Online Finance Blog

An accident claim can be a way to get compensation for an injury caused to a victim when it was not their fault. It is important for the victim to act as soon as possible, as there is a time limitation on how long after the accident any claim can be made.

The standard time limitation for accident claims is three years, which means that if court action does not commence within this time period then the victim of an accident is prevented from claiming the compensation that could rightfully be theirs.

There can be exceptions to the three-year time limit on injury claims, depending on the nature of the injury and the circumstances of the victim. The rules regarding these exceptions can be complex though, so it is vital that if you are involved in accident and would like to pursue a no win no fee accident claim then you should get in touch with a legal firm as soon as possible.

Getting expert legal advice after an accident is essential if you are to stand a chance of getting compensation. The money awarded to victims of accidents can help pay for a range of things, such as expenses for loss of earnings and for medical care.

Compensation is money that victims have a right to and are entitled to claim for, so they can use the financial compensation for a range of expenses. It’s important to remember the three-year time limit on making injury claims through a solicitor.

Gone are the days when finding a job was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. With the rise of the internet and the superior ways of communication it now seems all that is needed is a PC and broadband. Once both of these are achieved, it is easier than ever (and often faster) to find jobs that are applicable to you. There is even a wealth of resources giving you advice on how to find a job.

Whether you are looking for a job in accounting and finance or hospitality, travel and leisure or fancy something completely different, there are now search engine for job available where you get to view all jobs from major job boards on one search engine.

Once signed up you can choose to receive email alerts for jobs that match your criteria, subscribe to the RSS feed and manage all of your job offers in your very own menu section.

All you need to do is type in the job you want, where in the country you would like to work and with one click you will have, displayed in front of your very eyes, all the jobs available along with the information you require to apply.

If you have found yourselves at a crossroads in life and you are either hindered in your career or you have found yourself unhappy with the career you are in, you would probably benefit from looking at additional qualifications to boost your potential.

All too often people find themselves compromising their careers due to a lack of training and whilst finding time to pursue training and managing to fund it can be a challenge to some, the benefits are sure to be worth it. A course offering a business management diploma, for example, can provide you with a professional qualification which could help you gain an advantage over your peers for a career in business.

Search engines for education are now available online which offer users a gateway to a wide variety of information on courses along with the opportunity to contact course providers and discuss your requirements. Finding the right course, whether it is in business or something totally different becomes less of a daunting task and easier than ever before.

These search engines can also help keen business owners who would like to train their staff because they understand the notable benefits investing in their manpower will bring them and their business.

Over the past six months it’s been hard to escape the adverts on TV urging you into selling scrap gold, and there’s a good reason that there have been so many. The price of gold has rocketed up during the recession, as the low value of the dollar makes currency-based investments unattractive. Looking for some other, more reliable investment, people have turned back to this older and more traditional investment, one that dates back to the Ancient Greeks and beyond.

People are finding, just as people through all of history have, that gold is incredibly valuable, and sitting on a large stockpile of it can be a good idea. This means that they’re willing to pay plenty for even a small amount of the stuff, as each bit adds to their collection. The earring that no longer has its partner, an old ring you never wear anymore, the golden strap of a broken watch, all of these can be traded in for cash. They are then melted down, purified and sold on to people looking to invest in this precious resource. That earring could end up as part of a gold bar for sale at Harrods.

People all across the country are getting cash to put towards holidays, new cars, shopping sprees or even just paying off a mortgage, all by rooting through their old jewellery and finding something they don’t even need.

George Osborne, the shadow chancellor of the Conservative Party spoke out yesterday against Britain’s Retail banks paying ‘significant’ cash bonuses to employees in finance jobs. He believes there should be a drive to plough profits back into new lending and rather than paying out large bonuses, the money should go into the banks balance sheets explicitly to support new lending. Osborne, who named no individual institutions, is believed to have been alluding to the four big high street banks, Lloyds, Royal Bank of Scotland, HSBC and Barclays.

He called on the Treasury and Financial Services Authority to work together and stop retail banks ‘paying out profits in significant cash bonuses’. Osborne’s reaction comes after Gordon Brown said that he would crack down on unreasonable bonuses, the Prime Minister said “We are continuing to act on unfair and excessive bonuses being paid in the banking system that your money helped save.” Liam Byrne, chief secretary to the treasury said ‘We have stopped short of banning all bonuses for retail banks because it is unworkable, but we are presently negotiating with RBS and Lloyds on the payment of 2009 bonuses.”

Osborne’s call for a ban, which is the strongest attack yet by the Tories on banks suggested the bonuses be paid in shares to employees in banking jobs and that they should not be cashed for at least three years and he claimed that billions of pounds in ‘subsidised profits’ threatened to worsen the credit crunch.

With the tax payers bailing out the bank to help increase lending again, Osborne argued that the move wasn’t intended to leave Britain in a position where credit was being rationed while banks return to their big bonuses.

An argument that will continue to grow and develop I am sure, but who is right? Do we run the risk of losing invaluable financing and accounting staff in the haste of a total ban of bonuses or is it ludicrous to think that any member of banking staff should receive bonuses after the tax payers bailed the banks out last year?

Not surprisingly, as the financial crisis continues to grip the UK, there is an increasing shift on demand from private to public sector jobs in finance. An inevitable trend which sees finance jobs in the realms of Central and Local Government, Health, Housing, Education and charities, a preferable role with added security. Commitment to investment and borrowing from the government to protect and increase the scope of public sector jobs makes it more of an enviable sector to be in. Differences continue to divide the private and public sectors and some of the challenges that will always remain in public sector recruitment continue to be the complexity and importance of the accounting positions in the sector and the demand of specialist knowledge and capabilities within those roles.

Salaries, benefits and the general tone of working have always segregated the sectors but a continuous push from the public sector to become more in line with the private sector is starting to make a difference. Targeting candidates from industry and banking due to their results-focus and business intelligence provides more commercial awareness and increases business efficiency and performance for the public sector. Adopting a more commercial structure and identifying the transferable experience an individual has into non-profit environments are key factors to ensure public and non-profit organisations get as much value for money in a time when government reviews and motions are becoming increasingly more demanding.

However transferable and relevant a private sector individual has to the public sector still won’t deter from a greater need for understanding and empathy with the ‘product’ of the non-profit sector. Nor will it be acceptable for individuals to see public sector recruitment as the safest avenue, gaining employment in this sector requires a high level of commitment to integrating within the team and meet the public sectors demands and expectations and attaining highly accountable targets. There are certain roles within the private sector that lend themselves better to public and non-profit sectors than others and individuals from the private sector who have highly technical finance skills within a banking background find themselves well equipped with highly regulated organisations like government departments for example. For a true insight into getting into public sector roles based on your experience to date contacting a specialist recruitment agency will provide you with the vital information you need.

When looking for a new job, it’s important to know what it is you want. This doesn’t cover just the industry and pay grade (though of course you don’t want to be looking for accountancy jobs when you’re interested in software engineering), but what you expect from your workplace. What might seem like the best job in the world could turn into a daily trip to hell if you don’t like the people you work with.

Some aspects that you might want to consider are things such as the size of the company. Whereas a larger company may offer more benefits, and possibly higher pay, you may find that you’re a small cog in the machine, often ignored or overlooked. If you are comfortable with that, or if you believe you possess the tenacity to make yourself heard, then that’s fine. If not, you might want to consider working in a smaller company, where it will be easier to get to know everybody and make yourself heard, but you may have more responsibilities and a larger workload, coupled with fewer benefits.

Once you have decided what you want from your workplace, do some research on any companies you apply to. This can involve talking to friends and family, or looking online for past and current employee stories. If you find something on a major news site, be very sure to check if its positive or negative.

Remember to make the most of your interviews. Ask probing questions, and pay attention to how people treat each other. If you have a chance to get to know the current employees then make the most of it. These are some of the best opportunities you’ll have, as only you know what you’re really looking for.

Though it may seem a little daunting to try and base your opinion on what could be a single interview, you’re not alone in your search. Websites such as bestcompanies.co.uk can help you discover if your potential employer has a good track record, and they operate in multiple sectors, from finance jobs to careers in creative design. Not every company is listed in these sites, but if yours is, it’s a very good sign.

Hopefully, these tips will ensure you don’t end up working for a nightmare company. It’s another item in a long list of factors that you have to bear in mind when looking for jobs, but it is an important one.

In life there are many things that you can’t prepare for and one of which are accidents. If you are the victim of an accident then you could be entitled to an accident compensation claim.

An injury could leave you with long or short term pain and why should you have to suffer? If the accident was not your fault than there is a good chance that you will be able to make a claim. Perusing a UK accident claim is becoming more popular and more excepted in society. Getting justice for an accident as well as financial aid could help with the burden of any loss of earnings that might be incurred.

Many accident sufferers are unable to work due to the nature of their injury. The pain in some cases can be quite intense. A broken rib from a car traffic accident or an injured back from a work related mishap are some just some examples.

An accident, bedsides having physical implications can have a massive impact financially. This is never more true that those who have a family to look after. A reduction in income can leave the family short of money which can impact on all areas of family life. Things like, being unable to make payments on bills, loans, and the mortgage. Being unable to provide basic essential things like food, without having to borrow money from friends and family. Just these few key problems can put a lot of extra pressure on other members of the family and those around you.

There are some great accident compensation claim companies out there that will be able to help you. Taking all of these elements into consideration and being honest will maximise your claims potential. Ensuring that you get the most from your injury and offering a no win, no fee service can be a great way to know you have a good deal and really get all that you are entitled to.

Everyone will be well aware that finding a job whilst in a recession can be extremely difficult as unemployment numbers are higher than ever. Job hunting can be hard in area such as the financial sector which has been hit hard.

The first thing we suggest is looking at the industry itself, if you have been made redundant and your employers are downsizing in the financial sector, is it a sector you want to still work in. If yes then you are going to have to patient and be persistent. Things aren’t going to magically change and everything will be back to normal. Employers will be looking for passionate and dedicated people who can help them through the tough times. Once you have thought long and hard about the industry and whether you want to continue working in it, you need to think of what career you would like within it. Many people who have been made redundant find it hard to find a position doing the same job and for the same salary. After trying to find a suitable replacement that matches the job you are looking for the skills you have, it maybe worth seeing what other careers you can use your qualifications and skills in.

Another technique for job seekers who are finding it hard to find the ideal job is to consider applying for jobs that maybe lower on the career ladder and at a lower wage. This would mean that you have an edge over the competition as you have experience and relevant skills and you can work your way back up. This may not sound ideal, but in these tough times it might be a tactic like this that gets you back working in the finance sector.

One of the best ways you can prepare yourself for finding a new finance job is to make sure how competitive each position will be. You need to be fully prepared and to make sure you have a professional appearance this includes your resume, cover letter and things like social network profiles. One of our best tips is to make sure your social media profiles are clean and don’t have anything you would like a potential employer to see. It is not unusual for employers to add you as a friend on facebook and take a look over your profile. To boost your online presence, you should consider creating a LinkedIn profile and networking with peers in your industry.

It seems obvious advice, but it is even more important in these tough times. Make sure you customise each cover letter, CV and communicating e-mails to the person you are sending it to and the position you are looking at. Make sure you stand out from the competition, but make sure you are truthful, lying or bending the truth will usually be discovered and can lead to embarrassment or worse.

Financial Recruitment companies, job boards and executive recruiters should all be used effectively in your hunt for a job. Networking with people in the industry is also a great way to find out whether people are aware of any positions available, services like LinkedIn and Twitter are great for things like this. You never know putting a message out there, that you are looking for work could lead to your dream job so don’t write it off.

These tips are only some suggestions on how to find employment during recession, but nothing can beat good old hard work and persistence.

Dragons Den star Theo Paphitis gives some words of wisdom on how he made himself successful and how he has made his millions.

Do what you enjoy

“There’s a test: if you can’t bore your mates in the pub about what your job is then you’re not doing it right. You have to be so passionate that you make them go, “will you shut the hell up about work?”"

Don’t fear the unknown

“A lot of people are just carrying on doing what they’ve been doing all their lives because they’re frightened of what’s out there. Don’t be scared of doing something new, otherwise you’ll end up doing the same thing forever, and then you’ll retire and you’ll never be happy. The simple truth is that other people are out there doing what you want to do, and the fact that they’re doing it means that it’s possible”.

Keep it Simple

“Or KISS as I like to say - keep it simple, stupid. People complicate things, and you’re always in danger of doing it yourself. Sometimes people come to see me and I haven’t understood a word they’re on about, and they’ve complicated something that is the simplest thing in the world”.

Delegate

“The trick is to aim to make yourself redundant, I promise you, you won’t actually be made redundant, because everybody looks for people who’ve got time on their hands. Make yourself redundant and you’ll get more work and, because of that, you’ll progress. People panic - they think that if they’re not being seen to be working hard, their boss will get rid of them”.

Works Smart

“This kind of goes back to my last point - don’t just think working hard until 9pm every night means you’re good at your job, it doesn’t. If you want to work hard, go and work in a coal mine - what you want to do is work smart, by not being a busy fool. Look at what you’re doing and make sure it has a practical, meaningful end”.

Incentivise

“This is a very special one because you have to give people incentives. However generous you may feel you are by giving them a job and having your lovely guidance, you still have to give them something to aim for. People work through fear and greed. Do not use fear, because after a while it doesn’t work, but greed is good; greed works. And what they really want is money”.

Break everything into bite-sized chunks

“Very important - whatever you’ve got to do, break it down into manageable pieces: no one ever got to the top of a mountain I none leap, you have to establish base camps”.

Problem solve

“The way to solve problems is to look at your bite-sized chunks and remember that in the vast majority of cases it’s never really one thing that’s causing the problem. It’s usually a combination of things, so don’t just look for the silver bullet that’s going to solve everything”.

Make decisions

“Never be scared of getting a decision wrong - the simple trick is to get more right than wrong. The person who’s never got a decision wrong is the person who’s never made a decision. Trust me, I’ve made many wrong decisions”.

It’s all about cash-flow

“This runs through the whole core of everything I do. Having no profit is like a cancer, you die very slowly. You can run businesses without a profit, but you’ll slowly perish, and having no cash-flow is like a heart attack. You’re dead, if you can’t pay staff at the end of the month, the business is bust, if you can’t pay your business rent, the business is bust”.

Remember why you work

“You should always remind yourself of the three reasons you go to work: One: to make money. Two: to have fun. And three: not to forget to make money”.

If you are looking for your start in business, contact Martin Ward Anderson for Jobs in Finance, Accountancy Jobs and Banking Jobs.