Do You Have Relevant Information on Pensions?

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Finances Article |Pensions|Do You Have Relevant Information on Pensions?Various studies conducted show that relevant advice availed to individuals on pensions is relatively low. Pension plans are a saving platform for retirement where employers contribute funds towards their employee’s retirement. There are two types of pension plans, which include the defined benefit and the defined contribution plan. The final salary pension is a source of a stable savings plan, a source of income paid to pension holders after retirement. Mis-sold Pensions lead to considerable losses to an individual pension fund. When one has poor financial advice, they transfer their saved money and invest in unstable business ventures. Some companies and individuals offer pension holders services when they want to make claims due to financial losses. The court provides relatively low claims, but it is the most efficient tool as it holds all the parties involved accountable. Private practitioners like lawyers offer quality services, and they charge higher amounts of money on their services. Before committing to any pension plan, ensure that it meets your needs and contributions are not a financial burden. In case a pension holder dies, the family members are given the accrued benefits.

Mis Sold Pension Plans

There are various types of the mis-sold pension plans, including the SIPP, final salary transfers,SASS, and OPS. The self-invested pension plans give the pension holders control over their pension funds, and they are a high-risk investment that may lead to massive losses. They fail to provide enough attention to the service provider on the quality of information delivered. Complaints are made against the pension provider and the recommended financial advisors. In case of a mis-sell, individuals are allowed to make claims, and when approved, one is compensated. The final salary transfers involve employers’ contribution of a certain amount of money towards a pension plan for the employees. It is considered to be a secure saving plan and gives a guaranteed benefit as losing pension funds is a rare occasion. If advised to transfer to another kind of pension plan without your due diligence, you are entitled to make compensation claims. The small self-administered schemes are unregulated, and they are high-risk investments. In any case, a regulated financial officer encourages a transfer to the pension plan; you can directly ask for compensation. The occupational pension schemes are created by employers who enable employees to save for their retirement and are regulated.

Claims in Mis-Sold Pensions

Some financial advisors recommended by the pension providers give misleading advice, which leads to financial losses. In such situations, individuals are encouraged to make claims through the various platforms available. One can directly involve the courts or the financial service. The provided financial services are cheap, and their decisions can only be challenged in a court of law. The claiming process is slow due to inadequate financing making their services inefficient, and huge claims put pressure on the systems. Private practitioners like companies have experienced personnel who directly engage you in the claiming process by making sure information is available on any proceedings. Individuals can make claims to the pension providers if they lack enough capital to hire the relevant service providers.

Signs of a Mis-Sold Pension

There are stipulated practice codes that require financial advice to offer excellent and relevant financial advice about the available pension plans, including the associated benefits and disadvantages. The pension plan should cover all the individuals’ needs and have high stability to prevent losses. The provided information ensures that decisions made are informed and limit cases of claiming compensation. To identify if the financial advisor has misguided, you have proof showing that the information offered is biased and is not exhaustive on all the products available in the market. Financial losses are substantial proof that results from a lack of enough information on the various business ventures resulting in profits. Financial advisors may advise on transferring stable pension plans to highly risky plans that attract losses if not well managed. Individual research is recommended from the various sources of information and seeking relevant advice from the private financial practitioners on the pertinent pensions which meet a person’s needs without compromising its security.

Pension Transfers

There is a specified period to make any claim of a mis-sold pension plan; if the claim is not completed, then compensation becomes impossible. There are various set financial services that help complainants receive fair judgments and handle the policyholders’ pension complaints. The claiming process takes some time for a solutions agreement, and it does not mean that the complainant will not receive compensation. In case one feels that the pensions they have do not meet their needs, individuals are allowed to make transfers, which eventually suits their needs. Individuals with final salary transfers may wish to shift to defined contribution plans if they are willing to venture into the high-risk plans and make the relevant business decisions to grow their pension funds actively. Transfer from the high-risk pension to the defined plans ensures security and a guaranteed income source in the future when one retires. The significant benefit of pension plans is they are a savings plan, and when the pension holder dies, their immediate family or beneficiary directly receives the benefits from the pension.

Taxation and Time Taken to Make a Claim

In most cases, taxation of the pension funds is not allowed making it an efficient saving plan. The government offers social security to the more senior members of society by providing untaxed amounts of money to cater to their daily needs. The time it takes to access the claim depends on how complex the case is and all parties’ availability to appear in the proceedings. Some cases take years to solve, and others take months for a conclusion to be made. Private practitioners take less time to make relevant claims as they follow a stipulated time frame to ensure their clients are satisfied. The earlier you predict a mis-sell and report the matter, the quicker the solutions are availed to the stakeholders.

In conclusion, a pension plan is a saving plan that mostly pays off when pension holders retire. Relevant financial advice is required in choosing the appropriate pension plan which meets persons` needs. When you realize you have a miss-sell, start to make a claim immediately to use a short time frame to wait for decisions. One can make a pension transfer if their current pension plan is inadequate to their needs. Ensure you have the relevant information when choosing any pension plan.

3 Tips to Avoid Wasting Money As a New Entrepreneur

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Finances Article | 3 Tips to Avoid Wasting Money As a New Entrepreneur

Most new entrepreneurs are at several particular and distinct disadvantages to the established players in their fields.

Perhaps first and foremost, giant established companies will have vast financial resources at their disposal, which can be used to pursue all manner of different innovations and campaigns, while also allowing them to more easily and effectively absorb losses.

For a new entrepreneur, there are all sorts of different things that should be taken into account when it comes to following the most productive path forward. Figuring out how best to avoid wasting money is a key priority.

Here are some tips on how to avoid wasting money as a new entrepreneur

Don’t invest in countless training materials, but learn “on-the-job”

There is a very large industry out there focused on selling books, instructional DVDs, motivational speeches, and more technically-focused “training materials” and “mentorship programs,” for entrepreneurs in general.

While some of these may certainly be helpful in particular contexts, the truth is that, in the majority of cases, these training courses, books, and so on, are unlikely to make much of a difference to your professional life. What they likely will do, though, is to drain your bank balance.

For the most part, the best way to learn how to do things as an entrepreneur is through “on-the-job experience.” Both your successes and your missteps and mistakes will give you a lot of insight about where you need to make adjustments versus staying on the current path.

Invest extra where it counts, but don’t fall for the idea that higher prices always reflect superior outcomes

In a professional context, there are always going to be areas where investing extra money results in a higher overall quality of service, and superior outcomes overall, that can significantly enhance the experience of your customers and improve the prospects of your business.

At the same time, however, there are also going to be many areas where spending a lot of money will not make much difference in outcome compared to spending a more moderate amount of money.

An important art to master is figuring out where that extra investment of money will really count, and where it won’t. The cheapest UPS domestic shipping rates are likely to get the job done well, in many cases.

Work on a focused number of things at a time, instead of trying to cover all the bases

The more you try to “do it all” as an entrepreneur, and to “cover all bases,” the less progress you are likely to make on any one thing at a time, and the less efficient you are likely to be with your money, as well.

By focusing on a limited number of things at a time, you can make more impact with your money, and can also keep your business moving in a more coherent direction.

While you can certainly branch out and add new features to your business over time, trying to do too much at once is often a road to self sabotage.

3 Types of Merger and Acquisition Transactions

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Finances Article | 3 Types of Merger and Acquisition TransactionsThere are many reasons why one company may merge with or acquire another company. Sometimes it may be out of convenience and other times it is a necessity. When two companies join it leads to more resources, expanded profit share and less competition. As Aristotle said, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” Entrepreneurs, like David Walsh Bronxville, make their living by knowing which mergers and acquisitions are going to profitable and which are not. Often, this comes down to the legal details and what type of transaction takes place.

Asset Purchase

When one business acquires another, it could be done through an asset purchase. In an asset purchase, the target business sells all of its assets to another company, known as the acquirer. These assets may include licenses, customer lists, equipment and patents. The target business retains ownership of the entity. Sometimes the target company also passes some liabilities to the acquiring company, especially if that debt is associated with an asset. Asset purchases favor the acquiring company when it comes to taxes. This is because the newly acquired assets provide tax deductions for depreciation. On the downside, contracts with employees, customers and suppliers may need to be renegotiated.

Stock Purchase

A stock purchase is another type of acquisition. With a stock purchase, the acquirer takes the target company’s assets and liabilities by buying its stock. The target company then dissolves. Contracts typically transfer to the acquiring business without renegotiating, and the assets transfer without having to pay for retitling. This type of acquisition is more straightforward. There is less to negotiate, making the purchase much simpler. The main disadvantage comes with the transferred liabilities. Separate agreements need to be negotiated if the acquirer doesn’t want the liabilities. Also, the acquirer doesn’t receive tax benefits from those assets.

Merger

Mergers are a little more complex than acquisitions. This is when two companies completely combine, along with all the assets and liabilities of both companies. In this case, the stocks for both companies are surrendered. The new business entity is issued its own stocks. A merger is usually thought of as friendly, while an acquisition can be hostile. Although mergers sometimes lead to hostile work environments. The management structure changes and many departments need to be blended, which often leads to layoffs. Restructuring is necessary so that operating costs are not doubled. Successful mergers benefit both contributing companies and are usually done between similar size businesses.

Why P2P Lending Makes Complete Sense for Startups

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Finances Article |P2P Lending|Why P2P Lending Makes Complete Sense for StartupsSince its inception, the peer-to-peer lending industry has moved ahead at warp speed. The P2P lending market was valued at $67.93 billion in 2019 and is expected to cross the $500 billion figure in 2027 at a CAGR of 29.7 percent, despite the global pandemic crisis.

P2P lending is a funding method that lets businesses get capital from several investors online. P2P lending marketplaces get investors and businesses seeking funding together on one platform. It is a debt-based investment that’s different from crowdfunding. It presumes that the borrower will repay the loan in installments over the specified period.

Since the entire process is technologically driven, it ensures transparency and involves low operating costs and market risk. Hence, this funding model is a perfect fit for startup owners and entrepreneurs who are constantly looking for quick access to funds and reasonable interest rates.

Here’s why P2P lending is an ideal business financing option for startups and SMEs.

1. It Offers an Easy and Streamlined Application Process

P2P lending allows startup owners to borrow capital without the hassle of going to financial institutions. This is an ideal scenario for startups as banks have extensive eligibility requirements and take a long time to approve a loan.

Also, startup owners who do not have good credit but a healthy cashflow find it tough to get loans from credit unions or banks. P2P lending is a great alternative option for such businesses. Even with a less-than-perfect credit score, a small business can get its funds through an online lending platform.

These platforms use the latest technology to provide direct and safe interaction between borrowers and lenders through a simple application process. They perform all the necessary checks, set all the rates and terms and conditions, apply legislation changes, and allow safe transactions.

For instance, the loan marketplace platform Swaper has built its own AI scoring model that’s completely automated and adjusts legislation changes to the new risk terms.

Check out this interview with Iveta Br?vele, the CEO of Swaper for details.

2. It Helps Startups Get Funds Quickly

Depending on the size of your loan, the process of funding from financial institutions can last for weeks on end. However, P2P lending is an online and transparent process where the borrowers are constantly updated about the progress of their funding.

P2P platforms offer startups with a huge pool of willing investors who evaluate borrowers and lend accordingly. Lenders needn’t support 100 percent of the financing; rather, it is pooled by many lenders. All this reduces the time taken to raise funds for a venture. Even loan amounts like $5,000 or more are funded in less than a week.

3. It Offers Excellent Interest Rates

When compared with the traditional ways of funding, P2P lending offers better interest rates. Banks usually have a higher interest rate on personal loans as they are unsecured loans. Repaying such loans can burn a hole in your pocket.

Being completely online (unlike banks), P2P platforms operate on low overheads. They do not have administrative and operational costs to pay. This allows them to offer attractive rates depending on the borrower’s credit score, loan amount, and loan term. Hence, startups looking to reduce their business costs can benefit from this type of financing.

4. There Are No Hidden Costs

If you’ve ever applied for a loan from a bank, you’d understand the importance of reading the fine print. Many who have failed to do so have landed in a soup. Banks have so many hidden charges that most borrowers aren’t aware of until it’s too late. Such cashflow surprises can ruin your startup.

Online P2P lending is different. As mentioned earlier, it’s a transparent process that clearly states the registration fee and the commission on the loan at the time of your registration. There are no hidden charges. What’s more? If you plan to repay your loan early, you will not have to contend with any prepayment penalties.

So, you can use your funds to scale your startup rather than wasting it on unnecessary penalties and hidden charges.

5. You Don’t Need a Collateral

Not all P2P lending platforms offer loans without collateral; however, they mandate a certain credit score and critically verify the eligibility of the borrower. They also check your business cash flow. If you meet the eligibility and your business has healthy cash flow, they may take collateral lightly and drop it from the requirements. So, you can get your startup funded without collateral!

Before opting for this funding option, consider the following pointers –

  • Take a look at the fine print at the bottom of each P2P provider’s home or the product page. They usually share the complete overview of the loan amounts they offer and the rates and fees they charge.
  • Make sure that the lender operates in your state or country. Many P2P lenders do not operate in all locations.
  • Review your credit reports for major negative entries if any as these may come in the way of your loan approval.
  • Watch out for tempting upsells. You may require a certain amount but qualify for a larger loan. A few P2P sites will encourage you to borrow more. Agree only if you think you can put the money to good use.

Summing Up

P2P lending is an ideal funding option for small business owners and entrepreneurs looking for quick and easy ways to fuel their venture. No wonder, over the past decade, P2P lending has become mainstream among startups seeking additional funding.

Use the information shared above to make an informed funding decision for your venture.

4 Adjustments that Can Significantly Reduce Company Expenses

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Finances Article |Reduce Expenses|4 Adjustments that Can Significantly Reduce Company ExpensesMost companies make a substantial amount of money, but the high costs of running the business use up most of the finances making the venture not profitable. To maximize profits, cut down the expenses as much as you can without compromising business operations. Here are ways to help your business make more savings

Check Your Energy Consumption

As professionals from Olympia Lighting will inform you, energy costs can be managed or reduced by LED lighting. It’s easier to maintain, doesn’t use as much power (uses 75% less than traditional lighting systems), and is echo friendly.

Additionally, install solar panels in your facility to power LED street light fixtures and other appliances. Invest in smart lighting systems and ensure offices get enough natural light, which minimizes electricity use during the day. Also, make sure your devices are energy efficient, well maintained, and perform effectively. Faulty and old machines need more energy to power them. Always go for the eco-friendly options in the market when making a new purchase.

Modernize Your Marketing Techniques

Although it pays to stick to what works for your business, use the power of referral more than traditional marketing. Referrals tend to become loyal customers and refer more clients. Also, leverage your company’s social media platforms.

Engage with clients, give your business a recognizable face, and network more. Let your customers know about new offers, products, and discounts and at the same time have details of your products on all your social media platforms. Also, respond to customer inquiries on time.

Use every mode of communication with the clients as a marketing platform. Give details of the offers or new products you have on follow-up emails, invoices, and quotes.

Focus on Quality

When you offer customers quality products or services, you build trust, and they depend on your services. When goods or products are faulty, customers have to return them for replacements. It cost the company more money to issue replacements, make shipments, and it wastes time. Quality supplies, although costing more, don’t frustrate your efforts. You can also confidently charge more when offering quality products.

Keep Reviewing the Supply Costs

Are your supplies giving you the best deals? Regularly check the market prices for your supplies and negotiate a better offer with your vendor or shift base. Also, check what big suppliers are offering. Most are cheaper than smaller companies because they produce in bulk, although you don’t get to build a personal relationship with them.

Make Maximum Use of Your Space

Do you have a large space that’s underutilized? Consider leasing or crafting better ways of using it. For instance, you don’t have to invest in separate dining, meeting, and relaxing areas for the employees but consolidate all these needs into one space. Also, don’t stock more than you need for a month or two. Digitize your operations, which means less paperwork and filing systems. If you have equipment that you use seasonally, consider leasing it out when not in use.
Small adjustments can significantly lower your expenditure, resulting in more profits.