NY Sports Betting Exceeds $2Bn Wagered During First 30 Days

February 28, 2022

Since its launch in January, NY sports betting has reached record highs. In its 30 days of operation, it has managed to become the biggest bookmaking market in the country, leaving Nevada and New Jersey behind in its tracks. The former is the nation’s gambling paradise, while the latter is known for climbing up the ladder and reaching the number one spot when the regulators gave the practice the green light back in 2018.

The floodgates have opened

Before the launch, anticipation was building up in every gambler from New York. Watching from the sidelines and not taking part is no easy feat, and for years, that’s all the NY audience could do. Meanwhile, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania gamblers happily placed bets from their computers and smart devices.

But this all changed on January 8 when the floodgates opened, and registrations started pouring in like no tomorrow. GeoComply, a geolocation security company, reports that in excess of two million user accounts have been observed to be in use in New York, each of them belonging to a unique individual.

The figures are sky-high

As for New York? The current figures suggest that more than $2bn has been wagered thus far, which is a clear indicator that online gambling New York is booming like never before. In fact, New York is responsible for one-quarter of the entire nation’s sports wagers placed through mobile devices during the Super Bowl. Allegedly, the state’s online gambling has brought in $80m in tax revenue, which is excellent news for the IRS.

So far, Caesars, FanDuel, and DraftKings seem to be on top of the food chain, with each bringing in millions in revenue. Out of every provider licensed to do business in the state, WynnBet is seeing the least success as of right now, with only $33k in revenue generated. Allegedly, the sportsbook is currently for sale.

New York is passionate about sports betting

Bill Miller, president of the American Gaming Association, recognized the people of New York as being passionate sports fans with a burning desire to support their favorite players and teams by placing a bet. However, the problem was that they had no legal outlet through which to do so. With the introduction of official New York sportsbooks that can now legally operate in the state, such woes are now effectively a thing of the past.

But why is New York such a dynamic market? Part of the reason is due to the simple fact that the state is home to a lot of people in general. As we all know, there is strength in numbers. With its 20 million inhabitants, it remains one of the most populous states in the US. Now that online gambling is legal and accessible from the comfort of one’s cellphone, there is not a single barrier left that would stand between them and their favorite hobby. Unfortunately, California and Texas are both still awaiting online gambling to be legalized.

Will the surge last forever?

The operators are rewarding new sign-ups with various prizes and promotions to get as many bettors through the door as possible, including risk-free bets, generous payoffs, dollar-to-dollar matches on the first deposit, and free credits. Analysts speculate that the initial surge in popularity is partly thanks to these promotions, which are likely to decline in the months to come. In particular, this is expected in early April when the March Madness college basketball playoffs are scheduled to come to an end.

The emerging trend has also been a great contributing force to the government coffers as betting platform operators must pay 51% of tax on their gross gaming revenue. State Senator Joseph P. Addabbo Jr. from the Democratic party is pushing for an expansion in New York’s brick-and-mortar casinos. If the plans come to fruition, the state could soon see on-site betting parlors as well as a new casino. So far, Governor Kathy Hochul is on board with the proposition.

Mr. Addabbo’s vision is to introduce wagering into arenas, racetracks, and stadiums. Learning from the example of other professional sports franchises, Randy Levine, president of the New York Yankees, wants to introduce a betting kiosk at Yankee Stadium. If S 7536 receives the legislators’ blessing, this will also pave the way for fixed-odds horse racing. Long story short, the people of New York have plenty to look forward to.

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Findora founders Support FairySwap, Venice with Ecosystem Fund

February 28, 2022

After seeing several leaps forward on the Findora blockchain’s development during 2021, Findora’s founders have helped lay the groundwork for major expansion in 2022.

In October 2021, the Findora Foundation announced a $100 Ecosystem Fund to support the building of privacy-based dApps on its platform, and several notable players have already taken advantage of the opportunity.

The Findora founders have said the fund would help accelerate the growth and development of the platform’s community, and would be part of a “broader community-led commitment to support Findora ecosystem research, development and infrastructure projects building upon Findora’s privacy-preserving technology.”

Two major players have signed on to be part of that community.

FairySwap

FairySwap is an interesting new exchange that has also agreed to build on Findora.

As the first DEX on Findora and a new kind of DEX focused on privacy, FairySwap combines privacy protection through zero-knowledge proofs with radically democratic tokenomics to give users a safe and open platform.

In what the group describes as a “fair-launch initiative,” no tokens are unfairly saved for venture capitalists, insiders, early investors or team members, according to the press release about the announcement.

Instead, 97 percent of all FAIRY tokens will be distributed to the community through liquidity mining, ensuring that the tokens are held by people who truly use the network.

The remaining 3 percent are being used in their Pixie Drop event to launch the product, the press release said. This approach balances a broad distribution of governance tokens for fair representation with widespread market utilization to maintain the value of $FAIRY.

Many new DEXs and protocols that claim to be community-governed still only allocated about 55 percent of their tokens to the community. FairySwap’s commitment to allocate fully 97 percent of their tokens to the community is a notable difference.

Venice

In December 2021, the Venice AMM DEX partnered with Findora, receiving funding for a $10 million liquidity program that will be used to increase daily activity and users on the Findora platform.

Venice is a chain-agnostic decentralized exchange that uses zero-knowledge technology to enable privacy preservation AMM and which also supports resistance to front-running.

The exchange supports cross-chain liquidity aggregation, which empowers users to easily move liquidity inter-ecosystem — without the need to reveal personal information, the press release said.

“Front-running is one of the biggest challenges that traders face when using DEXs,” Warren Paul Anderson, VP of Product at Discreet Labs, said in the Findora press release. “By building on Findora, Venice can utilize programmable privacy to resist front-running attacks and create a much more fair trading experience.”

In its 2021 State of the Ledger post on Medium, the Findora founders said that they expected many more groups to tap the ecosystem fund and grow their ideas on the Findora platform.

“With a growing developer community, an ecosystem fund continually deploying capital towards new and exciting projects, and a perpetually improving protocol, Findora is poised to lead the charge towards institutional adoption of private DeFi, or what we call PriFi,” Findora wrote.

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Is It Safe For Your Business To Use A Free Invoice Template?

February 28, 2022

It’s believed that the use of the right tools enhances the efficacy and efficiency of business operations. Tools such as invoices allow you to detail important information concerning your business as you streamline the payment process for clients.

While paid versions of these templates are great, a free invoice template, or even the best free invoice software, will enable you to create invoices at no added operational cost. But then, is it safe enough to consider this option for your business?

What’s An Invoice Template

An invoice template is a billing layout that presents important invoicing information clearly and understandably. Thus, it makes it easier for clients to understand and satisfy service and payment demands. Invoice templates contain information about your business services, payment terms, and the contact information of the parties involved in the transaction.

Beyond the basics, a standard invoice should also contain essential details such as title, the date of issuance, invoice number, and company information. It can extend to the sum of all the goods purchased and the tax info. Invoices generated online are usually sent as document attachments to clients.

Reasons Businesses Need An Invoice Template

Whether you’re a newbie or industry giant, having a proper invoicing service giving free invoice template or formats is crucial for your business due to these reasons.

For Proper Record-keeping: With an invoice in place, you can document, monitor, and keep a record of your payments and other financial transactions. An invoice template points you to the necessary financial records you must keep; hence, strengthening record-keeping methods.

To Reduce Human Errors: Manually inputting invoicing information gives room for errors. An invoice template helps you reduce mistakes that result from manual input mishaps for it is programmed and automated.

To Demonstrate Professionalism: An invoice template not only helps to record your financial transactions but also enhances your professionalism and reinforces your brand identity. Providing a professional invoice to your customers boosts your brand perception. Patrons will think that they’re dealing with a legitimate business front if they’re presented with official, reliable, and legally binding documents like a transaction invoice.

The Safety And Benefits Of Free Invoice Templates

It’s ideal to think most free things are unsafe. Such thoughts are because of their hidden costs and accessibility to all and sundry. Looking at free invoice templates, you can deduce their safety through the following:

1. Free Invoice Templates Prevent Mishaps

In the course of sending an invoice to your customers, there are chances that on some occasions, it takes a longer time to reach your clients. This may cause your client to delay getting back to you regarding payment. If this is eventually noticed and a new invoice needs to be created, it becomes challenging scouring through the necessary data once again to come up with a new invoice.

Free invoice templates save you stress by making enough duplicate copies of every invoice you create. That way, you can always get actual copies of the invoice when you need them again.

2. Free Invoice Templates Save Time

An invoice template comes with features that allow you to enter information and complete your invoicing task quickly and efficiently. You don’t have to start from scratch. All you need to do is input the right information where they should. And in a few minutes, the invoice template gets to your customer.

When you use free invoice templates, once you insert the client’s name and designation, it brings up the remaining necessary details. This helps to cut down on the long hours of manual work and enables you to send safe and secure invoices promptly – solving one of the primary financial problems faced by giant companies and small enterprises alike.

3. Free Invoice Templates Offer Client Satisfaction

Sometimes, uncomfortable arguments can occur between business owners and customers due to inaccurate invoice entries. A free invoice template can be an excellent safety net for avoiding such scenarios.

With the template, you can demonstrate all the details of the financial transactions and ensure every entry is accurate. By doing so, you make it easier for customers to understand why they’re being charged a particular amount without finding a reason for an argument. When customers find no reason to complain or argue about payment details, it signals satisfaction.

4. Free Invoice Templates Possess Security And Data Backup Functions

Free invoice templates often contain secure layer security (SSL) that keeps your communication with them safe. The layer also ensures sensitive data is not revealed, read, or modified by cybercriminals. Additionally, they have a data backup function that saves your past and present invoices securely in the cloud, saving you the risks of data breaches.

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Conclusion

The current business environment is highly competitive. Staying at the top of the market requires that you adopt faster and highly effective payment options. Free invoice templates are effective and safe enough to help you improve your payment methods and reduce the workload of manual records.

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Ukraine Crisis, Global Fallout – Colossal Failure of Diplomacy

February 28, 2022

By Dr. Dan Steinbock

As Ukraine is under fire, the crisis will derail global recovery and increase the risk of stagflationary recession. Yet, the crisis was avoidable.

Not so long ago, the International Monetary Fund projected global growth rate will slow to 4.4% in 2022. But as I have warned, it is overshadowed by the global risk of U.S. stagflation.

After the disastrous failure of international diplomacy over Ukraine, global recovery is fading and the world economy must cope with the risk of stagflationary recession

Energy risks amplify stagflation threats

For a long while, the geopolitical risk of Ukraine has been discounted, due to seemingly low economic contagion risks. Russia represents less than 2% of global economy and global trade, and Ukraine’s role is fractional.

Nonetheless Russia is the world’s second-largest oil exporter. And the oil market is ill-equipped for major supply disruptions after two years of COVID-19, low inventories and diminished spare capacity. Worse, as supply concerns spur oil stockpiling, price increases escalate.

Moreover, Russia is the world’s largest natural gas exporter. In 2021, it exported around $55.5 billion natural gas to other countries worldwide. The sanctions will suppress supplies and drive-up prices worldwide. And the EU is the largest importer of natural gas in the world

Currently, the US is an oil exporter accounting for almost 6% of global oil exports, while producing nearly all of the natural gas it uses. Hence, Washington’s penchant for severe sanctions rather than bold multilateral diplomacy.

By contrast, Russian gas is vital to U.S. NATO allies Germany (49% of gas supply), Italy (46%), and France (24%). It accounts for much of Europe’s gas imports (42%) via pipeline alone. Overall, energy makes up two-thirds of Europe’s imports from Russia. Perceived supply threats may create painful economic fallout for European countries already grappling with the specter of high inflation.

Supply disruptions compounding commodity risks

Together, Russia and Ukraine account for a quarter of global wheat exports. The crisis will have an adverse impact especially in the poorest developing economies. What happens in the Black Sea region will also reverberate across Africa, particularly major importing countries, such as Egypt, followed by Sudan, Nigeria, Tanzania, Algeria, Kenya and South Africa.

Since 2020, global grains have been among the key drivers of global food price increases. Now commodities prices will escalate further. Emerging Asia will have to cope with increasing energy and commodity prices and new inflation spikes.

Starting in March or soon thereafter, the U.S. Fed’s impending rate hikes, even if they would prove fewer than initially expected, will compound new macroeconomic vulnerabilities.

The huge economic and geopolitical risks we are witnessing today represent a massive failure of international diplomacy. But why did Russia opt for a path that will hurt it the most in the short-term?

Russia’s allegations: NATO expansion, far-right paramilitaries

Neither the demonization of president Putin nor the vilification of Russia and its people can nullify some of the allegations, particularly the role of NATO expansion and that of far-right extremists in Ukrainian paramilitary.

As declassified files evidence, a series of security assurances were given to Soviet leaders against NATO expansion from all major US, European and NATO leaders. In 2017, these declassified assurances were posted online by the National Security Archive, an independent US NGO.

More recently, the Orwellian denials of the role of far-right and neo-Nazi paramilitaries entered an ominous phase. Before Christmas, Russia’s UN motion against the “glorification of Nazism” was passed by more than three of four UN member countries. Yet, EU members abstained en masse from the UN resolution. Worse, Ukraine, Canada, and even the United States rejected the motion. In Moscow, this was seen as a carte blanche for the Ukrainian far-right against Russia.

During World War II, Ukraine’s far-right forces collaborated with Nazi-Germany; during the Cold War, with Washington. After the 2014 crisis and increased Western military aid, the groups became increasingly active. Last September, a US watch-group reported a far-right group Centauria had made its home in Ukraine’s major Western military training hub, built ties with the far-right Azov movement and infiltrated the Armed Forces, to reshape Ukraine’s military along white supremacism.

In the past year, repeated warnings by fellow Democrats that these groups sought to radicalize Ukrainian military were ignored by Biden’s secretary of state Antony Blinken and national security adviser Jake Sullivan. Instead, Western training, financing and arming prevailed for violent regime change in Ukraine. When Putin gave his TV address, even Facebook decided to allow praise of Ukrainian neo-Nazis, as long as they fight Russian invasion.

Ukraine’s three decades of plunging living standards

Despite repeated efforts to capture the parliament, the far-right groups enjoy only fringe democratic support in Ukraine. Most Ukrainians want peace and development. But that’s not what they’re getting.

From 1991 to 2014, the U.S. provided Ukraine with $4 billion in military assistance, according to the U.S. Congressional Research Service. As per crypto donation statistics, over $2.5 billion has been added after 2014, plus over a billion provided by the NATO Trust Fund. That’s only part of the total NATO military investments in Ukraine. But as Iraq and Afghanistan have shown, military and so-called economic aid seldom foster consumer welfare.

In 2014, Ukrainian military spending was about 3% of GDP, increasing to 6% in 2022, corresponding to more than $ 11 billion. So, following the 2014 crisis Ukrainian military expenditures have doubled. At the same time, economic growth has tanked to negative territory. As a net effect, Ukrainian living standards have collapsed.

Economic growth and military expenditures in Ukraine, 2010-2021

Ukraine GDP growth — Source: Data from SIPRI, IMF

After the implosion of the Soviet Union, Ukrainian per capita incomes were still almost at par with Poland and ahead of Latvia. Today, they are more than 60% behind them. Ukrainian living standards are barely ahead of Libya, which Western intrusions have turned into a failed state.

Colossal failure of diplomacy; edge of nuclear calamity

In an interview done two months ago, US Army Colonel Douglas Macgregor, former US Ambassador to Germany and ex-Pentagon adviser, expected Russian forces to invade Ukraine “towards the end of January, beginning of February in all likelihood.”

The Ukrainian crisis and its timing were well-known in the West. It was allowed for a purpose. Macgregor charges “US war lobby” for “fueling conflicts from Ukraine to Syria.” As he puts it, “our goals should be that Ukraine remains independent, sovereign, free, and that may or may not have anything to do with membership in NATO. But we haven’t been willing to consider that.”

The colossal failure of international multilateral diplomacy has taken us all closer to the abyss. Russia and the US own 90% of more than 13,000 nuclear warheads. Since 1947, the atomic scientists’ Doomsday Clock has served as a barometer of the likelihood of a human-made global catastrophe. A few weeks ago, it was set at just 100 seconds to midnight, again. One fatal mistake away from planetary calamity.

If international diplomacy will continue to fail, the problems of Ukraine will pale in comparison to what’s ahead. War is the realm of uncertainty.

The commentary is based on Dr Steinbock’s recent global briefing

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About the Author

Dr. Dan Steinbock is an internationally recognized strategist of the multipolar world and the founder of Difference Group. He has served at India, China and America Institute (US), Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (China) and the EU Center (Singapore). For more, see https://www.differencegroup.net/

Why Do B2B Companies Need Integrated Marketing?

February 28, 2022

It can take you many touchpoints to convert a new prospect. Most of your business buyers will research different sources and alternatives to make their purchasing decisions.

You’ll need so many interactions without coming off as intrusive. And creating impactful interactions will require more than a single channel.

Photos are rapidly becoming an essential component of any successful marketing strategy as the popularity of image-focused social networks like Instagram and Pinterest continues to grow. People will almost always relate better to visual signals, and services such as clipping path service will assist you in achieving this goal. When it comes to your marketing endeavors, having photographs that have been expertly altered by the most qualified professionals, such as Uk Clipping Path, should be at the top of your priority list.

Integrated marketing company can help you drive unified and clear branding messaging across all your channels. It will build brand loyalty and quality relationships that quickly convert into qualified leads.

Read along to understand more about integrated marketing and its benefits to your B2B operations.

What is Integrated Marketing?

It’s a comprehensive approach that uses all marketing tools, methods, and communication channels to drive value addition through unified, clear brand communication.

Integrated marketing allows you to stand out in a highly cluttered market. Integrated marketing companies can translate your complex business into compelling and straightforward brand communication. They’ll drive quality lead generation strategies and enhance high-impact market positioning.

The market is full of similar products and services; hence you’ll need a creative way to set yourself apart.

Integrated marketing will improve your financial performance and enhance your brand’s long-term brand value. But, it shouldn’t be confused with multi-channel attribution or omnichannel marketing.

Types of Marketing Concepts	Key Feature
Multi-Channel Attribution	Uses different channels for audience outreach. For example, you are using a combination of Facebook, website, email lists, Instagram, or Twitter.
Omnichannel Marketing	Offers a unified access platform to all your multiple channels. It enhances targeting and overall customer experience throughout the buying journey.
Integrated Marketing	Brings omnichannel and multi-channel attribution together for cohesive and clear messaging about your brand. It helps eliminate buyers’ confusion and builds brand trust for quality relationships & business results.

Roles of Integrated Marketing to B2B Companies

Developing consistent communication. It eliminates confusion through a consistent brand message that makes buyers identify with the company and its products or services.
Driving brand clarity. Integrated marketing uses a central source to ensure no conflict in various media communication channels. Hence, all buyers will have clarity.
Creating brand loyalty. Consistent messaging and brand clarity also contribute to buyer confidence. Therefore, it will create brand loyalty.
Achieving marketing goals. Increasing brand loyalty and client base translates to quality buyer relationships that drive sales growth and overall business performance.

These roles drive the value addition of integrated marketing. Here are what your company can gain by incorporating an integrated marketing plan in their B2B operations:

Benefits of B2B Integrated Marketing

1. Efficiency Gains

Making integrated marketing services part of your B2B operations improves internal efficiency. A robust integrated marketing strategy will create a connected team by eliminating a siloed marketing team.

It will streamline communication across the marketing and sales department for faster action and collaboration. It’ll create a unified, consistent message that eliminates the repetition of messages through all your channels.

Thus, you’ll save time and energy, improving your productivity.

2. Enhances Brand Image & Positioning

Due to clarity and consistent messaging, integrated marketing will improve buyers’ confidence in your brand. Hence, brand loyalty will help drive your market impact.

Leveraging digital marketing, mainly through a B2B SEO agency, can further your brand positioning online.

Thus, integrated marketing will ensure that many buyers see your brand. As stated earlier, you need so many touchpoints for any prospect to recognize your brand. Hence, you’ll improve your brand visibility through integrated marketing to enhance quality interactions.

3. Cost Gains

Better business operations need cost reductions. You can use the same content such as producing videos thru an online video editor, images, and more across all your channels. You’ll reduce your copywriting, photography and graphic design expenses.

Additionally, leveraging each marketing method’s ROI allows a B2B to maximize ROI.

4. Lead to Competitive Advantage

The above benefits can lead to a competitive edge. You’ll be able to cut competition with better internal efficiency, cost gains, enhanced brand visibility, and positioning.

You’ll be able to operate with less hassle and stress alongside better profit margins.

5. Improve Morale

Also, an integrated marketing agency can help boost your internal teams’ morale and synergies. Your internal teams will improve contact to focus on quality and clear messaging through streamlined internal communication.

Hence, they’ll have less burden due to shared roles for better and quality brand communication. It’ll improve internal synergies boosting their morale.

Integrated Marketing Methods

1. Advertising. Advertisements ensure your brand message is shared across several media channels and platforms, both traditional and digital. Leveraging it to drive a single brand message across your preferred demographics allows you to maximize brand reach.

Although expensive, it offers some of the best results to help maximize your ROI. It includes:

Billboards,
Print, radio & TV commercials,
Banners, etc.

2. Public Relations. PR involves consistent communication to promote brand image and its products or services. PR actions include:

Press releases,
Publicity,
Corporate sponsorships of events & experiences.

3. Sales Promotion. Buyer sales promotion involves dishing out incentives like coupons or gifts to drive sales efforts. It complements other elements like advertising and has three objectives:

Influence quick business buyer action.
Increase the size of purchases.
Create repeat purchases.

4. Direct Selling. It is a customized and interactive promotional campaign aimed at individual buyers through email, phone, etc.

It allows you to target business buyers individually, prompting them to take action.

5. Personal Selling. It is a paid interactive in-person marketing approach between a buyer and seller. It can happen through any medium, and aims to develop a solid long-term relationship with buyers.

6. Digital Marketing. The rapid adoption of technology has led to changes in buyer behaviors. Internet, social media, and other online platforms are incredible avenues for additional buyer interactions. Over 60% of buyers prefer remote human interactions or digital self-service.

Take Away

The market is full of clutter with undifferentiated goods and services. Besides, several communication channels can easily send conflicting brand messages if not effectively controlled.

Integrated marketing can help you streamline your marketing into a unified brand messaging with clarity and consistency. You’ll greatly benefit from market impact, efficiency, and cost gains. Hence, you can out-compete rivals through better brand loyalty, positioning, and quality lead generation.

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Is Diamond a Good Investment In 2022?

February 28, 2022

Do you want to invest in precious jewelry? Consider adding diamonds to your portfolio. Just like investing in top gold royalty companies, they also offer good returns, and their price appreciation has been consistent over the years. The rise in diamond prices can be compared to the rise in people’s interest in gry hot spot online za darmo bez rejestracji, just as rapid and unrelenting. Here are a few reasons to consider investing in diamonds.

Loose Diamond vs. Jewelry

In 2022, there are two main ways of investing in diamonds-Buying investment-grade diamonds or jewelry like engagement rings, bracelets and diamond earrings. The nature of diamonds means investing in them can be complicated. It isn’t as simple as investing in the stock market. Oskar Hartmann, international investor: investing in diamonds is one of the most stable and popular ways to start investing in precious jewelry. This is also a perfect way to diversify your investment portfolio.

When you purchase a diamond, its value increases over time. Both investment-grade and diamond jewelry will improve regardless of how the economy is doing. The only difference is that diamond jewelry has a large markup. You may not be getting the full value of your investment. So make sure to check Refermate for Jewelry Coupons

Why Diamond Is a Good Investment

1. Safety

Diamond is one of the safest investment purchases. The best thing about it is that it offers price stability even when the economy is going through a crisis. Diamond investments shield you from market collapses and deflation.

During tough times, investors will likely liquidate replaceable assets before diamonds. You are unlikely to have an oversupply of diamonds in the market.

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2. Portability

The small size of diamonds makes them easy to carry around. You can concentrate a lot of wealth in one place. In addition, you don’t need to lose physical possession of your diamonds no matter where you go.

1 oz. of diamonds is equivalent to 45 pounds of gold. You can fit hundreds of dollars worth of diamonds into your pockets. The small size also means that you don’t need a lot of storage space.

3. Exceptional Emotional Value

The value of diamonds is both rational and emotional. Their unusual emotional value makes diamonds priceless. Investing in diamonds is equal to investing in beauty. Their elegant nature and lightweight nature add to their value. Diamond jewelry is passed down generations and exudes emotional value.

4. Diamond Prices Increase Over Time

The value of diamonds improves over time. If you buy diamonds in 2022, their value will be significantly high in the next five or ten years. Ensure that your diamond is professionally certified if you hope to maintain its value.

Diamonds are the earth’s hardest substance. Therefore, they can last forever and are great for passing down as heirlooms. The hard and unbreakable nature means diamonds don’t lose their value over time.

5. The Rarity of Diamonds

The rarity of diamonds means they will always be in demand. Their supply has kept decreasing over the years. Today, most diamond mines are known. They are at the end of their most productive lives, and bigger ones are already closed.

There is an increased demand for diamonds in BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, and China). The demand results from growing economies and the fact that the middle class is growing. Diamonds have become accessible to a bigger part of the population.

Unfortunately, the supply of diamonds cannot meet its growing demand. The global mining industry only produces an average of 125 million carat gemstones annually. Even though diamonds make up a big percentage of this number, their demand is much higher.

6. Selective Liquidity

Even though they don’t have a public trading platform, diamonds can maintain high liquidity. Their liquidity varies depending on the segments you choose to trade in. generally, there are two main segments: very rare diamonds and commercial-grade diamonds.

Commercial-grade diamonds have widespread demand regardless of their rarity. They are mostly preferred for investment reasons. This segment has always been active. The diamonds have a high resale value and are great for making jewelry.

Very rare diamonds come with unique specifications. They are usually sold to small collectors and include large stones, fancy cuts, or intensely colored stones. Resale for these diamonds is usually through auction houses.

Should You Invest In Diamonds?

Diamonds are one of the best investment options for your future. Considering the benefits, they can be an excellent option for diversifying your assets and safeguarding your future. Both rare and commercial-grade diamonds are fantastic investments in 2022.

Whether you choose to buy a diamond engagement ring or invest in rare diamonds, you won’t regret the decision. Unlike silver or gold, all diamonds are unique. They come in different clarity levels, cuts, and sizes. Hence, there is an option for everyone.

Investing In Diamond Jewelry

If you want to invest in diamond jewelry, look beyond your personal preferences. The best choice should generally be ‘pretty’ and easy to sell. It should meet the recommended weight for its measure, and the inclusions have to be pleasant.

Are pretty diamonds worthwhile investments? Yes, they are. They maintain their value for years, and you can make profits reselling them. This, however, calls for a lot of patience. You can’t resell your diamond tomorrow and hope to make a profit.

Loose investment diamonds are a better choice for long-term investment. They have a history of appreciating in value, and selling them is easy.

Avoid putting all your eggs in one basket. Diamonds may be great investments, but you shouldn’t rely on them completely. They work better as part of a bigger investment portfolio. Combining them with other investments lowers your risk as every investment depends on different factors.

Learn about diamonds and research terminologies used in the industry. Also, you’ll need to make an assessment and come up with realistic expectations of possible gains and risks. This way, you can improve your chances of success.

Conclusion

In conclusion, investing in diamonds in 2022 is a great idea. Like with any other investment, however, you need to do your research and exercise some patience. Diamond investments must be approached objectively.

Their most significant benefit over other investment types is that they hold emotional value. They can be passed down through generations without losing their value. Since the demand will always be high, you can never have an oversupply of diamonds.

There is no guarantee that your investment in diamonds will yield fruits. However, getting into the market with the above tips in mind increases your chances of success.

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The Role of Data Analysts in the Financial Sector

February 28, 2022

Financial analysts develop financial reports that serve as summary information for managers. They also identify relevant insights and compile analytical reports. This makes it easy for team members to make sound decisions.

Financial data analytics is applied to an organization’s performance in different ways. It’s used in developing organizational goals and objectives. Financial data analytics is also used in building dynamic profit and loss statements. It helps in speeding up month-end close to streamlining budgeting and forecasting.

Modern financial software solutions are coming up to address the changing roles of the CFO and the financial team. This way, they can access a full data set and quickly meet the demands for financial information.

It’s crucial to have a single source of truth when preparing reports in an organization. It enables stakeholders to interact with the same database. It also makes it easy for everyone to make consistent and accurate decisions.

Data Analyst Roles in Financial Sector

The role of data analysts in the financial sector is profound and the number of data analyst jobs is growing every other year. Data analysts use tools like machine learning and data analytics to minimize risks. The tools also enable them to create more efficient and profitable decisions.

Let’s now discuss some of the roles of data analysts in financial sectors.

1. Customer Data Management

Data has transformed how financial institutions function. The volume of data is generated through social media and a large number of transactions. Data in financial sector is available in two forms:

Structured data
Unstructured data

Whereas structured data is easy to handle, unstructured data causes a lot of challenges. NoSQL tools can be used to handle unstructured data and get it processed with the help of MapReduce.

Business intelligence is the most crucial aspect of data analytics. Organizations use machine learning to create insights about the clients and extract business intelligence. Artificial intelligence tools like Natural Language Processing and data mining help in generating meaningful insights.

Also, ML algorithms assist in analyzing financial trends and changes in market values. This gets done through an analysis of the customer data.

2. Provision of Personalized Services

Financial institutions are tasked with providing personalized services to their clients. They use techniques to analyze client information and create insights into their interactions.

Financial institutions rely on speech recognition and NLP-based software to improve interactivity with users.

With the data gathered from users, data analysts can take actionable insights into their client’s needs. This leads to increased profits. It helps the institutions to optimize strategies and offer better services.

3. Algorithmic Trading

This is the most important part of financial institutions. There are complicated mathematical formulas and lightning-speed computations in algorithmic trading. This enables data analysts to devise new trading strategies.

Data analytics has had an impact on algorithmic trading. Data science, on the other hand, has become its most important feature. The data in algorithmic trading is made up of massive data streams. It involves leveraging data science fundamentals to develop a model that measures and describes the underlying data streams.

The goal of the analytical engine is to make predictions for the future market. This is done by ensuring that there’s a better understanding of the massive datasets.

4. Fraud Detection

Cases of fraud are a major concern for the financial sector. The high number of transactions has caused an increase in fraudulent activities. With analytical tools, financial institutions can now keep track of frauds with the help of data analysts.

Credit card fraud is one of the most practiced frauds in financial institutions. The detection of this form of fraud is thanks to the improvement in algorithms. The improvements have increased the accuracy of anomaly detection.

The detections also alert institutions about anomalies in financial purchases. This prompts the institutions to block the accounts to minimize losses. Data analysts also use ML tools to identify unusual patterns in trading data.

4. Risk Analytics

This is one of the key areas of data analytics and business intelligence in finance. Risk analytics and management enable financial institutions to make strategic decisions. They increase trustworthiness and security in the institution. Unlike the traditional structured data, the more advanced form of data can’t be accommodated in spreadsheets.

There are different kinds of risks that an institution faces. The risks come from competitors, credits, and markets. In order to manage risks, data analysts need to monitor and prioritize them.

There is the availability of data from client information and financial transactions. As such, institutions need to train on this type of data to increase risk scoring models. It will also help to optimize costs. Verifying the creditworthiness of clients also helps in risk management.

6. Real-Time Analytics

Data processing in traditional analytics was in the form of batches. That’s to say that data processing was historical, not real-time. This caused challenges for organizations that needed real-time data.

With the evolution in technology, data pipelines can be accessed with minimal latency.

With the application of data analytics in finance, institutions can be able to track transactions. They are also able to track credit scores and other financial attributes without issues of latency.

7. Consumer Analytics

Consumer personification is a major responsibility for the financial sector. With the help of real-time analytics, data analysts can take insights from consumer behavior and make decisions. Course5’s Customer Journey Analytics improves customer experiences through an understanding of the moments that matter most to them.

Institutions like insurance companies use consumer analytics to measure the client’s lifetime value. They also use consumer analytics to increase their cross-sale and reduce the below-zero clients for optimizing losses.

Conclusion

There are many roles of data analysts in the financial sector. The use of data analysts is majorly in the field of risk management and analysis. Organizations also use data analysis for fraud detection to find anomalous transactions.

Data analysis is also used in algorithmic trading. Here, ML plays the key role in making predictions, especially about future markets.

The role of data analysts in finance is to gather analytical reports from insights. This enables these institutions to make better decisions. Additionally, analytics is important because an institution’s growth is based on the strategies made.

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Tips for Beginners Amid the Stock Market Correction

February 27, 2022

Venturing into the stock market has become more attractive in the last two years. The increased capital inflows and promising returns are leading to an influx of price and dividend investors.

However, one still has to remain cautious, given the downtrend earlier this year. Although it is not as volatile as the crypto market, uncertainty is still in the air. That is why thorough checking of financials, price movements, and industry trends is necessary.

Observe the Price Trend

Whether you are into short-term or long-term investments, prices are vital to your investment success. The buy-and-sell investors look at the trends closely, and they often use technical analysis for price valuation. Using statistical trends will help you find trading opportunities.

The simplest method you can use is the Simple Moving Average. Here, you have to add the historical prices and divide the total by the number of observations.

Most investors employ the flag pattern to watch the price movement and decide when to buy and sell. You can also integrate it with a company’s financials. Some examples include the Price-to-Book (PB) Ratio and the Price-to-Earnings (PE) Ratio.

The Dividend Discount Model is my favorite since it can help both dividend and value investors. You can compare the price and earnings you get from your shares with these methods.

You may consider investing in hard-hit industries like hotels since their operations are limited. When vaccinations and industry reopenings sped up, businesses started to regain their footing, and financial and stock performance improved.

Although prices are still recovering from the recent downtrend, you may consider investing in the industry. I used the Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: WH) and Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH). According to Investopedia, they are two of the best value hotel stocks in 2022. We can confirm it using the Dividend Discount Model.

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: WH)
Current Stock Price	$90.26
Average Dividend Growth	0.4580623974
Estimated Dividends Per Share	$1.28
Cost of Capital Equity	0.4722436515
Derived Value	$103.4978851 or $103.50

Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH)
Current Stock Price	$147.11
Average Dividend Growth	0.07662527658
Estimated Dividends Per Share	$0.95
Cost of Capital Equity	0.07681227452
Derived Value	$157.4323444 or $157.43

You can also assess banks since the industry continues to show impeccable growth even today. At the height of the pandemic, the financial sector saw increased capital inflows, which stimulated its growth.

Moreover, the recession led to a decrease in interest rates. It attracted more borrowers and improved loan repayments. As investments, The Dividend Discount Model and their PE Ratio of less than 20 showed their undervaluation amidst the stock market correction.

	Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (NYSE: CM)	Farmers & Merchants Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: FMAO)	Farmers National Banc Corp. (NASDAQ: FMNB)	First Citizens BancShares NASDAQ: FCNCA)	First Farmers Financial Corporation (OTCQX: FFMR)	MetroCity Bankshares (NASDAQ: MCBS)
Current Stock Price	$128.48	$33.10	$17.21	$784.73	$52.26	$25.38
Average Dividend Growth	0.05093839009	0.09268143621	0.2462759171	0.09771264368	0.1457040413	1.393181818
Estimated Dividends Per Share	$6.44	$0.76	$0.56	$1.88	$1.44	$0.54
Cost of Capital Equity	0.1010629231	0.1156421613	0.2788151384	0.1001083721	0.1745040413	1.414458414
Derived Value	$135.0245644 or $135.02	$36.16775554 or $36.17	$21.44840853 or $21.45	$861.4080429 or $861.40	$57.28520206 or $57.28	$48.70364318 or $48.70

Today, the stock market is moving in a bearish pattern. The price drop of stock indexes, particularly NASDAQ, appears to be the steepest since the Global Financial Crisis in 2008. It can be attributed to the economic disturbance in large markets like the US, China, and Japan caused by the new COVID-19 variant.

But the primary driver is the inflationary forces that may raise the interest rates soon. The Federal Reserve System (The Fed) anticipates an interest rate hike in March. As such, investors are enticed to save more than borrow and invest. The same trend appears in the crypto market, not to mention the political turmoil in Kazakhstan.

Nevertheless, analysts and investors must expect a better year for the stock market. After all, many businesses have reopened and rebounded. Also, the monetary policy changes will be gradual since the US is still on its way to recovery.

Since January 28, the stock prices have been in a slight uptrend. The NYSE and NASDAQ had a six percent and an eight percent stock price growth, respectively. Meanwhile, S&P indexes had an average growth rate of five percent. The trend can be verified using the Simple Moving Average.

Read Company Financial Reports and Press Releases

Reading financial reports can help determine whether the stock’s value is logical or purely speculative. Specific accounts and financial ratios give you precise information depending on the industry.

It is also wise to read company news. You will find potential growth catalysts, such as expansion, M&A deals, and new products. These can make any company a promising investment and may be more beneficial for bullish investors.

Many investors look at the company’s viability through net income and Free Cash Flow. Others opt to look at its liquidity to know if it can cover its obligations within the year. Most industries, especially manufacturing companies, compute their liquidity using the Current Ratio.

To be more precise, they only include more liquid assets using the Acid-Test Ratio. This is because they cannot convert inventories into cash as quickly as the rest of their current assets.

But banks and other companies in the financial sector have a more unique way of assessing their liquidity. They have different ways of generating revenues and income.

So investors must check the revenues and net income of a bank. They must also assess its size and viability through the total assets and Return on Asset ((ROA)).

In general, banks have at least $1 billion in assets, so an ROA of one percent is acceptable. Liquidity is also a crucial aspect checked using the Loan-to-Deposit Ratio. Ideally, the ratio should be between 80% and 90%.

Return on Asset of Bank — Taken from MarketWatch

Loan to Deposit Ratio — Taken from MarketWatch

Metrocity Bankshares (NASDAQ: MCBS) has the highest ROA on the graph below. It is the most viable bank, given the income relative to its assets. Yet, its Loan-to-Deposit Ratio is more than 100%. It can be risky now that the economy is reopening and may increase interest rates soon. It may need more reserves if borrowers fail to pay loans.

Overall, these banks have good viability and liquidity. They can sustain their operations without running out of resources.

Farmers National Banc Corp. (NASDAQ: FMNB) and First Citizen Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ: FCNCA) are most careful. Now, their prices remain in a bullish trend. It shows the massive impact of their fundamentals on their stock price performance.

Watch the Economic and Industry Trends Closely

Watching the economy and industry trends provides you with a broader view of your stock market’s performance. Watch the inflation and interest rate changes since they are macroeconomic indicators. Massive changes in the industry can still affect the price trend and financial performance, so you have to be more careful.

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Bitcoin or Altcoins: The Right Choice for Merchants

February 26, 2022

With cryptocurrencies becoming increasingly popular across the world, more and more merchants are now keen to use it for transactions. However, allowing crypto payments works in a different way than fiat currencies. As such, one of the first things that merchants need to decide is whether they should only allow bitcoins or also permit altcoins. The fact remains that there are pros and cons to both bitcoin and altcoins. So, here’s taking a look at how using either can be beneficial for the merchants.

Bitcoin

Bitcoin can be called the leader of the digital currencies in the sense that it has the most prominent name and the largest market cap. As a matter of fact, bitcoin remains at the front line of cryptos making headways in conventional stores. More than 15,175 businesses across the world accept bitcoin.

It’s clear why bitcoin is the best choice for the stores accepting crypto payments. After all, as per Quantumai Official Website, bitcoin is presently the most popular digital token. It has been the same since the beginning of the crypto movement.

Also, stores thinking about whether a larger customer pool is going to use that digital token will have their fears addressed by bitcoin. Over 21.2 million adults own and use cryptocurrency in the US.

Moreover, it has been one of the most resilient currencies in the past months of turbulence in the realm of digital currencies. It tends to improve the perceived approachability of the currency for the merchants. Now, it is also true that bitcoin has managed to preserve its value, which many of its competitors could not. It can be an argument against the incorporation of the currency in conventional merchant payments because investors might not be okay with getting rid of bitcoins owned by them when they think its value is going to rise.

Altcoins

Altcoins refer to the big group of cryptos that go more or less under the radar when compared to bitcoins. There are enough reasons to adopt altcoins as well. High volatility, fees, and transaction times related to bitcoin might be a hurdle for several customers who do not want to spend more than necessary for smaller purchases. Altcoins can be the alternative for faster and cheaper transactions.

The transaction fee of BTC is the highest among all major digital currencies. On the other hand, it is much less in the case of other cryptos. In fact, for alternatives like XRP, the transaction fee is a fraction of bitcoin.

There are altcoins that also ensure faster confirmation time than bitcoin. For obvious reasons, this appeals to both merchants and customers. Although, on the other hand, altcoins have risks related to being less popular and smaller than bitcoins. Merchants can never completely guarantee whether an altcoin is going to remain popular or viable.

Some merchants simply accept a wide variety of tokens and don’t even get into deciding between bitcoin and altcoins. Others try to choose between the two options. The fact is that there are pros and cons to the use of both.

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Top 6 Strategies Used For Trading In Options

February 26, 2022

An integral part of trading in options is to understand the strategies involved in it. Now, most traders are aware of the puts and calls of trading in options. But there are several other nuanced strategies that can be used. Keeping all of that in mind, Tesler has outlined six strategies below that traders tend to resort to when dealing in options. There are many other complicated strategies available as well, but let that be a discussion for another day. And without further ado, let’s get started.

Call option strategy:

A call option refers to a contract made between a seller and a buyer to buy a particular stock at a specific price until a set expiration date. The buyer of a call contains the right, though not the obligation, to exercise that call and buy the stocks.

Put option strategy:

Put option gets you an alternative route by taking the bearish position on an index or security. As the trader purchases a put option, they buy the right to sell their underlying asset at the price mentioned in the option. In this case, the trader does not have any obligation to buy the commodity, stock, or other assets secured by the put.

Married put strategy:

A lot like the protective put method, the married put is about purchasing an ATM (at-the-money) put option in a specific amount to cover the present long position in the stock. In this manner, it is a lot like the call option. It is even known as a synthetic call at times.

Protective collar strategy:

With the collar, an investor holding a long position in the underlying asset purchases an out-of-the-money (downside) put option, and at the time, writes an out-of-the-money (upside) call option for that same stock.

Long straddle strategy:

Purchasing the straddle allows you to capitalize on the future volatility but without the need to take bets on whether this move is going to be on the downside or upside – both the directions are profitable. In this case, the investor takes both a put and a call option at the exact same strike prices and expiration based on the same underlying asset. As it involves buying two at-the-money options, it’s costlier than a couple of other strategies.

Long strangle strategy:

A lot like straddle, the purchaser of a strangle tends to go long on an out-of-the-money call option, along with a put option, simultaneously. It will come with the same date of expiry, but have separate strike prices: The put strike price is going to be less than the call strike price.

It involves a lower outflow of premium than a straddle but also needs the stock to go either lower to the downside or higher to the upside to be profitable.

The endnote

Regardless of the way you choose to go with options, it is crucial to take your time to understand the strategies. If you do it right, options trading can be more profitable than many people think of.

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