Why It’s About Time to Switch to Paying Your Bills Online

Simplify Online Bill Payments

While most people use mobile banking app/online accounts to pay their bills, they often get confused with the different options available. Do you need to pay through the billing company? Would it be better to pay through your bank? Can you use both options at the same time? Understand how to go about with online payments to know the advantages of each option and simplify the process.

How to do Online Bill Payment

Mobile and online bill payments come in two major types.

You can go straight to the website/app of the billing company, like for example, your cable company or insurance provider, then pay the bill there. As a rule, you can use your credit/debit cord or make an arrangement with your bank to debit it from your account. An advantage of paying on the billing company’s site is you know the exact amount to be paid. If you have several bills, though, it can be tiresome to log in to multiple sites every month.

The other option is to pay a bill through your bank. Almost all banks, financial institutions and credit unions provide this service. You just need to set things up using your mobile banking app/online account and, after a few seconds, you can make a bill payment. It is as simple as choosing the payee/s, keying the due amount, and selecting a delivery date. In case you do not want to pay bills by hand on a monthly basis, the majority of banks let you set up automatic recurring payments, so you can schedule your payments to avoid missing a bill payment whenever it is due. To streamline your payments, you just need to log in to the provided space and remember your password. In addition, it is easier to check your account balance.

The Advantages of Online Payments

Paying online using your mobile device is quick and easy, plus it allows you to schedule payments. Your payment dates can be synchronized with your paychecks/pay bills from various accounts. Most importantly, most banks and billing companies employ first-rate security features. For instance, Bank of America encrypts your personal details so they cannot be read during transit, and automatically signs off when your banking session is open but inactive for a long time. Besides security, you can reduce costs when using electronic payments, saving on cash and stamps.

Overall, electronic payments enable you to manage, monitor and review your payments, whether you pay via your bank or billing company. You can also search for specific bills that you paid. Whenever you pay multiple bills online using your bank or mobile banking app, you can view your payment history. Also, a lot of banks provide email notifications as a reminder of payments due.

5 Factors Impacting Interest Rates!

We often read, or hear, a lot of information (some accurate), about interest rates, and some of the potential factors, which might, impact them, and how, they affect other things! Although, it sometimes, doesn’t appear, so, these rates, generally, are created, and exist, because of some conditions, or combinations, either, actual, or, perhaps, concerns/ fears, etc. While, there are many things, which come into – play, in this area, this article will focus – on, 5 specific factors! Since, associated costs, and how, other key economic areas, may be related to these, this article will attempt to, briefly, consider, examine, review, and address, these, and why, they are important considerations.

1. Strengths/ weaknesses of overall economy: Times, and conditions, are rarely, static, often, changing, evolving, and having different implications, from time – to – time! Depending on the specific strengths, and weaknesses, at any point, overall economic policy, and approaches, must be considered, and used, wisely, and in a relevant, sustainable way. Generally, historically, rates rise, when there is a fear of inflation, and drop, when, there appears, to be a need, to make the cost of borrowing, more affordable. For example, when rates are low, we usually, witness, a corresponding, drop, in mortgage costs, and, obviously, that would make housing costs, more affordable, and desirable, for most. When, the overall economy, is weakest, lower rates, often, help, to boost it, by encouraging, individuals, and business, to spend more, which puts, more money, into the economy!

2. Federal Bank moves: Often, the Federal Reserve Bank, uses interest rates, as a strategic approach, to addressing, either, present needs, and/ or, future concerns, and possibilities! When, inflation seems to be a real risk, they, often, tighten the money supply, while, other times, they want to encourage, increasing the overall money supply, etc. Some consider these, as quality moves, while others, fear, sometimes, it is politically, motivated, manipulation!

3. Inflation/ Recession concerns/ balance: Sometimes, a degree of mild inflation, is possibly, desired/ desirable, when/ if, the money – professionals/ experts, believe it is needed, and/ or, necessary! The Federal Rates, often, determine, items, such as: rates paid by banks to depositors (interest); rates banks pay to borrow; costs to corporations/ companies, of money; etc. In addition, they trickle – down, to, other elements of the economy, etc. One example is, when rates are low, it often, makes the stock market, more attractive, because it reduces competition, for quality investment alternatives!

4. Prediction/ Confidence, in future: Often, fear/ concern, for the future, determines policy! There is not always, a direct relationship!

5. Job market: If inflation, is under – control, and the job market, is relatively, strong, it often, influences, policy, in this economic/ financial area! There is often, an evaluation, of how any action, might create a reaction, both, in the short – term, and in the longer – one!

The more, we are familiar, with economic realities, the better, we might predict, the smartest course, of action. Will you commit to being, a more – knowledgable citizen, and consumer?

Setrega – A Global Analytical Regulatory Platform

Setrega is the Global Regulatory Analytical Platform which provides a comprehensive solution to the financial institutions for complying with one or more Regulatory Authorities. Through highly customizable and end-to-end automation, Setrega helps clients to configure Reporting Data, Reporting API, Connecting/Integrating Settings, Report Generation Requirements, Report Validation Requirements, Report Submission Mode and Feedback Management. As a Global Regulatory Analytical Platform, Setrega is designed to integrate with any financial services firms to receive regulatory data and process them to regulatory reports in specific formats with minimum customization effort.

Currently, all financial institutions are facing problems with dynamic changes in regulatory requirements, implementation risks associated with regulatory reporting and managing regulatory report error handling. All financial institutions are forced to adapt to these challenges and continuously seek for solutions which are cost-effective and accurate, with real-time feedback management. Sensiple’s Setrega fits into this emerging environment by supporting multiple Regulatory Authorities with an end-to-end automated solution.

Regulation Complied Preconfigured – ESMA – MIFIR/MiFID II, Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), Superintendencia Financiera de Colombia (SFC) etc.,
Significant benefits of the Global Regulatory Analytical Platform are,

Automation Capability

Financial Institutions gets the advantage of preparing and submitting regulatory reports without manual effort.

Comply with new Regulations without risk

Setrega provides flexible data source configuration, API mapping and reporting format changes with minimum customization in product level which ensures relief from regulatory and compliance risks for the financial institutions working in various regions.

Scalability

Depending on the Institutions type like Buy Side/ Sell Side/venues, Setrega is scalable in terms of increasing number of connections, the humongous volume of data, more number of reports and formats, increased number of submission modes and regulatory authorities.

Transparency

Handling a large volume of data gives challenges in managing data to auditing; Setrega makes it more accessible by allowing the clients to have full control over data by powerful data transparency method.

Dashboard

Setrega act as a one-stop shop for all regulatory reporting for financial institutions. A vastly informative dashboard in Setrega provides all historical, current and scheduled regulatory reports and its internal & external statuses in graphical and tabular representations.

Regional Coverage

Financial firms who run their business across the globe get benefited from Setrega as one solution solves all the regulatory and compliance needs. It is successfully verified with major regulatory frameworks like MiFID II and NFA (National Futures Association) and regulatory authorities like SEC and SFC.

Appointments – Manage Your Time Better At Home to Be Effective

What would happen to you if your home life was more organized than it is right now? Can work-life balance be achieved? What are the tools at our disposal? Could scheduling appointments and keeping them at home help us save time and prioritize?

What is the challenge we face? I sometimes find that time spent at home can be the busiest time, especially in the times we live in. Imagine someone working from home, home-schooling children, and sometimes even doing a side hustle. Imagine also the full-time home-based entrepreneur. How do they manage to do all they need to do in a day?. We are living in a time when many entrepreneurs and even company employees have adopted work- at – home culture. This comes with its challenges as the lines become blurred between home and work. These blurred lines and constraints on the limited resource called time result in over-worked, under-rested, burnt-out individuals. Whilst good time management has been encouraged and indeed, embraced in the workplace, I believe more needs to be done in changing the mindset for the elusive work-life balance to be achieved.

What are the tools at our disposal? To manage time effectively at home, there are many interventions one can employ including setting goals for the day, prioritizing wisely, setting a time limit for every task, organizing oneself, and instituting the discipline of appointments. Yes, an appointment at home! We can spend time pontificating on the pros and cons of each intervention, however, I believe we need to focus on appointments and see how this can powerfully change the course of one’s day regardless of whether it’s a workday or weekend. Life is busy as it is without any intrusions. The question is how do you handle the one who announces that they are at the gate. These can be friends, neighbors, a salesman of some product you do not even need. I am not promoting regimentation here but rather a culture of filling your day with what’s important. Everything that we succeed at is because we carefully plan and execute it. I am a firm believer that you cannot manage time if you do not manage yourself thus I implore you to incorporate planning and appointments into your repertoire. I am not talking about something I do not do. I have to achieve many things in a day therefore I set appointments with my work, others, and myself.

Could scheduling appointments and keeping them on the home front help us save time and prioritize? Whereas we have established that it is a normal business practice to set appointments and keep them, we need to abandon the liberal open-door policy of allowing all and sundry to have access to us as and when they please on the home front. Please understand where I am coming from. We each have greatness within us but for us to achieve it we need to culture great habits. Employing the use of appointments at home and seeing only those people you had agreed to see removes non-essential encounters especially during the most productive hours. I know this will vary with culture, geographical region, or even level of affluence, whether you live in a low density or high-density residential area, but doesn’t negate the need to be organized and effective. Controlling access determines how organized you are and how well you will work and rest when the time for scheduled rest comes.

What do we need to do differently? We need to be disciplined and diligent, learn to say no, now is not a good time, let’s make an appointment for next week. What are the benefits of this approach? You are not always fire-fighting to meet deadlines, You are not always tired because you have not taken time out to rest. You have set aside enough time to spend with your loved ones or a loved one. If you are a busy person, I am sure you appreciate what I am saying. Whether it’s time to work uninterrupted, family time, or “me-time”, it takes some kind of order to enjoy it.

I am not saying that those that come unannounced are bad people. No, not at all, they probably are people you enjoy spending time with. Nevertheless, there must be prior communication so that you can attend to your visitor(s) when it is convenient for both you and them. It can be quite disrupting and a whole day can just pass by without achieving anything that you had planned to do.

As we grow older we begin to appreciate that rest and recovery need to be scheduled. The fact that I am relaxing doesn’t mean that I don’t have anything to do. One therefore cannot assume that just because you are at home you are available. Maybe you have scheduled that time to rest. That is important. You need to make an appointment with yourself, spouses need to also set aside time for each other. Parents need to schedule a time to spend with their children. When you have some sort of order in your life you determine who sees you and who you see. It also means that your relationships will be healthy and that makes you a happier person.

In conclusion, I believe that the work-life balance can be achieved. There are many tools at our disposal just like it is in the workplace.I believe we could do more and be happier if we are disciplined enough to make only the commitments we can keep.I am certain that setting appointments and keeping them at home help us save time and prioritize.

Fitzgerald Mujuru, a fusion of Business Coach, Personal Effectiveness Coach, Business Consultant, Marketing Strategist, Sales Zealot, Speaker, brand builder, with over twenty years in marketing and sales for globally known brands. He has vast commercial experience at management level in various sectors. His strengths include marketing, brand building, sales, business development, business strategy, management, and equipping leaders and teams with strategies for personal and team effectiveness. He has handled various consultancy assignments for companies in professional services, media, communications, training and development, non-profit organizations. He has released 4 books and published more than 200 articles online.

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