Money Questions and Answers

Life Is Expensive! So, Is Now the Time for a Pay Rise?

When did you last have a pay rise? For a fair few people, the answer to that question might be hard to answer. Wages have been incredibly slow to recover from the financial crisis of 2007-08. Indeed, the last decade has been characterized by fairly stagnant salaries, with ‘real wages’ – accounting for inflation – falling by 10.4 per cent between 2007 and 2015.

That’s all left us with some pretty tough choices to make. With pressure on packets, many of us has had to pinpoint items of spending to trim down so that the essentials could be purchased.

Yet, there might be light at the end of the tunnel. The Bank of England predicts that wages should rise by about 3.5% in 2017. That should mean good news for your bank balance – or at least give you the chance to broach an awkward subject with your boss.

Getting the pay you deserve is important. By maximizing your earnings, you can be in a better place to be able to afford everything life throws at you. As this infographic shows, there are plenty of challenges that crop up throughout our ‘financial lifecycle’ and preparing for what’s to come is key to managing your money…

How Zeqr Works and the Benefits of Becoming a Zeqr Expert

by Hank Coleman

What is Zeqr and how does it work? What are the benefits of using it and how do you become an expert? Zeqr is a new global knowledge hub. Zeqr is going to change how knowledge is exchanged on a global level, leading to a better informed and more knowledgeable world.

Zeqr is unique because there are no other platforms offering peer-to-peer, real-time sessions, and courses along with service offerings. Zeqr can also help experts develop a new source of income as they give classes and webinars to paying customers looking to gain knowledge in a wide range of subjects on the site.

What Is Zeqr?

Zeqr is a marketplace that is a new global knowledge hub and sharing platform designed to connect experts to those looking for advice or to become better informed. The site allows people to learn from one of the experts on Zeqr or to share their experiences as an expert. Zeqr allows people to share ideas and their knowledge with others through one on one mentorship, classes, webinars, and videos.

How Does Zeqr Work?

Whether you want to become an expert or if you want to learn something, the first step is to signup for an account. If you join Zeqr as an expert, then you can offer your knowledge for a price through classes or one on one tutoring.

But, if you joined Zeqr to learn things, then you can simply pay an expert to teach you via video or classroom-style webinar teaching.

Zeqr handles the payments. So, there’s no need to worry about how to pay an expert for his or her time or how to get paid if you become an expert in a field. There are many categories available on Zeqr and the categories cover a wide range such as beauty, finance, academics, communications, internet marketing, and so much more.

Should You Wait for a Stock Market Correction Before Investing?

by Guest Contributor

The following is a guest post by R.J. Weiss, Certified Financial Planner™, who blogs about building wealth and living the good at The Ways to Wealth. If you’d like to guest post on Money Q&A, check out our guest posting guidelines. The Dow Jones Index recently reached 20,000 for the first time. Never before has the stock market reached a higher valuation. Yet, it’s easy to remain quite pessimistic about the future. And, when there is fear about the future, it’s harder to make good decisions today. One of those decisions is committing to invest in stocks. With the stock market at all-time highs, it’s common to think: “I’ll just wait to invest until the market corrects itself” The issue is many … Read more

How to Save Money on Almost Every Online Purchase with Dealspotr

by Hank Coleman

How to Save Money on Purchases with Dealspotr

You already know that using coupons and loyalty cards can save you a fortune. In fact, I don’t buy anything online anymore without looking for a discount code. And, now I’ve found an amazing website, Dealspotr, that helps you find discount codes, printable coupons, online and brick and mortar sales, and so much more! You’ve definitely got to check it out!

Now is the perfect time to step up your couponing game by reducing the time it takes you to scout out the best deals on all of your favorite items. By improving your couponing efficiency, you’ll save both time and money, which is the primary purpose of the increasingly-popular Dealspotr community. Here’s what you need to know about Dealspotr and how to save the most money while shopping online and in stores.

By signing up on Dealspotr’s website, you can customize your own personal coupon feed – similar to other social media feeds – based on the products, stores, and online retailers you shop with most often. Online shopping has never been easier, thanks to Dealspotr’s unique approach to couponing that emphasizes the quality and accuracy of coupons and promo codes over spamming the website with as many coupons as possible, regardless of whether they actually help shoppers save money.

Have You Started Using Dealspotr Yet?

Even if you’re already following a couple couponing websites, here are a few reasons why you shouldn’t overlook Dealspotr:

“The World’s First Crowdsourced Savings Site”

Dealspotr launched towards the end of 2015 and in that short timeframe, the site has already saved its members over $15 million on everything from groceries and toiletries to travel packages and major electronics. As the self-proclaimed “world’s first crowd-sourced savings site,” Dealspotr is designed like a co-op where thousands of bargain hunters congregate online to share the best deals with each other so you don’t have to waste time on solo couponing ventures.

In fact, according to Dealspotr, there are over 30,000 members on its website, 10,000 deals added, and 100,000 edits or comments made each day on the available coupons and promo codes. This ensures the highest level of accuracy and avoids the problem of promoting expired or invalid coupons, like some couponing websites inadvertently do.

Dealspotr is an incredibly unique couponing website because it not only offers a platform for members to help other members save money on everyday items by posting deals and coupon codes, but it also has interactive and competitive components. Members gain reputation points for sharing the latest deals with the Dealspotr community and there’s even an ongoing leaderboard that shines a spotlight on the most dedicated coupon-sharing members on Dealspotr.

Once you reach 10,000 reputation points, you can exchange those points for a gift card. This is Dealspotr’s way of thanking their top-performing members for validating and verifying coupons to ensure they’re still available for other folks, as well as posting new deals for other Dealspotr members.

Business Accounting Made Easy with Xero Software

by Hank Coleman

Business Accounting Made Easy with Xero Accounting Software

Whether you’re a seasoned business owner or an eager entrepreneur in the midst of setting up your own business, staying organized in every area of your business should be one of your top priorities. Xero accounting software can help you build your business and take it to the next level.

If you haven’t yet heard of or tried Xero’s software for small business owners, then you should seriously consider adding it to your repertoire of organizational programs.

Business Accounting Made Easy with Xero Accounting Software

Here are a few reasons why Xero makes business owners’ lives so much easier:

What is Xero?

Xero was originally founded in 2006 in New Zealand as a cloud-based software program for small business leaders to more efficiently manage their operations and employees. In 2014 and 2015, Forbes recognized Xero as the “World’s Most Innovative Growth Company”.

Since then, Xero’s subscriber base has grown to over 862,000 entrepreneurs and small business owners around the world. The company operates in over 180 countries, and more business owners are signing up each day.

On-the-Go Efficiency for Small Business Owners

Xero is designed for busy business owners who want an easier way to manage their company’s operations from anywhere, whether they’re Ubering to the airport, at a café in a foreign country, or sitting in their home office. The Xero app is available for Apple devices and Android devices, it syncs with a variety of business apps that you might already be using in your business operations, and Xero’s in-app features are numerous.

What Should You Do with Your Income Tax Refund?

by Hank Coleman

According to a recent Nasdaq survey, 41% of Americans who received a tax refund in 2016 put that money into savings. While 38% used the money to pay off debts. Just 5% of Americans splurged on a big purchase. But, what should you do with your income tax refund? Should you pay off debt or invest? Just like how receiving a big tax refund isn’t always a big deal, putting that money towards something that’s more “entertaining” than “responsible” isn’t always a bad option either. What you should do with your income tax refund depends on your current financial situation and your ability to manage the debts currently in your name. Should you pay off debt or invest or something … Read more