Category: Budgeting

How To Qualify for a Personal Loan in Singapore

personal loan needsPersonal loans are beneficial, especially when you encounter an emergency. You do not have to worry about where to get enough funds to support your needs because there are several licensed money lenders in Singapore you can approach. However, qualifying for the loan may be challenging if you do not have the requirements.

Approach A Licensed Money Lender

Your qualification requirements for your loan may vary depending, on the type of lender you approach. Look around for various moneylender in Singapore and check out their requirements. From the very beginning, you can already determine whether you think you qualify for the loan. Here are some common personal conditions you should prepare for:

  • A government issued ID such as your passport or driver’s license;
  • Recent pay slip;
  • Latest Income Tax Return;
  • Utility Bills; and
  • Credit Card Statements

These documents are pretty accessible for anyone who wants to apply for the loan, primarily when you are employed. Moreover, the records are essential for any moneylender in determining your identity and ability to pay.

Prepare Your Financial Statements and Credit Card Scores

Some personal loans do not require you to give collateral, which should make borrowing money more accessible for anyone. But if there is one thing everyone should be prepared for instead, it is their financial and credit score ratings. These ratings are determinative in your ability to pay and serves as an indicator and basis for your lender’s.

As much as possible, you want to show your lenders that you have a good credit card score and your financial statements are looking great. Even if you are not planning on applying for a personal loan shortly, it still pays to be responsible and have proper credit. You can do this through the following examples:

  • Never delay your credit card payment;
  • Manage your expenses wisely;
  • Do not borrow too much money from a moneylender in Singapore.

Deal with Your Existing Debts First

If you have any existing debt or even a long-standing debt, you want to make sure you settle those first. It is vital that you do this, or else it will appear like you have a bad credit score which leaves a significant dent in your capacity to apply for a loan. Regardless of whether you got your previous loan from a licensed money lender in Singapore, you want to make sure you start with a clean slate with your moneylender.

This step is crucial, especially if you have a bad credit score. There are many ways for you to deal with your existing debts, and here are some easy techniques which you can observe:

  • Pay-off any current or long-standing deficit, by creating a strict payment schedule.
  • Check with your moneylender if they can reduce the interest rate you have to pay;
  • Negotiate whether they can extend the payment schedule so it would not be hard for you.

Make an Estimate of the Amount You Need to Loan

If you are lucky enough, you might be able to secure a big personal loan from your moneylender. But you want to make sure that you try applying for an amount which you need, because you may have to pay off the loan if you overestimate the amount. Before you contract the credit, identify the amount that you need and set a minimum and maximum limit.

One of the things you need to keep in mind when making a list is also your ability to pay. It isn’t just the responsibility of various money lender in Singapore to check your requirements because you also have to be aware of it.

  • Determine whether you can pay the amount you set;
  • Identify the necessity of contracting the loan;

Personal loans are easy to get, especially if you have all the requirements. But you should also remember that you also have the responsibility to check whether you think you qualify for the loan. As much as possible, you want to make sure you keep all your financial scores are excellent so you can increase the likelihood of your credit being approved.

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!

How to Buy Rewards Points Instead of Waiting to Earn Them

card reward pointsNot many people know but it’s true that you can buy rewards points without having to wait to earn them. This has been a somewhat hidden option all this time. You can actually top up your account by buying points for a redemption. And the best thing is that the cost of doing so is not as unreasonable as you might think it will be.
People can buy points by their Membership Rewards Linked Cards, and at $25 for 1000 points, they’re not as expensive as one might think they’d be. These points are still cheaper than buying from an airline. So in this article, we’ll discuss how you can buy rewards points and why you might want to do that.

Why Buying Rewards Points Makes Sense

The main reason to buy rewards points is to top up your account for a particular redemption. Membership Rewards points happen to a flexible currency. This means you can check how many points you have and how you wish to use them. If you’re short, then you can buy as many points as you want to use them for whatever purpose you intend to use them for.

Buying points to top up your account when you know there’s an airline seat that can be redeemed is another reason to buy rewards points. This way you can secure the seat earlier instead of waiting until you have earned the remaining points from your day to day spends. If let’s say you’re another 1000 points short, then it could take a very long time to earn that many points, and the airline seat that you’re after won’t obviously wait for you for that long.

Important Details When Buying Rewards Points

The process of buying rewards points can easily be conducted over the phone number given at the back of your frequent flyer credit card or charge card. With American Express, you have to buy points in chunks of 1000. There is no limit on the number of points that can be bought. For more details about buying points, you can visit Points Bank.

Whenever you buy Membership Rewards points you’ll have to transfer them or redeem them over to a partner program at the time of purchase. So it’s better if you buy these points with a specific purpose in your mind. Points can be purchased on request immediately, and the transfer of points is also initiated at the same time.

Another advantage of buying points is that if there is any bonus promotion running at the time when you buy points, then the points will be offered to you at the bonus promotion that is being given at that time. However, you won’t be able to earn more points on the purchase of your points.

Buying rewards points is actually very easy. All you have to do is just make an account with Points Bank and state how much points you would like to purchase and for what purpose. These orders usually take 72 hours before your purchased points can be seen in your account.