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DiversyFund 5 Steps to Protect Your Portfolio in a Difficult Environment
It is easy to get excited when the stock market is up, but what happens when prices start to fall? For many investors, a falling stock market is a reason to panic, but selling out when prices are low can be counterproductive - and a sure way to destroy a carefully crafted portfolio. If you are feeling a bit overwhelmed by the state of the market, you can ease your worries by diversifying your portfolio. Instead of panicking, you should utilize the five-step survival strategy Craig Cecilio, founder of DiversyFund, created as your guide. 1. Do a Gut Check: A severe market downturn or prolonged bear market will test the mettle of even the most seasoned investor. Even if you think you have a high tolerance for risk, now is the time to do a gut check. If you are feeling freaked out about the current downturn, your risk tolerance may not be as high as you think. Now is the time to reassess the situation and make any changes you feel are necessary. If you are working with a financial advisor, schedule a meeting to review your portfolio and assess your current level of risk. 2. Build Your Emergency Fund: Having a significant portion of your assets in cash and fixed-income investments can cushion the fall when the stock market declines. When the stock market hits a rough patch, those emergency reserves become even more important, so take a good look at your portfolio and make sure you have sufficient savings. Financial experts recommend that you have a minimum of three to six months’ worth of living expenses in an emergency fund, more if your job situation is uncertain or you are worried about the future. If you feel you are too heavily invested in stocks, pulling some cash off the table and adding it to your contingency fund might make sense. 3. Take Advantage of Rising Interest Rates: The stock market often struggles when interest rates are on the rise, but those rising rates could be a golden opportunity. If you have an emergency fund and stash of contingency cash (and you should), take advantage of rising rates to boost your passive income. If your emergency cash and contingency funds are sitting in a low-interest savings account, look around for other, higher yielding alternatives. Moving your funds to a money market or online bank could increase your earnings and help you get more for your money. 4. Chill Out: Focusing on the day to day swings of the stock market is enough to drive anyone crazy, so take a step back and try to relax. Even if those daily dips seem frightening, thinking longer term and exploring alternative investments could have a calming influence. As they say, time in the market is better than timing the market. 5. Look for Buying Opportunities: When planning investments, it is crucial to consider diversifying investments to mitigate overall risk. One way to diversify your portfolio is to consider real estate, specifically multifamily real estate. If you’re looking for less hassle and more security, a real estate investment trust (REIT) could be a good option to explore. REITs allow investors to diversify their portfolio without the difficulties of directly acquiring the property. REITs invest large amounts of money into residential multifamily homes, commercial buildings, healthcare facilities, and large-scale industrial buildings as well. Investing in real estate is an excellent option for long-term investment. The typical real estate investor purchases a property and holds it for an expected increase in value or rents it out using the rent to bolster his or her income. Real estate that has been purchased through a retirement plan is also held for a longer period of time in order to realize a higher profit. Market downturns can be scary, and nothing can completely eliminate fear. Even so, panicking will do you no good, and it could do you a lot of harm. Taking a step back, and taking the right steps, could protect your portfolio during the downturn and put you in a better position when things turn around. Read Also: How To Boost The Size Of Your Stock Portfolio Investments 101: How To Choose A Smart Stock 7 Tips To Purchase A Prime Real Estate Property
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How Artificial Intelligence Is Helping Banking and Financial Institutions?
There is no other global industry that is experiencing the AI revolution as much as the banking and financial industry. These two sectors are projected to benefit the most out of Artificial Intelligence and machine learning algorithms, platforms, and software. The use of Artificial Intelligence in the banking and financial industry is a rising trend and it is creating a huge impact. Also, this impact can be seen in the Artificial Intelligence job market. So, for grabbing the upcoming job opportunities you must enroll for an Artificial Intelligence Course, Online Training and Certification Course. This technology has completely transformed the traditional methods of handling our money deposited in the bank. At the same time, artificial intelligence in the banking and financial sector has changed the way industries are solving traditional banking problems. The solutions are already widely deployed by several top banks and it has enhanced the banking experience by leaps and bounds. The use of Artificial Intelligence in banking and related industries is more than chatbots. It is a fast-evolving technology that is becoming better and smarter day by day. Due to its numerous benefits, the banking sector remains one of the first adopters of technological innovation. Here is why and how artificial intelligence is contributing to the development of the two industries. But first, let’s understand what is Artificial Intelligence? Artificial Intelligence - All You Need To Know Artificial intelligence is one of the greatest technological innovations by mankind. It is a rapidly developing technology that has emerged as the trend to fulfill the needs and desires of humans to create machinery that could mimic human abilities and perform tasks to reduce human efforts. AI, also known as machine learning, is an offshoot of the field of computer science that uses several other branches of the scientific field to develop AI platforms. Some of the commonly used processes in the development of AI software are learning, reasoning and self-correction. And some of the commonly used applications are knowledge engineering, machine learning, natural language processing, machine vision, expert system, deep learning, robotics, automatic programming, virtual personal assistants, internet of things, translation, simulation modeling and more. The list is huge to list it out here. So far, the technology has successfully able to demonstrate impressive human capabilities such as speech recognition, language recognition, decision making, problem-solving, Q&A, manipulation, and recording of data and objects, learning, planning, reasoning, and mathematical calculations. All of this and more helps in accomplishing redundant, complicated and repetitive human tasks without human intervention and a greater level of accuracy. With the advent of AI in banking and finance, financial institutions are able to serve their customers at a reduced operational cost due to the automated processes. At the same time, the banking procedures that were once considered time-consuming and laborious have become far more convenient and efficient. The automated processes have opened up new avenues that allow banking and financial leaders to explore new management styles. With the help of AI, industry experts are able to analyze a huge amount of data and gather insight that is imperative for the improvement of the business. Data-driven management decisions were once considered a tedious task has now become an effective tool for management-level problems. Banks and financial institutions are most vulnerable to cybercrime and fraudulent behavior. With the adoption of AI, using a predictive approach, they provide a safe and secure environment to financial services and banking institutions. With a large amount of information and a detailed understanding of human psychology, such scenarios can be prevented. Also, AI in finance and banking ensures better and stricter compliance of regulatory policies and standards. Meanwhile, technology ensures convenient banking methods for clients. It empowers customers to use voice assistants or chatbots to perform complex banking procedures efficiently. With the help of natural language processing, this technology can provide answers to the questions of the clients and help them make better decisions with customized solutions. Improved customer service is one of its many great benefits experienced by both employees and customers. Application of Artificial Intelligence in Financial Services: The application of artificial intelligence in financial services have benefited the industry massively. This has led to the rise of bionic advisory the latest trend that used machine calculations and human insight to provide much more efficient advice. Risk assessment in financial sectors is another key segment of banking and financial services experiencing many benefits of the use of Artificial Intelligence in banking. Risk management is one of the most complex fields in financial services which is simplified by machine learning and its intelligence. AI can combine knowledge of market trends, consumer patterns, and potential risks to develop an intelligent solution and perform a risk assessment of various financial services and products. The predictive and proactive analysis can help in the smooth processing of the entire procedure. It is apart from the above-mentioned contributions of AI technology in the banking and financial sector, the technology largely contributed to the most recent revolution, the digitization of bank. With the help of Artificial Intelligence platforms and machine learning software, banks were able to move through the elaborate and complicated process quickly and easily. It allowed the massive shift without disrupting the existing structure and records. Future of Artificial Intelligence in Banking and Finance: Implementations ofAI in banking and finance have benefitted in many ways and it has brought a revolutionary change in the industry. All in all, it offers efficient and customized solutions to the problems related to individuals’ personal fortune. Technology is evolving every day. Scientists and experts have made some devoted efforts to explore the potential and learn and relearn the patterns of AI that can contribute to the banking and financial sector. Due to which, AI has led to the massive development of these two sectors and made some valuable addition to the industries. There is a progressive evolution that is expected to take the experience of banking and financial services several notches higher. Studies suggest that AI can contribute nearly $1 trillion to the Indian economy by 2035. Therefore, many industries including banking and finance are investing in technology in a big way. Read Also: Using Short-Term Loans To Help Rebuild Your Credit Score How Financial Trading Can Give You The Life You Want The Importance Of Saving: The Bedrock Of A Bright Financial Future
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Using Short-Term Loans to Help Rebuild Your Credit Score
Life in America is difficult enough without someone having to deal with credit issues. A low credit score usually has a profound effect on the choices people make and how they may have to live their lives. Make use of short-term loans to improve your credit score. No matter what kind of financial difficulties you may find yourself dealing with, nothing is ever etched in stone. Even bankruptcy comes with time constraints that make certain you will get a second chance. The truth is there are ways someone with a bad credit score can actively participate in fixing their own credit score. The discussion below will discuss how short-term loans can be used by borrowers to help rebuild their credit scores. Different Ways Short Term loans can improve Your Credit Score Are As Follows:- There are multiple ways Short term loans can help you to improve your credit score. In this article, you will get the complete details of it. The Stigma of Bankruptcy: When someone is forced into bankruptcy to protect certain assets and their overall well-being, there's a price that has to be paid in the eyes of the credit market. Lenders don't like to be left holding the bag. The ultimate penalty is a substandard credit score, which subsequently makes it very difficult for the individual to borrow any kind of money for a period of time, usually not to exceed 10 years. What everyone has to remember is that poor credit performance is a historical perspective on the borrower's past behavior. Based on historical facts, potential lenders can rightfully assume the individual is a poor credit risk. The good news is history is a constantly evolving notion that gets rewritten every day. Using Short Term Debt to Rebuild One's Credit Score: If someone wants to rebuild their credit score, they have to convert bad financial behaviors into good financial behaviors. No matter how low someone's credit score might get, it's an objective rating based on certain criteria. As such, it can improve just as easily as it can fall apart. As you contemplate how to repair and rebuild your credit, you need to be aware that the only way to increase your rating is by strictly adhering to all future obligations. To that end, there's an interesting strategy you can employ to speed up the process. First, it's duly noted it is going to be difficult for you to secure new loans. Your credit score ratios and payment profile will interfere with the approval process. However, it's worth the effort for you to do whatever's necessary to establish short term debt with manageable terms. Initially, you might have to swallow high-interest rates and lender-friendly terms to secure a credit card, title loan or whatever other kinds of loan you can get. Once you have the first short-term loan in place, your credit score might take a small dip. However, your credit score will eventually start increasing as you make your payments on time. At some point, you can pay off that loan early and followup by securing a new loan. As you continue abiding by your agreements and perhaps exceeding expectations, your credit score with pick up momentum to the upside. Eventually, your bad credit history will fade into the past, being replaced by new credit history that supports the fact you are again becoming a worthy risk. How well does this approach work? Bankruptcy stays on your record for approximately 10 years. If you can represent to a succession of lenders that the past is the past and you are now able to handle your responsibilities, that bankruptcy will lose significance in the eyes of many lenders. Read Also: 5 Smart Ways To Boost Your Credit Score 7 Simple Tips To Pay Off Your Loans Faster Are Payday Loans Really As Bad As People Say? Title Loan Requirements: What You Do And Don’t Need
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What You Need to Know Before Buying Property with a Tax Lien
You find the house of your dreams but are told by the realtor that the home comes with a property tax lien. Do you give up on that house and find one that doesn’t have a lien? Even though friends and family might suggest you move on, it's better to have a deeper understanding of property tax liens before making a decision. What Is a Property Tax Lien? When homeowners have a financial setback, they often have problems making their mortgage payments. In many cases, they are also unable to pay their property taxes. When a homeowner doesn’t pay property taxes, their property becomes tax delinquent. A property tax lien prevents this property from being sold or refinanced. Depending upon the state they live in, after a certain period of time, the municipality can repossess, seize, and foreclose on the property. When this happens, the town or county that is owed the taxes issues a property-tax lien certificate against the property. The lien includes the owed taxes, penalties, and interest. Once there is a foreclosure, this certificate is then made available for sale, usually in an auction. There are two types of sales based on unpaid property taxes. Tax Deed Sale: A tax deed is a legal document that transfers property ownership from the homeowner who didn't pay the taxes and the municipal governmental entity owed the taxes. In turn, the government then has the authority to sell the property, collect the owed taxes, and transfer ownership to the purchaser. In this case, the property is sold at auction and includes unpaid taxes. Buying a foreclosed property gives you complete ownership of the property. The price may start low but is often driven up by competing bidders. Once the property is purchased by the highest bidder, it is owned clear and free of all mortgages and liens against it. Tax Lien Sale: In this type of sale, the lien is auctioned off to the highest bidder. It includes the interest incurred. If the liens are not paid, the new owner can foreclose on the property. Many states will utilize a tax lien sale in an attempt to get their unpaid taxes from the homeowner. They usually come with high penalty fees. The process and time period associated with tax lien sales depends upon the state where the property is located. Homeowners whose property is sold in a tax lien sale are given a period of time— a redemption period—to pay their taxes plus interest to the holder of the lien. The owner of the lien may not end up owning the property should the homeowner pay back the taxes plus interest. However, there is an opportunity to make money from the accrued interest. Interest rates vary by state, for example: In Florida, the maximum interest rate is 18 percent with a guaranteed minimum of 5 percent on liens redeemed early. The Mississippi tax lien rate is 18 percent—1.5 percent per month—and must be repaid in two years. Iowa’s interest rate is on the lower side, at 2 percent. The interest rates and sales process are structured by local jurisdictions and are also dependent upon the auction. Be sure to check with the municipality before making decisions. Because of low interest rates and the volatile stock market, many people are looking for other ways to get a return on their investment. With more than$14 billion in unpaid property taxes, purchasing properties with liens, for some, is a viable investment opportunity. It is important to understand what you are buying before you make an offer. When you purchase a tax lien certificate, you are not attaining ownership of a piece of property. You are purchasing the lien on the property. The delinquent homeowner still owns the property. When you buy a tax deed, you take ownership of the property in its entirety. Read Also: Property Investment Success Stories 6 Tips On How To Pay Off Your Tax Debt Investing In Property Is Investing In Your Future A Quick Guide To The Legal Steps Of Buying A House Why Off-Plan Investment Is Beneficial For Expats 5 Easy Estate Planning Tips To Help You Plan For The Future
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Discovering And Recovering From Identify Theft
Identify Theft is not a big problem if you have the right gadget with you. It is a real problem that affects millions of Americans every year. And, the number of victims keeps growing. According to Javelin Strategy And Research, over 16 million cases of identity theft were reported in 2017 resulting in over $16 billion in stolen money. Different Ways You Can Identify Theft For Your Betterment There are multiple ways you can identify theft for your betterment. Make things easier for yourself to enjoy the day. Work out the plans that can help you to achieve your goals. Identity Theft Explained: Stated by a credit repair company in San Antonio, when your personal and sometimes sensitive information is stolen from you and then used to open accounts in your name, you become a victim of identity theft. Stolen information includes your name, social security number, credit card numbers, bank account information, and other financial data. Your information can be taken via discarded mail, email scams, attacks on financial institution databases, or through any other company that stores a list of sensitive consumer data, for that matter. Thieves may start off with just a couple of pieces of information about you. They use this information to access further data that are key in opening accounts in your name and racking up debt. The Impact Of Identity Theft On Your Credit Score: Simply put, the longer identity theft continues the more it ravages your credit. If you have not put an identity theft monitoring mechanism in place, months may pass before you realized someone has been using your identity. You may not notice until the day you apply for a loan and are surprisingly turned down. Discover the victim before you identify theft. Identity thieves have no interest in protecting your credit. They’ll use your identity as long as they can to spend money until your score is so negatively affected no more lines of credit can be opened in your name. This means, depending on the condition of your credit when your identity was stolen, thousands upon thousands of dollars of debt can accrue before you ever realize your identity has been stolen. Then, your score will plummet from too much debt and have to start rebuilding your credit score. Recovering From Identity Theft: Once you discover you’ve been a victim of identity theft, you must contact all the financial institutions affected such as credit card companies, banks, and other lenders. Report the incident with them, and they’ll help you begin the process of filing your claim and freeze all fraudulent accounts. You need to identify the theft that can work well for you. Next, you’ll need to have new cards issued for any existing accounts you had before identity theft took its toll on your credit. Next, put a freeze on all future lending with a fraud alert. Instituting fraud alert mechanisms will tell lenders to take extra precautions before granting a new line of credit in your name for the next 90 days. Protecting Your Credit: The best way to ensure you don’t become a victim of identity theft is to use a credit monitoring service. These services often come as a no-cost benefit offered by many existing lenders. Credit monitoring will alert you any time there is a change in your credit score. It will also let you take a peek at your credit any time you need to check in on it. You can also protect yourself by using unique, strong passwords at each of the financial websites you have credit lines with. Never click on emails asking for personal information from you. Shred all financial documents, and never give out passwords on the phone. Read Also: Debt Consolidation Plans For Your Debt Relief How To Stay Safe When Making Mobile Payments How To Start A Blog Without Breaking A Bank? The Best Strategies For Retirement Funds Distribution What Are The Types Of Debt That Can Be Discharged In Bankruptcy? How To Check Someone Out Online: 5 Tips On Finding Out Someone’s Personal History
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How Financial Trading can give you the Life you want
Over the century financial trading has become the next best thing for many people. Financial trading offers you the opportunity to fulfill your own goals. It provides you with the opportunity to create your own money through trading thus allowing you to be your own boss. The primary purpose of working mostly for nearly 10 hours a day is to achieve financial stability and independence. Stability is having a surplus of income to enjoy the luxury of life. Before you start to think about financial security in life, the thought of housing and education debts, living paycheck to paycheck, and the fear of working all your life form a significant part of your economic fear of stability. If expense and money were no longer the needs you required, would you still keep the career or job you are in right now? My opinion is most people will say no, I Know a few numbers of people who would say yes. So how do you change your life of working for someone to the life that you desire with minimal spending but great returns, my best bet is financial trading, it gives you the opportunity to earn money, to have the life you want. What does Financial Trading Involve? Financial trading is the buying and selling of shares, derivatives example futures and bonds, or forex. Forex involves the selling and buying of a currency and derivatives are selling at an agreed price at a later date at the given price. Learning to trade in the financial market is not a walk in the park. Everyone dream to wake up one day boom hit the mega jackpot with trading. Financial trading requires patience to understand the movement of currency and stock. Understanding when to sell and buy and figure out its flow and system. The success story of your life as a trader beginning with patience, little investment as you trade and work your way to living the good life of big cash. Financial Trader: Career Opportunities: Being a financial trader creates an opportunity of controlling your income. A trader can make money through the changes in the movement of the stock price, in order to capitalize on this, a trader must have the desire to do the analysis research and develop the necessary strategy. There several platforms that have training tutorials for traders example is the MT4 platform, you can download MetaTrader 4 for your PC which offers simulation to practice trading and offers the opportunity to develop your strategies management skill and analysis skills. Technology continues to make it easy to trade with the development of applications such as Meta trader which is available for a personal computer can easily be downloaded. The Mettrader4 platform is the best for your personal computer for it is compatible with all operating systems from Windows and Linux. Meta Trading Software for Financial Traders and Trading: Metatrader 4 trading platform in Windows offers you a simulation stage to experience the financial market volatility. The backbone of profitable trading is volatility. As you trade every day learn to manage your profit to loss ratio hence minimize your losses. The simulation allows you to make mistakes and learns from your mistakes before venturing into the real thing; the simulation offers you virtual currency to act as an account broker, it also mimics the stock condition environment. Before you begin actual trading you will spend a few months practicing trading until you grasp the trading cycle. Financial Trader: A Suitable Career Profession: Financial trading brings a change in lifestyle. With the choice to make and organize your working hours, how it best fits you. Besides giving the option of working from home. The freedom to work when you, want, how long you want gives you a choice to make the money that you need to fund your lifestyle through trading. The flexibility of being able to trade from anywhere is one of the significant advantages of the financial trader. Traveling all over the world at the same time being able to carry your work with you. A laptop and the internet are the only things you will need. Read Also: Business Potential Of Stock Broking Agencies In India Forex Trading Wisdom: Talk Yourself Out Of Bad Trades What To Expect When You Become A Forex Trader 7 Startup Essentials Entrepreneurs Should Know About Investing And Trading 101: Investment Ideas For Newbies
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Investments 101: How to Choose a Smart Stock
There are less than 4,000 publicly traded companies in the US today, down from the 1997 high of more than 7,000. Such a limited pool doesn’t make it any easier to pick stocks these days, though. In fact, one of the first questions new investors ask is about how to choose stocks. The stock market is a big gamble, and if you choose right, you can win big time. In this guide, we’ll go over the steps you should follow to pick a good stock. You may not be the next Wolf of Wall Street, but selecting the right stocks will put you on firm financial footing. Assess Your Goals: It’s easy to ask how to find good stocks. The problem is that “good” is relative to what you want from investing. The very first thing you need to do is to take a look at your own goals. Why are you investing? What do you hope to get out of buying stocks? Answering this question will provide the underlying “investment theory” for your stock-picking strategy. If you want to maximize your returns and get out of the market, you’ll need one strategy. If you plan to be in it for the long haul, you’ll likely use a different strategy. Start with Index Funds: Index funds, like mutual funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs), are a great place to start. First, they make good beginner investments. You can buy into one of these funds to gain exposure to the market. With mutual funds or ETFs, you don’t need to buy every individual stock in the fund. They also have low management fees. For those of you wondering how to pick a stock, they're also a great place to start your research. These funds contain most of the large companies in a given industry. They also collect information on the performance of their holdings. You can then narrow down the list to the individual stocks you’re interested in. The index fund can tell you that industry is on the rise. It can also tell you which companies are outperforming others in the same industry. Evaluating Financial Health: After you’ve picked some individual companies, you’ll want to evaluate their financial health. The next question you should ask is what to look for when buying stock. Information about performance and profits is easy enough to come by. You’ll also want to look at more intangible factors, such as the company’s staff. What makes them unique? A good way to collect some of this information is to look at investor presentations. They often share details that will help you learn how to pick good stocks. Another thing you can do is check forecasts. For example, you can look at the Valeant stock forecast to see how a certain company is recovering from a major scandal. No Magic Formula for How to Choose Stocks: Keep in mind that there’s a human factor involved in the stock market. You can do careful research and invest in what you think is the best stock. Key personnel could then leave the company, and the stock underperforms. The long and short if it is there’s no magic formula for picking good stocks every time. Understanding your goals and doing careful research will help you make better choices. Start Building Your Financial Future: This quick guide should give you some more ideas about how to choose stocks that support your goals. As you continue to invest, you’ll be able to refine your strategy. Interested in diversifying your portfolio? Check out our blog for more informative articles. We have advice that can help you work toward a brighter financial tomorrow. Read Also: Buying Stocks For Beginners: A Guide How Businesses Can Use Stock Trading 5 Awesome Facts About CryptoCurrency Main Factors That Affect Trading Decisions Top 9 Forex Trading Tips For Beginners That Save You Money
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What Is the Best Tax Software to Be Using in 2019?
If you fail to file your taxes correctly, the IRS can fine you a penalty up to 20% of the amount you owe. Taxes are a complete nightmare for many people especially if you can't pay them. And the last thing you want to deal with is owing even more money to the government. That's why the emergence of tax software has helped so many people. It helps you make sense of the confusing terminology, perform calculations, and break the process down into easy steps. But what is the best tax software and how does it help simplify everything? This article covers everything you need to know. The Criteria for Best Tax Software: Everyone is different and the tax software available now tends to be tailored to different audiences with bank products and other solutions available. For example, a family of four with a house and one income earner will have a fairly straightforward process. But what about someone who is self-employed or a small business owner? In these cases, some companies offer tiered pricing models that can quickly become expensive. When asking questions like "Why would anyone use a bank product?" or "Is this service right for me?" it's important to consider the following. Ease of Use: There's no point paying for a system that is just as confusing as the tax forms themselves. Check out reviews from other people to see what their experiences with the company were. Or watch a 'how to' video for a preview of the software. Are Your Taxes Complicated: Between deductibles, donations, and multiple sources of income, taxes can get complex very quickly. If you're unsure what you qualify for and what options are available to you then tax software may be the way to go. Look at State Tax Prices: Some tax software companies include state tax in their services free of charge. Others ask for a fee and class it as an additional service. Be sure to look into the costs behind each one to be sure. With that said, here are the best online tax filing options out there. TurboTax: Known for its simplicity and ease of use, TurboTax has many features and designs to help you file without a headache. The use a simple step by step process that puts questions in laymen's terms and does the hard work and calculations for you. They even offer a W-2 scanner where upload a photo of your form and it automatically sorts the information on your tax forms. They have a free option for getting your taxes ready to file. But can charge past $100 if you want more premium services like a tax specialist to talk to. Tax Act: Similar to TurboTax, TaxAct offers a sliding scale of costs for users depending on the level of service they want. Their layout makes it easy to input data and offers free state tax returns for simple forms. If you're a homeowner or business owner however, then you will have to pay a fee for state taxes. If you are unhappy with the service you've received from other tax software companies, TaxAct makes it easy to import your old information over to them. H&R Block: Known for their stand-out customer support, H&R Block takes the uncertainty out of the equation with tax specialists on call and online. It has a similar model and pricing structure to the previous companies but also offers up to $3000 of interest-free loans to anyone entitled to federal tax refunds. Shop Around: Knowing what the best tax software is for you takes time and research. This list helped narrow things down but you should still look into each company in more detail to see what will work best for you. Check out our other finance articles for more tips and advice. Read Also: 6 Tips On How To Pay Off Your Tax Debt All You Must Know About Construction Business Management Software 8 Reasons Why Your Company Should Get A Vendor Management Software
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7 Foolproof Ways to Increase Your Chances of Finding Startup Funding
Are you an entrepreneur hoping to build a thriving business backed by investor funding? Do you have an awesome business idea with product/market fit, but need angel investor funding to help your business scale? If so, you've come to the right place. There are a number of ways you can increase your chances of finding startup funding if you are strategic in your approach to making valuable connections. Gabriel Patterson, a Toronto based chairman at Bethmann Lombard Bancorp, is a dynamic businessman and certified Islamic finance specialist who has over 26 years of investment banking experience. 7 Foolproof Ways to Increase Your Chances of Finding Startup Funding Below, he shares and encourages you to incorporate the following seven tips into your fundraising efforts to improve your chances of scaling your company. Confidence is Essential: Be confident when attempting to raise funds for your startup. Investors will often back an entrepreneur they believe in even if the entrepreneur's startup idea isn't strong. Investors know the entrepreneur can always pivot their startup to a more profitable business idea, but they want to be among the first investors to bet on an entrepreneur who exudes confidence and drive. Always be Networking: Make time for networking with potential investors regardless of how busy you are building your startup. Something as simple as schmoozing with angel investors and VCs (venture capitalists) on Twitter can help get your startup on their radar. Add valuable insights on Twitter conversations, don't overtly promote your startup, and continually tweet helpful content to build the startup ecosystem. Your efforts won't go unnoticed, especially if your business idea is appealing. Know Your Ask: Know what you want when pitching potential angel investors and VCs. An entrepreneur with a lukewarm pitch with no firm ask isn't going to survive long with seasoned investors. Know what you're asking for, be firm in your presentation, and be prepared to negotiate to keep the entrepreneur/investor relationship moving forward. Consider Smaller Rounds: Be prepared to accept a smaller round of funding than what you initially ask for from investors. You may have grandiose plans and think you need a major round of seed funding or Series A funding. This is a common trap many entrepreneurs fall prey to when raising funds for their startup. Even smaller amounts of funding can be quite helpful in moving your company ahead. If you learn to reduce your burn rate and spend your funding wisely, you'll be amazed at how far a smaller amount of funding can take you and your startup. Investigate Investors: Don't assume it's only big-name investors who can help grow your startup. Too many entrepreneurs think they're only successful if they raise funding from famous VCs and investors in Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, or New York City. Nothing could be further from the truth. You can raise funds for your startup from investors anywhere, but you need to approach them with respect and understand their investment thesis. The more you investigate potential investors for your startup, the more likely it is you will find reputable financial backers for your business. Ethical Behavior Matters: Be careful how you portray yourself when in public. You never know who you might be chatting with at a networking event or who they might know. One slip-up in behavior or egotistical boasting could potentially cost you the financial funding you so desperately long for. Be an entrepreneur with ethics and a strong moral code and you'll increase your long-term odds of startup success. Appeal to Investor Emotions: Don't forget to appeal to investor emotions when seeking funding for your startup. You must know your numbers and offer a pitch deck that investors can believe in, but it never hurts to appeal to their emotional side too. You don't want to overplay this card, but a touch of emotion in your investor outreach efforts can go a long way. Remember these seven foolproof ways of increasing your chances of finding startup funding and you'll improve your entrepreneurial future. Raising funds for your startup is hard work, but the rewards can definitely be worth all the sacrifice and long hours. Read Also: 5 Steps To Accelerate The Growth Of Your Startup How To Attract The Best Talents For Your Startup 7 Reasons To Be An Entrepreneur In The Best Area: IT
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Self-employed Health Insurance: Best Types for Every Freelancer
Working as a freelancer can be a rewarding experience, but you can’t ignore the importance of health insurance. Some people consider it a drawback because they have to manage their health insurance plan. There is no need to worry because you can get some good plans. Fortunately, some online platforms like carefulcents.com help you to pick a suitable self-employed health plan. Here are some good options that may work for you: Federal/State Marketplace: The marketplace for health insurance provides you with excellent coverage option. If you are working as a freelancer, you can enroll through an appropriate plan. A freelancer, consultant, independent workers, and other contractors can get several options. Fortunately, several categories are available with low premiums. Your savings may depend on the projected net income. Plans with Higher Deductible and Lower Premiums: These types of plans can be an excellent option for people who need something affordable. While paying a lower premium, you can get the advantage of higher deductibles. It can be beneficial to work with this type of plan in your good health. If you are not prone to traumas or unexpected accidents, these plans are great for you. Medicaid: Millions of Americans can get the advantage of free coverage and low cost through Medicaid. These options are suitable for families with low income, seniors and people with disabilities. You can get suitable Medicaid as per your income. Make sure to consider the regulations of your state to pick appropriate insurance. This program is free from open enrollment periods so that you can apply without any restriction. Plan for Family Coverage: A few states allow you to get the advantage of a domestic partnership without a legal marriage. If you are sharing a room or house with your partner, you can get the benefit of family coverage. You will be eligible for this plan until you or your partner is not married to anyone else. Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA): COBRA guarantees you stipend to remain under the health insurance plan of your employer provisionally. Some plans are associated with a decrease in your employment. As per the U.S. Labor Department, you have to follow some eligibility requirements. COBRA couldn’t be a wise option if a person were not formally employed. Private Insurance: Some people need special healthcare coverage for chronic illness and other problems. If you need a particular insurance plan, make sure to check the details of a policy to find a suitable cover. A private insurance company can help you in the selection of a strong cover. Make sure to figure out important details before finalizing health coverage. Interest Groups: The national association for self-employed may provide excellent support to freelancers. You can access life insurance policies and health saving accounts after getting your membership. The fee for annual membership may vary between $25 and $120 for students and general members. Freelancers can save money at famous stores, such as QuickBooks and Office Depot. Moreover, the health association for underwriters represents more than 100,000 insurance agents. They can help you in the selection of an affordable healthcare plan. Read Also: Everything You Need To Know About Term Insurance Plan Premium A Little On The Side…Or Not? Your Guide To Supplemental Insurance Ready To Take The Leap Into Self-Employment? Here’s How To Set Up An Awesome Home Office Have You Paid Enough Attention To Liability Insurance When Launching Your HHA Business?
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Home Sweet Home Improvement: How to Find the Best Home Improvement Loans
It's estimated that in 2018, Americans spent nearly $340 billion on home remodeling projects. Home improvement loans are one of the best ways to sort out the problem of home renovation. If you're planning to make some changes to your home, you may find that a home improvement loan is the only way you can get the job done. But finding a home improvement loans isn't easy, and sometimes it can be difficult to figure out how you can find the right loan, at the right price. Below you'll discover how you can find the best home improvement loans for your renovation project. Read on, and you'll discover how you can give your home a fresh look, without having to wreak havoc on your finances. Decide What You Want to Use the Loan For: Before taking out the loan, it's a good idea to think about how you're going to spend the money associated with the loan. In doing so, it becomes easy to work out how much you'll need to borrow. This then prevents you from over-borrowing and ending up with more debt than necessary. Now, if you don't know how much a particular home improvement project is going to cost, it's probably worth speaking to some contractors. If you can provide these contractors with an accurate representation of what you want to achieve, they should be able to give you a quote. If you can, try to speak to more than one contractor. This'll help develop a realistic average of what the project is going to cost. How Can You Fund the Home Improvement Project? There's more than one financial 'instrument' you can use to fund your home improvement project. For instance, there's the typical route of obtaining a home improvement loan. Now, home improvement loans can often sound like a good idea, but you'll find that such loans aren't always the best option. This often comes down to the fact home improvement loans tend to be unsecured, and this makes them a risky bet for lenders. This risk can also mean that the interest rates are going to be high. On top of this, you'll find lenders will offer relatively short repayment periods associated with these loans. The other option is to go for a personal loan. Again, this kind of loan is unsecured, and this can make such loans pricey. But, if you have good credit and a steady income, lenders might be willing to offer you a personal loan at a reasonable rate. One of the good things about a personal loan is that you may have a favorable payment term that gives you plenty of time to pay the money back. If you'd like to learn how you can find the best personal loans, check this out. There's also the option of funding your project using a credit card. Now, for many people, this should be considered as a last resort. This is because the interest rates on a credit card can be very high. But if you can find a credit card that offers 0% APR, this might be a worthwhile option. Speak to Many Lenders: Once you have a decent sense of how much the project is going to cost you, it's the time to approach some lenders. It's worth noting that some lenders will have different requirements to others. Often, you'll have to fill out an application, and the information you provide will determine whether you receive the loan. If you find your application is successful, you may have to approach another lender. You may also need to think about funding your project, using a different strategy. Manage Your Project Carefully: Once you receive your funds and begin remodeling, it's vital you manage your project carefully so that it doesn't go over budget. If this happens, you'll need to lend more money, and this can increase your debt burden. At the very least you need to keep a close eye on the contractors and ask them about their progress daily. Ask them to provide you with projected deadlines, and then check in with them to ensure they're going to meet these deadlines. It's essential you do this, as contractors often charge you a daily rate. If the project goes over schedule, you may end up needing to spend more than you budgeted for. Can You Reduce the Price of the Project? Before the project begins, you might want to ask your contractors if there's anything you can do to help lower the cost of the project. If you take certain cost-cutting measures, you may find that you don't need to use the entire loan. This then means you can repay the loan faster, thereby reducing the amount of money you spend on interest payments. Taking this step is important, as it can reduce the stress associated with having to find the 'perfect' home improvement loan. For instance, the contractors might say that things will work out cheaper if you source the materials needed for the project. You can then ask them what they need, and you can go to your local hardware store and order these items. You might also want to ask the contractor if there are any simple tasks that you can help them with. So, if you're looking to renovate a bedroom, there may be some closets that are 'built into' the room, of which you no longer want. If you take the time to remove these closets, the contractor doesn't need to spend their time on this task. This then lowers the amount of money they'll charge you as their workload is now reduced. Do You Know How to Find the Best Home Improvement Loans? If you want to give your home a fresh look, home improvement loans can help you get the job done, without having to spend all your savings. That said, you want to make sure you do everything you can to limit the amount of money you actually need to borrow. You also want to make sure you speak to a broad range of lenders so that you can find an affordably priced loan. Yes, it can be scary to borrow money for a home improvement project. But if you follow the tips in this post, you should be able to minimize your stress levels. Thinking about remodeling your kitchen? Check out this post to learn about the best countertops you can use. Read Also: Lining Up For A Loan – How To Secure A Good Loan 7 Tips To Increase The Value Of Your Home Best Home Buying Tips For First Time Buyers Invest Real Estate In Detroit: 7 Things You Need To Know Before Buying Your First Investment
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7 Advantages in Hiring a Third Party Company to Manage your Accounting
Running a small business in the market today can be quite demanding and involving, especially when it comes to the need for different skills, experiences, and competencies necessary to handle different tasks. As a business owner, you may need to hire the services of a professional consultant company to provide technical help where necessary. One of the commonly demanding tasks in a business that you may need to outsource services from a third-party consultancy company is in the area of accounting. The skills required to accomplish professional accounting in a small business are too involving in ways that small businesses often prefer working with external consultancy service providers. Working with a hired third-party company to manage your business’s accounting needs is advantageous in several ways. It saves you money: One of the key advantages of working with a consultancy company is that you get to save much on the cost required to get the financial services you need. When hiring an outside financial consultancy and accounting company to handle your business’s accounting needs, you are not mandated to provide the necessary resources such as office space, software, furniture, and other crucial elements that are necessary to facilitate the third-party businesses’ operations. Generally, this is an advantage to your business. The one-time contractual agreement between your company and the third party consultancy reduces the financial burden upon your business. This is as opposed to a situation where you would be required to hire competent accountants and financial experts to handle your business’s financial and accountancy needs. In such a case, your business will be required to provide the necessary resources in addition to providing a competitive salary, benefits, and remuneration to the workers. Saves on time: Hiring the services of a professional consulting company to provide accounting consultancy services to your business gives you an opportunity to save on the time that may be dedicated to other tasks. Accounting is one of the most demanding business activities as it involves compiling accurate reports from thousands of transactions in a business. To be accurate in the accounting reports generated, one must put in much time and resources into accounting operations and calculations. As a business owner, the time that would have gone into performing the accountancy operations in your business may be allotted for other crucial business tasks. Exposure to professional and competent services: Professional businesses such as Gold Coast TW Accounting that offer consultancy services in the area of accounting and finance are normally competent enough to provide reliable and accurate services. Such consultants, as compared to hired accounting workers in your business, prove more resourceful in terms of providing accounting services with competence, confidence, and certainty. The results of the accounting process for your business may also come in handy with crucial interpretations that may help your business to improve on its financial performance in the market. Contractual services: For your business, working with a hired accounting consultancy company is much advantageous, especially since the contractual agreement between your business and the consultant can be altered to your advantage. The contractual agreement between your business and the consultant, in such a case, can be varied such that your business gets the upper hand in terms of the quality of service you receive. In case the contract does not satisfy your business’s needs, you have the upper hand and capacity to terminate the contract at a moment’s notice and seek to hire the services of a more qualified accounting consultant who will meet your specific needs. This is as opposed to instances where you work with employees whose terms of engagement may be too complicated to terminate at once without causing legal repercussions. Increased market exposure: Whenever you hire external financial accountants to handle your business’s accounting operations, you get a significant level of market exposure. The professional accountants come equipped with knowledge on how other businesses in the market have been performing financially. Such knowledge may come in handy in cases where the consultant may provide technical insight on how your business is doing financially as compared to your competitors. Besides, the technical expertise and advice provided by such consultants may also help in other areas of your business management. For example, the accountants may provide insights on how to simplify and increase your networking and market relationships with your customers and other businesses as a strategy of bettering your financial performance. Unbiased results: Hiring the services of a third-party company to manage your accounting needs in your business reduces or eliminates the risk of being exposed to biased accounting services. Professional accountants who provide consultancy services in businesses have zero tolerance for bias. Such bias may otherwise set-in in cases where internal accounting department workers willfully manipulate the accounting records to give you a false impression of good performance in your business. Having reliable results comes in handy as far as the long-term sustainability and survival of your business in the market are concerned. Get the peace of mind: Accounting operations in business are mind-bogglingly challenging to effectively carry out. The challenges associated with successfully carrying out accounting operations internally may deny you, as a business owner or manager, the peace of mind necessary to successfully undertake other tasks. Hiring the services of an external accountant to do such complicated and voluminous accounting tasks reassures you and gives you much time to focus on steering your business forward. Besides, the professional consultants know the precise records that they should go after in your business to do comprehensive and reliable accounting work. In general, hiring an external company to manage accounting tasks in your business gives you a comparative advantage as compared to instances where you work with internally based workers hired in your business’s accounting department. The high-quality accounting services that you receive from such qualified personnel providing accounting consultancy services are crucial to the financial survival of your business. You may also receive an added advantage on the technical advisory you receive from the consultants on how to steer your business to financial success. Read Also: Balancing The Books With Outsourcing – Virtual Receptionists Major Financial Problems That Can Affect A New Business Why You Should Choose To Have An Asset Protection For Your Business Don’t Do The Math: 5 Reasons Outsourced Bookkeeping Services Are The Right Choice For Your Business
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