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Finding Simple Ways to Save for Your Dreams

Elliot
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Finding Simple Ways to Save for Your Dreams

Funding your dream wedding, paying for a ticket to travel the world or saving up a deposit for a place of your own, whatever you want to save for, taking a planned approach could help you get their quicker and give you a whole lot of satisfaction to boot. If you’re the type who usually spends every last penny of their pay cheque, here’s what you need to know to start saving fast.

Analyse your budget

First things first, you can’t curb your spending if you don’t know where your money is going. You’ll find lots of helpful tools online to help you assess where you’re spending your money and therefore how you could potentially create savings. Many banks also include money monitoring of their online accounts, so it’s easy to get an overview of where you are doing well and what your problem areas are. The Money Advice Service budget planner allows you to enter your outgoings, so you can play around with different budgets to set realistic limits for luxuries such as entertainment and going out. Cutting these out completely is likely to leave you feeling deprived and more likely to head off plan, whereas setting a realistic cap for treats and sticking to it will help you reach your goal that bit more comfortably.

Squeeze your utility costs

It’s not always easy to do much about the cost of rent or your mortgage, but simple switches like changing your gas and electricity suppliers could prove a smart move. Make sure you do your bit by being mindful of the energy you use. It’s time to get vigilant about switching lights off and putting on a sweater rather than turning on the heating. Don’t forget to explore weather you’re getting the best out of other monthly costs such as broadband and mobile phone tariffs too. Has your introductory internet deal ended? If your mobile phone is fully paid off, could you forgo an upgrade so that you can pay a lower monthly bill?

Meal Plan and Pack Lunch

Convenience costs money. A daily takeaway coffee can add £15 on to your weekly spend with some of us reportedly spending over £2,000 annually out of the home. Grabbing breakfast on the go has also become a big money spinner for the likes of supermarkets, bakeries and cafes. That’s all before you consider the cost of lunch and your evening meal.

To slim down the size of your food spend, start planning:-

  • Menu plan your evening meals. Ensure some ingredients can be used for several means and batch cook meals for the freezer you can reach for when you’re too tired to cook.
  • Invest in a travel mug so that you can take coffee with you when you head out the door.
  • Scrap the costly lunches out. Even cheap meal deals cost more than homemade lunches. Eat leftovers from the night before or make your own sandwiches, soups and salad bowls.
  • If you can’t make time for breakfast, pack that too, your bank account will reap the benefits.

Use Cleverer Credit

Saving money can often prove a false economy if you have a lot of debt to pay off. Unless your borrowing is interest free you’re likely to pay more out in interest than you earn on your savings. However, if you’re saving towards a specific goal that can’t be put off, your best bet is to balance that against paying down your debt. Take a close look at what you’re paying in interest on your credit card balance and see if a balance transfer could help you to pay it off quicker and more cheaply. If you’re debt free, using a comparison checker like Choose to compare what credit card options are available to you could still be a clever move. Some cards come with perks such as cashback or air miles. If you have a lot of spending to do in preparation for something like a wedding or a move, you could earn as you spend. Providing you clear the balance in full, don’t spend more than you otherwise would and pay close attention to meeting any restrictions laid out by the lender you could give your funds a little boost or bag some air miles towards your honeymoon without any real hard work.

Boost your income

Working a few evenings a week at a local pub or taking on a weekend job at a café or clothes shop could top up your savings pot with a secondary regular income. You may have to pay a higher level of tax on your second income and clear your new role with your primary employer so make sure you do your sums and fact check first. The Money Advice Service has some great tips. Select your second job wisely and it could give your long term plans a boost too. The 15% staff discount Ikea employees receive could certainly prove useful if you’re planning to furnish a property soon. If you can’t commit to a second job, you could still earn some extra pennies doing things like paid online surveys from the comfort of your sofa or spending your Saturday nights babysitting. After all, you won’t want to be out all of the time frittering away your savings stash.

Celebrating your savings achievements can really help fuel your enthusiasm for saving and drive your success. A simple wall chart could be all you need to track how much you’ve saved towards your goal. If you’d like to use something a little fancier and more interactive, look at smartphone apps like Mint (Android / iPhone) and Money Box (Android / iPhone)

Tricks and Tips for Saving Money on Your Home Extension

ABC Staff
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Tricks and Tips for Saving Money on Your Home Extension

If you’ve been dreaming of expanding your property and having more space to enjoy, then it’s time to start thinking about a home extension. It’s not always the first thing that people consider, and it’s often put off due to budgets and other priorities, but now is the time to take charge and tick something off your bucket list.

Whether you’ve been putting it off due to the heavy costs you’re expecting, or you’re waiting until the time feels right, now is the time to tackle the project and give yourself some space to really make the most of your home. Follow these simple tips and tricks to help you extend your home without spending an arm and a leg.

Create a Plan

The first thing that should be done when extending your home is creating a plan. This plan needs to include everything, from the dimensions and measurements of the extension, to the finer details such as décor and purpose of the room. If you don’t know the purpose of the room, you’ll struggle to make decisions along the way, from the colour of the room to the furniture required, so you need to think about this before any work begins.

You can also figure out budgets and costs with your plan, as you can try to work out exactly what you want to be done, when it needs to be done by and who is the best person to do the job.

The Best Fit

Moving onto the actual labour, you need to focus on finding the best possible people to do the jobs you have. Whilst asking the first person you found online to do the job would be easy and quick, it could end up costing you a lot of money for a job that’s not even half the standard as someone else.

Make sure you do some proper research into who is available in your local area to do the work and how much they charger per hour. This will really help you to find the best fit for the work and give you peace of mind that you’ve chosen the right person. You could also look for reviews from previous work they have done to really reassure you that they’re hard working and reliable.

Be a Project Manager

In order to really make the most of every part of your house extension you need to become the project manager. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never done this sort of thing before, by project Managing the work you can simply have everything run past you for your final decision. The main reason this is so useful is that no money will be spent without your say so, you’ll have a clear idea of exactly what is going on and everyone will have a level of respect for you that will ensure you’re clear on everything going on.

The perfect example of this may be that one of the equipment pieces requires a Hiab spare part, which your contractor may purchase from someone they know with an added cost for the time, whereas, if you’re in the know you can locate the best possible part at a good cost and save yourself a considerable amount of money.

Be Proactive

There is nothing more frustrating than wanting something doing and it not being done, and if you leave your house extension to luck then you’re going to find it taking a lot longer than necessary. Make sure you’re as proactive as possible throughout your extension project, from beginning to end, as this will help make sure everything runs smoothly and happens when it needs to.

If you feel your contractor is being slack or lazy, you can let them know your thoughts and get the project moving again, or even look at hiring someone new. If you sit back and leave the work to be done without much of your input, you could find yourself living in a building site for a longer period of time!

Umbrella Hosting Tell us 4 Ways to Take Back Your Domain Name from an Unruly Cyber Squatter

Elliot
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Umbrella Hosting Tell us 4 Ways to Take Back Your Domain Name from an Unruly Cyber Squatter

The laws applying to trademark infringement of business names offline have extended to the web. People complain daily about the illegal activities of cybersquatters, and being robbed of their hard-earned business.

“If you fail to protect your domain name, chances are you will be denied the patronage you have worked so hard to build over the years. However, the good news is you can no longer fold your arms helplessly while this happens. This article tackles five ways to take back control of your domain name.” Web Experts from www.umbrellar.com

What is cybersquatting?

Cybersquatting is the registering, reselling or application of a domain name with the malicious intent of gaining from the goodwill of someone else’s trademark. Generally, it is the practice of purchasing domain names of existing businesses with the aim of selling them back to those businesses for a profit. In many countries, cybersquatting is illegal and are often handled in an arbitration proceeding under ICANN’s Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP).

If you are a victim of cybersquatting, here are a few things you could do

  1. Send a letter of cease and desist on your official letterhead

This is one way to start legal action against the party. The cease and desist letter must:

  • State clearly you have a trademark to the domain name
  • Tell them they are infringing on your trademark and damaging your business
  • Warn them to stop using your mark now or in the future
  • Instruct them to transfer the domain name to you
  • Finally, conclude the letter by letting them know they’ll be hearing from your attorneys if they fail to carry out your request. And the legal action will include a claim for losses incurred.
  1. Discuss the possibility of a trademark licence agreement with the cybersquatter

Depending on the circumstances, if the infringer genuinely did not intend to take your mark, they may be using the trademark under a licence agreement. While a deal isn’t always straightforward, it is a likely option for this circumstance.

However, the downside of this decision is that it may be expensive to negotiate, prepare and sign the license agreement. The terms may not be as you would like, and the licensee will continue to use the trademark.

  1. Have your lawyer serve them a cease and desist letter

No doubt, this will cost you, but it is important to understand how much you are losing to the cybersquatter and what it’s worth to get it back. It does increase your chances of receiving the right response. In many cases, infringers without the complete resources to prove the right to use a mark often cave into legal pressure.

In this case, they may give up rather than being the defendant in a lawsuit or an ICANN Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) action. Then you can claim all rights to your domain name; ensure most keyword queries reveal your website, even a really long tail with keyword should show your site on the search engine result page.

  1. File a lawsuit in a court citing violations of the Anti Cyber Squatting Consumer Protection Act

The ACPA is a ten-year-old reformation of the Lanham Act. Trademark owners have the power to regain control of their infringed domain names with this act. However, like all legal actions, the drawback is that it will take more time litigating the case than it will take in a UDRP arbitration and much higher legal costs.

The only solution in a UDRP action suit is an award from the arbitrator requiring the domain registrar name to cancel, transfer or otherwise change the domain name registration. The owner of a trademark who seeks additional compensations such as money, or a restriction against continued infringement must file a lawsuit via the Lanham Act or other applicable laws.

Bridging Loans – A source of quick capital

Elliot
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Bridging Loans – A source of quick capital

Sometimes, it can be difficult to get a regular loan, especially if you need capital fast. Traditional lenders and financial institutions have a lot of red tape involved in a loan process. Bridging loan cuts away the bottleneck and significantly reduces the time it takes to get much needed financing.

Bridging loan allows you to take advantage of opportunities without having to face the tedious loan application process adopted by most lenders.

In essence, bridging loan provides a way of obtaining short term financing for your project while working towards a more long term alternative. Bridging loans are invaluable especially when you need to purchase a property or equipment that would otherwise not be possible.

Even though bridging loans are commonly used to purchase property, this short term interest only loan can provide a breathing space for you to handle other projects while exploring other sources of funding.

Here are just a few reasons to use bridging loans

Short processing period

Property investors know that delay means losing out. As much as you wish it were possible, a property in the market won’t wait for you to raise the needed funds. There are lots of other investors with access to quick cash who will grab the property from under your nose. With bridging loan, you don’t have to wait for your mortgage to be approved while watching helplessly as a wealthy investor snaps up your dream property. Instead you can immediately raise the money for your new property and worry about selling off the old one later.

Even if you are not in the market for a property, you may need to acquire equipment for your business, or raise capital for raw materials. Bridging loan provides a short term solution for you to raise the needed cash to solve your business needs.

Bad credit financing

A lot of people are in a situation where they find it hard to obtain financing due to a poor credit score. Virtually every major lender will check your credit score before approving you for a loan. Simply missing one payment can plunge your credit score into the pits and even if you manage to result the bad credit issues, the bad record can still come back to haunt you. Thankfully, bridging loan offers a way for people with bad credit score to access the funding they need.

“One of the benefits of bridging loan is that bad credit will not be a barrier. These loans are quick to arrange, can be used for a variety of purposes and involves little or no credit check” says James of Bridging Loans UK.

Bad credit financing is typically used to clear a mortgage or buy a property while a mortgage plan is being worked out, or resolve other financial situations. However, you should have a clear exit strategy in mind before opting for bad credit financing.

Covering tax liabilities

Sometimes, you can be faced with sudden tax liabilities that can be difficult to factor into your current cash flow. In situations like this, you may find it hard to meet your financial obligations before the due date and this can cause unnecessary hardship for you or your business. Whether you are an individual or you run a business, unexpected tax can a hassle.

Bridging loan makes it easy for you to access the necessary funds to meet your tax bill. You receive short term financing to meet your financial obligations so that you can have the peace of mind to focus on other productive aspects of your life.

Debt forgiveness

If you have a property that is due to be repossessed due to inability to meet your financial obligations, a bridging loan can be used to pay off part of the debt and prevent repossession. It can also be used to pay off current lenders so that you will have a bit more time to resolve your situation. If you can stop the property from being repossessed, you retain control and can avoid a forced sale situation.

Bridging loan comes with a variety of repayment plans and manageable interest rates that would not affect the lifestyle of the borrower. It provides a useful source of quick cash that can help you meet any financial obligation in a timely manner. However, you have to be certain you can meet the loan conditions; this means planning your exit strategy, which could include conventional mortgage, buy to let or selling the property outright.

Can the UK Oil and Gas industry survive Brexit?

Elliot
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Can the UK Oil and Gas industry survive Brexit?

In the last 10 months, since the Prime Minister triggered Article 51, the UK has been in a series of negotiations to arrive at a mutually satisfying withdrawal from the EU.

The early months were not easy following the friction that ensued between both sides, but it appears all may be coming to a smooth resolution after all. A date, March 29, 2019 (still tentative) has been set for the final exit.

As people and businesses prepare for that significant day, what sectors are going to be most hit by the separation? We look at one of the UK’s key sectors; the oil and gas industry.

Experts speculation

Many economists and energy experts believe that Brexit alone, is not poised to have a massive impact on how the oil and gas industry is regulated, including its activities on the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS). This is because to a large extent, the UK government has always maintained control over its energy policies and the growth of oil and gas reserves, as you would expect coming from a country with a strong pedigree from producing flow control components.

The UK government will continue to oversee major policy issues such as appraisal, development and production activities, including the licensing and taxation of oil and gas exploration. However, there are key changes that have been initiated by the referendum and they have the potential to impact significantly on the UK oil and gas and wider energy industry. Reason highlighted below.

Does the EU Law still apply? Will there be changes to the current regulations when exit from the EU is concluded?

There has been no material changes to the pre-Brexit regulatory and legal system mandated by the Petroleum Act (1998), nor is it likely to in the near future. According to David Davis, the government will maintain its position on policy even after submitting a formal notice of withdrawal.

What will happen by March 19, 2019, when Brexit is complete?

The dominant opinion is that the current legal and regulatory regime will not change considerably after Brexit. Based on an independent assertion of the UK offshore oil and gas regulatory regime performed after the tragic accident in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, it is deemed fit for function. The UKCS oil and gas industry is managed under world class standards, and has raised the bar. It continues to set the standards for operations worldwide.

How will the reorganisation of the government affect the industry?

Following the results of the EU referendum, David Cameron stepped down for Theresa May to take the reins as Prime Minister.

Other changes include the dramatic merger of the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills with the Department for Energy and Climate Change to form a new Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). Greg Clark was also appointed as the Secretary of State for BEIS.

So far, these changes are geared towards allowing many UK companies develop a sound energy strategy as they ventures out on their own (without the EU) to negotiate international trade deals.

No doubt, Brexit will herald some changes to the industry within the course of its implementation, but none so significant as to negate the revenue for government and indigenous businesses alike.

4 Things To Look For In A Potential Lender

Elliot
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4 Things To Look For In A Potential Lender

If you’re starting the process of looking for a loan, your to-do list can feel overwhelming. There are so many things to look for and with so many options on the market, how can you ever decide? Add to that the fact that there are so many sketchy lenders that offer personal loans, and it can seem impossible to get all of it done. While you’re sorting out the rest of it, you can at least stop worrying about the lending company – here are the 4 things to look for in a lender.

1.  Look for reviews on third-party websites

What do you do before buying something off Amazon, or booking an Airbnb? You read reviews and decide, based on the general consensus, what the issues are, what the advantages are, and whether it’s a good option for you or not.

That’s exactly how you should approach the problem of finding a lending company, as well. Because if you’re putting that much effort into purchasing a camera, surely you want the same vetting process for the people who will lend you money and hold you accountable.

However, the thing to remember here is that the reviews on the lender’s website mean nothing. They are null, as they are most likely written in-house to make them look good, which is why they are not trust-worthy. Instead, look at what people’s opinions are on other websites – were they professional? Do they come up with made-up charges? Does the process go smoothly? Allow other people’s experiences to guide you.

2.  Check that they are registered with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)

Did you know that companies who want to lend money have to be registered to do so? That’s right – not just anyone can operate willy-nilly and play with people’s debt like that. However, more often than you think, that doesn’t stop them, and you risk falling prey to loan sharks or a scam company that will end up taking your car after you default on your long term loans. It happens a lot, which is why the vetting process is so important, in order to protect yourself from financial predators. But how can you do that?

Well, first of all, you need the knowledge – lenders must be registered with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in order to be allowed to legally operate. And yes, that is something you can check. You can go on their website and look for the log of all the registered companies. If they do not have authorisation, you should not continue to entertain the idea of getting a loan from them.

Extra tip: The best course of action is to report them and allow the authorities to deal with the fact that they are breaking the law.

3.  Make sure they carry out an affordability check

If you’re in a position where getting a loan may be difficult, you may be tempted to think of a lack of an affordability check as a good thing. But you would be sorely mistaken. Generally speaking, any lending company will do a credit check, an ID check, an affordability check, etc. They will look into your background, financial history, employment, to make sure that you are able to financially sustain this loan.

And while if you can ill afford a loan, you might hope that they don’t do the affordability check, at the end of the day, it’s for your own benefit, rather than theirs. You see, any reputable lender will ensure that you can 100% repay the loan before granting you one, thus protecting you from going into debt, plummeting your credit score, or even going into bankruptcy.

Extra tip: The first rule of borrowing money is that you need to be able to afford to do so; a company that does not hold you to that standard is not a company you want to be financially entangled with.

4.  Read the contract carefully and look for any hidden charges

Finally, just as you’re ready to sign, there is one more thing you need to check, even if the lender has passed all of your other “tests”: read the contract backwards and forwards and make sure you understand every single clause in your contract.

The biggest mistake borrowers make is that they do not bother to read the paperwork, or they don’t understand it. If you miss anything, you may be surprised with hidden charges that you are now contractually obligated to pay, even if they were not disclosed beforehand.

That is exactly why you need to take some time and read the contract, no matter how much of a hurry you are in. If you don’t understand something, ask them to clarify, or better yet, use a free financial advice service and have them “translate” it for you.

You want to go into this completely aware of what you are agreeing to. It goes without saying that if at this stage, you discover any additional fees, do not go through with the transaction. Transparency and trust are paramount in this relationship, and if they’re hiding this from you, in what other ways are they going to scam you?

There you have them – 4 things to look for in a potential lender. Choosing your lending company is an important step and you have to make sure that the people handling your debt – and perhaps your possessions – are trustworthy. Take note of these tips and apply them next time you’re looking for a lender for your personal loan. Always do a general background check and make sure they are operating under the law. And remember that if something looks fishy, then it probably is, so you’re better off looking for a different, more transparent company to handle your borrowing needs.

Credit card or Personal Loan: What is better for you?

ABC Staff
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Credit card or Personal Loan: What is better for you?

Everyone has their own needs, and according to their needs, it is important to decide what is good and what isn’t. The battle between credit cards and personal loans has been ongoing and it will continue to go on for years to come. With this, it is crucial for us to choose one that will satisfy our needs and will not create problems for us.

With this thought in mind, let’s look at different situations and analyze whether you should choose credit cards or personal loans for your financial needs.

1. Requirement: If you need a certain sum of money every month, credit cards can be good for you. In this case, you need to be sure that you’ll be in a position to repay the amount on or before the due date. If you want a considerable amount at one go, you should choose a personal loan because it will help you in getting the entire amount at one go and give you the option to make monthly payments to get rid of debt.

2. Eligibility: In case of personal loans, there are not many requirements you have to satisfy to get the loan. This makes it easy for us to get a secured personal loan as and when required. However, the same cannot be said in case of credit cards. Applying for a credit card is easy, but there can be a number of reasons because of which you might not be eligible to get a credit card. In this situation, if you want to get a temporary financial solution, a personal loan is the best option available to you.

3. Bad credit: If you have a terrible credit score, the credit card will not be an option for you. Most of the banks will not give you a credit card if you do not have a good credit score. However, you can still get a loan with bad credit. This can be a blessing for you if no one around you is willing to help you with your financial crisis at a personal level. Personal loans obtained with bad credit can even be good enough for you if you want to stay away from credit card problems.

4. Responsibility: In case of personal loans, all you have to do is to make timely payments and do nothing apart from it. However, with credit cards, you have to be extremely careful because there might be a number of people around who can steal your credit card and your card details. This can increase the chances of fraud, and we are sure you do not want it to happen.

How do you choose a lawyer if you’ve been injured?

Elliot
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How do you choose a lawyer if you’ve been injured?

You can’t miss the adverts on TV, radio and billboards that promote legal services for those who have been injured due to no fault of their own. The reason we see all of these adverts is because of the sheer volume of people in the UK who do get injured every year. Whether be a work-related incident, whiplash in a car or a slip and trip while out shopping, hundreds of thousands of people are eligible to make a claim each year.

Cutting through the noise and working out who are the best company to represent you if you do have a claim can be a troublesome step. Firstly, you need to know if you actually have a claim that has a good chance of being successful! Reliving the incident can be a painful experience so you want to avoid doing this unnecessarily. Some companies will be keen to tell you that you have a good chance of a claim to get you signed up and paying fees so it is important to go with a reputable company.

A popular model is “no win no fee” which means that some personal injury lawyers take on cases that they know have a very good chance of success so they take a % of the damages awarded at the end of the case. This takes away all the risk from the claimant and puts it on to the legal firm so you know that they truly believe in your case.

It is important to be aware that although working on a “no win no fee” basis, you may end up liable for the defendants’ costs if that judgement is seemed appropriate. Your chosen lawyer will be able to guide you through the process and provide information about that from the outset.

The injury needs to have occurred within the past 3 years to be eligible to make a claim. In most cases, you can manage your claim over the phone or internet so you don’t need to visit a lawyer’s office in most cases. A quick phone call will normally be enough for an experienced professional to assess the merits of your claim and give you an indication of the potential outcome.

If you are specifically looking for a personal injury lawyer in London then Didlaw can be of great assistance. They deal with cases around personal injury at work. So if you have sustained a psychiatric injury at work or were already ill and your condition has been exacerbated by work, you may have a legal claim for mental injury at work.

How cryptocurrencies are changing online behaviour

Elliot
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How cryptocurrencies are changing online behaviour

5 Ways cryptocurrencies are changing online behaviour

One thing is for certain. The world, as we know it, is rapidly changing. The global cryptocurrency market has recently exceeded a record high of $700 billion (equivalent to just over £500 billion), a distinct indicator of the increased interest in digital currencies. Blockchain technology behind cryptocurrencies is being successfully adopted across various market sectors, which is changing online behaviour – from the way we shop and invest, to how we play online lotteries.

Here are five ways in which cryptocurrencies are changing the digital world. Check out Brighter Guide to stay updated with current and useful knowledge about today’s technology.

1. More online traffic from developing countries

If you ever needed to send money abroad, either to someone else or to yourself, you probably know that it’s not as simple as it might seem. Factors such as exchange rates, service fees and clearing processes on both ends, make international money transfers not only time consuming, but expensive. It’s no wonder that banking is one of the areas in which cryptocurrencies are changing online behaviour.
With the rise of digital currencies such as Bitcoin, international money transfers can be made instantly, cheaply and safely. Bitcoin allows users to send and receive money across borders without the need for a middleman. With intermediaries such as banks and money transfer operators taking an average cut of 7.45 percent of the transaction, it means that a £500 transfer would have a £37.25 service fee, leaving the recipient with only £462.75.

In poor countries where many people depend on money being sent from family members working abroad, a fee like this can make a big difference. Migrants from developing countries send home more than $500 billion (over £358 billion) in remittances per year, more than the amount of foreign direct investments being made. This is where virtual currencies offer a practical solution to those who depend on international money transfers for survival.

Using virtual currencies, users can send money directly to their families via mobile phone. And the only fees to be paid are those charged by the currency exchanges.

2. More online transactions

File name: hand-holding-phone-doing-a-bitcoin-phone-transaction-sending-bitcoins-into-red-wallet

Image Alt Text: Phone doing a bitcoin phone transaction sending bitcoins into red wallet

According to the World Bank’s Global Financial Inclusion database, around two billion people in the world do not have bank accounts. This may be because many people don’t have access to formal banking services in developing countries, or people living under an oppressive regime may feel unsafe to reveal their identity to their government.

With cryptocurrencies all you need to create a e-wallet is an Internet connection and an email address. There are several ways to buy Bitcoin without having a bank account, so people without access to banking services can now transact online. Dealing with privacy concerns, cryptocurrencies allow people to transact using a digital identity without having to reveal their actual legal name.

These factors are not only changing online behaviour in terms of online traffic volumes, but online transactions too.

3. More digital investments

Aside from the very popular Bitcoin, there are actually more than 1,300 cryptocurrencies currently available, and the list is growing. As more and more people are valuing decentralised digital cash above traditional investments, there is a shift in the way people invest money.

A recent survey of more than 2,000 people in the US revealed that 30% of investors aged between 18 and 34 would rather own $1,000 worth of Bitcoin than $1,000 of government bonds or stocks. Although the same survey shows just two percent of Americans own or have owned Bitcoin, the investor base is likely to get larger as millennials become the main investment force.

4. More gaming

File name: hand-holding-phone-with-bitcoin-image-and-chess-pieces-on-the-background
Image Alt Text: Hand Holding phone with bitcoin image and chess pieces on the background

At the moment, each online game has its own virtual currency, whether it’s diamonds, credits, or gems. But imagine a world where all online games support virtual currencies that can be reinvested from one game to the next and cashed out at any time. Tapinator, a mobile game developer, has plans to achieve exactly this by developing apps and games with the blockchain system. Their first project is scheduled for the second quarter of 2018.

Such free flow of currency from one gaming platform to another, and the elimination of micro credit card payments and international fees, would not only get more people to play more online games for longer periods of time, but will make it easier for gamers to build gaming careers through easier and cheaper currency exchanges with their global audience and partners.

5. More choice for online lottery players

More Choice for Online Lottery Players

When it comes to playing the lottery, preferences vary widely. Some players prefer the convenience of online platforms, while others seek greater privacy through Bitcoin lotteries. These digital lotteries allow users to play and withdraw winnings in Bitcoin via e-wallets, offering a layer of anonymity that traditional lotteries cannot. Unlike conventional lottery operators that require ID verification, cryptocurrency lotteries eliminate the need for personal and banking details, making them an attractive option for privacy-conscious players.

While Bitcoin lotteries provide enhanced security, they also come with risks—primarily the volatility of Bitcoin itself. Players may see their winnings fluctuate in value due to the unpredictable nature of the cryptocurrency market. Still, as digital currencies gain traction, they continue to reshape online gaming habits. This shift extends beyond lotteries, influencing other sectors of the gaming industry, including casinos not on GamStop, which offer players more flexibility and fewer restrictions compared to UK-licensed platforms.

While Bitcoin lotteries may be appealing to players who are looking for new ways to protect themselves from identity theft, they do present a risk in that the Bitcoin currency is extremely volatile and players can’t be sure if it will go up or down.
While it’s still to be seen whether cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin will stabilise, there is no doubt that they are changing online behaviour in many ways, including how online lotteries are played. This begs the question: What will the Internet be like in just a couple of years?

Shard Capital: Wealth Management

Elliot
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0
Shard Capital: Wealth Management

Wealth Management Explained

Wealth management is a professional service which covers all aspects of a client’s financial life. This includes investment advice, accounting, retirement or estate planning, tax services and any other financial advice, all in one place. A single wealth manager coordinates all these aspects for the client, utilising input and advice from external sources such as the client’s solicitor or accountant and other financial experts. The independent financial services company Shard Capital provides a personalised wealth management service, conserving and growing wealth for a variety of different clients. The wealth management services of Shard Capital range from domestic concerns such as investment and retirement planning, through to offshore investor needs. Wealth management services are used by high net worth individuals, families and small business owners who want to coordinate all their financial planning in one place.

Wealth Management Strategies

Wealth management is not simply investment advice: it encompasses the entire financial life of a family or individual. A single wealth manager uses a holistic approach, integrating products and advice from a series of professionals with the aim of delivering a strategy that will grow wealth. The individual strategy will depend on a variety of factors, such as the client’s tolerance for risk, their personal objectives and their current financial situation. The wealth manager will meet with the client regularly, updating the strategy and rebalancing the investment portfolio as required to meet changing needs.

Wealth Management Specialisation

Wealth managers deliver a service that encompasses every aspect of financial planning. However, many will specialise in a specific area and focus their strategies accordingly. For example, a wealth manager who is tied to a bank might concentrate more closely on credit options, insurance and the management of trusts, while one who is associated with an investment firm might have more focus on market strategy. Clients using wealth management services may therefore choose to access to a wealth management team rather than a single wealth manager.

Investment and Planning

The investment portion of wealth management involves the construction of a balanced investment portfolio. This includes asset allocation and selecting individual investments on behalf of the client. The planning function incorporates estate planning and tax planning based around this investment portfolio. Wealth management services can be provided by independent financial advisers, large corporate entities or multi-licenced, specialised portfolio managers dealing with high net worth individuals.

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