Archive for March 2019

Buy-to-let 2019 Outlook

March 21, 2019 Real Estate No comments
mortgage
mortgage

Following the 2008 crash that changed the face of the mortgage industry, things are finally on the rise for today?s buy-to-let landlords.

The industry has almost made a full recovery. From a high of offering around 3,300 products back in October 2007, there has been a rise back to over 2,000 mortgage products available to choose from today; including over 450 mortgages available for limited company landlords not using special purpose vehicles, the highest number in over 10 years.

However, with the number of products available to choose from on the rise, so too are the rates, with an increase in the average two-year fixed rate of 0.20% since September 2018 according to Moneyfacts.

The rise in lower deposit mortgage

In order to entice new landlords onto their books, mortgage lenders such as Vida Homeloans are tending to use lower deposit mortgages, such as the 85% loan-to-value (LTV) buy-to-let mortgage as offered by several mortgage lenders include Kent Reliance, Kensington Building Society and Vida Homeloans; some of the highest LTV products on the market at this point in time. 

Despite the increase in rates, these lower deposit mortgages are giving landlords great opportunities to expand and grow their portfolios without having to cough up the substantial 25% deposit as was the case previously. However, as with every benefit, there comes some downfalls, and of course it should be no surprise that accompanying lower deposit mortgages are some higher interest rates, as these lower deposit mortgages carry more risk.

For example, all of the lenders previously mentioned offer a two-year fixed rate deal, with Kent reliance being fixed at 5.19% with a 2.5% product fee of the mortgage amount, and both Vida and Kensington offering a different deal of a fixed rate of 4.49% with a ?1,995 product fee, regardless of mortgage amount.

The impact of economic uncertainty

As is common place in today?s economic setting, nothing is certain, and as this economic uncertainty continues to influence lenders? view of the buy-to-let market, it would certainly make sense for landlords looking to purchase or remortgage in attempt to expand their portfolios, to take advantage of the plethora of choices that are currently available in today?s market.

Kent Reliance, Kensington Building Society and Vida Homeloans are not the only lenders that are offering carrots to landlords, and according to Moneyfacts, several UK high-street banks and building societies including Barclays Banks and HSBC UK are offering their own incentive packages to help entice landlords onto their books. Notably, Barclays has reduced its rates across its buy-to-let purchase and remortgage range, including in a 1.79% fixed rate until 2022 on a 75% LTV, with an incentive package. Meanwhile, Yorkshire Building Society is offering an incentive package whereby there is a five-year fixed rate available for 1.96% on a 75% LTV, with a free valuation and ?500 cashback. For landlords looks to remortgage their properties, two places to start according Moneyfacts would be Skipton Building Society and HSBC UK with both offering incentivised low two-year fixed remortgage deals.

If you are a landlord looking for UK property investment opportunities, with lower deposit mortgages, average rates sitting at 3.12% for a two-year fixed rate deal and a plethora of incentives packages available, now is a great time to investigate your options before the economic situation changes again.

An Introduction to Bitcoin

March 18, 2019 Lifestyle No comments
Bitcoin
Bitcoin

Bitcoin is basically a payment system which is based on the peer to peer mechanism. It is a form of the digital currency which was initially introduced in the financial market as open source software.

Understanding the concept of the bitcoin

The bitcoin first came into vogue in the year 2009. This open source software was initially developed by the pseudonymous developer whose name was Satoshi Nakamoto. Basically, the Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency.? The name has been given so because it takes the help of the cryptography so that it can control both the creation of money and then the flow to it.? Also, the bitcoin are generally obtained by mining. Also another method of obtaining the bitcoin by making an exchange of the products or services or any other currencies.

There is one more important fact that should be noted. This is when the ?Bitcoin? is capitalized, and then it refers to both the technology and the network. But when this term ?bitcoin? is written with ?b? being written in the lowercase, then here it refers to the currency itself.

In general the bitcoin is a cryptocurrency and is an electronic form of the cash. This type of digital currency is usually decentralized and does not have a central bank to regulate and monitor the flow of digital currency. The transactions are verified through a series of the network of the nodes with the help of the cryptography. Generally the data related to it is recorded in the Blockchain which is basically a public distributed ledger.

How does the bitcoin work?

In this the payments are sent by the users via the digitally signed messages to the various networked where they are willing to make the payment.  Here the participants that are involved in the transfer of money through the bitcoins are known as the ?miners?.  Now before making a transaction fort they have to make sure that they have gone through the process of verification. Now when the user verifies oneself as the ?miner? they can process with for the timestamp transaction which will go to the shared public database. Now here these shared public databases are known as the ?block chains?. Now for these Blockchain, the miner is then rewarded with the transaction fees. And along t-with that they also receive the newly minted bitcoin.

The advantages of the bitcoin

  1. It is quite easy to pay the bitcoin though cell phones. Also one has to while making a payment is to scan the pay and then swipe the card and just enter the pin.  And while receiving a payment you just have to display the QR code in the bitcoin wallet app and then the one who is paying can scan the smart phone.
  2. International payments have become fate and cost effective.
  3. It helps in protecting your identity and thus avoids any kind of fraud cases.
  4. Bitcoin are universal so unlike other currencies there are no boundations on it. You can use bitcoin for payment anytime and anywhere.

Conclusion

Thus the bitcoin have revolutionized the world of digital transaction. It has simplified things a lot and on top of it has almost no loopholes for the fraud cases to happen thus making it secure.

Brand Survival and Recognition Are the Pull-Factors for Investors

March 11, 2019 Business, Investing No comments
Sports

When you hear the word branding, the first thing that comes to mind is a logo. However, there are other components essential to completing a successful branding campaign, especially those tailored to brand visibility and acknowledgment. A business needs branding to gain recognition among its often vast competitors.

Just as your first impression at a job interview is determined by both your attire and your presentation, so your business needs to attract both customers and potential investors through all the elements of strong branding. Think Twitter and its bird, Youtube with its play button or even Apple (well that one’s obvious). A strong sense of identity secures investors, who are effectively the bloodline of any new or growing business.

Representing your intentions

Marketing strategies say a lot about your intentions. For instance, the sports brand Nike has been very effective at creating a story with its advertising strategies and it’s neatly summarized by its logo. Beyond the easily recognizable swoosh, the company has been able to solidify its presence within their athletic demographic.

Sports

Source: Unsplash

In this increasingly digital world, brand representation takes on further dimensions: in addition to distinctive logos, domains have also become vital. One area where both elements are particularly pertinent is the casino industry, from which we can take some apt examples: review sites have become an essential part of this industry, meaning review sites need to nab a domain that reflects what they do.

From the name BonusSource, for example, we can gather there are likely to be bonuses (indeed, it often offers free spins and first-deposits bonuses), while it’s ‘.ca’ top-level domain shows us Canada is its primary stomping ground: all that just from a URL. As a consequence, though, a casino’s need to stand out from those alongside which they are reviewed increases – that’s where having a distinctive logo comes back into the picture: Mr Green and the guy with the umbrella do an excellent job of just that.

Identity, unity, and spread

Successful branding can also be seen in the logos of companies like Instagram, Snapchat and Pinterest. Although operating within the same field, their logos draw on the niche of the market they cover. Potential users can instantly hazard a guess what they do: the brands have achieved instant recognition. Basically, you need to solidify what your business is about and what type of image would sum it all up.

And it is through these social media that you can gain visibility for yourself. Publishing press releases, event sponsorship or even organizing charity-focused events are just a few tactics used to gain traction in the market and choosing the best social media (if not all of them!) on which to spread the news is vital.

Sponsorship

Source: Unsplash

Knowing when to act

Pepsi has managed to hold its title as Coca Cola?s rival and stands strong against the winds of both old and new competition, but that did not happen by magic. After noticing a significant dip in their sales a few years back, they decided to implement several strategies that ultimately balanced their brand loyalty and sales equation.

There is no one fits all when it comes to successful branding, but creating preventative strategies is one way of keeping abreast of the competition. Showing foresight in brand continuation and recovery is a pull factor for any potential investor.