The Covid-19 pandemic has had a serious economic impact, and it’s not easy to manage your finances in these uncertain times. With so much financial uncertainty and turmoil, how can you best protect yourself?

The sudden, drastic changes brought on by the Coronavirus outbreak have drastically altered our lives. Not only is everyday life highly disrupted and limited by social distancing measures, but economic activity has also come to a screeching halt with gambling360 casino businesses closing their doors or operating at reduced capacity.

Families and individuals alike have had to make difficult decisions about how to manage money during this time of crisis. It is important that when managing your finances during these challenging times you are making smart, informed decisions about what is best for your financial situation. In this article, we will look into the different ways that people can effectively manage their finances during the Covid-19 crisis.

Track Your Spending

The first step to managing your finances during the Covid-19 pandemic is to track your spending. Keeping a close eye on what you’re spending will help you avoid overspending and help you stay within your budget. Make sure to take note of any changes in spending habits due to the pandemic, such as switching from dining out to ordering groceries online, or cancelling subscriptions and memberships that are no longer necessary. [Read more…]

The end of the year is closing in and as the holiday season approaches, so do the releases of the different manufacturers’ new flagship phones – the rumour mill has already started to churn around what both Samsung and Apple may have in store this year with expected releases around December or early 2022. Devices have come a long way, and the uses have changed dramatically to from multimedia hubs to the heart of the day to day work for some too as this is a popular resource of those using their mobile device for work on the road particularly with the recent rise in the digital nomad lifestyle – it’s safe to say there’s always a lot of excitement for this time of year with the hope that these new devices can really push the boat out, but where are the biggest changes looking to come from?

(Image from engadget.com)

Smaller displays may be coming – It’s rumoured from some well-known sources that gone are the days of the oversized “phablet” styled phones as Samsung in particular may look to reduce the screen sizes of their biggest devices by a little – the largest of the flagship line may see a shrinkage of around 1” on total display, which may be welcomed to those who are getting frustrated with the huge devices that struggle to fit in the pocket. [Read more…]

If this past year has taught us anything, it’s that relying on one stream of income may quickly become a thing of the past as the realisation that changes appearing out of the blue can have a huge impact – whilst things are largely on the way to getting back to normal, that’s certainly no time to get comfortable and diversifying your income to bolster your finances could certainly protect you in the future, but how are different options being explored to provide the biggest benefit?

(Image from talk-business.co.uk)

Betting and gambling – Although not the most reliable way and requiring capital upfront, betting and gambling have always been a way some choose to change their finances with investing and the stock market being the biggest bet of them all. The start of the year has shown this more than ever too with the GameStop and AMC stock information, as well as the growing crypto market that has attracted a wave of investors too. There is of course those that chase the big wins too as this casino calzone casino review is one of the many growing gaming services that have been a source of a win during this same period of time too – although betting and gambling as a method of securing financial diversity is certainly one many would recommend avoiding. [Read more…]

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…]

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.

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.

If you are looking to run a successful business, then you will be wise to look at other successful businesses to see how they have managed to do so well. A great example of this is William Hill as they have managed to adapt to changes in the market and demand for betting which have changed since the Internet flourished.

William Hill was well established as high street betting office business before the internet launched. However, as the Internet grew, high streets had less customers due to online retailing and the convenience of this. This meant that all high street businesses had to adapt and William Hill did just that. They still offer the over the counter betting services that they always have done but they also launched a very successful online business. They are currently one of the leading online betting and gaming providers to the UK online. Many customers prefer the flexibility of being able to bet online as they can do it at any time and from home. To start with that was the only option but as mobile phones improved and it was possible to use apps when away from a static Internet connection the options grew as well. William Hill was there every step of the way making sure that they developed with the changing market so that they had options available for every possibility that their customers wanted.  They also expanded abroad into Australia, UK, Italy and Spain although they still have 82% of their business in the UK.

So you can see how William Hill sports betting has adapted to a changing market and this is something that all businesses need to be able to do. Some business owners feel that if one part of their business is not doing so well it is a failure of them to change and that they need to keep persevering. Although perseverance is a great asset, it is really important to understand that customers change their habits frequently and so it is not a failure of the business if things start to do less well but it could very well be an indication that there has been a change in what customers want. This means that it is very important to be flexible and willing to adapt so that the business can continue to flourish. [Read more…]