Best Tips For Finding a Personal Loan

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There are lots of reasons to take out a personal loan. Perhaps you’re hoping to buy a car or maybe you want to treat your family to a well-deserved holiday. Whatever your reason, finding the right loan for you is essential.

The last thing you want to do is agree to terms that don’t suit you. So, if you’re looking for a loan right now, here’s what you need to know.

Know Your Budget

Before borrowing money, it’s important to know how much you can afford to pay back. With any personal loan, you’re going to be paying back more than you borrow. Work out what your income is and what your outgoings are.

You should then be able to work out what disposable income you have left to manage a loan with. Never agree to pay more than you can afford.

Gather What You Need

Whatever loan you apply for, you’ll need to provide the lender with proof of who you are and what you earn. It will be difficult to apply for a personal loan without a payslip but not impossible. Some lenders are willing to lend money as long as you sign an agreement that the amount payable back to the lender is affordable. 

Ask Your Bank First

You may be pre-approved for loans with your bank. Check with your bank to see what they’re willing to offer you before you go anywhere else. Banks often give their own customers priority and you could be eligible for special rates.

Dividing & Dealing With Both Personal & Impersonal Debt

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There’s a great deal of online advice discussing debt and its various forms, as well as how to best overcome it. Of course, the solution seems simple. Pay back your debt, and the outstanding balance is resolved.

But it’s unlikely that you’re in debt because you had the ability to do this. Furthermore, debt hardly comes in one sole form; no questions asked. Debt can be personal and impersonal, namely, debt can be owed to those you know, or companies and institutions you are a client or member of. Note that these terms serve the purpose of this article, referring to the difference between debt owed to a professional lender or firm you hold credit with, or owing a friend or relative respectively.

When you owe a debt to both of these kinds of creditors, it can be hard to plan your way out of it. So, untangling the web of financial obligation is the first place to start, and making sure to distinguish between the types of creditors you have is key to that.

In this post, we’ll try to help you with some principles to get started. We will divide them into two categories, and offer a range of tips to help you manage each one; including how your strategy may differ. Without further ado, please consider:

Handling Impersonal Debt:

Impersonal debt tends to have a clearer structure to resolve than personal debt. When you owe a debt to companies, you are unlikely to be the only person in that position. This is why many brands will offer a clear path or have cost in debt mediation measures, perhaps opting for a third-party debt collection agency, to clear the balance.

Perform a careful budget and cut back on costs where you can.

It’s important to perform a careful budget and to cut back on costs, and if suitable, to present that budget to your creditor. This will help you identify the money you have spare after your priority bills have been taken care of – because of course, paying debt is advisable only once you have a roof over your head and enough to eat.

Costing everything can help you see where you’re wasting money, identify exactly when you have income, and use that to determine the cash you’re able to spend.

Set up a payment plan.

A payment plan can be tremendously useful to utilize. If you contact a creditor as soon as you can, and let them know your situation, they tend to feel incentivized to accept the offer. Approaching them first is a good move, but approaching sooner rather than later is the next best thing.

In some cases, a payment plan can help you stretch a debt over months or even years depending on its size. A creditor is much more likely to accept this than to offer an immediate discount to the debt so you pay it off today. As such, make sure to be realistic, and ensure you have enough to live.

Prioritize or collate your payments.

It’s essential to make sure that you list all of your debts and creditors, including the exact amounts you owe, together in one place. Then you can determine which payments will be most important to make first and foremost. In some cases, this can be better handled by taking the time to:

Speak to a debt charity.

Debt charities are known entities, can provide you impartial advice, help you build a budget planner, and in some cases contact creditors on your behalf, aiming to show them that you’re trying to take the initiative. Some popular charities known globally include StepChangeDebt in the UK.

These debt charities may also offer you a route to consolidate your payments into one monthly sum which they will then pass on to your creditors. Sometimes, creditors will approve of this. It can help you untangle the web of who is owed what.

Manage your credit score.

It’s important to manage your credit score, or at least to be aware of what that is. There are many free agency sites but note that your credit score may be different based on the services that generate a picture of your financial health. So a particular service might check your Equifax score for free, or you may go to them personally. Managing a credit score is a good way of seeing what debts are impacting your rating, some you may have forgotten about.

Handling Personal Debt:

Personal debt is, generally, more difficult to handle. Owing a friend or a relative is never a nice feeling, particularly if we can’t pay them back at this moment and as such, have tainted the relationship. Of course, if someone is intimidating you for your money, then that’s a different matter, and breaks harassment laws – never be afraid to visit law enforcement if dialogues break down and you need help. There are many steps before that would ever occur however; and it’s rather unlikely to:

Discuss the nature of the financial problem.

It’s good to discuss the exact nature of the problem to show you understand, including how much you owe, and what that money was for. If you came to an agreement before you can stick to it, such as your promise to pay your friend back in three installments after they utilized the best bail bonds service for you.

If you’re having a tough time paying it back right now – discuss why. It might be that your car broke down and you needed a quick fix so you could keep attending work and earning – show them the receipt of this if you trust them. It might be that your boss has limited your hours at work, which is why taking some time to reformat your income with another part time job has been important. If you’re genuinely sincere and apologetic, your close family member or friend will no doubt give you some slack.

Offer a payment plan, or perhaps something of equal value. 

Payment plans can work with friends or relatives, too. It might be that you pay them $200 a month for a few months until you’ve paid them back. They’re much more likely to go for this than to constantly ask you where the money is.

Alternatively, unlike creditors in the business world, a friend or relative may even be happy to take or gain something of equal value to the money they lent you. This might be volunteering to work with them for free for a day or two if they have a small business to run, or perhaps giving them those tickets to the sports game you were interested in. This isn’t direct financial advice of course, and they’re well within their rights to refuse it, but it can’t hurt to ask.

Keep consistent communication.

Try to keep consistent communication with your friend. Answer their calls, and continue the friendship. Don’t avoid them just because you owe them money, that gives the impression you won’t pay it back, and it makes a mockery of their willingness to lend you in the first place.

Consistent communication, always being present and reachable (within reason), this shows your intention is in the right place and as soon as you’re able, you’ll pay them back. This isn’t too dissimilar from the step we recommended for dealing with corporate creditors – if you take the first initiative towards rectifying the problem, then people tend to look at you more favorably. It also shows where your priorities lie.

Make goodwill gestures where appropriate.

A goodwill gesture can be a nice move to make, and of course, this is only possible when you’re in debt to someone you know. So for instance, you might not be able to cover the debt completely this week, but if you’re out to lunch, you might pay for their sandwich and coffee.

When you’ve paid off the debt, you might help them out in a similar situation if they find themselves there. A goodwill gesture can be a nice means of not only delaying the bitterness that comes from money problems between people but might give you some more slack to help you gather the funds. 

This isn’t to say our lunch example is a simple tactic to placate someone in your life, but as you expect, it shows you’re not blocking them out because you’re embarrassed or unwilling to pay.

Accept the relational repercussions; learn the value of borrowing from friends or family.

Unfortunately, this situation is more of a life lesson than anything. Borrowing from friends or family, unless you really have to, can get messy quick. This means you may have to just accept the familial or friendship strains that occur as a result of your action. In the long run, you’ll avoid taking money with haste, and consider the true cost, outside of the fiscal responsibilities, of falling into debt.

With this advice, we hope you can better divide and deal with both personal and impersonal debt. It’s never easy to owe someone or something, but we hope this insight gives you the right approach to move forward despite that:

4 Ways Investments Can Make You Financially Independent

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No matter who you are, you want to guarantee that the financial needs of you and your family are met. However, with wages struggling to keep up with inflation which affects the cost of living, it feels like your dollars don’t go half as far as they used to. For many, this can feel like staring into the abyss, but it does not need to be doom and gloom. If you’re looking for a way to improve your financial situation, investments and trading could be the answer, but how? 

Investing Can Teach You Financial Skills 

Many people who struggle to maintain healthy finances do so because they lack key financial skills. Besides knowing how to budget, they also fail to get to grips with forecasts, interest rates, and more. 

Learning to trade through investments does not just help you improve your financial stability. It can also teach you crucial skills such as improving your judgment and analysis when studying the market and anticipating trends and changes. With these skills, you will become more proficient with money management, enabling you to take better care of every penny. 

Investing Can Introduce New Opportunities 

There are many avenues you can explore when it comes to trading and investments. This versatility is what makes the approach so popular and you can always find something that benefits or interests you. 

Many people opt to trade in stocks that appeal to them. For example, those interested in environmental causes look at green solutions and companies, while sports fans may invest in their favorite team. Yo8u can also look at the best forex trading options for those who want to explore other options that some traders continue to ignore. 

Investing Helps You Reach Goals 

For many, investing and trading are all about getting in to get out quickly. Some approaches make that possible, but you must know where to look. If you have specific goals in mind, such as earning enough to pay off your home or car, then you need to stay on course and avoid the temptation to expand further. 

Choosing appropriate and safe investments or trading opportunities will help you reach your goals faster compared to waiting for savings accounts to mature. It won’t be an overnight event, but it can vastly reduce the time it takes and keeps interest rates manageable. 

Investing Encourages You to Try Something Different 

Knowing how to choose the right trading options only comes after you have spent some time studying the markets. As you will start small, you will eventually gain the confidence to invest or trade with more profitable (albeit less certain) options. However, this is all part of the experience and as long as you know how much you can afford to trade, you will maintain your financial stability with ease, and you may even come across a highly profitable option that others have missed. 

Investing Can Benefit You 

If you’re searching for the best ways to improve your financial situation and enjoy an approach that teaches you new skills and can benefit your future, careful but effective trading and investments could be the answer, so stop waiting around for good things to happen and make them happen instead.  

Four Tips for Choosing Your Career

One of the biggest impacts on your mental health in life is your career. When it comes to deciding on your career goals, you’re expected to know what you want to do with your life from the age of about 11.

The moment that you start high school, people are training you into a career that you want. For example, the subjects that you take in high school could determine what you take in college, and what you choose to study in college is going to determine the rest of your career – unless you choose to go back to education as an adult. 

It’s perfectly okay to not know what you want to do with your career, or to feel a little bit unsure, and you can use a free strong interest inventory to help you to decide. Instead of feeling overwhelmed, you need to carefully consider your options and do the following things.

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#1 Ask yourself the right questions. If you want to figure out what you want to do for the rest of your life, you have to ask yourself some questions to cut through the stress and think of yourself for a minute. You are important, and being able to consider you is a good way to ensure that you can figure out which careers will match. It’s about your personality type, and what kind of work setting works best for you. For example, high stress hospitality settings may not be as fun for you as say, a leisurely tour guide in another country. Self-awareness is key to being able to discover what you want to do with your career, and that means asking yourself the right questions first.

#2 Consider going back to school. If you’ve already been through college once, the chances are you may not want to go and do it all over again, but perhaps what you started in college just doesn’t align with who you are now as a grown-up. Consider going back to school and studying something completely new and see what you can do with your life from there.

#3 Make sure that you cultivate a good balance in life. It’s not easy to juggle a busy work schedule, school demands and parenthood at the same time. You need to make sure that you have enough time in the day for everything, and the things that you do are things that you enjoy. When it comes to choosing your career, you need to choose something that’s going to bring you joy but also give you balance

#4 Get a mentor. If you’re struggling with choices related to your career, you need to think about what professional step you should take next. Sometimes, you need somebody else to tell you what to do and that person can be a mentor to you and they can help you to get from one decision to the next without feeling guilty or worried that it is the wrong thing. They also should be able to tell you how the new career you want will look because they’re already in it

Calculating It Right: Choosing the Right Bank for Your Financial Needs

When we are talking about the entire topic of investment, there’s one simple thing underpinning it. You can learn how to trade, how to find the right broker, and how to be savvier with your finances, but choosing the right bank is of the utmost importance.

It’s something that we don’t always give consideration to, especially when we are looking at the bigger picture. But if you head to the wrong bank, you are going to lose out. You can lose fees, interest, and it can be incredibly inconvenient. So what do you need to consider when choosing a bank? 

The Need for a Physical Branch

For business owners, it may not be necessary to have a physical location, but if you are dealing in cash on a regular basis you need a bank where you can deposit cash in a convenient branch.

There are numerous banks that offer physical locations. One like Provident State Bank can provide a plethora of services under one roof with a variety of features and lower fees than most other banks.

However, if you rarely use cash, an online bank is a good option. But it’s always a good idea to have a bank in physical proximity to you just in case. Everybody is more than aware of the rigmarole associated with contacting a bank online or over the phone.

If you are trying to minimize frustration, it can be easier speaking to a real human being, in which case a physical branch is of the utmost importance. 

The Importance of Business Accounts

Small business owners or those starting out with a side hustle will need to have a business account. Most banks offer business accounts, but do they have a dedicated business banking team? It’s most important to have a team that understands your personal situation.

A bank that has expertise in a variety of business transactions is essential, especially when it comes to investments, taxes, and balancing the books. Many banks use high-quality accounting software such as QuickBooks to help people with their business Ventures.

There are some great options out there that can help you to integrate your business services and deposit your transactions safely. It’s also important to get to grips with FDIC insurance, which can protect you when depositing money. 

How Regularly Do You Use ATMs?

Whether you are someone who uses cash a lot or it’s few and far between, an ATM could be essential or not worth your time. Understandably, so many people don’t use physical transactions, especially when it comes to purchasing items.

But finding the right bank that could offer a checking account with unlimited ATM fee rebates can make a big difference. Some banks will charge fees for using other ATMs.

So if you need cash often, you’ve got to make sure that you can use these ATMs for free in the right locations that will suit your needs. 

The Importance of Free Transfers to Other Accounts

If you are diversifying your investments and have a number of bank accounts in a number of different locations, it can be a big lifesaver to go into your online banking app to transfer funds when necessary.

If this is important to you, you’ve got to ensure the bank offers free transfers to accounts and doesn’t charge you anything.

After all, it’s important to not overspend, especially when moving money between accounts. This also includes transferring to people at other banking institutions.

Some banks will let you transfer directly via an online transfer system, but bear in mind if you are using apps such as PayPal, as it’s likely they will charge you for the luxury. 

Overdraft Fees

If you are working hard to diversify your investments, you may find yourself in the red. While it’s important to remember that, on the topic of investments, you should never invest more than you can afford to lose, if you do get into the habit of overdrawing a bank account, you’ve got to choose an organization that doesn’t charge extortionate fees for overdrafts.

If you manage your accounts well, you will seldom need to go into the red, but if you accidentally hit your overdraft because you pull out the wrong card, sometimes a quick call to the bank can waive the fee.

This is another thing to consider because if you have a long-standing relationship with the right bank, they will waive this fee for you as an act of solidarity. But if you are someone that goes beyond zero, you should not be stuck paying hundreds of dollars every year for this. 

The Best Fees and Interest Rates

Banks will charge fees for a number of different activities including: 

  • Monthly account maintenance. 
  • Returned deposits. 
  • Overdrafts. 
  • Minimum balance. 
  • Inactivity. 
  • ATM fees for non-bank ATMs. 
  • Paper bank statements. 

If you have a good working relationship with a bank, there will be times when fees could potentially be waived, but you’ve got to consider just how many of these services you envisage yourself using. Investments like real estate may require you to put more money into upgrading the property before you sell it.

Therefore, if you are regularly going between bank accounts, it pays to have the least amount of fees and interest rates possible. If you go for bigger banks like Bank of America, they are predominantly known for higher fees, and this is something we should all try to bypass. 

There is no perfect bank for anybody, however, there is one that’s the ideal option for you. It’s important to find the right institution to meet your needs because you could use online banking with some low fees and great interest rates, but you may not be able to deposit cash and might have to pay ATM fees.

There’s an abundance of criteria that is so important when it comes to investing. Understanding what is important to you is vital before you make the big switch.

From personal banking to business banking, when you pick the right one for your needs, there will be a lot less hassle in the long run, meaning you can focus on your investment journey easily.

Spending Your Money On The Right Web Host

Choosing the best web host for your small business is no mean feat. Whether you’re starting your first small business or already have an established business, it can be tricky finding the right company for your hosting needs. 

There are many factors to consider, including uptime to ensure your business website is online and available to your customers, and security which is imperative for protecting your customer’s personal data.

While there are plenty of web hosting companies around the world ready to take money from your already limited budget, there are some which can really help get your small business off to a great start.

Security

Security should be one of your main priorities when choosing a web host for your small business. If you are selling products or services on your website, you need to make sure the process is secure in order to protect your customers.

This is imperative for all companies, but especially those holding sensitive information. The leading medical malpractice attorneys, for example, will have the best security in place, and a web host is just one part of this. 

Many web hosts offer a free SSL certificate that puts HTTPS in front of your URL. This indicates that your website is secure so any payments taken via your site will be protected. Even if you’re not selling anything, a secure website is imperative in order for your customers to trust you and your brand.

Aside from SSL certificates, you should consider whether your web host offers additional security measures, like DDoS protection, malware checks, vulnerability protection, etc. If you are using WordPress, there are web hosts that will manage your WordPress hosting in full which will include checking for updates, including plugins and core WordPress files.

Speed and performance

When it comes to the speed of your website, every second count. If your website doesn’t load quickly due to server issues and poor server performance, then you’re in trouble! Website users don’t have much patience, so if they can’t access your website content in a matter of seconds, they will abandon your website and go elsewhere.

Speed and performance are largely determined by the server infrastructure the web host is using. You can request this information from your web host, or in many cases, this is already detailed on the server information or pricing pages.

Resources

You will need to consider the resources you need for your website. This includes storage, bandwidth, email accounts, MySQL accounts, etc. For small businesses, email accounts are likely going to be a priority as you’ll want to provide multiple services for your clients such as contact, sales, marketing, and so on.

In general, most small business websites won’t exceed 5GB storage, however, it’s recommended to find a web host that either offers double this, to be safe, or unlimited storage so you won’t have any concerns. Bandwidth refers to the amount of data that can be passed between your website and server; if you expect to receive a lot of traffic to your website, unlimited bandwidth is a must-have so you don’t exceed your resources.

Tips to Help you Protect Your Finances

Money is one of the most, if not the most important factor in havering a safe a secure life. If you don’t have enough of it, you are sure to suffer as a consequence. Debts and other financial worries can cause a huge amount of stress. They can affect your relationships, your health, your prospects, and your outlook on life. When times of economic uncertainty hit a country as a whole, such as in the financial crisis, anyone who is already struggling may well be hit very hard. The truth is, if you are not sensible with money, you could be earning $150,000 a year and come out of a financial crisis a lot worse than someone earning $20,000 who was sensible with their money. So, everyone can make the money they have, work a lot better for them, and create measures that protect their finances for themselves and their families’ future. Here are a few tips:

Get Out of Debt  

The first thing you should do if you are looking to protect your finances is to stop getting deeper into debt and find a way to minimize, reduce and eliminate it. If anything does happen to you, financial debt will drag you under. Perhaps you need to seek professional advice, such as making an appointment with a financial planner. They will take a thorough look at your entire financial picture and work with you to develop a plan of action going forward. This will be manageable and affordable for you. You need to consider that your life may need to change. If you are still acting the same way as you did to get into debt in the first place, you are not going to get out of ut without a change in attitude. So, it is time to face reality. Living within your means and being aware of your spending is the only way to begin reducing that debt and getting rid of all the stress that has built up with it too. Having a financial plan is great as it offers you a realistic roadmap of where you are headed.

Savings

Savings are essential if you want to have something in the future. As soon as you have a manageable plan for your debt, if you need one, you should try and create an emergency fund. This is an account that you out as much as you can every month that will not be touched. Over time if you can save a lot of money, you may well be able to put some of this money to better use, such as investing or putting down a deposit on a home. But without savings, you cannot do any other these things.

Investments

Being in such a financial position that you can make investments is great. When you start investigating, you will see that there is such as wide range of investments available to you. This is one of the best ways to make your money work for you. Simply leaving money in a savings account cannot have the potential increase in value investments do. However, you need to be vigilant. With investments there comes risk and the best way forward is to diversify, so spread your money over several different investments so that if one tanks you have not lost everything. That means you may want to try a high-risk short-term investment on the stock exchange, as long as you have some low-risk, long-term additional investments as backups. When it comes to the stock exchange too, remember there are dividends which are payouts made to shareholders. So, it may be worth investigating this avenue. Other investments can be made in property. The buy to let market is a great choice. There are also bonds, collectibles, cryptocurrencies, side hustles, etc. It may be a good idea to talk to a financial advisor who can offer some sound advice. 

Insurance

You really never know when you will need insurance, so getting the right insurance is a must if you want to ensure that your finances are protected. Unexpected events happen all the time. If you are the main breadwinner of your family, you should probably get some income protection and even life insurance, which you know will help your family should the worse happen. Also, think about all your assets, what needs extra protection above and beyond normal home contents insurance. If anything does happen, then speaking to insurance claim attorneys will help you if you are not receiving the payout you should or you are having difficulties making a claim in the first place. The simple fact of the matter is, insurance can help you out no end should something untoward happen to you. So, investigate all the types of insurances there are and start looking at the most reasonable policies. 

Divorce

Unfortunately, divorce can be a costly affair, especially if you and your e partner are not on good terms and a lot was invested in the realti0popnship, including children. If you are currently looking to get married, perhaps you need to be aware of the reality that, despite how you feel now, it is highly possible that your marriage will end in divorce. So, seriously consider a prenuptial agreement. This can solace a lot of nasty issues and arguments down the line. If that ship has already sailed and you are looking at filing for divorce, there are ways you can mitigate the financial damage. Firstly avoid debt, or get out of it quickly. If you have a joint bank account, then get a report printed of all transitions and look to closet his down. If your partner has a bit of a spending problem, you will need evidence of this. So start creating your own financial history. It may be worth getting a credit card too. Once everything has been split, take a look at your credit file. If your ex-partner has signed you up for any financial things without your knowledge, it should be made known on there. Divorce can be very messy, so the earlier you start cutting things off, the better.    

Key Money Decisions You Should Make Before Hitting 30

Being in your 30s is an exciting time. First, you’re just out of your 20’s where you could easily get away with making wrong money decisions. Moreover, it’s probably the time you’re planning to start a family and build a future. This means you have to get serious about one thing—securing your financial future.

You’ll have to exercise self-deprivation among other personal sacrifices if you don’t have a clear plan to attain this financial security. However, going the extra mile and making bold financial decisions is what will have a bigger impact on your wealth. Here are a few crucial money decisions you can make to secure your financial future once you attain 30.

1. Plan Your Retirement.

Planning for your retirement even before peaking your career is a smart investment move that’ll benefit you in the future. The 30s serve as a perfect time to think about all your plans and making smart money decisions out of each plan. What most people don’t know is that this is the time where you’re at the peak of your health, productivity and with fewer responsibilities.

So, why not leverage all these advantages and make something important out of it. You can begin by putting together measures that’ll help you curb emergencies. In addition, having at least one long-term investment that guarantees better future earnings helps too. All you have to do is ensure this long-term investment has some guaranteed returns. 

2. Build Your Investment Portfolio.

Creating an investment portfolio isn’t a preserve of the few. You can also build one, albeit with the right guidance. Investing in stocks and bonds comes off as a viable option, given its huge payoff. However, be careful as there are no short-term guaranteed returns in this investment. 

Stocks are also a good way to build your portfolio for the long term since you have time to recover from setbacks. But first, ensure you understand how the stock investment works and all other investment options available for you. Also, seek a financial advisor’s help in evaluating your investment needs, risk tolerance, and other investments that’ll be good for you. 

3. Seek Investments that Appreciate in Value

A good investment decision that’ll benefit you in the future appreciates over time. Such investments only operate by allowing what you already have to earn more wealth.  The advantage of this investment decision is that there are lesser demands, and you probably won’t spend so much on maintenance costs.

For instance, investing in real estate in your 30s is a smart money move that guarantees huge returns. It affords you the security of homeownership and the option of converting it into cash whenever need be. You can also decide to earn passively from it through leasing.

4. Buy Home If Capable

Buying a home is probably a lofty ambition when still in your 30s. But why not acquire one if you have the means to do it. Having a place you can call home is far much better than staying in a rented place. You will be a happy homeowner and an investor with an appreciating investment that you can easily sell and earn big whenever the need arises.

However, ensure your decision to purchase a home is based on a logical reason if you opt for mortgage financing. That way, you can approach mortgage lenders in portland oregon, knowing all the pros and cons that come with this financing option. The homeownership decision bears a significant impact on your future as it’s probably the biggest investment you’d make in your lifetime.

5. Have an Insurance Plan in Place

When in your 30s, you have a long way to go in life. This also means you have a long journey that’s highly unpredictable. For that reason, things that we do not wish for may happen along the way and turn everything around. That’s why getting an insurance plan – mostly life insurance is highly recommended. 

The earlier you plan on insuring your life, the better for you. First, it comes with lesser premiums.  You’re also better off having a medical insurance plan in place to shield you from the ever-rising medical costs. Having all this covered will afford you ample time to plan for your other finances and make sound investments.

6. Live Within Your Means

There’s no crime in living a comfortable lifestyle in your 30s. The problem only comes when you have to borrow to finance that lifestyle. And this begins when you keep your standard of living above your paygrade. Using borrowed money to finance a lifestyle is wrong money that only drives you deep into financial struggles. Furthermore, it amounts to borrowing money the wrong way, which has its fair share of disadvantages.

As you grow in your career and probably find more ways to create money, keep your expenditures on the low. You can choose to maintain your current lifestyle even if your income increases and instead add the extra income to your savings. Remember, borrowed money should only be used when you’re assured of financial gain. This might be investing in a business or any other income-generating project.

7. Make Yourself an Investment, too.

You have plenty of time ahead to accomplish a lot when in your 30s. So, look at yourself as a financial asset rather than a burden. This means investing in yourself and any other thing that’ll make you a better person. It could be investing in your skills or adding on the knowledge you have.

Investing in yourself also means making smart career choices. Seek to learn new experiences and skills that make you more attractive to the job market. If you’re an entrepreneur, look for seminars and training that’ll equip you with the right knowledge. Making yourself an investment pays off, and it should be a continuous process even when you attain 50 years.

Final Thought

Securing your future while in your 30s is all about making smart money moves. It involves making personal sacrifices now, knowing your future is secured once you retire. Use the above-highlighted tips and see your future turn bright. 

Managing Your Personal Finances: Key Steps to Take

Financial stability is key to a good quality of life. You shouldn’t have to spend each day worrying about money, how you’re going to pay your bills and when you will be comfortable to have a nice time in your life. Of course, financial stability can be difficult to achieve. Here are a few steps that you can take to get there though!

Create a Budget

The first step you should take when looking for financial stability in your life is to create a budget. All too many of us simply spend as we please and are then shocked to find ourselves sinking into debt. Even the smallest amount of overspending each month will see you dig a hole that can be difficult to get back out of. By creating a budget, you can determine how much money you take home each month, how much of this needs to be spent on bills and how much you have leftover as your disposable income. Stick to your budget, avoid going over your disposable income when you spend and you should be fine!

Focus on Career Advancement

If you’re working, chances are, you’ve already completed a number of steps to land the position you’re in. You may have gone to college or university. You might have completed specific training courses. You may have done an apprenticeship. You could have started at the bottom of the career ladder and worked your way up a few rungs. This is good. But all too many people make the mistake of then settling for the position they’re in. Instead, why not push yourself and focus on career advancement on a daily basis. By doing the utmost in your role, you can receive promotions, pay rises, or qualify yourself to apply for another similar role or more advanced role within a different company or sector. Whether you work in retail, recruitment, SERP API, game development or any other role, career advancement can improve your personal finances.

Clear Debts

A problem that many of us face with financial management is existing debt. If you’ve already built up debt, you should do your utmost to clear them as quickly as possible. There are a number of steps you can take to achieve this. You should search for 0% balance transfers that will allow you to switch your credit card or overdraft debt to an interest free account, allowing you to chip away at the balance, rather than constantly paying interest each month. Alternatively, you could consolidate your debts with one, low interest loan. This makes making payments easier, as you only need to remember to make one. It can also reduce the amount of interest you pay overall.

These are just three steps that can help get you on the path to financial stability. There are, of course, other methods you can use at the same time, but these should help you to get started out in the right direction! Hopefully, some of the information will come in useful for you and have a positive impact on your financial life!

Termination Of Employment- Know The Mandatory Alberta Laws Around It

Alberta business laws mandate it for employers and employees to serve notice to each other to terminate employment.

Employers are often found at the crossroads with whether to terminate an employee or not. More so, the dilemma is intensified by the question – on what basis should the employment be terminated?

In Alberta, an employer can terminate the services of an employee on any grounds. Given that the grounds are not based on discrimination.

For example, an employer cannot terminate an employee based on their origin, race, colour, sexual orientation, and alike reasons.

When Can Employment Not Be Terminated?

In Alberta, the laws for employers to terminate their employees are not that simple. However, there are certain situations when they can and can not terminate the employment of an employee.

It might not be feasible to state when the termination is justified. However, business law practitioners can help understand when the termination is not justified. Here are some examples of when an employment termination is not acceptable.

  • If the employee is on job-protected leave.
  • If the employee is on maternity or parental leave.
  • If the employee is facing garnishment action.
  • If the employee is about to make a statement or give evidence about something under the Code.
  • If the employee is demanding something that they are entitled to.

It is worth mentioning that the employer would need to either give a termination notice or termination pay to end the employment. The employer may also choose to provide a combination of both. However, this is only feasible if the employee has been working for more than 90 days with the employer.

Note: For seasonal or task-specific jobs, no notice or termination pay is needed.

How To Determine The Notice Period?

As mentioned already, for employment periods or 90 days or less, no notice is required. But, at the same time, the notice period may also vary.

In other words, the employment period generally determines the notice period that an employee must serve. Here are the details:

  • For an employment period of more than ninety days but less than two years, the notice period is one week.
  • If the employee has been working for more than two years but less than four years, the notice period is two weeks.
  • For an employment period of more than four years but less than six years, the notice period is four weeks.
  • The notice period is five weeks for an employment period ranging between six years to eight years.
  • For an employment period of eight to ten years, the notice period is six weeks.
  • If the employee has been working for more than ten years, the notice period is eight weeks.

It is noteworthy that the employment period is determined from the date of hiring and not joining. Besides, even if the ownership of the employing company changes, the employment period would remain the same.

Although the business laws in Alberta for termination of employment are pretty straightforward, there are always loops. It is better to consult with an experienced “corporate and labour lawyer.”