Posts tagged: investments

Why you should Fintechs instead of Private Banks for your credit requirements

banking servicePrivate Banks have always been the leaders as far as offering credit products are concerned. This has however, changed in recent times, thanks to the emergence of Fintech companies. Popular surveys have indicated that Fintechs command a larger market share in the lending space, and this has occurred due to a lot of reasons. While we look at these reasons, we’ll go on to determine why Fintechs are a better option than traditional lenders for instant personal loans.

Turnaround time for loans from Fintechs vs turnaround times of banks

The equation is quite simple and straightforward actually. While traditional lenders take at least 7-8 business days to complete the processing and subsequent disbursal of your loan amount, Fintech companies boast ridiculously low turnaround times of 24-48 hours.

Eligibility Parameters – Fintechs vs Traditional Lenders

Traditional lenders generally have stringent eligibility parameters as far as the credit score, income and other parameters are concerned. For starters, applicants need to have a minimum credit score of 750 to qualify for a personal loan with a traditional lender. However, most Fintechs allow individuals with low credit scores to apply for loan, with the more popular ones such as Fintechs requiring scores of as low as 575 to become eligible. As far as the income parameter is concerned, top private banks require applicants to have minimum monthly income levels of at least Rs. 30,000 to qualify, while on the other hand, Fintechs allow for income levels starting at Rs. 20,000 per month.

Processing of application – Fintechs vs Traditional lenders

Fintechs are literally the reason why instant personal loans have evolved. Unlike traditional banks that haven’t shifted completely to paperless and digital processing, Fintechs have made the transition to a digital and paperless application, thereby saving a lot of time and resources. Moreover, applicants can get instant approval when the apply for a loan based on their credit assessment – which is performed by a credit assessment algorithm – allowing them to choose a different lender if they face rejection.

Importance of checking maturity benefits while choosing a life insurance policy

insure your lifeYou must have considered a life insurance policy as something that only provides support in the event of a financial crisis. But you may not have considered its potential in the form of a long-term investment. Life insurance yields a great shield of safety around your household members in the event of an unforeseen wage loss e.g. accidents causing disabilities or death. The consideration of income loss for the future helps in determining the amount of compensation although the true worth of a human life can’t be measured in terms of money.

Under circumstances when the policyholder gets disabled or passes away, the family members achieve a guaranteed sum of money termed as the “sum assured”. Even with a term insurance plan, the policyholder needs to think of what he’ll achieve from this type of investment in case nothing unfortunate happens. Will he be able to meet the other inevitable expenses like that of bearing the cost of his children’s education, a world trip with his loved ones, and the marriage of his children?

Types of maturity benefit plans:

Term Life policies- Term insurance is a financial plan that reimburses extra premiums to the policyholder when the policy terms end and the insured survives through this period.

Endowment policies- The benefits of insurance and investment are combined under these plans. The money doesn’t yield great returns as it’s invested in debt funds. However, the risks can be managed more easily. The sum assured is actually not that high.

Unit-Linked policies- Compared to traditional forms of life insurance, the risk is much higher with this type of unit-linked products. The policyholder needs to bear some other associated charges, but he gains exposure to equity and obtains a fair growth of his money as against a higher return. These plans even allow money to be withdrawn partially that can be utilized for coping with the financial challenges whenever they surface. Death benefits are provided when the policyholder passes away within the tenure, but the guaranteed returns are provided when he survives before the policy period.

Maturity Benefit from life policies

Upon maturity of a policy, the benefits can be claimed by the policyholder. The completion of the plan tenure entitles the policyholder to receive a variable amount for ULIPs and other products linked with the market performance alongside the principal amount. However, for achieving the variable benefit, the policy needs to be concluded according to the pre-set terms. For traditional products, the owner will be entitled to receive the fixed amount only. The benefits that provided on maturity usually comprise of the sum of premiums that have been met during the entire policy tenure and the other return benefits stated in the paperwork.

The maturity benefits yield a sum of money that increases each year but is restricted to the overall premiums paid. That’s one reason why these plans are considered to be both a coverage benefit as well as an investment option. The corpus exhibits a uniform increase and the entire amount is paid out at the end of the maturity term.

The ultimate beginners guide to Successful Financial Market Trading

financial tradingAre you looking for an excellent investment opportunity? Do you want to have a stable income from your investment? According to one of the top financial advisors at Wilkins Finance, financial market trading is the best place to invest your savings. Financial market trading involves trading financial securities which are usually derived from real goods and services across the world. The financial markets include Forex markets, stocks markets, CFDs, futures, CFDs cryptocurrencies and options.

Although financial market trading has outstanding returns, the business is also very risky. But there is no business without its risks. In any ideal business, you will have losses and losses. You will only have to find a way of keeping your profits above your loses so that the overall position can be profits.

When starting financial market trading, you will have a lot of questions on how to go about the whole process and also whether the investment will turn out to be as profitable as you here. But you should not be worried; here is a simple step by step guide into successful financial trading;

Select the financial market you want to invest in

There are many financial markets; some which include the stock market, futures markets, cryptocurrency markets, options markets, derives markets like the CFDs markets and the Forex markets. You will have to research these markets to know which would suit you best. Each market has its advantages and disadvantages and it is upon you to decide which is best for you. If you want to be an active intraday trader, you could consider investing in Forex, Options and CFDs trading. However, if you are a long term-trader, you should consider investing in the futures and stock markets.

Learn as much as possible about your chosen market

After choosing the market that you wish to invest in, you should ensure that you gather as much information as possible about the market. You should make sure you understand all the terms used and also how the market operates to know how to trade. The information is readily available online. You will not have to enrol in any formal class for you to learn this. If you want video tutorials, they are also readily available.

Choose the right broker

Nowadays much of the financial market trading is done over the counter contrary to in the past where you had to avail yourself into the trading halls. The only items you will require is a good internet connection and a computer or phone. Once you are set to start, you will need a broker to link you to the market. Choosing the right broker is usually a balancing act since you want a broker who offers the best services yet at the same time a strict broker concerning security.

The broker provides an online trading platform where you can execute trades. Your trading experience is majorly hooked on the type of broker that you choose. You will have to create a trading account with the broker and deposit funds into the account so that you can use the funds to trade the financial instruments that the broker offers. A good broker should have a user-friendly trading platform and allow as many trading features as possible. You should also check to ensure that the broker is regulated with a trusted regulating body. Avoid brokers who are controlled by foreign regulating bodies. The security of the funds that you deposit with the broker for trading depends on how well the broker can be trusted not to walk away with them. Remember to choose a broker who has a demo trading account so that you can have a place to practice trading and test your trading strategies, indicators and trading EAs.

Develop a profitable trading strategy

You will have to have some rules to guide you through trading process. You will have to program yourself to learn when to place a buy or a sell order and also when not to place any trades. In most cases, you will have to use a combination of trading indicators to give you signals of when to enter the market and also when to exit the market. If the broker allows, you can use expert advisors to automate your trading process. You should ensure that you test your trading strategy in a demo account before using it in your real trading account.

Ensure you are disciplined enough to follow your trading strategy

Coming up with a good trading strategy is not all. You will have to discipline yourself to obey that strategy. When it says no trading you should not place a trade no matter how the markets behave. That way, you will end up being successful in trading.

Smart Budgeting Tips and Tricks for Small Business Owners

business budgetCreating and launching your new small business can be a very exciting moment in one’s life. On the flip side it comes with its share of stresses. One such stress that many new business owners face is caused by finances. Starting a new business often requires a lot of upfront capital. According to one serial entrepreneur, Jay Reeder, who has started all kinds of businesses from software companies to an alpaca farm, “cashflow is the most important factor to growing a healthy business.” One way to alleviate some of the stress and financial burden of starting and maintaining a small business is to have a detailed budget to follow. Continue reading to learn seven proven methods to budget for your business wisely.

Let Your Employees Get Involved

It’s understandable to believe that since you are the owner of the business that you need to do everything yourself. Delegating tasks and involving others in your team is something all great leaders do. When budgeting for your business the same principal applies. Gather all your employees up and go over the budget together as a team. Not only will it provide your employees with a sense of camaraderie and importance it will keep them up to speed with what is happening within the business. Employees need to know this information especially if it could possibly affect them. Furthermore, having a few more sets of eyes on the budget wouldn’t hurt. Someone may point out something you’ve missed or point out an item on the budget that could be eating up too much cashflow. Lastly, it is instrumental that employees are well aware of the companies short and long term financial goals and their roles in responsibilities on the path to reaching that goal.

You Still Need to Pay Yourself

As a business owner it is very easy to get too caught up in the budget. Many are so focused on saving and allocating every penny within the business that they simply forget to pay themselves. While part of this is simply forgetting it is also due to guilt. You may feel guilty paying yourself or feel as though you may be taking too much money for yourself. At the end of the day you are another employee at your company and you have to remember to set money aside for yourself.

Identify and Understand Your Risks

No matter what business venture you pursue there are risks involved. Some risks can be serious enough to financially ruin your business and they need to be mitigated. The most effective method for doing so is to identify and plan for both long and short term risks your company may face. Such risks include changes to healthcare and increased premiums and increases in minimum wage. Being in a location that frequently experiences natural disasters can also put a serious dent in your operations and finances. Knowing what risks your company may face and following a strict budget will allow your business to save money for whatever life may throw at it.

Overestimate Your Expenses

For businesses that operate on a project to project format it is detrimental that you over estimate costs for your budget. We’ve all experienced having an unexpected cost or situation arise during a project that causes the initial budgeted amount to be exceeded. By over budgeting a project or job you can protect your business from unexpected financial burden. Often times such instances can cause a business to go under before it even had a chance to develop.

Anticipate Sales Cycles

It is not uncommon for your business to experience ups and downs throughout the year in regards to sales. Depending on your type of business the majority of sales may come during one or two seasons while the remainder of the year is slow. Effectively planning for those downturns is necessary for keeping your business open. During the slow periods its important to keep costs down and to plan for the next anticipated sales spike. It would also be wise to have money set aside while your busy to ride out the slow cycles to prevent your business from falling apart financially.

Time is Money

You’ve heard that phrase all too often. In life and in business especially that saying holds very true. You need to treat time as a commodity and as if it were money. Not accounting for time and how it may affect your business financially can derail any budget. This is especially important if your employees are paid on an hourly basis. Being mindful of deadlines is equally important. Set realistic completion times to ensure that the job is completed satisfactorily and on time.

Don’t Set It and Forget It

Once you have a budget in place it is important to keep a full court press on it. Many business owners simply forget to revisit their budget after it is initially created. This is a mistake that can financially cripple your business. Just like events and happenings in life constantly change so do events and happenings in business. Its important to be flexible and agile and to constantly monitor your budget. This will ensure that you do not go into the red and out of business. Anticipating what will happen next will keep you on budget and help you adapt to the ever-changing world of business.

Making Passive Income From Running a Blog

earning from blogsA blog is a collection of written entries that are posted on a website. There are a variety of ways to keep a blog. Some use the medium like a personal diary to talk about their daily activities while others present information like a newspaper. The point of blogging is creating content for visitors to read.

Typically, blogging is a hobby, but it can also be used to make money.

Making Income from Blogging

The amount of money an individual can make from blogging varies widely. Many barely make enough money to cover the basic expenses of running the website, while others make $1 million or more. While there are no guarantees, there are numerous benefits to having a passive income stream.

The main factor to success is the amount of traffic coming into the website. If a person makes one to 10 cents per page view, it can add up to an extra $500 to $5,000 every 30 days. Results from a survey conducted by the Problogger site indicated that 10 percent of those with income blogs made no money at all, 53 percent made less than $100 monthly, 13 percent brought in $1,000, and four percent made five figures or more. This adds up to serious money.

Income Sources

Individuals can make a passive income directly by blogging and also by taking advantage of opportunities that come their way through the website. The following describes several approaches to setting up a steady money stream.

• Advertising. This is the most common method of making money from blogging. Display ads are used in the sidebar or as a banner at the top of the page to quickly catch the eyes of visitors. They can also be placed in emails and newsletters. Direct ads are paid for by companies that are seeking prominent placement on busy websites. Contextual ads are provided by a management company such as Adsense or Mediavine and are based on a cost-per-impression or a cost-per-click model.

• Brand partnerships. Bloggers with a large following are considered to be influencers, which companies and brands can associate with to their benefit. This association consists of mentions and referrals in blog posts along with clothing, gadgets and other promotional items.

• Sponsored posts. Also known as content marketing, this is a method of creating and sharing blog posts, videos and social media messages in order to improve a company’s influence and Google ranking. The businesses will often pay well to have their content posted on influential blogs. This can range from $50 to several thousand dollars.

• Affiliate marketing. This marketing approach involves the blogger recommending certain services and products on their site in exchange for a commission. Companies and brands know that popular bloggers have a loyal audience that trusts what they say and will check out products based on that alone. This costs the readers nothing and can be very lucrative for the business and the blogger.

• Selling products. One of the most straightforward ways to making money from a blog is through the sale of products. This can be for physical items such as clothing, books and jewelry or digital items like courses, premium content and memberships.

• Selling services. Being a blogger increases a person’s visibility and helps them to become an expert in their field or interest. This can lead to offering paid services like making speeches, being a coach or performing another skilled service. Being good at something will also encourage other people to make an investment in the blogger and the services being offered.

How to Start a Blog

Those with little to no experience running a blog should start with a hosted service like Blogger. Aside from being free, it also features beautiful templates and the ability to connect a custom domain. Setting up a self-hosted WordPress site is also an option. This requires buying hosting and a domain name, both of which are low cost to start out.

Making a Blog Successful

This is the hard part. A person cannot just put up random content on a blog and expect to be an overnight sensation, bringing in large amounts of money. It takes time and dedication to build readership, gain trust and to fully understand how to run a blog like a business. The following tips will help:

• Find a niche. Focusing on a specific passion will bring in the right audience and make it easier to target advertising later on. It is best to choose something that already has a strong interest to avoid getting lost in the crowd.

• Be consistent. Posting fresh content on a consistent basis will keep the readership and show that the blogger is dedicated to what they are doing. In addition, keeping content up to date improves the Google ranking for the blog.

• Promote content. A blogger can be the most amazing and interesting writer in the world, but it is a wasted effort if no one knows about the site. Networking with other bloggers and using social media to promote posts will quickly get the word out.

Is Blogging Worth the Effort?

The majority of blogs die before they are one year old. This happens mainly because the person did not want to put in the effort to build up readership and work toward passive income. Having a successful blog that makes money is hard work in the beginning that pays off well later on. It also depends on what the person is looking to get out of the experience. Whether it is to supplement an existing income or act as a standalone business, having a plan before starting out will help the blogger push past early discouragement and understand that it is all part of a process.

Another consideration is the relationships, both personal and professional, that are built through blogging. Someone with a family will gain the flexibility to spend more time with their spouse and children. These factors do not have a monetary value.

In today’s digital economy, a passive-income blog fits right in to most lifestyles and can provide a better quality of life for both the blogger and everyone around them.

Kelsey is the editor at LuxAuthority and is trying to balance both her budget and her credit card balance. She likes to live lavish and treat herself when the opportunity allows it. She loves the newest tech, old cars and the smell of rich mahogany and leather bound books as well!