In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: Many people do this prior to lending money to ensure they are protected later, if the friend refuses to repay. This is a great way to start the lending relationship off on the right foot because the terms of the agreement are clear from the very beginning. An IOU can easily be changed down the line, if your friend needs a little extra time for repayment. Starting with an IOU also makes it easier for you to take legal action later, if this step is necessary. Check out  How to Write an IOU for more information. If you haven't asked your friend to sign an IOU prior to lending the money, you should still ask them to agree to a plan once they're able to start paying you back.  Put this plan in writing and have it notarized. This makes it more legally binding, if you need to go to court later, and it will likely encourage your friend take the repayment more seriously. There are numerous apps available that make paying friends back any amount of money, from $50 for dinner to $50,000 for a small business loan, quick and easy. Use apps like Splitzee, Venmo, Square Cash, Splitwise, Pay Pal, or Google Wallet to simplify asking for and receiving money.  Splitzee, Splitwise, and Square Cash are your best options, when the money lending situation is for a shared expense. For instance, if you pay the monthly bills in your apartment and have roommates who pay you back.  Venmo, Pay Pal, and Google Wallet are better for large amounts of money. These applications allow you to send bills and reminders to your friend, and most of them have no fees, if you're simply transferring money from bank to bank. Ask questions about why they haven't gone through more traditional channels (banks, credit cards, etc.) for financing. Try to find out whether their current hardship truly is temporary or if understanding finances are something the friend struggles with regularly. You may not want to lend money to a friend, if they are very unlikely to repay the loan.   Start by asking something as simple as, "Why are you asking me for a loan?" It may be uncomfortable, but ask you friend, "Do you have a large amount of outstanding debt?" Before you lend them money, it's fair to expect them to be honest about their financial situation. Ask if they can agree to a repayment timeline before lending, "I understand you're struggling financially now, but when do you think you'll be back on your feet?" Perhaps most importantly, ask you friend what they're doing to get out of debt. Say something like, "What are you doing right now to change your financial situation? Can you get a second job or take on more hours at work?" Despite your best efforts, you may still lose your friend, your money, or both if you lend to a friend. Before you get financially involved with your friend, make sure you're willing to lose them or the amount of money you've loaned them.
Summary: Ask your friend to sign an IOU. Put the repayment plan in writing. Use apps to make repayment simple. Assess your friend before lending money. Avoid lending to friends you don't want to lose.

In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: A singly even square has a number of boxes per side that’s divisible by 2. A doubly even square has a number of boxes per side divisible by double that — 4. The smallest doubly-even box that can be made is a 4x4 square. Use the same method as you would with odd-numbered or singly-even magic squares: the magic constant = [n * (n^2 + 1)] / 2, where n = the number of boxes per side. So, in the example of a 4x4 square:  sum = [4 * (4^2 + 1)] / 2 sum = [4 * (16 + 1)] / 2 sum = (4 * 17) / 2 sum = 68 / 2 The magic constant for a 4x4 square is 68/2, or 34. All rows, columns, and diagonals must add up to this number. In each corner of the magic square, mark a mini-square with sides a length of n/4, where n = the length of a side of the whole magic square. Label them Highlights A, B, C, and D in a counter-clockwise manner.  In a 4x4 square, you would simply mark the four corner boxes. In an 8x8 square, each Highlight would be a 2x2 area in the corners. In a 12x12 square, each Highlight would be a 3x3 area in the corners, and so on. Mark all the boxes in the center of the magic square in a square area of length n/2, where n = the length of a side of the whole magic square. The Central Highlight should not overlap with Highlights A-D at all, but touch each of them at the corners.  In a 4x4 square, the Central Highlight would be a 2x2 area in the center. In an 8x8 square, the Central Highlight would be a 4x4 area in the center, and so on. Begin filling in the numbers of your magic square from left to right, but only write in the number if the box falls into a Highlight. So, in a 4x4 box, you would fill in the following boxes:  1 in the top-left box and 4 in the top-right box 6 and 7 in the center boxes in Row 2 10 and 11 in the center boxes in Row 3 13 in the bottom-left box and 16 in the bottom-right box. The is essentially the inverse of the previous step. Begin again with the top left box, but this time, skip all boxes that fall in Highlighted area, and fill in non-higlighted boxes by counting backwards. Begin with the largest number in your number range. So, in a 4x4 magic square, you would fill in the following:  15 and 14 in the center boxes in Row 1 12 in the left-most box and 9 in the right-most box in Row 2 8 in the left-most box and 5 in the right-most box in Row 3 3 and 2 in the center boxes in Row 4 At this point, all your columns, rows, and diagonals should up to your magic constant you calculated.
Summary:
Understand what a doubly even square is. Calculate the magic constant. Create Highlights A-D. Create the Central Highlight. Fill in the magic square, but only in Highlighted areas. Fill in the rest of the magic square by counting backwards.