Category: Business

Gladiator Lending

Gladiator Lending Details How to Avoid Over-Leveraging Your Personal Finances

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The way you manage your finances will impact the other areas of your life. Your financial life directly impacts your quality of life. Everything from getting qualified for a mortgage to how much you can enjoy in retirement should be considered when you’re managing your personal finances. Furthermore, one of the worst things people do is overleverage their personal finances. This means that you have way more debt than you can actually manage. When your debt is out of control, you won’t be able to repay the principal balance or the interest. From a financial perspective, this is not a situation you want to get into. In order to change the trajectory of your financial health, consider these tips in order to avoid overleveraging your personal finances. 

1. Create a realistic budget to stick to. 

Too often, people get mesmerized by shiny things they just don’t need. If you want something, you need to set aside the money to pay for it with cash. One of the best ways to manage everything you want is by making a plan. A budget is a financial plan you can stick with. Within the budget, set aside a line item for your savings, utilities and other important bills. If you’re saving for a new car, don’t make an impulse purchase. Save for the expense by setting aside money each month. Yes, it will take discipline. Yes, you’ll have to wait a little longer to get what you want. However, when you create a realistic budget, you’ll be able to get what you want without overleveraging your finances. 

2. Closely monitor your spending habits. 

Take note of what you seem to spend the most money on. If you’re someone who likes to go to fast food restaurants, recognize that you’re eating your money. Go to the grocery store, purchase food and take it home to cook. You’ll save a ton of money that can go to the things you really want to purchase in the future. Take a look at your bank statements at the end of each month. If your money tends to go to frivolous expenditures, it’s time to make a shift. Take note of your bad habits and work to replace them with good habits. 

3. Make your savings account inconvenient to access. 

There are tons of people who struggle to save money because their savings account is too accessible to them. If you can simply log into an app on your smartphone, shift money around and access your savings, you need a new plan. Make your savings account inconvenient to access. Consider opening a savings account with a completely different bank. Once you’ve opened the account and place money inside, do not access it. This means you don’t need a debit card. 

4. Develop multiple streams of income. 

When you’re solely relying on one stream of income like a full-time job, it might seem stable. However, it’s actually dangerous. If you were in a position where you lost your job, it’d become very easy to fall into trouble. In order to make sure you don’t fall behind on your bills, it’s okay to rely on loans from banks or newer lenders like Gladiator Lending. However, when you set up multiple streams of income, you won’t need a bailout from any institution to stay afloat. Invest in the stock market . Develop a side hustle where you resell items from the thrift store. Babysit on the weekends. As you do these various tasks, the money adds up over a period of time. When you combine these streams of income with your full-time job, you’ll be in great shape. 

5. Actively tackle debt. 

If you currently have debt, cultivate a plan to get rid of it. You never want to have debt looming over your head for multiple reasons. When you have debt, it tends to accrue interest. This means you’re paying a lot more for the money you borrowed. Furthermore, the money that’s going to debt repayment is money that can later go toward investments. There are so many people who want to make career changes, but because of their amount of debt, they are tied to specific jobs that earn a certain amount of money. When you don’t have to make life decisions based on your income, you’re setting yourself up to succeed. 

6. Maintain a high level of financial awareness and education. 

If you haven’t received a good amount of financial awareness or education, it’s never too late to learn. There are tons of online and in-person courses you can take. Some people take financial education classes every year. This helps them to keep their financial health at the top of their priorities. If you choose a lender like Gladiator Lending, you’ll want to take note of things like interest rates and repayment time. Learn the details of the loans and contracts you’re signing so that you can make financially wise decisions for your future.

How Businesses in the Great Lakes Region Can Use a Dock to Stand Out

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Do not put that great view and great environment overlooking the lake to waste. If companies want to stand out, investing in a dock or a deck may be the answer to displaying that perfect blend of corporate professionalism and environmental appreciation. Here are some perspectives on why companies should consider having a dock: 

Shipping Opportunity

Most major cities bank along a great water source. It is advantageous to the company to make use of this. There are carriers that utilize the Great Lakes as a way to deliver and receive orders. Having a dock can help cut time from the constant driving that could happen when items need to be delivered around the lakes. Because of the constant demand for resources, having a shipping dock can help customers experience great satisfaction from faster delivery times. Not to mention, a shipping dock can help with the company’s ability to receive items more quickly.

Receiving resources in a timely manner can be a determining factor of thriving, especially when a company is a producer. When a company has a dock that is within a small distance from the receiving shop, the company can have more instant access to resources that it can use to manufacture the products the company can sell. Also, waterways and lakes are not only used by large ships. If the lake is a great water source, they can act as runways for aircraft that can land on water which can, in turn, speed up shipping times and contribute to greater productions and greater customer satisfaction. Thinking about shipping and receiving is essential since customers and businesses will often pay higher prices for faster shipping. 

Employee Satisfaction

Picking the right type of dock can contribute to the happiness of the employees working at the company. If the dock construction includes nice dock materials with attention paid to dock accessories, employees can use the dock as a place for much-deserved lunch breaks. People often use docks as areas of reflection and contemplation. Contributing to the welfare of employees with the use of a dock may help the mental health of employees and would, in turn, help create a workplace atmosphere that can have minimal fighting and focused workers.

Also, companies often rent out large spaces to hold functions such as parties, “all hands” meetings, retirement celebrations, etc. We can agree that most companies take time to honor milestones and can spend a lot of money to hold those functions in someone else’s venue. Building a dock with attention to helping it function as a place where people can also gather can help supply the need of a grandiose meeting place. Not only can a dock be innovative for shipping. It can also be unique in providing a place of serenity away from stress. 

Professional Display

Not only are there practical functions of a dock, a dock can give the impression of success and luxury to a business. Companies are often judged by how they maintain their facilities; utilizing the awesome views of the Great Lakes with beautiful dock construction, attention to dock materials, and dock accessories can display a vibe of professionalism.

Companies often have open houses that can be open to the public. During these open houses, city officials, shareowners, and potential customers come by to see the inner works and public contributions of the company. It is important that the company exudes oneness with the environment that its placed in to defeat the stigma of companies contributing to pollution and greed. Having a beautiful deck with a dock that takes advantage of the scenery with a possible station area to feed the ducks or fish can create a positive statement about the companies contributing to the environment and employee’s welfare. 

Things to Consider When Building a Dock

Due to the cold winters around the Great Lakes, having the right material for the dock is essential. Having the right type of dock materials can help prevent major injuries that companies can be liable to pay as a result of icy or poorly maintained docks. That is why it is important to get good advice when constructing a dock.

Since the construction can be a great undertaking, picking the right company to partner with to build the perfect dock is important. Having the right architect and design can help grab the vibes that the company is aiming to display while capturing the practical intent of the dock’s use. Also having the right construction workers and foreman is important in order to meet deadlines to prevent the dock project from being a consistent ongoing construction. Companies around the Great Lakes area should take some time to go behind their facilities to picture a dock that can be beneficial.

Colby Burke Discusses Why Hilton Head is a Great Place to Start a Business

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Hilton Head, South Carolina is one of the most prominent towns in the state. It is already a prominent center for tourism and families from across the country and around the world. But many people do not realize that Hilton Head is also a great place to start a business. It can be one of the country’s best areas for a new small business due to its unique location and personnel. 

Colby Burke Hilton Head

Safe confines

Hilton Head is a wonderful place to start a business primarily because of safety. It is a particularly safe town in South Carolina. Hilton Head boasts one of the lowest crime rates in the state. It is a town mostly removed from larger areas that have higher crime rates such as Yemassee or Savannah, Georgia. The town is protected by a large police force that patrols its many beaches and golf courses. Individuals are free to shop, dine, and make other purchases at all hours of the night. Safety helps to attract a greater level of talent from all across the country. It can make a higher tax base worth the expense. 

New development

Hilton Head is largely a new development. It was nearly abandoned a century ago and has only reached its current status in the past few decades. Many of the businesses that are present in the city are tailored to the hospitality and recreation industries. There are nearly as many hotels and golf courses as there are law offices and accountants. Such an environment is a haven for a new small business in many different fields. Colby Burke Hilton Head explains that there are few established businesses that have cornered large segments of different markets. Land can be bought and zoned without having to worry about massive family farms or entrenched opposition. There are also not a large number of businesses per capita in Hilton head. Less competition for commercially zoned land means a greater ability to buy and establish a building to work out of. 

Abundant financing

Hilton Head has a number of wealthy citizens. The town has one of the highest per-capita incomes in the state. As a result, Colby Burke Hilton Head argues that there are many people and banks with disposable income. These individuals could serve as either an investor or a customer base. They could be helpful for a new company getting off of the ground and surviving in its first five years. 

In addition, a company could fill an uncommon niche with a higher price point and a lower customer base. Such a business model only works in small, high-income areas such as Hilton Head. The entrepreneur may have a number of different attempts at success before moving into a large area and expanding into new fields. 

Conclusion

Hilton Head will only continue to grow in the next decade. More and more families and businesses will move in to take advantage of the island’s unique status as a tourist destination. An entrepreneur needs to move quickly to ensure that their market niche is not taken up by another headstrong businessman looking to relocate. 

David Buck Discusses Business In Horticulture

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David Buck Apple

Horticulture is the art or practice of garden cultivation and management. David Buck is an experience horticulturist who is currently working as a consultant with local communities.

David Buck is also a firm believer that the earth can nourish the body. He teaches other farmers about therapeutic horticulture and has worked closely with care facilities on how to incorporate designing healing gardens for patients and caregivers at medical and other care facilities, designing and using horticultural systems for people with disabilities, and using therapeutic horticulture to assist people with physical, emotional, or mental challenges in gaining skills, adaptations, and coping methods that enhance their lives.

You can read more about David Buck and his interview on Inspirery by visiting: http://inspirery.com/david-buck/

D.Scott Carruthers

D. Scott Carruthers Shares 5 Marketing Mistakes New Entrepreneurs Make

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There seems to be no limit to what new entrepreneurs are able to achieve, and perhaps the most impressive trait possessed by new entrepreneurs is the ability to overcome all manner of adversity. Of course, I can speak from experience and can vouch for the fact that some of the adversity I encountered was of my own creation and therefore completely unnecessary. As a new entrepreneur, you have to understand that the achievement of your company’s goals is partially dependent on your ability to identify and prevent the occurrence of as many mistakes as possible.

Out of all the mistakes I made as a new entrepreneur, I found that marketing mistakes in particular were some of the most difficult to overcome. After speaking with many of my peers, I feel confident in saying that marketing poses a truly unique challenge for new entrepreneurs. It is therefore my hope that sharing the following five mistakes most commonly made by new entrepreneurs will make it easier for you to achieve each and every one of your objectives on the way to entrepreneurial success.

Failing to Develop an Unmistakable Brand Identity

As an entrepreneur, you are probably as confident in the quality of the products and services provided by your company as I was when I first began. I was so overly confident, in fact, that I felt the products and services would simply speak for themselves and would not necessarily require any sort of overarching brand strategy. Obviously, this was a significant miscalculation on my part.

All entrepreneurs should recognize just how critical it is to develop an unmistakable brand identity right from the start. Consumers have to be able to immediately identify and associate a logo or a tagline with your company and your company alone. The more focus you devote to developing a clear brand identity from day one will ultimately play a significant role in determining how successful you are able to be in the early stages of your entrepreneurial endeavor.

Overdependence on Word-of-Mouth and Free Publicity

I was fortunate that I succeeded in generating a tremendous amount of free publicity shortly after founding my company, not to mention the fact that I had a few early clients that happily took on the role of unofficial brand ambassadors and generated a lot of word-of-mouth interest. A number of my peers have actively tried to generate a similar amount of free publicity only to realize that this type of publicity is often an inconsistent and unpredictable approach, especially when it is the only approach utilized.

My advice to new entrepreneurs is to follow the strategy I used, which is to work on generating free publicity and word-of-mouth marketing as a complementary strategy rather than a primary one. This will ensure that you will not suffer from a lack of exposure if you are unable to generate a lot of free publicity. If the free publicity does indeed work well, you will enjoy tremendous market exposure across a wide range of platforms.

Ignoring the Value of Differentiation From Competitors

We should get this out of the way immediately: Your business is not nearly as unique as you believe it to be. You cannot rely on your company being so revolutionary that differentiation from your competitors is unnecessary, otherwise you will find it difficult to establish a share of the market right away. Even though I felt that my company was providing something novel and entirely different, I still performed a great deal of research to make sure that I differentiated myself from any competitors that provided products or services that overlapped with those of my company.

Overlooking the Importance of Identifying a Target Market

Many new entrepreneurs also believe that their company will have such broad appeal that identifying a target market is not worthwhile. Attracting consumers or clients requires a successful appeal to their specific interests or needs, so a non-specific marketing approach will not generate the interest you are seeking. I have had great success through the use of specificity in marketing, particularly after I took the time to thoroughly understand the interests of those occupying my specific target market.

Ignoring Marketing Data in Favor of “Gut Instincts”

It may be tempting to rely on your instincts when making decisions about marketing, especially since your instincts have served you so well thus far. I myself was tempted to rely on my instincts, but I made sure to confirm that my instincts would not lead me astray by evaluating the marketing data and analytics as well. What I came to realize is that sometimes the data will indicate something entirely different, so ignoring the feedback available through data is a risky mistake. You don’t have to ignore your instincts altogether, but I believe your approach to marketing will be far more effective if you place a greater value on the guidance provided by the marketing data.

For more tips on travel, business and more, check out my website D. Scott Carruthers. There I offer freelancers, small business owners, and business in general different topics that may interest you.

 

The Three Biggest Challenges Of Operating A Winery

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Three of the Biggest Challenges Winery Owners Face in Growing Their Business

What do you think of when you think of a winery? If you are like most people, you might be envisioning a nice, pretty, well-ordered field of grapes. Most wineries operate small cafes where anyone can sample a large variety of wines in a classy and well-ordered environment. True as that may often be, there is a serious business behind the tidy presentation. It is a market that is known for being a little bit difficult.

We might begin by mentioning the challenges of the natural world. For the entirety of human history, agriculture has always been a gamble. This is largely due to the fickle nature of the weather. When you invest money in a wine crop, there is always the chance that mother nature will say no. While there are a great many things one can do to improve their chances of success, it will always be a roll of the dice to a certain extent.

Another serious problem is competition. In any business that is based around something that people love, there will be a lot of competition. For instance, most people do not dream of growing up to be advertising executives, just because it’s not a particularly glamorous profession. Even though an advertising executive will often make a lot of money for relatively little physical work, there is no emotional attraction. Such is not the case with a winery. Anyone who has a strong liking for wine has probably dreamt of opening a winery. As such, competition is the #1 business challenge faced by wineries.

A study done in 2011 indicates that the three top business challenges for wineries are competition, regulation, and marketing/sales, in that order. The first has already been explained, but the second one may surprise you. Apparently, there are a lot of regulations regarding the making, handling, and distribution of wine.

Because wine is, of course, an alcoholic beverage, it is subject to the same regulations that govern stronger forms of alcohol like whiskey or rum. There are very specific labeling requirements that necessitate regular testing of the alcohol content. What I mean is this; you know how every bottle of wine has a place on the label which tells you exactly how much alcohol the beverage contains? That is mandated by law. Therefore, you have to make sure you can accurately represent these numbers.

Because a winery is also an agricultural operation, it is also subject to agricultural regulations. Within the limits of a city, zoning laws can often dictate the boundaries of land use within a designated area. In other words, if the zoning laws do not agree with your plans, they win, and you lose. This forces most wineries to locate themselves in areas of low population. There certainly aren’t a large number of people coming way out to the middle nowhere unless they have a specific reason for doing so. This brings us to the third most critical challenge.

Marketing is key because, as already noted, wineries are usually located outside of major population centers. Without good marketing, your business will wither and die even if your grapes do not. It takes a lot of skill to entice people out to the country, especially since you will mainly be appealing to an upscale crowd.

Naturally, marketing is a tricky business. Trends and cultural norms can change in a relatively short time, and in any case, you don’t want the audience to get tired of the same old thing. Denis Mackenzie is one example of a winery owner that does a good job of marketing his place of business in clever and diverse ways, and of keeping up with the market trends. Denis Mackenzie’s success makes him worth examining him in greater detail.

Raised in a small town, well-regarded winery owner Denis Mackenzie was fortunate enough to travel to many parts of the world while in college. This exposure to a wide variety of peoples at an early age might presumably help him in his work as the COO (Chief Operations Officer) of a major marketing company. However, his real passion is wine, and he has parlayed that affinity into one of the most popular wineries in the nation. Not surprisingly, his passion for wine was a result of his extensive travels, mainly in Italy, a country which is well-known for the quality of its wines. After Denis Mackenzie attended a wine-tasting event there, he decided to get in the wine game himself in 2011.

No one should ever expect to gain anything without effort and innovation. This general rule applies to any business from wine to space rockets. While there may not be a lot of physical labor for the owner (little to none, most likely), that does not mean that they aren’t worth their pay. Understanding the trends of the market and keeping things fresh will help to ensure that your business doesn’t rot on the vine.

 

Why Millennials Love Miss Bongo Prix

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The rise of Miss Bongo Prix among millennials is not a surprise to many in the technology industry who understand the growing importance of cell phone use for the younger generations. Miss Bongo is one of the fastest-growing apps in the world with a presence in Australia, New Zealand, and the U.K. for its information-based service. Continuing to dedicate increasing amounts of time to Web-based cell phone use, Millennials are increasingly getting their answers through their phones to both simple and more complex questions.

Millennials mobile device usage 

When embarking on the development of Bongo the Monkey, leading design development was Meredith Stevens, a designer who divides her time between Australia and the U.S. Everything about Bongo the Monkey and the design of the app has been created to attract as many young people to the messaging service as possible; whether a serious question or a humorous request, Miss Bongo continues to create a range of answer messages from its team of researchers.

Statista reports the global increase in cell phone usage by Millennials continues to rise on an annual basis. Miss Bongo Prix feeds into the growing cell phone use of Millennials who used their phone an average of 223 minutes per day in 2017 compared to just 107 minutes daily in 2012. This increase in phone use shows how Miss Bongo’s range of answers is being used by Millennial cell phone users on a regular basis as part of their daily routine.

Looking Online 

An important way of looking at the rise of Miss Bongo is to compare the use of the SMS messaging service with the rise of Online retail. Millennials are increasingly turning away from the traditional ways of finding information and shopping by bringing technology into every part of life. In many ways, Millennials are moving away from what are known as “legacy” brands which have been around for decades and are not connected to the morals and values of younger generations.

Miss Bongo is a single part of the rise of the digital arena to influence every aspect of life and reflect the lives of Millennials in a positive way. The Online retail industry is worth an estimated $2.45 trillion in 2017 with traditional brands now being distrusted and ignored by younger generations, according to AdWeek. The mistrust of traditional brands can be seen in the development of the Bongo the Monkey as the largest SMS information service in Australia with a growing international customer base.

Human and technological development 

The growth of Miss Bongo Prix is the work of a combination of human talent and the development of new technologies. To answer the range of complex and whimsical question Bongo faces each day, the database of answers has been created with the aid of technology and human researchers who have built a huge database of information. Designing the platform for Miss Bongo has been instrumental in the development of the brand as a top information provider for Millennials who are understanding of the excellence of design in the digital realm.

Ease of use 

Human interaction is not always high on the list of needs of Millennials, who would rather use telephone options to source their information and products than use traditional options such as libraries and brick and mortar stores. Bongo the Monkey fits perfectly into the space being created by Millennials who would rather spend their time exploring the information provided by others through their phone than conduct research for themselves.

A simple flat-fee makes this a popular information service where a response to an SMS message is received almost instantly with no hidden fees as can be seen with some rival services. Millennials are often uncertain about using services which bring with them the baggage of hidden fees and what is often viewed as an immoral use of fees. The banning of the use of bots to buy concert tickets in bulk by various companies in the U.K. following a Millennial-led campaign shows how the misuse of technology will not be tolerated by the latest generation to come of age. Miss Bongo proves the technology and a moral value can be combined successfully in the 21st-century.

 

Andrew Knight New Canaan

Andrew Knight New Canaan Shares How Your Small Business Can Benefit From Using Amazon to Your Advantage

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Andrew Knight New Canaan
You must have at least heard of the e-tail giant or shopped on Amazon for a discounted item. For small businesses, Amazon has a lot more to offer besides the cheaply priced products and free shipping it offers. In Amazon’s program, it provides users who have registered with them a number of benefits that may not be experienced by regular account holders of Amazon. Essentially, an Amazon Business Account provides a seamless process of making corporate item purchases more inexpensive and efficient.

What is Amazon Business?

Registered businesses have an advantage of making easier purchases on Amazon for free. To register, you simply click “Create Free Account” located on the Business page of Amazon and a sequence of steps will be present for setting up the account. The administrator is the one who creates the account, and the admin’s information is the one used to verify the account.

After creation of the account, the administrator adds people who later on add groups, make orders, create workflow approvals, and also add order numbers of purchases. The administrator can then manage the features of the business account like shipping addresses and payment methods.

Large quantity discounts and business pricing are the advantages of account customers of Amazon. Amazon Business also provides tax exemption benefits. You can also link Amazon Business to an active Amazon Prime account. To learn more about Amazon Business, Andrew Knight New Canaan advises you to visit this link and sign up for a free trial.

You will also have an opportunity to look at all the data concerning your orders and use the Business Analytics of Amazon to create reports.

Pricing

There are amazing discount offers for plenty of products on Amazon Business. Amazon Business also offers price breaks on a number of unit purchases, allowing you to see several offers from different sellers on one page.

Tiered discounts on pricing and quantity discounts are offered by Amazon for purchases that are of high volume on specific items. Clicking on ‘Request a Quantity Discount” will show items that are being sold at a discounted price from sellers who are participating.

Benefits of shipping

Just like Amazon’s Prime free shipping advantage, Business Prime Shipping is also available for Amazon Business; this includes a free 2-day shipping on the items that are eligible. To register for a Business Prime Shipping, customers can go for an annual membership plan dependent on the users the business account holds. For 10 users, it goes for $499, for 100 users, it goes for $1,299 and for 1,000 users, it goes for $10,099.

You can link your Amazon Prime account for free to your business account. Membership on your Prime account qualifies you for great Prime Day deals when the company is holding its annual sales. Additionally, if you use Echo Dot, Amazon Echo, Echo Look, Echo Show, Echo Spot, Echo Plus, Fire Tv, Tap, Fire Tablets and other 3rd -party devices for voice orders through Alexa (Amazon’s virtual assistant) you will have even more deals.

There are a number of different payment options for Amazon Business; you can add a credit card to your account that several users can access. You also have the option of going for a corporate credit line which can allow several buyers to use one account, pay order by purchase and download reports of order history. Amazon has integrated with more than thirty purchasing systems like BirchStreet, Spectrum, and iProcure by Oracle to name a few.

Other benefits for small businesses

Customers of Amazon Business can also go for the ATEP(Amazon Tax-Exemption Program) for them to apply their status of tax-exemption to eligible orders from Amazon Digital Services, Amazon Services, Warehouse Deals, Amazon and other sellers.

The ATEP tool helps users by guiding them through the enrollment program. You can update your status and upload or edit your certificates. Once you make an order review, you can modify the items that need a tax exemption certificate.

Customers experience

In praise of the Amazon Business experience, customers have different reasons as to why they enjoy the services.

“ We signed up for a business account to take advantage of the ATEP program,” stated the CEO of Reviewstar Network.

“ Adding to tax-free orders, the program has a really easy ordering & re-ordering process. When we want to purchase a toner for our printer or any other office supply, we can make orders in a matter of seconds and the items will be in the office within 2 days,” Bouring says.

Bourin’s company has also made several purchases on Amazon Business to leverage on the payment plans that allow the firm to split the payments between several people in a company.

Andrew Knight New Canaan notes that Amazon Business is great for small business as the perks are numerous to ignore.

How A Third Party Can Help Reduce Your Debt

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Debt Reduction

If you find yourself in a sea of debt, you might not be too optimistic about the future. If you learn about the options available, you can be optimistic about paying off your debt. One of the ways that you can use to reduce your debt is using third-party services like the Nationwide Debt Reduction Services.

The purpose of the third-party companies like Nationwide Debt Reduction Services is to negotiate the acceptable amount of payment that is less than what you owe to your creditors. The payments you are going to make are going to be on the third-party account. Once the amount is enough to pay off the negotiated amounts, Nationwide Debt Reduction Services covers it. There are various advantages that third-party debt settlement programs pose, although they also have some risks. Below are six ways in which a third-party service can help you:

Reduce your debt amount

You can reduce the amount of your debt through a third party settlement process like a credit counseling service which will ensure that you reduce your monthly payments, but not the principal amount. To manage a large debt, a different settlement company can help you to reduce it.

You tap into the industry experience of a company

If you accumulate some debt, you might not have the knowledge or experience of dealing with your credits. Working with Nationwide Debt Reduction Services can help you leverage their experience. When you tap into the resources of a debt settlement solutions, you will be advised on the amount each creditor will be able to settle for, even the terms the creditors can go for in different stages of the debt repayment. On the other hand, an average citizen will negotiate his debt but end up agreeing on a bad deal.

You will avoid paying fees

When you have a debt settlement company like Nationwide Debt Reduction Services by your side, you will not incur any fees before settling the debt, and this is prohibited by the Federal Trade Commission. It is stated that fees are only charged when the firm successfully negotiates the best terms that a customer is willing to settle for. Well established settlement companies always abide by the regulation by the FTC, and you won’t be liable for upfront fees. The fees paid are usually dependent on the results of the debt payment.

You will make one payment instead of paying several debts

There won’t be any need of making payments each month to your creditor, you will only have to pay one sum to a savings account. This will enable you to focus on a single payment on a monthly basis so that you avoid accruing payment fees because of late payments because the costs are overwhelming.

You will be helped to create a plan for debt reduction

You might have no clue on how to engage with your creditors; if you work with a successful debt settlement company, you will be given ideas on what to expect. Before agreeing to work with a third party, you will be advised of the following:

  • The offers each creditor will be offered by the company.
  • All conditions and fees for the services offered by the debt settlement company.
  • The duration that the settlement company will take to give creditors offers.
  • When the settlement company asks you to stop any payments to the creditors, you will be informed of the disadvantages of not paying penalties and interests and how your credit score will be affected.

They will help you to prevent bankruptcy

If it becomes tough to repay your debt, the only road that may seem open is filing for bankruptcy. Although there are disadvantages that are related to debt settlement, you should not jump into filing for bankruptcy because your credit score will be damaged.

Alternatives to seeking the services of debt settlement firms

Although debt settlement companies offer a way out of debt, there are also other alternatives that are at your disposal that we have mentioned like bankruptcy and negotiating the debt on your own. One other third-party service we have looked at is the credit counseling services. If you want to be in charge of your financial life, a credit counselor can help you plan on how you can pay-off your debt. The good thing about debt counseling companies is that they are non-profit companies. They help you to lower your monthly payments by stretching your debt payment period. You will work with a debt counselor to come up with a debt repayment plan.

 

6 Ways To Identify A Good Attorney

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Sometimes, finding a good attorney can be frustrating and overwhelming. Most people aren’t really sure what to look for or how to identify a good attorney. The good news is that there are a few ways to tell if an attorney or firm, like Winters and Yonker, are worth it or just looking for money. These 6 ways should help you narrow down your search and find a great attorney.

1. BBB Rating
The first thing you’ll want to do is look at the attorney’s BBB rating. You want to make sure they have a decent rating. For example, Winters and Yonker has an A+ rating. While A+ is the best, you could also find a decent lawyer in some of the lower categories. The ones you want to stay away from are the ones that have D or F rating. These ones have the lowest scores and are probably not the best. While you could find a decent lawyer in the C category, these ones aren’t the greatest either. You should try to find someone who has a B or better rating.

2. Good Communication
Next, a good attorney will have great communication skills. For starters, you want to make sure they you can easily talk with them and let them know every aspect of the case. In addition, you want to ensure that they can easily talk with judges and other attorneys. If you have a lawyer who gets shy and isn’t good at communicating, then your case might be doomed from the beginning. Not only will they not be able to make any deals or pass on information, but you might not feel comfortable telling them the details of the case. Since the details are what will make you win or lose, you need to make sure you have no problem talking about it.

3. Reviews
Another thing you can do is actually look at reviews from real people who have used the attorney. There are many websites that you can look on, including: Google and Yelp. These reviews will get into actual details on how it went and the positives and negatives about hiring the attorney. You’ll be able to see information, including: how the attorney communicates, whether or not they were professional, if they did everything they could to fight for the client, and if they put time and effort into research and talking with the judge and other attorneys. If the reviews aren’t good, then you know to stay away.

4. Honesty
Honesty is one of the most important qualities that a good attorney needs to have. For starters, you want to get one that has no problem being honest with you about your case. For example, if you are looking for something that has little to no chance of happening, the attorney needs to be able to tell you that. In addition, you want an attorney that will let you know whether the outlook is good or bad, based on communication with the other attorneys and the judge. You really don’t want to be kept in the dark and be completely blindsided as the case goes on.

5. Search Engine Results
Another thing that you can do is look at search engine results. The reason why this can tell you if an attorney is good or not is because a search engine will let you see any news articles relating to the attorney. This includes the good stuff and bad stuff. If you do search them and end up finding out that they were involved in something that isn’t good, then you’ve pretty much dodged a bullet. You don’t want to work with someone who has been involved in controversy. Not only could that look bad on you, but it could make or break your entire case.

6. Understanding
Finally, you want to make sure that the attorney you choose has a good understanding of you and your needs. Winters and Yonker always try their hardest to understand and you want to make sure your attorney does the same. There’s nothing worse than getting an attorney that either doesn’t understand your needs or refuses to acknowledge them and just kind of does what they want. In addition, you want to ensure that you have a good relationship with your attorney so you can let them know everything and not feel like you’re being brushed off or not taken seriously.

You want to find an attorney that has all of these qualities, such as Winters and Yonker. Not only do these point to a good attorney, but you’ll get a better idea of the kind of person you’re working with. The most important thing is to get an attorney that will fight for you and help you win.