NINE THINGS YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY BE DOING ON INSTAGRAM

Having a personal or business account requires that you do certain things you should be DOING ON INSTAGRAM or work with specific tips and strategies in order to increase your interactions and followership on the network. These, when properly carried out increases your Instagram presence. They include:

1. Posting Photo Collages

A collage market condenses images into a single post. Rather than sharing separate photos, these photos can be combined to display different scenes of an event. Instagram’s built-in collage maker can be used to do this.

2. Post-Time-Lapsed Videos

Generally, people’s attention can be short-lived and more so on social media. A person can take as little as two seconds of watching a video before deciding to move on and this is where time-lapse videos come in. Time-lapse videos are videos sped up to be watched in a shorter amount of time. It is done by squeezing several footages together to give a shorter-timed and high-quality video.

3. Use Appropriate Hashtags

Hashtags help users to filter results based on phrases or keywords. Users who incorporate a few relevant hashtags to their photos and videos stand a greater chance of increasing their engagement and followership.

4. Edit Captions if necessary

On realizing that your caption for a post is wrong or not informing enough, you can easily edit the caption. Hashtags can also be added or removed.

Track your activities and statistics with Iconoquare

Iconosquare is a tool to access your accounts and to look at your statistics. This helps a lot for users with large followings. Iconosquare helps you track what type of content your followers like, and when they are most likely to engage or interact.

Post at Optimal times

Understand the pattern of your followers and those you want to follow and post at the times they will likely see or engage you. Though people look at their phones all the time, there are optical times and better performing days to make posts.

Use shoutouts

Furthermore, a shoutout is an agreement between Instagram users to post one another’s photo or video and instructing one’s followers to follow the posted user’s content. It is a fast and effective method to grow Instagram following.

Stay on Top of Popular Trends

Keeping your content fresh and staying current is a sure way to go on Instagram. Things move very fast and you could become outdated if you do not keep up with the “Now”. Potential followers get wooed when your posts reflect the high quality and yet current.

Use Instagram Direct to Privately Message individuals or Groups

Instagram Direct messaging is a great way to privately share a video or photo post with one or more followers. It is more effective than leaving a comment on one or more of their posts. It is a better way to share content relevant to a group.

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International student loans – Best International Student Loans

Have you tried federal student loans and private loans or International student loans available for U.S Citizens? But federal student loans have more benefits compared to private student loans. Thus, it is restricted to U.S citizens alone. Because private loans can be given to anyone who is not U.S Citizen, it is the best way to pay for college.

International student loans give students the chance to choose a variety of loan options which is best for them. Therefore, you can check below to help find the best option that is best for you. Furthermore, you don’t need to have a social security number, collateral, or co-signer.

The List of Best International Student Loans

• MPOWER Financing: This type of student loan is available for undergraduate students. Thus, you can do this without a co-signer.
• Prodigy Finance: This type of student loan is best available for graduate students. In fact, you can as well do this without a co-signer.
• Citizens One: This student loan is best available for graduate students and can be gotten without a need for a co-signer.
• Ascent Student Loans: if you are looking for international loans with the best interest rates, Ascent student loans are available.
• Discover: Discover is best suitable for DACA Recipients

MPOWER Financing

MPOWER loan is best for undergraduate students. Yet, without a co-signer, you can still be offered a loan.  Among the two major companies that offer student loans without co-signer, MPOWER Financing is one of them.

The MPOWER student loan is a student loan that is meant for those two years close to graduation or about to start a one or two-year program. Thus, there are 350 approved schools in the U.S or Canada that support MPOWER Financing.

With MPWOER student loans, students pay interest-only for the first six months while in school and at the same six months after graduation. Afterward, make full payments such as the principal and interest till it is paid off. There is no room for the application fee. But, it requires a 5% origination fee for each loan.

2020 MPOWER international student loan rates after all discounts in August

In other words, student such as undergraduate and graduate has APR listed below

• Undergraduate fixed APR: 14.98%
• Graduate fixed APR: 12.94%
• Repayment terms: 10 years
• Loan amounts: $2,001–$50,000

Available discount on interest rate

• 50% discount is available by just signing up for autopay
• 50% will be granted after six on-time payments with autopay
• and another 0.50% will be activated for reporting proof of graduation and employment

 

Prodigy Finance

Prodigy Finance is a company that offers private student loans to international students. Furthermore, students can borrow without a co-signer.

Prodigy Loan is designed for these students who seek for graduate degree:

• business,
• science,
• technology,
• engineering,
• math,
• law,
• Public policy or healthcare.

Borrowers have left the repayment terms options. In fact, you can make payments anytime without been penalized. Furthermore, you can make deferment while in school.

Details of 2020 Prodigy student loan in August

• Variable APR: Starting at 5.6%
• Repayment terms: 7, 10, 15 or 20 years
• Loan amounts: $15,000 up to 80% of the cost of attendance at most U.S. schools

Prodigy offers simple interest rates unlike what private lenders always do.

Citizen One

Citizen One offers the lowest interest rate loan. But, it is best for students with a good credit score. You can also obtain a loan from Citizen One with a co-signer who is a U.S citizen or permanent resident.

Citizen One loan does not require a fee, origination, or prepayment fees with Citizen One.

2020 Citizen One international student loan details

• Graduate Variable APR: 1.42% – 11.00%
• Graduate Fixed APR: 4.29% – 11.53%
• Repayment terms: 5, 10, or 15 years
• Graduate loan amounts: $1,000 up to the total cost of attendance or $350,000 total aggregate, depending on the degree.

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Milestone Credit Card Login – Access Your Credit Card Details Online

Do you use the Milestone Gold MasterCard? You can actually access your credit card details online at the Milestone Gold MasterCard portal. Just go to https://milestone.myfinanceservice.com/. This website is open 24/7 and you can access it from whatever location you are in.  All you need is a smartphone, tablet, or computer with an internet connection. Cardholders can access their account and view their account details including their account balance, credit limit, payment due dates, billing statement, payment history, and lots more. They can as well update their personal details and view their payment history for up to one whole year.

Also, cardholders can always login with whatever device they have to check their balance and be sure they have enough money before making any purchase. With this online portal, cardholders will not need to depend on customer service for every detail they need since they can easily get it from their online account.

To access your Milestone Gold MasterCard account online,

go to https://milestone.myfinanceservice.com/. As a first time user, click on the register now link on the home page. Supply your personal details including your account number, date of birth, email address, your card number, the expiration date, the CVV number at the back of it and your name as it is written on the card. Proceed to create your User ID, Password, and your security questions and answers. Make sure that your login details are not easy to duplicate to avoid identity theft and credit card fraud. The security questions and answers will help you to recover or retrieve your login details in case you forget them. These questions and answers should be what you can easily remember.

From your online account, you can check your credit balance, monitor your reward points, and pay bills online, view your credit limit, credit card payments, and payment due dates, billing statements and lots more.

Additionally, you can use it to pay bills online. Card holders can add their checking account number to their accounts for drafting to make their credit card payments. This is easier than paying through phone or mail. Paying through the online account enables your payment to reflect immediately. You can as well set up automatic payment and choose a date that the payment will always be made and save your bank`s routing number there. This will help you avoid late payments and late payment fees.

The option of getting your billing statement online is better than waiting for it to arrive by mail. In this case, you get it in time and there is no need to waste papers. Having access to your credit card account online makes everything very easy and convenient for you.

In case you have any challenge, feel free to use the FAQ section of the website. You can also call the customer care line written on the Contact Us Section.

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Pledged Asset – Advantages & Disadvantages of Pledged Asset Loans

What is a Pledged Asset?

A pledged asset is one that is being used as collateral on a loan. The risk of the lender is reduced because the lender can take possession of and sell the asset where a borrower defaults on loan payments. With a pledged asset, the borrower may be able to negotiate for a reduction in the interest rate charged since the presence of a pledged asset reduces the risk of the lender.

Based on the situation, the lender may decide that the borrower should deposit cash or securities in an account that the lender is in control of. With this, the lender will be able to access the asset in an event of a default, even though the borrower will keep receiving all dividend and interest payments from the security issuers during this period. Understand that the exact amount and type of asset to be pledged is always decided upon during negotiations between the lender and borrower.

How Pledged Asset Work

This is used as collateral for a loan to get transferred to the lender from the borrower to secure the debt. Now ownership of the asset remains with the borrower during the loan period. Once the debt has been repaid, this is transferred back to the borrower. The lender can only assume ownership of the loan if the borrower defaults on the loan.

Why Does a Pledged Asset Matter?

It is seen as security by the lender because in the event of a default on loan payments by the borrower, a lender has something to fall back on. This why pledged asset loans often receive better interest rates as compared to unsecured loans.

The type and amount of pledged assets needed for a given loan is often a matter of negotiation between the lender and borrower.

Pledged Asset Mortgage

Homebuyers can sometimes pledge assets, like securities, to lending houses in order to stop the required down payment. When it comes to a mortgage, the house stands as collateral for the loan. Banks on the other hand will require a 20% down payment of the value of the note so that buyers don’t end up owing more than the value of their home.

Additionally, without the 20% down payment, the buyer has to pay a monthly insurance payment for private mortgage insurance (PMI). Without a down payment, the borrower may likely also have a higher interest rate. The asset pledged, can be used to stop the down payment, avoid PMI payments, and secure a lower interest rate.

As earlier stated, the pledged asset still remains with the borrower. The borrower keeps earning and reporting interest or capital gains on those assets. However, the bank retains the right to seize the assets if the borrower defaults on the mortgage. The borrower keeps earning capital raise on the pledged assets and gets a no-down-payment mortgage.

Advantages & Disadvantages of Pledged Asset Loan or Mortgage

Using pledged assets to secure a note comes with several advantages for the borrower as well as disadvantages. Let’s see them:

Advantages

• FIRSTLY, With pledged assets, a borrower can avoid large loan down payments and PMI if applicable.
• Secondly, The borrower keeps earning income and must report the gains from their investments.
• Thirdly, The borrower may receive a lower interest rate on the loan or mortgage.
• With a pledged asset loans, the borrower is allowed to retain ownership of the valuable possession.
• A borrower avoids tax penalties or capital gains taxes from selling the assets.

Disadvantages

• Where the pledged securities decline in value, the lender may demand additional funds.
• Pledging assets for the loans of a relative comes with default risk.  Since there is no control over the borrower’s repayment.

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Credit Muling – Understanding Credit Muling And Its Effects

What is Credit Muling?

Creditmulingis a credit fraud where a customer of a bank uses his or her own name and information to obtain high-value loans with no intention of paying back the loans. It is also known as first-party fraud. It can also involve acquiring and delivering items fraudulently obtained with the use of credit. A credit mule transports items obtained dishonestly which have been purchased on credit. Now, credit mules may not be aware that they are participating in a scam and may indeed think that they are working in good faith as an employee or independent contractor of a legitimate contractor, just like secret shopper business.

Understanding Credit Muling

Most high profile examples of credit muling have involved cell phones. Criminals pay people to acquire new, high-value phones. Which are sold at a discounted price. Or are free when the consumer agrees to a cell phone contract. The full price of the phone is factored into the contract. And is also included in the bill for each month of the contract, which often lasts for two years. Once the customers buy the contract phone, she turns it over to the criminal. Who resells the same for full price or for even a higher price on the black market.

Now the credit mule may think she is being paid as a secret shopper and might be told that her employer will cancel the cell phone contact. In another instance, the employer tells the credit mule that it is her responsibility to cancel the credit mule. In either case, the credit mule will eventually get to know that she is on the hook for the value of the phone. She can no longer return the phone to the cell carrier neither does she have the phone. She may also be liable for monthly service charges and early termination fees.

Caution

Now, these criminals that are running these scams mostly target young, naïve, or desperate people to become their mules. These innocent mules, use their good credit in obtaining the phones, get paid a couple of hundred dollars cash for their work, only to discover later that their credit has been damaged and they have unknowingly participated in organized crime.

It is difficult for merchants to detect this type of fraud when it’s happening. This is because credit mules use their real identities in obtaining the item. Thus, many merchants end up charging off these losses.

Individuals who suspect or who are a victim of credit muling schemes can notify the police and the Federal Trade Commission.

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How Credit is Scored/Rated for Individuals, Companies, and Governments

How Credit is Scored for, companies, and governments credit? letters are used to express the creditworthiness of an individual, or a company being assessed. Now, these credit ratings are usually given in letters like “AAA” or “BB”. For persons, credit scores are numbers that range from 850 to 300.

How Credit is Scored/Rated for Individuals, Companies, and Governments

Credit rating agencies are in charge of ratings that express whether debt obligations are met. The three credit rating agencies that create the world’s credit ratings are Fitch Ratings, Moody’s Investors Service, and Standard & Poor’s.

These three credit rating agencies give ratings and investment analyses, even though Fitch was the first to use the now common letter rating system. Here is how a typical credit rating scale is: AAA, AA, BBB, BB, B, CCC, CA, C, and D.

Pluses and minuses are added to letters AA through C in order to give ratings which also go with outlook ratings.

Explaining Ratings

Symbolized by “NEG”, “POS”, “STA”, “RUR”, and “SD”, these connote positive, negative, stable, rating under review and selective default.

Now, these ratings are used by investors, who are trying to decide if they want to buy securities that are backed by any country. Know that only triple-A credit ratings are seen as top-notch. Ratings of BB or lower are seen to be “junk” ratings, and even though ratings between these two are OK, they are under observation by the credit rating agencies.

Consumer credit scores on the other hand are expressed in numbers instead of letters. Even though scores are generated by each of the three major credit reporting agencies.  Which are Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. The most commonly used consumer credit score is that which is created by Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO).

FICO scores range from 300 – 850. Scores above 800 are considered to be excellent. Credit scores that range from 740 – 799 are considered very good.  While scores ranging from 670 –739 are considered good. Scores between 580 – 669 are seen as being below average or not good, while scores lower than 580 are considered risky or bad. What it implies when a borrower’s credit score reflects that he or she is risky, is that he or she has a higher likelihood of defaulting on a loan than a borrower who has an excellent credit score.

How a Credit Score is Calculated

Even though credit bureaus and lenders do not share the actual formulas they use in calculating credit scores, factors that may affect your credit score includes:

• Firstly, The duration you have had credit.
• Secondly, The duration for which each credit has been in your report.
• If a balance is carried on your credit cards.
• The regularity of missing payments.
• Amount of your outstanding debts.
• How close you are too, at, or above your credit limit.
• The number of recent credit applications.
• The type of credit you are using.
• Whether your debt has been sent to a collection agency.
• Lastly, Any record of insolvency or bankruptcy.

Finally, lenders still determine their own guidelines on the minimum credit score you need in order for them to lend you money.

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THE BEST SNAPCHAT TIPS YOU NEED TO KNOW

Snapchat allows users to connect with others both inside and outside their networks. It is one of the most popular mobile messaging and social apps available. With SNAPCHAT TIPS, one can chat, send snaps, stay in touch with friends, and discover new content from influencers and celebrities.

The app can be downloaded on iOS and Android devices. The following SNAPCHAT TIPS will help you get more comfortable on this platform and ultimately make you get more out of it.

(1)

Find Your Friends

 

You can search for your friends with their unique Snapchat usernames. You can also sync your contacts to Snapchat. On doing this, those whose phone numbers are connected to their Snapchat accounts appear at the top, and you can thus add them to your list by selecting Add. You can also add someone in person by scanning their Snapchat code with your phone.

(2) Create Your Bitmoji

Bitmojis are cartoon versions of yourself. They can be created on the Snapchat platform and use across other platforms from Snapchat to Gmail and beyond. It is a fun way to represent yourself.

(3) Use Filters

Snapchat filters add graphics, enhance colors, add animations, change the background and even tell recipients information about where and when you are snapping. Filters add more expression and personality to your snaps. They make your messages more fun and powerful. You can find more filters by selecting Explore.

(4) Use Snapchat Lenses

Snapchat lenses add 3-D effects, objects, characters, and transformation. The app uses face-detecting technology to automatically find your facial features like mouth and eyes to apply the effects properly. This feature is fun and quite addicting.

(5) Sharing Location

Snapchat snap Map is an interactive map where you share your location with friends. It affords one the ability to view stories from around the world. To view snaps people have submitted from a particular area, tap the heatmap.

The blue heatmap means a few snaps were taken while red means there were a ton taken.

(6) Use Snapchat Story Feature

Snapchat’s story feature allows users to tell their stories about their day and the interesting things they did in the past twenty-four hours. It allows you to send snaps in a narrative way or style.

You can choose to make your story private if you want only certain friends to see it  or you can send it to a few persons. You can also temporarily prevent a friend’s story from showing up on your list by muting it or tapping the screen when they show up to jump to the next story.

(7) Share a Snapchat streak

A streak or snap streak is a representation of how many days in a row you are able to send Snapchat pictures and videos with a specific friend. It adds fun to your Snapchat experience and creates more following because people generally want to see the next photo or video.

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