What You Need to Know Before Opening an ISA

If you are interested in saving for your future, there is a great option you may have heard of. The Individual Savings Account (ISA) is a tax-free way of saving money for your short or long-term goals. It is a way of saving your money under a tax shelter. The concept of an Individual Savings Account is simple to understand, however, there are a few things you should understand before opening an ISA. 

Cash ISA versus Investment ISA

There are two types of ISAs: cash ISAs and investment (stocks and shares) ISAs. In either case, an ISA manager handles your account. You do not have to pay income tax on the interest and the gains are tax-free as well.

The cash ISAs are great for short-term savings accounts. You can place the money into the account at any time or place a lump sum in there up to the annual contribution limit. You can readily pull your money out, and there of course may be penalties for doing so.

An investment ISA allows you to place your stock market investments into a tax-free shelter as well. These are advised to invest in for long-term opportunities. These are a risk and your funds will go up and down. Therefore, if you are depending on the money, it may not be the best option for you. 

Check Out Multiple Bank Offers

Banks operate under different terms and conditions when it comes to their ISA’s. Some banks are more lenient than others are. You may find a bank that allows you access to your money immediately while others go through strenuous paperwork. A bank may pay you a fixed rate if you do not touch your ISA for a full year. You may start with a bonus rate for your initial deposit, but the rate may drop over time. 

Transferring Fees

A bank can charge you transferring fees. That is a major catch and deal breaker for some people. Remember, you cannot withdraw your own ISA without incurring a fee. It must be transferred over. So find a bank that does not charge a fee. You may find a better interest rate later and it will be too late at the end of your term to transfer and receive the advantages.

When transferring, you want to make sure it is simple to do and done correctly. If you have cash and investment ISAs, they both may not be able to transfer to the same bank. An investment management firm such as Nutmeg makes transferring existing ISAs simple. They offer stocks and shares ISAs. They help you build and manage your portfolio. 

Apply Early and Get Your Documentation Ready

The deadline for ISA applications are April 5. Your maximum annual contribution amount for the cash ISA is £11,280 for the 2012-2013 tax year and £11,520 for the 2013-2014 tax years. You will find many people hurrying at the last minute to get them in. Once you have found one you are interested in, hurry and apply. Before that, get your documentation ready such as your identification, address verification, and your National Insurance number.

Pick the Right Domain Name for a Successful Website

Domain Names (Photo credit: ivanpw)

Having the right domain name can be exactly what you need to gain exposure for your online business and increase sales. A catchy or familiar online name can make it easier for customers to remember who you are and what you do. When they need to buy your products or services in the future, they will be sure to come back to you because your site is easy to find.

What's In A Domain Name?

Domain names can be important pieces of the SEO puzzle. What is SEO? Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the act of optimizing content to be found equally appealing by people and robots. Human readers want content that is worth sharing while robots want to find keywords and good meta descriptions that make it easy to rank your page high on the search results. By putting good keywords into your domain name, your site will be easier to find through search engines.

Domains Are Cheap To Acquire

The nice part about buying a domain name is that they are not expensive. In some cases, they will cost a penny per month or will be given away for free. If you are in the business of buying and selling domain names, you stand a good chance of finding a quality name, keeping it for yourself and then selling it when it becomes popular enough to fetch a high price. Buyers who are willing to pay top dollar include people who want to use their own name as their domain name or those looking to use hot search terms in their domain name to drive traffic to their site.

Your Domain Name Should Not Have Any Slang Or Misspellings

The last thing that you want to do is take a domain name that uses slang, misspelled words or poor grammar. This will only serve to turn off customers who may have been interested in buying what you were selling. Remember, you only have one chance to make a great first impression on your target market.

The next time that you need a quality domain to call your own, you can buy a domain at NetworkSolutions.com. It will only take a few minutes to make the purchase and get the site up and running.

8 Ways to Improve Employee Satisfaction

One of the most important things you can do for the overall health of your business involves improving employee satisfaction. These are the people on the front line of your service, and they need to be happy. Satisfied employees increase work output and stay on board longer. Here are a few ways you can improve employee satisfaction.

Ensure Your Orientation Engenders the Right Expectations

Starting a new job is scary enough, but without guidance, you'll be completely lost. Offer a thorough orientation to ensure that their expectations are realistic and allow them to ask any questions that they may have about the company. 

By welcoming the employee and making them feel comfortable, you're encouraging a positive attitude that can reduce turnover rates.

Implement a BYOD Policy

Nothing kills productivity like making employees learn to use new devices -- it inspires frustration and costs your organization extra money for training. 

Allowing them to use their devices in the workplace is a cost-effective and simple alternative. By implementing a Blackberry byod solution that includes mobile device management, you'll be able to control what the employee has access to while keeping all of their apps updated. 

By allowing employees to use their own devices, they'll feel infinitely less restricted at work.

Recognize Those Who Work Hard

Employees often feel like they're just another cog in the machine, and for a good reason. Many of the tasks they complete daily only receive feedback if they're late or incomplete. Employees often “check out” when they are unhappy in their job. If you have an employee who has had any common de-motivators happen to them, they may be quiet quitters. 

What is Quiet Quiting? Quiet Quitting is a problem many employees have. Employees do the bare minimum and then go home. They are not motivated anymore and are simply collecting a paycheck. They do not want to quit, but just don't exceed anymore.

Recognize employees who sit at their desks and work diligently over those who complain and find excuses for missed deadlines. A simple acknowledgment, whether it's through an e-mail or face-to-face, can go a long way.

Offer them a survey to see how they feel about the benefits that they have, their wages, time is given to work on projects, and other items, and use that feedback to improve satisfaction levels.

Set Daily Goals

Sometimes, it's a bit overwhelming to look at the big picture regarding assignments. Therefore, you should break assignments up daily and set daily goals. Reorganize assignments to be more effective. 

Alternate the boring tasks with more enjoyable ones. Plan each day by what you aim to accomplish, and acknowledge when the employee meets or beats their goal.

Allow Relaxation Periods

Working at a desk all day can be tiring. Give your employees a bit of time each day to take small breaks. Allow them to exercise, grab a bite to eat, or just walk around the office. Taking a much-needed break several times each day will break up the monotony of work.

Encourage Interaction With Co-Workers

A great way to boost employee satisfaction is by encouraging them to interact with their coworkers. By starting group e-mails or chats, you allow them to meet each other and find common ground. 

If you can, start group discussions based on sports teams or even where they're from. This will also give them the chance to exchange ideas and experience, which will help others increase their knowledge and skills.

Prioritize Life Over Work

This will be difficult to implement, but it's important to stress that life comes first. Understand that there will be many situations that are out of your control when it comes to an employee's life. Be flexible and embrace them as they come.

By placing value on life outside of work and their family, they'll be much more relaxed at work, knowing that if something were to happen outside of work, they would be able to take care of things. They should realize that while their job is definitely part of the equation, it's not the most important part.

Get Rid of Vending Machines

This may earn you a bit of hatred up front, but it's for your employees' collective good. Junk food makes your employees perform like junk. They do nothing for your brain power and productivity. Instead, offer healthy food that supports brain function and mental clarity, such as fresh fruits and vegetables.

Limit their access to company coffee, only allowing one cup a day if possible. Offer decaf for those who simply can't live without it. Your energy level directly relates to what goes in your body, so make sure you put healthy things in your body. At the end of the day, you want them to look back on the work they've done and be happy.

There's no foolproof method to increase employee satisfaction around the office. You'll have to try some of these tips, gauge response then implements another if necessary. Have your employees reported that they're happy with their job? If so, share your secret: What are you doing to keep them happy?

How to Improve Your Financial Condition in 2013

Finance (Photo credit: Tax Credits)

The year 2013 is filled with uncertainties related to changing tax laws, concern over online security and privacy and challenges faced by each and every demographic group. Even the wealthy group is facing steep increases in tax this year. In such a scenario, it is difficult for you to mange your finances.

However, undertaking some measures would help you to attain your monetary goals for this year. If you are fed up of experimenting with various techniques to improve your financial condition, it time for a change now. This article states some effective measures that would certainly help you to significantly improve your finances in this year.

Tips to improve finances in 2013:

Shop mostly when discounts are offered in the market.

Discounts and special offers are given on a large number of occasions. Massive discounts are offered in various places on Black Friday, Labor Day, July Fourth and other occasions. But, nowadays the retailers offer sales almost for the entire year, even at unexpected times. In 2012, the Christmas sales began in October and continued for the entire season, in many places. The year-round sales are a good opportunity for buyers to get the best deals at relatively lower prices, at almost all times of a year. Shopping when sales are being offered in the market can help you to significantly save money and improve your finances.

Buy only what you need.

Retailers, nowadays offer various kinds of items and goods that are outstanding in every way. But, instead of getting tempted when shopping, it is wise to control your temptation and go for only those items that you really need. Also, compare the prices of items that you need to buy. You may find a store offering the same thing at a lower price, than its price at a different store. This would require you to do a bit of research before buying. Comparison becomes very important when you go for purchasing expensive items. Though these small advices are well-known to most of the buyers, but only of them follow them.

Arrive at a budget after discussing with your partner.

The disagreement between you and your spouse or partner, over how the shared income should be spent, can be quite stressful. But, it is a very important to discuss your budget and spending ways with your partner before going for spending. A budget decided by both of you would be more realistic, which would help you to attain your financial goals.

Pay your debt slowly.

When you have a significant amount of debt to pay, it is not possible to pay off the amount overnight. Attempting to pay off your debt in one time can have an adverse effect on your finances. So, it is advised to pay off the debt at a slower pace. Bring some changes to your spending habits and lay emphasis on saving more. Once your expenditure is under your control and you have made significant savings, start paying off your debt.

Conclusion:

These are some primary measures you can take to improve your finances for this year. The current year has a lot of uncertainly and inflation is also a concern at many places. Keeping these factors in mind, the above mentioned tips can significantly help you to build a strong financial status.

Author’s Bio: Alisa Martin is a financial expert who contributes articles on topics like investment types. In this article, she has discussed timber investment and Ethical Forestry as investment giant.

Retirement Offers you the Opportunity to Pursue Things Closest to Heart

All your life you worked hard. Now you are retiring with a significant amount as savings, pensions, and returns from investments. With plenty of time at hand, now you can engage in things that you always postponed for the lack of time. For many retirees, this translates to the opportunity of starting their own businesses. The availability of a lump-sum amount of spare money also supports the idea. Besides, sitting idle in retired life is undesirable. One of the best uses of time is to start your own business venture. However, you need to proceed systematically. If you are already sure about your business idea, then it is well and good. If you are unsure, you can consult am expert. 

Here are a few basic aspects that you need to consider when you are planning to start your business. 

Find an idea that involves calculated risk

All your life, you saved for the future after retirement. Now that the future is already here, you can partly let go the idea of saving for the ‘future’. That means, as a retiree, you have sufficient spare money to take more risks than when you were young. So, if a business involves risks, do not purview it from the cautious perspective you used when you were at a job. Instead, adopt a more carefree attitude than before on analyzing the plan. If you have to take some risks, so be it! Now, you can afford it. 

Analyze ideas close to your heart

Maybe, you always wanted to get into the movie production business. Now that you have the opportunity, check the different aspects of entering into the field. Do your research about the various ways you can enter into the field. Besides the major producers, many filmmakers also look for new producers to support their films. You have to be sure about the profitability of the film where you would be investing. Inquire about the required registrations and other aspects of getting into film production. You can act on any idea that has been always your unfulfilled ambition. You have but one life. Now is the time to fulfill your aspirations.

Leveraging past experiences

If you have been in the financial field, you can work as senior consultants. This applies to any field. You can always use your professional experience and monetize it after you retire. However, you need to check the relevance of your experience though. Also, you need to be confident of providing a fresh perspective on a field where you have worked throughout life. 

Participating in social causes

Many retirees also feel that after years of working for others, now is the time to give back to the society. So, you can set up a business surrounding a social cause. So many social issues can benefit from the profits of your new business. Homelessness, senior support, cannabis legalization and veterans support are just some of the burning issues that can benefit from your involvement. Besides, there is always scope for expanding your business in these fields. Take the legalization initiative for example. With two states (Washington and Colorado) legalizing recreational use, and talks ripe in many other states, this presents a huge business opportunity for the interested.

Author Bio: Marie is one of the leading consultants at best-binaryoptionsbroker.com. She frequently helps retirees on the fine details of how to set up a new business. Her acumen for evaluating the financial situations of her clients and suggesting customized solutions can be highly helpful to you.

Online Gaming Attracting More Boomer Players

Ask anyone about online gaming and they will tell you it's for kids. Believe it or not the opposite is true. Online games attract players from all age groups. Gamers today come from a wide cross section of the population.

The kinds of games they play and the different places they play are numerous. If you sampled the ages of online gamers playing your average game you would find the ages ranging from 20 years old all the way up to baby boomers and sometimes older.

A survey done by the Online Gaming Association(OGA) in 2012 noted, 25 percent of adults older than 55, are online everyday passing the time playing games. This percentage isn't so amazing knowing that only one year earlier the percentage was just 10 percent. Players are online using their phones, desktop computers, or their console gaming stations to get online. Lots of 50 plus gamers have included online gaming as a big part of their entertainment time.

A paper put together by the Wiggins Group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT), titled “Baby Boomer Gamers Scoring with Online Gaming” revealed that Boomers love to play online games. The study showed that 88% enjoy the Mental Challenge, 76% regard the Social Interaction appealing, followed by 75% enjoying Problem Solving, 63% like the Adventuring and Organizing.

The array of games to play online is vast. But one of the most popular ones is Bingo. You may think you know Bingo but learning the art of bingo online is even more fun. The main reason it is so much fun is because it is one of the most social online games. While you are playing you can converse with others players around you. Many people play bingo because they can play online with their friends. Even if you play alone and do not know anyone, I assure you before you know it you will make friends as you play.

Unlike many online games, you aren't playing against each other. No, you are all playing together as a group. You are all trying to win, plus the camaraderie and fun you are having make it a enjoyable time.

Bingo is also fun because it is possible to win some money. Unlike many types of gambling games, it is not over quickly. As time passes and the numbers are called the excitement builds contributing to the games enjoyment. Games can last a couple of minutes and longer. It's an easy game to play and fun for even the new player. You're just as able to win a game if you are new player or a veteran player. Have fun!