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Four Irish Women in Sport to Watch After Lockdown

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Like with many aspects of our society, the world of sport has historically assumed a ‘male default’. Women in sport have long stood by the side lines, waiting for their moment to come into play. Even the terms ‘women’s football’, ‘women’s athletics’, and ‘women’s — or sometimes ladies’ — tennis’, assume that there is something unusual, against the norm about a woman picking up a racket or running on to the pitch (we never hear it referred to as ‘men’s football’ after all).

In recent years however, women in Ireland and internationally have worked tirelessly to change this perception and uproot the tired prejudices they have likely faced throughout their entire sporting career. In 2019, the funding was finally starting to reflect the talent of women in the sporting world, while media coverage and public interest was beginning to peak. We saw undeniable evidence of this during the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Google search trends around the term ‘women’s football’ saw an unprecedented spike during June 2019, proving that, when given the airtime, the public are keen to engage with and support women in sports.

The world of women’s sport is, like the rest of the industry, currently undergoing a crisis. With Covid-19 bringing sport to a shuddering standstill this year, the momentum that was growing around women in sport last year is in danger of falling flat. What’s more, while men’s sport is looking to get back on track as soon as possible, women’s sport is facing a lengthier lockdown. Recent announcements have even confirmed that Brazil has withdrawn its tournament hosting bid for the Women’s World Cup in 2023. Commenting on 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.”

Luckily, there are plenty of inspiring female sports stars in Ireland and elsewhere who have taken it upon themselves to keep the momentum going and keep spectators optimistic for what the future of Irish sports will hold by getting involved in influential sportswear and women’s trainer collaborations. Unapologetically demanding our attention, these women have been inspiring fans everywhere over the past few years. Needless to say, the most influential women in Irish sport aren’t going anywhere. Here are the ones to watch in post-lockdown women’s sport:

Nadia Power

This rising star has shot from success to success over recent years, and she’s certainly still got a lot to give! The Dublin-born 22-yeard-old, won an impressive bronze medal in the 800m in the U23 European Championships last summer, but she is also extremely accomplished in the 1,500m category. Earlier this year, she secured her first senior national title at the Indoor Track and Field Championships, smashing her personal best in the 800m with a time of 2.05.62.

As well as excelling on the athletics track, Power is engaged with social activism and has spoken out about racism within sport. She has called for the conversation surrounding racism in sport to continue, and for people to listen, speak out, and educate themselves.

Katie Taylor

While Katie Taylor originally began her sporting career as a footballer, she is now most famous for her success in the boxing ring. Taylor was born in County Wicklow to an Irish mother and an English father, both of whom became heavily invested in her boxing career with her dad, Peter, becoming her full-time-coach, and her mum, Bridget, becoming one of the first female referees and judges in Ireland.

Taylor’s career has already been phenomenal — as well as being a two-weight world champion, she is the current undisputed lightweight champion and was a gold medal winner (in the lightweight division) at the London 2012 Olympic Games, as well as being Ireland’s flagbearer. 

Since then, Taylor has continued to be at the top of her game, and will be defending her WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO and Ring Magazine lightweight world titles in a rematch against Delfine Persoon on the 22nd of August.

Síofra Cléirigh Büttner

At only 25, Síofra Cléirigh Büttner has already made an impressive name for herself as a prominent Irish middle-distance runner. Beginning her career at a young age, she won a silver medal in the girls’ 1500m during the 2011 European Youth Olympics and has since competed in many prestigious championships, including the 2017 World Championships in Athletics. In 2016, she was named the Athletics Ireland Under-23 Athlete of the Year and has had an impressive collegiate career in the United States after moving there to study.

Katie Mullan

After captaining the Irish Women’s Hockey team to unprecedented success, Katie Mullan has reached ‘hero status’ in the world of Irish sport. In 2018, she captained the team that made it to the 2018 Women’s Hockey World Cup final. After this silver medal success, Irish Hockey fans will be on the edge of their seats when the all-star team heads off to Tokyo for the rescheduled Olympic Games next year!

Mullan is no stranger to international competition and she started her competitive hockey career young, playing in the Singapore Youth Olympics in 2010. The future of Irish women’s hockey looks extremely bright, especially with Mullan leading the way! 

In recent years, Irish women have shown resilience, power, and breath-taking talent throughout the world of sport. Although times are uncertain for the sports sector as a whole, these inspiring women are sure to bounce right back — they’ve already battled through adversity time and time again and inspired women across Ireland, and internationally.  There’s no doubt that they’ll be ready to get back into action in the post-lockdown world. 

Microserfin Only Entity In Panama Within PAR Latin America

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Recently Aequales, an organization that promotes the labor empowerment of women, announced the results of the Raking PAR 2020, where Microserfin, the Panamanian entity of the BBVA Microfinance Foundation (Fmbbva) has positioned itself as the only private company in Panama that participates in said gender measurement at the regional level.

According to the results of the 2020 ranking, the entity is above the Latin American average in the Human Talent management categories (Average Microserfin 57.20% vs. Average Latam 43.96%) and organization structure (Average Microserfin 55.20% vs. Latam Average 52.63%).

Gissele González de Domínguez, president of the Board of Directors of Microserfin, said that “in Microserfin, as part of the Fmbbva, we have a commitment to the economic empowerment of women that is why we are attached to all the effort we make in favor of An urban and rural microentrepreneur from each of the countries that make up the Foundation, we also share a business strategy in which we are committed to a culture of internal gender equality ”.

“Part of that internal strategy is reflected in concrete actions carried out by Microserfin, such as being signatories of the principles for the Empowerment of Women – WEPs for its acronym in English, adhering to the Gender Parity Initiative and our participation in the Raking PAR, a tool that has allowed us to be the only Panamanian entity to have this measurement to strengthen corporate policies on gender equality and improve opportunities for advancement for women in the workplace, ”added Domínguez.

Microserfin, the only entity in Panama within the PAR Latin America 2020 Ranking

The Latin American PAR Ranking is an instrument that allows a diagnosis of the progress of public, private and social organizations in the Latin American region to close gender gaps, its objective is to generate comparative data of Latin America in terms of equity of corporate gender and in turn provide data for decision-making in the workplace with a gender perspective.

This year the measurement was carried out on 779 organizations, entities and companies of the public and private sector in Latin America based on four pillars: Management of objectives, organizational culture, organizational structure and management of human talent.

Currently, in Microserfin’s senior management, women represent 44% and at the general level of its workforce, 42.38% is made up of them in positions of managers, supervisors, credit counselors, among others.

The entity, in addition to its internal equity strategy, pays special attention to women through an offer of value, which contributes to the economic empowerment of women microentrepreneurs in Panama, whose role is fundamental for the development of their families, their environment, sustainable and inclusive growth and poverty reduction in the country.

DiDi Will Financially Support Driving Partners

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DiDi, the mobility platform, within the framework of its Corporate Social Responsibility program, enabled in Panama its economic aid plan aimed at driving partners who are diagnosed with COVID-19, according to terms and conditions.

This support is possible thanks to the global fund of $ 10 million, created by the company and that seeks to provide financial support to the driving partner in case of being affected by the virus. The objective is, firstly, prevention through isolation and, secondly, to mitigate the impact on family income caused by the obligation to respect the period of isolation required by the health authorities.

Likewise, and for the driving partners who voluntarily want to receive them, the platform started donating prevention kits consisting of masks and alcoholic gel, so that the driving partners can protect themselves and also the users.

At this stage, a total of 500 kits are being delivered. Drivers who wish to receive it can register through the application, specifically in the “Help” section and then in “DiDi’s Actions against Coronavirus”.

“The well-being of those who use the platform is our priority. We continually look for ways to support them and that is precisely the objective when enabling this economic aid plan in Panama. We understand that staying in quarantine has very significant socioeconomic effects. Likewise, we must not lose sight of prevention, which is why we are also donating these kits to promote compliance with biosafety measures, ”explained P ablo Mondragón , DiDi’s general director for Central America and the Caribbean.

As soon as a driving partner indicates that they have COVID-19, their account is temporarily suspended, to avoid infections. Once the diagnosis is corroborated, we proceed to the process to request the aid. For this, you must enter the “DiDi Conductor” application and in the “Help” section, upload an official medical certificate and other information that is requested to start the case study.

After the information has been reviewed and it complies with the requirements, the driving partner will receive, a single time, the approximate amount of one month of the income generated up to that moment, through DiDi.

Eligibility for the financial aid fund is subject to the terms and conditions established by the platform.

New customer service center for drivers

As part of DiDi’s long-term commitment to the country, the platform recently opened its customer service center in Panama City, from Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

To be attended, the requirement is to schedule appointments in advance. To do this, access the “DiDi Conductor” application, in the “Help” section, through the “Other Service Channels” subsection. The objective is to avoid crowds and maintain the indications of physical distancing.

DiDi, with just over two months of having reactivated its operation in Panama, reaffirms with these initiatives its presence in the country and commitment to the community that connects with the platform

Carolina Cuenca Is The New President Of Seguros SURA Panama

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Carolina Cuenca Armella, current Vice President of Insurance, was appointed as the new President of Seguros SURA Panama, taking office as of December 1.

It should be noted that the appointment of the new president will provide the respective process before the Superintendency of Insurance and Reinsurance of Panama.

Cuenca Armella has been linked to Suramericana for 18 years and has been serving since November 2018 as Vice President of Insurance, at Seguros SURA Panama .

Before that, he held positions such as Car and Business Business Management at Seguros SURA Colombia.

Born in Cartagena (Colombia), she is an industrial engineer from the Universidad de los Andes (Bogotá) and has a master’s degree in Actuarial Sciences (Georgia State University) and Mathematical Engineering (Complutense University of Madrid). In addition, he studied ontological Coaching at the San Sebastián University (Chile).

“Carolina’s extensive experience, her leadership in different business lines and the knowledge that she has acquired since 2018 at Seguros SURA Panama, demonstrate her capabilities to take on this challenge and continue the transformations that the Company has undertaken to deliver capabilities and create more value. for Panamanian people and companies , ” said Juana Francisca Llano, president of Suramericana.

The new president will have the following priorities:

-Consolidate the subsidiary as a trend and risk manager, supported by a people-centered value system.

-Continue with the evolution and diversification of the Seguros SURA portfolio from comprehensive insurance solutions, based on knowledge in managing trends and risks.

-To strengthen the transformation of the Operational Model to be closer to Panamanian people and companies, which includes from the digitization of accesses and the evolution of attention at Meeting Points that deliver value in all their interactions.

-Promote the resignification of the corridor and the development of allies in the Country, in order to consolidate long-term relationships.

The designated president of Seguros SURA Panama expressed her gratitude “for the trust placed by the Board of Directors and Suramericana in the face of this new challenge.

Since 2018, Panama and a wonderful team at Seguros SURA have welcomed me and my family in the best way. They have been two years of great challenges and many learnings, that is why I am very excited to continue helping the Company evolve more every day, to be more relevant in the lives of people and companies in the country ”.

The current president of Seguros SURA Panamá, Jorge Andrés Mejía will begin to preside over the subsidiary of Seguros SURA Brasil as of December 1, after six years in the Panamanian subsidiary in which he led the evolution of the company and the development of new solutions, accesses and channels, as well as various initiatives for growth, loyalty and customer attraction, positioning SURA Panama as the fourth insurer in the Panamanian insurance market.

Flipping Vs Renting – Which Strategy Is Best?

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You want to invest in real estate but wonder which strategy works best. You could buy a fixer-upper, fix it and flip it, washing your hands of the property. Another option is to keep the property (fixer-upper or otherwise) and rent it.

Both may provide profits, so which strategy is best for you?

A Quick Overview Of Flipping

Flipping homes isn’t investing in them. You’re working for your money. Investing is more of a passive activity.

When you flip a home, you buy one that needs renovations and/or repairs. It may even be unlivable when you buy it. You fix it up, make it attractive for your target audience, and sell it.

You’re involved in the process from start to finish, somewhat actively, although you’ll likely hire contractors to do the physical labor and a real estate agent to sell it.

Once you sell the home, you pocket the profit and move on.

A Quick Overview Of Renting

Renting an investment property is a passive activity in terms of investing. You may or may not have to pay for renovations or repairs. Either way, you rent the home to tenants who live there full-time. 

The tenants pay you rent which should cover all expenses for the home (mortgage, taxes, insurance, utilities, etc.) and leave you with a small profit. You actively manage the property (or hire a management company) and keep ownership of the property. 

You earn equity in the home as the tenants pay your mortgage down, earning you a passive income. 

Why Is Flipping Better?

There isn’t one answer that says ‘flipping is better’ or ‘renting is better.’ But, there are some reasons many people flip rather than rent including:

  • Quicker access to your capital – When you flip homes, you invest money for a short period (usually 6 to 12 months).
  • Less work – After you fix the home up, you don’t have the hassle of finding tenants and managing the property. You sell it and move on. 

The Downsides Of Flipping

Flipping properties is great for many, but there are downsides to consider:

  • Tie up your funds – Tying up your capital means an opportunity cost for other investments you could be using your money for, which could mean a loss for some.

Why Is Renting Better?

Renting appeals to some investors more for the following reasons:

  • Regular cash flow – You don’t have to wait until the home sells (which can take months). You get instant access to monthly cash flow as soon as you sign a lease.
  • Earn equity – When you buy and hold, you take advantage of the home’s appreciation. Couple that with the equity you earn with a paid down mortgage (rent should cover the mortgage) and you could have a nice return on your investment.

The Downsides Of Renting

Renting properties has its downsides too, especially with the amount of responsibility that comes with it.

  • Actively manage – You’re responsible for almost everything with the house including 3 AM phone calls about burst pipes. You collect the rent, keep the house in livable condition, and make sure the tenants care for the home reasonably.
  • Vacancy – A lease agreement is nice, but it’s not a guarantee that you’ll never have vacancies. If you do, you still have to pay the mortgage, insurance, and taxes.

What’s Right For You?

Think about what you want in the end. Is it a slow-growing investment that earns you monthly cash flow? Would you prefer to do some hard work upfront, but then sell your investment and make a lump sum profit?

Think about the work involved in both opportunities. Does one sound better than the other? Maybe one strategy fits your personality better than another. Of course, you should consider your finances too. Are you investing for the monthly cash flow or would you prefer a large capital gain that you can spend, save, or invest how you want?

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer. Every investor differs and each situation may be different too. Look at the big picture and decide where you want to start. You may find after you try one that you flip to the other and vice versa and there’s nothing wrong with that either. Find what lights you up and makes you the most profit in the end.

How Much Money Should I Take on a Trip to Italy?

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Italy is a beautiful country and welcomes a plethora of visitors yearly. However, thanks to its natural charm, ancient sites and delicious cuisine, it doesn’t make for a cheap break away. When planning for your trip, you’ll need to plan your spending accordingly.

Getting Around

Even though there are plenty of parts of Italy which lend themselves to walking and discovering the sights, you’ll need to plan costs for different kinds of transport. Whether this involves taking public transport to reach certain spots, or getting boats to explore the smaller islands. Or even just getting taxis in the evening. Plan an itinerary and figure out you’re going to get around.  Escorted tours to Italy can help you see the best sights in the country. Plus, it can cut down on your planning time.

Accommodation

Accommodation is going to be one of your biggest expenses. The average price for one person for accommodation in Italy is €64. There are plenty of places you can stay. A hotel can be centrally based, with helpful staff to help you with queries. Air bnbs might feel more authentic, and allow you to prepare meals. You think to think about what kind of experience you want from your trip, and your accommodation can reflect this. It’s worth noting that Italian hotels now charge a tourist fee. It is not a big cost but needs to be accounted for.

Entry Fees

There are so many beautiful sights in Italy. Whether you’re staying in one place or hoping to travel across the country, your sightseeing list will be long. You’ll need to research the entry fee for each place you’re planning on visiting, as the costs can drastically differ depending on where it’s located. When you’re thinking about where you want to go, you need to ask yourself what sort of things would you like to see? The history of Rome, the fashion in Milan, or the vibrance of Venice. Each place requires a different budget, so you need to factor your funds in.

Dining Out

You can’t visit Italy and not try authentic Italian food. You’ll likely be dining out for every meal, so your food and drink is going to be a big part of your budget. You should be aware that the restaurants and bars nearest the tourist spots charge more money. Italians are not big tippers. Service in restaurants is usually included, and if not 10% is considered an acceptable tip. If you’re picking up a coffee before your sightseeing, you can leave a little change.

Italy is the kind of country which charms any visitor. It is not the cheapest of European destinations, but saving up to get there is definitely worth it. Where in Italy would you like to go?

The True Cost of a Wedding

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A wedding is one of the most expensive things a couple will invest in. The pandemic meant that the wedding industry took a serious hit this year as safety restrictions had to be put into place. However, with vaccines being rolled out and people optimistically looking towards next year, weddings are bound to make a big come back. How much will they cost?

Venue

It’s difficult to work out an average cost for an entire wedding in 2020 as there were points in the year where they were not allowed to take place in the UK. However, according to Hitched, the average wedding in 2019 cost £31,974. The most expensive part of the day was hiring a venue. The average couple spent £5,406 on their wedding location. Venue costs differ drastically – from what packages the newly-weds opt for, what day they’re getting married, and whether or not they’re using the same venue for both the ceremony and the reception.

Rings

The rings – although a seemingly small part of the day – have a big price. Engagement and wedding rings are important pieces to the bride and groom. These rings are the one part of the day the couple get to carry with them forever, to show the world their commitment to one another. For many couples, the rings are worth the money. The average person in the UK will spend £1865 on an engagement ring. This figure differs depending on how old you are, and wherein the country you’re based.

Catering

Catering is another large expense of the day. 33% of couples end up spending more than budgeted on food and drink. Some venues will include it, or the couples have to find a supplier. There are a multitude of options when trying to plan food and drink expenses. From the style of dining – plated or buffet – to what type of alcohol is being served, and whether or not guests will pay for their own drinks. There can also be additional fees from the catering company to consider.

Wedding Dress 

For many brides, the wedding dress is the most important part of the day. The cost of a wedding dress can drastically vary. The price can start at £50 and go all the way up to over £10,000. The average bride will spend £1313 on her dress. It depends on the kind of shop she’s buying the dress from, or whether she decides to hire one instead.

There are many other things to consider when budgeting for a wedding: entertainment, decorations, and flowers to name a few. The answer behind the true cost of a wedding depends on the couple. What do you think is the most important part of a wedding day?

The True Cost of Renovating your Home to Include a Home Office

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The novel coronavirus has had a number of unexpected results on the way that we live and work. Among the most obvious of these has been a trend toward working from home, and a desire among would-be house-buyers for a home office.

Given that working from home options are likely to be with us for the foreseeable future, and possibly for the long-term, the investment in a dedicated office space might seem like a sound one. If it’ll help you to be more productive, then you might argue that the expense will ultimately pay for itself.

But for this to be true, you’ll need at least a rough idea of how much your new modification is going to really cost. If you’re rushing into a refurbishment, or even an extension, then you risk running over budget. Let’s look at some of the costs to watch out for.

Changing a Room

Redecorating, or even remodelling, can be an expensive business. If you have to knock a wall through to make enough space to work, then you’ll be spending more. The same applies if you’re installing new windows and skylights to allow natural light into the room. For most office workers, extensive modifications of this sort aren’t necessary – but if you’re running a dance studio, the space you have available makes a critical difference.

Equipment

If you’re using equipment that you’ve borrowed from work, then you won’t need to worry about the extra expense. If you’re starting out as a freelancer, then you’ll need to consider the cost of your equipment. That often means a computer, a microphone, and a webcam (for all of those video conferences). Certain professionals might have more particular equipment requirements; musicians and composers, for example, might need to invest in instruments, speakers and acoustic tiling.

Furniture

The furniture you’re using might have a considerable effect on your quality of life while working from home. But so too should the way that you arrange it. When typing, your elbows should be roughly parallel to the desk, and your eyeline should be level with the top of the screen you’re looking at. If you have particular problems with posture, then you might consider modifications, such as lumbar cushion. A better idea is to invest in a high-quality office chair, or to perform regular stretching and yoga.

It’s also worth thinking about storage. Being surrounded by clutter, after all, is going to hamper your productivity. Bespoke fitted office furniture is going to make a huge difference here. There are many office clearance companies in London offer a ruse service where they give away used furniture they collect, this will save costs for you.

Online Tools

If your role requires software licences, then you’ll need to think about how much you’re going to commit to them each year. You might expect to pay £60 for an annual subscription to Microsoft 365, and far more than that for more specialised programs. Have an idea of how much you need as you plan for life working from home in the long-term.

Car Buying Tips For Young Drivers

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Once you’ve passed your driving test, you’ll probably want to purchase a car as soon as possible, right? Even so, it’s important that you don’t simply select the first model you come across. You should take your time when looking to buy a new car to ensure you get the best-possible vehicle for your money. 

Opting to purchase a brand new edition is never a good idea. With that in mind, today we’re going to give you some basic tips that should help you to avoid common mistakes when obtaining a second-hand product.

General Car Buying Tips

The first thing you’ll need to do is find a reputable supplier. It’s far too risky buying second-hand vehicles from private sellers unless you have an understanding of mechanics. There are just too many things that could go wrong. Considering that, spend a few minutes reading through all the advice listed below. Hopefully, you will then be in the best position to get things right.

Check all paperwork is in order

No matter where you buy your used car, you should ensure that all the relevant paperwork is in order. You should receive the logbook and information relating to the car’s history at the time of purchase. If you notice any discrepancies between the details the seller gave and what is said on the paperwork, you should look elsewhere. If they’re willing to lie to you about one thing, who’s to say they’re not lying about other details?

Assess the mileage

While it is uncommon for major used car sellers to illegally alter the mileage on their vehicles, it’s not completely unheard of. For that reason, you should take a look at the clock and then spend some time working out whether the mileage seems correct. If the car is ten years old and it has apparently only done 10,000 miles, there might be something dodgy going on. Again, if you encounter any issues like that, you should move onto another seller.

Take it for a test drive

Test driving a vehicle is one of the best ways to determine how well it has been looked after. You should aim to stay behind the wheel for at least fifteen minutes as that will be enough time to ensure you notice any major issues. If the seller refuses to let you drive a car, it’s probably because they know you will discover a problem. So, walking away and finding a more reputable dealer would be a wise move.

Don’t let sellers pressure you

Some sellers will try to pressure you into making a purchase by saying lots of other people are interested in the vehicle. Don’t fall for it. If they had so much interest, the car would have been sold already. That is just a technique they sometimes use to make you part with your cash before you’ve considered all your options thoroughly. If you think you might be susceptible to such a technique, it might be worth taking a friend along. That way, they can stop you if they think you’re making the wrong decision.

Types of car finance available

Hire Purchase

Buying your new car via a hire purchase agreement allows you to drive it away after putting down a deposit and signing a contract. You will need to repay the purchase price in installments – usually over a period of two to five years. There is also usually an option to purchase fee at the end of the agreement. Although hire purchase car loans can get you into your new car on the same day as your loan application is processed, the vehicle is not truly yours until the loan has been fully settled.

Personal Contract Purchase

This form of car loan works in a similar way to a leasing agreement. It usually requires a smaller deposit than a hire purchase agreement, and the monthly repayments are typically lower. However, there is a significant final fee to pay at the end of the contract if you want to take full ownership of the vehicle. Alternatively, you can simply hand the car back at the end of the agreement.

Personal Loans

A personal loan from a mainstream bank or building society will give you full ownership of your vehicle from the moment you purchase it. This means that you are free to sell the vehicle at any time. However, unlike loans that are secured on the car, there is no statutory right to voluntarily terminate the loan agreement after half the repayments have been made. And because there is usually no security attached to a personal loan agreement, the interest rates charged are usually higher.

Peer-to-Peer Loans

Peer-to-peer platforms provide a convenient and affordable way to secure the car you want from the dealership of your choice. Application processes employed by most peer to peer platforms are usually streamlined, so you can have your loan approved and paid out within just 72 hours.

A peer-to-peer loan can be used for just about anything, including the purchase of a new car. And as long as you have a favorable credit history, you may be able to secure a highly competitive interest rate. This is because peer to peer lending is based on savers lending directly to borrowers. There is no bank involved, which means the overheads and bureaucracy of such a large financial institution aren’t causing delays and pushing up the cost of borrowing.

The bottom line

If you follow all those tips, you should have the perfect second-hand car in no time. Remember, it’s better to spend a week looking and purchase something reliable than it is to buy one too quickly and end up wasting your money.

Good luck!

3 Inexpensive Christmas Gift Ideas for Coworkers in 2020

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Whether we have managed to keep up a physical presence in the office or we’ve been relegated to video-conferencing, 2020 is the year to show our coworkers a little appreciation. There are plenty of excellent options for gifting to our coworkers that are both cost-efficient and appropriate. From ground coffee to hand lotions, we cover the best ideas for short notice and a tight budget.

High quality ground coffee

A caffeine jolt to kick-start the day is a given, and one of our favourite ways to approach gift giving for coworkers is to give them an upscale version of an everyday item. High quality coffee is always a practical winning idea. By spending just a little more money on freshly ground coffee, the taste and flavour profile really shine through. Ordering a bag or two of specialist beans may be the jumping off point for a colleague’s new-found love of coffee, or else may be a way to show an old work friend how well you know them and their penchant for the finer things in life.

With a £20 limit the savvy shopper could buy three or four bags of extra-special ground coffee, each from different regions around the world. Print up a ‘taster wheel’ and you’re giving them a fun activity, too: challenge the recipient to taste each ground coffee and try to match the flavour profile. Peru’s ground coffee is known for a milder flavour with chocolate undertones, while Ethiopian ground coffee has notes of jasmine, bergamot and blueberry.

Who knows, your coworkers may love the gift of ground coffee so much that they bring it into work, when we can all return to our offices. By treating your colleague to some delicious java, you might also be able to look forward to a healthy debate about the best ground coffee at the next work function!

Hand sanitisers and lotions

Following on with the theme of spending a little more money on everyday essentials, we come to hand sanitisers and lotions. With the extra hand washing we’ve all been doing in 2020, and as we come into the cooler, dryer months of winter, our hands are taking a beating. Your colleagues will thank you for the gift of softer skin.

The Body Shop’s coconut hand sanitiser is a delightful alternative to the gloopy tea-tree options on supermarket shelves. With a silky texture the gel goes on seamlessly, leaving a delicate smell that suggests pina coladas and days spent on the beach – something we could all do with during the darkest days of the year! Purdy and Figg is an alternative, for your colleagues who prefer spicy or perfumed scents and like their packaging to reflect their exemplary sense of taste.

And to keep skin hydrated, handbag sized bottles of L’Occitane hand cream are a must. Not only do the creams come in luxurious packaging, they have grown-up scents of almond and bergamot. A spot of L’Occitane hand cream is the next best thing to a spa day, and keeps the winter blues at bay. As a plus, the company is also an ethical choice, and supports visual impairment around the world and emancipation for women in Burkina Faso. So when giving your colleague a little treat, you can both feel pleased to also have done some good in the world.

Stylish coffee mug

If you are fed up with your colleagues nicking your favourite mug, buy them their own beautiful vessels for Christmas, or consider german beer steins. Selecting a new mug for your workmate can be a fun way to show them how much you care.

A Pantone mug is trendy and simple enough to please almost anyone. Select the colour you think best matches the wallpaper in your coworker’s home, as seen through the computer screen all year. Bright yellow or ultra violet are both sturdy choices, or else soft grey goes with everything. The mugs are large enough to hold a decent amount of coffee.

For those who prefer a maximalist design, Emma Bridgewater’s beautiful ½ pint, personalised mugs are always a winner. Put your coworker’s name on the mug alongside multicoloured polka dots or purple hibiscus leaves. Maybe they’ll take the hint and stop using your favourite mug! As a British institution, Emma Bridgewater’s porcelain is always popular, so it’s a sure-fire bet for putting a smile on your colleague’s face.

Finally, if your coworker has been at home with small children for large parts of this year, they will thank you for a Chilly’s insulated coffee mug. Parents know all too well the devastation of making a freshly brewed cup of coffee only to have to deal with some minor emergency, returning to a stone-cold beverage. Make sure your colleague never has to deal with that particular pain again and you’ll be their favourite coworker for life.

Takeaways

Three little gift ideas that are both useful and beautiful, these are inexpensive items that any coworker would be delighted to receive. And easy to mix and match: give a bag of ground coffee alongside that personalised mug, and you’ll go down in office history.

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