Unknowingly Uninsured: 4 Uncommon Commercial Insurances

Insuring your small business is an important way to protect it. Most small business owners know the basics and understand that it’s important to protect their property and equipment as well as protect themselves from liability if something goes wrong. 

Depending on the type of business you own, however, you may need to go beyond the basics and seek out more unconventional coverage.

Tattoo and Piercing Insurance

Tattoos and piercing make fairly permanent changes to the body and can come with the risk of infection and other complications. As such, it’s wise for tattoo artists to purchase special insurance that covers all tattoo and body piercing work, no matter where it is on the body. 

Check your policy carefully, making sure it extends coverage to guest artists and that your protection goes with you to any festivals or exhibits you work.

Day Spa Insurance

Like tattoo parlors, day spas should carry special insurance. It’s important for spa owners to protect themselves from malpractice and abusive or unlawful acts committed by employees. Your policy should contain special provisions if you travel to clients’ homes or businesses for massage work. 




Most medispa insurance policies cover you and your employees. Specially for If you have massage therapists working with you as independent contractors, make sure your insurance covers them if they are under insured or uninsured.

War and Political Risk Insurance

If your small business relies on foreign product producers or customers, war and political risk insurance is a good idea. Unfortunately, wars, coups and acts of terrorism can greatly disrupt people’s personal lives and businesses. 

If these disruptions impact people and businesses that you rely on, you may feel the effects of instability despite being miles away. If you do business in countries known for political volatility, look into political risk insurance.

Ready for Anything Insurance

Many people dismiss stories of alien abductions, UFO landings and the coming zombie apocalypse as pure myth. Others view these possibilities as very real, and insurance companies have taken notice. Some offer insurance policies that protect against business disruption caused by zombies and aliens. 

One insurance agent even states that he’s sold alien abduction insurance and had to pay a claim. While you’re business probably doesn’t need this type of insurance unless you’re located in Roswell, it’s still fun to know these policies (and the truth) are out there.

When you speak to your insurance agent about protecting your small enterprise, make sure you’re getting all the coverage you need. Tell your agent about any unusual practices in your business so he can help make sure you’re protected, even when a strange or unconventional situation arise.

What Are the Qualities of a Good Chartered Accountant?

Leading or working in a CA firm is a common career choice for a majority of chartered accountants in India, according to ICAI. They also say that around 50% of associate and fellow CAs are currently practising full-time or part-time.

The primary goal of every such practising CA is to bring in more clients and to expand their business. Now, CAs cannot advertise and solicit customers as the ICAI bars it. Hence, this can become an obstacle in this case.

One of the only ways a CA firm can reach to more clients is via word-of-mouth marketing from the existing ones. This is only possible when they are satisfied with the service.

You need to portray all the essential qualities of an accountant if you seek to run your own firm in the future and provide a satisfactory service to your clientele.

If you do have such aspirations, here are some of the qualities that you need to have:

Communication Skills

There are various technical jargon associated in the field of accounting, auditing, and taxation. Clients who don’t have much comprehension of these fields may not know such terms.

Hence, effective communication from your end is of utmost importance. You have to adapt to their comprehension as per the mode of communication.

Not only clients, but you also need to be adept at communication to interact with your seniors, juniors, and partners.

Organisational Skills

One of the essential qualities of an accountant is to organise not only physical items but also the intangible ones. From stacks of papers to multiple spreadsheets, you have to organise all of these as part and parcel of your daily functions.




Having superb organisational skills will help you get access to urgent requirements rapidly and manage your work more efficiently.

Professionalism

Any breach of contract and divergence from the code of conduct laid down by the ICAI can lead to a temporary or permanent removal of the CoP. The organisation lists all such members found guilty under their schedules.

Hence, maintaining robust professionalism and ethics is another one of the qualities of an accountant. You must not accept information as it is presented and always question them.

Team leading skills

CAs working in a firm lead a team of accountants who will collectively function on the project. Any discrepancy or conflict within them can hamper the project productivity.

You have to ensure that such situations don’t arise by leading your team in a coordinated way. Such skills are one of the top qualities that an ideal chartered accountant must have.

Accountability

Taking responsibility is a critical role of a CA that you need to have. You must take account for your mistakes and learn from them. Also, you need to make sure that the same doesn’t arise anymore. Lastly, put every contingency in place to avoid any errors from occurring.

These qualities will surely help you expand your practice and bring in more clients. Taking help of a CA loan in such cases can provide you with the funds to relocate to bigger premises, purchase respective equipment, etc.

NBFCs like Bajaj Finserv provide Business Loans for Chartered Accountants that can help you with the same. They can disburse loans within 24 hours of approval and against minimal documentation.

Make sure to start developing these essential qualities of an accountant during your CA articleship. Selecting the right firm will help you with the same. Gather as much experience over time to open up your own and prosper.

Top Tips For Buying Or Selling Gold

Image Source: Wikipedia

The price of gold is higher than ever, which means we’re seeing more and more jewellers advertising their gold-buying services.

Whether you’re buying or selling gold, there are a few things to know.

Smart Tips For Selling Gold

If you want to sell gold, it’s worth knowing that you may not get the market or appraisal price for your scraps.

Similar to purchasing a car or home, selling gold takes some negotiation. If you have a piece you believe is valuable, shop around for a buyer. Other than jewellers, there are other services as well as pawn shops that specialise in buying gold. The ideal is to approach a long standing and reputable business. Trustworthy stores like Gold Buyers Melbourne are selling gold bullion.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the market price for gold is typically based on 24 karat, pure gold. Jewellery is usually 10, 14, or 18 karat gold, which means your jewellery doesn’t contain a whole lot of pure gold. As the karats decrease, so does the amount your piece will fetch.

Image Source: Wikipedia

The drop in price, though, isn’t just based on karats. If you’re the seller, this is just the start of the process. Once a jeweller buys gold from you, they send the scraps to a refinery that then sells it to a manufacturer. The scraps are made into new jewellery to sell to the jeweller and on to customers. Everybody along the way wants to make money, which is why your gold pieces may not sell for as much as you would like.

On the whole, you can expect more money for your gold when market prices are high.

Smart Tips For Buying Gold

More and more people are looking to invest in gold. But it might not necessarily be the best time to buy. If you are eager to invest in gold, though, it’s wiser to invest about 5 to 15 percent of your investment portfolio into gold, just be sure you understand the risk factors and that gold should serve as a long-term investment.





While there is inflation, and many argue you should buy gold as a reserve currency, it’s worth noting that there will be a lack of cash flow from gold, and there can even be years when the rate of return is either flat or negative.

Make Sure You Get A Fair Rate

So, how do you find a fair and reputable gold buying service for your needs? Take a look at these tips:

• If you have any concerns or queries about the accuracy of a scale, ask questions
• Look for authoritative and relevant inspection stickers
• Make sure you see the gold being weighed yourself. It’s entirely fair to ask for the scale to be tested in front of you, too
• Get a professional appraisal. Jewellery appraisals are usually done for the purpose of insurance, but it’s a great way to get an idea of how much your items are worth. You can then decide if you want to sell the gold on its own or the jewellery as a whole.

Keep these smart tips in mind when buying or selling your gold!

Smart Solution with Small 12 Month Loans

Small is not avoidable. A small money crisis is manageable but you cannot take it for granted. Faster you tackle it, better is your financial balance. Such small crisis is easy to handle with a little amount. That little amount can be found through small 12 month loans that are easily available online. 

'At the time of need, it is necessary to get the funds urgently. These loans facilitate emergency funding. Instant approval decision and timely fund disbursal can protect you from last minute financial anxieties. However, no obligation of collateral and guarantor is included, and this makes the interest rates high. Customization in that case can help in many ways.

Take care of few things when you search for a loan deal

In the hurry to get funds, you may take some wrong decision and in finances, it is known as financial suicide. Make sure that there are few things that you notice before you pick a lender or loan choice. Take a look below –

1. Fair in practice and should not demand upfront fee – Many lenders ask for upfront fee from the loan applicants. This may include a big amount, but to tell you the fact, it is not a genuine lending practice and the lenders should avoid this. 

If the lender or loan company in your preference asks for the upfront fee then it is better to say ‘no’ and move on to the other option. Do not worry, there is no scarcity of ethical online loan companies. 




2. Compare with rational mind – Comparison is the best tool to get the best loan deal. APR, Repayment plans are the best ways to compare between the loan companies. Take the loan that suits most to your repayment capacity. However, the 12 month loans have small amount for instance 500 Pounds and the installments are never hefty. 

Still it is always better to find the most affordable deal. There are many other expenses in your monthly budget and it is not wise to increase the burden unnecessary. Small needs keep coming; next time also there may be a need for a loan.

Features –

Knowing about the features can help you take better decisions.

• Credit score status is not a constraint – It is better if your credit score is good or excellent, however funds are achievable despite less-than-perfect credit score. Fair and bad credit scorers can apply and avail funds. Remember, this does not include very poor credit people. In that case too you can borrow money without the collateral and guarantor. If your credit score is bad, it is advisable to pay the debts on time as this may help get an easy approval. With timely repayments, credit score improves and this makes the lender think positive on your loan application.

• Also come with payday loans – Have you ever heard of 12 month payday loans? They are available in the market without any obligation. Get approval decision in 30 seconds and receive funds in just 10 minutes. This option is useful only when your need is extremely urgent otherwise do not opt this. The interest rates of payday loans are very high and the installments can be hefty.

Small term loans are useful in any financial crisis. However, first explore the available choices of funds like savings, help from friends. When nothing is left then takes the loan. Manage the repayments well and repay on time. Good financial behavior brings many good financial opportunities in future.

Description – OsMoney offers 12 month loans without any collateral and guarantor. No upfront fee and no hidden charges. Instant approval decision, also available as 12 month payday loan.

Senior Situations: 4 Tips to Help You Survive a Financial Crisis

Most seniors are on a fixed income, and that will make it very difficult to deal with a financial crisis. From unexpected injuries to household disasters, older adults could find themselves drowning in debt in the blink of an eye. Here are a few tips and tricks that will help seniors survive a financial crisis.

Start with an Emergency Fund

Older adults need to have some type of emergency that they can access at any time. As a general rule, your emergency fund should be able to cover all of your expenses for at least three months. 

If you have people who depend on you financially, then you should try to build an emergency fund that will cover all living expenses for six months or longer. That fund will give you plenty of time to reorganize your finances after an accident or injury occurs.

Downsize

A senior who is on a fixed income never wants to get too far behind on their bills, and you should consider downsizing if your monthly expenses are beginning to overwhelm you. Living in a larger home or driving a new car might be impractical luxurious once you retire. Moving into a condo and downgrading to a used car could end up saving you thousands a year.

Search for Assistance Programs

There are hundreds of assistance programs for older adults who are struggling with their finances. In addition to state and federal programs, you might also want to contact AARP to discuss their Daily Money Management (DMM) programs. 




Those programs can help a senior create a budget, pay bills, and negotiate with creditors. They also offer classes on how to avoid scams and what to do if you are being harassed by aggressive debt collectors.

Contact an Attorney

If the financial crisis was caused by another party, then you need to contact personal injury lawyer to explore your legal options. Trying to win a civil case on your own is going to be nearly impossible, and an experienced lawyer can help you get the compensation that you deserve. Your legal representative will also negotiate with insurance representatives if your claim never makes it to court.

Racking up credit card debt is never ideal, but a credit card could be your last line of defense against a financial catastrophe. Once you are back on your feet and things have begun to stabilize, you should aggressively pay down your credit card debt in order to avoid huge late penalties and unmanageable interest rates.

3 Financial Situations Worth Finding Outside Help For

With financial issues related to high debt balances and a generally tight budget being common, many people struggle to manage their funds on a daily basis. However, situations inevitably can crop up from time to time that add onto everyday financial stress. 

Muddling through these issues on your own is one option, but you may enjoy a superior outcome if you seek expert support and guidance when critical situations develop. These are some of the more significant situations that may dictate the need for extra help.

Bankruptcy

If your debt problem has grown so severe that you are seriously considering filing for bankruptcy, reaching out to a bankruptcy attorney as well as a financial consultant are excellent steps to take. By consulting with a bankruptcy attorney, you may learn about your legal rights, discover how to protect yourself from creditors and determine the actual pros and cons associated with bankruptcy. 

A personal financial advisor may help you to determine if other options are available. For example, a debt consolidation loan may work well for some people and may eliminate the need for bankruptcy.

Divorce

A divorce is a legal matter that impacts numerous aspects of your life. One of the more significant areas that it affects is your personal financial situation. Through a divorce ruling, the ownership of your home, liquid assets, valuable personal property, retirement plan and other assets is determined. 

You may also be awarded child support or alimony, or you may be required to make these payments to your ex. Because divorce weighs heavily on your financial future, seeking legal support throughout this process is essential.

A Civil Lawsuit

Regardless of whether you are the plaintiff or the defendant in a civil lawsuit, your finances can be impacted by the ruling. Consider that you may be suing a neighbor over property damage, and the compensation from a lawsuit may be essential to pay for repair costs that you have incurred. 

On the other hand, you may be the defendant, and you may need lawsuit funding to manage expenses that you are required to pay. Hiring a seasoned personal injury lawyer who specializes in a related niche may help you to achieve a superior outcome. 

It is also important to know about potential legal costs that vary by location. It’s likely that lawsuit funding in Texas will be different compared to New York, for example.

For many people, financial situations are personal matters. You understandably may prefer to manage your finances independently when possible. However, in these critical situations, reaching out for professional assistance may be in your best interest.