I would like to buy and sell shares online

The article will cover some of the rules for buying and selling shares online.
* The first thing you need is a bank account and also in Internet access on your computer.
* The set-up with most of the traders is free.
* There is usually a small fee for every trade/transaction (about £1-3).
* The trading itself is easy and intuitive. You will be offered a price for the shares requested and have a couple of seconds (10-30) to decide if you would like to complete the trade or not.
* The actual payment transaction is done a couple of days later (depending on your account settings).
* With some traders there are rules of how many times you could reject the offer so you don’t constantly bother them just to check the shares price.
* Some traders also have minimum trade quantity – so you have to buy a minimum of 100 shares for example.
* If you have an account with most of the major banks – you should be able to set up an online trading account with them.
* Do not expect to earn tons of money quickly – it really takes time (and some luck) to be a successful shares trader.
* Keep in mind that you could always lose your money (or at least part of it) – so do not invest money you cannot afford to lose.
* There is always a chance. Nevertheless - you should read analysis and have a strategy for every company you are investing in (to minimize the impact of having bad luck).

I would like to run a contest online – is it gambling?

The article will cover contests, outlining the differences and similarities to gambling. When running contents bear in mind that in the UK:
* “Games of chance” are considered gambling (and should be compliant with the gambling laws), compared to “Games of skill”.
* If you are running a simple contest without entry fee – this is not considered gambling.
* If you would like to run a contest with entry fee and there is an element of luck to select the winner this is considered gambling and you need a license.
* Running a “Game of skill” does not require a gambling license. In order to run such a game you would: have an entry fee or not; have fair competition; luck should not be involved in winning prizes – the winners should be selected based on their entries and work, not based on chance.
* So the short answer is – to avoid running illegal lottery make sure that either the entry is free or/and the winner is selected based on the work provided and not because of any luck involved.

Is it difficult to switch to a new energy supplier?

As a thumb of rule, energy costs are rising every year. It is always good to keep looking for alternatives and better offers. This article will answer how difficult is it to change your energy supplier and how to do it if you need to.

* Prepare the information you will need.
- You need the current energy tariff your household is on.
- The name of the company you currently use as an energy supplier and the name of the tariff are also needed.
- Calculate how much you have spent last year on energy. Please be accurate and base your calculations on the bills you received and not on assumptions.
- You also obviously need your address and postcode.
- Your current payment method – do you prepay, pay monthly or on a receipt?
- Your current yearly usage – if you don’t know it – just prepare the amount of money paid yearly.

* Do a little bit of research. You want to know all the energy suppliers in your region and compare their offers. There are websites to help you with this. For example:
- Love Money energy suppliers center - https://energy.lovemoney.com/
- Which energy supplier center - https://www.which.co.uk/switch/
(again, you will need your home postcode and the information mentioned above)

* Do not compare only the tariff but look for other benefits or financial traps. Be careful looking at the different offers. Go to the supplier website and read more about the offer itself and if there are any “hidden” costs / extra charges.

* Choose a new supplier. Base your choice on the following items:
- What is the tariff that offers the best value for my household needs? Make sure the offer fits the amount of fuel you plan to be using.
- What about extra charges or hidden costs? Be careful and read the offers completely.
-  Is there an incentive or any discount, promotional periods, etc... Again, be careful as once the promotion is over you might end up paying more than what you do currently. Calculate your future energy costs precisely or ask for help.
- What payment options are available? Payment options could impact on your energy costs considerably.
- What is the company overall reputation? Talk to your neighbors and read online about the company and the new tariff you want to switch to. What do they say?

* Switch to the new supplier when ready. Just follow those easy steps:
- Contact your old supplier and give a notice that you would like to cancel their service. Usually it will take a month to cancel completely. You could contact the new supplier directly or by the site you are doing the comparison.
- Pay all of your bills to the old supplier.
- Contact the new energy supplier and apply for the tariff you have chosen. It will take some time to do the switch. And you will have to sign a contract first.
- Keep track of your meter figures and on the day specified by your new supplier make a record of the numbers so they could start measuring.

What is equity

We all know it has to do something with banks and properties. And in this article we will try to describe equity and answer your questions you might have about it:

* Simply said, equity is a financial term used to describe the value of money that a specific person would potentially be eligible to if they were to sell a property and settle all the mortgages, loans and money borrowed against this specific property.
* Equity is a financial term calculating the total assets left after subtracting the total liabilities.
* Equity is also the difference between property value and what the owner owes against that property in terms of mortgage or loans.
* Equity could be released if a person goes bankrupt. In this scenario, the property is sold on the market and the mortgage and the loans are subtracted from the total value received. The person is granted what is left from the money.
* Equity release could be done via IVA (Individual Voluntary Arrangement). In the IVA scenario a person will continue to do monthly payments that cannot go over the maximum that the person could afford to pay. The period usually stays the same and part of the debt/mortgage could even be written off.

How to choose a bank

Choosing a bank could be quite challenging today. There are so many financial trusts owning a huge amount of banks. Here are the most important questions to consider when choosing a bank.

* Start by planning and thinking. What do you need from your bank? What kind of financial services? Are you a saver and need better interest rates for your saving accounts or prefer being able to often do overdrafts at better rates?
* Consolidate your accounts. Over time modern business people tend to have too many bank accounts in different banks. The advantage of that is that people are not putting all the eggs in one basket, the disadvantage is tons of admin maintaining and looking after so many accounts. Think about consolidating some of your accounts. Most of the people hardly need more than one current and a couple of saving accounts.
* If you are in the US use comparison bank services like BankRate or FindABetterBank. Compare not only the rates of different accounts but look at the specific terms & conditions and bank policies.
* Look for large and widely known bank is usually safer. The famous banks though usually do not provide the most valuable products. Keep the balance and choose a bank that will provide good terms but is also well known.
* The location and the size of the bank are also important. It really is great to have a bank branch near your home. If you travel abroad often it is also a good idea to choose an international bank with branches in the countries you visit.
* Be careful with the bank fees. Make sure you are choosing a bank that does not make you pay a fee every time you do something with them. Unfortunately, banks have the right to change that and even if you start with a bank that does not have regular fees for using ATM, bank withdraws or online banking, eventually, the bank might introduce fees in due time.
* Call a bank representative and ask your most important questions. Do not let anybody delude you with vague answers. Be persistent and ask for clear and straightforward answers.
* Consider which products you would be using and do not pay for something you are not. For example, there is a different kind of insurances but think about if you are receiving any value from your optional products. If not – terminate them.
* Do not be afraid to leave when you find out that the chosen bank does not actually provide value and the services they promised.
* Some banks have specifically designed products for people with a lot of cash. Other banks specialize in providing loans with decent rates. Think about what do you need and choose your bank accordingly.

How to make money online

There are many ways to make money online and here are the most famous ways of earning income via Internet:

* Sell and trade items online. eBay and Amazon could provide you with golden opportunities. Not only, but you could also sell your own items like CD’s, books, posters, etc... You could also effectively trade there looking for items that sell cheap and then resell them for a profit.
* Blogging. If you love writing valuable content you could create your own blog and start making money by putting advertisements or selling products on your own blog. The easiest way to create income from your blog is Google Adsense, though do not expect to earn millions with it.
* Affiliate marketing. If you are good at identifying the right people that need the right items you definitely should try affiliate marketing and make some money online. You could do this in a couple of ways: Promoting products on your own website; Having a list of targeted people and emailing them with great opportunities; Just do the marketing offline and promote online products. If you already have a targeted group interested in specific areas and need a good product just try ClickBank.
* PTC websites. Clicking ads to earn money is a popular way of making income. Just don’t expect to become a millionaire out of doing this. There are many websites explaining how PTC sites work like Online Money. The most famous PTC website is NeoBux, and if you need a review and comments read NeoBux review.
* Online surveys and tasks. There are many websites to let you do surveys and tasks online and pay for this. Usually, they pay in gift cards or virtual cash you could use to buy items. A good example is SwagBucks where you earn points for doing simple tasks and if you are diligent you could redeem $50 gift cards every month.
* Promote your own services. This one is probably the best way to earn a decent amount of money online. If you have valuable online skills like web design, development, SEO, coaching or training you could start building a profitable business. Having your own website is not even a mandatory requirement. If you want to make money as a freelancer try Guru or People per Hour.
* Earn money by various other online tasks. You could make money online reviewing music or movies. Or you could make money online by participating in auctions and then trade valuable items you acquired.

Just don’t forget that making money online pretty much involves the same process as doing an offline business: research and find your niche, lay foundations and build the basics, create traffic and critical mass, start profiting and making income. Don’t be fooled that it will only take a couple of minutes per day. Especially at the beginning of your online business, you will have to invest a lot of time and effort until you could lay back and let the income flow by itself.

What is certificate of deposit

There are many people with saving accounts who do not know that they could profit more if they use a certificate of deposit instead. Here is what a certificate of deposit is and why it is advantageous compared to a savings account:
* A certificate of deposit is a contract between a bank and another party that allows the bearer to receive interest and the initial deposit after a specific term.
* Certificates of deposit are low-risk and low-return (still usually higher than saving accounts) investment.
* Certificates of deposit are a very safe form of investment – you will get your money back and the interest too.
* Even if the bank goes bankrupt your deposit is insured (to a certain amount – usually $250k or £100k) and a certificate bearer will still get the money back.
* A certificate of deposit has a term and the interest + the deposited amount is given back after the term is over.
* The disadvantage is that if someone breaks the term and would like to withdraw the money earlier there will usually be a charge for it and the interest would not be paid.
* There are many different types of certificates of deposit – traditional, liquid, bump-up, etc...
* You could benefit from a certificate of deposit if you have some spare money you would like to lend for a long-term duration.
* Certificate of deposit is usually better than a savings account because you earn better interest. On the other end, you can’t simply withdraw your money at any time.

What is debt

In this article, we will discuss debt and the definition of “what is debt”
* Debt is usually amount owned by an organization (company or NGO), the Government or any individual to cover funds or other goods borrowed.
* Debt is an amount of money borrowed by one person to another.
* Debt is also the amount of money borrowed from one party by another.
* A debt is usually used by companies and individuals to purchase something they could not afford normally.
* A debt is an amount of money borrowed by an individual or a company to be paid back at later date and usually there is a cost in doing this - called interest.
* Loans, commercial paper, bonds, and others are all examples of debt.
* There are different operations that could be done with debt, for example, debt sales or debt consolidation.

What is current account

The article will answer the question “What a current account is?” and “What could you do with a current account?”

* A current account is a bank account where you could deposit and withdraw money.
* Usually you could manage your current account in the bank branches, online, with cash machines or over the phone.
* A debit card and even checkbook usually accompany a current account. You could use your debit card to withdraw money from your current account or shop online/offline.
* Almost everybody could open a current account. There are usually no limitations on how many current accounts one person could have too.
* There are current accounts that offer overdraft if you need it.
* The current account usually offers a lower interest rate than a savings account but is more flexible on your money availability.
* Based on different promotions and offers a current account could offer additional extras like insurance or additional interest rate (usually bound to specific monthly income category).
* The current account is your daily basic account to do your shopping, bills and manage other expenditures.
* Usually there is no monthly fee or tax to support a current account. The bank is making money by operating with your money.

Should I pay off my student loan

Having a student loan might be a real pain. Here is some good advice on how you could pay off your student loan:

* If you do not earn enough – you do not have to repay. It is as simple as that. If you are earning £15,000 or less you don’t have to pay off the student loan now.
* If you are earning more than £15,000 though and don’t have other loans part of your salary will automatically be deducted and go towards paying off the student loan.
* If you have other loans it is more sensible to pay them off first, as usual, the student loan has a lower interest rate.
* If you don’t have other loans it might be even more sensible to put your money into a high-interest account. This way you could earn better (as a percentage) and in the end, when you have enough you might decide and pay off your student loan.
* If you decide not to pay off your student loan it will automatically be wiped out in the future. Usually, this happens 25 years after repayments were first due.
* If you become unfit to work your student loan will be unequivocally wiped too.
* Although it is a different kind of loan student loan is still considered a debt. Therefore you should repay it.

How to find my bank account number

Here is an article that answers all questions like:
How to find my bank account number?
What is my bank account number?
How to identify my bank account number?

Here are the best answers regarding identifying your bank account number:
* The bank account number is usually a number between 8-13 digits.
* You could identify your bank account number by looking at your debit/credit card. The account number should be after the bank sort code.
* The bank account number is not your primary credit/debit card number.
* On checks there are usually 3 sets of numbers. The first one (nine-digit) is the bank routing number, the second one (a short one) is usually the check number and the last one usually your account number.
* Call your bank and provide your details to find your bank account number.
* Look at your bank monthly statements. There should be the routing number/sort code (of the bank) and after that your bank account number (between 8 and 13 digits).
* The bank account number is listed at the bottom of each one of your checks in your checkbook.
* If you have online access to your account check there – your account number will be shown next to each of your bank accounts.

Will a bank take a ripped check

In this article, we are going to answer all questions regarding “banks taking ripped or torn checks”.

As usual, the best answers are summarized below:
* When it comes to a ripped check - it really depends if the bank will approve cashing it out. Tape it together and go to a cashier in the bank.
* The bank may decide to reject a ripped or torn check if the signature or the amount is torn.
* Get your ID and show it to a cashier in a bank. Explain what happened and show the check.
* You could try and tape the check together and then show it to the cashier.
* The most important part of a check is the signature and the amount – make sure those are clearly visible and undamaged.
* The account number is also important - make sure it is clearly visible and undamaged.
* Call your bank first and explain the situation. If they tell you they will reject the check still go and visit them and insist they accept the check.
* If you tape the check make sure you use transparent tape so the information is clearly visible.
* Do not rip your check into very small pieces – the bank will not accept it this way.

Will my credit card still work if I washed it

In this article we are going to answer the most asked money-related question:
“Will my credit card still work if I washed it?”

There are many answers out there and we gathered the best ones for your credit card and washing machine incident for you:

* What really counts is if the magnetic stripe on the back of the credit card is still working. If the card was bend – this could damage it, but water simply can’t damage the credit card stripe.
* Unless the credit card itself is damaged or the magnetic stripe is damaged it should still work.
* If your washed credit card does not work contact your bank for replacement.
* The biggest problem with washing your credit card is not the water but the high temperature.
* The plastic of a credit card could start melting at above 55C. You are safe in the UK but take care when you go for a holiday in Africa.
* Water (credit card washed) won’t be a problem at all. Bending, heating, and stripe damaging would be.
* More 95% of the people who washed their credit card confirm that it works after that without any problems. So there is a huge chance you are one of the lucky ones.