Keeping an Eye on Your Finances in Responsible Gaming

Keeping an Eye on Your Finances in Responsible Gaming
Dice Craps Vegas

Gambling at an online casino should always be fun, and learning how to set up a responsible gaming environment should ensure it stays that way. So set up your responsible environment by implicating the following steps:

Know the rules of whichever online casino you intend to play at. This can be done by reading the online rules or watching video tutorials, and free demo games are often available so you can double-check your understanding of the rules before you play.

Work out an amount you won’t mind losing and then stick to it. Make sure the money you budget is money you definitely don’t need for anything else. This will help you avoid the temptation to deposit more money to try and win your budgeted money back. Working out how much you can afford to lose that week/month and then spreading it over the amount of times you’ll want to gamble is a great way to keep it real and fun.

Set your deposit limit with the casino at whatever your budgeted amount is. Self-imposed limits stop you depositing any more money in any 24 hour period, and by then any naughty impulses should have gone away.

Don’t play for too long as you’ll either be tempted to chase losses or give back some of your winnings. Either way you’ll regret it. Stopping at the time you told yourself you would is another sure fire way of making sure gambling at http://www.luckynuggetcasino.com/au/ remains fun.

Self-exclusion is a safety net; just in case you realise you might be getting addicted or gambling is eating into your savings, or time that you should be spending doing more important things. Contact the online casino and inflict a six month ban on yourself. But, if you follow the first four steps, then this is very unlikely you’ll need to.

This guest post provided by a Narrow Bridge Finance supporter. Image by spacepleb / flickr

When Your Standard Cover Might not be Enough

When Your Standard Cover Might not be Enough
Bicycle Crash Sign

You’re looking for buildings and contents insurance, but how do you know the policy you buy will cover all of your specific needs? What possibilities should you consider to make sure the cover you buy is the cover you need?

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Top 10 Guidelines to Follow Toward Achieving Debt Independence

Top 10 Guidelines to Follow Toward Achieving Debt Independence
Payoff Debt

As of 2012, Americans owe $849 billion in credit card debt, $8.03 trillion in mortgages, and $956 billion in student loans. This situation shows no signs of slowing down owing to poor money values that we have as a nation.  The advertising industry forces us to spend on things we don’t need and can’t even afford, and this is what the credit card industry capitalizes on.

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Am I At the Right Age for Life Insurance

Am I At the Right Age for Life Insurance
family at play

When asking yourself if you’re at an appropriate age to buy life insurance, you should definitely consider two schools of thought:

  • Are you in your 20’s? If you’re asking about life insurance young, then good for you! Acquiring cheap rates that will set you up for the next couple of decades is definitely a wise choice. With that said, it is not necessary to purchase life insurance at this point, but it is a sound pre-planning measure if you believe you’ll have a family within the next 10 years.
  • Are you starting a family? Perhaps you’re inquiring about life insurance, because you’re starting a family. No matter what age you’re at currently, if you’re just starting a family, or have a family established and want to look into ways to financially secure them, then the time for a life insurance purchase is now.

Unfortunately, none of us have the foresight to know when tragedy might befall us, leaving our loved ones the burden of paying for expensive funeral costs and debts; all while suffering a hit on income now that you’re not there to supply it.

This is why life insurance is so important; it provides your loved ones with a safety net. You’re able to get life insurance quotes from Suncorp.com.au if you’re interested in finding out more.

A recent study conducted by LIMRA—an insurance industry research outfit—determined that the percentage of families in the United States that actually possessed this safety net was at an all-time low of 44%–which is a 26% decrease from 2010. Furthermore, out of that 44%, 11 million families had children in their households under the age of 18.

This means that 56% of families in the U.S. haze zero protection against tragedies that strike all day, every day, to other families just like theirs. When it does, they’re left with a financial burden that can often break a family and set them up for years of difficulty just from one single tragedy.

IT’S EASY TO AVOID THIS FATE

It’s important to compare life insurance when you have children. Ideally, you should purchase long before you have children and save yourself a substantial amount of money by taking advantage of the lower premiums offered to young adults.

However, if this option didn’t present itself in time, do not underestimate the safety net of life insurance and write it off as a frivolous expense that may, or may not, ever be necessary.

Unfortunately, this is the trap that a whopping 56% of U.S. families have fallen into and it’s their loved ones who will literally pay the price.

Image by libertygrace0 / flickr

[Promotional consideration received for this post]

3 Easy Ways to Avoid Common Banking Fees

3 Easy Ways to Avoid Common Banking Fees
3 Easy Ways to Avoid Common Banking Fees

The reason we put money in the bank is because we trust our country’s banking system. We want our beautiful coin to be convenient for transfers, withdrawals and other money-driven actions.  As people work harder and harder to dig out of this economic hole, it’s important to make sure your piggy bank is filling up rather than being drained!

With the passage of recent laws against a number of banking fees, the industry came up with a few new ideas to recover.  Some of these new rules are emptying the pockets of citizens who struggle to understand the unnecessary fees they continue to pay.

Monthly/Annual Maintenance Fees- Just What About My Money Are You “Maintaining”?

A number of banks charge you monthly or annual maintenance fees for keeping your money in their distinguished vault.  Sounds a bit off right? Ideally a bank is supposed to protect money and eliminate worries about account balances taking a dive.  When it comes to maintenance, most banking fees are in the $10-20 dollar range. Come on! The whole point of stashing away money in an account is because you want to save, not spend! Always read the fine print and make sure you are not paying unwanted banking fees or maintenance charges. There is peace of mind in knowing your money is in a secure spot that will pad your account, not slim it down!

Minimum Balance Fee- Do I Look Like Donald Trump?

Some larger institutions have begun to charge a monthly fee for customers with low account balances.  For instance, some banks may hit checking accounts with an extra $15 charge each month if you don’t carry a minimum balance of $6,000. This is a problem you need to address with your wallet before signing up for specific checking accounts. If you do not have the necessary funds to start an account with a minimum balance fee, then look elsewhere. Trust me, we all want to have our own hotel, television shows and a hair piece of suspect quality, but in order to attain financial security you need to be realistic with the money that you are making. If your bank is charging ridiculous fees for a minimum balance that you can’t maintain, tell them “You’re fired!”

The ATM Is Not Free Money

The ATM is that magic machine that gives you money without anything in return, right? Wrong! ATM fees have increased steadily over the last few years.  You pay an average of $3.81 for using an out-of-network machine. The easiest  way to avoid this unwanted banking fee is to choose a local bank that is easily accessible to you, or which has ATMs scattered throughout your city that are free of charge to withdraw. Using the ATM at your bank is free. Another idea is to consider an online bank, as many of them reimburse you for ATM fees.
As a country built by blue collar men, we pride ourselves on working and earning the money in our pocket. Properly monitoring your money and where it is being spent will help you ensure that you get to keep more of your dough.  Hard-earned money is not hard earned unless it is saved and spent right.

This article was written by Stephen Gerard on behalf of Conestoga Bank. Conestoga Bank, located across Philadelphia and southeastern PA, provides banking to consumers and businesses, including checking, savings and loan services.

Promotional consideration received for this post

Auto Title Loans: Frequently Asked Questions

Auto Title Loans: Frequently Asked Questions
Auto Title Loans: Frequently Asked Questions

Online auto title loans are essential sources of funding for broke individuals who need to cover emergency expenses. They are flexible lending programs that have client-friendly requirements that are ideal for those who have experienced bankruptcy in the past and have negative credit history.

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How You Spend Points and Miles Is Just As Important As Earning Them

How You Spend Points and Miles Is Just As Important As Earning Them
How You Spend Points and Miles Is Just As Important As Earning Them

About four years ago I made the transition from being a casual earner of frequent flier miles to becoming a serious mileage junkie. How serious am I? I attend conferences devoted to the subject and make a nice living writing about loyalty travel programs and credit cards. But having earned millions of points and miles through some ingenious methods, I reached an inescapable conclusion that will sound very familiar to personal finance enthusiasts: Spending points and miles wisely is at least as important as finding ways to earn them.

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8 Ways Cut Back on Your Monthly Grocery Expenses

8 Ways Cut Back on Your Monthly Grocery Expenses
8 Ways Cut Back on Your Monthly Grocery Expenses

If you’ve felt like your grocery expenses have increased in the past few months, you’d be right on the money. Food prices have been on the rise worldwide.[1] Affording the same groceries without increasing your spending is getting more difficult — but if you’re willing to be flexible, there are ways to reduce your grocery bill. All it takes is some planning, self-control, and careful shopping.

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Minimising the Risks for Your Small Business

If you’re starting your own business, it’s likely you’ve already taken more than a few risks. Formulating a business plan, setting up premises, conducting market research; they all need time, energy and investment before you begin to see the return. However, there’s a way of protecting your finances even as you enter into the uncertain world of business: research.

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UAE Free Zones and Business Banking – The Perfect Combination

Corporate finance, a vague label difficult to explain in a just a few words. Free zones, a concept finding more and more resonance not only in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), but also in other countries in the Middle East. Marry the two together and you’ve a business model whose time has surely come. And given the almost daily diet of dire pronouncements and warnings over the state of the world economy, issued by economic experts of all shades of opinion and political colour, it’s little wonder more and more businesses are not only turning towards free zones, they’re looking at them very seriously indeed!

If corporate finance concerns itself with analysis and decision-making, business banking provides the means to turn boardroom decisions into hard-headed reality. Multinational banking conglomerates such as HSBC, for example, have been at the heart of Middle East business financing for more than a century. Today, this highly respected business bank continues to help develop and drive forward the region’s burgeoning economy. Click here to find out more on corporate bank accounts available from HSBC.

Free zones, as we know them today, have been around in various parts of the world for some time. They began in South America in the 1920s and their popularity waxed and waned over subsequent decades as countries grappled with the politics and complexities involved. The 1960s and 1970s in particular saw an upsurge as free zones rapidly spread throughout the world. Now more than 100 countries have set up thousands of free zones between them, employing tens of millions of people. The Middle East in particular has seen a high degree of proliferation with literally dozens of free zones operating in the UAE alone.

It’s not too difficult to understand why so many governments are now such free zone enthusiasts. This is especially so given the parlous state of the world economy, where every economic edge can bring with it huge dividends in the form of employment opportunities and the development of the local skills base. Both are certainly vital ingredients when it comes to the future economic well-being of any country.

So what exactly do businesses get out of it all? The simple answer is a lot. They wouldn’t be there otherwise. The UAE has free zones catering for all manner of industries and services, each backed by top-notch facilities and state-of-the-art infrastructure. Everything is there – offices, warehouses, first-class road links, abundant energy and much, much more.

But there are other benefits, too, which not only attract bucket-loads of foreign direct investment, but they also enhance any company’s bottom line. Zero corporate tax liability is one such major benefit. Zero personal tax liability is surely another. Other benefits include 100% foreign ownership allowed, 100% repatriation of capital and profits, no currency restrictions, negligible import and export duties, no labour recruitment restrictions and quick company formation.

One other major attraction of course is location. Starting up or expanding a business within the UAE puts it slap in the middle of some of the most exciting emerging markets in the world today. All in all, what more could any business ask?

Click here for more information on free zones in the UAE.

This promoted guest post was provided by HSBC

5 Things You Should Never Spend Money On

5 Things You Should Never Spend Money On
Free Batteries

David Bakke writes about saving money and surviving the journey to financial freedom on the popular personal finance blog, Money Crashers.

The old adage is true: It pays to save. And as today’s economy sputters, it’s never been more important to cut costs everywhere. Beyond that, there are actually household necessities you can get without spending a dime – yes, free. If you pair these things with your overall coupon cutting and deal shopping, you’ll go far toward maximizing your bottom line.

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