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A Beginners Guide To Bitcoin and Blockchain

November 27th, 2018 Posted in Investment, learning about money, Money Tips
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You have probably heard the terms Bitcoin and Blockchain but maybe you don’t understand what they mean. The post below and accompanying infographic provides a beginners guide to Bitcoin and Blockchain.

Bitcoin is the first ever decentralized cryptocurrency which can be even termed as the digital or virtual currency, says cryptosuper.market. Bitcoin is fungible, portable, divisible and irreversible.

The Bitcoin was invented by the name SATOSHI NAKAMOTO in the year 2008 and it was later published as open source in the year 2009. But the person or group behind the invention have no traces of identity as the bitcoin was published by an unknown person or group using the alias Satoshi Nakamoto.

After the invention of Bitcoins many cryptocurrencies emerged, where some used the same system and structure of bitcoin and others implemented the structure and made better digital form of currency. Though there are many forms, bitcoin stands first-1st among them. As the rest of the forms are derived from the bitcoins they are often termed as ALTCOINS which means Alternate coins of bitcoin.

At first Litecoin was taken as an altcoin which later lead to various Altcoins as Dogecoin, Ethereum, Monero and etc. Each and every altcoin has its own specifications where some of them even beat the functioning of bitcoin in some aspects as some of the Altcoins stand as the best by offering greater anonymity than bitcoin.

A Beginners Guide To Bitcoin and Blockchain – What is Blockchain?

To record all the transactions of the bitcoins a public ledger called BLOCKCHAIN has been invented where the blockchain stood as undeniably an ingenious or a creative invention. The blockchain plays an important role, the whole bitcoin network completely relies on the blockchain.

Blockchain is further classified as three types namely public, private and consortium blockchain. Generally blockchain follows a state of consensus where the transactions takes place between the users and are usually confirmed within 10 minutes of Block Time by the network, through a process called Mining.

Block time is often defined as the time taken by the network to generate an extra block in the blockchain. The Block Time differs for each and every Cryptocurrency form, the Block time for Ethereum is 20 seconds.

A chronological order is enforced in the blockchain system by mining. Mining allows different computers to agree on the state of system and it protects the neutrality of the network.

The first ever international blockchain transaction was completed on October 24, 2016. Brokered by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia and Wells Fargo & Co (WFC).

Now there comes the question of storage of bitcoins, bitcoins are generally stored in the bitcoin wallet or crypto wallet. Cryptocurrency is not actually or directly stored in a crypto wallet.

Instead, a private key is stored that generally shows ownership of a public key. So in general a crypto wallet stores both private and public keys and allows to receive and send coins.

If a person loses his / her wallet due to the corruption of the wallet file or hard disk or the data disruption the lost bitcoins that are present in the wallet can’t be retrieved back and they are to be considered that they are lost forever. There are many offline and hardware wallets available.

The Bitcoins use peer to peer (P2P) networking system which doesn’t involve any third party interference in the transaction process. The success rate of the trade increases with the P2P networking system.

P2P networking system became first popular in 1999 with the introduction of Napster application, it is a file system which generally has a set of central servers that’s used to link people who had files with those requested files.

Since the transactions directly take place between the users without the interference of any third party, the transactions are irreversible.  But at one point it is possible to refund if and only if the receiver agrees to cancel the transaction.

Generally people often get confused about owning a cryptocurrency, the major point that concerns them which coin to select. Though bitcoin stands first it even has some drawbacks which are recovered in its altcoins. People now-a-days are interested in bitcoins because of its speed of transaction and very low transaction fee offered.

Bitcoin is the world’s most widely used cryptocurrency and thus bitcoin is increasingly viewed as a morganatic or legitimate means of exchange. But there is even a point to be concerned as the price of bitcoin is volatile, price of bitcoin can unpredictably decrease or increase over a short period of time due to its novel nature, young economy and illiquid markets.

It isn’t a tough task to own a bitcoin as there are 4 basic ways through which a person can own a bitcoin, a person can buy them form bitcoin exchange sources or can buy bitcoins from any of their friends or relatives or near by trader or by Accepting Bitcoins as payment for goods and services they provide or by mining the bitcoins.

All the three ways are simple and easy but care must be taken while dealing with unknown people or traders whereas mining isn’t that easy as it seems to be as it’s a process which involves in usage of special software to solve mathematical algorithms in exchange of bitcoins and it isn’t possible as it once was.

If a person wants to begin a transaction and he knows nothing regarding the process then that’s totally futile. We can conclude the information regarding beginning transaction process or steps of the transaction process in few steps as : a transaction can be termed a general transfer of value between the Bitcoin wallets that are involved in the blockchain.

Bitcoin wallets have private key which is generally used to sign transactions by providing a proof (mathematical proof) that the request have come from the owner of the wallet. The signature also prevents transaction being altered by others once it has been issued or started.

All transactions are between the users and are usually confirmed within 10 minutes of block time by the network through mining.

Nowadays for the convenience of the bitcoin users many Bitcoin ATMs have been installed and there are about 3164 ATM machines through out the world. Bitcoin kiosks (Look like traditional ATMs) are generally the machines which are connected to internet and allow the insertion of cash in exchange for bitcoins. As per the study, bitcoin ATM charges about 7% on transaction and 50$ as exchange rate.

Is Bitcoin legal?

There are many countries which legalized the usage of bitcoins and whereas there are many countries which have banned the usage of bitcoins and declared bitcoins illegal. In short we can say that the bitcoin isn’t legalized all over the world.

Countries or Nations like Ecuador, Bolivia, Bangladesh, Kyrgyzstan and Saudi Arabia banned the usage of bitcoins and declared bitcoins illegal whereas, countries like United States, Canada, Australia and European Union accept the usage of bitcoin declaring it legal.

In cryptocurrency we usually have a fork which is given as change in protocol, the forks are classified into hard forks and soft forks. The first Bitcoin fork was NAMECOIN published or generated in the year 2010 and a hard fork published in the year 2017 was Bitcoin Gold.

The most common fork used is the SegWit which is a soft fork, SegWit (Short for Segregated Witness) and SegWit is a protocol upgrade that changes the way data is stored.

The total dollar market value is generally determined by Market Cap value or Market Capitalization value. The market cap value is mathematically calculated using MC=N x P, where MC is the market capitalization, P is closing price per share and N is number of shares outstanding.

Bitcoins are even helpful in the payment sector. For the first time University Of Nicosia, Cyprus accepted fees in the form of bitcoins. Bitcoins are even used in shopping, online transactions and payment.

There are many payment service providers (PSP) offering online services dealing with cryptocurrencies. There are many payment service providers where Bitpay and Coinbase are internationally top ranking exchange providers for bitcoins. The basic work of the payment service provider is to accept bitcoin on behalf of the merchant and convert it to the local or Fiat currency.

Lightning network effectively creates a layer on top of bitcoin and it helps in fast and cheap transactions which can net settle to the blockchain. Lightning Network is pretty complicated and is an extremely promising as a cryptocurrency game-changer.

DAO tokens came into existence in the year 2016, the main usage of the DAO tokens was that the were to receive DAO tokens and then vote for a project to fund. But the concept didn’t work successfully as many people didn’t want the system to be present.

ICO (Initial Coin Offering) refers to the creation and sale of digital tokens. The first sale was held in the year 2014, it’s a project that came into existence to create some certain amount of a digital tokens and sell it to the people usually in exchange of their cryptocurrencies such as Ethereum or Bitcoin.

We hope you have enjoyed this beginners guide to Bitcoin and the Blockchain, if you did please comment and share.

The infographic below helps explain further – courtesy of Bitcoinfy.net

A Beginners Guide To Bitcoin and Blockchain - bitcoin infographic http://credit-n.ru

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Giving Yourself A Financial Overhaul For The New Year

November 23rd, 2018 Posted in Money Tips
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The time has come to start thinking about the goals and new year resolutions that you want to put in place for next year. Many of which, can be financially related. So many people aim for things such as owning a home or moving from one house to another. Saving for certain holidays or rainy days or even just being debt free. Whatever your financial goal may be, you need to start thinking about it now and planning to make it a reality. But how can you do that? Try these steps to help give yourself a financial overhaul. It could help you get in the right frame of mind for the year ahead.

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What goals have you got in mind?

First of all, take some time to think about your financial goals that you have for the new year. Think about what it is you want to achieve. It doesn’t matter how big it may seem. Owning a house for example, or paying off your debts may seem impossible right now. But the whole point of making the financial goals is so that you can then take smaller steps with different targets to help you achieve it. It might be worth writing it down somewhere that might remind you often what it is you are wanting to do.

Know what position you are in financially

The next thing to think about would be to look at your current financial position. Look at what position you are in buy checking your last three months bank statesmen’s. This will highlight exactly what outgoings you have and their costs. It will also help you to understand what you are spending each week on things like food or other things like clothes or luxuries. Knowing what you spend and how much you have going in versus leaving your account will help you to try and make savings where possible.

Time to get serious about your credit history

If your goals next year involve any from of credit application, like consolidation loans for debt or mortgage applications for buying a house, then you need to understand your credit history and scoring. You also might want to monitor it moving forward so you know everything that is going on behind the scenes. This is when looking at the best credit monitoring services comparison article online can help you decide when he one is best for you. Knowing where you stand on your score and history will help you improve it or make changes such as correct details before making any applications in the future.

Is it possible to make savings now?

Finally, is it possible to make savings right now? I think that you could look at what your spend and make some changes to give you some instant savings. It could involve switching providers for things like energy or insurance products. Maybe it could be reducing your food shopping bill by meal planning, changing where you shop or switching from branded to shop own products.

If you are in need of a financial overhaul, these are ways you can start to actively make savings and doing things now, which will then help you start fresh in the new year to achieve your goals. http://credit-n.ru/debitovaya-karta.html

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These Quick Hacks Will Change Your Financial Situation Like Magic

November 23rd, 2018 Posted in learning about money, millionaire mindset, Money Tips
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If you want to do something about your financial situation, you’re not powerless. There’s always something you can do to improve your situation, all it takes is a new frame of mind and a can-do attitude. Below, we have some quick hacks that will help you to change your financial situation as if by magic. Take a look:

Develop A Better Money Mindset

Start by working on your money mindset. Your thoughts and attitude surrounding money will make a huge difference to how much of it you have, how you spend it, the financial opportunities that come to you, and more. How do you go about changing your mindset? First of all, you need to assess any limiting beliefs you have about money. We usually pick these up from childhood, and without realizing it they can seriously affect our adult financial situation. For example, some people think they are not deserving of money, that they will never have enough money, that money is evil, etc. Being able to overcome these beliefs is crucial. You can also try affirmations, visualizations, and techniques such as tapping to change your beliefs. There are lots of free resources out there that you can use!

The more positive you think and feel about money, the more you’ll be able to change your money mindset for the better.

These Quick Hacks Will Change Your Financial Situation Like Magic - coins image

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Come Up With A Plan For Your Future

By coming up with a plan for your future, you’ll actually be able to set yourself goals and work out the baby steps you’ll need to take to reach those goals. If you don’t have a plan or goals, then you’re just going to meander aimlessly along, and chances are, you’re going to waste your money on superficial things that won’t give you any real long term joy.

Whatever your future plans, it’s always a good idea to have an emergency fund, just in case. You can look at companies like https://www.creditraters.com for help if you don’t have an emergency fund but you need cash in a pinch. Just bear in mind that it’s always better to have some money saved up.

Take A Look At Your Budget

If you don’t have a budget, now is the time to put one together. Figure out how much money you’re spending and making each month and where you can save. For example, you could take a packed lunch to work, cancel subscriptions you don’t really use, change utility suppliers, and more. Start using the envelope method for your budget if you like; this can make it easier for you to see exactly how much money you have available for certain things, such as your food shopping.

Think About A Purchase For A Month Before Splashing Out

Before making impulse purchases, you should think about them carefully, or you might end up with a bunch of things that you don’t really use. Avoid the urge to spend right away and wait for a month before buying and you might find you forget all about the thing you really wanted to buy. Money and space saved! http://credit-n.ru/zaymi-listing.html

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Hiring a Tax Preparer? Don’t Proceed Without Asking These 7 Questions First

November 16th, 2018 Posted in Money Tips
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Navigating the complex world of tax filing is a major challenge for small businesses. With so many obligations, many business owners choose to hire a tax preparer to file for them.

However, it is important you choose your tax preparer wisely. Your preparer will gain access to very sensitive information about your business and its finances. You need to make sure you are only working with highly-experienced and competent professionals.

These 7 questions will help you determine if your tax preparer is legitimate and effective and ensure you receive nothing but the highest level of service.

For more information on accounting and tax specialists visit: https://www.gudorftaxgroup.com/services/payroll-services/

Hiring a Tax Preparer? Don’t Proceed Without Asking These 7 Questions First - tax return image

Photo by Acharaporn Kamornboonyarush from Pexels

What is Your Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN)?

The first question you need the answer to should be “is this person legitimate?” Well, asking for their PTIN number is doing just that.

Any professional who prepares tax returns should be accredited by the IRS. This means they will have a valid PTIN number. You can check the official IRS PTIN registry here and confirm your tax preparer has a valid PTIN number and is legally allowed to file someone else’s tax returns.

What Experience do You Have with Similar Tax Situations?

Your tax situation is unique to you. For someone that has not dealt with a similar situation before it could be a lot of work. Find out what similar tax cases your preparer has handled in the past and their previous tax-filing experience.

What Qualifications do you Have?

While formal training isn’t essential for becoming a tax preparer, the best ones have some qualifications and professional education. Look for those with a certified public accountant (CPA) qualification, a certified financial planner (CFP) qualification, or those who have completed the IRS’ Annual Filing Season Program (AFSP).

Do You Belong to a Professional Association?

Most professional associations require the preparer to behave in accordance with the group’s code of conduct and set of ethics. If they are linked to a professional association, it could be an indication that they work to the very best standards of practice.

What Records and Documents Will you Need from Me?

Any reputable tax preparer will ask you to provide documents which detail a thorough record of your income and expenses. They should also be able to effectively explain what special schedules and tax circumstances you could qualify for, as well as the requirements for those.

If your planner doesn’t mention any special circumstances or ask any questions regarding your current circumstances to determine what you may qualify for, it could be a red flag that they are not willing to do work required to secure you the best tax rate.

Can You File My Returns Electronically?

Not all preparers are authorized to file electronically. However, it is in your interests to find one that can. It saves time on acceptance and allows you to secure your refund (if you are deemed to deserve one) far faster than through paper returns. The IRS website has a database of all the preparers authorized to file electronically. You can check to see if your preparer is listed there.

How do You Determine Your Fees?

Before you can proceed, you need to know the fee structure. Most preparers charge by the hour but should be able to give a rough estimate of how much the total project will cost. http://credit-n.ru/zaymyi.html

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Grieving and Growing: Dealing With the Death of a Parent

November 11th, 2018 Posted in Parent Advice
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You never imagined this day would come, when your parents left you behind to go to heaven. Dealing with grief at this point in your life was not something you were prepared for and you need a few moments to think about how to deal with it all. You have been so busy trying to raise your own family that you never prepared yourself for something like this. You want to teach your kids about life and death, but you’re not sure how to go about it. You understand how important it is to grieve the loss of a close family member and then move on with your life. The time has now come to start the process and come to terms with the devastation in your family at this time.

The Practicalities

Before you can start to grieve properly, there are so many practicalities to take care of. You will need to organise a funeral, take care of legal matters and even hire local undertakers. You can easily get swept up in all of the logistical steps that you forget how to be upset. You have to put on a brave face and get all of these jobs done, otherwise it simply won’t happen. It’s fine to be on a mission to get everything sorted, but then you need to take a step back and start the grieving process.

The Grieving Process

There is no right or wrong way to grieve the death of a parent or loss of a close family member; everybody deals with this in very different ways. Whether you spend a few days being upset or you throw yourself back into work and push it aside for a while, there will always be a way that works for you. What you mustn’t do is keep your feelings bottled up inside as you will inevitable explode at some point. Speak to somebody you trust or go to a therapist to talk about your feelings in a non judgmental environment. Once you have come to terms with all of your emotions you will gradually be able to move on and start living your life to the fullest again.

Grieving and Growing: Dealing With the Death of a Parent - holding hands image

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The Conversations

Talking to your children about death can be incredibly difficult, but it has to be done no matter how old they are. Your little ones are going to have questions about where their grandparent has gone, so make sure you explain it in an age appropriate way for them to comprehend. There are many children’s books out there that help you to explain the process of life and death with your little ones, so this might help too.

The Normal Routine

At some point you will need to get back into the normal routine of life, without feeling guilty about smiling again. Once that day comes you will be able to look back on fond memories without feeling sad and upset about the passing of your parent.

Dealing with the death of a parent is incredibly difficult, but if you can learn to grieve and grow in the right way for you, you will soon be able to process it and move on. http://credit-n.ru/ipoteka.html

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