level than everyone else on the planet. They probably don't have secret meetings with time traveling aliens who tell them what their next business move should be either…probably. However, the one thing they all share is a drive to continue improving, upgrading, and moving forward, both in business and in life.

Although most of the news about Michigan these days is understandably focused on the Flint water crisis, there is also good news coming from the "land of 1,000 lakes." Michigan has had a lot of troubles since the decline in U.S. car manufacturing which brought Detroit to its knees, but many business leaders in the state have been working to maintain positive business practices and improve the Michigan-based businesses that have not been in the news so much.

Take the Gardner White furniture company as an example. The Detroit Free Press reported that there have been a few recent changes in management, and the current leaders, Kathi Veltri, Pat Sebastian, and Pamela Novak-George took the opportunity to donate furniture to fire departments in Detroit and Taylor, Michigan. Why is this important? They are not only sharing the company's assets with the community, but also sharing their drive for improvement. Upgrading the furniture in a fire house may sound like a small thing, but think about it from a firefighter's perspective.

Most fans of prime time tv know that professional firefighters spend a huge amount of time at the fire station. It's like a second home. These public servants eat and sleep there, and in light of the high stress level that is inextricably linked to their life-saving work, comfort matters. The business leaders of Gardner White recognize how important it is to maintain or improve working conditions, not only within their own company, but in the public service sphere as well.

Not everyone understands this phenomenon, but when public servants feel appreciated, they are grateful. Gratitude is an under-appreciated emotion because, while it's a small thing by itself, it can do amazing things to improve the human condition and interpersonal interactions. Gratitude for appreciation from business leaders in the community can help relieve some of the stress that firefighters feel. Everyone knows that stress can inhibit a person's ability to work and function well. Doesn't it make sense to show appreciation to public servants, give them an opportunity to find gratitude, and support their efforts to protect their little piece of this great nation?

This is why it's important to share that drive for improvement that business leaders all have within themselves. A couple of the Gardner White leaders chose to celebrate their own promotions by sharing that upgraded feeling with firefighters. What lesson can be gleaned from this info? It's simple. Next time you get an upgrade in your work sphere, share that with someone. An upgrade for everyone improves morale in the workplace, the community, the U.S., and eventually, the world.