Ever wondered what a Quantum Mechanics thought leader does in their spare time? They write about what they love.

Take a listen to Terry discuss his side hustle, on the Side Hustle Show Podcast with Matt Schmidt

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Banks need to manage quite a few things to make sure everything’s running smoothly, which could be impossible to do manually. With technology, that becomes more of a breeze, but you’ll need to know how to implement technology in a bank to take advantage of this.

As complicated as that sounds, it can be relatively straightforward, especially if you follow a few particular steps. With three, in particular, you can rest assured everything goes smoothly.

How To Implement Technology In A Bank: 3 Top Steps

1. Have An Implementation Team

Someone will need to be responsible for implementing the new technology. They’ll need to figure out which technology to use, how it’ll be implemented, and much more. Overseeing this can be complicated if you don’t know what you’re doing, making it worth hiring a consultancy firm to focus on this.

The likes of Liberty IT Consulting Group can be recommended for this. By having experts oversee and manage the process for you, you can make sure everything goes smoothly. You can be confident you’ll have the right fintech while helping deploy it bank-wide. It’ll also help you avoid any problems during deployment.

2. Have Training Events

You’ll likely need to train your employees on the new technology. Many of your employees could be bored at the prospect, as these types of events can typically be dull. Try to make it fun by having more engaging training events designed around how your employees’ needs.

When done right, your employees won’t feel like they’re being lectured to or as if they’re in class. Instead, they’ll be learning in a fun and engaging way, which makes them more open to the training. You should find you’ll have fewer difficulties during the training process because of this.

While that could mean adapting any training materials, it’ll be worth the effort.

3. Make It Personal

While you’ll know how much of an impact the technology you’re implementing will have on the bank, your employees mightn’t. They could wonder why they need to be trained in a new tool, and even question why new technology is being implemented. That could make them resistant to the training.

You can work around this by making it personal for them. Let them know how and why the technology matters to them and their daily tasks. Show them how it can make things easier and more straightforward. By doing so, they’ll end up being much more open to the new tools.

That’ll make it easier to implement the technology from the start.

How To Implement Technology In A Bank: Wrapping Up

Once you know how to implement technology in a bank – and deploy it in the right way – you should see your bank’s operations become much easier to manage. Employees will be more productive, tasks will take less time to get done, and you’ll see multiple other benefits in time.

Each of the above steps comes highly recommended. With a bit of effort, you shouldn’t have a problem running your bank much more effectively.

No matter how well you plan, there will always be times when your regular income just isn’t enough. That’s why it’s important to have a backup plan – a way to bring in extra money when you need it.

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Here are 11 easy ways and tips to generate a second income:

1. Start a side hustle

A side hustle is a great way to bring in extra money, and there are lots of options to choose from. You could start a blog, do freelance work, or sell items online.

2. Rent out a room in your house

If you have an extra room in your house, you can rent it out to a lodger for a second income. You can even appoint a company that does short term rental property management to keep an eye on things for you.

3. Get a part-time job

If you already work full-time, taking on a part-time job is an easy way to bring in some extra money. Go for something that uses your existing skills or abilities – you could teach swimming lessons, fix computers, or provide customer support from home.

4. Invest in stocks or shares

Investing in stocks or shares can be a great way to bring in extra income, but it’s important to do your research first. Talk to an investment advisor to find out what type of investment is right for you.

5. Start a small business

If you have some entrepreneurial spirit, starting your own small business could be a great way to bring in extra income. You could sell handmade items online, do odd jobs around the neighbourhood, or provide a service like pet-sitting.

6. Sell unwanted items

One of the easiest ways to generate a second income is to sell unwanted items online or at a garage sale.

7. Use a cashback credit card

A cashback credit card is a great way to bring in extra money, as you can earn rewards for every purchase you make. Make sure to compare different cards before you choose one, and always pay off your balance in full each month.

8. Don’t forget to pay yourself

Even though you might be bringing in extra money each month, it’s important to set some aside for savings. This will help ensure that you have enough money to cover all of your expenses if your regular income is reduced unexpectedly.

9. Get creative

There are lots of other ways to bring in extra money, so don’t be afraid to get creative. Think about what skills you have that could be used to generate income – like designing websites or tutoring students.

10. Stay motivated

It can be hard to stay motivated when you’re trying to bring in extra money, even though it’s important. Try setting a goal for yourself and staying focused on that goal until you achieve it.

11. Don’t give up!

If one method isn’t working for you, try another one and don’t give up! It may take some time, but eventually you’ll find something that works for you.

There You Have It

No matter how you choose to generate a second income, you’ll need to take the proper steps to make it successful. Always research your options and follow the relevant laws in your country before you get started!

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Are you thinking about selling your car? Whether it’s to give yourself the means to afford a new one, or to improve your financial position, we hope you manage to sell it successfully. However, there are a few important things to do beforehand, so take note of the following before letting go of your vehicle. 

#1: Ask yourself: Do you really need to sell it?

If you’re looking for a new car, it might be that updating your current car is better than buying another one. This will likely be the cheapest option. And if you’re looking to improve your financial position, there are other ways to make extra money. So, don’t do something that you might later regret, especially if you aren’t sure selling your car is the right thing to do. 

#2: Study the market

No matter how you’re selling your car, be it to a dealer or through the classifieds, you should find out how much your car is worth. You can do this by Googling the make and model of your car and researching the prices that other sellers are selling it for. Sites such as PricesPeoplePay are also very useful, as you will be able to use a valuation tool to get a near-accurate estimate. 

#3: Sort out the paperwork

You will need the paperwork you received at the time you bought the vehicle, including documents relating to proof of purchase and registration. These are both mandatory, although there are other things you might want to gather together too, including any maintenance records as proof your car is roadworthy. That leads us to the next point.

#4: Get your car serviced

You don’t want to be responsible for selling a potential death trap, so get your car serviced before the sale. This will give both you and the buyer peace of mind, and you shouldn’t be held liable for any faults that occur after the sale. Visit your local garage, and then keep any receipts and maintenance documents as evidence of the service.

#5: Decide how you’re going to sell the car

After taking the steps mentioned, the obvious thing you will be asking yourself is where do I sell my car? Be it through a private buyer, a dealer, or a third-party service, there will be pros and cons related to the ease of sale and how much you will get for your car. Commit to research on all available avenues and choose the path that is better suited to your particular needs.

#6: Give your car a good clean

If you’re selling your car for scrap, this isn’t something you need to worry about. However, when selling it to a private buyer, this is something you should definitely do to raise your car’s value. Arm yourself with the necessary cleaning items and work on both the exterior and interior of your car. Alternatively, get your car cleaned professionally, as that extra shine your car receives should make it more appealing to the buyer.

These are just a few of the things you should do before selling your car, so remember to focus on each one of them. The process will be a lot easier if you do, both for you and the car buyer.

For many budget-conscious people, investing in a new car every year isn’t an option. The same case applies to making expensive upgrades to the interior and body. That being said, there are different ways you can give your car a new look. With a few dollars in your savings and know-how, you can easily make these few upgrades to give your car a brand new look.

Image by Matthew Sichkaruk on Unsplash

Consider Waxing Your Car

Waxing your car is among the easiest fixes that can be applied to your car and greatly impact the overall look. When you wax your car, you aren’t just giving your car a new shine, but you’ll have removed swirl marks.  You’ll also be protecting your car from damages such as small scratches, fading, and rust.

Have Your Car Windows Tinted

When tinting your car, it’s important not to settle for obnoxious tints that are above the street-legal limit. By getting your car professionally tinted, you will not only just add security and privacy, but your car will also look brand new. It’s important to understand that tinted windows not only ensure that you have fewer incidents of break-ins, they still reduce the UV damage you may face when driving during sunny days.

Reupholster Your Car Seat

It is a lot easier to tell that your car is worn out from its set of faded, torn, or worn-out upholstery, especially if it’s your front seats. By making simple and budget-friendly customizations, you will be giving your car a brand new look. One of the ways to go about it is by investing in less costly but stylish seat covers.

Wheel or Rim Refurbishment or Repair

When looking to accessorize your car, rims are one of the best ways to do that. This is because they give it a sportier or luxurious look. In case you have damaged alloy wheels, it may be wise to consider wheel repair from professionals like Platinum Wheel Repairs.

Whether multiple scratches have dulled your original wheels, or you’ve got visible damages as a result of stone chips or curbstone scratches, you can be guaranteed that the restoration will make your car look brand new.

Invest in Head and Tail Lights

By adding a new set of tail and headlights, you can make your older sporty car look new again. Aside from making your car look brand new, replacing headlights that are dirty and foggy makes it safer for you to drive during the night. You will also feel confident that any cars behind you will know that you are driving ahead regardless of how old and foggy their lights are.

Final Thoughts

The feeling of buying a new car is an important one, but this isn’t an avenue you have to explore if you can make upgrades to your older car. If you are looking to purchase a new car but have a tight budget, it’s best to settle on buying a used car, then use the tips highlighted in this guide to give it a new look.

It can be a challenge to cut back and save money, especially when you lead a busy life juggling work commitments and family life. It’s easy to get stuck in a routine and miss the little things that are eating away at your hard-earned money. However, with a little time and thought; you can rethink your household spending and save large amounts of cash. If you’re struggling to pay for everything, feel like you’re in a rut, and aren’t sure how to change things; it’s time to address all the little expenses that add up. The following are some ideas and advice for those who want to manage their finances effectively and cut back, but aren’t sure how.

Your Providers

It’s easy just to continue using the same energy provider and not to think about a change. However, energy companies and providers are all after your business and will want the opportunity to speak with you and offer you a better rate than what you’re currently paying. Aside from lighting your home with candles and never using the heating again; switching where you get your energy from is the only way to lower your monthly costs. It might seem like a time-consuming chore; however, there’s plenty of online advice available, that can help you to choose which company is right for you and will inform you of all the price changes. If you’re smart about your energy bills; you save hundreds every year, so surely it’s worth looking into.

Your Transport

If you own a car; to get to and from work, or do the school run with, you’ll be spending money on maintenance and fuel on a regular basis. Therefore you might want to reconsider the model of car you’re driving, and switching it to a more fuel-efficient option. It’s worth looking into what will give you an insight into what’s currently available on the market, and you can learn about purchasing a used car, to save even more money. If you pay for a car on finance; you may be able to lower your monthly repayments by using a different dealership or company, so that you can save the excess. It’s also worth understanding how to better maintain your car so you can avoid costly repair work in the future. If your family has two cars parked on the drive; consider reducing the number to one. Work out if public transport is feasible for your family and you could halve your monthly car cost and get a lump sum from the sale of the other in no time.

Your Supplies

Being savvy when it comes to your supermarket shop is far easier with the internet and the countless reviews and advice available. Therefore, making the best decisions so your family can save on the weekly shop. Choose store’s own brands instead of the big labels; supermarkets are competitive companies and will do all they can to impress you with their items. For larger items; price comparison websites are worth looking at, and once you’ve chosen what you need, you can find the relevant reviews to ensure you’re making a wise choice. Only spending what you really need to and budgeting wisely is the best way to save in the long run, so explore all your options when it comes to your household costs.

Do you keep your car in your garage? If you do, you might be in the minority. Your car would be safer in your garage, and you might find that your car insurance is much cheaper if you can say that it’s in the garage every night (in fact, an awful lot of us tick that box whether it’s true or not). But, the truth is, most of us leave our cars on the drive or even in the street, instead of parking them in the garage. Sometimes, this is because it’s just too much trouble to drive it in and out of the garage all of the time. Some people even find that their cars don’t actually fit in their garages, either because there’s that much stuff in there already or because modern vehicles are significantly wider than those from the past.

The sad truth is that while many of us paid more for a house with a garage, most of us don’t use them as they were intended. But, that doesn’t mean that you can’t make money from them. Here are some ways that you could earn cash with your unused garage.

Get Selling

The very first thing that you should do if you want to make money from your garage is clear it out and find things to sell. Old tools can be sold at western sales management auctions, often for a good profit if they are in good condition. This is especially beneficial if the tools weren’t even yours in the first place or you never use them.

Other than tools, you might find other collectables in amongst your old junk, and even broken appliances can often be sold for parts. Remember, your junk might be someone else’s treasure.

Turn it into a Guest Room

If you live in a relatively modern house, and your garage is attached to your main home, it might be wired, insulated and even plumbed in. If it is, this can make it quite easy to turn your garage into another bedroom. You could make money from this by renting it out permanently, or by using Airbnb to make a regular profit. This is especially useful if you live in a desirable area.

Hire it Out as Storage

Many people nowadays spend some time living in small flats or houses. They are often on the lookout for cheap storage spaces for long-term use. Clean your garage out and rent it to someone as a storage space. Just make sure that you are clear about any access rules.

Hire it Out as a Parking Space

If you live near a busy town or city, parking is possibly in high demand. Many people walk or take the bus to work to avoid extortionate parking costs. Your garage could be the answer. Hire it to someone as a space to keep their car while they are at work. This can be a good idea even if you do use your garage for your own car, just hire it out around your own needs.

Finding a new car can really be a daunting experience to say the least. After all, you really do have so much to think about and you also have to consider the investment that you are making as well. If you want to get the best result out of your car and the purchase that you are making then there are a few things that you can do to try and make the whole thing easier on yourself.

Be Honest

The first thing that you need to do is be honest. How often do you go up into the mountains, carry large goods or even transport rubbish to the local tip? If you don’t do things like this very often then there is absolutely no point in you buying a big car. You have to remember that in life, you have things that you want and things that you need, so work out what your actual life-needs are and then work out what you need from your car. This is one of the best ways for you to try and find out if you are making the best decision with your car and it will also help you to know if you are able to save money as a result as well when you are out on the road.

Budget

You probably don’t have a huge pile of cash lying around and for this reason you will probably need to take out a used car loan. When you do this, you will need to take into account your payments, your insurance, your maintenance, registration, repairs and more. There are so many car loan providers out there who can help you to work all of this out and there are even online calculators as well. When you are able to take this information into account, you will soon see that the whole thing is super easy for you to do and you shouldn’t have any issues at all.

Use a Car Finder Tool

Believe it or not, there are so many auction sites out there that give you the chance to find the perfect car for your needs and you can even search by the category for your vehicle, the options that are available and even the price as well. When you do this, you really do eliminate the chances of you overspending and you can also stop yourself from getting a car that is not really suitable for your needs as well.

Test Driving

Sure, the car that you are getting right now may be similar to the car that you have already but this is not the case at all. You should always make sure that you test drive the car as much as you can and you should also try and put the work in to see if it suits your driving style. Some people are more drawn to certain cars when compared to others and the last thing that you need is to be locked into a deal with a car that just doesn’t suit your driving style.

Death isn’t most people’s favourite conversation topic. However, addressing your will is imperative. To ignore this duty would heighten the risk of leaving your family in a terrible financial position if you were to pass away. It is not only the money that matters either. You have to think about appointing a guardian for your minor children as well. Don’t you want this to be in your control? All things considered, to say writing a will is imperative is a monumental understatement. The necessity of this cannot be put into words.

Writing a will can be a lot more difficult than imagined. There are so many different aspects you must consider. As mentioned, appointing a guardian for any minor children is imperative. It is always recommended to identify a first and second choice. You should explain why you think the adult in question will provide stable and continuous care. You must also state the relationship between the child and the adult.

Another role you will need to identify is the beneficiaries of your will. From properties, to money, to smaller assets; you need to embark on thorough estate planning. Most people tend to leave their assets to their partner and their children. Don’t neglect the ‘what if’ possibilities. What if you and your partner passed away at the same time? What if you are remarried – Do you want your assets to go to your children rather than your new spouse? Also, a lot of people don’t realise that their debt is deducted from their estate. If you don’t want your kids to miss out, use a credit card monthly interest calculator and put together a debt repayment plan so you can get this paid off sooner rather than later.

In addition to the points that have already been mentioned, you will also need to decide on a personal representative to execute your wishes. The word ‘representative’ is imperative here. You have to trust the individual’s judgement. In fact, your judgement will be in question when writing your will as well, in the sense that you must be of sound mind before you begin to write it.

Knowing what not to include in your will is just as important as knowing what to include. Some of the things that cannot be incorporated are certain types of property, such as; joint tenancy property and property in a living trust. Many individuals are tempted to leave their funeral instructions in their will. This is ill-advised. In most cases, the settlement of your estate and alike will not be handled until after your funeral.

It is also worth noting that your will may need to be updated on one occasion or more. A lot of people write their will and then they put it to the back of their mind and never think about it again. However, circumstances can easily change. What if you end up getting divorced? What if the person you identified as a guardian is no longer suitable? What if your finances have changed? Updating your will is imperative.

Finally, professional aid is always recommended when it comes to writing a will. This will guarantee that everything is handled the right way so that your family and loved ones are protected in the event of your death.

No matter what you do, your financial situation can really dictate your lifestyle. Money doesn’t make you happy, we know that, but it can make life easier when things are managed or you feel comfortable with your situation. So in any circumstance, when it comes to your finances, the last thing you should do is bury your head in the sand. It is always best to take control. But how can you manage your finances more effectively? I wanted to share with you some of the things that you could try.

Tackle debt once and for all

Sometimes our biggest outgoing can actually be the debts we have to pay back. The issue can come from not just the amounts, but the rising costs to pay them back when it comes to interest. A great idea is to try and consolidate those debts into one payment instead of multiple ones. This means that you only have one cost of interest as well. A quick look online will highlight the best consolidation loans around to help you get started. If this isn’t an option, then focus on paying more off the one that is costing you the most. Reducing your debts is a long journey, but it can help you get to financial freedom and free up more money each month when you do.

Budget and be savvy with your spending

There will always be spending that needs to be done. You will buy food every week to feed yourself and the family, you will need clothes when things are worn out or a change in the season, and of course, we all need a lifestyle where we get to spend time with the people we love. Don’t let the costs spiral out of control and be more savvy with your spending. Meal planning can help reduce the costs of food, using coupons and discount codes can reduce the costs of spending on other items or evenings out. Looking out for deals can also be a great way to still enjoy yourself without the big bill.

Could you be spending less on those bills?

On the subject of bills, are you really spending the least amount possible? The truth is, you probably aren’t. When was the last time you switched your energy provider? When was the last time you looked at the insurance products you have? Sometimes loyalty doesn’t pay, and you could be missing out on cheaper rates and deals with other providers.

How much do you really have left as disposable income?

Finally, could you be doing more to increase your disposable income? The answer is likely to be yes. There could be bills leaving your account each month that you thought had been cancelled. You may have been spending more on regular debits or wasting more food instead of buying less. However, you could also boost your disposable income in other ways. Decluttering your home and selling unwanted things online, or even looking at ways to make a little extra online. There are things you can do if you were a little more proactive.

I hope that these tips help you to manage your finances more effectively.

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