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4 Tips to Prevent Cyber Crime

4 Tips to Prevent Cyber Crime

Nov 21, 2015

Cyber crime is a reality that you cannot ignore any more. Despite this, a number of small and large companies tend to fall prey to cyber crime – almost 90 percent of them. It’s dangerous to put it off since it the risk is very real too. Here are 4 simple tips to protect yourself from reduce cyber crime: 1: Have multiple email accounts It’s best to keep one email account for social while the other for business. In other words, you can keep your Facebook, Twitter and Instagram information separate from your financial records. What’s better is if you opt for Gmail where with the two-step verification, you can keep your account safer than most. Hackers will not be able to get through. 2: Create difficult passwords While difficult passwords may be difficult to remember, it’s still worth the hassle. Almost all of us are guilty of using simple passwords that we don’t change very often. Getting a notification to change your password is better than falling prey to cyber crime. Also, don’t use the same password for multiple accounts either. 3: Keep your machine updated No matter what, ensure that you keep your machine and software updated. Whether it is the operating system, web browsers or your anti-virus software, staying updated will ensure that you are kept safe from online attackers. 4: Watch out for fake websites You can be fooled by fake websites that get you to pay for goods that you will never receive. Of course, they will have access to your credit card details too. Check the web address and you’ll find that it is a variation in spelling or using a different domain name. Also, see if the padlock symbol appear next to the address bar and if the address begin with ‘https’...

Managing the War Economy of World War I

By Phin Upham This is the story of how an economist won the Army Distinguished Service Medal for applying economics. Bernard Baruch was born in 1870 in South Carolina, and his family moved him to New York City when he was 11 years old. Baruch eventually became broker, which led to opportunities at partnering with A.A. Housman & Company. He earned enough to eventually buy a seat on the New York Stock Exchange for $18,000, which would translate to more than$400,000 in today’s money. By the age of 30, that seat had earned him a substantial fortune from the sugar market. He developed his own firm and his unwillingness to work with others earned him the nickname “The Lone Wolf of Wall Street.” In 1916, however, at the height of World War I, he left Wall Street to assist President Wilson in national defense. After serving on the Advisory commission to the Council of National Defense, Baruch found himself chairing the War industries Board. There, Baruch was directly involved in managing the costs of mobilizing the US war effort. This important position put Baruch under a tremendous amount of stress, but he persevered and helped the American fighting force do what it does best. His efforts also earned him an invitation to the Paris Peace Conference of 1919, where the Allied victors met. There, Baruch made his opposition to Franc and Britain’s demands of reparations from Germany clear. He sided with Wilson, who believed they’d asked for too much. He also advocated the formation of the League of Nations, which was the foundation for the modern-day UN. Phin Upham is an investor from NYC and SF. You may contact Phin on his Phin Upham website or Facebook...

The Basics of Construction and Turnaround Services

The Basics of Construction and Turnaround Services

Oct 26, 2015

A turnaround service is a planned, temporary closure of a processing plant or building with the goal of identifying, testing, and fixing issues that can cause serious problems. Construction and turnaround services work around the clock to perform a major overhaul on a company. Turnarounds are vital in keeping maintenance records up-to-date as well as the upkeep of the facility. The safety of one’s workers should always be a priority to an owner. If their personnel are working under hazardous and unstable conditions, there could be the likelihood that the facility will be shut down due to an unsafe setting. Because it costs a facility time and money to initiate a turnaround, they are usually scheduled a year or two in advance. The owner of a company or plant must decide whether they have the proper funds to afford the temporary shutdown. For each day that there is no production, especially when it comes to a refinery, money is lost. When it comes to money well spent, a turnaround is one of the most essential parts of industrial operations. Thousands of dollars are lost due to companies being shut down from a lack of maintenance activities. This is why plenty of major corporations schedule regular construction & turnaround services to ensure that there won’t be any issues in the foreseeable future. The goal of a turnaround service should be to complete the task in a safe and environmentally sound manner. They should work closely with the management team with safety as a priority for both the company and the staff. A structural steel expert may also be on hand to provide a sense of direction. Bio: Lyle Charles is a steel fabrication expert with over 45 years of experience in the construction industry. Contact him and his firm...

3 Pitfalls to Avoid When Buying A Second-Hand Car

3 Pitfalls to Avoid When Buying A Second-Hand Car

Oct 21, 2015

Any student will agree that a car will definitely help them commute easier in and around the campus no matter what tasks you need to attend to.   Yet with little or no experience, buying a second-hand car can be a difficult task. There’s every risk of losing a lot of money. Here are a few pitfalls to avoid when buying one:   1: Invest in a car data check It costs very little to invest in one but it will provide you with history about the car that you wish to purchase. Just by using the car’s number plate, you can tell whether it has been stolen, been written off by insurance companies or has outstanding payments. It will even tell you the accurate number of miles traveled as this can influence the car’s value substantially. 2: Ask about service history A number of these cars would have amassed MOT certificates as well as records of regular servicing since they would require some work from time to time. If you see a vehicle with a no-service history, then be careful. All cars will go to the garage at some point of time or the other. One thing to check for is whether the car handbook is there as that will be necessary during the time of purchase.   3: Always be careful who you buy from While you might be buying a car through the classifieds, it’s best to buy from a trusted name. For this reason, always take a friend or a relative with you. Avoid carrying cash for the first time. This is because you never know who you will be meeting....

William McKinley: The $500 Man

By Phineas Upham Most people handle smaller denominations of money, like a $20 or $100 bill. Some of us come across the occasional $50, but these smaller denominations are in much higher supply as far as our regular currency is concerned. Enter William McKinley, who died with journalists noting him to be “the most beloved President in US history” at the time. America had not yet had the opportunity to experience Theodore Roosevelt firsthand. By the 1920s, McKinley was a fading figure and a mere foot note before gaining a surge of popularity in the 1950s. McKinley was beloved for his time. So much so that there are significant memorials that bear his name, and the reminder that he once sat in the most powerful seat in American politics. 20 schools in Ohio bear the McKinley name, and nearly a million dollars was pledged to construct memorials for him after his passing. Perhaps Ohioans felt McKinley’s legacy was secured, but more than a dozen states chose to memorialize him in some form. He is also memorialized on the $500 bill. There are actually two color seals associated with this bill, and separate sizes. As a result, the $500 bill is today something of a collector’s item. McKinley’s face adorns both the green and gold bills, with the smaller of the two having been far more common. The gold is worth more than the green, and some are still in circulation. There are people still trading $500 bills for the face value. Phineas Upham is an investor from NYC and SF. You may contact Phin on his Phineas Upham website or LinkedIn...

3 Financial Suggestions For The Year 2016

3 Financial Suggestions For The Year 2016

Sep 21, 2015

We’re only a few months away from another new year. Of course, starting the next one while being in the green is not advisable but basic common sense. Here are 3 financial suggestions to consider from bonafide financial planners: 1: Increase Your Savings Rate You can still increase your savings rate that can be added into your employment-sponsored retirement account by the end of the year. Those under the age of 50 can contribute up to $18000 – an increase by $500 from last year. As for those above the age of 50, an additional $6000 is allowed. For this, make sure you check your accounts to see how close you are to the maximum and then increase your contributions accordingly. No matter what, put away as much as you can. 2: Convert Your IRA If your income has dropped during the year – probably due to a gap in employment – convert your money in a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. Doing this will mean that you end up paying taxes only on that income when you’re in a lower tax bracket. One advantage is that Roth conversions have a deadline of Dec. 31 instead of Apr. 15 for regular Roth IRA contributions. It is the best opportunity to pay taxes according the tax bracket that you’re in. 3: Rebalance investments Given the recent market volatility, rebalancing your investments is the ideal thing to do. For this, consider assets that are above your target percentage. Now, sell what you have too much of and buy what you have too little of. This is usually done every quarter by professional money managers but doing it once or twice a year should be enough. Of course, if you’re selling positions at a loss from a taxable account, remember to get a tax write-off for...

Trends in FinTech

Trends in FinTech

Sep 17, 2015

Since 2008, investments in financial technology have nearly tripled over time. The industry has grown substantially, such that nearly half of all of London’s work force is employed by a fintech company at some level. Fintech offers solutions for finance that big banks simply cannot respond to, and these will be some of the hottest trends in the coming years. Machine Learning Machine learning isn’t necessarily a new concept (algorithm trading has existed for many years now), but it has grown substantially as our understanding of AI has evolved. Machine learning now powers much of our fraud protection efforts, and provides consumer finance advise through so-called “robo advisors”. Perhaps one day, machine learning will truly offer real-time financial updates that banks can use to improve their services. Crowd Funding Another major change to the world of finance is the idea of crowd funding, and peer to peer loans. Banks aren’t equipped to take the time to underwrite and serve these kinds of loans. Certain high risk business proposals are better suited to a crowdfunded effort, where investors without large cash reserves can contribute to helping a product get to market. Crowdfunding in the future might see groups of individuals banding together to buy commercial real estate, or to help startups distribute their goods in a brick and mortar store. Crypto Currency Crypto currency is a new idea that seeks legitimacy. The most popular form is called “bitcoin” and it’s an anonymous transaction that is publicly recorded on a ledger. The currency is a new form of exchange bordering on the experimental, and it’s generated a lot of hype behind the idea. One potential application, which has the potential to lower capital costs for banks and businesses, is transmitting money across international borders. As we become a globalized workforce, crypto currency may provide a better solution to pay workers what they’re worth. Bio: Firoz Patel is a leading executive behind AlertPay Inc. Firoz Patel is a globally recognized name in the ecommerce space, and he currently oversees development of the Payza...

3 Emergency Options When You Feel Strapped For Cash

3 Emergency Options When You Feel Strapped For Cash

Aug 21, 2015

Whether it is not being able to make payments or even the loss of a job, being strapped for cash is hardly the way to go. If you’re in such a position, then you might feel as if there’s no place to turn to. While there are a number of options that are available, it’s best to save for a rainy day instead. Still, here are 3 other emergency options just in case you haven’t given it much thought: 1: Personal Loan You have both secured and unsecured personal loans at your disposal. Banks and other financial institutions offer these two options. Of course, it depends on your credit score. The higher your score, the better the interest rate obtained. Personal calculators are available to find out how much you want to pay every month and totally based on the loan amount. Yet it is important to know the difference between payday and personal loans. 2: Peer Lending There are a number of P2P sites that allow you to borrow from strangers in the form of a personal loan. But keep in mind that the interest rates on the loan you do get is based on your credit score. Of course, you’ll have to show recent pay stubs in order to prove your income. Also, be ready to deal with late fees and credit mark downs if you’re late in paying your installments. 3: Home Equity You can use your home as collateral so as to finance large expenses. Keep in mind that you will risk foreclosure if you cannot pay the loan back. But it’s very easy to qualify for and the interest rates are very low. One thing to keep in mind is that this is a complex financial product. Ensure you know how it works before signing on the dotted...