ABC Money

The ABC of car finance

Finance

Claire James

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27 February 2019

Car finance can be confusing and there are many things you should know before you apply! Around 4 in 5 cars in the UK are bought on finance and this number is set to increase. With so many people choosing to finance or lease their next car, should you join the car finance revolution? Refused Car Finance have put together everything you need to know about car finance, popular car finance jargon, car finance myths and also how to get car finance with different personal circumstances.

What is car finance?

The main idea of car finance is to spread the cost of owning a car into affordable payments each month. There are 3 main types of car finance agreements which includes personal loans, hire purchase (HP) and personal contract hire (PCP). A personal loan can be used for anything but it’s a great option for buying a car! Because the loan can be used for anything, the full amount you borrow can be used to purchase a car which you will be the legal owner of straightaway ice casino kod promocyjny bez depozytu. Choose how much you want to borrow and over what length of time and then make your repayments on time each month. Hire purchase is one of the most straight forward car finance agreements. Within a HP agreement, you agree to pay back your loan amount over a fixed period each month. However, you don’t own the car until you have made the final payment! Personal contract purchase is similar to hire purchase where you make your repayments each month over a fixed term but at the end of your agreement you have three options. You can hand the car back, pay the final balloon payment or part exchange the vehicle and use it towards a new PCP deal. Each one has different benefits and the one that’s right for you will depend on your personal circumstances and preference.

Understanding car finance jargon

As mentioned, car finance can be confusing but it doesn’t need to be! When finalising your car finance agreement, you don’t want to feel out of your depth when it comes to financial jargon. There are many words that come into a car finance agreement which you may not have heard before so it’s a good idea to do your research before you start applying! Here are some of the most popular phrases and what they actually mean:

Annual Percentage Rate (APR): The amount of interest you pay every year on a loan.

Balloon Payment: The balloon payment is the final payment of a personal contract purchase agreement which enables you to own the vehicle.

Equity: The difference between the value of the vehicle and the amount owed on the agreement.

Conditional Loan/Conditional Sale: A car finance agreement where you agree to buy the car at the beginning of the agreement and you automatically own the car at the end of the agreement once all your payments have been made.

Guarantor: A guarantor is a person who agrees to take over payments of an agreement if you are not able to pay back the amount borrowed.

Refinancing: When you already have a car finance deal but you want to review the contract to get a better deal.

Car finance myths

When car finance was first introduced, there was a lot of uncertainty and many myths relating to your deal. You may have already heard some of them so here are the most common car finance myths busted!

You can only get car finance from a dealership. Many people have believed for years that you can only get car finance from a car dealership. There are many online car finance providers who will give you quotes for free and customers are encouraged to shop around for their car finance before even stepping foot in a dealership.
You can’t get car finance with bad credit. We’ll come to this one further down in this article but in simple terms, you can apply for car finance with bad credit. Car finance is becoming more accessible for people with many different types of circumstances and there are many car finance providers who specialise in helping people get car finance with bad credit.
You need a deposit. It can be hard to have a deposit saved up for your next car so that’s why many finance companies offer finance deals with little or no deposit options! Putting down a deposit can lower your monthly payments as you will have already paid off some of your loan but it’s not a necessity!
You can’t pay off your loan earlier than agreed. In most car finance agreements, you are able to pay off your outstanding balance in full at any point in your agreement. You may however have to pay some early settlement charges so it’s best to check before you make a settlement payment.
Car finance is guaranteed. This is probably one of the most common misconceptions. Car finance is becoming more accessible these days but it is never guaranteed. Advertising ‘guaranteed car finance’ goes against advertising standards as not everyone can get accepted for car finance. Finance providers and lenders have different criteria which needs to be met before they approve customers for car finance.

Car finance for different personal circumstances
As mentioned, car finance isn’t offered to everyone but there are many options available for different personal circumstances. When car finance was first introduced, the regulations were a lot stricter when it came to acceptance criteria. There are now options available for self-employed, car finance on benefits, bad credit car finance and even military car finance!

Self-employed car finance – Self-employed car finance can be hard as lenders tend to look for at least 3 months’ worth of bank statements to prove affordability and income. This can be hard if you get paid cash in hand and your work load can often vary. But not to worry! If you are paid in cash in hand it’s a good idea to deposit this into a UK bank account as soon as you get it so it makes your income easier to prove. You can even consider a joint application with a spouse or partner or apply for car finance with a guarantor.

Benefit car finance – Many car finance providers accept people who receive benefits. This can include applicants who receive income support, child tax credits, working tax credits, disability allowance, carers’ allowance and personal independent payment (PIP). When applying, you will be usually asked to provide a breakdown of benefits and usually provide proof of the benefits you receive.

Car finance with bad credit – As mentioned, car finance with bad credit is not impossible! If you know you have bad credit, you could work on improving your credit score before you start applying for car finance. As long as you are able to prove your affordability and your current situation, you should be off to a good start! A bad credit rating can be due to a number of factors such as defaults, bankruptcy, county court judgement and any missed payments in the past.

Military car finance – Car finance can be hard when you live in barracks, have a naval address or move around a lot. However, there are many lenders who accept military car finance.

Is in-house PR management dying out?

Business

Claire James

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26 February 2019

0

There was a time when if there was a scandal within a business then a press release would be drawn up by its public relations department within the hour. In the modern world it does not seem to work in the same way. There are a number of different avenues available in which statements to the wider world can be made today, all of them seeming to be without the use of an in-house PR management department. Is this the way the PR world is now? How did it get that way?

Brand responsibility

Brands have always been involved with how they are portrayed by the media. Whether it is via press releases and statements or by carrying out an interview with someone who is influential within the media. It could be a high profile TV interview, or an interview with a prominent reporter. Such events were always carried out under the watchful eye of the internal PR department. Brands would see it as their own responsibility to control their brand reputation and an internal PR department was regarded as the best way to do so. It meant that costs and budget could be controlled by the brand itself as well as fostering more loyalty than an outside PR company would offer. Things have changed however, and the PR industry is staring into the abyss.

As the internet began to gain more influence on the world at large, the influence of internal PR departments began to wane. A blogger with a huge amount of reach could easily dismantle the work of a PR department. This meant that brands began to change tack and instead of trying to control how their brand was seen by the public, they instead tried to get influential people within their sphere on their side. Of course, if a brand has made an enemy of someone who has a large amount of influence then this can lead to false stories being widely believed. In this situation it is important to have someone like Reputation Defender on board who can protect your brand from malicious disinformation. They will make sure that anything that is false about your brand will be taken down before it has the opportunity to be widely viewed, which in turn will protect your brand reputation from any long-term lasting damage.

The social media generation

Part of the trouble that internal PR departments and PR firms in general, have struggled with, is the rise of social media influencers. Because they are able to get an opinion out to their followers within seconds of something happening, it is often difficult for your brand’s internal PR department to react quickly enough. If something goes viral then it will be spread around the world in a few hours. As the saying goes, a lie gets half of the way around the world before the truth even has its shoes on. A lot of brands have got rid of their PR departments because of that or have merged them with their burgeoning new social media departments.

While some brands have taken to social media very well and are able to use it to their advantage, not all brands are able to use it as effectively. In such situations some brands have taken to using noted influencers to carry out PR for them. When a social media influencer is able to speak directly to followers in a positive light about a brand it adds a level of authenticity to what is being said. A brand speaking about itself in glowing terms does not have as much impact as someone that people trust commenting about it. This is one of the newest forms of brand promotion that has arisen with the advent of social media.

Why PR is still important

While PR departments might be slowly dying out, PR itself is still important. A brand can lose half of its customer base or share value purely from the result of a negative impact on its reputation. Because of this it is vitally important to manage your brand reputation as well as you can. Whether this is via an active social media team or from using social influencers from within your sphere, there are a number of ways to make sure that your brand is seen in a positive light. So, while internal PR departments may be on their way out, managing PR itself is just as important now as it has ever been.

Why 2019 is the Perfect Time to Start a Rare Whisky Collection

Investment

Claire James

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22 February 2019

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Why 2019 is the Perfect Time to Start a Rare Whisky Collection

Whether they’re interested in stamps, football memorabilia or coins, around a third of Brits collect something for fun. Not only can this bring us great pleasure, but depending on what is being collected, there’s often profit to be had as well. From gold to art, certain items are likely to increase in value over time, and rare whisky is one particularly lucrative endeavour. Scotch has begun garnering significant attention in recent times, and is rapidly becoming one of the most profitable items to own.

Fine wine is traditionally thought of as the alcoholic drink to collect. However, there are significant differences involved when it comes to collecting the two types of alcohol. For example, as drinks brokers Justerini & Brooks note, “unlike wine, most whisky is purchased by the individual bottle and not the case”, and whilst wine ages in the bottle, whisky does not. The latter difference makes collecting whisky much less onerous than collecting wine, as wine needs to be stored a lot more carefully to ensure it ages properly. Considering that whisky can also be just as—if not more—profitable, now is the perfect time to start a rare whisky collection.

Growing demand for whisky across the world

Investing in whisky is a smart move due to growing global demand. China, in particular, has been noted for its rising interest in whisky, with regional sales of single malt whisky totalling £45.1 million in the first half of 2017. Whisky is now the third most favoured alcoholic drink in China, and sales are expected to increase by nearly 40% in total by 2022. It is not just China that’s experiencing an upswing in whisky consumption. Global sales of Scotch reached over £4.36bn in 2017, with the USA, France, Singapore, Germany, and Spain spending almost £2bn between them.

With this huge surge in whisky consumption across the world, starting your own whisky collection now could be a shrewd investment, especially if current trends continue. If you invest wisely and buy whisky which is expected to increase in value, you could stand to make some serious money in a few years’ time.

The value of whisky keeps rising

The value of whisky has increased exponentially in recent times, so it would be wise to jump on the bandwagon as soon as possible to capitalise. Sales records are being broken on a regular basis, such as the £1.2 million bottle of The Macallan sold in November 2018. In the first half of 2018, the value of rare Scotch whisky sold at auction reached £16 million overall, marking a remarkable 46% rise in value from the previous year. The whisky market’s value has grown by a staggering 732% in just five years, and the volume of bottles sold has also risen by 563% in that period, soaring from 8,825 to 49,719.

Statistics have shown that rare whisky yields better returns than most other collectable items, including gold, oil, and fine wine. This has been borne out by the Rare Whisky financial exchange outperforming both the oil, gold and fine wine indexes in 2017. This lends further credence to the assertion that now is the perfect time to invest in whisky yourself, particularly since waiting too long might leave you priced out of starting a collection at all.

It is easier than ever to invest in whisky

Whisky is not just increasingly profitable, but increasingly easy to invest in too. The world’s first ever whisky investment fund was launched last year. Unlike funds that facilitate investment in whisky companies like Jack Daniels and Jim Beam, the Single Malt fund lets investors put their money into a collection of rare and limited-edition whiskies.

Selling has become simpler too. Online auction sites enable whisky collectors to flog their bottles with just a few clicks. Take Irish Whiskey Auctions, which became the world’s first dedicated Irish whiskey auction site in September 2018. All bottles sold on the site were verified by the company before being listed, guaranteeing a simple and secure service where whisky enthusiasts can sell—and buy—bottles. Whisky Auctioneer, meanwhile made headlines in July 2018 when a bottle of Bowmore 1966 Samaroli Bouquet sold for a record-breaking £51,611.

Discover the FOREX in Nigeria

Claire James

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19 February 2019

0

What is Forex or Forex Platform?

FOREX is the initials of the Foreign Exchange, it is also known as the Forex market / Forex platform because they are buying and selling currencies from around the world. Forex is the largest financial platform worldwide: The daily trading volume amounts to more than 5 billion dollars. This share is greater than the sum of all stock exchanges.

The foreign exchange market, however, is not just a market for financial speculation, it has ancient origins and arises due to the commercial needs of exchanging one currency for another, to carry out transactions. The negotiations, nowadays, take place in the so-called interbank market which operates 24 hours a day, 5 days a week.

What is a Forex broker?

Brokers are no more than intermediaries that provide operators with the opportunity to access the interbank market 24 hours a day to conduct transactions in the currency market.

Discover the FOREX with a HUGE Bonus NOW! With Avatrade that is one of the leading brokers in the world, duly regulated by 6 global supervisory bodies. Avatrade’s perspective is user-oriented, providing personalized services based on the individual objectives and needs of each client, whether they are novice traders or experienced traders.

Why more and more operators choose AvaTrade:

For more than 11 years, AvaTrade has established itself as one of the leading players in the online financial industry as a forex broker, with a proven track record of customer satisfaction. It is our main responsibility to offer first class services to all our operators as a regulated broker

More than 250 instruments to operate including Forex, criptodivisas, stocks, raw materials and indexes
Desktop, Tablet, mobile and web operations with MetaTrader 4 and AvaTradeGO
A range of automatic trading platforms and EA (Expert Advisors).
Accounts with competitive spreads.
Client funds are kept in segregated accounts to increase security
Regulated Broker in Nigeria, Europe, Australia, Japan, and South Africa

Avatrade goals are becoming clearer and it’s loyalty to the customers is stronger. They believe that every award received by her is a recognition of our merits and achievements, which we can rightly be proud of.

Start trading online today with AvaTrade and Discover the FOREX with a HUGE Bonus NOW! We are given a huge bonus of up to $ 10,000 to new customers or try any of our risk-free stock platforms with our 21-day demo account.

Stock Platforms

As an AvaTrade customer, you will also benefit from choosing more stock platforms and more ways to operate. We offer two manual stock platforms – MetaTrader4 and AvaTradeGo – with comprehensive support for mobile operations. In addition, you can also choose from a variety of automatic stock platforms including Zulu Trade among others.

Workplace Cleanliness Etiquettes That Employees Should Follow

Property

Elliot

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15 February 2019

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Workplace Cleanliness Etiquettes That Employees Should Follow

Keeping the workplace clean is a team effort. One person may not be able to keep the entire office clean. So, it is better to follow some cleanliness etiquettes that will keep the workplace clean at all times. This will not only keep everyone happy but will also improve productivity at work. Here are some of the workplace cleanliness etiquettes that everyone must follow:

Eating at your cubicle

Work pressure can get the better out of any staff, but that doesn’t give you the license to leave your cubicle dirty. Having lunch at your desk or cubicle can look untidy and indecent. Moreover, if you spill some food or leftover on the carpet, it will remain messy unless the carpet undergoes deep cleaning or dry cleaning by carpet cleaning services like Carpet Bright UK. Even if you clean the spilled food immediately, the stains will remain on the carpet or the desk. This is not the environment that you should be working in. Even if you have loads of work to complete, make sure you head over to the lunchroom and head back to your desk once you’re done eating.

Keeping the workspace organized

A cluttered workplace looks very untidy, and you will feel lethargic to work after a few days. Folders, papers, stationery, and all the other important things that you have on your desk should be organized at the end of the day. Check if you have any useless paper printouts on your desk at the end of the week. If you have any, throw them in the dustbin or shred them in the paper shredder.

Using the restroom

There is an entirely different chapter on restroom etiquettes but if you want to know the basic rules, then make sure you have an aerosol air freshener in the room. Small restrooms without proper ventilation can be embarrassing for many. So, if many employees are using it every hour, there should be some ground rules to follow. Ensure that the floor is clean and does not have too much water. If you have spilled water, wipe it off with extra paper towels. Try to keep the washbasins clean all the time. Too much water everywhere can make the others slip and hurt themselves.

Don’t let wires get in the way

Using a laptop is typical in any workplace. But what if someone trips and falls because your laptop battery was being charged from the plug at the wall? This may not seem to be a cleanliness etiquette but it is. Your objective is to keep the office spot-free. This includes your cubicle, the aisle, the restroom, and even the lunchroom. So, if you are charging your phone or laptop and it creates a risky situation where another employee may get injured, it’s best to wait or better yet, bring an external battery to power up your laptop.

These office cleanliness etiquettes may seem common sense, but many employees often take them for granted. It’s best to do your part and be an example to others. Following these simple rules will eventually turn them into habits, and before you know it, you’re feeling more motivated to work because of the cleaner environment.

12 Key Business Tools to Boost Sales Volume in 2019

Business

Claire James

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7 February 2019

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12 Key Business Tools to Boost Sales Volume in 2019

Your aim as a business owner will be to make a lot of sales that will lead to the expansion of your business. As such, all your efforts will be geared towards ensuring that customers keep coming back to your business.

This quarter, you can increase your efforts: make some improvements and do away with unhelpful strategies. Here is a list of things you can do that will boost sales volume in 2019:

1. Do your website a favour

This might sound irrelevant and you might not see the need for it but best believe that you can boost your sales volume this year when you redesign your website. Customers who visit your website to shop are probably tired of seeing the same things over and over again. Give your website a lift by changing the design, adding more exciting colors and creating more engaging contents. Something else you could do is make your contents more persuasive so that more actions of purchase can be made.

2. Advertise like your business depends on it

Much like the right insurance cover is the backbone of your business; marketing is the oxygen of an enterprise. Somebody said not advertising your product is like a man who is sitting in the dark and winking at a lady he likes. Nobody knows what he is doing except him. That is how important marketing is. If you do not advertise your product, you and your few customers are the only people who know what you are doing and this is not good for sales. Do a lot of advertisement, tell people why they need to buy your products. Contact DanBenNun.com for answers to some of your advertising questions.

3. Tell your story and be visual

Story telling is one of the best ways to increase your sales online or offline. Tell stories about your struggles, your achievement and your progress. People like to know that the people who run businesses are humans too. Humans relate to human experiences. Put yourself out there in the form of videos that people can relate with. Videos that show how your business runs and relates to your customers personally will help them to get in touch with the human side of you, and boost your sales.

4. Use business tools

In this age of technology, a lot of digital tools have been designed to help entrepreneurs. Tools to help you and your sales team understand what you have in mind, what your goals are and how you would like to go about it. Having a sales team that truly understands what your business goals are, is priceless.

There are other tools that are designed to make other jobs like accounting, keeping tabs on customers and content creation easier. With the help of these tools, you’d be able to concentrate on other things like boosting sales. Examples of these tools are: Smarp, Oribi, Norbert, Growbots, Groove, UberSuggest and Facebook ads. All of these are digital resources that you can use to boost sales.

5. Sales tools:

These are tools that directly help with how you respond to visitors who visit your website. Often times, when people visit your website, they don’t necessarily take action. However, with innovations on ground, tools have been provided to help make it easier for you to monitor the number of visitors that visit your web. Example of these sales tools are:

a) Intercom Acquire: It enables you to communicate with leads who are visiting your website. It helps you to set up rules to show messages that concerns a visitor’s need.

b) Active Campaign: This helps you monitor the leads as it concerns your website. Then it uses this trigger to do email marketing on your behalf.

c) Lead Forensic: This tool helps you with follow up. Sometimes, visitors visit your website and do not fill your form. Lead forensic helps you by providing the company’s IP address so that one of your team can do a follow up.

6. Asking the right questions:

When it comes to boosting sales, it is important to ask customers the right questions. It is important to understand customer’s psychology. To understand what the customers need and understand the product they go after, because understanding the heartbeat of the customer will help you define and create the right content. This can be done by sending out survey forms to existing customers and running ads on your survey.

7. Get a good accounting tool:

You will not know if your sales have increased if you don’t have a good accounting tool. One accounting tool you can use is the Demand Metric. This is a Microsoft word document that makes it easy for you to clearly portray vital accounting information and establish a plan for account development.

8. Predict ahead:

To boost your sales, you have to be able to predict what your future sales will look like. There’s a business tool that can help you with that. It’s called Demand Solution Forecast. This tool will help you in terms of collaborative forecasting and decision making.

9. Plan your sales:

One way to boost your sales is to plan your sales. Have a plan – a well thought out plan for how to plan and make future sales. One tool that can help you achieve that is Longitude. Longitude is known for its design to unify sales planning. It also offers a free downloadable model sales plan. All these plans are in Microsoft word format.

10. Follow up on existing customers:

Customers are the back bone for sales. And if customers are kept satisfied, they keep coming back. As they come back, they go on to spread the good news. But the customers need to be kept in contact with. You have to keep in touch with the customers. The Time Trade sales scheduling software can help you with that by scheduling your calls to help you keep in touch with your customers in time.

11. Create an ease for your sales team:

If you have a great team who understands the goals of your sales for the year, it will easier to boost your sales. Mind Jet is an online resource that can help keep your sales team in sync. It makes it possible for the entire sales team to make a collaborative venture every time and make alignment meetings. It is designed to have a virtual whiteboard, drag and drop editing and organization charts result.

12. Score leads:

Score the leads that you get on your website. Know the number of people who visit and know what content they concentrate on. Check the previous advertisement and see the campaign with the less reactions and change it.

One of the best ways to boost your sales is to use the business tools that big brands use. This not only puts you ahead of the game, it also helps you understand how the big fish work. It also helps you understand what is obtainable in the current market and know how other companies boost their sales.

How Rising Rates Affect the Housing Market

Claire James

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30 January 2019

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How Rising Rates Affect the Housing Market

Rising interest rates are considered to be detrimental to the housing market. Interest rates affect how much buyers will pay for homes, so the higher the interest rates, the worse off the overall housing market is. Interest rates hit home buyers in many different ways. Here is an explanation of how recent interest rates hikes could hit the UK housing market.

Interest rates had been at historic lows for extended periods of time in the wake of the Great Recession that hurt the entire world’s asset markets. Central banks had ensured that rates would remain low for some time in order to stimulate the markets by making borrowing relatively easier. As the world economy has picked up, central banks all over the world are hiking rates to nip the prospect of inflation in the bud. In the UK, the Bank of England has instituted several rate hikes. Thus far, the rate hikes have been muted out of Brexit-related uncertainty, but there is the chance for future increases to keep pace with the rest of the world as Brexit becomes a thing of the past.

When interest rates rise, borrowers must pay more for their loans as the financing costs have escalated. Mortgage lending rates usually track UK Gilts, and higher rates mean that mortgages are more expensive. It follows that something has to give when the cost of borrowing increases. What it usually means is that buyers can afford less house since more of their payment would be going towards interest rates. Their budgets do not get bigger to match the higher costs of borrowing. Thus, a buyer who would be in the market for a larger property may have to settle for a smaller one so they could afford it. All of this adds up to depress prices since sellers may have to cut the price of a home to attract buyers or make their homes more able to fit within budgets.

At the same time, many in the UK have taken advantage of historically low rates and taken out variable rate mortgages. For these mortgages, payments readjust periodically to reflect the prevailing interest rates. When rates go higher, the amount of payment increases. Where this comes into play is with new borrowers seeking variable rate loans. First, they may be more hesitant to take out a variable rate loan knowing the costs will be going up in a rising rate environment. When buyers have a more traditional loan, there payments are higher. Variable rate loans allow buyers to stretch their dollar further. Second, the rise in interest rates may keep those who may want to sell their home to upgrade to a bigger home from doing so with a variable rate mortgage.

Rising rates also have the effect of putting a damper on credit in the economy. One would think that banks would want to lend more money if the rates are higher. However, banks actually want to lend more money when rates are lower because they can get a higher spread between the cost of their own capital and the mortgage interest rate that they can charge their customers. In addition, rising interest rates are often thought to be the precursor of a general decline in economic conditions. In advance of that, banks may tighten the reins on extending credit, knowing that tougher times may be ahead. Thus, borrowers who may receive credit when interest rates are lower may be less likely to obtain a mortgage when interest rates are higher because banks grow more concerned about credit risk. Rising rates also hurt bank profits, and in that environment, the bank will be worried about protecting its balance sheet as opposed to making more loans to increase profits. Banks must take certain steps to protect themselves when they know that tougher times are ahead. Thus, rising rates may have the potential to put a damper on what has been a red-hot UK housing market.

Image credit SeeYa (https://seeya.com/)

Why ARE iPhone sales plunging in the UK?

Technology

Claire James

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29 January 2019

0

Why ARE iPhone sales plunging in the UK?

Considering changing your mobile phone to something more up-to-date? The recent release of Apple’s new iPhone XS hasn’t spurred many people into purchasing – as least not as many as usual. Indeed, a report from CIRP last month provides some insight on how the XS and XS Max and a few others have sold after the first few months of availability (bear in mind, this is globally). With 32% share of total iPhone sales in that period, the XR took a significantly lower share at 32% than the iPhone 8/8 Plus did during the same period in 2017. Many people report that it’s too expensive and with fears of Brexit and the general economy in the doldrums, it may pay more than you think to put off that upgrade.

Even if you’re not interested in Apple’s latest offerings, it’s still worth considering an upgrade. And you can do it without having to pay a premium for the latest and greatest technology. The release of new iPhones usually means that there’s a load of different ways to get a discount on something better. Here’s how to upgrade your phone without paying full price

Whenever Apple release a new iPhone, the majority of people fall over each other to trade in their old devices. This is to get some quick cash so they can buy the latest ‘hot’ handset. However, the smarter people out there take a different approach. They upgrade to one of last year’s hot models and save themselves a fortune just by sacrificing a few new features.

Upgrade your iPhone

It doesn’t matter which make and model of phone you want to buy with your new trade-in cash. New Apple iPhone launches mean that there are plenty of new ways to upgrade your device, or you could get your iPhone repaired. There are years and years of usable past models of smartphone from Apple, Samsung and Google. And the fact that more people than ever before are trading them in means that you now have access to an even bigger selection of devices. And at lower prices than ever before!

There are lots of great deals to be had on a wide selection of smartphone handsets. You may be wondering if now is a good time to grab a trade-in refurbished device. You might not feel as though you really need an upgrade. However a more modern phone is definitely a nice thing to have. So if it’s something that you are thinking about, then this is a very good time to upgrade. This time of year is the best time to save some money and get extra features on your mobile that you didn’t even know you wanted. Or needed!

Since the launch of the new iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR, the popular elongated and bezel-free display is now available on more phones than ever before. People are therefore upgrading to the latest and greatest in smartphone technology. This means that the discontinued iPhone X from last year will be readily available on the second hand market. And for considerably less than the £1,000 launch price last year. So now is definitely the best time to trade in your old smartphone and grab yourself a bargain!

Island Holiday Destinations Where you can Escape it All

Holidays

Claire James

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29 January 2019

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Island Holiday Destinations Where you can Escape it All

January is the most popular month for UK consumers to book a holiday, and really, it’s hardly surprising. Going back to work after the Christmas break is enough to shock many of us into booking our next retreat immediately. Although the days are finally starting to get longer again, there’s also still no warmth from that sun. That makes the prospect of relaxing on the beach or exploring the sights of an island holiday destination all the more appealing.

So, if you’re ready to get away from it all, these are some of the island holiday destinations we think you’d be wise to consider.

Cuba

With lush forests, rugged mountains, unspoiled beaches and plenty of historical and cultural sights, the island of Cuba seems like a good place to start. With average temperatures of 21^oC in January rising to 27^oC in July, you’re sure to experience some of the sunshine the average Brit emerging from winter so desperately needs. But while the weather might be the primary attraction of some island holidays, Cuba has much more to offer.

Cuba has maintained its unique architectural heritage, which makes a visit to the cities of Havana, Camaguey and Trinidad feel like you’re stepping back into a bygone colonial era. Each is resplendent with grand squares, narrow alleyways and plenty of historical intrigue. The entire country is also home to the iconic 1950s American cars that turn the island into a rolling car museum and provide endless snapshot opportunities.

The brilliant beaches, famed for their white sands and turquoise-blue waters are some of the best in the world, while the Valle de Vinales, is the perfect place for nature trailing, biking and hiking. And by night, you can indulge in some rum tasting and cocktail drinking, and if that goes well, maybe even some salsa dancing.

Dominican Republic

We’re not planning to make our guide too Caribbean-centric, but this part of the world does do a rather good line in island holiday destinations. The beauty of the Dominican Republic, aside from the exotic year-round climate, wildlife-rich rainforest interior and stunning beaches, is the island’s relative affordability. There’s excellent accommodation that represents good value, particularly when compared to other islands in the Caribbean. For example, www.teletextholidays.co.uk currently has all-inclusive deals starting at just £643 per week, with the 9-hour flight included in the price.

But the Dominican Republic offers much more than tropical island living on a shoestring. Beyond the beautiful beaches, there are quaint Colonial towns and forest-cloaked mountains to explore. On the north coast, Puerto Plata town with its picturesque old quarter and seafront fortress offers some respite from the sun-drenched beaches of Playa Dorada and Costa Dorada, while the eastern tip of the island features the popular resort of Punta Cana, which was named by the TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards as the number one destination in the Caribbean.

Majorca

Beyond the family-friendly beach resorts, there are a great many attractions to enjoy on this, the largest of the Balearic Islands. The Serra de Tramuntana mountain range, which has recently been made a World Heritage Site, is perfect for exploration by foot or bike, while the authentic Majorcan villages in the island’s interior provide a snapshot of authentic island life as well as some exceptional local food. There’s also the spacious beaches of Cala Mesquida on the east coast, which are framed by pine forests and dunes and make perfect fodder for windsurfers and walkers alike.

However, it’s the numerous child-friendly, Blue Flag beaches and the range of activities for people of all ages that make the island of Majorca such a popular choice for family getaways. That, combined with affordable flights and a range of accommodation options, make it pretty tough to beat.

Corfu

With its pretty coves, pastel-coloured towns and fantastically sunny weather, Corfu is a short-haul island holiday destination that’s well-deserving of a place on our list. Corfu boasts more than 217km of coastline, which includes some of Europe’s greatest beaches, with calm, impossibly clear waters that are perfect for snorkelling and scuba diving.

In the summer, you can enjoy temperatures that are a blissful 32^oC, while in the winter and spring, the weather is cooler but still balmy enough to enjoy the many outdoor attractions that appeal to a diverse range of travellers. That includes Corfu’s old town, which has earned its UNESCO stripes thanks to its interwoven lanes, spectacular castles and Venetian fortress that reaches above the rooftops to provide views across the region.

Despite the holidaymakers that visit in their droves during July and August, the island still manages to keep a firm grip on tradition. Nowhere is that more obvious than the traditional cuisine served up in the many family-run tavernas.

So which island holiday destination are you going to escape to this year?

How to Improve Your Financial Awareness in 2019

Finance

Claire James

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28 January 2019

0

How to Improve Your Financial Awareness in 2019

Would you say you are financially aware? If not, then not to worry as a large majority of the population agrees that they are not up to scratch when it comes to finance, and would like to be more knowledgeable on the subject as well as better with their own finances.

Perhaps you would even like to educate yourself on investment opportunities, market trends and how the economy works?

In this article, we are looking at the topic of financial awareness, and how you can improve your own financial awareness in 2019.

Use The Internet

Nowadays, we are a lot luckier to have such a vast amount of information immediately made available to us via the internet. In the past, you would almost always have to hire a financial advisor or go seek advice at your local bank. Nowadays we can think of a topic and search it up at the same time.

Doing some research online will definitely help you to become more financially aware. However, if you really want to understand a topic in extreme detail, then the next option might be more suited to you.

Take an Online Course

When it comes to learning a brand new topic in more detail or to get better at it, this usually involves taking a learning course in order to train ourselves and better understand what it’s all about. Online courses in finance could possibly be a good solution for you, and really help you to improve your knowledge overall.

These online courses are extremely flexible and allow you to study at your own pace, so there would be less stress and more motivation to continue studying when you please.

Read Newspapers and Books

Reading is another way to increase our financial awareness, especially when reading the financial section of your local newspaper. Business newspapers such as the Financial Times or the Wall Street Journal can also be very helpful. These provide insight into the world of finance and business and will start to give you a better idea of what’s involved.

Similarly, books can also help to improve your financial awareness. With such a wide variety of investment guides and books on how to achieve financial freedom, there is no excuse!

Purchase Financial Tools

If you aren’t already aware, there are a number of financial tools out there which can help you with your finances. This includes a financial calculator, which performs functions such as calculating loan repayments, percentages, interest rates, and cash flow. These can also help with mortgages, leases and savings.

If you learn how to carry out such calculations, then you will remove the need for a financial advisor, and be able to trust in your own calculations. By dedicating the time to learn how to carry out certain calculations, you will certainly save yourself money by no longer needing a financial advisor for little things.

Final Words

Becoming smarter about your money doesn’t need to be complicated or difficult, and you can simply start by dedicating 5 minutes a day to educate yourself on simple money habits, that will really help you in terms of your future and financial literacy.

What is car finance?

Understanding car finance jargon

Car finance myths

Eating at your cubicle

Keeping the workspace organized

Using the restroom

Don’t let wires get in the way

Use The Internet

Take an Online Course

Read Newspapers and Books

Purchase Financial Tools

Final Words

ABC Money 2025 - 1st Edition