Money Archives - Page 3 of 11

August 31, 2018 by Greg Underwood

Surprise your relatives in the United States

United States of America is a land of immigrants, who have travelled there to reach for the American Dream. Some of those very Americans are our relatives, we talk to them on Skype, share our memories and photos, sometimes visit each other during vacations, yet we feel like there is something missing. That is, celebrating holidays together. It is of course best when we are able to see one another during these special moments, alas, often the circumstances pertaining to our lives prevent us from doing so. Nevertheless, we should not forget our loved ones when they need us most. Whether it’s during birthdays, weddings or Christmas, we always have the opportunity to send presents to them, in order to surprise ones we care about at just the right moment. I will share with you some of the key points you should know, before expressing your affection across the ocean.

Take great care of the packaging

This should be self-explanatory, however you would be surprised of just how often valuable gifts are bundled into ill-protected containers and are damaged during their journey to the recipient. It can be truly upsetting for your kinsmen to receive a present from you, only to discover after opening it, that it has been ruined. In order to avoid such mishaps,make sure you use double-corrugated box and sufficient amount of duct tape, so that the contents can be secured. If they’re particularly brittle, do not be avaricious and invest in a triple-corrugated box and some foam, these should guarantee the items safety.

Be prepared to ship items in advance

As you are aware, there is an entire ocean between Europe and America. What this means in practice is that it takes time to deliver packages there, especially during the holiday season, that is because many others are doing the same thing and delivery companies are struggling to cope with demand. Too often do we hear about presents arriving after the celebrations have passed. If you wish to insure yourself from such occurrences, arrange your gifts early and send them days in advance.

Choose the right service for your delivery

Sometimes the joy of gifting is spoiled by sloppy work of courier services, which require from you to deliver packet to particular location for it to be picked up, struggle to explain delays in delivery time, refuse to provide insurance for your items, so on and so forth. That’s why it is especially important to take your time to search for responsible courier, willing to go the extra mile to meet your demands. Try to find a reputable provider offering door to door delivery, free insurance, parcel tracking and easily accessible customer support to deliver your parcel to USA without any hitches!

August 28, 2018 by Greg Underwood

Can You Really Make Money with Paid Surveys

As someone extremely interested in supplementing the current income, without having to spend 10 to 20 hours a week on another job, I’ve started researching the ways of making money online. The most frequently suggested method – blogging – is not my cup of tea. Starting a blog from scratch requires some serious effort and it takes years before you start making money from it; the time I don’t have on my hands. As far as I’m concerned, what seems to be the best method is filling out online surveys. Why? Apart from not requiring any special skills or knowledge, this method gives tangible results in a short time.

How do online surveys work?

All those articles we come across on the Internet and in magazines that contain statistical data rely on paid surveys to get their statistics. The results of surveys are also used for marketing purposes in various ways. Companies want to know how their customers think, which products they need or like buying, as well as which ones they want to avoid. Some firms even send the results of a survey to journalists hoping the name of the firm will be mentioned in an article. Their objective is to attract greater publicity that will boost the sales and improve the firm’s reputation. What most businesses have in common is that they rely on professional survey companies in order to collect data; and, this is your chance to get paid for online surveys and generate some extra income. These survey companies create a database of users and then contact the appropriate respondents for each questionnaire, offering money in return.

How do you actually make money?

Many of the articles I’ve read online claim that money can be earned, but let me elaborate. While filling out surveys cannot replace your regular earnings, it can certainly supplement them. If you are happy with your salary, there’s no need to bother with this method, but, if you are below the median household income, the completion of surveys is surely the path to pursue.

One of the advantages of paid surveys is that it is one of the most reliable methods of making a profit online. The process doesn’t require any special skills or knowledge and it doesn’t take much time, so it can easily be done in your spare time. All you have to do is answer a series of questions and express your views on certain products or services, depending on the type of company which has ordered a survey. As each survey company offers a finite number of questionnaires at a time, make sure you sign up to more than one survey site. By doing so, the surveys will be available to you on a daily basis and you will increase your chances of earning extra cash. In most cases, you will start receiving e-mails as soon as you sign up for a company, so you might consider it a good idea to create a separate e-mail address solely for this purpose.

Payment methods

Each survey varies in length and compensation – it takes between 5 minutes to half an hour to complete one and the average payout ranges from $ 0.5 to $ 4.00. Before signing up to a paid survey site, check out their method of payment. Some pay by PayPal, others by Amazon Vouchers. With most sites, before being able to redeem points or cash, one first has to reach a certain threshold. The truth is that in some cases you will be able to claim the money right away, while in others, you will have to wait for months before you collect a certain number of points and see any cash. If you go for surveys which pay by vouchers, check the expiration date, as some vouchers are valid for less than 6 months. Some of the best paid survey sites include I-Say, Swagbucks, MySurvey, OpinionWorld, Crowdolog, Valued Opinions, etc.

The truth is that one can really make money from paid surveys. Maybe that amount of money cannot substitute your nine-to-five job, but it will certainly boost your monthly earnings. What makes this method of earning money online so appealing is that it can easily become a reliable source of regular income.

August 22, 2018 by Greg Underwood

Does Your Speeding Ticket Affect Your Insurance?

Source

A speeding ticket may not seem like that big of a deal, but it can result in extreme consequences. You may have to deal with hundreds of dollars’ worth of fines, and you can expect your auto insurance rates to increase. The reason for this is that by speeding, the insurance agencies view you as more of a risk. Therefore, you want to hire a speeding ticket lawyer promptly to keep the offense off your record, so you do not have to pay substantially more to insure your vehicle.

In the Short-Term

Even just a single ticket can impact your insurance. For starters, you will lose out on any safe driving benefits you received. Additionally, you can expect an increase when it comes time to renew your policy. Most insurance providers do not look at driving records every month, so you may not see an immediate increase, but when you need to renew in a few months, you can expect a raise.

In the Long-Term

Multiple speeding tickets will naturally cause your insurance to increase more. However, if you get too many points on your driving record, then it is possible your insurance provider will simply drop you as a client because you are too much of a liability. As you shop around for a new insurance agency, you may find that the rates offered are extremely high. You will need to consider the possibility of not being able to drive because there is no agency around to insure you.

The best thing to do after getting a citation is to hire a San Francisco speeding ticket lawyer immediately. If you keep the ticket off your record, then you may not have to worry about paying more in insurance. Additionally, by going to court, there may be alternative methods to keep your insurance provider happy, such as taking safe driving courses.

August 22, 2018 by Greg Underwood

Tips On Saving and Investing Money For Your Retirement

The formula for accumulating enough wealth to retire comfortably is fairly simple: Learn how to earn more, spend less, save consistently, and invest wisely.

But just because something is simple, it doesn’t mean it’s easy.

Even those who have learned how to earn more struggle to control their spending. Then, only the few who manage to control their spending can begin to save. And, finally, it’s only those who have sufficient savings who have enough capital to invest in commodities like gold bullion.

Since the road to wealth consists of navigating across four roads—earning, spending, saving, and investing—let’s take a closer look at what toll price you have to pay for each road.

Earning More

The way to earn more is to learn more. When you know your job better, when you understand its breadth and scope, its pitfalls and potentials, you can add more value.

If you work for someone, your learning adds more value to your employer. As a result, you are likely to be promoted and advance in your company. If you work for yourself, then you add more value to your business. As a result, you are likely to get more customers and make more sales.

Learning more can be done in a number of different ways. You can learn on the job, noticing what works and what doesn’t work, then decreasing what doesn’t work and increasing what does work.

You can also learn through formal and informal ways. Formal learning consists of taking professional classes. Informal learning consists of self-study.

Spending Less and Saving Consistently

Spending less and saving more usually work together. There is no point in spending less if you’re not going to open up a savings account. Spending less starts with noticing where your money goes and finding free or cheap ways to achieve the same goals. The next step, of course, is to control your spending by budgeting. This, you should be warned, is not easy. With the ever-increasing cost of living, it’s always difficult to live below your means.

Still, with effort and persistence, it’s possible to finally figure out how to create a realistic budget, which is one that works most of the time. Of course, your success with spending less will automatically leave you with surplus money, which you can then start socking away into a saving’s account.

Investing Wisely

At a certain point, you will have enough saved to begin investing. This, the last mile of your wealth-building journey, is usually the hardest.

Here are four major difficulties you will encounter:

Deciding what type of investments to specialize in. For instance, should you buy commodities or American gold eagles? There are numerous ways to invest and it can be a little bewildering figuring out where to start.
Let’s say you decide to learn how to trade in the equities market, then the next question to ask is where you can learn how to trade. While some stock market training courses will be taught by people with a genuine interest in sharing their knowledge, others will be taught by charlatans. How do you avoid getting scammed? It may be difficult to decide who is telling you the truth.
Yet even after you’ve found an honest teacher and become good at paper trading, you’re not entirely out of the woods. You now have to figure out what brokerage to trust. Again, you’ll find some fair and honest people and others who are just pretending to be interested in your success.
You have one last obstacle—your own emotions. It doesn’t matter how much you know about trading, you will still have to deal with strong and conflicting emotions. One emotion is the desire to avoid the pain of loss while the other is the desire to rush toward pleasure. Over time, you must gain sufficient emotional intelligence in investingto make increasingly better decisions.

In conclusion, think of wealth as a journey. Navigate each sector of the road well to get to your final destination. The toll you have to pay along the way will be worth it.

August 10, 2018 by Greg Underwood

4 Small Business You Can Start on a Small Budget

Have you ever checked franchise listings and sat utterly stunned at the startup costs? Watched Shark Tank and can’t imagine the hundreds of thousands needed to make business happen? Or, maybe even approached a bank in hopes of raising capital but were met by a big, red denial?

Startups don’t have to cost a lot of money — in fact, many business ideas are realized with a couple hundred dollars and a strong work ethic. This post shares some of those inexpensive startup ideas.

Laying the Groundwork for a New Startup

Every great startup idea is backed by a business plan helping you align budgets and resources with sales and marketing goals. Failing to create a plan is like throwing money to the wind — you’ll invest but stagnate.

Explore these (then come back for the ideas):

Create a one-page business plan detailing your idea, target market, and competitors
Create an advertising & marketing plan including budget, platforms, and assets
Create a customer avatar template of who’s your ideal customer and where to find them

These three will provide telling data if your startup idea has legs as it reveals gaps and opportunities you could fill and begin attracting clients/customers.

Startup Ideas on a Small Budget: Try These

If you’re going to fail, then fail quick so you can start the next idea without wasting tons of time, money, and resources chasing a pipedream. This may feel counterintuitive as you want to succeed but you’ll learn more from failing than throwing money and time at something dead on arrival.

So, what business ideas could you explore on a small budget?

Massage Therapy

An understanding of the human anatomy, strong hands, and certification (optional) can launch you in this billion-dollar industry. Your market is just about everyone! Stress is at an all-time high and many carry injuries from work/activities, this startup satisfies one’s needs to correct muscle pain. And, relax.

Startup costs are rock-bottom sourcing massage tables and supplies through Earthlite and local suppliers. Then, it’s a matter of rolling-out a word-of-mouth, print, and online marketing campaign.

Startup cost: $500 – $1000 or $5-7k with certification

Lawn Maintenance

Most people want a great looking lawn. Some locations have HOAs requiring homeowners constant upkeep and maintenance. You can start this business with existing equipment if mowing and trimming are a normal routine around your home.

Startup costs are very cheap when starting lean via push mowers and gas weed eaters. Marketing is typically done door-to-door or through strategic business card placement. Then, personal referrals.

Startup cost: $100 – $200 (used, basic) or $2-3k (new, better)

Gig Services

Take what you know from work, hobbies, and experience and package it as services. Viola! You now have a service-based business offering skills online set to your price and hours. There are thousands of businesses needing skilled labor. Millions of people seek tutoring, coaching, Web development, dog sitting, and various gig-based tasks.

Startup costs with online services are one of the lowest needing nothing more than a website and free time. A portfolio site is essential as it shares your skills/experience and provides contact methods.

Startup cost: $30 – $50 (domain, hosting, free theme) or ~$100 (domain, host, premium theme)

Crafts/Flips

Take your creativity and apply it to a startup offering anything from hand-painted rocks to custom wire jewelry. There’s a market for just about everything creative if you put time and skill into it. Platforms like Etsy are an easy “in” for craft-based business.

Similarly, flipping items has parallels — finding unique items and selling them online. Or, buying supplies at thrift stores, creating something new, and selling the piece. The startup costs are mostly the craft supplies or flippable item and online listing fees.

Startup cost: $Variable (Supplies) or sometimes free!

What to Do After the Launch: Quick Tips for Startups

Ideas are worthless without action — they’re a money sink if you invest in startup resources but fail to put them to work. Here are a few quick tips to getting your new business into the market and making sales.

Social Media— Get on social media, build it with friends & family, and start attracting leads by sharing great content, exclusive deals, and participating in conversations. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter are easy wins with their groups, business pages, promotions, and tagging.
Print Materials— Get a package of basic business print materials including business cards, flyers, postcards, and brochures. You’ll want these on hand when people inquire about your business when meeting via networking/local events and business meetups.
Reviews — Push, hard, for great reviews from your initial customers so your online listings show high ratings. This is also effective in getting word-of-mouth referrals through real-world interactions. Respond to these reviews with positivity helping sculpt your reputation, too.

You’ve got the ideas and you’ve got the strategies… what’s stopping you from launching a startup?

August 1, 2018 by Greg Underwood

Common Things People Do Not Know About Personal Injury Cases

Personal injury cases are much more complex than what many believe. The common perception is that whenever an injury happens because of the actions of someone else, money is going to be offered. People think that nothing influences the situation but this is not actually the case. In reality, we are faced with something that can easily go into a bad scenario. Joey Langston, personal injury attorney, highlights the fact that when you try to do everything alone, there is a huge possibility that you are going to receive a lot less than what you are truly entitled to.

There are many things that people do not actually know about personal injury cases. Let’s just go through those that are much more common than they should be.

Not All Claims Are Successful

Simply because you were injured by someone does not mean you are going to receive a financial compensation. It is up to you to prove the fault in the case and you have to go through a specific process that is much stricter than anticipated. We are talking about law so there needs to be proof presented if you want to have a successful personal injury claim. This does include reports from the police, doctors and specialists that might argue on your behalf.

Insurance Companies Offer Less

When insurance companies get involved, the personal injury claim process is much more complex than what many think. You want to be sure that you are represented by a personal injury attorney because the companies are going to try to take advantage of you. They know that you do not know the law and you do not actually understand how much money should be offered. During the negotiations, you are going to be pressured into accepting a settlement. That settlement is often a lot lower than what it should actually be. Do not let insurance companies take advantage of your lack of knowledge and have specialists represent you.

Fault Is Determined By Proof

No matter what you think, it is impossible to be successful simply because of the fact that you know someone was responsible. Evidence is necessary. What is not really known about the process is that the proof that is gathered at the scene is not always all that actually exists.

Working with personal injury attorneys guarantees you are going to find all the proof that could prove the exact specifics of the case. They have specialists that can gather information and will talk to all parties involved in order to gather evidence that can be used for your well-being.

Final Thoughts

The bottom line is that you need to work with true specialists that can help you during personal injury claims. In many situations, people try to do everything alone. This can be a costly mistake, especially when you have to receive financial compensation and you need treatment at the same time. Be sure that you find a personal injury attorney that is highly experienced and that can help you out at the end of the day.

July 28, 2018 by Greg Underwood

Barry Bulakites on How to Find The Right Accountant

So you have made the decision to get an account for your small business, but how do you go about getting the right fit for your needs? Not all accounts are the same, some will do a better job, others will mesh better with you, and of course, some are more expensive than others. We spoke to financial wizard and high level accountant Barry Bulakites, on what you need to ask yourself ahead of looking for an accountant. As Barry says, only once you understand what you are looking for, can you begin the process of getting the right person for the job.

Is Location Important ?

The first thing to think about is how important it is to you that the accountant lives or works nearby. We live in a world now where our financial reports can be stored and access from a cloud-based system, we can hold meetings through Skype or other video calling options, and we can constantly stay in touch through messenger services and emails. There are some businesses however who may need to see the accountant physically, or some owners who simply prefer this option, consider this first.

What Are You Looking For?

Some accountants can be a Jack of all trades, others may focus on individual aspects of the company accounts, you need to think about what exactly you are looking for in an accountant. For example many people simply want to use an accountant to clean up their books and add al little more organization to proceedings, others may seek out an accountant to offer financial advice on growth and investments, and some will want their money to work harder for them. Once you understand exactly what it is that you are looking for, the process becomes far easier.

Tax

At the very least you need to be looking for an accountant who completely understands the work do taxation. Even if everything is above board with your taxes, it makes sense to have an accountant who, regardless of their speciality, can help you and the company to stay in line with its taxes, and ensure that you are paying the right amount, and saving where possible.

Is Reputation Important?

The strength of an accountant’s reputation will directly relate with the amount that they are charging per hour, and you need to decide whether or not you need the very best, or would you be prepared to take a chance on a rookie. This is not to say that a rookie is unqualified to do the job, it simply means that they can’t call on a long track record of success. Everyone has to start somewhere and there is no issue with looking for someone who is a little less experienced. Alternately if you really want to place your trust and your money in someone, perhaps an experienced accountant may be the better option.

Answer these questions and then go get that accountant for your business.

July 26, 2018 by Greg Underwood

Patrick Dwyer Financial Advisor on 2018 Miami Football

Miami continues to be a fun, sophisticated city — boasting the sort of infrastructure, commerce, and amenities you’d be hard-pressed to find anywhere else in the nation, except unless we’re talking New York, San Francisco, or Los Angeles.

Patrick Dwyer Financial Advisor sees the long-term potential of both Miami football and the city of Miami itself. As the sun continues to shine on Miami’s athletic teams as well as its real estate, so will it continue to shine on Miami’s citizens who are focused on building their wealth and value.

oday, however, we’re here to talk about one of the most storied college football programs in the country (and in NCAA history, for that matter) — The Miami Hurricanes, a team focused on continuing to build their value and prowess in the NCAA.

Ranked 4th on the all-time list according to Associated Press National Poll Championships, “The U” is tied with both USC and Ohio State — all of which nipping at the heels of other storied names like Alabama, Notre Dame, and Oklahoma.

Miami football in particular distinguishes itself by holding numerous NFL Draft records — most notably holding the record for most first-round selections in a single draft, as well as holding the record for most consecutive drafts with one or more first-round selections. Beyond this, there are 2 Hurricanes who have won the holy grail of personal achievements in NCAA football — the Heisman Trophy (one in 1986 – Vinny Testaverde at quarterback, and one in 1992 – Gino Torretta at quarterback). Also, 9 Miami players currently grace the College Football Hall of Fame.

Miami is also known for generating great linebackers, names like Jonathan Vilma, DJ Williams, and Ray Lewis — just to name a few, many of which serve as mentors for Miami’s current and incoming players.

The Hurricane linebacker legacy spans decades, reaching all the way back to the 70s, culminating in The Bermuda Triangle (Michael Barrow, Darrin Smith and Jessie Armstead), capturing multiple national titles before heading off to NFL stardom.

What Miami should be very excited about for the coming season is this year’s possibilities for their secondary.

Many are fixated on what many consider will be the strength of this team: defense. Miami knocking at the door of all the elite defensive units in the country with a cornerback group that brings a unique blend of talent to the table.

Miami’s secondary is both made up of veteran experience as well as youthful optimism, highlighted by All-ACC cornerback Michael Jackson. This exciting senior has a legitimate claim to distinguishing himself as the best cornerback — not only in the the state of Florida, but also the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Only time will tell as the season commences and runs its course. One thing is for sure: the future is bright on all counts in Miami.

July 8, 2018 by Greg Underwood

7 Tricks for Quickly Paying off Your Debt This 2018

Debt is a horrible thing that anyone can easily fall into. If you don’t quickly get it under control, you could find yourself dealing with a lifelong problem that you never actually escape. Regardless how bad your debt situation currently is, you can take advantage of the following tricks to significantly put a dent in your debt and pay it off sooner.

Create a budget and prioritise spending

By creating a budget for the month, you can prioritise your spending and minimise your expenses. By cutting your monthly expenses, you will have more money that you can put into gradually repaying your debt. You can use mobile apps such as B to effectively monitor your monthly income and expenses. Simply put, no more unnecessary spending.

Pay off worst debts first

The worst debts aren’t necessarily the biggest ones. In fact, the worst debts and the ones you should try to get rid of first are the ones with the highest interest rates. The sooner you can get rid of your high interest rate debts, the sooner you can stop falling into worst debt.

Pay more than the minimum balance

Debt repayment arrangements often offer the option of you paying a minimum balance per month. Paying only the minimum will slow down your debt recovery process. To get out of debt as fast as you can, pay as much as you can afford when due.

Ignore your credit card

Even if your credit card comes with low interest rates, just put it aside until you are done with settling your debts. This is because each time you use your credit you are only accumulating more debt. So don’t take your credit cards with you when you go shopping, and if you want to be drastic, destroy your credit cards. You can start using credit cards again when you are in the green and have your finances under control.

Put work bonuses or other cash windfalls toward debt.

If you suddenly receive a cash windfall or get a bonus at work, be wise with it and spend it on something like settling your debt. Don’t take the cheque out to celebrate or splurge because there’s nothing to actually celebrate till you are out of debt. Sudden financial windfalls can help you put a serious dent in your debt and move closer towards being clear

Delete credit card information from online stores.

Clear your credit card information from online stores. Stored credit card information can be used to charge you for services you don’t necessarily need. Instead, shop with a debit card.

Sell unwanted gifts and household items.

If you have gifts or other items that you don’t actually need or can do without, sell them off to raise extra cash that you can put towards settling your debt. You can sell your items conveniently via eBay or Craigslist. Remember that the faster you clear your debts, the better.

So that’s our list of tricks to help you settle your debts faster this year. But bear in mind that even if you apply these tricks diligently but fail to change your spending habits and how you view money, it won’t make much of a difference. You need to make changes by learning how to cut back on expenses without necessarily compromising the quality of lifestyle you prefer.

July 7, 2018 by Greg Underwood

Simple Tips for Investing While You are Still in College

It’s never too early to start investing, even if you are still in college. Unlike a professional investor, you may not have near unlimited amounts of capital, however, you can start investing with just a dollar using a few different methods. To become more financially literate in the field of investing, take up an economics or finance class, where knowledge is always a key to becoming a successful investor.

Open a Savings Account

The easiest way to invest as an undergraduate is to head to the nearest bank and open a savings account. The risk you take on would be extremely minimal. Put any supplemental income you earn in your savings account and watch your money grow quite literally. The interest rate is not as high as in the stock market, but your money would be better off than spent on new clothes or stored away in a drawer.

Understand the Risk Associated with Cheap Stocks

Some college students are only too eager to “play the stock market.” Students with limited amounts of capital are highly likely to invest in penny stocks, which are securities with little to no oversight that cost less than $5. Though these stocks seem so cheap to buy, you are taking on more risk than you should. Before buying any stock, particularly penny-grade stocks, it’s advised that you understand the type of risk you are undertaking. This type of trading is highly vulnerable to scams, particularly pump-and-dump schemes. College undergrads should invest in blue-chip stocks that are financially transparent to actually expect returns. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with low-end stocks, buying these without realizing the risk is a surefire way to lose all your money.

Think about Repaying Your Student Loans

Paying down debt is also a form of investment. It is, perhaps, one of the most important forms of investment for regular income earners. Unless your parents are wealthy, you will probably end up tens of thousands of dollars in student debt when you leave campus as a graduate. The student debt trap affects millions of graduates. However, you don’t have to fall into the same debtor crisis like so many others. If you earn income right now by working on-campus or at an internship, save that money for repaying your student loans. The grace period will eventually end, at which point you will have to own the debt. Think about how it might affect your future ability to take on other essential forms of debt such as a mortgage, therefore, make repaying student loans a priority to protect your post-graduate financial status.

Open a Retirement Account

If you are a young college student looking forward to a satisfying career, you may wonder why you should start investing towards retirement right now. Would your future employer take care of all that with a 401(k)? Yes and no. You can formally start investing in your golden years by matching your employer’s contributions toward a 401(k), however, until you are employed full-time, invest on your own towards retirement. You could do so in a savings account that you can later combine with an IRA or a 401(k). The reason to start this early is simple: the compounding factor. If you invest towards your retirement now, your contributions would mature impressively in the next 40 to 60 years. The longer the investments have to compound, the more money you will have to spend in your senior years. That’s why you should open a retirement account right now, even if you are not formally employed.