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Recent years have seen a major shift in consumer spending habits that has caught the attention of many businesses, with several looking set to embrace the unexpected shift. We are indeed talking about the increasing desire among consumers to move away from cash purchases, with many opting instead to pay using alternative, more modern options.

Initial reasons as to the change in preference have been suggested to include the following:

· Cash is not suitable for big purchases and many want to avoid expensive loans.

· Being tangible makes it more at risk of becoming damaged or lost.

· Paying with cash is very final, leaving little or no room to make a complaint or cancel the transaction should any problems arise.

· Cash is more susceptible to theft as there are no ways to formally identify the owner of the money should it be reported missing.

With consumers clearly losing confidence in cash, a number of solutions have emerged; some are now well established, others up-and-coming. They include:

· PayPal: The popular company is already recognised as a secure method to make payments online but they have recently announced their desire to take the idea further by incorporating cutting-edge fingerprint technology into their system, meaning you and only you could authorise spending on your accounts, making identity fraud and theft much more difficult.

· Plastic bank notes: These can last 2.5 times longer than the current paper notes in general circulation. They are easier to clean, making them more hygienic and with much greater levels of durability, they can even survive a cycle in a washing machine. Some countries in Europe already utilise such notes and 2015 is currently slated to see the arrival of them into mainstream spending in Britain.

· Credit cards: The good old credit card has long been a popular spending option and providers like American Express are taking note and giving consumers the incentives they want to opt for them. Cashback, gifts and reward schemes go hand-in-hand with the guaranteed purchase protection to make buying with plastic the way of the future. You can click here for more information on the kind of perks you can expect from a credit card and how to apply.

It seems clear that paper is being left in the shade somewhat as plastic and innovative technology are pushing boundaries and upping the ante when it comes to convenience and safety. In a time when people lead busy lives and more and more reports about stolen information, hacked accounts and fraudulent spending seem to emerge day by day, this is exactly what consumers want and thankfully, it seems this is exactly what they can expect to get.

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Life can get us down sometimes but the good news is that there are often financial nets to catch us and aid our recovery. There are many different forms of compensation available to people in the UK that so often goes unclaimed, simply because they are unaware that they are entitled to it. In order to make sure everyone gets what they deserve, here are some of the lesser known situations in which you may find yourself in line for some financial reimbursement.

Unfair Salaries

It can be tricky bringing up the issue of underpayment with a prospective employer, as you don’t want to risk putting them off their decision to hire you but it is also important to remember that you need to earn a living. Keep in mind that if someone has offered you the job, they genuinely believe you are right for the role and want you on their team; this gives you more leeway than you may at first think. If you believe the finances do not accurately reflect your skillset, the current economy or the average wage for your particular role, then you are entirely within your rights to approach them with a counter offer and a request for an increase in pay. If the issue continues beyond accepting the job, legal action can sometimes be viable.

Solicitor Negligence

Solicitors are the ones we often turn to when we feel we have been mistreated or unfairly represented in some way but what do we do when the solicitors themselves are the ones at fault? Organisations like Redress Law can help with solicitors negligence, people who have been let down by their legal representatives, be it in cases involving property, personal injury, employment or divorce. This kind of compensation is especially important when we consider how pricey lawyers usually are; paying a premium for shoddy work is not acceptable and does not have to be tolerated.

Travel Delays

Did you know that £90 million worth of compensation from delayed public transport goes unclaimed every year in the UK? Probably not, considering that a massive 75% of people did not even know this was an area in which we were permitted to claim. Especially if you rely on transport links for work, then significant delays and last-minute cancelations that disrupt your day-to-day life can entitle you to a repayment.

Psychological Damage

It’s not only the physical scars that can leave a lasting impact on a victim. In many cases, people will find their ability to return to work hindered following an accident. Say for example a taxi driver is caught in a collision and develops a fear of driving, or a security worker is attacked and suffers from anxiety and loss of confidence; their entire livelihood is in jeopardy. If you find yourself in a similar situation, where your income is genuinely under threat as a direct result of unjust psychological damage, you could well be entitled to claim.

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How secure are your online finances? Find out your credit score for further information on online fraud and spotting potential personal security issues.

Are your online finances secure?

When it comes to handling our day to day finances, we have never had it so good. At the click of a button we can move money around, check account balances and pay bills. But have you ever stopped to think how safe your data is online or how easy it would be for a criminal to steal your identity, open accounts in your name or gain access to your money?

Identity theft is surprisingly easier than you might think

A stray bank statement in your rubbish bin, a PIN number written on a piece of paper or personal details intercepted online - these are just some of the ways fraudsters can steal your identity, and the problem is getting worse.

Thousands of people everyday are victims of identity theft and fraud and in 2013 alone, this crime cost fraud victims £3.7m.

Have you already become an identity fraud victim?

Many identity fraud victims are blissfully unaware of the fact until their bank accounts have been emptied or they have debt collectors calling about a debt they knew nothing about.

When fraudsters have enough information about you, they can pretend to be you and open up lines of credit. Credit cards, store cards and mail order catalogues are just some of the ways identity thieves can cash in with your personal details.

How checking your credit score and credit record can help

There is one sure way you can use to see if any credit accounts have been opened in your name and against your current address. If you have never taken the time to find out your credit score and credit file before, now is definitely the time to do so.

Your credit score and file shows potential lenders how much credit you currently owe and how well you pay your debts back. It can also show you all of the credit accounts you have open.

By checking your file, you can see all credit accounts, when they were opened and the companies they are with. If there are any entries that you do not recognise, you should query these immediately, either directly with the lender or with your credit reference agency.

Did you know you can check your credit score online in moments?

It’s easier than ever to check your credit score and history online. By filling in a few details you could have access to your personal credit details in moments and check whether you have been a victim of online identity theft.

Your credit score is also the rating system that is used by lenders to decide whether you are a creditworthy borrower. If you are thinking about taking out a line of credit in the future, checking your credit score before your lender does, can give you peace of mind that you will be accepted.

On the flip side, if there are problems on your credit file such as fraudulent activity, late payments or incorrect information, you can go about taking the steps to fix these problems and improve your overall credit score.

Don’t be a victim of online identity fraud - check your file today

You can’t always avoid identify fraud, but you can nip it in the bud before you are scammed out of thousands of pounds or your credit file is damaged beyond repair. A quick check of your credit file is all it takes to set your mind at rest or prompt you to take action. Click here for further information.

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A lot of us will at some point in our lives be unable to work. Though for a few this will simply be an inability to find employment, for many it will be as a result of illness, injury or unexpected redundancy. When such a situation strikes, it can be easy to panic; unsure of where your next paycheque will come from or how you will meet the next lot of bills, but there are a number of ways you can cushion the blow and keep yourself afloat during just such a predicament.

Short Term Income Protection

This is a specific kind of policy that will cover you for a specified amount of time out of work, usually somewhere around 12 months. The actual terms can differ but generally it will cover illness, injury and unemployment, so long as the threat of unemployment and existing medical conditions were not present when you took out the cover. You will often have to be out of work for a minimum period of time (30 days on average) before the payments will start but in some cases this will be backdated.

Long Term Income Protection

The main difference between short and long term protection is that with this kind of policy, you can specify the date you want the cover to end, which is often the date of intended retirement, when you will gain access to your pension, or the date at which your mortgage payments will end. It will also usually not cover you for unemployment, focussing instead on injury or illness. As always, there are many different layers of protection and specific perks available and cover is often tailored to each individual.

Compensation

In some cases, the accident that incapacitated you will be through no fault of your own and you could be entitled to claim compensation to help cover medical costs and tide you over until such a time when you can return to work. It can be a daunting prospect taking on a large company, perhaps even your own employer, but if you feel you have been wronged, organisations like LeoClaims can assist you in your efforts to seek reward for your inconvenience.

Mortgage Payment Protection

This does exactly as the name implies and covers your mortgage repayments. This can be very useful, considering that for many, their mortgage is the most substantial and important of all their monthly bills. It is worth remembering that the payments will be made to you, not your lender, so the responsibility to make the payments on time still lies in your hands.

PPI

Payment Protection Insurance has been tethered with a bad name and with the repayment scandal still on going all these years later, you would be forgiven for thinking it wise to avoid such a scheme at all costs. The truth is that the initial issue was the fault of providers, not the policies themselves. PPI is designed to help cover payments on your loans or credit cards and remains a valid option to do so. Uproar only surfaced as a result of companies

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Find out more about the Zoopla IPO: http://www.ig.com/uk/zoopla-ipo-grey-market

Zoopla, the second largest property portal in the UK, took many by surprise by finally floating on the London Stock Exchange on Wednesday 18 June – a day earlier than many investors and analysts were expecting.

Zoopla had stated that the price of its shares will be between 200p and 250p. At that price the company would be worth between £850 million and £1.04 billion. CEO Alex Chesterman’s 8% holding in the company would be worth as much as £83 million.

Shares in the company were actually priced at 220p, just below the middle of the 200-250p price range, valuing the company at £918.8 million. On the day of the float, in conditional trading, the shares climbed as much as 7.7%, giving the company a valuation of £990 million. Zoopla’s shares finished the day at 227p, up 3%.

Management of the company is restricted from selling shares for the first 12 months of trading.

What does Zoopla do?

Zoopla provides a searchable directory for residential properties in the UK. It combines information from the Royal Mail’s database, HM Land Registry and Google maps to provide in-depth information about UK properties. Users of Zoopla can also contribute their own information in order to give a more comprehensive view of the property.

Zoopla company history

Tech entrepreneur Alex Chesterman founded Zoopla in 2007. The Zoopla website went live in 2008. By 2010, Zoopla was attracting 1.6 million visitors a month. This made it the second largest property portal after Rightmove. Currently, the largest shareholder in Zoopla is the Daily Mail & General Trust which owns 52.6% of the business.

Zoopla has been named both one of the top 10 UK tech companies by the Guardian newspaper and one of the ten most innovative UK companies by Smarta. Currently the Zoopla website gets more than 20 million visitors every month. The Daily Mail & General Trust has stated that Zoopla’s revenues have increased 26% year-on-year and now stand at £38.3 million.

The Daily Mail & General Trust, said it planned to keep at least 31% of its stake in Zoopla. It had owned 52% of Zoopla before the

The news of a Zoopla’s IPO has caused much excitement among the Daily Mail & General Trust’s own shareholders. Since the announcement, the company has seen a 5.39% rise in their own share price.

List of major upcoming IPOs with IG: http://www.ig.com/uk/ipo-list

Spread bets and CFDs are leveraged products. Spread betting and CFD trading may not be suitable for everyone and can result in losses that exceed your deposits, so please ensure that you fully understand the risks involved.

This information has been prepared by IG, a trading name of IG Markets Limited. The material on this page does not contain a record of our trading prices, or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instrument. IG accepts no responsibility for any use that may be made of these comments and for any consequences that result. No representation or warranty is given as to the accuracy or completeness of this information. Consequently any person acting on it does so entirely at their own risk. Any research provided does not have regard to the specific investment objectives, financial situation and needs of any specific person who may receive it. It has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such is considered to be a marketing communication. Although we are not specifically constrained from dealing ahead of our recommendations we do not seek to take advantage of them before they are provided to our clients.

You will also be able to order from a wide range of products, and have your order delivered directly to your door. Here are some of the benefits and negatives of credit catalogues, with information on how to open a credit account with the best catalogue companies out there.

1. Choosing the right catalogue company

You will need to choose a company that offers you various ways to make repayments for any items you have purchased, as well as a credit account with a low rate of interest. The amount of interest you will be charged on your credit account will depend on the catalogue company, so it’s always a good idea to do your research beforehand.

Some companies have an “interest free” period, where you will not be charged any interest as long as you pay for any items you have purchased in full by a certain date, for example within three months. Catalogues247.co.uk provides guides and reviews of the UK’s most popular catalogues and give an overview of the different credit options they offer.

2. Making repayments

Ordering from a catalogue company can still provide you with a great flexibility, especially if you want to spread your payments over time. This can help you to budget more effectively, and you will be able to control your finances by logging into your credit account on the catalogue company’s website. Retailers like Fashion World and Littlewoods allow you to pay for your items in monthly instalments, whilst others like BrightHouse give you the option to pay on a weekly basis. You will receive a statement in the post detailing the minimum amount you need to pay, your credit balance, and any items you have purchased within the previous billing period.

3. Wide range of products

One of the positives of ordering from a catalogue company is the wide range of products on offer to you as a credit account holder. For example, companies like JD Williams specialise in plus-sized clothing for women, with many products that you wouldn’t normally be able to find on the high street of your local town or city. Other benefits of ordering from a catalogue include prompt delivery directly to your door - ideal if you need an item to give as a gift to a loved one.

4. Opening an account

One of the negatives of catalogue companies is that you may be refused a credit account if you have a poor credit history. However, there are many companies that may still provide you with credit as long as you are able to make repayments. Opening a new credit account with a retailer is straight-forward, and you will normally be given an instant decision in most cases as to whether your application was successful or not. For example, you can apply for a Next credit account by visiting your local store. Other companies may ask you to provide some identification in order to further your application, such as a passport or driving license.

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Getting a new car is exciting but it can also be expensive and beyond simple tips like opting for a second-hand model and shopping around for the best price, people are often on the lookout for frugal ways to cut the cost without having to compromise too much on the quality of the vehicle. Luckily, the market now has more options than ever for consumers, giving everyone the best possible chance to find the car that is right for them.

Private money

If you find yourself in the lucky position to have a nest egg of savings, instead of having them sit in a bank account with pitiful interest rates, you may instead want to put some of it towards investing in a new car or at least paying a substantial deposit for one, to reduce monthly payments.

When dipping into your savings however, always make sure you leave enough for emergencies, related to your car or otherwise, and before buying outright consider the running costs of your vehicle, as insurance, tax and fuel will play a major role in whether or not you can realistically afford a specific model.

You may also wish to seek out a personal loan but this, as always, should be done with caution, with every step being made to ensure you meet your monthly repayments and avoid slipping into unmanageable debt.

Hire Purchase

Hire purchase essentially spreads the cost of buying a new car, where you will pay a deposit – usually around 10% of the overall cost – and then continue to pay the rest in monthly blocks. The car is not rightfully yours until the final payment has been made but it does eliminate the need to hand over large sums of cash from the off and payment schedules can often be flexible.

Package Deals

If you know exactly what you want from your new car, sometimes you can find specific, tailor-made packages that are customised on your behalf to fit your individual needs. A great example of this are the best car finance deals from BMW, where regardless of new or used and which purchase or hiring method you want to use, they will take care of all the legwork and fine tune the deal before you sign the dotted line.

Essentially it is a case of weighing up the options and choosing a method that best fits your budget and lifestyle but there are enough ways out there to ensure that everyone has a chance of getting hold of that dream car.

Personal Contract Plan

This is a derivative of Hire Purchase, where you pay monthly for an agreed duration of time before either paying the rest of the car’s current value and owning it or handing it back without any further payments. This allows you to try various different models without feeling committed long term and often results in significantly lower costs overall but the mileage and condition of the car at the end of your contract can affect costs, so always be sure of the small print.

Personal Lease

Personal leasing is a great option for those who don’t actually want to buy a car. You essentially borrow one from the dealer at a fixed, monthly rate – with maintenance and all necessary servicing included – and, providing you do not exceed the agreed mileage during that time, hand the car back with no further charges. This method allows you to rely on set payments and eliminates the fear of your car depreciating in value over time but you are restricted as to the mileage you can incur and the vehicle is never officially yours, limiting you somewhat when your contract expires.

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The road can prove to be an unforgiving structure – both physically as well as financially. Till date, the most expensive road mistakes’ list has been topped by vehicle accident lawsuits. The risk has been exacerbated by the facts that more and more drivers are using electronic devices even while driving. An interesting theory we come across in this regard is the Negligent Entrustment theory. According to this, entrustment is a wholesome legal concept where the employers are solely responsible for their own negligence. Now in most countries, a company or the employer is held against the court of law only in case of a negligent entrustment. So it is mandatory for a company to take all steps necessary, in advance to come clean in such a situation. It is crucial in this regard that you understand the liability issues before being thrown in the middle of such a situation. A comprehensive road risk insurance which covers everything can help you better.

• How important are MRVs?

Motor Vehicle Reports or MRVs are one of the mandates when it comes to an efficient fleet business management. This is more like a report card of your driver, it clearly states if your employed driver has poor driving record and lets you gauge the risks posed by the same.

• Background checks on the drivers

Always watch out for criminal records and of course authenticate the qualifications the new as well as the old drivers provide. This is vitally important for avoiding a negligent entrustment lawsuit.

• Driver training

This may seem like an unnecessary and cumbersome process in the beginning, but again it is another vital point that is never to be neglected if you want to keep the nasty lawsuits at bay. Either employ properly trained and experienced drivers or employ new ones but give them proper training that is completely a must. They should know about current policies, rules and technologies.

• Fleet insurance

This is no longer a fancy term for excess cost when it comes to fleet management. It is as necessary as fuel when it comes to running your chauffeur business. This will protect you in case of any unprecedented mishap and also save you from paying huge compensations to third parties in case of claims. Most of the policies are flexible; allow annual payment instead of monthly to save you some good cash. Also they allow payment via credit cards without charging any extra for credit transactions. Feel free to bargain for you needs, haggle a little and be sure to window shop before you make your buy.

• Vehicle maintenance policies

Although it may not seem apparent to you, but vehicle maintenance is not only a necessity but it is also a preventive measure. Better the condition of vehicles, lesser the chance of mishaps. Also regular papers from maintenance services will serve as testimony against any negligence lawsuit claims. Moreover this makes sure that the premiums you pay for your chauffeur insurance are low, since the chances of accidents owing to poor condition of vehicles is minimised.

Once you know the factors that lead you to the road of exuberant and superfluous expenditure, it should be easier for you to safeguard your successful business against them.

What is Cloud Computing?

Cloud computing is a platform that is based almost entirely on the Internet. Data is stored in the cloud; a factor that makes much of the physical hardware associated with conventional computing redundant. Programmes are stored in a similar way and are available on demand. Programmes can be adapted for use in a specific sector, such as accounting, and are hugely scalable. An idea of the type of programme available can be seen at www.mclarensoftware.com.

Accessibility

In the old days, an accountant would have to visit each of their clients individually, travelling between various physical locations. This way of conducting business is not only costly but very time consuming and physically and mentally taxing on the accountant. The Internet makes the world far smaller, where intercontinental communication can take place with greater expedience than it takes to drive from one physical location to another.

Cloud computing, therefore, helps to make life much easier for an accountant, allowing for multiple clients to be dealt with via the virtual world in much less time and with far less effort than would be the case in the physical domain.

With cloud computing, on demand data can also be accessed from any place where there is an Internet connection, which can be an invaluable factor in the fast moving world of finance.

Costs

Apart from the costs saved during transit between the various locations of clients, there are other financial benefits that can be felt from cloud computing. One key financial benefit is that an accounting firm, or individual accountant, does not need to buy, maintain or replace physical hardware.

Instead, data is stored on offsite, virtual servers, the upkeep of which is carried out by the hosting company. It is also possible for an accounting firm to implement remote working, where individual accountants work from their own personal locations of choice. This means that an office space in the traditional sense is no longer needed, greatly reducing such costs as rent and cleaning for an accounting company. Tips for getting the best out of flexible working can be seen here.

Greater data security

Much of the data handled by an accounting firm can be very sensitive indeed. Should such data be lost or fall into the wrong hands, it could be disastrous for the accounting firm involved. Cloud computing can help to avoid such an eventuality from taking place. Because data is stored on virtual servers there is a hugely reduced chance of physical hardware, such as a USB drive, being misplaced.

In the very rare event that cloud data is lost due to a technical fault, it is far simpler and around four times faster to retrieve than the equivalent process for retrieving data stored in the conventional way. This article, on onlinetech.com, discusses this issue further.

The UK is home to some of the most prestigious investment banks, brokerage houses, consulting firms and a whole host of other finance-related employment opportunities. Finance jobs in Scotland offer graduates the chance to get away from the busy and competitive London financial scene and explore new possibilities within the financial sector without traveling too far from home.

Image by Michael Duxbury, shared under a Creative Commons Licence

What is finance?

A finance degree is narrower in scope than an accounting degree and covers a diverse range of business disciplines in almost every industry in the world. A successful career in finance relies on a unique skill set including an inquisitive and outgoing nature, and any successful financial career requires an aptitude for numbers and the ability to translate a client’s goals, resources and assets into continued financial growth.

Prospects

Finance jobs in the UK, especially finance jobs in Scotland, are expected to grow faster than the average rates over the next decade. Opportunities for employment with a finance or related degree can include corporate and international financial management, personal financial planning, investment banking, insurance and other brokerage houses among many others. Here are some examples of diverse employment opportunities within the world of finance.

Financial Analyst

Financial analysts are integral to the success of a competitive economy. Job opportunities in this area have been abundance since the 1970s as a result of an increasingly complex range of potential investments. A financial analyst assesses a client’s financial history and current status and potential risks in order to set and guide to achieve specific financial goals.

Financial manager

Not typically an entry level position - financial managers are responsible for direct reporting, any investment activities and management of funds in any type of private or government organisation. Financial management relies heavily on resourcefulness, creativity and being able to view a larger business picture while also being able to deal with the minute financial details that enable any organisation to thrive.

Commercial banking

While the banking sector has suffered some rather substantial setbacks in recent years, there are still more people employed in this sector than any other in the finance industry. Often times commercial banking positions are great entry level positions for finance graduates and they provide practical and broad experience that is the basis for a successful career within the industry.

Finance degrees equip graduates with the necessary criteria and analytical thinking that takes advantage of financial information and appropriately manages and allocates both private and public funds in all varieties of organisations on both local and international scales. For a professionally rewarding and lucrative career path - finance is a wise and winning choice.