How to Save Successfully to Meet Your Life Goals

Education

Everyone needs to be aware of how to save successfully to meet their specific life goals. We break down some tips to help you maximise your life savings for the big and small moments in life you’re saving for.

Tips on How to Save Successfully

We share five tips to help you get the most out of your life savings plan.

1. Don’t Forget to Factor in Inflation

When you don’t consider inflation when setting up your savings, you could negatively impact your savings. When interest rates go up, you must look at it in conjunction with the inflation rates to assess the full impact on your savings.

So, what is inflation exactly? Well, it’s the rate at which your savings depreciate over time, influenced by an increase in the cost of living, etc. Therefore, carefully consider the interest rate the bank offers you in conjunction with the inflation rate to prevent your funds from losing value.

2. Think Bigger than the Bank

If you want real results, you might have to look elsewhere than the traditional bank. The most important thing to remember is that your investment must grow by more than the inflation every year to achieve real return. When it comes to equities, it’s the only asset class that could potentially outperform inflation over a long term period.

However, it’s essential first to consider what you’re saving for. The potential of higher returns also comes with a risk of losing capital, so consider the term and reason for the investment before you commit.

3. Think Long-Term About Your Savings Plan

Don’t be surprised if you see a short-term savings plan underperform. Many investors make the mistake of selling as soon as they notice this. However, you could be missing out on a large chunk of your return in unit trusts.

When making decisions about your savings strategy, you should not let fear caused by market fluctuations guide you. Instead, you should only consider your personal circumstances and capital capacity.

4. Take the Time to Plan

When it comes to a savings strategy for big life goals, like saving for your child’s education, the sooner you start, the better. Not only will you have more time to save, but you’ll also give your savings plan time to allow your money to work for you.

5. Avoid the Debt Trap if You Can

When we don’t plan, we tend to resort to credit to help us meet our savings goal. Remember that, even though compound interest works for you when you invest, this same strategy works against you when you have a loan, as the total amount you have to pay back will snowball over the time it takes you to pay it back.

6. Hand it Over to an Authorised Financial Service Provider

Because there are so many factors that could influence (whether rationally or irrationally) your savings behaviour, it’s always best to put your savings in the hands of professionals.

With a more balanced and informed opinion of the market and its developments, you can trust them to make the best decision to get you to meet that savings goal.

Start Saving Successfully Today

When you work with an authorised financial services provider, you can ensure that they will use all the latest information and factors to consider to help you get the best results for your life savings plan.

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Things You Need to Know About a DUI Charge

Education

There are quite a few different misdemeanor offenses that are committed every day and one of the most common is driving under the influence. If you have ever been arrested on a DUI charge or you at least know someone who has, then you might have some information about how unpleasant and difficult the entire situation could be. Even though it’s a misdemeanor, it is still taken very seriously in many places because of the potential dangers both to self and to unsuspecting strangers that could easily be injured or killed.

No one ever leaves their home or the venue of some activity with the hope that they will get arrested whether or not it’s a DUI charge. Regardless, these things can happen and it’s important for you to arm yourself with as much information as you can. This is so that in the unlikely and undesirable event that you get pulled over, you know just what to do and how to act without digging a bigger hole for yourself. Here are a few things you need to know about driving-under-the-influence.

Don’t Drink and Drive

This is probably the first and most important point to be made. Alcohol easily impairs cognitive function, judgement and motor skills, all three of which the average driver would need to possess at its fullest even on a short drive. The best way to avoid a DUI charge is to abstain from any substance consumption before driving or get a designated driver. Apart from the problem with the police and all the legal proceedings that might follow, it’s best to take all necessary precautions to keep yourself others as safe as possible.

Get a Lawyer

If you are caught, arrested and taken to a police station, you’ll be given the opportunity to reach out to someone and the best thing to do is to immediately call a legal representative. If you cannot reach a lawyer, reach out to a family member and have them get you one. This is very important so a lawyer can guide you on what to do or say for the best chance against the charges. Even if you are unlikely to be arrested on a DUI charge, get an Orlando Florida DUI lawyer’s contact information just in case something happens.

Don’t Hurry with a Blood Test 

This is another reason why it’s important to have a lawyer present. Generally it’s not a good idea to submit yourself for a blood test immediately you’re asked to. When you talk to your lawyer ask them to get to the police station immediately and don’t do anything before they get there. The police could sometimes convince you that you don’t have a choice but you do.

Say Very Little

Anything you say to a policeman during or after an arrest will most likely be used against you in court. As much as possible, say very little or say nothing at all until your attorney is present. As with your right to a legal representative you also have a right to remain silent. Don’t hesitate to exercise this right.

If you follow the above, you’re most likely not going to run into any serious problems on a DUI charge. Don’t drink and drive. But if something still happens, call a DUI lawyer the first chance you get.

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Five Reasons To Call A Personal Injury Lawyer

Education

If you have been in an accident and wish to collect a settlement from the insurance company, you may be considering undergoing the process yourself. However, many people have gone through that process while recovering from their injuries and come out of it wishing that they had simply hired a personal injury lawyer to represent them instead. From confusing conditions and deadlines to sizable settlements, here are five reasons you should call a personal injury lawyer.

1. You Have Nothing To Lose

Recovering from an injury can be an expensive process and the thought of adding legal fees to the mix can be anxiety-inducing. However, most personal injury lawyers will only charge a fee in the event that they win your claims case. Which means that even if you eventually lose the case, you will not be stuck with a large legal fee.

2. Know If You Have A Case

You might be hesitant to file a claim if you do not know what your chances of winning it are. A consultation with an attorney would help clear your doubts. For instance, if you were trying to make an injury claim against the state of Ohio, a Cleveland personal injury lawyer would be able to tell you about the governments’ immunity from liability and advise you on the way forward.

3. Rules and Deadlines

Your recovery period may be an inconvenient time to find that different states in the US have specific time limits in which personal injury claims must be filed, under the statute of limitations, or that your time to do that has run out. If you hire a personal injury lawyer, you can be sure that your claims will be filed on time, and that everything necessary will be done to make sure your case is well attended to.

4. Evidence and Documentation

A person who was injured in an accident is unlikely to be capable of documenting their injuries, or of efficiently gathering evidence like physical evidence or witness testimonies related to the case. Also, it is easy for the memories of events to fade or become unreliable as time passes. A personal injury lawyer will make sure that all facts related to the case are properly documented, and that details of the event are clearly recorded for presentation purposes.

5. Settlement Size and Speed

In some personal injury cases, it may be in the best interests of the defendant to settle the case out of court. In situations like this, you will need a personal injury lawyer who is capable of negotiating a worthwhile settlement on your behalf and to make sure that the settlement is agreed upon and paid quickly so you can focus on your recovery.

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The reasons above should convince you to call a personal injury attorney if you are ever injured. Most law firms offer free first-time consultations, so do not hesitate to call and get help with resolving your claim and getting your life back after injury.

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5 Things You Should Do After a Car Accident

Education

Nobody is immune to a car accident no matter how careful you are as a driver. At any point in time, there are hundreds of drivers on the road trying to get from point A to B. Most drivers obey traffic rules and maintain good, safe road ethics. While others don’t. When you get involved in an accident, whether caused by you, someone else, or any external factor beyond your control, you must stop, call the authorities, consult with a lawyer, and seek medical attention. Accidents have been known to ruin people’s lives physically, emotionally, and financially. It is important to hire a good attorney to help you.

Here’s how you should go about it.

1. Stop, wait and help others involved or prevent further accidents

No matter how little an accident is, once you are involved, you must stop. You might be tempted to flee if it seems like a little accident but that only makes things worse. You will be charged with a hit-and-run misdemeanor. If you are unhurt, clear the road if you determine it will prevent further accidents from happening and help the other people involved as best as you can. Then call for help.

2. Call the essentials

The essential authority to call is the police. The police can coordinate emergency services based on the situation. If there is a fire, the fire service will be called upon. If anyone is hurt, an ambulance will be called. The next call you make should be to an attorney. This is to protect your rights. Giving unadvised statements might put you in trouble or at risk of losing your insurance claim.

3. Take pictures/videos and keep all records

People remember things differently, especially after a shocking event like a car accident. Try to document everything that happened as accurately as you can. Take pictures and videos of the scene, your car, injuries, and other people’s statements. Keep any medical and repair receipts for future reference. Your attorney, the police, or your insurance company might need them.

4. Inform your insurance

The car accident lawyers at Johnston Law Firm are experts at dealing with insurance claims and protecting your rights with the police. Insurance companies are typically slow and reluctant in processing claims. Hiring an aggressive car accident lawyer armed with your detailed records of pictures, videos, statements, and receipts can expedite your claim so you can get back on your feet in no time.

5. See a doctor and get checked out

This is the most important thing you ought to do. See a doctor and get checked out. You might feel fine initially. The adrenalin could give you a false sense of assurance that you are fine. However, there are internal injuries to worry about. Once checked out, remember to keep your medical report and bills.

Your health should be your top priority. Do not exaggerate your injuries or the accident in order to increase your claim. This could harm your case. Always consult with your lawyer before speaking with the police, your employer, and the insurance company. Your lawyer can help you avoid any criminal charges, reimbursement of lost wages, medical bills, and any other cost you may have incurred.

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Staying Healthy While You Play Sports

Education

If you play sports at any level and want to avoid injury while you play, read these tips for some great advice on what you should do.

Do Fitness Exercises that Help You Stay Limber and Strong

When you play sports, a certain set of physical attributes are needed to excel. The first is strength. You need to have the strength to be able to compete against the opposition. This requires that you are in good physical condition and have worked on strengthening your entire body.

Another attribute that is important is that you are limber. Flexibility plays an important role in almost every sport. You will be asked to twist, turn, bend, leap, stretch, and do other things with your body in order to compete.

If you are ever injured you may have to visit a sports physio. As well as treating an injury they can help make sure you avoid injury in the first place. This can keep you playing longer and better.

To become strong and flexible, you need to do fitness routines that promote these areas. The perfect fitness routine to compliment any sport is Pilates. Pilates involves exercises that work out the whole body, while focusing on the core. By strengthening your core, which is the muscles around your midsection and lower back, you will increase your stability and build a solid foundation. With a strong core, you can then strengthen other parts of your body.

Pilates exercises are designed to stretch and loosen the muscles, ligaments, tendons, and joints throughout the body. More and more, athletes are now engaging in Pilates and finding that it provides them with a great foundation of exercises that help them become better at their sport. Pilates also has an advanced set of courses called Reformer Pilates which utilizes a custom made apparatus and specific Pilates exercises that combine to give you more strength and flexibility. Reformer Pilates is the perfect fitness regimen if you are an advanced athlete or would like to become one.

Wear Safety Equipment

In many sports you see some of the biggest stars forgoing certain safety equipment that is advised for the athletes. In sports, safety equipment is there because there is a likelihood that you will get injured if you do not utilize it. When you play a sport make sure that you wear all of the necessary pads, guards, gloves, helmets, and every other piece of safety equipment that is recommended. You may feel skilled enough to play without it, but for safety sake you should definitely use it.

Never Play Angry

When you play sports, your attitude often determines how well you do. Many people play and become frustrated if they are not winning and as a result play angry. When you play angry, you open yourself up to injury and don’t think clearly resulting in bad decisions. You should always play with a level head no matter what the score or what position you and your team are in. If you find yourself angry on the field or court, take yourself out of the game, have a drink of water and calm yourself down. Once you are calm, you can resume playing.

Have a Cool Down Period After Games or Matches

Everyone understands stretching & warming your body up before a game or match is important. However, not as many people put as much emphasis on cooling the body down after a game or match is completed. When you’re done the body is still functioning at this overextended level, and needs to be slowly brought down back to normal. Doing things like stretching exercises, hot tub soaks, massage therapy, meditation and deep breathing will allow you to cool down and help you avoid injury.

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Understanding Your Therapy After a Car Accident

Education

If you are injured in a car accident and have sustained injuries to your muscles, bones, ligaments, tendons, or joints, part of your therapy and healing will likely include seeing a massage therapist. The massage therapist will help you get your body back to normal and also help you with the mental aspects of your recovery. Here are a few of the important benefits a car accident victim can expect when seeing a massage therapist.

Getting Your Strength Back

Car accidents can create a variety of injuries. Many are to the skeletal and muscular system. If your muscles are injured, you will need to let them heal. This means not using them for an extended period of time. When muscles aren’t used for a long time they weaken and can even atrophy. Your physiotherapist will create a program that includes physical therapy exercises and Massage Therapy to help you regain your strength.

Work on Improving Range of Motion

When muscles and bones are injured in a car accident, you can develop issues with your range of motion in your joints, ligaments or muscles. Massage therapists that use remedial massage are great at increasing your range of motion. The remedial massage therapist will examine any injuries and develop a program that will include bone healing and range of motion massage therapies. This approach can greatly improve your range of motion, bringing back a sense of normality to someone who has been in a car accident.

Keep Your Morale Up

A massage therapist is also somewhat responsible for bringing confidence back to their patients who’ve been injured. Car accidents can result in mental injury as well as physical with the mental injuries sometimes much more difficult to fix. A massage therapist will use their time with a patient to provide positive messaging and reinforcement that assist a patient with their mental recovery.

Massage therapists can play a critical role for those who have been injured in car accidents and require continuing physical therapy to get back to full health. Seeing a remedial massage therapist will result in the patient gaining many benefits from the therapy.

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How to Maximize the Production of Fertilizer

Education

Fertilizer is a substance added to soil to improve plants’ growth and yield. First used by ancient farmers, fertilizer technology developed significantly as the chemical needs of growing plants were discovered. Modern synthetic fertilizers are composed mainly of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium compounds with secondary nutrients added.

The Importance of Fertilizer

Over half of the world’s food supply depends on fertilizer. The importance of excellent fertilizer production, storage, and transportation continues to grow. By supplying crops with the essential nutrients that they need, fertilizers promote the efficient use of land resources and improve overall crop quality and production. The world’s leading producers of non-organic fertilizers are China, India, USA, Russia, Canada, and Brazil. From small farmers to multinational agricultural concerns, anyone in the industry of growing food must turn to fertilizers because these substances contain plant nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium — primary components vital for plant growth.

The Process

Fully integrated factories have been designed to produce these compound fertilizers. The raw materials come from many different sources to be chemically engineered into viable nutrients. Depending on the actual composition of the end product, the production process will differ from manufacturer to manufacturer. For fertilizer production, the varying non-organic components are blended together. This blending can be achieved through a pipe reactor system or a rotating drum process, resulting in ideal size.

Cooling and Storing

The most important step in fertilizer production is cooling, which is required for proper storage and transportation. Elevated fertilizer temperatures will result in product caking, leading to breakage and a lower-valued end product. Naturally, fertilizers attract and absorb moisture from the surrounding air. Moisture transferred between the product and air will cause increased humidity in the surrounding air, leading to condensation and product caking. To prevent this reaction, cooling the product to an ideal temperature for storage and transport is extremely important and will lead to a higher quality end product.

Innovated Technologies

Fortunately, there are manufactures like Solex Thermal that have created an innovative technology that maintains the integrity of the fertilizer during production. Check their site today to find updates in heat exchanger technology your business can use such as how their cooling system uses vertically stacked plates within a modular design to cool fertilizer granules through conduction. The product passes through as water cools the material. Air is not used in this process, preventing contamination and degradation of the final product.

Solex heat exchangers ensure efficient thermal performance. The unit is designed with long-term operation in mind — and without the need for regular cleaning. Units are custom-designed to take in to account:

  • Type of fertilizer
  • Necessary thermal performance
  • Ambient local conditions
  • Water temperatures
  • Optimum purge air flow rate and
  • Optimum dewpoint which prevents condensation

By eliminating air cooling methods, this innovative technology has contributed to a superior end product and a 90% decrease in energy consumption.

In big agriculture, you want a company that brings at least 25 years of experience with over 150 fertilizer reference plants from a wide range of climates. Processes like those from Solex result in lower installation costs, minimal maintenance, and a decrease in manufacturers’ carbon footprint.

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Effective Ways to Manage Biosolids and Their Strong Odours

Education

Residents who live near wastewater treatment plants, landfills or disposal sites will all complain about the inescapable odours that permeate the air. An effective way that facilities can manage these odours produced by biosolids is to get their hands on the right chemical solutions.

You may have noticed the stories of entire neighbourhoods being up in arms about the smell of waste nearby. Residents near Humber wastewater treatment raised concerns about the sewage plant odour infiltrating their public space — the smell discouraged them from leaving their homes and walking around outdoors. One person reported that the stink was so powerful that it wafted into his room and woke him up.

Similar frustrations happen with residents living near landfills and waste management facilities. After sending thousands of complaints, people who lived near the Orgaworld garbage and composting facilities demanded that their city deal with the odour issues that have been plaguing the area for years. It was proposed that the city extend its definition of a nuisance bylaw to include smell.

Much like noise pollution and smog, smell can affect people’s physical and mental health. People can suffer from persistent headaches, nausea and sleep deprivation when they breathe in the tainted air. It’s clear that the sensory disruption puts a lot of unnecessary stress on entire communities.

In order to avoid disturbing residents, wastewater treatment facilities can turn to the company CCC Chemicals for help. The supplier has a wide array of water cleaning chemical and wastewater treatment chemicals available, including corrosion inhibitors, ion exchange resins and oxidizers.

They have a team that is prepared to assist companies find the right solutions for their problems. If you are interested in looking at their portfolio, you can learn more at CCC Chemicals online or by contacting their specialized technical support team for additional information and specific product recommendations.

One of the options that is ideal for controlling and limiting odours produced by biosolids is Biologic SR2. These are plant-based micronutrients sourced from the manufacturer SciCorp International Corp because they can eliminate the biological reactions that create pungent smells during the waste deterioration process. The micronutrients are biodegradable, and they have a carbon footprint that is almost at net zero levels — these great features mean that facilities can shrink costs on odour control and energy spending.

Biologic SR2 is not specifically designed for wastewater treatment facilities. It can be inserted into misting systems for other types of facilities that deal with biosolids like landfills, transfer stations and garbage rooms.

The supplier has additional odour control products in their portfolio that companies can use to get positive and fast-acting results, like:

  • Activated carbon
  • Hydrogen peroxide
  • Permanganates
  • Calcium nitrate

Facilities need to manage odour produced by biosolids because members of the public, whether they live near the site or simply pass it regularly, will complain. They will send letters, make angry phone calls and fill up town halls in frustration. The only way to make everyone happy is to turn to chemical solutions that will dramatically limit the tenacity of the smell.

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Employee development: The term on the tip of company tongues right now

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If we were to wind back the clock a couple of decades ago, we would assume that the term “employee development” did not exist. Even if companies were aware of its meaning, the chances of them implementing its philosophies would be slim to say the least.

However, over recent times there has really been a shift in culture in relation to this. Big companies in particular are happier to invest in the development of their employees, whether it’s through training programs or even just sending them to industry conferences.

Whether or not this is the case for smaller companies, who perhaps have more constraints in relation to budgets, is debatable. However, business education is shifting; whether it’s from single day training courses or online MBA programs.

Following on from the above, let’s now take a look at some of the reasons more companies are getting more comfortable with employee development, and how you might decide to follow the same pathway.

The employee turnover numbers

Any company that has a high turnover of employees is asking for trouble. Let’s not forget that the recruitment business is an expensive game. Positions tend to be left open for long periods of time, leading to unproductivity, while once you do find your star candidate there is every chance that you might have to pay a recruiter fee or something else to guarantee their signature.

As such, training is a means of keeping employees and ultimately making your business a much nicer place to work. It is regarded as a “perk”, and a way of showing your employees that you respect their career. It’s something that will tend to breed loyalty and ultimately, weaken the chances of them jumping ship at the first opportunity.

It becomes easier to promote from within

This follows a similar vein to the previous point we looked at. As anyone who has been involved in recruitment will testify, as soon as you start looking to fill more senior positions the business becomes much tougher. There are far fewer candidates out there, while their higher salaries naturally means it’s a bigger risk.

If someone is trained internally meanwhile, the process can be made much easier. They already know the culture of your company, while you already know all about them so the risk is much smaller.

Employees tend to be more engaged at work

This next benefit works in several ways. Firstly, an employee who is picking up new skills suddenly has a lot more options available at work. They can apply themselves in different ways and this should, theoretically at least, prevent boredom occurring.

Then, there is the training itself. Once upon a time training courses were one of those things that everyone tried to avoid – they were boring to say the least. Now, the outlook has changed, and an interactive way of learning means that employees actually look forward to them, and see them as a positive to their daily routine.

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4 Reasons Why You Should Write Your Notes

Business Education

In spite of all the technology available to jot down information like important notes, there are still many reasons to take what feels like a step backward and write your notes by hand.

You may look at the abundant stash of digital equipment you’ve gathered to support your business enterprise goals and wonder, “Why would I let this amazing technology go to waste?” Quite simply, there are some tasks that benefit from a more traditional — or some may even consider it old school — approach. More importantly, you don’t have to completely abandon your technology in your quest to take truly beneficial notes, as you will soon discover.

Consider these four important reasons why you should write your notes:

1. It Is an Effective Method of Learning, Absorbing and Retaining Information

Research shows that hand writing notes is one of the most effective ways to study and retain new information. According to a study published in Psychological Science, taking notes by hand requires extra processing of the material written. The reason for this seemingly simple phenomenon is that committing information to paper through writing stimulates a part of the brain called the Reticular Activating System (RAS). The RAS serves as a filter for all that your brain needs to process, prioritizing the information upon which you are immediately focused.

Essentially, writing your notes means you may find it at least slightly less likely to refer to them in the future, thanks to better retention. Your new associates and business prospects will appreciate your sharp memory and attention to detail.

2. Hand Writing Can Help to Improve Any Necessary Content for Your Business

If any aspect of your home-based business requires writing tasks and capabilities, such as writing blog posts to support your website, note that writing by hand can help you improve your writing skills. Writing out an early draft, or even just jotting down notes from your research, can help you gain a better understanding of the topic, how it relates to your business and the best approach to writing the post. Think of all the outlines you wrote out in school and how useful they were to guiding your writing. The same benefits are there, no matter how much or little writing you do for your business.

3. You Can Use Your Tablet or Smartphone to Write Your Notes

You can have the best of all worlds with the right electronic devices to support your business goals. A mobile phone along with its accompanying smart writing stylus is a prime example of tech gadgetry that lets you do it all. For example, the Samsung Galaxy Note8’s intelligent S Pen lets you write, draw and even doodle with incredible accuracy. You get the sensation and memory retention benefits of hand writing while still being able to save every document for future reference.

4. Writing By Hand Helps You Maintain Focus

It is easy to become distracted during meetings, training sessions and seminars if you are not an active part of the event. If you pull out your laptop to jot down a few notes, you may find yourself wandering over to Facebook or answering a few emails. Using pen and paper — or the electronic equivalent — to dash out ideas can help you stay focused, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Whether you are drafting your notes with a classic pen and legal pad combination, or a smartphone and stylus, you will discover a newfound depth that can help bolster your daily business practices.

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