Finance Archives - Serendipity Mommy

5 Unique Personalized Gift Ideas For The Hard-To-Buy-For

January 27, 2020 by Mandy

Having trouble thinking of a gift for someone?

Thinking of a gift for someone is hard enough on its own. Thinking of a gift for someone who has everything makes the task next to impossible, especially if the event is approaching soon. This will put you under pressure and can make it harder to decide on what to give them.

You can go for something unique and trendy if it comes down to it, but it won’t leave a lasting impression on the recipient. Consider unique personalized gifts instead if you want your present to make them feel special.

Here are 5 great personalized gift options to get your friends and family. Check them out and make them feel special.

1. Bracelets and Necklaces

The most common among unique personalized gifts come in a bracelet or necklace form. This is the perfect medium for different personalization options. You can customize these pieces of jewelry to fit the would-be wearer once they put it on.

You can go simple and have their first name incorporated into these. This is a trend these days and it will make the recipient happy that you got them this. Family names are also great if you want to get a set for the entire family.

You can also put their birthdates on them. The beauty of this method is that there are limitless possibilities for customization options. What’s great is that they will all turn out beautiful.

2. Aging Barrels

People are getting into brewing and aging their alcohol nowadays. This is because it’s more economical and it also makes them look more sophisticated. If the recipient is like one of these people, then a personalized aging barrel is perfect for them.

What’s great is that you can choose the material and the size of the barrel. This makes for specific flavors of alcohol that the recipient likes.

Oak is a great choice if you want to get them a personalized whiskey barrel and hickory is great for ales. What’s important is that you choose the right barrel to suit the taste of the recipient.

3. Carry-All and Suitcases

Does your friend or family member love travel? Why not get them a traveling bag that they’ll use all the time?

Personalized suitcases or carry-all bags are popular among travelers today. This is because they’re stylish and unique to the carrier. It also makes it easier for them to identify their luggage among the other bags.

4. Journal and Diaries

Nothing is more personal than a journal or diary. The only thing about it is that you can make it even more personal by adding personalized elements to it.

Keeping to a theme is great, but adding the elements that the recipient loves is better for this. Doing this will make this personal effect even more personalized.

Journals are often mediums for a person’s thoughts. People often forget about important thoughts if they don’t write it down as soon as possible. Add the recipient’s name to the cover to know how you value their thoughts.

5. Moon Phase Amulet

This is a new trend that can also become personalized for you and the recipient. Picking a specific date and looking up the moon phase during that date makes for a great personal gift. This guarantees that the recipient will feel special.

Doing this requires a bit of research on your part. This will be worth it to have them know you’re willing to go through anything to make them feel special.

Try These Unique Personalized Gifts Today

Unique personalized gifts are the best gift you could get or give. Get something special for them today!

Looking for more great gift ideas? Check out our other guides to learn more ways to make someone feel loved and appreciated on their special day!

6 Things That Won’t Affect Your Credit Score

January 24, 2020 by Mandy

Image source: pixabay.com

A credit score is a numerical and statistic figure that depicts an individual’s creditworthiness. This is based on your credit history and an analysis of a person’s credit files and reports. A credit score ranges from 300 to 850 on average; the higher a credit score may be, the more trustworthy a person is considered in terms of his financing.

Credit scores are also based on how you deal with making payments on time, as well as the position of accounts that you may have in good standing. A decent credit score instantly elevates your chances of securing a loan at low-interest rates but if you have any unsecured business loans, the scenario can be changed.

Similarly, you can save tremendous amounts, such as bearing the high cost of interest rates. Apart from that, you also have an edge when it comes to getting employed as employers can view how responsible you are and can be impressed enough to land you a dream job.

You can also eliminate the possibility of having to put up with a security deposit when applying for a loan or paying on installments. Renting an apartment and paying lower premiums for insurances such as automobiles and premises is dependant and is made easier as per the liability of your credit score.

Several factors may impact your credit scores directly or indirectly. Some of which may be positive or negative. You must focus on being able to maintain a sound credit score while also not having to worry about some adjustments that may come about due to various reasons but will not affect the overall status of your credit score.

1. Income fluctuation

A common misconception is that your salary affects your credit score. That is actually not the case. Sure, your employer may be listed on your credit report, but that does not have an impact on your credit score. There is no connection between a credit score and your income, neither earning a high wage help in having a high credit score.

Your credit scores will remain unchanged, and whether or not it’s reasonable depends on other factors. It is also possible to have a good credit score while you are unemployed, receiving unemployment benefits by the government, surviving on pensions, or living hand to mouth. However, a factor to keep in mind is that it may indirectly cause an influence. Losing your job could hurt being able to pay your bills on time, which in turn could obviously then affect your credit score. Lenders and institutions that can provide you with financial assistance may have a look at your salary to assess whether or not you could afford the repayment and then decide a period for that accordingly.

2. Personal life and information

Credit reports consist of your necessary personal information. This includes your name, your address (and any changes to it), date of birth, social security number, and public information about your financial history. Credit files do not take into account irrelevant information such as your race, marital status, level of education, income, and political party.

Thus, it will not bring about any change in your credit score. Similarly, it is essential to note that your marital status will not affect your credit score, as in your credit history, and the score is never merged or combined with your spouse’s. Even if your partner has a poor credit score, it won’t affect yours, neither will it have an impact on your chances of securing a loan and enjoying other benefits. That is unless the two of you opt and apply for a joint mortgage or use a joint credit card, but in no way can it change the status of your personal credit score, good or bad.

Filing for divorce also does not affect your credit score directly, but any late payments to your bills could prove to be a problem which could then negatively impact your credit score. In case you and your spouse jointly own premises or property, you both will be held responsible for any debts you may incur and have to pay off.

3. Denied credit

In the unlikely event of you being denied credit or if your application for a loan may be disapproved of, you will not have to worry about it affecting your credit score. Fortunately enough, any acceptance or disapprovals of your investments and credit denial will not show up on your credit history.

The only consequence you may face as a result of credit denial is a ‘hard inquiry’ the next time you do apply for a loan or any financial assistance. However, it is temporary and is not a factor to worry about, apart from this, there is no other downside that you will have to face if your credit gets denied.

4. Payments to small scale businesses

Credit bureaus are the ones who look after and assess your credit scores. They tend to be quite strict when it comes to choosing who can deliver and report financial related consumer information to them. In most cases, small scale business is deprived of this ability.

Payments in the form of bills to small companies such as lawn care, pest control, personal services, and rent do not appear on your credit report. In case a company that is feasible enough to report to credit, bureaus do not report payment information on the time it could affect your financial history with that the company could affect your credit score.

5. Paying for someone else

Acts of kindness go a long way, but not long enough to change your credit scores. If you do intend to help out a family member or friend who may be suffering from a budget constraint, you must acknowledge that such a thing will not bring a change to your credit scores; therefore, it should be done purely for the contentment of your heart. A credit file will only have a report of anyone who owns the bill, without considering who actually might pay for the debt.

6. Your interest rate

While you are applying for a loan, you may be keen to shop around for the best and lowest interest rates out there. Don’t hesitate to do so as multiple inquiries are often considered as one if they typically occur in a span of a couple of weeks. Yes, scoring models are delicate and fragile enough to take notice when you are out shopping for the best interest rates but that won’t create an impact on your credit score.

These are some of the many factors that do not bring about any change to your credit score. A decent credit score can be attained mainly on your responsiveness to paying bills and making payments efficiently and at the right time. There may be indirect impacts on your credit score, but nothing that could directly affect it.

You must enlighten yourself with information about factors that impact your credit score and sort it out with misconceptions that do not. Make sure you are not stressing out on minor details such as the above that you may think is impacting your credit score but are actually not. Keep track of your credit files and history to stay updated with your financial accounts.

6 Tips on Dealing with Home Financing

January 23, 2020 by Mandy

Purchasing a house is no easy task. This is especially true if you’re a first-time buyer. With so many things you need to do and research, things can sometimes feel a bit overwhelming. However, thanks to the professionals in the real estate industry, as well as the internet, you’ll be able to find some relevant information quite easily.

That being said, though, you will still need to organize the entire process down to a tee. So, with that in mind, here are some useful tips on how to properly deal with your home financing.

Do your research

Since you’re not trying to buy a t-shirt you will wear for a couple of times and then donate, you should do some research. Here, you should consider your needs, inspect the current prices in the real estate market and see what is being offered. Also, research the areas you might be most interested in or the state you’re about to move to. Moreover, try to see if the area you’re moving to has growth potential. If it does, that means you could probably sell your house for more profit later on. Additionally, find out what you should be looking for in a real estate agent if you’re planning on hiring one.

Plan your budget thoroughly

The next thing you should take care of is your budget. Planning a budget for purchasing a house will require you to dive deep into your personal finances. See what your loan options are and try to get approved for a mortgage. However, see to it that you get a mortgage consistency built into your contract because the real estate market is fairly uncertain. Additionally, when planning a budget, do know that you’ll need to account for more than just the price of the property. You will also need to include renovation prices and have a contingency budget (of roughly 20%) in case anything unexpected happens.

Secure a loan

Moreover, you will need to ensure that you can, in fact, secure a loan. If you’re looking to get a bank loan, you will first need to make sure that your credit score is excellent. If your credit score is not great, there are ways you can remedy it. First, check your credit history and see if there are any mistakes. If everything seems fine yet your credit score is still bad, work on improving it before you apply for a loan. If you still get denied for a bank loan, you can always look into alternative lenders. Finally, your family members might be able to help you out if all else fails.

Make a down payment

To secure a property you are interested in purchasing you will need to make a down payment. The down payment is the percentage of the property’s price you will need to provide upfront to the seller. The rest will be paid off with your mortgage. However, if you’re not sure you have enough funds for this you can always look for ways you can earn some extra cash. One of the most lucrative ways you can do so is by joining an affiliate program. These will allow you to secure some extra funds that will come in quite handy. But make sure you focus on the right niche that has great earning potential. For instance, since iGaming is gaining in popularity, online casino affiliate programs have become quite a popular choice.

Hire an agent

Hiring a buyer’s agent is not mandatory. But hiring them will make the entire process of finding and actually buying a house so much easier. The fact is that these professionals will help you understand the market and the offers better. They will also help you narrow down the search based on what you’re looking for and your budget. Additionally, they can even help you negotiate the price, as they know what the realistic prices in the market are. For best results, look for someone skilled and highly professional.

Thoroughly inspect the home

Finally, to make sure you’re not purchasing a money pit, you will have to conduct a thorough house inspection. Some states require that this is done prior to making the purchasing offer, while others make it a contract contingency. Either way, you should hire professionals to inspect the property before you actually sign the purchasing documents. Do know that if you uncover any issues the seller won’t be required to fix them. So, it will be up to you to decide if you want to buy a fixer-upper or you’re more interested in a house you can move in right away.

Buying a house is not something you can decide overnight. This type of purchase will require you to plan and prepare for it in advance. So, make sure you educate yourself about the current state of the market and your purchasing abilities. This way you will ensure that you’ve made the best possible decision.

Smart ways to invest for your future

January 14, 2020 by Mandy

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As we are all entering in a new year and 2019 is almost finish, we all are in high spirits and making resolutions for the upcoming 2020. How about we make a resolution this year to make our future secure for ourselves and for our families. The best way to secure our future in terms of financial aspect is to invest our saving very carefully. Not all of us have a lot to invest but whatever we have if invested correctly can convert that little amount in a good number that can later be used for another investment or can be used to make an asset like a house, car, gold or any equipment. A lot of question arises in one’s mind when the idea of investment pops up, like what is the correct way to invest, what is the correct amount to invest, should all money be invested in one place and what is the correct time to convert the investment into assets. Answers to the following questions can be researched and analyzed by an individual, but the best answers will come up with the time and experience.

The best way to start investing is to start at a very young age when you do not have a lot of responsibilities, and it is easier to save money and invest. It will not just give you a good and easy start to a secure future; it will also develop a habit of saving in you. Nevertheless, if not start from a younger age, it is never too late to start saving and investing. Therefore, here are some smart ways to invest for your future:

Mutual Funds:

Mutual funds are one of the most classic and conventional ways of investment. It is a way in which our investment amount is a pool with some other investors and then used to buy some high profile stocks and bonds in a larger chunk than a smaller one. It is one of the easiest and safer ways to invest and start investing rather than starting with something else. This way, you only get to pay the fee of one trading commissioner, and that will be dividing into the no of people pooling the money.

Money Bonds:

One traditional way to save money and invest at the same time is to buy bonds for that money. Money bonds are a kind of currency. In some countries, when you buy those bonds, there is a lucky draw that happens. There is 3 position in that luck draw and a particular amount dedicated to each position. There is a particular number of bonds awarded 1^st position and same Is the case with 2^nd and 3^rd position. So if you are lucky enough you will be saving the as well as getting the reward. While in other countries you get a percentage of the money invested on the bonds like if you have purchased a bond worth 5$, you will get 5% of 5$ every week.

Property:

Buying a property is the best way to invest. You get an asset in the process of investment and can get an amount every month to save even to utilize. You can start by an apartment or a shop depending on the amount you have, and then you can easily rent out that shop or apartment. The value of that property will also increase with time so buy a property as soon as you can and secure your future in the best way possible.

Business:

The best way to invest is to start a business of your own. As starting a new business and investing in it is very risky, but if your business plan is stable and turns out to be successful, it can do wonders for you. Rather than starting a new business and giving it full time, start a side business with your job. It will be a little less risk and will definitely give you the advantage to have a job if the business does not work out for you.

College funds:

If you are a family person and have children, their college money of your children is surely the priority of your life. The most important help you can give to your children is to save money for their college. This is not just the money for their education, and this is the money that will help them to achieve their goals and dreams. Imagine your child being the best lawyer, painter, or an artist of the decade with the best educational background to support his or her creativity. Therefore, no matter how old is your little one start saving up and investing for college money.

Saving Account:

If you are the kind of a person who does not like to take the risk, saving account is your friendly way to save and invest money. In a saving account, you out your savings and get a small percentage of the amount in your account every month. The percentage is not that big though, but you get to save your money for an emergency and still get a return on it every month.

Cryptocurrency:

Another way of securing your future is to invest your money in the cryptocurrency. Cryptocurrency is one of the latest trends of today. According to research, around 8% of the American invested their money in the cryptocurrency this year. However, the downside of cryptocurrency is that it is still not legal in some Asian countries, so if you are living in Asia research before investing in the cryptocurrency.

Conclusion

For all the investment ways mentioned above, we all need some saving to start with. It does not matter how less you start saving, make a habit of saving for your future cause let’s be honest no one cares for you and your family more than you so if you want to spend a good life you yourself have to work for it. So start saving, investing and take charge of your life.

What is the law on displaying a number plate?

December 27, 2019 by Mandy

The DVLA have very strict laws on how a number plate should be displayed. It is essential that number plates are visible so that they can be recognised easily if there has been a road accident, if a camera catches you speeding or even if a vehicle needs to be found in the case of theft.

Without a number plate, it would not be possible to differentiate between vehicles which could cause a whole host of problems. As years have gone on, the DVLA have implemented more rules in-regard to how a number plate should look, therefore it is vital that you know exactly how your plate should be displayed. If your plate is not displayed properly then you could face a fine.

Displaying a number plate

All cars in the UK have to display a number plate on both the front and the rear of the vehicle. The front plate must have a white background, whilst the rear plate has a reflective yellow background. In both cases, there must be no pattern added to the background as this could distract from the characters.

Additionally, all number plates must use the standard ‘Charles Wright’ font that the DVLA issue on regular plates. The only other option available is the 3D effect version of the ‘Charles Wright’ font, any italics or other fonts are not legal. You must also ensure there is nothing blocking any of the characters such as a sticker, bolt or anything else. This will make it harder to police and cameras to read the vehicle plate clearly.

Character spacing

On top of the regulations in regard to how to plate should be displayed, the DVLA also have a set of rules about the spacing of the character and layout of the plate.

To begin with, there has to be a gap between the first four character and the last three, and this gap has to be 33mm wide. The gap between the characters that are together in the same grouping is 11mm. Each individual character must be 79mm high and 50mm wide, this is except for the letter I and the number 1 and the width of the stroke is 14mm. There are also rules regarding the spacing between the characters and the border of the number plate.

Symbols and logos

One of the most commonly unknown facts is that you are not allowed to display any symbols or logos on a number plate, such as the badge of the car make or the logo of your favourite football team.

The only symbols allowed on a number plate are the following national emblems:

-British Union flag

-English flag

-Welsh flag

-Scottish flag

-Euro flag

Historic vehicles

There are different rules in place for historic vehicles as they do not follow the same number plate system. Many historic vehicles made before the 1970s had a dateless number plate with fewer characters which makes them extremely sort after and valuable.

If you have a historic vehicle, or vintage car, then you will be allowed to display the number plate in the old style. This consists of a black plate with either white or silver writing. If you are looking for a cheaper option, you can purchase a plastic plate similar to the ones today. Otherwise, if you are looking to splash out on a more authentic look, you can opt to purchase the traditional metal construction.