Category: Brandpoint Business & Finance

2021-11-22T07:01:00

(BPT) – While credit scams have been around forever, they’ve recently exploded in number. According to Mint, from 2019 to 2020, the number of identity theft reports went up by 113% and the number of reports of identity theft by credit cards increased by 44.6%. The amount of fraud by new credit card accounts saw a 48% increase from 2019.

As more information is digital today, on top of the increase in health and financial stressors, scams designed to access your credit accounts or personal information are on the rise.

Having financial or credit accounts hacked can have long-lasting implications, beyond financial loss and inconvenience.

Here are tips to help protect your credit and personal information.

1. Practice good cyber hygiene

Use long, strong passwords unique to each account or website — or use a password manager to help create better passwords and keep track of them. Change the password on your home’s router. If you’re using the same password for several accounts, or haven’t changed passwords in a while, now’s the time to clean up your digital act.

2. Back up your data

Having digital and physical backups for your data protects you from not only losing important information, but also from ransomware attacks — when a hacker freezes or destroys your data unless you pay them in bitcoin. While this is more likely to happen to businesses, it can give you peace of mind to have your data backed up.

Consider both a Cloud backup as well as on a physical hard drive — and/or printing out vital information or documents.

3. Monitor your credit reports

Keeping an eye on your credit reports alerts you to attempts to steal your identity, such as someone opening an account in your name. You can check any of the major credit reporting companies for free once a year. However, because identity theft is becoming more frequent, you should check your credit score more often. One tactic is to rotate which company you request a report from, requesting one every few months.

You can also check your credit with VantageScore, which uses credit scoring models that provide lenders and consumers with highly predictive credit scores that are easier to understand and actually score more people. Access yours for free through the providers at VantageScore.com.

Check your credit reports for:

• Credit accounts/debt that isn’t yours.
• Inquiries indicating a company accessed your report without your permission.
• An address where you’ve never lived. This could be a sign someone’s tried to use your identity to open an account.

If you see items like these on your report, contact the credit agency right away. A change to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) in 2018 allows consumers to put a freeze on their credit reports for free, so credit reporting companies will restrict access to your reports, not allowing lenders with whom you do not have an existing relationship to pull them. This can help prevent fraudulent credit applications from being opened. Then you can choose when to “unfreeze” the credit reports and put them back into circulation.

4. Be alert to common scams

You may receive an email saying one of your credit accounts has been blocked or suspended. It may look like an email from a legit company. Never click links within the email, as they may take you to a fake website (that looks real). Instead, access your account from the website you always use to see if there’s a problem. Contact the company directly, not through the email. Most likely it’s a phishing attempt to get your personal login or financial information.

Scammers may take advantage of current crises, claiming to be COVID-19 contact tracers, or referring to government stimulus checks. Never give personal or financial information like your birthdate or Social Security number over the phone or via email. Other common scams involve taxes or unemployment compensation.

View any email or text asking for information or to reply with an account login or other personal information as suspect, and contact the supposed sender directly.

Learn more about tips and credit strategies at VantageScore.com.

2021-11-19T06:01:00

(BPT) – In many companies, IT administrators are the unsung champions — and this has never been more true than it is today. With the sudden switch to remote work due to the pandemic, IT systems have coped with a huge variety of stressors — from the increased connectivity burden as employees work from home to the urgent need for heightened cybersecurity. While you might expect IT admins to experience burnout from these increased demands, a new survey shows how grateful they are for their jobs — and for what they’ve accomplished against overwhelming odds.

The study, conducted by JumpCloud, reveals how thankful IT administrators feel. Almost two years into the pandemic, IT teams responsible for securing remote work feel plenty of gratitude for their jobs, for remote work, and for their ability to secure their workplaces into the new hybrid models.

Here are top things IT admins are most thankful for today — and what they’re confident about moving forward.

Appreciation for their jobs overall

When asked what they were most grateful for, the IT administrators surveyed expressed gratitude for these top three things:

• Their jobs (27%)
• Cybersecurity (21%)
• Remote work (20%)

One IT admin reported feeling gratitude primarily for “the hard work of the IT staff in learning to expand our network,” while another was thankful that “there were no major breaches, and for overall continued productivity in a hybrid environment.”

Confidence in meeting the challenge

The overwhelming challenge of the past two years has been ensuring that all remote employees have everything they need to be productive from home, while also ensuring cybersecurity for the business.

Fortunately, 79% of IT admins surveyed in the U.S. agreed or strongly agreed that they’ve been able to meet or exceed employee expectations for ongoing support in remote or hybrid work environments. And while more than half (57%) reported feeling somewhat or very overwhelmed with the job, 86% said they were as happy as or happier than they were a year ago.

Job satisfaction comes from contributions they’re making

This satisfaction with their work isn’t coming from raises. Since the start of the pandemic, 43% of IT admins reported their salaries remained the same, while 37% saw an increase — but for those who got raises, most were 5% or less.

Instead, IT admins may feel more job satisfaction because their roles have become so critical to every business. Overall, 83% of U.S. IT admins reported that decision-makers in their organization listen to their recommendations, especially when it comes to enhancing cybersecurity.

For example, one IT admin was grateful “that we have senior leadership who actually understands the threat of ransomware and how it targets healthcare, and are willing to expend capital on the tools to combat it.”

Gratitude for the technology to do their jobs

Many IT professionals surveyed expressed appreciation for innovative software and applications that enable remote work and keep it secure.

“Thanks to the increasingly mature network technology, the vulnerabilities of my system have been repaired in time without causing losses,” said one IT admin.

For example, the JumpCloud Directory Platform, built for remote work, allows IT admins to connect remote users to virtually any resource and configure and secure their remote devices.

“We’re thankful for the herculean efforts IT admins undertook to get users connected to what they need, and to secure company resources in the face of increasingly sophisticated threats,” said Cate Lochead, chief marketing officer, JumpCloud. “That these admins report being happy in spite of their increased responsibilities speaks to their creativity and resilience, and we’ll continue to develop the JumpCloud platform to meet the evolving challenges of new workplace models.”

Holiday gifts for your IT admins

How can you celebrate your IT team this holiday season? Apart from making sure they have the technology they need to succeed, what else can you do to show your appreciation?

The survey discovered top items on IT admins’ holiday gift wish lists:

• Gaming gifts (23%)
• New laptop (17%)
• New phone (17%)

Other holiday requests from IT admins included: an airplane simulator, a self-driving car — and not surprisingly, “just rest.”

Survey methodology: JumpCloud surveyed 1,012 U.S. and U.K. IT decision-makers across a variety of industries. The survey was conducted via Propeller Insights, Oct. 21, 2021 to Oct. 25, 2021.

2021-11-18T16:01:00

(BPT) – The 2021 holiday shopping season is bound to break records. The National Retail Federation predicts an increase in sales between 8.5-10.5% over last year, and a record 87% of shoppers plan to shop online, according to PYMNTS.com. That’s an increase of 13% in online holiday shopping compared to last year.

In fact, approximately 263 million people in the U.S. are currently online shoppers. This dramatic growth in online shopping, especially over the holidays, brings with it increasing concerns about keeping accounts safe and secure from fraud — both for consumers and for the companies where they do their shopping. More than four out of ten (42%) consumers expressed concerns about security when shopping online, according to recent reports.

According to Juniper Research, retailers could lose over $20 billion in 2021 due to online fraud, which includes identity theft, illegal access to online accounts, using forged or stolen credit cards, SIM card theft and more.

Customers and companies can play an important role in protecting themselves from fraud over the busy holiday shopping season.

How customers can help defend their accounts from fraud

From the customer point of view, here are three things that can help keep accounts safer while shopping online:

1. Be password smart. Using stronger passwords, such as phrases, and making sure each password is unique for each account will improve security. A password manager is a good way to beef up security, as it generates stronger, unique passwords and keeps track of them.

2. Shop with trusted vendors. Buying from familiar retailers is usually safer, as is going straight to the website, and avoiding clicking on links from ads on social media or random emails. This comes down to KYB (“Know Your Business”): Customers need to ensure that the website where they do their shopping is secure. Does the web address begin with “https”? Are user authentication protocols in place, and do they offer secure checkout?

3. Stick with secure networks. Doing holiday shopping or making financial transactions when a device is on a public network can be risking identity theft.

How are companies safeguarding consumers from identity theft and other forms of fraud? With a thoughtful approach that combines forward thinking with cutting-edge technology.

How companies are working behind the scenes to help protect consumers

Companies today take identity theft and fraud seriously, as it affects their bottom line — and jeopardizes their relationships with customers. Fortunately, technology is constantly advancing to help safeguard against fraud and stay one step ahead of the criminals. This is more crucial than ever when holiday shopping online is at an all-time high, and online fraud and identity theft are, too.

“Protecting companies and customers against predatory behavior is increasingly difficult, as online fraudsters continue evolving and adapting,” said John Troutman, director, Digital Identity Expert Team at TeleSign. “Just as fraud attempts become more complex, protection for any business must keep up with that complexity. We use multiple approaches, tailored to each client, to find the most effective, up-to-date solutions.”

Here are three ways companies use innovative technology to guard against theft and fraud:

1. Two-factor authentication

Companies and financial institutions improve security by adding another step to verify customer identities. With two-factor authentication, the business sends a single-use authentication code to a customer’s email, phone (voice) or text (SMS).

However, even two-factor authentication has one area of vulnerability: Identity thieves trying to access an account could enter their own phone number to obtain the authentication code, or in some cases, can even swap out the SIM card on a customer’s cell phone.

Fortunately, TeleSign, an authority on fraud protection and safe e-commerce practices, helps corporations guard against these and other threats with products and services to help them evaluate customer behavior and detect signs of fraud.

For example, behavioral attribute insights determined using TeleSign’s Score product can identify safe and unsafe activities. This technology helps companies “see” into network actions to determine the answers to these questions:

• Is the text behavior abnormal?
• Is abnormal activity happening at off hours?
• Are numbers calling or texting a customer from unusual area codes?
• Is a customer’s number being used for malicious purposes?

These insights help detect unusual use of a cell phone to let companies know that there’s a problem. This high-level analysis helps keep customers safer, and works to avoid account takeovers and fraudulent activities.

TeleSign can also help determine the status of a customer’s phone number to see if it is active, and can do a recent SIM card check to see if a SIM card was swapped.

2. Knowing their customers

With millions of transactions being conducted over a busy holiday shopping season, how does a company know their customers well enough to detect fraudulent activity on their accounts? They need to use Know Your Customer (KYC), an approach which relies on A.I. and machine learning to accurately assess patterns in behavior — and detect changes in those patterns, which could signal fraud or identity theft.

TeleSign uses advanced Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) to help companies know their customers better. APIs deliver user verification, data insights and communications to help companies prevent account takeovers, support company ecosystems inside and out, minimize fraudulent transactions and securely verify customer phone numbers.

3. Companies need to leverage the best possible support for effective fraud prevention solutions

TeleSign’s technology uses complete in-depth data analysis to identify and prevent possible breaches, helping businesses set up and prepare fraud prevention solutions to create a frictionless, E2E customer journey. TeleSign’s solutions are trusted by some of the world’s largest platforms, including Citrix, Skype, Electronic Arts (EA), ByteDance and Salesforce.

To learn more about how companies can protect their holiday shoppers from fraud and identity theft, visit TeleSign.com.

2021-11-18T13:31:00

(BPT) – No one knows for sure when or where coconuts originated, but there is no doubt about their global popularity today. Although they look like an oversize nut, coconuts are a remarkable fruit that offers a rare combination of liquid and food. Refreshing coconut water is an ideal recovery drink after a hard workout. The rich and creamy flavor of coconut milk is a delicious cow-milk substitute and a great alternative for people on a vegan diet or who want to reduce reliance on animal products. Coconut “meat” enlivens a wide variety of foods, from candies, cakes and cookies to stews and curries.

Successfully cultivating and harvesting coconuts can be challenging. Thailand-based Theppadungporn Coconut Company Ltd. (TCC), the world’s leading producer of coconut milk, coconut water and other coconut products under the Chaokoh brand, is leading an effort to ensure that commercial coconut operations adhere to ethical and sustainable farming and harvesting practices in Thailand.

Coconuts have to be picked at just the right time. Young coconuts go into producing coconut water. Mature coconuts are turned into TCC’s flagship product, Chaokoh Coconut Milk, which is enjoyed around the world. Coconuts grow in bunches that workers on the ground remove from the tree using long poles with a blade on the end. The bunches fall to the ground and are loaded onto trucks to go to the processing facility. Some coconut growers cushion the fall by creating canals of water between the rows of trees. Harvested bunches of green coconuts drop into the water, preventing bruising and rotting of the young fruit.

Traditional practices in Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries relied on monkeys to harvest coconuts, but TCC’s modern approach to harvesting coconuts is vastly different. TCC wants to eliminate monkey harvesting in commercial operations throughout Thailand. The company is pioneering and promoting monkey-free cultivation across the sector by offering innovative, sustainable and ethical alternatives that will improve coconut agriculture overall. This effort includes educating farmers on best practices and distributing new low-growing coconut varieties that are easier for farmers to harvest. TCC also works with farmers to reduce the environmental impacts of their coconut operations.

TCC buys mature coconuts for Chaokoh products from farmers in four Thailand provinces: Samut Songkhram, Ratchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan and Nakhon Si Thammarat. All of the company’s suppliers’ and farmers’ harvesting practices are audited before they are contracted with TCC and are required to sign a memorandum of understanding that commits them to monkey-free coconut cultivation and sustainable farming practices. To ensure these standards are met, TCC works with a respected independent third-party auditor, Bureau Veritas. The auditor performs regular inspections at TCC and its contracted coconut farms to ensure compliance with the sustainability and zero monkey-labor standards.

Bureau Veritas’ independent audit in 2020 confirmed that TCC had successfully achieved monkey-free cultivation across the audited network in Thailand. The audit found no evidence of monkey-labor in TCC’s supply chain. A second, larger audit is underway, with the final report coming in spring 2022.

TCC has also partnered with an animal rescue organization, the Wildlife Friends Foundation of Thailand, on an initiative to rescue and rehabilitate abused monkeys. Monkeys rescued from abusive farming operations receive any needed treatment and can retire peacefully at a sanctuary with other rescued monkeys.

TCC and its farmers recognize that today’s consumers have higher expectations about ethical and sustainable supply chains than ever before. TCC wants to ensure that consumers can enjoy the many pleasures of coconut products confident that the product’s journey from a tree in Thailand to their table in a far-away country was handled responsibly, ethically and without monkey labor.

2021-11-16T08:01:00

(BPT) – After a break of nearly two years, more than 40 million federal student loan borrowers will soon need to restart their payments after January 31, 2022. And as this deadline quickly approaches, borrowers should plan ahead to make a smooth and affordable transition back into repayment.

This won’t be easy for some. The thought of resuming payments doesn’t thrill anyone, but getting on top of repaying your loans can reduce stress and anxiety. Federal Student Aid, an office within the U.S. Department of Education, released tips on how to prepare for student loan repayment. There are other factors to consider as well.

Update Contact Info and Prepare for Your Bills

To prevent any delays and ensure a smooth process, make sure your contact information is up to date in your profile on your loan servicer’s website and in your StudentAid.gov profile.

Once the payment pause is over, expect a billing statement from your loan servicer. You will get the status on your due date, interest, and payment amount. For most, a payment will be due in 21 days. If you participate in autopay, make sure that is set up with your latest bank information.

Consider a Plan that Fits Your Income

If you’re a federal student loan borrower in financial hardship, the U.S. Department of Education offers income-driven repayment plans (IDR), which could help keep you in good standing as you transition back into repayment after January 31. These plans take into consideration your income and family size, and must be recertified every year.

Almost all federal student loans are eligible for at least one of these four IDR plans:

• Pay As You Earn
• Revised Pay As You Earn
• Income-Based Repayment Plan
• Income-Contingent Repayment Plan

For the first three plans, payments are generally 10% of your discretionary income. The plans stretch payments over 20 or 25 years and forgive any remaining balance. Anyone enrolled in a plan and the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program may qualify for forgiveness of any remaining balance after just 10 years of payments while working full time for a qualifying employer.

Alternatively, if you’ve previously benefited from a federal program but are now able to make bigger payments to help get you out of debt faster and reach your financial goals, then refinancing is a good alternative.

Refinancing your loans at lower interest rates and flexible terms is a great way to save you thousands in the long run, and, depending on the terms you select, could lower your monthly payment amount. Additionally, refinancing can help you consolidate both federal and private loans into one loan with one monthly bill.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

Do you work for a nonprofit? Is your job in the public sector? Borrowers who are part of the PSLF Program receive credit for suspended payments if they have a federal Direct Loan and work a minimum 30-hour week for a qualifying employer.

Other news to be aware of: This year, President Joe Biden discharged loans totaling more than $9.5 billion for 563,000 people, including defrauded and totally disabled borrowers. Interest was also waived retroactively for more than 47,000 current and former active-duty service members deployed to areas that qualify them for imminent danger or hostile-fire pay.

If any of these categories apply to you, make sure you are obtaining the debt relief you are owed.

Restart Payments Early

Some borrowers in a position to resume student loan payments have already done so, or continued to make monthly payments even though it wasn’t required. This move allowed them to take advantage of 0% interest and likely pay down the principal on their student loans.

It’s not too late to take action. If you decide to resume payments, contact your loan servicer or go to its website to restart payments. It may also be a good idea to ensure that any payments made during the relief period are going to the principal of the loan.

Consolidating Loans

Consolidation allows borrowers with more than one federal student loan to combine them into a single loan with a fixed interest rate that is the average of the rates of the loans being consolidated (rounded up to the nearest one-eighth of a percentage point).

Borrowers may see a change in monthly payments when they consolidate their loans into a Direct Consolidation Loan, but one of the biggest benefits is convenience. Instead of multiple loans to track each month and multiple payments, there is one payment a month, at a fixed interest rate.

(The catch: the loan term also may be elongated, to up to 30 years, but a longer term means making more payments and paying more in interest than would be the case if you hadn’t consolidated. It’s important for borrowers to consider the length and interest paid over time, as well as the monthly payment, to assess whether consolidation makes sense for their financial goals.)

Explore Student Loan Refinancing

If you refinance your student loans with a private lender, a new, private loan — ideally with a lower rate — will pay off your original loans. Refinancing can be a good choice for working graduates who have higher-interest Direct Unsubsidized Loans, Graduate PLUS loans, or private loans, since interest rates are still at near-historic lows.

One important thing to note is that refinancing federal student loans means the loans are no longer subject to federal benefits like income-driven repayment, PSLF, or federal forbearance.

However, refinancing can come with a slew of perks and benefits that the federal government doesn’t offer, which could help make the transition go smoothly and give you tools to reach your financial ambitions faster.

For instance, currently, SoFi has a guaranteed rate match offer — if a competitor offers a lower rate, we’ll match it and give you $100 when your loan is funded (See terms and conditions at https://www.sofi.com/refinance-student-loan/). Additionally, as a SoFi member, you’ll get access to various benefits, including: member rate discounts; 1-1, personalized, financial planning with a credentialed financial planner; free personalized career advice through 1-1 career coaching; and unemployment protection, if you become involuntarily unemployed, deferred payments may be applied for a maximum of 12 months, in aggregate, over the life of the loan (additional terms and conditions apply; see SoFi.com/faq-upp for details), and we’ll help you find a new job through our partnership with Korn Ferry.

Is Broad Loan Forgiveness a Possibility?

Some holders of student debt may hesitate to make decisions on next steps because of headlines about Congress or the president possibly forgiving student debt, which has reached nearly $1.6 trillion in federal loans and $136.3 billion in private loans.

Proposals include erasure of all student debt; forgiving $50,000 across the board regardless of income; student loan relief for private student loans that is commensurate with federal student loans; cancellation of federal student loan debt only for borrowers who earn up to $125,000; and presidential approval of $10,000 in individual forgiveness, likely just for federal student loans.

The bottom line: There is no consensus or a clear path to cancel all student loan debt — so as the loan repayment date approaches, it’s better to have a game plan than to hold your breath.

The Takeaway

While there may be a lot up in the air, existing student loan debt isn’t likely to vanish.

Understanding the repayment options available can help you strategize to handle your debt when the federal payment and interest pause ends.

Is the chance at a lower interest rate intriguing? SoFi refinances private and federal student loans with low fixed or variable rates, flexible terms, and no fees.

As you consider your choices, compare your options, plug in the numbers, and weigh different scenarios based on your current financial picture. You can always check your refinance rate without impacting your credit score at: sofi.com/refinance-student-loan/.

2021-11-15T08:01:00

(BPT) – From holiday shopping and gift-giving to hosting festivities in-person or virtually, people are eagerly embracing the 2021 holiday season. But just how much jingle are people spending to be jolly? Consumers will spend an average of $1,447 on gifts, travel and entertainment this year, according to PWC research.

It’s a joyful time, but it can also be stressful — especially if money is tight. Luckily, it’s possible for everyone to enjoy the holidays and stick to a budget. All it takes is a bit of planning and a bargain-hunter’s mindset. Consider these tips for maximizing your budget so you can enjoy a season full of merriment:

1. Make a budget and shop holiday deals

A budget will be your best friend during the holiday season. You don’t need to go into debt to have a happy holiday! Figure out how much you can realistically spend on gifts, and split that total up equally amongst the people you want to treat this year. Then, filter by price when shopping online to help you stick to that amount.

Amazon customers can shop with confidence that they’re getting low prices on the products they need and want, whether they’re shopping for themselves or taking advantage of early savings on gifts for friends and family throughout the holiday season.

2. Save with an Amazon Prime membership

In addition to Amazon’s everyday low prices, Amazon Prime members enjoy benefits like fast and free delivery, unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Prime Video, access to more than 3,000 books and magazines with Prime Reading, exclusive discounts, early access to select deals and more.

And did you know that Amazon offers a discounted Prime membership for select government assistance recipients for just $5.99 per month? That’s all of the shopping, savings and entertainment benefits of Prime at half the price. To learn more or start a 30-day free trial just in time for the holidays, visit Amazon.com/primediscount. Plus, SNAP EBT beneficiaries in 46 states and Washington, D.C. can also use their nutrition assistance benefits to order eligible groceries online from Amazon.com and Amazon Fresh, so you can still save big while getting everything you need delivered.

3. Opt for low-cost/free entertainment

You don’t have to spend money to make memories. Many holiday traditions cost little to nothing and often are the most meaningful. You can even make a holiday bucket list of things everyone wants to do before the end of the year.

Need ideas? Try singing classic carols, turn on some modern tunes and have a festive dance party, or select a festive show for a merry movie night. Amazon Music and Prime Video, which offer thousands of shows and movies and millions of songs all included with your Prime membership, are great ways to indulge in the season at no extra cost.

4. Consider a virtual gift exchange

Make a list of everyone on your gift list and organize them into groups. This may include family, friends, colleagues, teachers, neighbors, community members and more. For big families or larger groups, consider proposing a secret Santa or name exchange so you gift one person rather than everyone, helping everyone in the group to save.

No address for the person you’re gifting? No problem. New this year, Prime members can send surprise gifts just by providing just a phone number or email address. Using the Amazon mobile app, simply select the product to gift, select “add gift receipt for easy returns” during checkout, then type in a known email address or mobile number of the recipient. That individual can either accept the purchase or exchange for a gift card, without letting the sender know they did.

2021-11-15T07:01:00

(BPT) – It’s no secret small businesses have been largely impacted by the pandemic. New York Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez acknowledged the pandemic has “sparked a once-in-a-lifetime crisis for American small businesses.”

Black business ownership was especially hit hard with a decline of more than 40%, the largest drop across any racial demographic, according to a report by the House Small Business Committee. With government aid struggling to meet the demand, companies and nonprofit organizations launched relief programs and crowd-sourced campaigns to provide valuable support.

A recent example of two institutional forces rallying together is the newly announced partnership between Prudential Financial and the New Jersey Devils for a first-of-its-kind Buy Black program where Prudential will donate its premier logo space on the Devils’ helmet to a Black-owned, New Jersey-based business. This history-making move provides the business with unprecedented exposure during select games starting in December. The collaboration offers valuable business and marketing opportunities and increases visibility for Black entrepreneurs, helping them grow and thrive in the communities.

For businesses that faced financial hardships and challenges since the pandemic, this holiday season is important to reenergize sales. Every purchase can help revitalize a once thriving entrepreneurial community — one step at a time. During the season of giving, there are several ways for local consumers to support the small business community, including:

• Shop small: Get to know the businesses in your neighborhood. Find and support local small businesses this holiday season.
• Share on social: Share details of the business on personal social channels and identify creative avenues to expand the spotlight, such as posting about the business on professional networks to encourage others to make an informed purchase.
• Write a review: Providing positive feedback on a purchase or service experience with a business-of-choice encourages others to follow the lead.

These small efforts can help small business owners begin the journey of recovery from the pandemic crisis to thrive again. It takes every member of the community to come together and provide support.

2021-11-11T19:31:00

(BPT) – Is your gift list larger than your budget? Would you like a little year-end cash to help you through the holidays? Or are you just looking for ways to save a little more? Here are some of the best bets for putting cash in your pocket.

1. Sell your stuff. Your old stuff can be somebody else’s new treasure. Many of us have musical instruments, clothes, kitchen appliances or electronics we’re no longer using. So, consider selling on eBay or Craigslist or one of the dozens of resale sites on the web.

2. Join the gig economy. Consider a second job or gig. From working retail to tutoring, driving, running errands, or editing — there’s something for everyone. Check out sites like FlexJobs, which lists the best resources of gig jobs.

3. Try a sweepstakes or contest. At any given time, there are dozens listed online. One such sweepstakes, “TextFree’s 10-Day Gratitude Giveaway Sweepstakes,” will be awarding $10,500 in prizes between Nov. 15 and Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 25, and no purchase is required. Just visit www.textfree.us/gratitude-giveaway for details. And there are hundreds of contests of all sizes and shapes. Many are free and easy to enter. You can find lists of them at contest aggregators, such as Contest Frenzy (www.contestfrenzy.com).

4. Renegotiate your cable or mobile phone bill. You won’t get money back right away, but you will have monthly cost savings through 2022, and that could free up your holiday budget. Keep in mind, many cable companies offer special packages that can reduce your bill, and services like TextFree allow you to text and call for free.

5. Spend less on holidays. Consider alternatives to pricey gifts, or organize a gift exchange, so you’re buying for fewer people. Talk it over with your friends and family to find creative ways to enjoy the season and leave your wallet intact.

2021-11-05T15:01:00

(BPT) – While opportunities continue to grow for female entrepreneurs, women-owned businesses are still in the minority, and women still face many challenges when embracing the entrepreneurial life.

Starting a business is far from easy, and can be even more difficult for women, as they are often kept out of financial conversations, impacting their financial confidence as they age and preventing monetary discussion within their communities. While women face many obstacles in business, there are several powerful solutions that can take you far down the path of creating your own business.

Here are some of the common challenges women in business face and tips to help throughout the process.

Challenge 1: Work-life balance

Work-life balance can be a challenge for men and women alike, especially parents, who juggle both family and career responsibilities. Striking a healthy balance between business and family life may be one of the biggest barriers to success for many.

Solution: As an entrepreneur, creating the right balance is all about flexibility. Your schedule may look different than a typical nine-to-five job, and that’s OK. Focus on achieving balance — not perfection — and remember to ask for help and delegate tasks when necessary.

Challenge 2: Lack of funding

Lack of funding is one of the biggest issues facing entrepreneurs, especially those that are female. Sourcing capital is the first step to getting your business up and running.

Solution: Funding programs for female entrepreneurs are helping women break down the financial barriers to owning a business. The #DOVEInstaGrants program by Dove Chocolate is working to foster true financial equity and agency for women everywhere. Through the program, three women will be awarded a $10,000 prize and the opportunity to fulfill their small-business dreams.

For the past five years, DOVE has worked with CARE, an international humanitarian agency, and the DOVE InstaGrants program aims to expand these efforts to the U.S. The partnership with CARE empowers women in West African cocoa-growing communities through financially empowering Village Savings & Loan Association programs. In fact, 80% of members are women who lend and borrow microloans to build their own small businesses and define their financial voice.

To learn more about the DOVE brand’s partnership with CARE, visit DoveChocolate.com, or visit InstaGrants.DoveChocolate.com to submit a small business or entrepreneurial idea.

Challenge 3: Building a support network

In the U.S., despite undeniable commonalities in experiences with money, female entrepreneurs often lack a financial community where they can seek inspiration or counsel from other women like them. In fact, 58% of women report that they do not currently have another woman in their life to talk with about finances, according to an NBC news survey.

A robust network of supporters and connections is crucial for success as an entrepreneur. It can be difficult to forge a path through business networks, especially when success can be dependent on who you know.

Solution: Start by finding and attending women-focused networking events in your area. You can find in-person conferences as well as online forums created specifically for women in business. Once you’ve built your network of supporters, don’t hesitate to reach out for help.

Challenge 4: Lack of role models and representation

Although representation is growing when it comes to female entrepreneurs, it is still a male-dominated field.

Solution: Find women you admire and take inspiration from them. You can search for books, blogs, virtual talks, podcasts and so much more to learn about females in business and entrepreneurship. Additionally, work to build your network of women to help you feel more connected and supported.

By overcoming these challenges, women can feel empowered to define their financial voice and make their entrepreneurial dreams come true. Learn more at InstaGrants.DoveChocolate.com.

2021-11-04T18:34:47

(BPT) – There’s a decent chance you drove the wrong tires last winter. But there’s still time to install the right set this year.

The wrong tires?

Many Americans enter the winter months not realizing their tires aren’t up to the task. And who can blame them? They’re called “all-season” tires, right?

All-season tires aren’t built to perform in snow, ice or temperatures below 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Their compounds are crafted to provide durability and high performance in warmth and rain, but when temperatures drop, they harden and lose much of their grip.

So what should I drive?

If you live in Arizona or South Florida or somewhere that is consistently warm in winter, all-season tires are fine. But if winter weather visits you — or if you often drive north or into the mountains — all-weather tires are an excellent year-round driving solution.

All-weather tires sound like all-season tires, but they have one major difference — they’re certified with the three-peak mountain snowflake, an emblem that affirms they’re suitable for winter driving. All-weather tires are versatile enough to thrive in rain and heat, but their flexible compounds are also well-suited for cold weather. And their tread patterns are often designed to carve through snow and slush, as is the case with the Nokian WR G4.

Why haven’t I heard of all-weather tires?

This type of tire is relatively new: Nokian Tyres invented the first all-weather tire two decades ago. Also the inventor of the winter tire, Nokian Tyres continues to recommend winter tires for drivers who experience sustained wintry weather.

But around 2000, the company began to recognize that drivers in unpredictable climates were looking for a compromise solution to stay safe when sun turned to snow. Now, many tire dealers in moderate winter locales swear by all-weather tires to balance year-round convenience with winter safety.

“Here in Connecticut and other parts of New England, we get all four seasons,” said Howie Fetzer, owner of Fetzer Tire in Fairfield, Connecticut. “An all-weather tire truly is the only product a customer can put on their vehicle year-round that can keep them safe in winter elements.”

It’s also the only tire Fetzer lets his family use.

How to learn more

Visit NokianTires.com/Weather to learn more about all-weather tires and decide whether they’re the right fit for your vehicles.