Did Covid-19 Delay People’s Retirement?

September 21, 2021

COVID-19 changed a lot of lives in several ways. Not only did millions of people lose their job in just a few weeks, but many who weren’t laid off had added expenses or income loss that impacted their lives. In addition, according to a Nationwide survey, 15% of Americans are postponing their retirement because of the consequences of the pandemic.

Many people who lost their jobs also lost access to their retirement plans, like 401(k)s.

Even those who worked throughout the pandemic were still financially hurt as employers instituted pay cuts or reduced and eliminated matching contributions. Recovering from the pandemic will take time, so many people are delaying their retirement and working longer.

Stock Market Did Not Postpone Retirement

As the pandemic continued through 2020, stock values plummeted, making investors panic, and millions of people delayed retirement as their portfolios were hit. Luckily, while stock values declined in the early days of the pandemic, the stock market recovered before the end of the year.

If an individual’s portfolio was recovered, it could have been because they had to pause on their retirement plan contributions for most of 2020, which means they need to work longer.

IRAs and 401(k)s

Many individuals planning their retirement before the pandemic have been unable to retire because of the financial hit they took in 2020. During the pandemic, individuals who were laid off, or those who had to use their retirement contributions and/or funds to pay for other things, will need to push retirement off a few years to fully recover.

Those who were laid off and not asked to return to work will likely have to find another job to continue with their contributions.

Those hoping to retire within the next six months to a year will need to consider delaying retirement until the overall state of their finances improves.

Home Payments

With fewer people working during most of 2020 and many still laid off or looking for new jobs, many individuals are dipping into their retirement fund to spend money on things they need right now, like their homes. While mortgage forbearance has been extended, it will eventually end, which means many people will need to pay their loans with money they don’t have.

As a result, many people will dip into any savings account or retirement plan they have so they can keep their homes, which means working longer to rebuild their retirement savings.

Individuals who want to move out of their homes when they retire may find purchasing a new home difficult because the cost of housing has skyrocketed, which means they may find themselves renting a home instead of buying a new one. Unfortunately, not only has the average home price gone up since the pandemic but so has the average rent, which means even more money will need to be taken from retirement accounts.

Debt

Those who were financially impacted by the pandemic were forced to take on debt to make ends meet. On top of dipping into retirement accounts, adding debt has put these individuals in a worse position because they now have to refund their retirement accounts and simultaneously pay off their debt.

What to Know About COVID-19 and Retirement

Determining if retirement is right for you depends on several factors, but the U.S. government has tried its best to lessen the impact of the pandemic.

Eased Penalties

In March 2020, the federal government passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which allowed Americans to tap into their retirement plan savings. While companies did not have to adopt the provisions, many did help their employees access their own money much easier to pay for necessities.

While this helped people when they needed it the most, they no longer have the necessary funds in their accounts to retire when they wanted. In addition, tapping into these assets may have compromised retirement portfolios with many older individuals without the ability to restore their funds.

Financial Planning

As many Americans found themselves without jobs and money, they realized the necessity for better financial planning. While it’s almost impossible to plan a pandemic, there are ways to ensure the financial stability of yourself and your family.

Short-term events should not alter long-term planning, like retirement, and focusing on the present can be a mistake if individuals didn’t have to. Unfortunately, many people don’t have a large savings account or retirement plan, so their lost incomes put them in a dire financial situation.

If the pandemic has taught all of us one thing, it’s that we all need to manage money more carefully, especially when it comes to long-term goals like retirement. If you are financially set, consider donating to different non-profits, such as the American Heart Association, to help out other people that are in need during these troubled times.

When it comes to financial planning, you can benefit from an estate plan or a trust that ensures the financial security of yourself and your family.

Who Was Impacted the Most?

Adults with higher income were impacted the least because they had enough savings to cover themselves in case of an emergency like the pandemic.

Low-income Adults

Those who were the most impacted were lower-income adults. Many individuals who were living paycheck-to-paycheck were forced out of their jobs and unable to work during the pandemic, which had long-term consequences for their financial future.

Those who were already struggling before the pandemic will continue to struggle to try to build their finances back up, making retirement seem like a pipedream.

Older Adults

Another group most impacted by the pandemic are those in their late 40’s and 50’s. These are individuals who are thinking about retirement but have yet to reach the retirement age. Those who were laid off or took a pay cut are more likely to expect their retirement to be delayed at least until they recover what they lost.

What About Young People?

The pandemic didn’t delay retirement for decades from now. If you’re younger, it’s going to be easier to recover from a year of not making contributions to your retirement plan. The people’s retirement plans most impacted by the pandemic are those who planned to retire within a few years or less, and those who were short on savings before the pandemic and had to pause on retirement plan contributions.

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About the Author

Matt Casadona has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with a concentration in Marketing and a minor in Psychology. Matt is passionate about marketing and business strategy and enjoys San Diego life, traveling, and music.

Special Benefits of Outsourcing Hong Kong Payroll Service

September 20, 2021

Do you have a company registered in Hong Kong and have been wondering about the best way to enhance efficiency? Why not consider outsourcing some of the services? For most companies in Hong Kong, one of the areas they outsource their services is payroll management. In this post, we will tell you the main benefits that come with outsourcing Hong Kong payroll service from experts.

Why Do You Need Outsourcing Hong Kong Payroll Service?

Payroll outsourcing entails hiring another firm to help with human resources management services. This can be a firm that specializes in payroll services only or a good accounting firm. If your Hong Kong company is new, following laws related to labor laws can be pretty strenuous and it will be a good idea to work with professionals.

As your business grows and entries increase, the process of ensuring employees are paid on time, capturing all associated payments, loyalties, and other reports, can get complex. Instead of trying to handle these complex books alone, you should bring an expert Hong Kong payroll service to help. Depending on the terms and conditions between you and the payroll service provider, it might be possible for your staff to acquire some skills.

Benefits of Using Hong Kong Payroll Service

Now that you know how Hong Kong payroll services work, we will now list the main benefits to anticipate.

1. Helps to Release Your Staff for Other Tasks

By outsourcing payroll services from a good firm, your employees who could have been involved can focus on other critical parts of the business. For example, you can direct more effort into product development and marketing as experts work on the payroll. You will also have peace of mind knowing that the task will be completed professionally and on time.

2. Hong Kong Payroll Services can Help You to Cut Cost of Operations

If you opt to run payroll operations internally on your company, it means incurring a lot of logistics and costs on hardware, software, staff, and security. However, most Hong Kong payroll service providers cover these expenses when you hire them for help. Therefore, they provide a good way of cutting the cost of operations and optimizing profitability.

3. Hong Kong Payroll Service can Help to Save You Time

The process of ensuring that all employees are paid correctly, all deductions correctly factored and taxes implemented well can be time-consuming. If your company has multiple categories of staff, such as part-time and permanent employees, managing payroll can take a lot of time. However, the work is pretty easy for professionals because that is what they specialize in doing.

4. Ensures Your Employees are Paid on Time

After working for a full month, your employees always look forward to the payday. Most of them are waiting to make personal purchases, while others have obligations such as repaying loans and paying for education. Therefore, paying them on time is very important, that’s why companies are looking for partnering with a PEO Company. The outsourced firm will ensure that staff salaries are processed on time and any reward factored in correctly. This is an excellent way of building a motivated team of employees in your Hong Kong company.

These are only a few of the benefits that you should expect to enjoy for outsourcing your payroll services. The lovely thing about working with experts is that they have been doing this and have a lot of experience to complete the payroll processing on time and advise you on how to craft the best strategy for success. Even with Evergrande crash, remember that all of this is possible only when you work with the best Hong Kong payroll service.

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Tips to Get an Affordable Legal Payday Loan in Australia

September 20, 2021

A payday loan is a short-termed loan that a borrower repays during the next paycheck. A payday loan matures typically at 16 days. So, if you are looking for cash to sort out your emergency in Australia, then go no further.

You don’t have to apply for long-term loans to cater for short-term emergencies. And that’s where payday loans come into play. The good thing about payday loans in Australia is that they are entirely applied online. The digital application means that you will save a lot of your time moving around banks and credit unions.

I’m going to show you some tips you can use to get affordable and legal payday loans in Australia. But first, let’s see the characteristics of payday loans.

Characteristics of payday loans in Australia

Payday loans have high-interest rates
Lenders of payday loans do not run a borrower’s credit checks
Payday loans are usually short-termed
The limits start from $300 up to $5,000
To qualify for a payday loan in Australia, you must have a stable source of income
You must also have 18 years and above to qualify
And finally, you should have a checking account and be a resident of Australia

Now that you know the characteristics of payday loans let me show you the tips to help you get an affordable legal loan in Australia.

Tips to get affordable and legal payday loans in Australia

Learn how to avoid loan scammers

If you need to get a payday loan in Australia, consider vetting the borrowers that you find online and see whether they are licensed. By so doing, you will be protecting yourself from scams.

Scammers can call or send you messages or emails saying that they want to lend you money. So please don’t click on the links or give them your personal information.

That’s why it’s so essential to verify any information you get about a lender. See this article and learn about how you can identify a scam lender.

If a lender is licensed, they should follow the rules and regulations outlined in the Australian Securities & Investments Commission(ASIC) to ensure that the consumers are satisfied.

First, know about your financial situation

If you want to get a payday loan in Australia, you should first contact an expert to assess your financial situation. This process will help you to know the kind of loan you want. For example, if you want a loan to cover a short-term expense, your financial advisor will approve you to apply for a payday loan.

On the other hand, you can apply for different kinds of loans if you need to buy a car, a house or if you want to invest.

Budget your income

Proper budgeting is another tip that can help you make an informed decision when applying for a payday loan in Australia. For example, will the payday loan add more pressure to your income? If yes, then you may have to consider other alternatives like saving little money for future emergencies.

On the other hand, if you can manage your budget while paying for the payday loan, you can apply for the loan.

Make comparisons

You should never apply for a loan while rushing. No matter how fast you may need the cash, ensure that you first make a comparison between several payday lenders in Australia. The payday loan lenders in Australia have different terms that you should follow.

So, you should ensure that you only move with the lender who has instant payday loans no credit check options and best terms and conditions. Otherwise, you will end up differing with the unfavorable terms during the repayment period.

The bottom line

The secret of getting an affordable payday loan in Australia is doing comparisons between different payday lenders. But, then, always go for the deal that will not sabotage you in the future. In addition, the most critical aspect is to apply for loans only when you need them. If whatever you need to is not an emergency, learn to save money for that.

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Dividing Money and Digital Assets In A Divorce

September 20, 2021

When a couple decides to get a divorce, they must also agree on how to divide the property they have accumulated throughout their marriage. This includes money, personal property, real estate, stocks, and nowadays, the list also involves the possession and value of digital assets.

How money and digital assets are divided depends on the law of the state where the divorce takes place, but it generally follows one of two systems: community property or equitable distribution. In community property states, any property obtained during the marriage is usually divided equally between the spouses. In equitable distribution states, on the other hand, spouses get a fair divide of the property, but not necessarily an equal one.

Deciding how to divide assets can be quite challenging even in the most amicable cases – so it can get especially complicated in contentious ones. So much so, that arguing about money is the top divorce predictor among couples, making it a potentially delicate issue to deal with in divorce proceedings. On that note, let’s look at how money and digital assets are divided in a divorce.

Digital Assets

Despite having most of our lives online, it’s common to get confused about all of the things that fall under the digital asset umbrella. While you might only be thinking about what happens to Bitcoin in a divorce or how to divide your virtual currencies, there are several commonly held digital assets you should consider. These include:

Cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin;
Shared social media accounts;
Digital documents and photos;
Digital libraries of books, games, etc.;
Frequent flyer miles.

In the increasingly digital world, couples should carefully consider how to divide these assets in a divorce. NFTs, cryptocurrencies, and social media accounts all carry a certain monetary value or have earning income potential, so they should be treated with the same gravity as any other property.

Getting Started: Create A List

When settling the financial part of divorce proceedings, both parties need to disclose their financial positions, including their bank statements, property, and valuable items. Failure to disclose any assets can lead to sanctions in court, so you are always advised to provide a complete and thorough list. Digital assets can often be overlooked at this stage, so a great way to keep track of them is to create a separate digital asset list.

Digital Inventory

As you would do with your physical items, you should consider creating a ‘digital inventory’ that contains all of your digital assets. Each spouse should list all shared digital property and compare it with their partner to ensure everything is included. It might be beneficial to write the list in order of importance, either by monetary or sentimental value. This practice will help both you and your solicitor in further negotiations.

Dividing The Assets

It’s important to consider any current and future value of your digital assets. For instance, blogs or social media accounts that generate significant amounts of money need to be disclosed and entered into the calculations of your financial records. The same rule applies to cryptocurrencies and other valuable holdings. The cryptocurrency market can be volatile and unpredictable, so you should obtain regular valuations throughout the financial proceedings.

Since digital currencies are also harder to trace, there is a greater possibility for hiding these assets. Cryptocurrencies are virtual and anonymous, so there are no bank accounts or statements tied to them, which may lead to one spouse being unaware of their partner’s possession of such funds. If you suspect this to be the case, you may ask your attorney to ask or look for such information during discovery or acquire the help of a digital forensic expert.

If you know the precise value of all items on your list, you can go through them in order of importance and decide how to split them between you and your spouse. Some digital assets may only hold sentimental value, so dividing them may be as simple as ensuring each partner has a copy of the photos. Still, some may be more difficult to assign, as music or film collections and frequent flyer air miles cannot be physically transferred or shared. In these cases, you may need to consider who will keep the asset and how to compensate the other spouse for its value.

The nature of the division will depend on the agreement between spouses and the state where the divorce takes place, but before such decisions are made, both spouses need to disclose the full value of their assets. Calculating the total value of your assets will also make it easier to handle all financial aspects of the divorce, including child support or alimony.

Final Words

Dividing money and digital assets in a divorce can be an extremely complicated process, especially in more emotionally charged cases; knowing how to navigate these proceedings can be helpful to both you and everyone else involved.

Before you begin, you should consider all digital assets in your possession. You will be required to compile a list that reflects your financial situation, including a digital inventory. Once you’ve determined their exact value, you will reach an agreement with your spouse – and depending on the state where you are getting your divorce – to ensure a fair and mutually accepted division.

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ZIL Price Forecast 2021-2030

September 20, 2021

Zilliqa is a blockchain project launched by the National University of Singapore. Its mainnet was launched in 2019. The platform supports staking and yield farming. The project claims to be the first of its kind in regard that it relies completely on a sharded network. It can process thousands of transactions per second.

Zilliqa is a relatively new project that offers some new functionalities. At least, it can be applied in real-world industries. Its mining is also compatible with the mining of ETH which makes the mining process eco-friendly. Also, ETH to ZIL convert is available on many platforms now. So, logically, the ZIL price shall be growing over time. However, let us check what experts say.

Will ZIL Cross the Mark of 0.02 by the End of 2021?

Specialists insist that the coin won’t move higher than 0.12 USD by the end of 2021. The majority of experts believe that it won’t even reach the mark. We expect ZIL to fluctuate around the mark of 0.10 USD until the end of the current year.

What 2022- 2025 Is Going to Bring for ZIL?

The coin is expected to grow in price even though the growth isn’t going to be as fast as ZIL fans would like to. So, during 2022, the cryptocurrency will approach the level of 0.2, however, it will not cross it yet.

In 2023, Zilliqa is expected to grow in value to 0.2 and further. 2023 will be the first year for the coin to cross the level of 0.3 and even to move above it to 0.38. However, we shall not expect further growth to 0.4 and up within this year.

During 2024 – 2025, the price will grow significantly up to 0.5 and higher. While some specialists believe that during this period, the coin value might skyrocket to 0.6 and higher, we do not share the optimism because there are no evident reasons for this to happen.

2026 – 2030 Will Be Marked by a More Rapid Growth

Starting from 2026, the cryptocurrency price will be moving up faster. So, during 2026 only, the crypto value is expected to grow up to 0.7 USD and to cross the level.

In 2027, the coin is believed to cross for the first time the mark of 1 USD. The growth will not stop with it. After a short correction, it will continue until the coin reaches the value of 2 USD. It is forecasted to happen in 2028.

By 2030, Zilliqa is expected to cross the mark of 3 USD per coin, and the bullish trend isn’t going to stop by then.

Bottom Line

Zilliqa is an interesting project with some perspectives. For now, it doesn’t bring a lot of use to the world. However, with the further adoption of blockchain and cryptocurrency, the application of the project will become wider, and it will influence the coin price in a positive way.

It also shall not be forgotten that cryptocurrency is a highly volatile asset. Its decentralized nature means that it cannot be controlled by a government or another organization. Cryptocurrency prices are formed by factors that differ from those that form the prices of fiat money. For now, Zilliqa is not among the top crypto exchange ranks. So, it is not expected that it will be growing rapidly.

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Where Can I Play Casino Games Online for Free?

September 20, 2021

The real question for most of us could be, “where to play online casino games for free and win real money?”. Of course, the idea of winning without playing is a very common fantasy. However, this happens regularly with raffles with which you don’t play anything, but you can still win something. For casinos, the deal is different as you basically win real money only if you play real money. If you play for free, you logically can’t expect to win any real rewards. But, you never say never, and because the competition between Canadian online casinos is getting harder, some of the best casino sites offer you a free beginning through bonuses or free spins given without any deposit. By using these free welcome rewards, you might eventually be able to receive real money by winning and completing the required wagering. In this case, the question about where to play casino games online for free and win real money by playing the best casino games isn’t that abstract.

The first thing that matters here is to find the online gambling sites offering the best conditions to apply this scenario. For this, the natural way is to search on your favourite browser to find some precious information about the best websites in Canada. Due to the research and among the number of results, we chose to look at the site called Privatecasinos. Here we found a list of casinos available in Canada and tested by their staff which sum up their opinion in online casino reviews. From another list established by casinoavis, you can find different brands which offer free spins without deposit, like Lucky Luke or Jack 21.

Free Spins without deposit, the best way to play casino games for free

Using some free spins given by an online casino without any deposit you can find on Privatecasinos seems the best way to start playing for free and eventually receive some real money wins. To take advantage of it, the main requirement is to create your account. Once you have filled the registration form with all the necessary details about yourself, you become eligible for your spins for free. Of course, the free spins are available on selected games, as it’s the rule on most online gambling sites in Canada and everywhere else. Whatever the chosen slot, you can now play a casino game for real. Your potential wins will be kept in your bonus balance, and once you complete the required wagering, the funds may be converted into real money to withdraw. To know more about the wagering requirement, you have to read the bonus terms!

The slots’ Demo mode. Play for free, play for fun

If your desire is only to play and have fun by spinning virtually on nice slots without any expectation of winning anything, here you are. Every digital tool or game offers a trial version, so do the online casino slots! Indeed, most Canadian online casinos allow players to test their entire list of slots through the Demo mode. Using this way, players can try the slots in real conditions by spinning, discovering their features, their design and musical themes before deciding to play their real money on it or not. The demo mode is a very useful tool that gives many beginners their first contact with online games.

Free bonuses or demon versions, there is always a win to play casino games for free.

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Best 10 Email Signature Tools For Managers

September 20, 2021

According to Newoldstamp’s “The State of Business Email Marketing Report,” 40% of marketers and sales representatives send 18 personalized business emails each day. If we multiply them by 20 workdays, we’ll see that an average employee at small and medium-size organizations has 360 personalized email communications monthly. That’s 4000+ targeted messages per year per team member.

By not using regular work emails for promotion purposes, businesses lose potential clients and branding opportunities.

The same above-mentioned report says that 62% of surveyed who use email signatures in their business conversations confirm that they treat sign-offs as an additional opportunity to give more visibility to their businesses.

Key elements of a professional email signature

If email is the main communication channel in your organization, don’t ignore it and leverage its marketing power. Use branded colors in your email footer, include relevant contact details, and a clear call to action to every message you send.

The basic elements of a professional email sign-off are:

Sender’s name
Company name (+department if necessary)
Job title
Essential contact details such as a phone number

Additional features of a professional email signature are:

For marketing managers:

Social media icons
A link to the latest content
A link to blog subscription

For sales managers:

A promo banner with the latest offer
Holiday greeting message with a link to a promo page
Seasonal promotions

For client relations managers:

A link to a landing page with the company’s mission and services
A link to a video presentation of the company’s services
Customer reviews or testimonials

How to create a professional email signature for a manager

The easiest way to create a well-designed sign-off for emails is an email signature generator. It’s easy-to-use, inexpensive, and sometimes even free.

Below are the 10 most popular email signature tools you can take advantage of.

Newoldstamp

Create beautiful and functional email footers for your email in no time. Simply choose a template that suits your needs, put in your details, upload a photo or logo, and you’re done. Newoldstamp has a large library of templates for various fields and tastes. It’s also possible to add a promotional banner that attracts readers’ attention. So you can promote anything you want (new app release, landing page, sale, etc.). You can even add some info about the upcoming event in your company or let people schedule a meeting with you. The more email messages you send, the more people become aware of what you want to share.

Price: free or from $8/month.

MySignature

MySignature is designed to promote while communicating with customers, partners, and colleagues. The tool will help you build an email signature that suits your business needs. You will be able to enhance your professional image, utilize an extra (and free) marketing channel, and develop relationships based on trust. MySignature is perfect for sales & marketing managers, customer support representatives, recruiters, and other individuals working with clients. Furthermore, it is widely used by entrepreneurs, freelancers, and thought leaders. So, if you want a flawless, mobile-adaptable email signature with the option to choose from various templates designed with a brand voice in mind, try MySignature.

Price: free or from $4/month.

Opensense

The tool is perfect for marketers as it helps drive more engagement with new offers, best content, and company events using targeted promo banners in every day email messages. It also works great for sales departments as it allows them to see what potential clients do after receiving an email. It is possible to track engagement with email, links, attachments, and more.

Price: from $1 per user per month.

Xink

The software is extremely easy to use, has simple management for numerous signatures, allowing different templates for different users. So you can select one template for a marketing department and a completely different template for your sales team.

Price: from 0.56€ per user per month (for large teams).

Rocketseed

Another fantastic tool that transforms your business email communication into a creative and cost-effective marketing channel is Rocketseed. It puts marketers in control as it can help them achieve consistent branding, run targeted marketing campaigns, drive more traffic to a company website, promote the best content, and track every click to measure success – all through email signatures. With Rocketseed, you can be sure that email signatures display on every device and look stunning. You can also adapt signature templates for different departments.

Price: free or from £1 per user per month.

CodeTwo

CodeTwo is a cloud-based email signature and disclaimer service that lets businesses design and centrally manage email signatures for all employees, devices, and email clients in the Microsoft 365 tenant. The software is perfect for large organizations. With its help, it’s possible to make quick changes to branding or special event marketing instead of having to ask all the employees to individually change their email sign-offs on each of their devices.

Price: from $1 per user per month.

Exclaimer

Just like the above-mentioned tools, Exclaimer allows adding promotional banners for events, company news, or new content to drive engagement. If you create your signature with Exclaimer for all the team members’ email footers, you can be sure that the company branding will be consistent across every email message, every time. It is compatible with Outlook, Exchange, Office 365, and G-suite. On top of that, all signatures can be managed centrally.

Price: available upon request.

WiseStamp

This tool offers everything marketing and sales people might need for their email signatures. This includes sales & marketing email signature templates, the ability to add promo banners, social media icons, multi-client integration, centralized management, and more.

Price: free or from $5.80 per month.

Mailtastic

Another great software that can help marketing managers get relevant content, events, offers, and even more in front of their audience is Mailtastic. It is possible to create email footers for the entire team and then update content in their email signatures when necessary.

Price: available upon request.

HubSpot

HubSpot’s email signature creator helps business people and brands look and feel more professional. You can create free, custom, branded email footers for you and your team in a matter of minutes. The tool is extremely easy-to-use. First, you need to fill in some personal details (i.e., your name, job title, phone number) in the boxes. After that, add your social media links to the signature. You can also customize fonts, colors, and other styles that suit your needs.

Price: free.

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What Is an ETF and Why Should You Start Investing in Them?

September 20, 2021

Investing is one of the greatest ways that you can exponentially increase your net worth. However, not everybody understands the nuances about it that they need to.

For instance, you may be asking yourself “what is an ETF?” We’ve got all the information to know.

Let’s get started.

So, What Is an ETF?

This term stands for exchange-traded fund. It allows investors to purchase a large number of bonds or stocks at one time.

In fact, it’s not uncommon for a single ETF to consist of hundreds of different companies. So, buying a single share of an ETF essentially distributes your money across a large number of company stocks.

ETF vs Mutual Fund

It’s essential to understand the differences between an ETF and a mutual fund. Although the two are highly similar, they aren’t identical.

The primary difference is how you buy and sell shares of these investments.

To elaborate, the price for mutual funds is determined once per day. They also typically require investors to contribute a set dollar amount.

Additionally, the transaction for a mutual fund is not instant.

ETFs, on the other hand, function exactly what stocks do. This means that you can choose how many shares you want, and you will need to pay the minimum price per share.

However, this means that transactions are instant and you are able to buy shares of ETFs as long as the stock market is open.

Additionally, ETFs fluctuate in price as the day goes on. So, you may end up paying more or less money if you decide to wait before you purchase.

How Much Money Do I Need to Get Started?

Many people mistakenly believe that you need to have a large amount of money to get started in ETF investing. The good news is that this isn’t true at all.

However, it’s worth noting that you will need to pay the minimum price per share in order to purchase an ETF stock. This means that the price floor is the cheapest ETF that you are able to buy.

To clarify, if the least expensive ETF costs $40 per share, then you will need at least $40 to get started.

As you might guess, investing more money will generate greater returns. So, those who have more to contribute will see a higher output.

Looking to get started? You can check out this resource to learn more about the next steps to take: www.monexsecurities.com.au/

Understanding ETFs Is Essential

This is due to the fact that they have the potential to exponentially increase your return on investment. So, keep the above answer to “what is an ETF” in mind so that you can make the decision best for you. Or look for ETF service providers to help you get started.

Want to learn more useful information that can benefit you in the future? Our blog has plenty of great resources you can check out.

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What Is Crypto Lending and How Does It Work?

September 20, 2021

During stagnant market cycles, holding BTC or ETH can be difficult when funds are required. It often happens that traders do not want to liquidate their assets for the sake of holding and are not enthusiastic about the necessity to pay taxes. Fortunately, there is always a solution – you can get a loan in cryptocurrency. In the world of cryptocurrency loans, traders can choose between centralized and decentralized routes. And there are a couple of differences between the two.

Decentralized finance (DeFi) became popular in 2019 and 2020; it is now one of the main use cases for blockchain technology. With this new trend around DeFi, you can lend coin, and there are also many new ways to increase the number of crypto assets in your wallet. In this review, we will dive deep into what cryptocurrency lending is and how it works.

Examples of Using Cryptocurrency Lending

The best way to understand how crypto lending platforms and markets work is to explore the ways how users can participate in cryptocurrency trading:

Overdraft – It is available to both individuals and legal entities. Overdraft employs a certain limit, the amount of which depends on the turnover on the account. As a rule, a borrower is obliged to repay the overdraft in full with a frequency of once every two weeks or a month. This is necessary to be able to use the funds again within the allocated limit.
Tax-free liquidity in USD – Crypto-holders’ portfolios may contain a significant portion of their personal savings, but selling these assets when they need cash triggers a taxable event. Using your cryptocurrency as collateral to get a dollar loan can be a great way to cover costs without any investment risks or having to pay taxes on your profits.
Margin trading/leverage – Margin trading allows you to open a position that is larger than your financial capacity. Essentially, this allows traders to access a certain amount of funds to increase their order size, which in turn raises the return on a winning trade. For example, if you place a margin trade with a leverage of “2.0,” only half of that position is used as the initial margin. When it comes to “5.0,” only a fifth part of it is required. This allows you to open larger positions than your account would allow.
Flash credits – Flash credit works through a smart contract that allows you to borrow funds without any collateral. However, with the return of the loan within one transaction, that is one block. Thus, a flash loan allows a person to borrow funds for free until they repay the loan by the end of the same transaction. Everything happens very quickly. Such a loan is designed to limit the trader’s risk by allowing the trader to use the borrowed money to take advantage of the price differentials in the markets.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are many options when it comes to cryptocurrency lending, and they seem to be quite profitable for all. In the near future, crypto lending will offer a number of unique opportunities to generate income, increase liquidity, and improve the performance of their assets. So, keep an eye on this market.

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What Customers Really Need in 2021

September 20, 2021

By Karina Avanesova

Customers’ preferences have changed since 2020, with the pandemic being the largest contributor. The crisis culture has redefined consumer behavior, so brands should adjust their messaging to connect with customers in a more meaningful way.

It’s vital to understand what things matter to customers the most in order to deliver superior value and meet their requirements.

Let’s take a look at some of the biggest shifts in customer behavior and preference in the past year and what you can do to cope with the challenges that lie ahead.

Interactive Content on Social Media

People today feel more divided than ever before. But despite the negativity, they remain hopeful that brands can help reconnect the world.

In the midst of a crisis, customer connection is extremely vital. More and more brands are realizing the value of truly connecting with consumers and treating social media as more than a channel for promotion.

To connect with your customers, you need to create the right messaging. Storytelling has been one of the most popular and effective approaches in social media marketing because it connects to customers on a more personal level.

The challenge is how to create stories that are clear, engaging, relevant, and consistent. A good way of meeting that requirement is the StoryBrand framework which is a seven-part process that leverages the power of story to structure your marketing messaging.

Well-designed & Accessible Website

An estimated 2.14 billion people globally purchase goods online. The COVID-19 crisis has changed online shopping forever, according to experts. In particular, it accelerated the shift towards a more digital world.

Hence, it’s critical for businesses to implement a website accessibility plan.

Many elements go into good website design, but the most important is security and visual presentation. If you’re redesigning your website, what customers are looking forward to in 2021 is accessibility.

In addition to the WCAG guidelines for digital accessibility, some other helpful strategies include live captioning or speech-to-text captions for webinars, live streams, and virtual gatherings.

Your site should also support keyboard navigation and use appropriate font sizes, descriptive URLs, and alt text to images.

Chance of Leaving Feedback

Customers appreciate it when the brands they patronize allow them to provide feedback. It makes them feel heard and valued. By asking your clients for feedback, you are communicating that their opinion is important to you.

Consequently, it helps you create stronger relations with them.

Customer feedback is also valuable to your business. Today’s marketing is heavily based on customers’ experience with brands. By involving your customers in shaping the growth of your business, you’re likely to take the path to success.

Thus, if your focus is delivering top-notch customer service, you’ve got to hear what your customers have to say. Ask them what they like about your products or services and what can be improved.

What are the methods to get honest customer feedback in 2021?

1. Support tickets (51% of teams analyze support tickets to infer customer feedback).
2. Website and web app surveys (in-app surveys).
3. Feedback button – add an always-visible, static button that floats on your site.
4. Email-embedded and link surveys – if you need detailed feedback. Mobile app surveys
5. Chat surveys

Fast Solution to Problems

Want more customers? Solve their problems. Identifying your customers’ pain points and providing them with targeted solutions is the key to a successful customer relationship.

Invest in Product Training

To resolve customers’ problems quickly, it’s critical that your employees are equipped with product knowledge and technical skills.

They need to understand the product or service, how it works, and the common issues about it. Conducting simulations or scenario-based training is a proven method where employees learn the correct way to handle different questions and problems.

Utilize Technology

Next, they need to have the right tools to communicate with customers properly. Consider leveraging different communication channels, such as VoIP, chat, and email customer support.

Aside from designating a dedicated customer support team, you can also make it easier for your customers to find the solution to their problems by creating online communities, discussion forums, and chatbots.

SMS text support is also a great tool, considering that 75% of the American population uses SMS regularly.

Being Treated Individually

If you think the era of personalization is over, think again. Consumers don’t stick to brands that can’t cater to their individual needs.

Thus, if you want your business to be successful, you should treat them as individuals and give them what they want.

It’s impossible to cater to all consumers, so you must focus on your niche market.

What is the key to audience targeting?

Data management.

Thorough data analysis can help you understand what things are more important to your customers. When creating marketing campaigns, think of their concerns, demands, and needs in terms of demographics, gender, age, and many other factors.

You can use tools that help you analyze patterns according to customer behavior.

Customers Care about Experience

Think about the last time you had a great experience as a customer. It felt wonderful, didn’t it?

Positive customer service is crucial to your business. That’s because a happy customer is more likely to return to your business.

Also, a happy customer will promote your business for you, through word-of-mouth marketing. They will also advocate for your brand.

Digital media has immensely empowered customers. Today, they have a plethora of options to choose from.

That’s why it’s important to provide a remarkable experience if you want your customers to continue doing business with you.

Conclusion

The pandemic has significantly changed customer preferences. Today, consumers want to feel connected to the brands they patronize. And to connect with your customers, you have to deliver the right message.

They also want your website to be user-friendly and accessible especially now that most people are buying products and services online.

Next, they want their problems to be addressed quickly. When they have concerns, they want them resolved the first time they reach out to you.

Lastly, your customers are individuals who want to be treated individually. They also care so much about positive experiences. With so many choices around, they are likely to stick to a company that makes them feel valued.

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About the Author

I am Karina Avanesova, a highly motivated and result-oriented Digital Marketing Strategist at Andava.

During my career path, I have managed to accumulate significant experience in website SEO optimization, content marketing, and digital marketing channel management. I believe that nowadays businesses need to be flexible enough to make behavioral shifts to better position their products & brands.