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It is one of those timeless conundrums which has tested the thinking of man for centuries. If you had to, would you do something you know was very dangerous.

If you saw a child about to be run over, would you step in front of a car to save them? If you are dying of thirst, would you drink filthy water to survive? If you house is on fire, would you jump out of the window to escape.

We have all pondered these kinds of questions at some point, but fortunately most of us never have to contemplate the dilemma in reality.

But there are other everyday dilemmas that we do have to confront which, whilst perhaps not involving the same danger, can still expose us to significant risk.

One such example of this is when we use online banking. We know online banking is insecure. It doesn’t matter which bank you use, and how many trendy keypads and other gadgets they give you, we all know there is still a risk when we log into our online account which isn’t there if we want into a branch.

The popularity of online banking suggests two things about this. Either we don’t fully understand the extent of the risk, or we have decided it is a risk we are willing to take. For most of us, it is a combination of both.

But make no mistake, online banking does pose a significant risk. The level of security used by all banks is extremely weak and the techniques of online hackers gets ever more sophisticated. And often we don’t help ourselves, making basic errors like using easy-to-break passwords or logging on while connected to public Wi-Fi networks.

The ramifications if you are hacked can be significant too. Of course, you can lose a lot of money. However, as most banks will compensate you in those circumstances that is sometimes not a big worry. But going into overdraft or losing a sizable amount of money can affect things like your credit cards, and premium accounts you may hold, and of course run up charges with your bank that can take months to sort out.

Then there is your credit score. If you are hacked and miss payments as a result, it can affect your credit score which might cause you to be unable to get credit and secure mortgages and other financial services.

So, the question I am often asked is whether there is a way to protect ourselves when using Online Banking. Is it possible to make the process more secure?

Encouragingly, the answer is yes. And in this article I will give you my tips as to the top 3 ways to keep your online banking secure in 2016:

1. Use an ‘Anti-Spy Privacy Screen:

For all the high-tech ways that people get hacked these days, there are still a significant number of incidents where data is stolen simply by watching over people’s shoulder as they use their online banking account in public.

It might seem silly, but it happens a lot and it is unnecessary because there is a cheap and simple bit of kit which can prevent it: an Anti-Spy Privacy Screen.

There are available for all devices these days and work in the same way as a regular screen protector. However, they are a little thicker and a little darker, and this means that when you look at the screen of a device from an angle, you can see nothing.

Only the person directly facing the screen can make out what is there, so when you log onto your online banking on the go, you can be sure that the only person looking, is you.

2. Change your Password Regularly:

Passwords are another big vulnerability of online banking. Often they are easy to guess, simple to crack, and offer little or no real protection.

One way around this is to use a Password Manager such as Last Pass which can make it easy for you to use complicated passwords without having to remember them all.

But another relatively effective approach is just to change your password on a regular basis. If you are an occasional user, making a password change every few months is a sensible precaution, but if you are logging into your account regularly and from different locations, every few weeks would be more sensible.

3. Use a VPN:

Perhaps the most important tip on this list is to use a VPN. A VPN can help ensure your online banking is secure in a variety of different ways.

Encryption is vital to keep your data secure online and whilst all banks will encrypt their online banking data, some are more secure than others. A good VPN will ensure all of your online activity, including online banking is encrypted securely.

They also protect you when you are using public Wi-Fi. Again the encryption they offer means even the weakest of Wi-Fi connections becomes secure.

Indeed, VPNs are so good at encrypting your online activity that you can even access otherwise inaccessible online services, like being able to log onto Gmail while in China, where it is usually blocked.

With a VPN in place, and using these other precautions as well, you can be pretty confident that your online banking will be secure, no matter who you bank with.

On a study made on debt, households are found more tensed in repaying their home debt. Home loan problems are found in almost all houses. However, since the problems are common in all section of people, there are solutions for everyone as well. That is, there are same types of home loans available for everyone, but the rate of interest depends on your income and the property you are buying. The real estate boon and people wanting to live in better areas with better facilities led to an increase in the various home loan policies.

Have a well cut out blueprint

Creating a strong financial plan may help you to prevent falling in debt. It is like giving a blueprint to you. The realistic goals in you may help in paying off the debts that you may come across suddenly. Save for the future and set yourself a goal to reduce the excess payment if you are in debt. A proper budget may help you to attain this blueprint. The huge increase in cost of house furnishings and important miscellaneous expenses, this is essentially needed for the earning members. Save from your regular earnings and a part of savings.

Amalgamate your loans

If you are currently overpowered by debt and have no easy alternative to pay them back, then the only way is to consolidate your loans. This will make the management easier. This will also help you to know the exact amount, as in how much you are paying for your debt. Consolidation of debts brings debt smaller as it is more constructive and helpful in saving for the future repayment as well. Consolidation also sets in with a lower interest rate and hence, this will lower your total budget. The interest rate keeps on changing this will also be advantageous for your repayment.

Have an emergency person

To go through with consolidation, the person whose help you will need is the guidance of an expert. He may suggest you with the different schemes and schedules that have been regulated. These regulations are often beneficiary as they may lead you to help in repaying a lesser amount. The experts are aware of the rates that can be imposed on the total amount of debt. This will also help you to make an understanding about the total amount you need to save for your pay off. Consolidating experts may also help you in evading few home debts as there are such schedules. Home debts are started off interest free and have low rates presently. You can check out websites and click here to get the information.

Choose an authorized firm

Make sure to work with federally licensed firms to maintain legitimacy. When you are sharing your debt problems to any agencies, you are actually giving them your financial details. In this case you need to be aware about their legal expanse. This will only help you in reaching your financial goals. Home debts are such that often make people depressed from within and this can be avoided if you essentially have an authentic and licensed company to help you in managing your debts.

Personal loan interest rates are not as low as home or education loan interest rates. So if there was a way to get a personal loan on rates lower than what are actually available, it can significantly help reduce the interest burden on the borrower.

There is indeed a way to reduce the interest rates on personal loans. This way is to take a loan against your fixed deposits. There are quite a few benefits of this. First of all, you don’t have to liquidate your deposits. Second is that generally, personal loan eligibility is dependent on your credit history, current income and ability to repay the loan. But in case of loan against FD, the lender won’t bother much about your credit history as he already has your fixed deposit as collateral.

The biggest benefit of loan against FDs is the lower rate of interest. Personal loan interest rates can easily exceed 15%. But a loan taken against fixed deposit charge interest rate that is just 3-4% more than the rate of fixed deposit. And this can significantly reduce your EMIs.

Let’s take an example.

Suppose you need Rs 3 lac as loan. You have a FD (earning 8% interest) but you don’t want to liquidate. So you decide to take a loan against it. Your lender is giving your regular personal loan at 16%. But as soon as you show intent to borrow against FD, the rates reduce to 11%. How does it impact your EMI given the repayment period is 3 years?

Your normal personal loan EMI will be Rs 10,547.

Your EMI for loan against FD will be Rs 9822.

Though this difference of few hundreds might look small, it can give you significant savings over the 3 year period. Calculations show that you can save more than Rs 26,000 in lower interest costs.

Do not forget that in case of default in loan repayment, the lender can foreclose your deposit to recover the outstanding amount. So do consider taking a loan against FD, if you want to lower your EMIs and also don’t want to liquidate your savings.

Graduating from a prestigious educational institution with specialized certification in accountancy? You are all set to bag your first job in your field of interest—accounting.

Applying for that dream job might be a tedious process and waiting for a call back after an interview might take several months.

Here are three of the most important things you need to take care of so you can bag a job before your potential rivals.

1. Resume

The first—and sometimes only—thing that a HR manager looks at to decide if you are worth hiring is your resume and remember you have only 6 seconds to catch their attention. As a fresher with no experience, you might not have much on there. This means you need to figure out what content goes in your resume.

Choose an apt font and size that gives it a classic and clean-cut professional look. With some research, you can find good resume keywords online, including those that help catch the attention of the hiring committee. Avoid using capitalized, bold, and italicised terms in you bio, unless absolutely necessary.

Pick the perfect type of resume that allows you to highlight your skills and specializations. Chronological, functional, and combinational are three of the basic types of resumes among a list of many others.

Use catchy subtitles. Construct lines effectively. Do not write more than two lines for any description, and keep the language stylish yet simple. Watch carefully for grammatical errors.

Make sure you don’t go overboard with any of these tips. Your resume should portray effortless efficiency. Also, try to keep it within 2 pages.

2. Interview

Once your resume is selected, you’ll have to face the interview. Most people get nervous and anxious, and tend to mess up their interview despite their calibre and talent. This is mainly due to lack of preparation. Even though most interviewers expect you to be street-smart, a thorough knowledge in the field of your choice is also essential.

You are spoiled for choices when it comes to resources—be it online or offline—to help your prep for the interview. You can easily find blogs that give out frequently asked interview questions in a finance interview.

Apart from preparing for these questions and brushing up on your syllabi that was covered over the many semesters, you should also have a brief knowledge of software like ERP accounting software and business management software that are in trend, and are used by most organizations.

Knowledge about current affairs and the latest accounting standards is also an absolute necessity.

3. Confidence

To crack any interview, confidence is the most important factor. Your body language plays a significant role in cracking an interview. Even small signs of nervousness or uncertainty are caught during the interview. Stay confident right from when you send out your resume. The process might be a time-consuming one, but leads to success.

With some motivation, patience, and making smart choices while displaying your talents, landing your dream job is a piece of cake. Use these tips, and an accounting job is in the bag!

Knowing you need money is the easy part. Getting financial assistance is more of a challenge. But it’s managing your loan once you get it that takes the cake. No one needs help spending the funds that they receive but learning how to get one that fits their financial situation can take some getting used to. Though navigating the world of rates, fees, and repayment schedules can be difficult, it’s not impossible. You can easily accommodate a small cash advance into any sized budget when you take into account the following tips.

Look for flexible options

Small dollar loans are typically anywhere between $200 and $1,000, regardless of where or how you secure one. Their repayment, on the other hand, is up for negotiation. In some states, installment loans are a flexible alternative to traditional financial products. Whereas small cash advances require immediate repayment by your next payday, installment loans are paid back in increments according to a prearranged schedule. If you live in Missouri, Maryland, or Kansas, direct online lenders normally schedule these payments according to your paydays. You can check out Moneykey.com/installment-loans-online.php to learn more about how they work in detail.

Go online

A popular budgeting tip is using e-banking to create pre-authorized payments for all of your financial obligations. It’s a simple way to avoid missing a payment, as your bank account will automatically transfer the appropriate funds to your payee. The same idea works well with your installment loan. By partnering with a direct online lender, you can make all of your incremental payments online. Never once having to wait for USPS to deliver a check or for that check to clear, your electronic payment is immediate. As long as you have the sufficient funds in your account, you won’t ever have to worry about missing a payment.

Choose a state licensed lender

Not all direct online lenders are alike, and many of them offer financial products – even flexible installment loans – that could directly interfere with your ability to repay them. These lenders provide assistance that comes at a cost, and even an incremental repayment program can’t offset their inflated rates and fees. A license issued by your state will ensure a direct online lender offers reasonable rates, fees, and conditions. When a lender is licensed, it means they meet your state’s regulations regarding the lawful size of financial products.

With a little time spent online, you can find a lender you can trust and set up pre-authorized payments for your flexible installment loan. Once you do, managing your financial assistance will no longer be a challenge. It may even be as easy as spending it!