Useful Tips - Interesting guides & tips in popular niches

It’s One Year until the Deadline: Now is the Time to Claim PPI

There is now just one year left to make your PPI claim. Are you sick of hearing Arnold Schwarzenegger’s robotic head yelling at you to ‘do it now?’ Thankfully, you don’t have to endure it for too much longer.

His face can be seen on TVs and billboards across the UK, encouraging consumers to make their claims before the cut-off date, set for 29th August 2019. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) reported that, so far, nearly £32 billion has been paid to consumers. The latter half of 2017 and early 2018 saw an increase in payments being made to customers, indicating that the advertising campaign caused people to take action.

But, with 64 million PPI policies sold, there is still potential for thousands more claims to be made before the deadline next year. If you haven’t yet made a claim or believe that PPI isn’t relevant to you, we explain why it’s worthwhile checking and how you can make a PPI claim.

Why Bother Checking for PPI?

So many people have made successful PPI claims, despite not knowing they had bought PPI in the first place. The scandal was so large because the extent of mis-selling was extreme. Often, PPI policies were automatically added onto financial products without the knowledge and consent of consumers. It was commonly sold alongside mortgages, credit cards and loans. [Read more…]

Games to play with your Girlfriend

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PC games have been available for ages now. And almost everyone loves them, though in most cases they tend to be fancied more by males than by females. Why this is, we are not too sure. But for the male gamers out there that would love to spend a few hours gaming with their girlfriend, here are a few PC games that we are sure she would love.

Kingdom Hearts

Male or female, Disney is loved by all. This is why this PC game Kingdom Hearts would be loved by your girlfriend as well. To add to all that, it’s an RPG. These are games where the player can influence the character of the game hence the name Role Playing Game (RPG). It’s an action game published by Square Enix which is very fun and exciting to play. If she prefers to play games where she can win money, then we recommend to visit australian online casino and have fun playing Disney themed slots on your PC. [Read more…]

Lucky Falls: times ‘bad luck’ turned out to be good luck

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If you’ve recently been the victim of bad luck, don’t worry: your fortune could be soon about to change. Check out the stories of these 3 people, whose lives all took a turn for the better after what appeared to be a stroke of bad luck:

1) Steve Jobs

Most people would say that being fired by a CEO you had hired yourself was pretty unlucky. But for Steve Jobs, it turned out to be the moment of liberation he needed to go on and create some of the greatest technological devices of all time.

Jobs famously co-founded Apple at the age of 21 and revolutionised the personal computing industry. He became a hugely-wealthy celebrity whose wild success was renowned across the globe. But all this came crashing down when he was very publicly forced out of the company he had helped to build by John Sculley, the man he had appointed as Apple’s CEO. [Read more…]

Checklist your way to healthy financial footing

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If your bank balance is looking slightly worse for wear, it’s not always easy to see how to turn things around. Debt can take its toll on your physical, emotional and psychological wellbeing, so it’s important to take control of your finances and get on the right financial foot.

Fortunately, the prepaid Mastercard® providers over at icount can help you to do just that. They’ve created the simple guide below, complete with a ‘healthy financial footing’ checklist that can help you to transform your finances over time. Read on and get checking to get a head start on a bright financial future. [Read more…]

Personal loan based on income

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There have been some serious issues in American society and its financial health is under question. There is too much debt around but equally there are valid reasons why people want to take out personal loans. The question is their availability. Interest rates are fairly low for those who apply successfully. The financial sector has changed in recent years and for many that change is for the better because the basis of being successful is increasingly affordability rather than history.

Everyone carries their credit score with them, good or bad. It is like a badge that will tell those who are interested something about you. It is something that lenders refer to when you apply for money but so do many potential employers are part of their decision process on a job application. In many cases it has become a badge that people do not want to wear. The reason for that often has its roots in the recession. When the Collateralized Debt Obligation (CDO) crisis struck there was widespread misery. Unemployment doubled to over 10% and many received foreclosure notices before then losing their homes because they could not pay their mortgages. Every time they failed to pay a bill on time that failure was entered into their credit history resulting in a reduction of their credit score.

A Different Environment Prevailed

While few were entirely innocent because they had taken on credit and were unable to meet their obligations prior to the recession there was a very positive feeling about the economy and its growth. There was no reason not to have a mortgage that stretched them because property prices were rising quickly so their assets were going to grow. When the crash came and many who had thought they were in secure employment became unemployed the trouble started; and it continued until real estate prices fell. The surplus of property on the market with few buyers around ensured they were not going to start to rise particularly quickly. [Read more…]

3 Top things to do in Finland

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Whether you’re thinking about a quick holiday or a longer stay, the country of Finland has a lot of great experiences just waiting for you. All you have to do is show up, and come with an open mind. We pulled together a list of great things to do in Finland, and we hope that you’ll keep these in mind.

1. Casino Helsinki

If you’re going to hit this major Finnish city, you have to go to Casino Helsinki. We know a lot of people think of Vegas as the only place that has a space devoted to casino gambling, but that’s just not the case. You can go to Casino Helsinki and play all sorts of games? Now, we’re not planning a trip to this major city just yet. We’re much more likely to stay at home and stay to play our favorite games. If you find yourself saying the same thing, why not look at some reviews before you dive in? We like the way the info is set up at CasinoExpertti.com, where everything is literally at your fingertips. You won’t have to search long before you find the info you need to figure out where to start playing online. Every casino is going to have a slightly different flavor, so to speak. Go in, taste the ones you like and see if they would be a good fit for your interests. It’s really that simple!

2. Lutheran Cathedral

This beautiful cathedral just should not be missed! It is part of the Senate Square of Helsinki and attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. When seen from the air, the church is in the shape of a Greek cross. You could even schedule to have your wedding held in this church, but there’s a very long waiting list for that to happen.

3. Turku Castle

This is one of the oldest buildings in all of Finland, and people still use it to this day. In medieval times, this castle was the stage for numerous sieges and even fierce battles. The peak of this castle’s significance was in the 16th century, as Duke John of Finland reigned over the land. This castle even served as a state prison for a few centuries! If you decide to make a trip to Finland, you have to check out the castle in its entirety…well, as much as you can schedule in a single day!

Overall, there are plenty of great things to do in Finland. Even though it’s not known for having a long summer season, the beautiful historical landmarks are worth checking out!

3 Simple Steps to Ensure the Workplace Is Safe for Your Employees

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A healthy work environment means a healthy business. Here are the factors worth keeping in mind to ensure this is achieved.

In an unsafe environment, work can be hazardous to your health, or even lethal. Well over half a million people (611,000) across the UK were injured while on the job from 2014 to 2015, according to official figures, and 142 people unfortunately lost their lives.

While shocking, these numbers are around half of what they were just two decades ago. That’s thanks to new rules and regulations concerning workplace safety, and vastly improved working conditions. Employers are legally obliged to provide suitable places of work for the people in them. Let’s take a look at three essential steps to take to ensure your business is compliant with these laws.

1. Your Duty of Care

As an employer, the law says you have a “duty of care” towards those who work on your commercial premises. After all, the very last thing you want is for your valued employees to become injured. Not only will they be unable to work, but they may have grounds to make personal injury claims against the company, too.

At a fundamental level, ensuring the workplace is in an optimal condition and staff won’t be reaching for the nearest No Win No Fee solicitor because of an injury means maintaining the structural integrity of the building itself. All it takes is a loose brick or piece of ceiling plaster to cause harm to staff. Regular maintenance, including of the interior workspaces themselves, is therefore essential.

That also applies to the many types of equipment and machinery that businesses use — everything from photocopiers to forklifts. An electric shock or worse could be devastating to employees, and lead to any number of expensive personal injury claims. So with the premises and what’s inside it, the keyword for health and safety is: maintenance. Holding on to something that’s old in the hopes of getting a few more years out of it, or pushing back on maintenance schedules to cut costs, can often backfire and be exceptionally dangerous.

2. Illuminating Workplace Safety

In order to avoid workplace injury and personal injury claims from staff, it’s important — and also required under law — to provide proper lighting in all areas where people are working. What’s “proper” lighting, then? Not just any old light bulb, but lighting that’s as natural as possible and not so harsh that it causes glare and headaches. The lighting must also be provided in all areas where people move about, or may potentially do so, such as in emergency stairwells. Outside the building must also be adequately lit up for employees and pedestrians passing by.

You won’t be troubled by your employees hunting for a personal injury solicitor to handle a work-related injury if you look after their hygiene needs and general welfare during the hours they’re toiling away for you. Toilet facilities must be kept clean at all times, and have hot and cold running water along with such necessaries as hand-soap and towels.

Staff must also have suitable areas where they can rest and eat, and any catering facilities must adhere to government regulations. Additionally, you may wish to consider pregnant or nursing employees, and provide separate facilities for them.

3. Create a Great Place to Work

Making the place where your staff generate the business that keeps you in business as comfortable as possible will go a long way towards making them happiness and productivity. Attention needs to be paid to such things as temperature inside offices and other places of work — heating as well as cooling — and an adequate supply of ventilation.

Plus, if any of your employees work outdoors in any capacity, you’ll also need to provide adequate cover from high and low temperatures, as well as rain and severe weather.

With all of this, you’ll be well within the health and safety regulations and steer clear of personal injury claims. Even something as seemingly innocuous as an uneven floor or computer cables sticking out is all it takes for someone to fall over and become badly injured.

It all adds up to a win for you, and your valued workers.

Fraud Awareness – Phishing scams on the rise

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Phishing scams are on the rise and this is why companies like Wonga have put strategies in place to deal with their image being used as the mask of an online scam. These scams are not only targeted at individuals, but some scammers will also target companies. The way phishing scams work is that the scammer will send an email or SMS asking the recipient to send personal details or will let them know about some financial offer, such as loans. In these cases, they will often ask for bank account details or for the recipient to send a deposit in order to get access to the loan.

The importance of awareness

It is important to be aware of phishing scams so that you don’t end up duped. There are many reasons why these scammers exist. In some cases, it is to get money by asking for deposits, admin fees etc. In other cases, it is to retrieve personal information. The scammer may empty the bank account or go in and read emails. They may even use the information for identity theft, so it is imperative to be aware of these types of scams.

Raising awareness

Many businesses are raising awareness of phishing scams and it is important for individuals to have the same kind of awareness. There are some key ways to understand if your email or SMS is potentially part of a phishing scam:

Strange email address – even if the email has the logo of the company they are ‘apparently’ sending from, such as Wonga, PayPal etc., the email will probably not reflect that. It may look strange or have the wrong spelling.
Salutation – scammers will quite often not actually know your name, so the email is likely to just be directed to ‘Mr’ ‘Mrs’ etc. If it was from a legitimate company, they would have your name on file.
The sender – many businesses, such as banks and other financial organisations won’t actually send emails, as they need to be very strict with confidentiality, so if you get one through from them, it is probably a scam.
Nature of email – if the email says anything like ‘urgent notice’ or ‘please respond urgently’, it is probably also a scam.

This is what a typical phishing scam looks like and it will probably be all too familiar for most people.

Fig.1 above, a phishing email that used Wonga South Africa as the disguise to target South Africans. Note: No data leak or vulnerability occurred on Wonga’s website, data leak source is currently unknown.

Scammers will go to all sorts of lengths to get your information, so the best way to deal with emails like this is to call the company directly and check whether or not they sent it.

What to do about a phishing scam?

If you think you may have been the victim of a phishing scam, you should contact the company directly and send them a copy of your email or SMS. You should never respond to the scammer, as this response could be enough for them to get some additional information from you. You never know how these people may work. It is better to be safe than sorry, so just ignore it.

Financial Online Safety

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In our digital world today, keeping ourselves safe online is of the utmost importance, for there are so many places in which a breach can be discovered. Although we can never truly remove the chance of our identity and finances being stolen or used, we can take measures to ensure that risk is at a minimum.

Recognised Brands

It is always vital that you seek out brands and companies you’re familiar with, or at least who someone else knows well. This isn’t to say that every unknown website is a danger, but that a renowned brand, like Betway, will undoubtedly have higher security measures in place to ensure customers are protected. Should a friend or family member come to you and say that they have found this casino site or such like, make sure that it is with a name you can easily find online – read reviews, look through forums, anything to ensure it is safe. The same is also important for any type of website, not just those dedicated to gambling, which in turn leads us to another way to keep safe.

Payment Methods

Sites that pose the most risks are normally those that involve financial transactions of some kind, normally that of payment for goods. With this there are then no end of options you can decide upon before committing to your final purchase. What this means is that, with so many options available, some are understandably safer than others, which is why it is important to figure out which are better for your needs. Out of all those listed, credit cards and e-wallets, such as Paypal, are your better bet for online safety. This is because cards have extra protection in place from banks, and e-wallets enable you to store your valuable information in one place, instead of inputting them everywhere.

Unique Passwords

This is probably the most obvious of the tips to financially security, but it is a significant one nonetheless. Having a simple password may be simple to remember, but it is also easier for others to guess, whereas a long password combined with letters, numbers and symbols makes your accounts more secure. Should it prove too difficult to remember the codes, don’t worry as software is around that can store all your different passwords all in one place.

Your money is among some of the most valuable items you have to your name, and thus taking extra precaution to ensure its safety is an important ritual to get into the habit of.

The Sanctuary of He – A Mancave Guide

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We’ve seen the films where the guys have permanently stocked beer fridges and pool tables in huge outhouses, and although you may not have the space to accommodate those kind of luxuries, you deserve a mancave. Whether it’s a box room, converted attic, basement, garage or shed, find a space and get to work.

The first thing to think about is electricity, you’re going to need power for your iPod dock, console, mini fridge and TV. If you don’t currently have power in your future sanctuary, try running an extension cable until a more permanent solution can be found.

If space is an issue you’re going to want smaller seating, shelves to save space, and perhaps a wall mounted TV. Before you make any big purchases put a Facebook status out to see if anyone is getting rid of anything you might want, you’ll be surprised at what you find. Another great tool for kitting out a mancave is the Gumtree freebie page.

If your mancave is within the home you might want to think about soundproofing, It’s no good having your own space if you can’t play music into the early hours or stay up all night on watching films. To find out how to soundproof a room on a budget, check out Oakwood Doors guide here.

If your mancave is outside of the house, insulation is going to be vital. Try cladding any shed walls and blocking any entering drafts. You’ll also need to make sure the space is completely waterproof, especially if you’re going to have electricity going out to it. If it’s going to be an outdoor mancave, make sure you purchase a heater so you can still use it during the colder months.

Unless you want to disconnect from the world for a while, you might also need to think about moving the router. If your new found man space is outside the home you’re probably going to have to get the router as close to the nearest door as possible. You may be able to boost your signal with a new router if needed.

Decoration is essential. You may not need to actually get a tin of paint out, but some old memorabilia, posters or sports shirts won’t go a miss. Check the attic or storage for bits and pieces you may have forgotten about, or go on a charity shop search. Old record covers can look great when they’re framed on walls.