If you have visitors to your home, chances are that the last thing you’ll be thinking about is anything happening to their belongings while they are there. You probably don’t want to spoil the visit by thinking about problems occurring.
 

But if there were any problems while someone was staying in your home what would happen? If there was a break in at your property and your visitor’s property was stolen would they be covered on your insurance?

You are only insured for property you have a financial interest in

It’s important to remember that your home insurance only covers you for property that you have an interest in; something that you bought or are renting. From this you can see that property belonging to other people is not covered. This being the case it’s probably a good idea if any visitors you have are aware of the situation. This is particularly important if they have any items with them that are especially valuable, see HBF for more on this. It is probably advisable for them not to bring these items with them in the first place.

What about if I am storing items for people?

You should be wary about agreeing to store items for other people in your home. Much like the property of people who are visiting any items that you are storing that don’t belong to you are not covered by your home insurance.

This is because you don’t have a financial interest in the item. You are not disadvantaged by not having it. You may feel as though you’re not being very helpful but the next time a friend asks you to look after items for them you may have to think very carefully about it.

Of course if the storage situation is likely to be long term there is one possible solution. You can always purchase the items from your friend and receive receipts to that effect. If you do this the items officially belong to you and you have invested money in them. If anything then happens to these items they should be covered by your home insurance. If at some point the other party wants their items back they can always buy them from you.

So what do you need to think about with home insurance?

If you are purchasing home insurance you need to make sure that you have enough to cover your home and contents should you be the victim of any incident. You also need to decide what deductible you want; normally if you are willing to accept a higher deductible your premiums will be lower. No matter whether you have purchased items that you are storing for someone else or not you need to make sure that all of your belongings are covered. You need to pay special attention to any expensive items, such as jewellery, that you have as you may need to take out specific insurance for these items separately.

If your small business needs to meet shortfalls in cash for restaurants, contractors and retail stores alike you might have considered a term loans for help. Unfortunately, there are reasons why many small companies do not qualify for normal business loans. Your industry, credit score, collateral and operating history may all affect the loan decision.

Have you been turned down for a business loan? You should understand why the application was denied and then find the best alternatives. The loan’s purpose, amount, and length are all factors to consider. By answering these questions first, you will cut financing costs(interest expense) and increase the loan’s ROI.

Did your industry play a role in the loan decline? Many banks shy away from certain business models, such as restaurants, nightclubs, construction and even medical offices. Food service is seasonal with intense competition and high closure rates. Just think of the many restaurants that have closed in your area. The same factors along with changing trends affects nightclubs and bars. Contractors deal with slow downs based on the season and must often wait to get paid. Medical clinics must wait for insurance payments to clear and have high overhead for rent, equipment and staff.

Solution? Consider Industry Loans, which cater to companies in certain fields. Industry lenders like BusinessLoansDirect.com cater terms to the cash flow, risks and potential of a various fields. For instance, nightclub financing considers the need to front costs for food, decorations and liquor for theme nights or private parties. Lenders who work with doctor’s offices or construction companies tailor their approval process to consider the effect of high receivables or seasonal dips on cash flow.

Specialized loans may be an option if your loan is approved at a bank as well. Industry lenders may offer lower fees and more flexible terms than banks that approve your loan but with higher rates to compensate for added risk. If you operate in an industry with high closure rates, seasonal revenues or high A/R; an industry loan may an alternative.

Venture capital is not just about mega dollar deals in Silicon Valley or Wall Street. Crowdfunding is private equity for the masses in amounts from a few hundred dollars to millions of dollars.  There are various platforms to choose from and niche sites for particular industries, such as technology.

With crowdfunding, you state a case for why your business, product or service needs funding to countless investors. Entrepreneurs offer repayment that may be traditional interest or shares of ownership in the case of equity crowdfunding, Meanwhile, donation crowd funding is based on goodwill. A business owner may offer discounts on services or plaques of recognition in exchange for money to buy equipment or pay down debt. Be sure to check if the crowdfunding site is ‘all or nothing’, which means you only get the money if your funding goal is reached. Kickstarter and Fundable are examples of such platforms.

Conversely, Crowdrise and are flexible funding sites that allow you to keep all money raised.  You should consider setting a lower goal on ‘all or nothing’ sites and have realistic repayment on any crowdfunding platform.

In general, larger deals are better suited for ‘all or nothing’ platforms. Investors feel more secure knowing their cash will be only be used if needed funds are raised. This increases the odds of a loan being successful.

Does your business need fast cash in smaller amounts? If your company accepts credit cards,  merchant loans provide short term cash in exchange for a  percentage of daily credit card sales.

Merchant financing is an alternative to business credit cards or lines of credit to meet cash shortages. You can meet payroll, repair damage or have enough money for overhead with fast turnaround, typically just one to two business days.

Companies can also use merchant loans as leverage to expand. A restaurant can bid on catering or private parties knowing that money to buy food and decorations is available. The volume and history of credit card receipts will affect the premium/payback. A business with more stable credit card receipts will likely have a lower % than a newer company with less merchant history. Your daily credit card sales will be tapped until the loan amount and premium are paid back.

Make sure to calculate the ROI of a merchant loan beforehand, if possible.  For instance, is the profit margin on a private party more than the premium you will pay for a merchant loan? You can make informed borrowing decisions by evaluating loan in this manner.

There are more choices for alternative financing than ever before. Companies can survive and thrive with these 3 options, either as a supplement or alternative to traditional loans.a

Do you want to move into a pristine property or are you looking for a fixer-upper? Knowing how to select the best property for you is a big challenge but the more you know and understand the easier the task will be, as you will see here.

Buying a property is a major undertaking – after all it’s the biggest thing you will ever buy in your lifetime. You should think about your needs and wants as well as your budget in this situation. It is a purchase you will be paying for a long period in the future.

Choosing a good property means different things to different people. For someone who is busy and has little time to spend renovating or decorating, a fully finished property is the ideal solution. They can move in with their furniture and that’s all there is to it. However someone with good DIY skills might want to look for a bargain they can gradually do up to their own standards and tastes. This route has the potential to save some money, but it does mean living on a building site for a good long while!

It is also worth thinking about where your ideal property would be situated. Is it important that you have an easy route to get to work? You might want to live near a train station and also near some good schools if you have kids. Alternatively you may want to move out of the city and go to a more rural area with fewer people and more countryside to appreciate.

There are more practical things to think about too. For instance living near a river is charming but how often might that river burst its banks? If this should happen your property may well be flooded, leading to upset and damage for a long time to come. You never know if it may happen again either.

Every potential property should be checked for its condition prior to seriously considering whether or not to buy it. Subsidence is something that affects some properties and there is no way of knowing which ones might be affected in the future. If you want to buy a property that has already been affected in this way, you will need to get house insurance subsidence cover to account for this.

House insurance subsidence cover is generally pricier than general insurance policies so bear this in mind before you make your decision.

As you can see you should never rush into buying a particular property until you have all the information you need to do so. It is easy to become emotionally involved when buying a property, which is ironic really considering what an expensive purchase it is.

If you make the wrong decision you cannot simply move out in a hurry. You have to make sure you choose the right house, bungalow, flat or mansion for your needs – something that will suit you both now and into the foreseeable future.

Most of us move home at one time or another but in this case you can see it is easy to go through a few steps to make sure the home you buy now will feel like home for some time to come. So – which property are you going to buy?

It is a common complaint among young students who are in a foreign location, that they are not able to save. Saving is a complex procedure which is mastered by only few. But, it is not a rocket science that cannot be learnt. Today, let’s discuss few tips which have worked for students earlier and will continue to do so if effectively used.

Mind your expenses

Students are often swept away by the style of the foreign country they are studying in. With the fancy, students forget that they need to save. Students buy things that would keep them fashion forward. The new city’s cuisine is also an attraction where students usually end up spending more than required. Studying abroad is an expensive decision and little mistakes like this, would cost the students heavily. It is very important that the students restrict themselves. You can shop for your clothing needs online through Nordstrom and other sites which believes in keeping your pockets happy with heavy discounts. Before shopping, make sure that you do a quick online search and pick the best of Nordstrom coupons which would give you a discount on your purchase. Nordstrom sale is also a good option for students with which they can stay ahead of fashion while being soft on pockets. So don’t forget to use a Nordstrom promo code the next time you shop online.

 

Get your facts cleared about conversion rates and ATM transactions

This is one thing that students must clear their doubts about even before arriving. It is very important that you get your knowledge about the conversion rates of your home currency and the currency of the country you are studying in. Students often have a misconception about flat ATM fees, but it must be cleared that there are different charges that the bank might charge upon you. The foreign bank would charge you a certain percentage on every transaction that you make. Students, if have no other option, are advised to withdraw more money in a single transaction than making small transactions many times to save up on the transaction fees that the bank charges.

Global ATM Alliance- a boon for travellers and students

There are some international banks that have entered into an alliance. The banks under this alliance offer its customers freedom to use the ATM’s of other banks under the alliance without any extra charges. With an account in any of the banks under this alliance would be a positive for students who lose their savings on the transaction charges that the bank imposes on their ATM transactions.

With these simple money saving tips, students can manage their finances in a better way. It is always important to plan the budget and stick to it to avoid financial crisis. Students should learn these and other techniques when they are in a new country. They can also use some simple ways to save money like, share a room with friend, cook food instead of eating outside and so on. Shop and save cautiously and make your study abroad a wonderful experience that is not heavy on pockets of your sponsors.

Studying in a new country can be an amazing opportunity, both academically and personally. You'll gain so much from the academic way of life that your life will be richer, both during the experience on undergraduate or graduate programs abroad, and, after studies, financially.

You’ll learn about other countries

Sure, you see lots of new places while you're on vacation, but nothing beats living in a new country to really know it. You'll make friends with the locals, maybe learn a new language, do your grocery shopping in local supermarkets — the list is endless. You're totally immersed in a new culture, really experiencing everything and having a true adventure.

You’ll learn about your own country

Once you live in a new place, you'll be able to see your own country in the context of the whole world, instead of just in the context of the one place you grew up in. You'll understand how your country fits into the wider world, and you'll begin to appreciate your country's traditions and history so much more.

You’ll increase your career prospects

International experience looks amazing on your resume: your future employer will know that you're not afraid of new experiences, you're adventurous and intrepid, and you have a wide knowledge base and confidence to bring to a new role. You'll be even more employable than you were before, and you'll end up with a great job.
 

You’ll make new friends and forget old stereotypes

Your old friends are great, but you can never have too many new ones. Having friends all over the world is a lifelong gift: you'll always have people to visit and people who want to visit you! Not only that, but these new friends will teach you about the world and you'll learn that everyone is different and no one fits your predetermined beliefs about other cultures and people.

Academic advantage

Whether you're taking a year abroad as a small part of a degree in your home country, or studying an entire degree in a new country, you'll find that your educational experience will be much richer because you left behind the familiar and embraced new cultures in a new land. You'll learn more, gain further skills applicable to your future, and learn to grasp all opportunities that come your way!

Travel

On weekends and study vacations, you'll explore the surrounding areas and maybe even further afield. It's a great opportunity to see countries you'd never have thought to visit from your home country, and you'll have so many amazing stories to tell when you get home!

Widen your horizons and take a step towards a successful future by studying in a new place and meeting as many new people as possible. You'll never be the same again, and you'll never regret it!

Discipline, is simply a code of conduct that is devised by people in order to train their body or mind to learn a specific action. It is not a course of actions but a strict guideline on how to perform a certain task with ease and perfection. Forex is one of the most liquid markets and promises of high profits and high losses. This situation is similar to a captain trying to commandeer his ship in the rough seas. With proper discipline among his crewmen the captain can take all the necessary measures to muster his ship through turbulent waters. Similarly, in a turbulent market as foreign exchange, it often becomes essential for traders to practice utmost discipline in their trading habits to derive the maximum profits in the market for a long term. Here are a few tips on how to practice disciplined trading and create a long term standing in the forex market. 

Changing the Trading Habits

Believe it or not, the key to success in forex trading lies in the regulation of your forex trading and changing your trading habits. It is your trading habits that make you different from the millions of other traders across the globe and one must learn to act like the successful players in the market. Here are the few important habits that most successful traders follow in the forex market.

Identify Your Winning Edge

Once you have fully understood the nature of forex market and dedicated yourself to learning the art of trading it is important for traders to identify their edge in the market. The trading edge is often a personalised trading strategy that helps you anchor your entry in the market. Following the price action trading strategies will help you clearly identify your entry point in the market. Determining the entry point is important as you do not want to double your losses or limiting your profits by jumping in a fluctuating market.

Plan Your Trade

Making a strict guideline and following it through the course of the trade will often help you avoid letting emotions get the better of you. Most people who do not follow a plan will either suffer from losses or will only turn into greedy traders when met by initial profits through sheer luck. Keeping a track of all your trades, proper analysis of your own trading behavior will certainly help you eliminate the bad points and maximize your profit earning potential.

Be it military or business, following a disciplined course of action is the best way to achieve success. The above mentioned tips will save you a lot of time and money from learning forex trade through trial and error.

About the author: Luke Peters is an avid reader of books and other literature related to finance, forex and financial management and is the current contributor for several websites related to the respective niches. He is also an active trader on online forex trading platforms like www.cornertrader.ch and is well experienced in the art of forex trading.

After the growth in woman empowerment in the late 20th century, it is a common sight to see more and more women coming out as entrepreneurs. During earlier times, business and commercial activities were strictly male dominated territories and it was only after the emergence of women after the Second World War that helped them gain a strong social footing and several women entrepreneurs like Oprah Winfrey and Coco Chanel showcased the power of women in business. Even though the number of women in the field of business and Entrepreneurship is growing at a steady rate, one cannot deny the fact that women entrepreneurs face some extra challenges. Here’s a list of some of the most common challenges face by women entrepreneurs.

1. Gender Discrimination

Although women entrepreneurs are rising in numbers, the number of males still overpowers them. It is quiet common for new women entrepreneurs to be intimidated by the male executives. Women also have a harder time at accumulating capital for their business ventures even though in reality they are less likely to default on their loans as compared to men. Studies also show that most men have a major lack of trust in women and the deal they are offering. Women also tend to have fewer personal assets as compared to men and generally need to procure additional funds as compared to men.

 

2. Emotional Aspects

Females are known to be emotional creatures and no matter how hard they try to act like men, they often crack in tense situations. For men, owning and running a business is more about meeting the bottom line and taking decisions for the greater good of the organizations. Women can easily get emotionally attached to people and have a more relationship-building approach. While this benefits the organization to a certain level, it can also stand as an obstacle to important business decisions like lay-offs and cancellations of service agreements.

3. Result-Oriented Decision Making

The first and foremost quality of entrepreneurs is their ability to make profits and bear losses. Business requires an immensely stable temperament and the owner’s ability to guide the organization through a mixed bag of profits and losses. Studies show that women tend to be more result-oriented than men and are immensely afraid of failures. While this makes them do a lot better than men in several areas like academics, it limits their ability to take higher risks. Business is all about taking calculated risks in order to make large profits and create an iconic brand image. Compared to men, women are more scared of taking risks and often go for the tried and tested methods instead of trying something revolutionary.

4. Lack of Support from Other Females

It is an old saying that ‘women are their own worst enemies’. Several behavioral studies show that while men easily trust and support other males, females have a hard time getting along with other females of equal stature. Especially when there is a serious lack of female entrepreneurs, women often try to be liked by everyone around them and show an unnatural disdain if another female tries to stand up to them. Due to the low numbers, females often lack the support and camaraderie from female peers. Without this support, females can find it particularly difficult to climb the career ladder, unless they can find a way to gain vital support from others. Not only can they organize team bonding sessions to help them know their colleagues on a more personal level, but they could also consider buying trust-enhancing pheromones, from somewhere like True Pheromones, to create lasting relationships with the people around them. When that trust is there, females can achieve anything that they put their minds to in a professional setting. 

5. The Need For Balance Between Family And Business

Achieving a perfect work-life balance is one of the primary goals of entrepreneurs. This can be a troublesome situation for female entrepreneurs as they might have to deal with work and business simultaneously. It is extremely difficult to run a business while being a mother as one needs to allot unspecified amounts of time to both. Women are often associated with the house related tasks and often face trouble maintaining a work-life balance.

The above challenges are few of the major challenges that the women entrepreneurs face around the globe in the current business market. Despite of these challenges, statistics show a steady rise in the number of women entrepreneurs around the globe, thanks to the rising awareness and the defacement of social taboos through education and media. Additionally, several social and political reforms are also aimed at women empowerment.

No one likes to pay bank fees; it really does feel as though it’s just wasted money to most people. There are ways you can avoid hidden bank fees and charges – banks are required to be transparent with their fees, and many banks like BOQ now offer fee-free transaction accounts like day2day that allows you to avoid fees entirely. You should always read the fine print to ensure the way the product works actually suits you and the way you earn – and spend – money. For example, some transaction accounts are only free if you maintain a minimum balance. Here are a few more bank fees you might not be aware of, and tips for avoiding them or reducing their impact.

ATM Fees

While your bank won’t charge you to use their ATMs, other banks will charge you for accessing your account through their ATM network. This is because you are not their customer. Is there a way to avoid this? Actually, there are a couple of things you can do. First, you can avoid using ATMs that belong to other banks. This may be difficult if your lender is an online bank with minimal branch or ATM presence. However, many online and smaller banks now offer access to your funds from other institutions’ ATMs, and you do not have to pay a fee. If your bank is one of those without many branches or ATMs, ask about deals like this, and also get their advice on how to avoid paying ATM fees in future.

Cheque It Out

Do you have a chequing account? Do you need a chequing account? Of course, many small businesses have these accounts and do need them, using them for business transactions on a day-to-day basis. But cheques are one of the most expensive ways to move money around, and the slowest. If you do not really need your chequing account, consider getting rid of it altogether. Every cheque written attracts a fee; every cheque processed also attracts a fee. Talk to your bank – you may be surprised at just how much your chequebook is costing you. If you really do need and use your chequebook, see if you can minimise your use of it. Are there bills you can pay by credit card or Bpay? Can you have any incoming monies deposited directly into your accounts? At the very least, you’ll want to check out your options on this one.

Ask For A Break

Finally – talk to your bank. If you find you’re losing a little of your hard earned money every week or month via bank fees, head on in and front them about it. Ask them how you can pay less in bank fees and see what they have to say. You may find they waive a fee or two simply because you asked – it can’t hurt to try.

Bank fees are the bugbear of almost every banking customer, but you don’t have to wear all those costs all the time. Talking it out with your bank can make a difference, as can ensuring you’re not paying for account features you don’t really use or need.

Do you have any tried and true methods for avoiding hidden bank fees? If so, share your insights in the comments box below.