Did You Plan Your Retirement? Know Why, When & How to Plan Your Retirement

I know for a fact, 20 years back our grandparents never planned or even thought of retirement. Back then life was quite simple and you do not had to worry about things like inflation, uncertain economy and more importantly break down of joint family system.
But today, a working professional who lives in urban India had to think about retirement when he is in mid or late 30’s. Especially, in a metro cities like Mumbai & Delhi where cost of living is so high, you cannot afford to overlook your retirement plan.
You must take your retirement plan very seriously or else you would have a hard time living in a metropolitan city once you grow old.
 
This particular blog post emphasizes on the need of a retirement plan. We discuss why it is essential to have a plan in first place, then when you should start planning, followed by a calculator that will calculate your expenses when you retire and finally helping you to choose a right retirement plan.

Why You Need a Retirement Plan

This paragraph explains how it is important to have a retirement plan in first place. I would present you with genuine reasons why you cannot afford not having a retirement plan.

1. Privatization of Indian Economy

Government and other economist think that if a country has to progress then its economy has to be privatized. It means more companies should be owned by private sector rather public.
And we know that private companies do not have any pension plan unlike public sector companies.
Therefore, in light of this reality, there would be no pension scheme in a private company after your retirement. Hence there is a great need to have your own retirement plan in place.

2. Increase in Life Expectancy Ratio

In year 1970, the average life expectancy ratio of an average Indian was some 50 years. However, in 2013 it is well over 65 years and it is expected to rise up to 75 years in 2040.
Hence, you are going to live more and you cannot survive without a retirement plan.

3. Increase in Dependency Ratio

Dependency ratio is nothing but ratio of old population to young population. Right now we are young population however in next 40 years the number of old people would grow substantially because of several reasons.
Hence, if dependency ratio is 6% now then in 2050 it would be some 15% to 20%. Therefore, a lot of older people would need a retirement plan.

4. Decline of Joint Family

In recent years, the bad thing that has happened to India is decline of joint family. Earlier if you were old and do not had a retirement plan then you had a joint family which could have taken care of you.
However, now in urban India we see rise of nuclear family hence older people have to take care of themselves hence a retirement plan is must.

When to Start Planning Your Retirement

This is very important to know the right age at which you could start planning your retirement. The golden rule of a retirement plan is that it is never too soon planning your retirement. In other words, the early you plan your retirement the better it is.
Right time for your retirement plan is divided into three time period in your life cycle. They are

Mid 30’s

First one is mid 30’s. Well it is too early and usually people do not plan retirement at mid 30’s but you have to if your income is too little.
You know that you cannot afford to buy a home and in future you would not have enough money to live a decent life once you retire.
Then you need to plan as early as possible. People with uncertain job, who live on daily wages, must start planning as early as possible.

Mid 40’s

Normally, a working man or woman starts his or her retirement planning at the age of 45 years. Mid 40’s is the age where most of the people start planning their retirement.
If you are working and still paying for your home or mortgage then mid 40’s is the right time period to start planning your retirement. You need to consider various expenses that you are incurring now when you start planning your retirement.

Late 50’s

You can only afford to plan your retirement in mid or late 50’s when you are financially very sound. It means you have enough money in your bank account that you don’t have to worry about paying for home because you own it and you really do not have any major expenses.
Only then you could afford to plan your retirement so late in your life.
You must figure out the category in which you fit in and start planning your retirement.

A Calculator for Cost of Living in Your Retirement

Let us see what would be the cost of living once you retire. Your retirement year would depend upon your age right now.
I would consider two scenarios.
a) First one is after retirement you want to live a modest life - Simple life, expenditures would your daily groceries.
b) Second is you would like to spend a lot on various things – A life where you would love to travel, expenses like marriages etc.
Scenario a)
Different variables that you have to take in account are

• Your current age
• The age you want to retire
• Inflationary expenses like your groceries
• Non-Inflationary expense like you EMIs
• Annual Inflation rate

And then calculate. I could give you a calculator link where you could fill in various variables according to your age and year of retirement and check out the expenses.
Link is http://www.moneycontrol.com/personal-finance/tools/retirement-planning-calculator.html
Similarly you can calculate for
Scenario b)
The result would depend upon the money that you would like to spend every month.

How to Choose a Best Retirement Plan

There are many life insurance companies which offer retirement plans for you. You need to talk to their customer support or an insurance agent before you choose a right plan.
However, there are some common factors before you choose a plan from any of these companies. Such factors are

Vesting Age

Age at which you choose to start receiving your pension.

Annuity

Your regular monthly pension that is payable to you once you cross the vesting age.

Sum Assured

The amount that a nominee is going to receive if there is a death during the accumulation period.

Accumulation Period

Period when you pay premiums to accumulate funds for retirement.

Surrender Charges

Charges that are levied by the insurer if you end the policy before the date of vesting.

Participating Plans

Plans that give a share of insurer’s profit to the policy holders. The share is not fixed and totally depends upon financial performance of the company.

Ulips for Old Age

Ulips are unit linked insurance plans.

Charges Levied

You need to consider charges levied by various companies.
You have to keep in mind all these factors before you choose a retirement plan from a company.
Some of the companies are LIC, MetLife, ICICI etc, they all have some great plans.

How Serious Urban India is About Retirement Plan

As a matter of fact urban India takes retirement plan very seriously.
About 90% of them want to save enough money for their retirement. Some 5% of them are not sure and only 2% to 3% would be asking help from their children.
Hence, it is very clear that majority of urban Indians would like to plan for their retirement ahead.
No more they are looking up to their children as they want to be independent.
Therefore, this blog sheds some light on the importance of having a right retirement plan. The sooner you plan about your retirement the better it is.
Never, depend upon on your children, after retirement you should live with dignity. Hence, start planning for your retirement from now on.

How Crowdfunding Sites Can Help You to Raise Money for Your Dream Project

Earlier it was very difficult to raise funds for a project that you considered as your life-long dream. If you are a person with a great talent living in some remote part of India then you might find it very difficult to get someone who is willing to sponsor or patronize you.
Your dreams are dashed just because there is no one that can facilitate your idea to make it a real success. Therefore a common man with dreams has nowhere to go. However, now things have changed dramatically.
A talented person with very little or no resource could rally a huge crowd around the cause that he or she wants to promote. Today, with the help of crowdfunding you could get enough funding for the project you had liked to do. All funding comes through internet.

For example, if you’re a film maker and wants to make a documentary about the life of people living in slums and you don’t have money to make that film then you could raise enough money through crowdfunding.

What You Need to Know about Crowdfunding

I am not going to complicate things for you. I will explain crowdfunding in simple terms so that every one of you could understand it.
If you are an individual or an organization with a cause and you need funding in order to promote that cause but you do not have resources (which is primarily money) then you could use various crowdfunding platforms (various websites) to garner support from individuals or public around the world.
In other words, you could have a project or your cause placed on crowdfunding websites asking for donations and individuals from around the world could chip-in to raise the money.
If you have a project that might cost Rs 500,000/- then you could raise this amount asking for charity on a crowdfunding websites.
So there are three groups or party involved.
1. Crowdfunding Websites – Platforms that hosts various projects created by individuals or organizations that are in need of money. The important thing to know about these crowdfunding websites is that they do take 5% to 10% as commission on the money raised.
2. Organization that wants to raise money for a cause or a project – People who are in need of money to complete their project set a desired amount of money which needs to be raised. It can be Rs 100,000 to Rs 1000,000 depending upon the project.
3. People From around the world which are going to donate money – People like you, who donate money if you are interested in a cause. There is a minimum and maximum amount for the donations set by the website. Minimum could be Rs 100 and maximum Rs 500, it depends on site to site.

Kinds of Project that are Suitable for Crowdfunding

A dream project of yours that begs funding must be of certain kind. Here in India, you cannot expect to raise money for every kind of projects.
You need to know different types of projects that could be easy for raising desired amount of money.
In India, crowdfunding could be the best way to raise money for following projects
1. Short Films and Documentaries – If you want to make short films and documentaries to raise awareness then you could crowdfund your project.
You could easily raise money up to Rs 1000,000.
2. Music Videos – If you have passion for music that is different than mainstream music then you could use crowdfund platforms to raise funds.
3. Non-Profit Projects, NGO’s – Crowdfunding is the best when it comes for charity. If you want to raise money for the education of kids living in slums or helping women then crowdfunding is the way forward. People would love to donate money.
4. Books & Publishing – If you want to write and publish books and others related stuffs then use crowdfunding to make your dream come true.
5. Start-up Companies – Finally, crowdfunding would help in generating money for start-up companies. If you have an idea but have no money to start it then crowdfunding is the future.
In conclusion, I would say creative projects like film, music, arts etc are the best for raising money through crowdfunding.

How do you Get People to Fund Your Dream Project

If you want funding for your dream project then you have to create a project on a crowdfunding website.
Here, I will give you an example of most popular website in the world to raise money through crowdfunding. And that is www.kickstarter.com an American website.
You could go there and click on start a project. You have to give every possible details of the project that you want to create.
It must show things like photos, videos and sketches. You could also create demo for explaining your project to audience.
Then you have to give an amount that you would like to raise. In Indian websites (mentioned below) or any website you have to set an amount and the timeline with a date.
You need to go to the website and read every detail before you kick start a project.
Moreover, you cannot just create a project and sit idly expecting that people would start donating money and you will raise the desired amount.
You have to reach out to the people who are ready to donate for your cause. You have to use social media especially twitter for spreading a word about your project.
You need to create pitch videos and do things even offline like giving cards, distributing pamphlets, organizing seminars etc.
Just putting a video would not do, it takes more than that.

Some of the Best Crowd-funding Websites in India and USA

Now I would like to tell you some of the Indian crowdfunding websites that are famous and gaining popularity.
1. Catapooolt – This is the best crowdfunding website present in India. If you have a project then you could use this platform to raise money.
2. Ketto – This is another crowdfunding website which is still in its infancy. You could visit the website and find out more.
3. Wishberry – Like above two websites this is also present for a while now.
You are required to go to these sites and find out more.
Some of the websites that are expected to come are Fund A Peer, Pik A Venture, the Hot Start. These are coming soon.
Now let us see some websites in USA. In reality, they dominate the crowdfunding market.
1. Kickstarter.com – This is the number one website in the world and a real trend setter. All other follow this website. It has helped in raising over $900 million for various projects.
2. Indiegogo – Like Kickstarter it is also a great platform to crowdfund your project. If you want funding for your project then you have to visit these websites.

Your Responsibility towards Your Backers

Backer is nothing but donors who will be funding your project.
You have a responsibility towards your donors because you cannot ignore them. If you do then you are not going to get funding for your future projects.
You could reward your donors with tax exemption receipts. Moreover, you could do things like
1. Loyalty points for your donors.
2. Gifts and other accessories from your project
3. Discount vouchers from lifestyle brands
4. Off Tax Benefits
You need to do this if you want to retain your donors.

Future of Crowdfunding in India

What is the future of crowdfunding in India. Well, according to me it is really great, the market is expanding rapidly.
However, the best thing about India is you could get a project started because there will always be your family and friends to donate money.
It is because of our family culture. Hence, you would see many such websites starting in India.
I will conclude by saying if you have a genuine project or an idea then you could make it happen through crowdfunding. It is because you do not have to worry about funding.
But as a caution, I must tell you just creating a project on a website is not enough as you need to promote and take it to the people.

21 Quick & Simple Tips to Save Money

As you know, day by day cost of every commodity is sky rocketing. It has become difficult for a common man to survive unless he or she takes certain measures.
I have suggested 21 quick and simple tips to save money living in India. You could do few simple things in your everyday life and save a lot of money for your future.
You don’t need to have a great mind for doing this as you will get opportunities every day, in every walk of life.

And here I am going to show you 21 quick & simple but effective tips:

1. Budgeting

The first step to save money is to make budget for you daily, weekly and monthly expenditure.
You could decide in advance, how much you are going to spend for groceries and other stuffs.
It will help you to spend money cautiously because you are less likely to surpass your fixed daily budget.
Therefore, daily budgeting is a great habit and you could do it on paper or use various online applications like Excel spreadsheet, Google docs for daily budget etc.

2. Leave the credit card at home

Well! If you have become addicted to credit card while you are on shopping spree then it is better to leave it in your home.
If a credit card is in your pocket then you tend to shop every other thing that you see in the store. You would like to buy this one and that one.
Hence, if you leave your credit card at home then you are restricted from buying all those unnecessary stuffs that you might have bought.

3. Electricity bills

You have to pay bills whether you like it or not. But you can save a lot of money while paying your electricity bills.
I am not suggesting to evade paying your bills. But you could use electricity wisely that would reduce your electricity bill substantially.
For example, switch off the AC if you are in other room, likewise do not use drier of your washing machine and prefer to dry your clothes under the sun.
Like this you could save a lot of money. Here are 10 tips for you.

4. Cook twice a day

You could cook twice a day rather 3 or 4 times. It means you could combine your breakfast and lunch and make it a brunch.
You could do it on daily basis. In evening you could have tea or coffee and finally, in night ending your day with a dinner.
Thus you cook only twice and save your money by buying less food items.

5. Take Your Lunch do not buy it

If you are working somewhere then it is wise to carry your lunch box. You should avoid taking your lunch in your cafeteria or buying it from somewhere.
There are two reasons for it. First is you save a lot of money because a meal outside could cost you heavily and secondly it is unhygienic to consume food that is from a canteen or a restaurant.

6. Don’t buy bottled water use aqua guard

This is yet another simple but effective tip to save money. If you prefer to drink safe water then you should install aqua guard in your house.
Instead paying money every time for bottled water of 1 liter or even 20 liters, you could buy an aqua guard and pay for once.
The water is as pure as of bottled water and at the same time you save a lot of money yearly.

7. DTH instead of cable

In India, all cities are using set top box instead of cable connection. I recommend you to shift your connection to DTH or dish tv as soon as possible.
You could save money because you will only pay for the channel that you want to see. If you do not want to see a channel like some English channels then you could avoid that channel and you pay only for those channels that you want to see.
This is not possible in cable connection because you have to pay for channels that you would not like to see.

8. Don’t pay for anything online

If you love to shop online then never pay for digital products that you buy. These products are mainly software and other downloadable stuffs.
Never pay anything using your credit or debit card because most of the items you could get for free if you spend some time online doing research.
You will always get items for free online on certain websites like pirate bay, filestube, torrents etc.

9. Grandma tips for beauty and medicines – no doctor

If you are conscious about your beauty and other health related issues then never consult a doctor.
Consulting a doctor could cost you heavy amount of money. Instead of consulting a doctor you could get tips from your grandma and other elderly people in your house.
They have some effective tips and secrets that you can learn and implement in your life.

10. Grow Vegetables in Gardens do not buy

People have started to realize that the cost of green vegetables is going to increase in coming days.
If they want to feed their children with fresh and green vegetables daily then it would be too costly for them.
Hence, the other alternative is to grow vegetables in your backyard. It is healthy to use and at the same time very cost effective.
You could certainly grow vegetables which take less water and sunlight to grow.

11. Mobile Plan

Using mobile is a daily necessity. We can’t imagine our lives without a mobile phone. So we cannot avoid using it in order to save money.
However, we choose certain plans where you get to talk maximum and pay minimum.
You need to aware all the plans offered by all the companies. Choose the plan which is best according to your need.
You could save a lot of money monthly if your mobile plan is right.

12. Use public transportation rather your car or bike

Petrol is already Rs 100/- for one liter and its cost is increasing day by day. Hence, you could use public transport like bus or metro instead of your car or motorbike.
If you are using public transport then it is very cheap because you have to monthly especially if you are a student.
Using your private vehicle would cost fuel which is very costly and add your expenditure.

13. Keep a piggy bank

Children do that and even you can do it. You can have a small piggy bank and keep filling it with lose money like coins of one, two and five.
Whenever you return from shopping, you always have change in your pocket. Instead of spending that spare cash in other things you could always put it into your piggy bank.
Once the bank is full, you can break it up and take all that money.

14. Always Ask your friends help

We all have friends; it is very smart to make use of them. If you are in great need of something or you are in some trouble then you could ask for help from your friend.
Suppose, your friends stays in a city that is very far away and you have some work in that particular city then instead of travelling to that city and paying money you could ask your friend to get your job done.
Similarly, there are small things in our lives that a friend of yours could help.

15. Buy everything in festival season

This is another smart way to save money. Your wife could do all of her shopping in a festival season.
You get a lot of discount if you shop in Diwali and other festive season.
Things like apparel, gadgets and other accessories could be bought in cheap rates at a wholesale price.
You could shop for entire year in a particular festive and in India there is always festive season.
So you will get an opportunity every now and then to shop in discount and save enough money.

16. Quit Habits like Smoking, Chewing tobacco etc

You could quit bad habits like chewing paan, smoking and even drinking alcohol.
A paan or even a cigarette could cost you more than Rs 100 to Rs 200 daily. There are people who smoke two packets of cigarette daily.
Moreover, alcohol is even more costly and bad for you health. Hence, you could get rid of these habits and save an amount of money that could buy you a house in next 20 years.
In addition to this, all these habits are injurious to your health. Check this article here to quit your bad habits to save money.

17. Buy your railway or air ticket online

You could buy your railway and airline ticket online. I personally book all my tickets for railways online.
If I have to travel next day then I would book it online using by credit card.
It saves you money because you do not have to pay for the travel agent.
You could do same thing when you buy an air ticket also.

18. Pay Your Bills on Time

You have to pay all your bills on due date. If you don’t then you have to pay heavy fine.
Same applies with paying EMI, if you miss payment for one month then you have to pay a heavy fine and if you repeat the same mistake again then amount could be double.
So avoid delaying your bills.

19. See a movie in home rather in a multiplex

Now a day, watching a movie in a theatre is like spending Rs 599 for a person. Besides paying for ticket you need to pay for popcorn, beverages etc.
Instead of spending some Rs 2000 for a family every week you could watch same movie with popcorn in your house.
A home theatre is better than watching movie in a multiplex every time.
And if you want to take this habit further then you can wait for 1 month & watch the movie on your idiot box.

20. Buy only those Products Which comes with money back guarantee

If bought a product and feel that it is not good enough then you should return the product back to the company and get your money back.
It is of no use buying a product which does not come with a money back guarantee.
You could get back the money and buy another product which you like hence you do not have to spend money twice.

21. Live in a smaller city

Finally, the best way to save a lot of money just in a year is by living in smaller city.
If your job allows you then you could move to a smaller city because expenditure is very less.
Cost of every commodity is less and you could save on everything you buy. Whether it is property or daily supply.
In conclusion, I would say that these were 21 quick tips to save money. You might notice that these tips could be implemented in your day to day life.
It does not need any science as a housewife can do it.

How to Start a Video Blog? A Complete Guide on Video Blogging

Today, every blogger realizes the importance of video blogging. Soon, other bloggers around the world would be jumping on to this bandwagon.Video blogging or Vlogging is going to completely change the face of blogging. Now, audience wants content which is more appealing to them and talks directly to them.

Masses are not interested in reading your stuff. Hence, smart bloggers are quick to make this transition. Although, video blogging is not for everyone, however you can still give a try because it is that easy.

How do you get started with video blogging? What do you need to get started?

What are the ways to promote it? What are its advantages and even disadvantages? And how to you monetize your videos to stay always on top?

These are various things that we will look in this article.

So before you start video blogging read this article and decide whether you want to go for it or not?

What is Video Blogging?

Well, I am not going to complicate things here as I will try to make it as simple as possible. Video blogging or informally known as Vlogging is not a new concept. It has been there for a while now.

Only thing is that now people are able to realize its true potential.

To make it simple, you most probably know YouTube, DailyMotion or Vimeo etc. The video posted there could be called as VBlog.

Individuals who are uploading their videos on these websites are generally called Vloggers. However, not everyone who uploads a video on YouTube could be called as a Vlogger.

It is because Vlogging is quite professional but others who upload are amateur. They upload their videos for fun or sharing it with their family and friends.

On the other hand, video blogging is to make some money with it apart from having just fun. An amateur could upload a video once in a week however a Vloggers need to do every day.

Video bloggers cannot afford to upload any type of content, the video they are uploading must be of good quality and people should enjoy watching it.

Moreover, in video blogging there is a tough competition from other video bloggers. So you need to come with new ideas to create videos which are unique and of good quality.

Therefore Vlogging is a serious business.

Is Video Blogging Harder than Traditional Blogging

The answer is Yes and No. Yes it could be harder if you think you are very shy on camera and have no intention appearing on it.

On the other hand, it could be very easier for those guys who love to face camera. Moreover, they do not have any interest in writing.

If you think you can write better and for you writing is the best way to communicate your message then there isn’t any need for video blogging.

Because everyone cannot create videos.

There are bloggers who are great when it comes to traditional blogging but they are equally bad at video blogging.

And vice versa, good Vloggers cannot be able to write something worth of reading.

Therefore, you need to make a decision whether you are fit for video blogging or not. If you think you cannot then don’t do it.

If you think you can then please go for it. You could see some great video bloggers on YouTube. If you can be one of them then you could give a shot.

How to Start a Video Blog?

Well, there is some technical stuff that you need to understand before you start video blogging. But there is something more important that you need to know because learning technical stuff can be done in few days however learning how to create quality videos take time.

Hence, we shall look how you can create good videos daily.

1. Watch all Sorts of Video

You need to get an idea first then you could create videos. If you do not know what others are creating then you will find it very difficult to create content.

Go to YouTube and watch videos which are very popular. Subscribe to all those channels and watch them regularly.

2. Practice and Record in Front of Camera

To overcome your fear you need to practice in front of a camera. Sit down in front of the webcam of your computer and start recording a video. It will give you a real time experience.

3. Start with Creating Videos with Your Friends and Family

The best way to start creating videos is to do with your family and friends. You could easily record with a camcorder and upload on YouTube. However, keep in mind if you want to be Vlogger then your videos must stand out. It should not be just an amateurish video.

4. Never Plagiarize, Develop Your Own Style

Usually, individuals who start Vlogging would like to plagiarize and copy other’s style. Never do that.

The great thing about video blogging is that it gives you a chance to develop your own style. And people who watch these videos always look something that is unique.

5. Focus on Content of the Video

Focus, only on content rather other gimmickry. If your content is not good then you cannot become a Vlogger.

What You Need to Start a Video Blog

In this paragraph, we shall look at all the technical stuff that you need to have for Video Blogging.

6. A Microphone

A good quality microphone to record your voice. You need to overcome external disturbances like winds and noise like traffic, commotion etc.

7. Lightning

Lightning should be perfect where you would be recording your video. You could record in a closed studio.

8. Camera

You could get a camcorder as you do not need to invest in costly cameras.

9. Screen Capture

You could use software like Camtasia to edit your videos. There are many other software that you can make use of it.

10. Editing Video

If you want advanced editing then you could get other paid software too.

Advantages of Video Blogging

1. Get Instant Fame and Recognition

You could be easily famous or become an Internet celebrity. If your channel becomes popular on YouTube and have thousands of subscribers then you could be very famous among your followers.

This chance is very less in traditional blogging.

2. Get Your Own Followers

As I said earlier you get a lot of fans. You can interact with them learn what they need. Your followers are key to success when it comes to video blogging.

3. Good for Selling Products

Video blogging could make you a lot of money if you can convert those visitors into customers. You can start endorsing products on your videos moreover you could also make money with YouTube partner program.

4. See Your Future in Mainstream Media

If you become so popular on Internet then mainstream media could notice and you could be a real star if you got some real talent.

Basically, you could expand your domain from Internet to going mainstream.

5. Do not Have to Learn Writing

You could also avoid pain of writing lengthy content. Vlogging is lot more fun compared to traditional blogging so you will never get bored.

However, I need to aware you with certain disadvantages of video blogging.

First would be you need to overcome many technological difficulties like setting up studio, cameras etc.

Then, videos are very hard to optimize thus very little chance for SEO if your video is mediocre.

Moreover, videos could easily alter the uploading speed of your website.

Hence, these were some disadvantages of Vlogging.

Ways to Monetize Video Blogs

Off Course Vlogging is not for charity, you are blogging for some money. Hence you should know all the tricks to monetize your videos.

Traffic

First step to monetize your video is to get traffic. You need to get traffic of good quality. Hence, make sure even if your video does not go viral but at least it should have enough visitors.

Become a YouTube Partner

Next is become a YouTube partner. It will give you banner ads to show on your videos. You could choose various ads and start running. It is very easy to use and you could easily to generate a lot of money.

Start Selling Products Online

You could also start promoting products on other’s behalf. You could become an affiliate and sell products and earn commission.

Start Giving Premium Services to Members

You could also charge a fee from your members if they want to listen premium content. Initially, you could give them free videos to listen but if they want more then they need to pay to subscribe.

Sign Up for as many as Sponsors

If your viewership is large then you could get direct sponsors to show their ads on your video. You could charge enough amount of money from them.

Become MotionMaker at DailyMotion or Blip.tv Partner

Apart from YouTube there are many other Vlogging websites like Dailymotion, Blip.tv, vimeo etc. You could become a MotionMaker at DailyMotion or a Blip.tv partner and make enough money out of it.

Tips for Vlogging

Here are few tips that could come handy when you are Vlogging.

1. Title is very important so create title which is close to your niche or topic of Vlogging.
2. Do Not bypass SEO rules because your ultimate goal is to rank high in YouTube search engine.
3. Your Video description should be at least of hundred words, not less.
4. Next, you need to take care of all technical requirements to create an effective video.
5. Recording camera and studio must be perfect if you want recording to be free of any disturbance.
6. Make all right decision in choosing right editing software.
7. Next comes the promotion and distribution of videos.
8. You should choose right platform to upload your videos like YouTube is the best one. Moreover, you need to keep in mind there are websites which are only good for uploading certain types of videos.
9. Timing is very important while making your video public. Choose the time when something is trending or very hot.
10. Lastly, I would say you need to create content which is genuine and unique. Visitors must love it and are ready to distribute across the social media.

Vlogging involves passion, if you have a passion for creating videos on a certain topic then go for it. Otherwise, do not waste your time here.

Credit Card Frauds and How to Protect Yourself

I have been using credit card since my college days and I remember the risk involved in using a credit card.
A number of times I have been cheated, from credit card robbery to skimming. I lost thousands of rupees because of credit card theft or fraud.
Hence, I decided to pen down an article using my experience to aware people who are using credit cards.
I thought it is my responsibility to help you guys from credit card frauds.

As you know we use credit card for various purpose from online transaction to offline swapping. You need to be careful every time you pull out your credit card.
So you need to know what different types of credit card theft are and how you can protect yourself from it.

Identify Fraud

This is the most common fraud that could happen. They are of two types

Application Fraud

Application fraud is nothing but when a crook make use of stolen or fudged documents to open an account using someone else name without any permission.
These criminals would steal documents like bank statements or your utility bills to generate their personal information.
In other words they may create a forged document.

Hacking of Account

Second is hacking of account.
Here, a hacker would hack or takeover your account by accumulating information about a person and then asking their card issuer by impersonating as if they are bonafide or genuine credit cardholder.
Then the criminal would ask to redirect the mail to a new address. Criminal will report for the credit card theft and he would ask for the new replacement to be sent to his new address.
That is how it works.

Skimming

Skimming is also a common method used by criminals to steal your credit card information.
A thief would try to get your credit card information through various ways.
They would steal your credit card number by

1. Taking the photocopy of your receipts and bills.
2. They could use an electronic device called Skimmer to spy or swipe the credit card number of other thousands of victim like you.
3. Using a small keypad for unobtrusively transcribing the 3 to 4 digit card security code not present on the magnetic strip.

So these are the ways through which a thief could steal your credit card number and take all your money.
This could happen when you are at

1. When you are in restaurants or shopping somewhere.
2. At petrol pump when skimmer is placed in the fuel dispenser.
3. At Call centers where information is stored of thousands of credit card holders.

ATM

I have to dedicate a special paragraph to make you aware that these thefts happen often at ATMs. I am a victim of it because my credit card information was stolen from the ATM itself.
They can put a device or a skimmer at the card slot of an ATM which could read the magnetic strip when a user swipes their card in it.
They could also use spy cameras in the ATM booth to steal your credit card number when you type in.
Another method used is a keypad overlay that matches up with the buttons of the legitimate keypad below it and presses them when operated. Then it records and wirelessly sends the keylog of the PIN entered outside to the thief.

Online Credit Card Theft or Phishing

This is the modern form of credit card theft or fraud. This types of frauds are growing at a faster rate.
Here hackers roaming around the Internet would lead an online visitor to a website which looks genuine and quite authoritative.
They would claim that website is a bank or a credit card company.
The design, look and feel of the website absolutely resembles the website of an original company. They would look into small details while creating it.
Therefore entire process of keying in your credit card information looks safe. But once you click the submit button the entire credit card information falls into the criminals hand and you lose all your money.
These sites are run from countries like China, Nigeria. Criminals sitting there run such fake website to dupe you and you fell into their trap.

Card Not Present

Here the physical credit card is not used because while placing any order online you have to give the number of the credit card.
Thief could use the stolen credit cards without exposing themselves.
How Do You Protect Yourself From Such Frauds
You have to be careful in two situations.
While using physical credit card and other is without presence of credit card.

Online Transaction

• Tip1: Use the card only on websites that has https as starting web address not http. ‘S’ is for secured.
• Tip2: See for the lock sign in the address bar or bottom of the screen.
• Tip3: If an Indian website does not ask for the authentication then do not make the transaction. Always use password a one-time password provided by your bank and the secured access password via Verified by Visa and Master secure code. Otherwise do not more forward. International sites does not ask for passwords so check their credibility before making a transaction.
• Tip4: Always check for security certificates on the payment gateways sites.
• Tip5: Make use of virtual credit card instead of real credit card. Generate the virtual credit card number after registration with bank. Your credit card limit is not exposed.
• Tip6: The most important thing to realize is keep your credit limit minimum.

Offline Transaction

Now comes the credit card theft for offline transaction. You have to be careful at certain places while you are swiping the credit card. Here the only problem is skimmer.

• Tip1: In restaurant or bar or shopping mall, do not let your credit card out of your sight. Moreover, while making transaction make sure that any electronic gadget or skimmer is not placed under the slot or the device.
• Tip2: You could also use chip and PIN based cards. It has a SIM-card like chip on the front and can be used only with 4 digit PIN.
• Tip3: Always blacken the CVV number.
• Tip4: In ATM or other places see that there are no cameras or devices installed for spying you.
• Tip5: Lastly always keep your eyes open before you take out your credit card from the wallet.

So these were certain tips that could save you from a credit card theft or fraud. First you need to know different types of credit card frauds then how you can protect yourself from it.

Read this article and start using your credit card smartly.

Why Home Business is Much Better than 9-5 jobs

Usually young graduates and experienced professionals work for a 9 to 5 job whether it is a govt job or a private job. However, there are many other alternatives to 9 to 5 jobs.
But the problem is common man hardly knows anything about jobs other than 9 to 5. So what are those jobs & business ideas from home which could be good alternative to your 9 to 5 job?
First such job that comes to my mind is home business. Do not get scared by the word business. Here business does not mean investing huge capital but a small start up cost that a lay man can afford it.



I have 21 reasons to convince you, why home business is better than 9 to 5 jobs.

1. Go to Work with a Broad Smile

In 9 to 5 job, you have seen every morning people going to their work in a depressed mood. However, in home business you start your work with a broad smile.
In home business, you start your day in a happy mood. However, in 9 to 5 job this is not the case.

2. Start Your Work in Pajamas

You can start working in pajamas. If you have a laptop, then start working right from your bed.
It is a home business hence you can operate your business from home also. Many businessmen who work from home have offices in their homes.

3. Choose Your Own Working Hours

In a private job, your working hours are decided by the company, but in a home business you choose your working time.
You can work at night, afternoon, morning anytime. It is not necessary that you have to work only from 9 to 5.

4. No Need to Commute

Commuting is the biggest disadvantage of a 9 to 5 job. I personally hate commuting in rush hours.
It is so crowded that, there is no space for even breathing. Moreover, it consumes so much of your time only in up and down.
However in home business, you have to hop from your bed to office table.

5. Be Your Own Boss

Sense of ownership is a great feeling and everyone would like to feel one day. In home business, you will be your own boss.
In 9 to 5 job you have to obey your boss or seniors. You have to work according to them. There is no sense of freedom.

6. No Prior Experienced Required

Starting a home business does not need any prior experience. It is not at all necessary that you need to have years of experience.
Home businesses are based upon an easy concept. You can start even if you do not have any idea. However to get a 9 to 5 job you need to have experience of many years.

7. No Work Pressure

When you do not have to commute and you are your own boss then the work pressure would obviously be zero in a home business.
But if you work for 9 to 5 then you have to meet deadlines. You have to finish your work on time. Otherwise you won’t get your salary.

8. No Limit when it comes to making Money

Unlike private jobs where your salary is decided by the management of the company, in home business salary depends upon you, how much you work.
If you work more then you could earn more money. There is no limit for making money in a home business.
But in a private company this is not the case.

9. Give More Time to Family & Friends

You could give more time to your family and friends because you are choosing your working hours.
In home business you can always take out time and spend that time with family and friends.
In a private job you get less time to spend with family and friends.

10. Go for Vacations Any Day or Any Week

You do not have to take permission for holidays from your boss. You can plan your vacation any time.
You can operate your business while you are enjoying your holidays. In a 9 to 5 job forget about going for vacations they do not even give one or two day leave.

11. Start with Minimum Qualification

Starting a home business requires bare minimum qualification. Even a 10th class pass can start his or her own home business.
You do not need any graduate degree or an MBA degree. What you need is simple common sense with a desire to succeed.
However in any 9 to 5 job a degree in any discipline is a basic requirement.

12. Home Business is Evergreen Business

Some businesses totally depend upon the market force. If market is doing well, only then their business will do well.
However, home business is evergreen and it is irrespective of how market is doing.

13. Minimum Start up Cost

If you talk about starting up a business then it requires a lot of investment. But in home business the initial investment is very less.

14. Risk Free Business

Home business involves no or very little risk compared to other forms of business. Anyone can afford to start up his own business if he is serious.

15. Ideal for Women & Housewives

One of the best things about home business is that even women and housewives can start it very easily.
In fact, many home businesses are run by women. It is a great way to become independent in their life.
Women who are looking after their families and do not have money, can start a home business and stand on their own feet.
9 to 5 job is very difficult for women. She always find very difficult working and looking after the family, at the same time. Hence home business can help them out.

16. Support from your Family

Moreover, in running a home business you get all necessary support from the members of your family.
Anyone can help or even join your business. This kind of support is missing in 9 to 5 jobs because there, you are responsible for everything.

17. Expanding Your Business

You always have an opportunity to expand your home business and explore new horizons. You can expand your business and make it real big.
However, an opportunity to expand is very limited in a 9 to 5 job.

18. Fully Recession Proof

Any kind of business is directly affected by recession. If there is a downturn then it may affect a business.
But home business is more recession proof. You make money even at the time of recession.

19. Financial Freedom

After running your home business for a small time you will make enough money that you will be completely financially free for your entire life.
On the other hand, a 9 to 5 job can never give you this kind of financial freedom even you work for decades.

20. Employing & Helping Others

At the time, when unemployment rate is so high, you are helping the country by providing jobs to people.
Small business like yours would always provide jobs to people who are unemployed. You are helping the country economically.

21. Go to Bed with a Feeling of Satisfaction

Finally, the most important thing is satisfaction. Whatever you do, you must be satisfied with the work you are doing.
When you go to sleep you will be completed satisfied with your home business.
However, in a 9 to 5 job you do not get the satisfaction because you are working for someone else.
A small home business is much better than a high paying 9 to 5 job in a private company or a sarkari jobs.

Hence, start planning to start your own home business now. For more help and complete guidance you can visit our website Jobs8Home.