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A Deep Insight into ATM Cash Management Optimization and the Benefits of Cash Management Platforms

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Given the situation that the entire world is battling, it becomes imperative to shed some light on effective cash management systems.

The global economy has shrunk beyond what was fathomed since the beginning of the pandemic. Plus, some countries are in far worse financial situations than others.

There is no telling how long it will take for a steady recovery, or if there will be a recovery soon enough. This is also the main reason why banks and various other financial institutions are looking for effective cash management solutions.

Like every other industry, the banking sector has also been impacted. Several branches of several banks all over the world have shut down with no hope of opening up soon.

Therefore, in an attempt to cut unnecessary costs, banks have resorted to few means. This article intends to touch upon those points in-depth and provide a holistic understanding of the same.

Therefore, let us look into how banks and financial institutions are managing and cutting down on costs.

Cutting Down Costs on ATMs:

ATMs are integral to the smooth functioning of banks. They provide easy access to cash for customers in urgent need.

They have been around since one can remember and are here to stay. However, banks and financial institutions put in quite a bit of effort to keep their ATM services running.

This is why, at this time, they are looking for means by which they can manage their cash and minimize costs.

Plus, with the rise of mobile payments, banks are now facing immense pressure to keep up with their ATMs. Most of their customers now opt for cashless transactions using gateway payment apps.

One way by which banks can cut costs is by roping in a professional bank cash management software or service.

Such software and services include cash-in-transit service management, which is a huge milestone for banks if they are able to implement said service effectively.

Effective Cash Management in a Nutshell:

Not all of us are aware of the various terms associated with banking and finance. For most of us, effective cash management might still be an elusive concept.

So, here we are breaking it down in its simplest constituents. By effective cash management services, banks use software or platforms by which they can minimize their cash distribution costs.

As we stated earlier in the article, banks need to pay to keep their ATMs running. Therefore, they require effective cash management or optimization services.

This is where a cash management platform steps in. They cater to a bank’s efficiency and dearth with regard to cash distribution and make for a seamless customer experience.

If you are wondering how cash management platforms achieve this, here is what you need to know. The systems minimize the costs of cash replenishment.

The platforms effectively plan the use of cash and reduce the amount of unused cash in the ATMs. It all boils down to optimal planning, and cash management platforms do exactly that.

The Benefits of Cash Management Platforms:

Now that we have spoken at length about what a cash management platform is, let us look into how banks and financial institutions can benefit significantly from resorting to this platform.

  • These platforms provide high security while collecting cash by making use of a one-time password.
  • They reduce employees’ burden of collecting and managing cash.
  • One of the major benefits of these platforms is how they accelerate the entire process of cash collection.
  • Perhaps the most important feature of cash management platforms is how they reduce major operational costs.
  • Cash management platforms provide a more flexible approach to the process of cash collection.

There is no one right time to opt for a cash management service. Banks and financial institutions must rope in these platforms as a mandate.

However, now that we are in the middle of a pandemic, there is no better time than this.

If banks are to increase their efficiency, minimize their costs and enhance customer experience, cash management platforms are the best path to take.

Wrapping Up:

Evolving times need innovative solutions. Banks do not have endless cash flow to sustain themselves in such critical times.

Therefore, it is incredibly important to resort to means that can help them manage their costs effectively. Cash management platforms are one such solution that can bring in efficiency and make transactions seamless.

Therefore, if banks are to survive these harrowing times, opting for efficient cash management services is the best option.

Tips and Tricks to Grow Your Money Soon and Build Robust Financial Health

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Growing up, we have learnt to imbue the qualities of selflessness in our personalities. The more giving and selfless we are, the better people we shall be, and more people shall love us. One just cannot refute this idea.

The world needs kinder and humbler people, ready to shed love and light in other people’s lives. But there is a catch. According to an old adage, you cannot spread happiness if you are not happy yourself.

This thought holds true for every other situation in our lives as well. We can only be selfless and giving when we have enough for ourselves. There is no way we can save others without saving ourselves.

With this idea, we shall now segue into the topic we have taken up for discussion in this article. Today, we shall attempt to shed some light into how we could manage our finances and grow our money to build robust financial health.

Charity begins at home, and only when we take care of our finances, can we tend to other people selflessly. Taking care of our personal finance is incredibly important, and one cannot settle for mediocre ways when it comes to this. Therefore, without any delay, let us move forwards and see how we could all grow our money.

Ways to Grow Your Money Soon:

You do not need to be an Economist to understand finances. You only need good judgment, and must follow a few simple tips to take a step in the right direction. Let us now see what those simple tricks are in the next sections of the article.

Work Out Your Net Worth, Annual Income and Personal Budgets-

You must be fully aware of your financial situation before you start making plans for investments and savings.

Everyone runs on a specific budget constraint, and there is no way to deny that. Even the richest person on Earth must have a constraint. Without any budget constraint, one shall only squander away all the hard-earned money.

Therefore, the first thing you must do is to work out your net worth, your annual (or monthly) income and your personal budgets. Once you have all these details, it is time to figure out your budget constraint. Mark every little monthly expense in an inventory.

That is how you can come up with the right budget.

Are You Spending Lot More than What You Earn?

A major mistake that most of us do is to not be careful about how much we spend each day. We like something at the shopping mall and buy the item without paying any thought to our budget.

This way, you will only be spending more than what you earn. You cannot grow your money if you hold this attitude. Always keep at the back of your mind the amount of money you make at the end of the month.

Ask yourself if you really want that insanely expensive coat and if it is going to be worth it. Spend on accounts that are absolutely necessary and chuck the rest.

Indulging in a shopping splurge once a while does no harm. But if you want to grow your money, you must quit making this into a habit.

Invest in the Right Portfolios and Start Saving Early-

In this age of technology and superfast connectivity, we do everything online. From shopping to banking, everything is just a few clicks away from us. Therefore, you must make use of this boon of technology and learn about investments.

It is not much difficult to understand the portfolios that suit your financial needs. You can always select investment portfolios tailored to your needs. From mutual funds bonds to assets like gold and land, there are options galore for investments. Choose what sits well with your financial situation and investment wisely.

You might also want to talk to a few experts if need be. It might help you make wise investment decisions and choose accounts that have high returns.

Also, have an emergency fund and start saving as early as possible so that you can dip into your savings when situations seem dire.

Think of Alternative Sources of Entertainment and Cut Down Your Expenses-

You might be an ardent gamer or gambler, and might want to frequent gaming venues now and then. However, ask yourselves if you could save on the cost of transportation by playing online games.

The fun quotient of playing at a land-based gaming venue and that on sites like www.usafriendlypokersites.com is almost the same. In fact, the latter saves your money by reducing the cost of going to a casino or gaming venue.

Therefore, the bottom-line of this point is that you must always try to cut your expenses by thinking of alternatives. This will help you save and grow your money.

Learn to Manage Lifestyle Inflation-

The last tip that the article shall cover is that of managing lifestyle inflation. Not many of us pay attention to this and as a result, lose out on a chunk of our savings.

This means that as someone moves up in the career, their spending also increases. They often forget to factor in lifestyle inflation and keep spending money.

Always keep in your mind that you do not have an endless source of money. You might start earning more than what you did a few months ago. But if you do not factor in lifestyle inflation, there is no way you can grow your money.

The Bottom-Line:

In a nutshell, personal finance is a vital factor in our lives. You do not need degrees to take care of your money. You only need to love your money, and be a little selfish about spending it, unlike what you were taught while growing up.

Only when you have enough money for yourself, can you take care of others selflessly. Therefore, follow these simple tips to grow your money and have a healthy personal financial standing in the market.

Car Finance Check: Should you buy a car with outstanding finance?

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While it’s not uncommon for an automobile to have outstanding financing, we suggest that you only purchase a car once the outstanding finance is cleared.

It would help if you recognized a vehicle’s finance standing before purchasing. If you don’t know how to check the finance of the car, please visit the link. In the case when a vehicle is having outstanding finance and the individual in charge of the debt defaults on their financing after you’ve acquired the vehicle, the finance provider can look to repossess it from you. Although you cannot acquire the loan of the borrower, you would run the risk of going to the failure of the money spent on the car.

Dealers will typically not offer automobiles without they check if a vehicle are financed, yet this cannot be guaranteed in all situations. Consequently, whether you are purchasing from a personal vendor or a dealership, it is essential to inspect a vehicle’s finance status.

If you find that while verifying if this car is on finance that the vehicle is still based on a financing contract, we advise that the seller works out the finance completely before you consent to buy the vehicle. Sometimes the seller may try to offer the vehicle to pay the outstanding financing. Yet, it is essential to note here that until the debt is resolved, the ownership of the automobile stays with the financing supplier as well as is not moved to you. Unless you understand as well as rely on the seller, it’s a high-risk procedure to accept to buy a car with finance outstanding.

What is outstanding money?

Outstanding money takes place when the previous proprietor still has money for paying on the vehicle but markets it out. In doing so, they fraudulently are offering the vehicle to another person and not declaring it on any documents or communications. If you are thinking about can you check if a car is on finance, don’t fret; you definitely can visit the given link.

How to inform if there is outstanding money on an automobile?

Before you buy a used vehicle, you ought to carry out a finance check, which will inform you if any cash is owed on the vehicle, as well as if it has ever been associated with a crash or if it’s stolen.

If you’re buying from a dealership, you can ask them that can you check if a car is on finance. The Car History Inspect checks the history of a vehicle as well as is hence a reliable way to prevent purchasing an auto with outstanding financing.

What to do if there is outstanding financing on a car?

  • Before buying an automobile:

If you uncover outstanding money as well as you have not yet purchased the automobile, you must consult the provided finance firm to comprehend whether the account has been resolved or if payments are due. If money is still owed, you must ask the owner to fix the account before continuing with the sale. If you don’t know how to check finance on the car, you can visit the link.

  • After acquiring a car:

If you find out while checking is this car on finance that there is outstanding financing owed after acquiring the car, it will be more difficult to verify you have a lawful right to possessing the car. You will have to persuade the money business you are an innocent customer, which can be difficult. If unsuccessful, they can reclaim the vehicle.

Getting a check that is this car on finance is quick to do online with the Car Analytics Automobile History Check will provide a couple of details regarding the vehicle you intend to buy.

I’ve purchased an auto with outstanding financing; what should I know?

  • What does outstand money suggest?

While doing a finance check, you find if a pre-owned car has outstanding financing, it means that the finance company still owns the vehicle. The buyer has a hire purchase agreement in place that has not yet finished.

  • What is a Hire Purchase Agreement?

A Hire Purchase Arrangement allows the vehicle owner to pay either nothing or a fairly lower down payment to buy the car. After that, they will continue to pay the money as a fixed fee on a regular monthly basis until the hire purchase arrangement finishes.

When this occurs, the vehicle driver usually gets the option to trade the vehicle and start a new hire acquisition contract or purchase the present auto outright.

  • Why do I need to understand about Hire Purchase Agreements?

Until the hire purchase agreement expires, the motorist is properly selling out the auto. They have not bought it; the money business possesses it, which implies that the buyer has no authority to market it. If you are as lucky as to acquire a car in this circumstance, you do not own the vehicle you’ve spent for, even if you are provided documentation seemingly verifying that you do.

It will not take too much time before the financing business is notified as well as they act to impound the automobile or need that you pay off the outstanding money to stop them impounding it.

  • Is there outstanding financing on my auto?

If you’re uncertain, it’s better to know immediately. Inspecting if a car has outstanding financing is easy. Even if you have currently purchased the vehicle, as well as you’re concerned your vehicle has outstanding money on it, it remains in your interest to run a quick check.

If the car does have outstanding financing on it, it’s better to learn the terms than with a knock on the door from the cops. After being notified your auto has outstanding finance, you ought to contact an experienced lawyer right away.

So, before buying a car, please check for outstanding finance on the vehicle.

Vision for Success and Success in Your Business – Your “WHY” by Sofiya Machulskaya

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In the past, you might have thought that you could just “get by” in business and what you have now is a reflection of everything you’ve ever done before (well most of it anyway). Why is that? It’s a good question, and unfortunately, with this often recurring scenario in which you are just “sharing” what you have and “enjoying” what you’re “done with” or “done with.” It goes back to that golden rule of getting things done: If you don’t have a clear goal and end in view, you’ll expend energy that will just go right down the drain-permanently.

If you are having this type of situation, it may be because although you have a vision of the future, you don’t have a clear goal. Without knowing your “why” (why you have a goal of what you want or don’t you?) you’ll be free to just “skim the surface” of your vision. You likely even know where you want to go, you just don’t know how to ” landed to.” TheWebsite fronts that never connect with the heart.

If you have never written a “why” or “vision” for your business, do it now. Here’s the simple steps:

The most important part of creating your “why” or “Vision” for your business is to write the WHY first so that you’re in alignment with your internal guide, and the HOW (how you get there) through your thoughts and actions. “If you see it, believe it.” chants Sofiya Machulskaya. Use it when you make decisions that will impact your business. Use it to help you be a better leader in the direction of your desired destination. Knowing where you’re going is the role it plays in creating your “why.”

I could share my “how’s” but this is “drum roll” as I bring this out into the light of day. Winning business leaders are able to “ieve in the goal” every step of the way or at least, to know what it looks like so that they aren’t surprised by the unplanned situation when they like have a clear “why.”

Your “Why” vs. your “How”

Think about this for a minute. Are you the one who ” immigrants home to India to find that life wasn’t the exact same once you stopped hearing the Indian language, taught in your language for example. Or are you the person getting the “lowdown” as the problem child “to point out that you are making a lot of mistakes, which in your mind is along the lines of saying to yourself enough is enough for you to realize how bad a situation is. (What we call it, “inability to see or admit that what we are doing isn’t working per se. We’ve all done this and even worse, have gotten stuck with the “lack of direction” an or anything else)

Sofiya Machulskaya continues: “We all have a point of problem language that we play on a daily basis. It’s normal. When we break down our problem language or so that it comes out just right every time, we’re centered in what we are creating.” The language is a tool, a guide of who we are self and of who we are as a business owner, and it’s always changing, no matter what we want to believe.

Also, if there are discrepancies of belief from what you are “intrigued/a little bit connected” to, How does this help you move around, to the end of your thought process fast?

It doesn’t.

Don’t you know when your vision is actuallyCreating a vision that’s just not in alignment with the “how” you are doing things in your business?

Great leaders are created by great leaders and it’s very usual that when we’re “visioning” someone and yet, having less than the exact same clarity of purpose in our own lives, that we are also having a ambiguous or incomplete version of the larger picture.

You’re creating a vision that’s just ” Architect Navigating” something that won’t get you to that end point or your everyday tip “to the end,” or even as far as being honest with yourself when you’re not.

Which leads us to the next solution:

Tip #1:Make sure that your big picture is yours:

Here’s a secret and yes, it’s a secret because I have no idea where you got this from. There is a huge mental gap and a disconnect between what vision and mission are in the lives of many business owners and entrepreneurs.

That means you are doing little (or no) self-talk about what it is you really want. How to create and make this happen.

What Should I Look For When Buying a Website? By Sofiya Machulskaya

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When buying websites, you can save a lot of money. There are many advantages and disadvantages-what goes around, comes around. Before you spend any cash, find out what you need to know. The following is a list of the 5 key things you must look for.

  1. Contact information is easy to find.A webmaster that does not provide for contact is less serious about the site and its content. This can be a real turn off to the person buying the site. Without a way to reach them, it becomes very easy for site owners to sell the domains.

Contact information should be easily found on the home page. If you can’t find it on the site, then this person may or may not be a serious site owner. These sites normally want to sell at the lowest price possible without disclosure of terms.

  1. Domain name can be as short or as long as you want.This is the main benefit when buying a website. No matter what you have learned-Google prefers sites that are considered authority-the shorter the better.

The longer a domain is, Google gets confused with a domain name that really needs to be in a way that continent hosts can travel. The shorter the domain the better. Browser-friendly short domains can help drive order on the web.

Why? Says Sofiya Machulskaya… This is because short domains are easy to remember and easier to spell. No one is going to remember a complicated and hard to spell-domain name.

  1. The site’s content indicates its value.Before you buy a website, get as much information as you can regarding the content. Is it something that you can add content to?

Just serious, effortless content will enable you to maintain your site in a way that keeps the site original.

  1. Backlinks typical for the site.This is one of the parts you must always look at. Always look for a site with backlinks, preferably with enough of them to be significant.

Now, backlinks may be considered ridiculous if you spend any extra time considering the cost of buying a site. Don’t worry, they are not all that expensive. Remember, these are all the more important when you consider the cost of collecting links for your site.

  1. The traffic is working!When buying a website, what I’ve just said counts for a lot. Make sure the traffic is generating. Since so many site owners are creating youopportunity to work for free, you probably should have a look at the traffic before you buy the website.

On the other hand, it makes sense to check to see if the traffic is making a profit or not. Pay attention to the references and check to see if the traffic is ever getting any more competitive. Yet a few listen: if the traffic is coming in and not paying you until they get banned, this might be a good place to look.

When you buy a website, I, Sofiya Machulskaya, discuss each of these five questions. Beyond a basic knowledge of what types of websites are available and what they cost, these are fundamental ways to determine if buying a website is the right move. It can make the difference between having a domain name that is worth more than you ever dreamed or something you feel is throw away and ending up with a site that makes you sit up and wonder just if it will ever make a dime.

Why Run Daily Standups In Slack? For These 7 Big Benefits

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Remote teams often say they ‘run daily standups via Zoom.’ It’s a logical choice. After all, video conferencing preserves the traditional feel of in-person updates, with people looking at one another in the eye.

The problem is: the approach fails to account for the shortcomings of in-person remote standups. If you don’t sit together, time zones become awkward, short updates turn into lengthy discussions, and a scratchy connection wastes time for all.

There are plenty more reasons video conferencing isn’t the right solution for remote standups — and we can think of at least seven benefits of moving them to Slack.

#1 — Shorter Standups

Slack-based standups are always short. The setup boils the meeting down to a five-minute burst, with each person typing their answers to three questions, reviewing other teammates’ responses in a dedicated channel, and only focusing on relevant details.

If a blocker arises, people can use threads to work through an issue — or if there are no updates to chat about, simply get back to work. Contrast this with video-based standups (which take at least 15 minutes to get through on the best of days), and you quickly see the benefit of running them on Slack.

#2 — Better Side Discussions

The benefit of using threads for discussions is that others can drop out of the follow-up conversation, leaving only the relevant team members to problem-solve. Which, in many ways, is the best of all worlds.

No-one wastes time listening to irrelevant details. And blockers are resolved in the most effective way possible. While if you need to get on a call to discuss details in more depth, you can do so right in Slack.

#3 — No Problems With Time Zones

If you run daily standups in Slack, they can happen asynchronously, at any time of anyone’s day. Suppose your team sits in Sydney and San Francisco; the awkward late-night/early-morning meetings will disappear when you take scheduled meetings out the question.

#4 — No Disruptive Updates

As Slack standups aren’t ultra-time-sensitive, people don’t have to respond right away, meaning no-one has to interrupt a focused four-hour development session for the sake of an often irrelevant 15-minute update.

Instead, folks can find a convenient moment to answer the three daily questions — as well as schedule a reminder to ensure they don’t forget.

#5 — Company-wide Transparency

Verbal updates are hard to digest. In contrast, if you put all the standup answers in a public Slack channel, everyone can review the responses and take time to comprehend the key details.

Better still, the publicly-visible information keeps people both on the same page and accountable. And that’s true across teams: it’s simple to follow company-wide standups using Slack, which also eliminates the need for a ‘scrum of scrums.’

#6 — A Searchable Archive

This benefit is unique to text-based standups: you can time-travel to review past answers.

  • Suppose you’re a manager tracking project progress: you can revisit past updates to understand why a project took longer than expected.
  • Imagine your team has made a big mistake: you can review what was said to understand what went wrong — and when.

The written records can even help people run more informed retrospectives, more analytical performance reviews, and more accurate project status updates. Few people realize the value of revisiting past answers until the day they run their daily standups in Slack.

#7 — Shorter Video Meetings

Slack-based standups don’t have to replace video calls. You can easily combine the text updates with a conference call, using the content as prep material to shorten the in-person discussion. If a team reads the answers before they get on the call, no-one has to speak for a long time — and the conversation can focus on what’s relevant to all.

Benefits Of Consuming Kratom Capsules And Its Side Effects

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MitragynaSpeciosa (commonly known as Kratom) has achieved popularity in the wellness society. Various people use Kratom daily, and they have not experienced any side effects. Despite the accessibility of many other chemical and original nootropics, painkillers, supplements, and energy boosters, Kratom is the best-selling substitute product. Because it is among the potent natural remedies, it needs extreme care.

There are various reasons to use Kratom (MitragynaSpeciosa), like mental alertness, stress reliever, cognitive boost, mood lifter, and pain management. You may experience sweating, sore muscles, or anxiety, and it is not an issue right now, but it has the prospective to cause too severe problems. The Kratom abuse cases only occur when the applicants take nine times or more than the suggested quantity.

Is It Safe To Take Kratom Daily? 

Kratom is retailed and defined as per its “strain” or range. Various strains of Kratom (Mitragynaspeciosa) make various leaves, all with exclusive balances of elements. Within the types of the shade of the veins, particular strains define particular qualities. It is assessed that approximately 5 million Americans recently use Kratom. It is safer to use legal medicine, as the government has allowed it after reviewing it. Kratom Near Me may be complex to find and purchase. You can buy Kratom from online stores and other shops.

As per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) research, Kratom behaves as an agonist and fixes mu-opioid receptors in the brain. Kratom is not only secure and safe but also efficient in curing many significant diseases. In 2010, the International Journal on Drug Policy had circulated that Kratom is an inexpensive, easily accessible drug and with no severe side effects even with continued use.

What are the Side Effects of Kratom?

Based on the dose of Kratom, there are various effects on the body. You may also use the Kratom in different methods, including brewing Kratom as coffee or tea, crushing the leaves, chewing the entire leaves, and absorbing or smoking them.

  • The high dose of Kratom (5–15 g) may lead to a sedative effect, which is similar to the effects of opioids that cause applicants to feel calm, tired, and euphoric.
  • Daily exposure to the Kratom may cause mental and possibly physical necessity, hallucinations, depression, and different cognitive injuries.
  • The typical side effects of Kratom are Tremors, Anxiety, Agitation, Itching, Coordination problems, Sweating, and Sleep problems.
  • The Kratom’s powder affects the digestive system, causing typical adverse side effects, including constipation.
  • Nausea is among the ordinary and common MitragynaSpeciosa’s side effects. Kratom’s high doses effects are pain reduction, sedation, euphoria, and cough suppression.
  • Though, high doses can also have adverse effects, including nausea, constipation, and itching.
  • Many indications that you have consumed too much Kratom may comprise Listlessness, Impaired motor skills, Tremors, Lethargy, Delusions, Shallow or very heavy breathing, Slurred speech, Aggression, and Hallucinations.
  • MitragynaSpeciosa (Kratom) is commonly not safe to use during breastfeeding or pregnancy.

Tips To Use Kratom(MitragynaSpeciosa) Daily:

  • To get relief, the applicants have to add a little bit of Kratom to their daily dose.
  • Never try a similar strain or two same strains daily.
  • Despite using augmented extracts, use MitragynaSpeciosa (Kratom), i.e., initial powder forms.
  • The easiest and extremely famous method for taking Kratom is trying the toss-and-wash method to reduce the unpleasant herbal aftertaste. Tossing with water may also decrease the burning effects of MitragynaSpeciosa.
  • To reduce the effects of regular Kratom (MitragynaSpeciosa) use, you must use the lowest possible dose.
  • Kratom specialists say if the dose is less than six grams – the negative effect will be small.
  • Condensed MitragynaSpeciosa powder may be an excellent method to consume your dose unnoticeably and rapidly during your busy schedule.

Final Conclusion

Kratom is entirely a safe, secure, and healthy herbal supplement or product. The side effects of Kratom are small in comparison to its advantages. To relish Kratom’s advantages, you have to search for your body’s right dose and the correct way of consumption. So, at last, we found that Kratom is extremely safe to consume daily with less care. But, you need to consult your specialist, or doctor, before taking the Kratom daily.

“3 of the Biggest Financial Scams of All Time”

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Wealth is very much so at the forefront of how society functions and is central to the satisfaction that we have in our lives. While the saying is that money doesn’t buy happiness, it is undoubtedly a huge factor in living a happy life. Financial security means that we can live comfortably and relaxed, knowing that essentials such as food and housing are assured for long-term while having a bit left over to indulge in luxury items. Unfortunately, there are a group of people who always want more than what they have.  Where there is money, there is also a crime to be had. Over the years, there have been several stories of corrupt members of our society engaging in financial scams and other related criminal activity, often leaving the most vulnerable to be the greatest affected.

AM1 Claims Management is a specialist financial claims company that deals with a wide range of cases where clients have been mis-sold financial products. Therefore, they are more than qualified to talk about some of the world’s most notorious financial scandals. AM1 Claims have provided us with this article featuring their very own round-up of three of the biggest financial scams ever to occur.

Original Ponzi Scheme

A Ponzi scheme is defined as a fraudulent activity whereby existing investors receive funds that are obtained from new investors. The promise of high returns is never met, and the money does not go towards an investment. In simpler terms, the money is circulated around rather than being used to return profits. As soon as new investors dry up or existing investors decide to cash out, the scheme will usually have run its course.

While the name is well known these days as a way of grouping these similar crimes together, what you might not be aware of is where the term Ponzi scheme originated from. The original Ponzi scheme was spearheaded by infamous Italian swindler Charles Ponzi. While similar schemes existed beforehand, Ponzi’s scam was significant enough that it coined the phrase. Back in the 1900s, Ponzi, who was living in Boston, MA at the time, came up with the scam when he received a letter in the post. A Spanish company sent him an international reply coupon that could be redeemed for postage back to Spain. His plan was to purchase coupons in one country and to then exchange them for postage in another country which offered greater value. With the promise of high returns, several investors joined the scheme. However, Ponzi’s existing investors were only paid with funds from new investors, and they would end up losing $20m. Charles Ponzi was ultimately sentenced to five years in prison for mail fraud, of which he served three and a half years, before receiving additional jail time and deportation.

Bernard Madoff

Another form of pyramid scheme that rocked the world involved Bernard Madoff, a money manager who is believed to have created the largest Ponzi scheme to date. Madoff was seen as a respected figure by investors and he was able to convince them that his strategy was legitimate. His scheme is believed to have lasted for at least 17 years, starting in 1991 at the earliest, but there are suggestions that it ran for longer. During this time he defrauded thousands of investors out of tens of billions of dollars and the Madoff Victim Fund was created in 2013 to distribute funds to the victims.

In 2008, amidst the global financial crisis, Madoff’s scheme began to collapse with funds running out. In December of that year he finally confessed to his sons who then immediately reported him to the authorities. Having been prosecuted, Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in prison and ordered to forfeit $170 billion.

ZZZZ Best

Run by American businessman Barry Minkow, ZZZZ Best seemed to be an ordinary and successful carpet-cleaning and restoration business. However, this was far from the truth. Minkow formed the company when he was just 16, using his parent’s garage as base. With the business performing badly and having to deal with complaints and supplier collection requests, he decided to engage in criminal activity to make ZZZZ Best look like a profitable business. This included check kiting, theft, insurance scams, and fraud. Minkow then teamed up with business partner Tom Padgett, an insurance claims adjuster, to branch into the insurance restoration sector. This led to the creation of a fraudulent company called Interstate Appraisal Services, and the start of a sophisticated Ponzi scheme. ZZZZ Best would be wrongly credited for restoration work, with Interstate Appraisal Services used to verify the credit.

As a way of alleviating cash flow problems at ZZZZ Best, Barry Minkow was in the process of acquiring KeyServ, the authorised carpet cleaner for department chain Sears. However, his criminal activity was exposed by a homemaker who had previous lost a few hundred dollars as a result of a credit card fraud scheme that ZZZZ Best was involved in during the company’s early years. Minkow was subsequently prosecuted on a series of charges and sentenced to 25 years in person, of which he served just seven years. In later years he received more prison time for additional crimes he had participated in over the years.

Sport and Female Empowerment: Four Inspirational Icons to Impose Post-Lockdown Change

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Historically, the world has assumed several aspects of society to be by ‘male default’ — the world of sport being one of these. Throughout history women have been standing at the sidelines, waiting for their opportunity to come into play. When we use terms such as ‘women’s athletics’, and ‘women’s football’, or even ladies’ tennis, it almost implies that a woman running on the pitch or picking up a racket is something out of the ordinary. After all, we never hear anyone say ‘men’s football’.

Throughout the years, women have worked relentlessly to get rid of the prejudices they have faced throughout their sporting career and change the perception of women in sport. Back in 2019 when media coverage and public interest of women’s sport was beginning to peak, funding was eventually starting to reflect the sporting talents of women.

When the Lionesses played against the unstoppable United States Women’s soccer team in the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the evidence of the nation finally taking an interest in women’s football was undeniable. During June 2019, Google search trends around ‘women’s football’ experienced a dramatic spike, proving that the public is keen to engage and watch women in sports.

As with the rest of the industry, the world of women’s sport is currently experiencing a crisis. The hype that was associated with women’s sport last year is being jeopardised by the stand-still that is Covid-19. In further news, women’s sport is facing a longer lockdown period than the likes of men’s sport that is looking to get back on track in the nearer future. Brazil has recently announced that the tournament hosting bid for the Women’s World Cup in 2023 has been withdrawn. In response to this, Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson said, “We can’t just rush to get men’s sport back and not think about women’s sport. There has to be a balance and diversity, otherwise some of the strides women have made could be lost”. Speaking further on this, one major UK trailblazer in women’s football, Kelly Smith, argues that the game has been “pushed aside”.

Despite the momentum of women’s sport being threatened, there are numerous sports stars that have taken it into their own hands to protect it. Not only have these women been inspiring fans everywhere over recent years, but they’ve also been unapologetically demanding our attention through raking in even more trophies and addressing the important issues. Luckily, some of the sporting worlds most influential women aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. With this said, we discuss the ones to watch in post-lockdown women’s sport.

1.      Megan Rapinoe

Rapinoe’s international success is something worth admiring. Winning six global awards including the 2019 Ballon d’Or Féminin, the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup Golden Ball, the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup All-Star Team, the 2019 FIFA FIFPro Women’s World XI, the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup Golden Boot, and the 2019 Best FIFA Women’s Player, Rapinoe’s success is on par with the men at the top of men’s football rankings. With this in mind, Rapinoe is a hugely influential sporting athlete, gaining her 2.2 million Instagram followers. Using her huge following to her advantage, she uses her platform for activism, regularly discussing issues such as the gender pay gap in sport, the Black Lives Matter movement, and LGBTQ+ rights.

2.      Naomi Osaka

Named by Forbes as the highest-paid female athlete ever, Osaka is an international grand slam champion at the age of 22. At the age of just 20, Osaka achieved the incredible feat of defeating Serena Williams in the final of the US Open. Since then, the Women’s Tennis Association has ranked Osaka as number one and she has gone on to win another two slam titles. Her list of breath-taking achievements continues, as she remains the only player of Haitian or Asian descent to hold the top ranking in singles.

At the age of three, Osaka moved from Japan to New York. In order to represent Japan in the Olympics, she gave up her US citizenship — since this is a choice that Japan requires its athletes to make before the age of 22. Other than her taking the sporting world by storm and engaging in influential sportswear collaborations, she addresses matters such as racism and sexism within the sporting industry- two issues that she has been personally affected by in her sporting career. Similar to Rapinoe, Osaka uses her online community and 1.1 million Instagram followers for social activism and the championing of women in sports.

3.      Allyson Felix 

All the way from the other side of the pond, Felix is no one-trick pony and is in fact the only American track and field sprinter that competes in the 100m, 200m, and 400m race.

When Allyson Felix achieved her twelfth World Championship gold metal in the Doha World Athletics championships back in 2019, she sent shock waves around the world — even surpassing Usain Bolt’s world record with her twelfth gold medal achievement.

What makes this even more impressive is that she did all of this after giving birth to her daughter in November 2018. After taking on her sponsors over maternity rights, since one planned to pay her 70 per cent less than what they did before she gave birth, it left their contract at a standstill.

4.      Dina Asher-Smith

Confirming her position on 2020’s list of most influential sports stars, Dina Asher-Smith is the fastest woman in British history. In 2019, she was named as one of the UK’s most influential people with African, African-Caribbean, and African-American heritage after smashing national records.

After breaking the British 100m record in London, she then went on to break the British 200m and 4x100m relay records at the World Championships in Doha in Qatar. At the rescheduled 2021 Tokyo Olympics, she is certainly one to look out for!

She is an inspiration for young women everywhere as she too came from a park running background in London. Not only has she went from strength to strength throughout her sporting career, she has also achieved a 2:1 History degree at King’s College in London. Dina Asher-Smith has proven to young girls everywhere that they can excel in any way they choose by committing their minds to things. Throughout the world of sport, women have shown power, resilience, and remarkable talent. After battling through diversity numerous times over and inspiring women around the world, these sports stars are sure to bounce right back into action despite the uncertainty that the sports sector is currently faced with.

Five of the Most Innovative Buildings in the World

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Architects and construction companies are constantly pushing boundaries and using new methods to deliver ground-breaking projects that meet budgets and incorporate the latest technology. They are also built with safety and sustainability at the heart of their key performance indicators.

The world is full of amazing design work and buildings that make you stand for an extra second and applaud how they’ve been constructed. Today, we’re going to share five of the most innovative buildings in the world – with each one embodying technology, safety, and sustainability.

Cardboard Cathedral by Shigeru Ban (New Zealand)

Back in February 2011, a 6.3-magnitude earthquake hit Christchurch, New Zealand, devastating the iconic Christchurch Cathedral. To prevent a reoccurrence, Japanese architect Shigeru Ban – who picked up the 2014 Pritzker Architecture Prize – designed a cathedral to last 50 years rather than forever – with a more a permanent fixture needed after a half of a century.

Speaking on the design, he said: “People don’t die in earthquakes, they die in buildings that collapse in an earthquake. You don’t usually find architects on the scene after a disaster, building temporary housing. We’re so busy with projects for the privileged classes.”

The triangular-shaped cathedral rises over 24 metres and is made from 98 paper tubes spaced 150 millimetres apart. Eight shipping containers make up the wall structure, while the roof is made of polycarbonate and the floor is concrete. With a capacity of 700 people, the cathedral has given people a new lease of life when they use it as a gathering place for the local community. 

Bank of America Tower (New York City)

The Bank of America Tower is a 1,200 feet skyscraper in Manhattan. You could be excused for not automatically thinking it’s a building with sustainability at its core – but it does.

Floor-to-ceiling window glazing traps heat and maximises natural light. The building also collects rainwater to reuse throughout the structure. The billion-dollar building was the first skyscraper to be awarded a coveted platinum rating for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

Built in 2009, the skyscraper is still a cutting-edge piece of architecture and given its purpose as a bank, should be celebrated for its green approach.

The Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre (Dallas, Texas)

When it comes to the innovative use of an aluminium extrusion, the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre in Texas is up there as one of the best examples. Designed by Joshua Prince-Ramus of REX and Rem Koolhaas of OMA, the theatre opened in 2009 – with the upper part of the building clad in tubular aluminium.

One of the most redeeming features of the auditorium is the glass walls that have blackout blinds, which can be opened to reveal the city and allow people to catch a glimpse of the performance from outside.

The seating and the stage are also designed to be reconfigured to suit different types of performance. The Wyly is situated on the south side of the AT&T Performing Arts Center complex and has an iconic presence in Dallas.

The Edge (Deloitte Head Office, Amsterdam)

Created by PLP Architecture in 2015, Deloitte’s state-of-the-art Amsterdam head office, known as the Edge, is at the top of the list when it comes to sustainability, after receiving the highest score ever from the British rating agency BREEAM. It was dubbed “the smartest building in the world” after completion.

The building uses technology to achieve optimum resource efficiency while creating a collaborative work environment for its staff. LED panels that contain approximately 28,000 sensors to track motion, light, temperature, and humidity, creating a unique artificial network that reacts to its surroundings.

A smartphone app is even connected to the building, directing staff to free parking spaces, free desks, and allows users to tailor lighting and temperature to their preference.

Eco Park (Forest Green Rovers)

This building is yet to be constructed, but the story of Forest Green Rovers as Britain’s most unique football club – and their plans for a new stadium – is one worth telling. Under the ownership of entrepreneur Dale Vince, they became the world’s first 100 per cent vegan club.

Their current ground, the New Lawn Stadium, has elements of sustainability, with 180 solar panels on the south stand generating 10 per cent of the electricity required to power the stadium. In 2019, planning permission was granted for an almost all-wooden stadium – the first of its kind in football.

Designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, the 5,000 capacity ‘Eco Park’ is set to be the greenest football stadium in the globe. Almost every element will be constructed of sustainably sourced timber, including the structure, roof cantilevers, and louvred cladding. ​

And that’s the list of five of the most innovative buildings in the world, with everything from technology to sustainability at the heart of architectural brilliance. With so many skilled professionals and companies inspired to push the boundaries of innovation, the future of architect is an exciting one. What will they come up with next? Who knows, but it will be worth the wait, that’s for sure.

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