Finance Tech

It can be easy to fall behind in your bills for one reason or another. Money could be tight from medical expenses, the holidays, or a loss of income. There are those people that look at the homeless and wonder how in the world they let themselves get into such a predicament. However, if you are wise enough, you realize that could really be any one of us if we were hit with some bad circumstances here and there.

If you are having a tough time staying on budget, here are a few tips to staying on track month after month without racking up the debt.

Get Ahead in Your Payments When Possible

Is it better to have those couple of hundreds of dollars sitting in the bank or putting it to use by getting ahead of loan payments every month? If you make just one extra payment a year on a 30-year mortgage loan, you can knock seven years off the life of the loan. Getting that 30-year mortgage down to 23 years is a huge difference when planning your future.

Furthermore, if you are able to get ahead of your payments here and there, when you are short on funds for a month, you don’t have to worry as you will still be ahead in the long run. So instead of splurging on items you don’t need when you have those few extra dollars coming in, put them to good use and start paying off things early.

Part-Time Job

If you are not able to live off of just one source of income, you always have the option of getting a part-time job on the side. It may not be something that you are looking forward to, but it is better than going into debt. At some point, you will probably be able to drop that part-time job once your finances are doing better.

Make Budget Cuts

If you are struggling to pay off your bills, you can always make budget cuts. This may mean getting rid of your cable television and staying in to eat instead of going out, but when you are hit with hard times, you have to adjust.

There Is Another Option

Sometimes getting a loan is the perfect option. For instance, there are consolidating loans that can lessen the amount of interest you are currently paying every month. You could sign up for a Montreal loan and see what they have to offer in terms of interest and loan amounts.

 

Now is apparently not a good time to be in the auto industry, at least as a major manufacturer. CNN Business reports that global car sales plunged another 4% in 2019. Similar losses were observed the year before. It would appear as though auto sales peaked in 2017 at 95.2 million units. Selling nearly 5 million fewer cars just two years later doesn’t bode well for the industry.

The question that no one seems to be asking is this: could car makers be their own worst enemies? More to the point, could their business models be the reason car sales are slumping? The possibility bears consideration.

Possible Causes

The same CNN report that detailed slumping car sales offered a number of possible causes. First is a slowdown in China’s economic growth. As the thinking goes, Chinese consumers are not buying as many cars because their economy has slowed down.

Another potential culprit is a reduction in government incentives for buying electric vehicles. That makes sense to a certain degree. Due to the high retail price of most electrics, consumers are not likely to buy them without the financial incentive to do so. It simply costs too much money to avoid the internal combustion engine.

Next up is a credit crunch being observed in India. The thinking there is that India’s economy will continue to contract as long as credit remains tight. Just like what happened here in the U.S. during the last few years of the previous decade, economic contraction tends to put the damper on big-ticket items.

All three possible reasons do have some merit. Yet they can hardly account for all of the trouble the auto industry has experienced over the last decade or so. So let’s dig a little deeper by addressing a key phrase in the CNN piece: peak car.

A Finite Market

This CNN piece briefly mentioned, in passing, the possibility that the global economy has reached “peak car.” It is a point that deserves more than a single sentence. In fact, it might very well be the answer to the entire question.

The reality is that the car market is a finite market. The world can only support so many cars among those people with the resources to purchase them and the ability to drive them. While some people plan for buying a new car and others just buy one when they need it, the fact remains that the number of potential buyers is finite.

Car manufacturers have spent the better part of the last several decades building cars that can easily last for 20 years. That is not the way it used to be. It used to be that a decent car would peak at about 100,000 miles or 8 to 10 years of driving. Today’s cars can easily go 20 years and 200,000 miles.

Simple math tells you that cars lasting twice as long reduce the need to purchase new cars. Combine that with the auto industry standard of building as many cars as humanly possible and you have a situation in which the market eventually becomes saturated. That may be where we are today.

Most durable goods are subject to limited markets and market saturation. Marine and aerospace manufacturers, for example, know there is only a finite audience for custom yachts and personal jets. They temper their production accordingly. In the auto industry, production has been running flat-out for as long as any of us can remember. Perhaps it’s time to scale back in the knowledge that their cars now last longer than ever before.

Even if you haven’t applied for a home loan, you will have undoubtedly heard the term “interest rate.” Interest affects loan repayments, but it can also help us make more money. So, what is interest? How is it calculated, and how does it change from product to product? Read on, dear friend as we dive into the wild world of interest.

What is interest?

Interest is the cost of borrowing someone else’s money. When you borrow money for a home loan, the interest you pay is the cost of borrowing the lender’s money and covering the risks that are incurred by borrowing such sums of money. Conversely, if you were to lend money, say by depositing funds in a term deposit account, you will gain interest on your money lent.

I call the shots.

Interest rates are primarily calculated off the cash rate set by the Reserve Bank of Australia (let us call them the RBA from now on). The RBA sets an official cash rate based on market activity and the supply and demand of exchange settlements. A deep understanding of this system requires a university degree, but for all intents and purposes, if the cash rate is low, so are interest rates.

Interest rates are calculated daily, but the rise and fall usually follows a slow pattern and aren’t usually much different from day to day.

What does all this mean for me?

When you apply for a home loan, much attention is focussed on the interest rates and with good reason. The lower the interest rates, the lower your mortgage repayments will be. When taking out any sort of loan, the money you borrow is subject to interest. Several factors determine the exact rate of interest that you pay.

As we have already discussed, the RBA sets a cash rate, which sets interest rates. Your exact rate of repayment is based on this cash rate, as well as the amount borrowed and for how long. Usually, a home loan attracts a relatively low-interest rate as you are paying back the amount borrowed over a long period.

History.

Every time you borrow money, whether it’s a small Afterpay loan or a hefty personal loan for a shiny new car, your lender can choose to report your interaction with them to a credit agency who will give you a “credit score.” If you successfully pay off the loan without any problems, your credit score goes up, inversely, if you fail to make payment or default on a loan, your credit history goes down.

When applying for a loan, your credit score and history are evaluated by the lender to determine how risky you are to lend money too. This risk or lack of has a big input in your repayment interest rates.

Some ways to reduce interest.

A high-interest rate is good if you are investing money but not so much when it’s applied to your mortgage repayments. Being debt-free with a good credit history is the best way to lower interest rates, followed closely by a solid history of savings and long term employment. The more reliable your personal situation, the less risky you are as a borrower, and the less interest you will attract.

Interest is all around us, from Afterpay to home loans. Having a surface knowledge of what interest is and how it affects you can save you a small fortune in repayment fees. Being consistent, responsible, and diligent will reduce your interest rates and make everything easier in the long run. Saving money, getting better value products and services all because of interest rates? Sounds pretty interesting to me.

 

Financial technology, or fintech, is perhaps the perfect example of the modern economy’s brilliant ability to respond to the needs of consumers. Nothing has proven quite as convenient as modern fintech developments like the banking apps or services offering investment-on-the-go. So it’s no surprise to learn that this field is a huge employer, and that revenue in the industry is growing and growing. This blog post will explore some of the history of fintech, and will begin to look at exactly why it is the case that this sector has grown so much in recent years.

Making life convenient

On the whole, most people are content to go through life without taking full control of their finances. Aside from perhaps a pension pot and an owner-occupied home, many people don’t want to get involved in the hassle of savings and investments. It may be perceived as too complex, for example, or it could be seen as risky – especially if the means of monitoring or accessing the investment is clunky and requires something like a snail mail letter!

But fintech services have changed that. It’s now possible for individuals to save and invest in almost real time. The rise in investment apps such as Moneybox, which allows users to set their preferred risk level and then go ahead and invest with just a few taps of a screen, have revolutionised the way in which investments are managed. And while services in this field can sometimes be more expensive than a more complex yet more traditional investment offer, many people are willing to pay for the convenience of having accessible and easy to understand investment management tools at their fingertips.

Payment processing

But fintech’s phenomenal growth is not just limited to the investment sector. On the contrary, it’s now also the case that more simple financial transactions – such as basic consumer payments – are easier to execute thanks to technology. Mobile banking apps are a prime example of this: it’s now easier than ever to check whether or not a Direct Debit has been paid, and this has led to users being more in control of their finances – at least for the most part.

It’s difficult to remember the previous iteration of consumer payments technology, but in the relatively recent past many users were reliant on calling their bank or heading down to an ATM for a printed slip if they wanted to find out how much balance they had left or whether or not a payment had been made. Otherwise, it was normal to have to wait weeks for a monthly statement to arrive.

The world of crypto

No discussion of financial technology would be complete without looking at cryptocurrency. In some ways, cryptocurrency is almost in a category of its own. It has fast become one of the most compelling asset classes out there, and despite its tendency to move up and down quickly in price, it still works for many. The relationship between crypto and fintech is an interesting one given just how two-way it is. Firstly, fintech has impacted crypto, with investors in the crypto sphere now able use software tools including Crypto Group to enhance their portfolios, which is an improvement even on a few years ago when crypto was first popular and such a thing as a trading robot was hard to find.

But crypto has also impacted fintech, with many classic banking and finance functions now much faster as a result of blockchain technology. Anyone who works in the complex but interesting field of money transfer, for example, will have come across services such as Ripple – a blockchain tool which improves the liquidity of a bank or other financial institution and allows it to process payments in phenomenally short periods of time, perhaps as low as five seconds or so. With an increasing number of banks and payment organisations now signing up to Ripple and other services, the chances are high that this example of great fintech is going to grow in popularity.

Fintech is something of a buzzword in the modern age – but with good reason. Financial technology has proven itself time and time again to be a durable sector, something that has the power to the change the habits of consumers and investors who use it. From apps to websites and everything in between, it’s no surprise that fintech services of all varieties have really taken off.

 

The popularity of online casinos and sport betting, specially for football, in recent times is remarkable. They are becoming more and more attractive for people who prefer to enjoy their favorite game from home through their computer screen.

Besides the convenience, their fame is due to the varied offer of games, attractive incentives, security and reliability, privacy and anonymity offered by this new option, among others. The sum of all this has allowed its growth to be accelerated.

There are different payment method options with particularities that fit the profile of each user. According to Casino Pilot, if you want to have a good time making small and sporadic bets, casinos accepting Interac for deposits, payments with Bitcoin, Paypal or Skrill are a good option.

If you want to make bigger bets, other options are considered. It’s important to note that payment methods are important for gambling operators to be considered safe, along with the privacy of user information and offering an updated encryption system that guarantees their security. Below are some of the options:

Electronic purses

They are fast and secure payment methods. The user’s information will remain intact and completely hidden from the online casino in which they are playing.

-Paypal: is a free system that allows users to make payments and transfers via the Internet without sharing financial information with the recipient.

-Skrill (Moneybookers): is an electronic wallet that offers a wide range of online financial services. The service is free, the process takes five minutes and you only need a valid email address to sign up.

-Neteller: These are cards with online payments where users can use the established amounts in up to 26 different currencies such as the Euro, the US dollar, the Brazilian real, the Swiss franc or the Mexican peso.

-Bitcoin: is a virtual currency. Bitcoin allows you to transfer money online without revealing your identity.

Most common

-Bank transfer: It consists of transferring money from one account to another. However, the disadvantage of this type of transaction is that it takes three to four working days.

-Electronic transfers: using the credit card, the player can also make bank transfers.

-Bank Cards: this is the most frequent method of payment due to its speed, simplicity and security. The types of bank cards most used and accepted by online casinos are Visa, MasterCard, Visa Electron and American Express.

Currencies and stocks are not the only options available in the finance market. In today’s Nigeria, individuals can gain profit by selling and buying indices. The Dow Jones (DJIA), DAX 30, FTSE 100 and the like may be traded through Alpari international. Here is the way to begin Alpari indices trading Nigeria for which a reliable broker with decades of experience is necessary.

CFDs and How They Work

The very concept is linked to CFDs or contracts for difference. This finance tool is somewhat similar to Forex trading provided by the broker. In both cases, the market is accessed through the advanced dedicated platform called MetaTrader. All the operations take place electronically, without a physical central exchange.

Like with currency exchange rates, the profit is made without actual physical assets being purchased. In case of CFDs (e.g., on the FTSE 100), the speculation is purely price-based, with no actual ownership.

The Indices Traded

A separate stock index denotes how much a set of stocks from a certain country is worth. It gives information about its past and present performance. Indices help experts assess the situation on the markets involved.

The indices may be grouped by country (e.g., DAX 30 from Germany), group (e.g., the American S&P 500), sector (e.g., NASDAQ representing tech sector stocks). As the price of a separate index moves, so does its value. With a higher price, comes a boost in value of the included stocks. Importantly, this refers to their average only.

Distinguishing Features of CFDs

Aside from the indices, this method is also present in the realms of energy and metals. The scheme provides a choice between contracts in different currencies and with different increment values. It is vital to understand, however, that the activity does not involve deals on any actual stock index. The profit is derived from the related CFD, rather than the index itself.

Through one CFD, you can benefit from price fluctuations of separate included stocks. Both volume and price volatility are stable. Hence, the scheme is also less risky than acquisition and sales of individual stocks. As the instrument may be traded on leverage (or margin), opening a trade is possible with even a fraction of your capital.

In the process, you may choose between short-term and long-term gains, adjusting positions accordingly. There are long-term, intra-day, and swing strategies. Short positions entail less risk in comparison with individual stocks. Finally, there are less time constraints, as the trading hours are long.

All you need to do is enter the desired position and close it as you see fit. This may be done through stop loss and take profit values, as well as exiting the market. Unlike options traders, you need not worry about expiry dates and other factors complicating the matters.

Learning the Trade

The values affecting the outcome of CFD trading depend on such trends as demand for the related commodity or shifts within the business sector. However, experts agree that learning is less complicated than training to use options or futures.

There is an abundance of online courses available for free download. Brokers like Alpari supply clients with a wealth of educational material. Hence, it should not be daunting.

The software provided by this officially licensed broker (MT 4 and 5) is considered the most efficient platform for the purpose. CFD traders should consider enhancing it even further with specialized plugins to expand the scope of available operations.

There are many tips and gambling advice you can follow, but some are very important to keep in mind. You certainly want to maximize your chances of winning, so following basic tips is essential. If you are disciplined and keep in mind the following advice, then you can stretch your money and get the wanted rewards. Let’s go over each and every gambling advice you should remember.

• The first advice is to take advantage of no deposit bonuses offered by the casino. With these bonuses you can get acquainted with the games and see how it feels to play in the casino. It also gives you chance to win profits without investing, so why not take advantage of that?
• Next advice is to learn the rules of the popular casino games that you want to play. Playing will be a lot more fun and misunderstandings will be avoided if you know the game rules before you start playing. Table games and card games have all different rules that you must follow, so learn as much as you can. If you know the rules then you can focus on playing those games you believe you have highest chances to win.
• Set a strict bankroll for playing and do not chase losses. This advice is very important to follow if you want to have fun. In case you lose your bankroll the best thing to do is to stop for the day and come back next time when you have more funds to play. Chasing losses is never a wise idea because that way you risk dropping into a bigger hole. Plan everything in advance and stop when you do not feel very lucky.
• Knowing when to quit is another important thing to follow. Plan how long you want to play and simply stop when the time for playing has expired. It is very easy to get carried away when gambling, so plan ahead. For example, set time to two hours of play and walk away after that. It does not matter whether you are on hot streak and are winning. Just stop for the day to refresh.
• Finally, remember that gambling is all about entertainment and you should not see it as an activity or source for making steady profits. If you make money then great, but do not beat yourself up if you lose. Have fun and enjoy the atmosphere.

These were some basic gambling advice that should help you when you choose to gamble. If you follow them you are guaranteed having a good time when you join-in a casino. Your gambling bankroll will last longer and you will also improve your chances of becoming a winning player. As your gambling experience grows, you will become more comfortable playing in a casino. Then you can proceed towards learning more advanced gambling tips and strategies. Until then – enjoy your casino experience and keep these advices in mind when you log in to play in your favorite casino.

To start making millions of dollars in the Forex market, you must learn to take your trading to the next level. Giving an average effort and trying to make millions of dollar profit is not the traits of the successful traders. The successful traders are always using a strategic approach to make a consistent profit. The majority of the naïve traders are losing money since they don’t have enough skills to trade the real market. They have discarded the unnecessary elements and trading with precision. Read this article if you intend to push yourself to the next level.

Get into the basics

Everyone says they have a strong grip on the Forex market. In reality, the majority of the naïve traders don’t even know the perfect way to find the trend. They are just making a wild guess based on some fundamentals. To become a successful trader, you must push yourself to the limit so that you can start learning the details. The initial stage might be challenging for the naïve traders but once they overcome these issues, securing the profit is just a matter of time. During the development stage, the amateurs in Australia often relies on the real account. Trading the market with real money in the learning stage is more like catching a falling knife. Rely on the demo environment unless you know the basics of the Forex market.

Major Price driving catalyst

The professional traders can make a profit based on speculation. Since they are well aware of the major price driving catalyst, they can deal with the CFD trading industry with precision. NFP and other major news make the market volatile. The successful traders in Australia know this fact and they never execute high-risk trade in such market conditions. You have to educate yourself properly so that you can deal with the important price driving catalyst without having any issue. Things might be challenging at the initial stage but once you start focusing on such major news, you won’t lose big money.

Developing your strategy

Developing your trading strategy greatly depends on your skills. Those who know the perfect way to analyze the technical variables can find great trades without taking too much risk. Forget the fact, majority of the retail traders are losing money. Concentrate on the demo trading performance and develop a balanced trading strategy. But make sure you are not taking too much risk in any trade as it can ruin your career. Demo trading might be boring but without learning to trade in the demo environment you can’t develop your patience level. And patience is one of the most essential factors which can define your success.

Print the price chart

You need to print the price chart for doing the market analysis. This might sound silly but analyzing the chart on a paper is one of the most effective techniques to find the best possible trades. Being a currency trader, you should always use a proven strategy. In the past, the investors didn’t have access to the modern trading platform. They used to analyze the data using the old fashioned way. Analyzing the printed chart gives you more scope to look for profit potential. Try to use this technique for a few weeks and you will understand why the professional traders still use this method.

Source information

Information holds the power to change your life. You must source information regularly to push your trading to the next level. Getting used to the traditional news data is not going to make super-rich. You should focus on the unique approach for sourcing the major financial news. But don’t start to analyze thousands of economic data. Instead, find the most relevant information and try to relate it to the price chart. Once you get skilled, the execution process will become easier.

There’s no denying that gambling can be a fun experience, particularly when it’s done online from the comfort of your home. However, when you play for real money, it’s essential to take precautions and not wager and especially lose more than you had initially planned or can afford.

Fortunately, today’s modern world now gives customers ways of keeping their gambling under control from services that limit how much you can lose to services that completely block you from all gambling websites. Find out how online tech is helping promote responsible gambling.

Bank Restrictions

Many banks in the UK now allow customers to block gambling transactions from their accounts. When this option is enabled, it means that all gambling transactions will automatically be declined, stopping customers from spending money unnecessarily. Customers are free to turn the restriction off, but it can take a few days for the reversal to take place.

This service only began to launch in the last few years, but more and more banks have started offering it. Banks like Halifax and HSBC were the most recent firms to launch the service, following on from lenders such as Monzo, the Bank of Scotland, Lloyds Bank, Barclays and Sterling.

Loss Limits

Many online casinos have loss limit services which prevent you from losing more than you can afford. Once you exceed the self-set restrictions, you will get blocked from playing until the, e.g. next month or week. It’s a great little tool to make sure you allow yourself the breathing space you need to make online gambling a fun experience!

It’s important to note that, at most online casinos, setting loss limits is an optional tool, which you need to switch on manually. The only casino that makes this functionality mandatory is Videoslots by forcing you to set a maximum loss limit during the registration process. You can change the limit amount at any change as long as you do to have a self-restriction in place.

Lock Withdrawals

One of the biggest problems surrounding online gambling is that players can reverse withdrawals once requested. Most online casinos allow customers to cancel their withdrawals, reverting the money into their account to be used and, in most cases, lost. It frequently happens when online casinos take days to process payments, causing many customers to reverse the transaction due to impatience.

However, a few online casinos are countering this problem by introducing lock withdrawals. It’s a feature that, once you requested the payout, you’re unable to change your mind. The money will forcibly be transferred into your account. Learn more about casinos with fair payouts.

BetBlocker & GamSTOP

BetBlocker and GameStop are two self-exclusion charities and online services which can stop you from gambling. BetBlocker is an app that is installed on devices and once enabled, blocks all online gambling websites in the UK. The app allows users to select the length of their exclusion, from hours to days, weeks and even months.

GameStop works similarly. This service requires you to register by filling in your name, email address, date of birth and postcode. It allows you to select the length of your exclusion period ranging from hours to months and years, and once enabled, will exclude you from gambling at online websites within the UK. Once the exclusion period has passed, it will remain in force until it is manually removed.

You can see how online services are helping to promote responsible gambling and reduce player overspending and losses. While these services aren’t perfect, they’ve helped protect players and keep their gambling behaviour in check.

If you’re ready to start your investment adventure than you’ll want to look over these management practices. These guidelines will help protect your trading profits. You’ll soon understand why maintaining a well-diversified trade portfolio and conducting research are great tools to capitalize on your investment.

1. Don’t Panic

 

One of the most important things you must remember as an investor is to remain calm and not panic. Even if you are hearing negative reports on the news in regards to the stock market, those reports could just end up being a flash in the pan. It’s best to think long-term when it comes to your investments. Remember the parable of the tortoise and the hare: slow and steady wins the race. While a company may have a bad moment from time to time, people forget that great companies can get their ducks back in a row sooner than expected.

2. Conduct Research

You should always research the historical performance of stocks and the particularly industry you’re interested in. For example, investigate if the stock has ever made profits in the past several years or is dealing with a growing debt. If a company shows any red flags like that, it should be avoided as there is a higher chance of losses rather than gains.

3. Plan Trades

Making a plan is another incredibly important step to smart investing. Planning and strategy are the ingredients for success. Planning ahead not only means investigating the types of stocks you’re interested in but also creating a long-term goal for yourself. It’s always best to arm yourself with knowledge by checking out great resources about online stock trading for beginners. Ineffective traders tend to enter a trade with no concept of the points at which they will move at a profit or a loss.

4. Set Targets

A common pitfall many traders fall into is setting up daily or weekly performance targets. This is not a good strategy as it creates an unnecessary a “need to trade”. Instead of attempting to work at such a high speed, try to think in the longer-term like professionals do. Don’t let your emotions take over. If you plan your trades, stick to your rules, journal and review your trades – this will lead to profitable trading inevitably.

5. Diversify

Never put all your eggs in one basket. Devoting all your money to one stock sets yourself up for a large potential loss. Be sure to protect yourself by diversifying your investments across both industry sectors, market capitalization, and geographic region. Investors should try to choose about ten stocks from various sectors and each of those stocks should be a front work in its respective area. This strategy also opens the door to greater investment opportunities.

Remember to remain calm, diversify and set realistic targets for yourself. Approach your investments with a level head to raise the potential of your stocks. These investing tips and tricks will help you take control of your financial future.