Finance

Over the last 2 decades the theme of compliance in finance has become more important than ever before. This has always existed to some degree but there is no doubt that there is more processes which financial services have to go through now, in the name of ensuring that they have solid levels of compliance. We caught up with financial expert Scott Tominaga to find out exactly why this is so important in the world of finance and what exactly compliance is all about. For those of you who are curious, this is why compliance is so important.

Reigning in Operations

One of the most important reasons why compliance exists is that it ensures that all banks, traders and financial services have a strict process to follow which keeps them in check. In the case of trading for example, too much time went by without them needing to really follow compliance that would restrict their actions. The result of this over time was a number of trading branches of companies having free reign over how much they traded and what on. The tighter compliance now ensures that there are better rules which protect everyone.

No Repeats

The financial crisis which happened in 2008 occurred for a number of reasons. Primarily however it was the repackaging and the resale of poor quality mortgages that eventually caused the collapse of the world economy. This of course could never be allowed to happen again and that is exactly why we have seen such an increase in the level of compliance. Banks and financial institutions now have tighter rules to follow in order to make sure that nothing like this ever takes place again.

Protecting the Customer

In the main compliance is about making sure that the customer is always protected. No matter what the product is that is being sold, there are high levels of compliance which must be adhered to. Looking at situations like PPI is perfect in helping us understand why customers need protection. For many years customers were sol payment protection without knowing about it, and this forced many lenders to give money back to their customers. The compliance which we have in place now helps those customers to stay protected and avoid anything like that from happening.

Protecting the Financial Company

As painful as some of the compliance can be, it is important to remember that a lot of it is in place to actually offer protection to banks and to financial services companies. Compliance is what will ensure that they have maximum protection should any lawsuits come their way from clients or businesses. As much as compliance is there to protect customers and the wider world, it is also a very good tool to ensure that all banks and financial institutions are fully protected.

Compliance will continue to change as the world does, and it is quite clear that this is thanks to the many benefits which this aspect of finance has.

A postgraduate degree can enhance your employability and increase your earning power, as well as fulfilling your academic ambitions. With so many benefits associated with postgrad study, it’s easy to see why so many people want to undertake further study. However, the cost of completing a postgraduate course can be a barrier. If you want to achieve your goals without financial stress, take a look at these five ways to finance your postgrad degree:

1. Apply for Scholarships and Grants

Many course providers and independent institutions offer a limited number of scholarships or grants a year. Some of these are aimed at specific demographics, such as mature students or students from underprivileged backgrounds, whereas others are awarded based on the submission of projects or other types of works.

By researching the range of scholarships and grants available, you might be surprised at how many you’re eligible for. However, don’t make the mistake of submitting the same application to numerous schools or organizations. Instead, tailor your applications each time, so that the content is aligned to the specific award as this will increase your chance of success.

2. Seek Sponsorship

If a company sponsors your postgraduate degree, they’ll typically pay the course fees and provide you with a stipend to cover your living expenses. It’s not unusual for employers to offer this type of sponsorship to employees who want to enhance their professional skills, so it’s well worth talking to your manager to find out if any similar opportunities are available.

Before you agree to being sponsored, however, be sure to check the terms and conditions. If your employer is sponsoring your postgraduate course, you may be required to stay with the company for a set amount of time, for example, so that they get some of the benefit of your enhanced knowledge. Alternatively, a sponsored student may be required to pay back some or all of the funds if certain conditions aren’t met.

By checking the details carefully and verifying anything you’re unsure of, you can ensure that the sponsorship offer works for you and that you’re able to fulfil your duties under the contract.

3. Study Online

One way to finance your postgraduate studies more easily is to reduce the cost and studying online is a viable way to do just that. No matter what type of program you want to enroll in, you’ll find reputable courses are available online. To get a glimpse of the high caliber online programs available to nurses, click here for more info and take a look at the range of qualifications available. Of course, it isn’t just healthcare professionals that can benefit from online postgraduate studies.

As the remote learning revolution takes hold, virtually every subject or topic can be studied partly or wholly online. Whether you’re a qualified lawyer, a certified engineer or an experienced IT manager, you’ll find industry-specific, accredited online postgraduate programs that can enhance your career.

When you study online, you’ll find that course fees are typically much lower than if you were to study on campus, but this isn’t the only financial benefit. By studying on a part-time basis, you can continue to work while getting your postgrad qualification, which enables you to maintain your income. Furthermore, you won’t need to relocate in order to attend classes as you can study remotely from anywhere. As a result, choosing an online postgraduate program can be a great way to reduce your costs and finance your degree.

4. Take Out a Loan

Student loans are a popular way to finance undergraduate degrees, but they can also be used to fund postgraduate study. Although direct subsidized loans aren’t typically available at postgrad level, you may qualify for a direct unsubsidized loan. If so, you can borrow up to $20,500 per year to fund your postgraduate studies.

However, you may only borrow a total of $138,500 in federal loans, including any loans received to fund your undergraduate degree. If the cost of a postgraduate program would take you over this aggregate loan limit, you may need to look elsewhere for funding.

Although the term ‘student loan’ is commonly used to refer to federal loans issued by the U.S. Department of Education, commercial loans are also available. Some banks and lenders even have dedicated loans designed for postgraduate students and many of them have competitive interest rates. Although you will pay more interest than you would on a federal student loan, this can still be a viable way to fund your postgrad students.

5. Start a Side Hustle

Lowering your costs and accessing financial support are both effective ways to fund a graduate program but starting a side hustle could help you to increase your income too. This may enable you to pay for any additional costs you incur, or it could even give you the ability to pay your course fees in full!

If you’re looking for great ideas for a side hustle, begin by thinking about the skills you already have. When you can leverage your skillset to generate extra income, you can start making money straight away. Similarly, look for a side hustle that requires minimal input when it comes to time. If you can generate passive income from your side hustle, you won’t have to devote a lot of time or resources to boosting your cash reserves.

Whether you publish your own eBook, earn money via advertising on your blog or provide consultancy services to companies within your industry, you’ll find that a side hustle can offer professional as well as financial benefits.

Is a Postgraduate Qualification Worth It?

Although enrolling in a postgraduate program does require commitment and financial investment, it can be one of the best decisions you ever make. As well as giving you the opportunity to learn more about a subject or sector you’re passionate about, a postgrad qualification can transform your prospects and put you on the right career path. With the potential to increase your earning potential and fast-track your success, enrolling in a postgraduate program is an investment that can offer exceptionally high returns.

To read more on topics like this, check out the Finance category

Small businesses often end up with problems regarding short-term cash flow. If you’re having issues with cash flow right now, you’re probably looking for ways to increase it. It’s good to know about all the different ways you might be able to improve your business’s short-term cash flow. Here are five ways that you might be able to improve cash flow so you can see whether they’ll be helpful for your business.

1. Defer Spending on Large Projects

If you have large projects you’re interested in pursuing, like building a new location, you might want to slow or postpone some of these projects. The pro of this option is that it can redirect cash to the core of your business, which is the most crucial part of the business. However, there is a con in that your project may be incomplete for a period of time. If your business is really struggling, this can certainly help rescue it.

2. Reduce Your Advertising Spending

Advertising is a crucial part in getting your company out there and helping people know about your product. However, you need to make sure you’re not advertising more than is beneficial. Remember that you need to create an advertising budget and stick with it. You might also want to switch around where you’re spending your advertising money; if you’re currently advertising using traditional methods, consider online advertising to see whether it can be helpful.

3. Compare Necessary Expenditures to the Marketplace

There are certain necessary expenditures every business will have. For example, you might need to pay for internet access and phone service. If you’re currently paying a lot of money for something that’s necessary, like phone service, look into other options for that service. You may find that you’re able to reduce your costs in these necessary areas dramatically by doing something like switching from a landline to a VoIP.

4. Take Advantage of Mortgage and Rent Relief Programs If Necessary

If your company is really struggling, you may need to look into more serious measures like mortgage and rent relief programs. These can help in areas where your company currently can’t even pay for the mortgage and rent of the building you’re in. Some states have rolled out these programs in response to COVID-19, with different mortgage and rent relief programs for individuals versus small businesses.

5. Explore Pay Cut Options

If worst comes to worst, you may want to consider pay cuts. However, be strategic about who’s getting the pay cuts. Great businesses will often shift pay cuts to the CEO and other high-paid individuals in the company before cutting the pay of lower-salary individuals. Indicating the CEO’s willingness to take a pay cut can increase employee morale, while cutting lower-salary individuals’ pay can instead decrease employee morale.

Conclusion

Short-term cash flow is important, but it’s not the only important thing to pay attention to. You want to decrease business costs and increase business profit all the time. Make sure you’re thinking about all the ways in which you can do both of these things if you want to succeed as a business in the long run.

To read more on topics like this, check out the Finance category

No one wakes up in the morning and wants to sue another person or corporation. It’s a lot of trouble and there could be serious repercussions or a lengthy battle in court. There are unfortunately some situations in which we have to file a lawsuit though, and if you’ve never done it, it can seem confusing and overwhelming.

Filing a lawsuit isn’t complicated but it is confusing for newcomers (and many people filing these suits are newcomers) or anyone who’s unfamiliar with the law.

While the process can be aided by a lawyer, there are some things that you might want to do on your own. But how do you get started?

If you’re unsure, we’re here to help. Here are a few tips for filing a lawsuit that we’ve accumulated. Keep reading to learn more.

1. First, Introspect. Is This Necessary?

Before you begin anything, stop and consider your situation. You know that a lawsuit is going to be expensive and that it’s going to eat up a lot of time unless it’s an open and shut case.

Sometimes when things happen we go a little sue-happy and let our emotions guide us. While you might end up being right about the need for a lawsuit, you might not. A lawsuit shouldn’t be your first response to every slight that you experience.

Make sure that this is really what you want to do before proceeding forward.

2. Consider If There’s a Good Legal Case

You might have a perfectly good reason to sue this person or corporation. Maybe they harmed you or a loved one. Maybe they were slandering you to the point that your reputation or career was ruined.

Even with those things, you need to make sure that a lawyer is going to be able to have enough evidence to carry the lawsuit through. A lawyer might not be interested in your case if they don’t think that it has a leg to stand on.

You can proceed without a lawyer, but know that the burden of proof is on you. Regardless of whether or not you have an attorney, you need to be able to prove that the defendant has wronged you or been negligent in a way that negatively impacted you.

3. Consider Other Options First

If you consult a lawyer that says no to your request for representation, you might want to consider other routes.

There are compromises that you can make with the defendant if they’re up to it and other options tend to be cheaper, easier, and less stressful for all parties involved. You can try to handle the dispute one-on-one or you can opt for professional mediation if the other party is difficult to talk to or unwilling to meet you without some kind of professional council.

You might find that the problem is easy to resolve.

4. Make Sure You’re Within the Statute of Limitations

Different crimes have different statutes of limitations. They can be months or years depending on the situation. If you’re not within that statute of limitations you probably aren’t going to be able to sue (though there may be exceptions depending on your situation).

These statutes of limitations also vary by state. You need to make sure that you’re within yours before you go through the trouble of filing a lawsuit.

5. Make Sure It’s Worth It

Legal battles are expensive. If you’re hiring a lawyer you’re going to be spending a lot of money unless they’re willing to go pro bono. If they are, you shouldn’t have to worry about the rest of this list thus far. They’re likely confident in their ability to represent you in this case.

Do you have the money to support yourself while you’re taking this to court?

Also, consider if the other party has the money. Is the lawsuit going to feel good to you if you aren’t able to receive damages? The defendant might be responsible for the money that you’re owed, but they also might be bankrupt or otherwise unable to pay. Your work will have been for nothing and your wallet will be empty from the effort.

6. Find the Right Kind of Lawyer

Not all lawyers are suited to every kind of case. Lawyers tend to specialize so that they can become more experienced and helpful in one particular area of law. Some lawyers, for example, are only divorce and family law lawyers. Others may work with estates. Others still only focus on technology and cybercrimes.

Personal injury lawyers are probably what you’re looking for but do a quick check online to make sure before you start pursuing help.

Again, you can do this on your own if you feel confident in your case. If that’s the direction that you’re going in it’s still wise to find an attorney to answer your questions so you don’t get lost or make any novice mistakes.

7. Seek Legal Help

Again, even if you’re choosing to pursue this on your own, if it’s your first time, it will benefit you to ask for legal help.

Even if you’re just consulting with lawyers online they can help you with the case and the guidance that you need.

If you do find a lawyer, be sure to look into reviews and testimonies to their ability to represent clients. Some lawyers are interested in taking your money while others are interested in helping you. You have to know the difference.

Is It Time to File a Lawsuit?

Filing a lawsuit is a big step that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Take these steps to make sure that you’re making the right decision.

If you’ve got a great case on your hands and you’re owed damages and the knowledge that the other party is being punished, move forward with confidence and get what you deserve.

To read more on topics like this, check out the Finance category

Like any other market, the real estate market has its ups and downs. Sometimes, the market is on fire, and it seems as if leads and sales just walk through your door. Other times, the market is tougher. In good times or bad ones, marketing for real estate is incredibly important. That being said, when the economy or real estate market is slower, it is even more important.

Thankfully, there are many proven strategies that can help a real estate agent survive, even in the toughest market. Here’s a look at some of those techniques.

Leverage Your Social Media

There is no question that there are absolutely incredible and easy ways that real estate agents can take advantage of social media. Of course, done wrong, social media can not only be a giant time suck, but it can hurt your image and make you look too desperate.

So, how can you use social media to your advantage?

• Set up a separate Facebook page for your real estate presence. While there is nothing wrong with leveraging your personal profile from time to time, you don’t want to overdo it – people who are interested in your listings or content can like your page. This is an easy trap for realtors to fall into.
• Don’t just use social media to sell. Instead, use social media to give out value-added content, like advice on selling, the best ways to present your home for sale, and more.
• Remember, these days, images rule. Take advantage of Instagram or Pinterest, and use those services to drive traffic back to your website.

When it comes to social media use and marketing for real estate, remember, you need to make sure that you create interesting content that contains great advice and keeps people engaged. This will ensure that people come back to you when it is time for them to buy or sell a house, or make a recommendation to a friend about the same.

Send Thoughtful Postcards

It is counterintuitive, but marketing in the real estate market often has nothing to do with actually selling. Instead, it is about making a solid connection with customers – or prospective customers – and making sure that they think of you when the time comes to sell your house.

One way to do that is to send postcards. These cards don’t have to be about home sales – in fact, they shouldn’t be. Instead, they should be about building a genuine connection with someone, doing something nice for them, and making sure they know that you value a relationship with someone beyond a simple sale. There are many types of postcards you can send. For example, wisepelican.com has fantastic and timely examples that contain positive messages. They also have a variety of templates that you can customize and personalize.

Whatever you do, remember, this aspect of marketing is about building a relationship with someone.

Be A Source of Information

As a realtor, you likely know a great deal about a topic that is hugely important, complex, and difficult for outsiders to understand. This puts you in a position where you can successfully use your knowledge to help other people.

As such, put yourself out there. Make sure that others know you are a source of information. How can you do that? Easy: Ask. You can leverage all of your networks – like your social media network – and make sure that people know you are available to answer questions. You should also make sure that you are using your social media to answer common questions and give advice. This will help position you as an expert in the field of real estate, and this, in turn, will help make people ask you more questions.

Additionally, it may be a wise idea to hold basic seminars or webinars. These can be on common real estate-related topics, like “Selling Your Home 101” or “Why This Is the Best Time to Buy.” Make registration free and no commitment. This not only enables you to be a source of information but can help you collect Email addresses that you can use at a later date.

Volunteer

Don’t underestimate the value of volunteering in your community. There are a variety of ways to do this, but the best is to find a popular non-profit that is relevant to you or your community. You can also join a local Chamber of Commerce and use those connections to give back to the community. Not only will volunteering enable you to do a good thing, but it gives you opportunities to network within the community at large. It is also a great way of getting your name out there.

Leverage Your Network

As a realtor, you probably know quite a few people, including customers, brokers, other agents, repair services, cleaning services, and more. That network can be very useful. When someone is looking for a recommendation, always make sure to chime in with someone you know and respect.

That person may thank you for a recommendation later down the line by returning the favor. Leveraging your network the right way also allows you to position yourself as someone who knows people. This will keep people coming to you, looking for help with their various projects, and that means that your name will get out there more.

Conclusion

Marketing can be exceptionally difficult during the best of times, but in a downturn, it can be a nightmare. That is why it is vitally important that you are always marketing and building relationships. This can help make sure you always have a steady flow of business – even during difficult real estate markets.

To read more on topics like this, check out the Finance category

Buying property is an exciting time for anyone, whether it is a new home or office space. Whilst buying property is something that is talked about every day, buying land for sale doesn’t usually get as much thought. Although challenging, buying land is fantastic opportunity for a budding investor or someone planning their dream home. Buying vacant land can be intimidating but think of it as blank canvas waiting to be turned into something amazing. Below I have included some tips and starting points of how to enquire about land and what to do with it once it is yours.

Reasoning

Before buying vacant land, you need to have a plan of why you are buying it. Many people see buying land as a good investment but have no clue with what they want to do with the land, this can be very dangerous financially. Having a long term plan is a must, this will allow you to set goals and gives you a blueprint of seeing your plan come to fruition. This will also allow you to purchase the right type of land and the right location for your plan. This is extremely important, you need to learn the different types of land available to you and how the land can benefit your idea.

Accessing the Market

Purchasing land in ways is very similar to purchasing property. Like properties the best way to access the market it by looking online for what land is available. Even though the online option is your quickest and easiest way to get the ball rolling, there are also land auctions available to you. Land auctions are a great way of getting land below asking price and could be a way of getting a great deal on land that meets your needs.

Check the Small Print

If you are planning to build property you must make sure you have the planning permission to do so. This is something you must check before purchasing anything, if you do not check and it turns out you can’t build, then you will be in a tough position. A lot of land can come with planning permission, even if it does it is still important to check with your local government to make sure. A long with planning permission, you need to get your land surveyed. Getting the land surveyed is just as important, this will help identify any potential issues further down the line and will help you prepare for them.

Remember to Have Fun

There will definitely be stressful times where you question why you decided to purchase land. There will be delays, setbacks and problems but you need to remember to have fun with it. Purchasing land is only the start, you need to remember the reason why you bought the land in the first place and your long term goal. Never give up and with hard work and careful planning you will succeed and your idea will be finished eventually.

To read more on topics like this, check out the finance category

Register your Own Casino with the State and City

This may require registering with the IRS and some other regulatory bodies which have authority over casinos in your town, which might include state government, local

authorities, and gaming associations. Check with a lawyer to make certain you are correctly registered.

The exact very same approaches as successful casinos. Delineated by our friends at Casino Korea utilize many different tricks and approaches to make certain that clients spend as much cash as you can. These strategies are developed over decades of experience

in the business and are followed closely by the majority of successful casinos. Employ the exact approaches to provide yourself a competitive advantage. The following are some typical approaches:

Supply free stuff. Normally, their losses compensate for all these expenses. Disguise

the good time of day. Casinos frequently don’t have any windows or clocks so that

clients spend more time gaming than they intend to.

Emphasize Wins and conceal losses. Casinos disallow video and photo equipment in their match Flooring to conceal the truth of losses and put off sirens and lighting to highlight wins. This motivates clients to believe they can win. Assess if commercial casino performance is lawful in your region. While types of gambling, such as charitable and internet gambling, are lawful in many areas within the USA, commercial casinos are legal in certain states and states. As of 2013, commercial casinos may just be opened from 24 nations·

In countries, commercial casino performance might also be regulated or disallowed by local and state regulations or zoning requirements.

A few of those states might only allow particular kinds of gaming in

casinos, like gambling on races. Make sure you look at all regulations prior to continuing with your own casino intending.

Assess alcohol regulations. Odds are, even if you start a casino, then you’re going to want to serve beverages there and your clients will expect it. But, alcohol regulations are a few of the main constraints placed on casinos. These regulations are usually governed by state

regulations, so make sure you look at your state’s gaming laws for the appropriate info. This can typically be located in your state’s site or using a fast search. By way of instance, many states require that casinos prevent allowing clearly intoxicated persons from engaging in gaming. Others need tha casino workers take technical classes that involve instruction for managing intoxicated individuals.

Check age limitations.

Betting, Like tobacco and alcohol, is controlled to exclude minors. On the other hand, the precise minimum age varies from country. In certain nations, 18-year olds can input casinos and have exactly the very same rights as a elderly individuals. Study

cash-on-hand requirements. Casinos need to have a sizable quantity of money available for them to pay the possible winnings of the clients. Precise specifications

differ between nations, but are always considerable quantities of money. Casinos have to have the ability to cover possible winnings, meaning they need to really consume as

much in money readily available since there are chips on the ground at a specified time.

This sum may also have things like money to pay slot machine winnings or

money paid to previous winners in installments.

It follows that even very little casinos should possess roughly $20

million available at any particular time. Assess self-exclusion laws. Casinos have to follow relevant legislation which require the temporary or permanent exclusion of particular individuals. Sometimes, clients can place themselves on such a listing o others it’s all up to the casino to achieve that. Each nation has ignificantly distinct regulations regulating this. Search for your state’s regulations to make certain that you’re complying with this legislation.

Regulations and restrictions. The main issue to remember is that casino rules differ widely from state to state. Research your state’s regulations forward and backward before committing to your casino company program. This manual is available here.

If unsure about any of the wording or meaning of any law, check a lawyer in your town. Planning Your Casino ?

Build a business plan on your own casino. The will probably be a professional-looking

record that explains your startup investment, projected earnings and expansion and business and advertising plan. That is exactly what you’ll be presenting to

loan or investors officers, so make it great. Be certain you include a feasibility analysis that assesses the requirement for a casino along with the rationale of investment.

Employ a professional to design your own casino to fulfill all of your requirements and comply with local safety regulations. Include a scale version of the match to demonstrate the design and the

design. Boost the Make certain to examine all investment contracts together with your attorney before signing, and that means you know just what you rights and duties are. Beginning a casino will always Be Costly, Irrespective of the way You put up yours. As Mentioned Before, cash-on-hand demands alone will Often be over $20 million. You’ll Also need to buy equipment, property, Construct your own casino, and buy a gambling permit, all which may be quite Pricey.

To read more on topics like this, check out the Finance category

Due to the lack of economic activity over the last few weeks, a recession is inevitable. Millions of people even lost their jobs as a result of the lockdown policies. If you listen to economists and their projections, it seems like there’s no light at the end of the tunnel yet. The best thing that you can do is to prepare yourself for a possible recession. It could take a while before the economy recovers from it.

Check your financial situation

Since you’re mostly at home these days, you can use your time wisely by checking your financial situation. Determine if you still have loans to pay. You also need to check if there are enough savings on the bank to help you for the rainy days. You must have an idea about the current picture of your financial status so that you can decide on the next steps.

Determine which expenses to cut 

Given how difficult the future would be, you couldn’t spend the same way that you did in the past. Things have to change, and it starts by cutting some expenses. You can consider canceling all your immediate travel plans. Given how difficult it is to travel these days anyway, it wouldn’t make sense if you spend money on a trip. You can also consider avoiding eating out in the future. Since it’s no longer safe to always dine in a restaurant, you can cook more often at home. You will save a lot of money if you start cutting unnecessary expenses.

Look for cheaper alternatives 

Reducing your expenses doesn’t mean you wouldn’t spend at all. It means that you have to be wiser before spending money. For instance, if you want to buy a car since you need it, you still have to pursue that plan. However, instead of purchasing a brand-new vehicle, you can consider buying a used car. You will save a lot of money since cars quickly depreciate. You can get the same model for a lot less. Check out the inventory at dealerships in Utah for quality vehicles available at a low price. As long as the alternative is good enough, there’s nothing wrong with investing in it.

Work harder to grow your business 

If you’re running a business, you must be in a difficult position right now. Several companies even closed due to a lack of economic activity. If your business still survived, you’re lucky. The best thing that you can do is to work harder so that you can keep growing your business. You also need to work harder on your marketing strategy so that you can reach as many people as possible. You can even think about expanding your business even if it’s a risk so that you can boost your potential income.

There’s nothing that we can do to prevent a possible recession, given the current situation. You can only prepare for the worst possibilities. Don’t forget to include your health-related expenses when budgeting your money. Even if you’re trying to cut other costs, you shouldn’t sacrifice anything related to health.

To read more on topics like this, check out the Finance category.

We used to live in a cash economy that made the vast majority of daily transactions simple and straightforward. These days, the situation couldn’t be more different. Cash is vanishing from society at a frightening pace and many people do not have the skills to function in a world where online shopping, quick credit and digital transactions are king.

What is financial literacy?

Financial literacy is the ability to understand how to make good financial choices and manage your money in a way that allows you to prosper. A financially literate person can allocate an appropriate proportion of their income to cover their expenditure and put money towards other goals such as debt repayment, savings and creating a rainy-day fund. They are also able to navigate the financial marketplace with confidence and make informed decisions about products such as credit cards, loans and investment opportunities. This guide on the various pillars that make up a solid foundation of financial literacy is a good starting point but if you want the shorter version…

There are five key principles of financial literacy. They are:

1. Understanding how much you earn, including pay, benefits and the deduction of tax
2. Saving and investing to achieve short-term and long-term financial goals
3. Protecting your money by avoiding fraud and buying insurance policies
4. Spending wisely by comparing prices and budgeting
5. Managing your credit record and borrowing money at the lowest rate of interest

Why is financial literacy so important?

Financial literacy is more important now than it has ever been before. That’s due to several factors. Firstly, consumers have never had so much choice as they do today, and many of those products are more complex and sophisticated than they have been in the past. Consumers are also shouldering more of the financial decisions, with many people choosing to manage their own retirement planning. The financial markets are also swifter and more volatile, with conflicting views making it difficult to create and follow a financial roadmap.

One study in 2008, found that those who are financially literate have double the wealth of those who are financially illiterate in retirement. As well as failing to adequately plan for retirement, those with low levels of financial literacy also borrow more, earn less and pay more interest and unnecessary fees on financial products throughout their lives.

What can people do to improve their financial literacy?

Any improvement an individual can make to their financial literacy can have a profound impact on their future financial prospects. The good news is that there is no shortage of tools available to those who want to become more financially literate, and importantly, they should always be accessed for free.

Your bank’s app or website is a good place to start learning about the different financial products available. Your bank’s app may also allow you to track your spending patterns and help you create a budget. There are also a number of podcasts that offer free financial lessons and tips to help you develop your skills in your own time and build from the ground up.

What’s the most important financial lesson you’ve ever learned? Please share your thoughts with our readers in the comments below.

To read more on topics like this, check out the finance category.

Once you decide that you will finance a new car, it’s a commitment. It will last for the next five years or so. Therefore, you shouldn’t sign unless you’re ready for the financial repercussions. If you really want to buy a car now and financing is the best option, these are the things you need to do before signing any document.

Check the terms

You need to understand the terms. What are the charges for delayed payments? How many delayed payments will result in the repossession of the car? Are there hidden fees apart from what you already know? You need to check the answers to these questions to guarantee that the terms are fair and reasonable.

Ask questions

You have to clarify a few things with the dealer before you decide to sign the contract. You might still have issues regarding the interest rate or possible charges. There might also be some terms in the contract you don’t understand. It helps if you ask questions first and wait until you understand every detail.

Check your finances

You need to know where you are now in terms of your financial status. You might have a lot of problems right now, and taking on car finance would only make things worse. If you have other recurring bills or loans to pay, you should hold off on your plans until you’re in a better position financially.

Ask yourself if you can change your lifestyle

Car financing requires a change in lifestyle. The payments can eat up a huge portion of your monthly salary. It might require you to sacrifice a lot of things. Weekly spa trips might be off the table along with golf club membership. Unnecessary travel plans need to be suspended right away. If you can’t sustain this new lifestyle, you shouldn’t get a new car.

Look for terms that are too good to be true

You might see clauses that seem too good to be true and are highly questionable. It doesn’t mean the financing option is bad. It only means that you have to clarify things first. For instance, you might see no deposit car finance. Usually, down payments are big, and it’s a way for dealers to guarantee that you can afford the monthly payments. However, some companies are willing to give you a no down payment scheme provided that you submit the requirements and prove your capacity to pay the monthly payments. It’s not necessarily an impossible deal, and it’s becoming popular these days. The monthly payments might be high, but there’s nothing to pay at first.

Once you go through these steps, you’ll be ready to sign the contract. You understand the terms well, and you’re happy about your decision. Start looking for a reliable car financing company now and the specific model you want to buy. Follow the requirements, and you won’t have any problems. You will soon be driving your dream car and enjoying it.

To read more on topics like this, check out the finance category.