CFI.co Blog - Page 8 of 47 - Business, Finance, Economics

If you are serious about instilling growth in your business, you need to prioritise not only hiring the right kind of talent but also keeping it for as long as practically possible. After all, attempting to fill a gap left by the departure of a gifted employee can be a hassle.

Business Meeting

Here are several reliable strategies for attracting and keeping workers…

Actively manage your employer brand

This can include responding to reviews and keeping the company’s profile updated. Doing this can help your business to draw attention from ‘passive candidates’ — a term Business News Daily has implied could describe over 75% of professionals.

Fostering a strong employee brand can also reduce your employee turnover by 28%.

Look up applicants on social media

Chances are that at least some of the people applying for jobs with your company will have a presence on social media — in which case, you could peruse the candidates’ social media profiles before deciding who exactly to offer an interview.

Nonetheless, you should be careful not to run the legal risk of unconscious bias or discrimination slipping into your selection process.

Look for a personality that would suit the job

Once you have gained a meaningful insight into a candidate’s personality, see if the job would be appropriate for it.

For example, if the job is that of a nurse or social worker, it would naturally be ideal for the successful applicant to be someone who shows empathy in abundance.

Offer an enticing package of employee benefits

This can be a reliable method of attracting applicants from many different backgrounds, since a wide-ranging selection of employee benefits can have a similarly wide appeal.

So, what benefits could you go for? One good option would be group life insurance, where money would be paid to the family of an employee if they pass away when in your employment. However, you might want to mix things up with some quirkier perks, too.

Continue to offer remote work options

“The pandemic demonstrated that long-term remote work is possible,” John Dooney of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) tells CIO.

The HR knowledge advisor adds that giving employees a degree of control over when and where they work helps to “increase employee satisfaction, which leads to retention”.

Provide opportunities for education and promotion

Once someone has joined your company, you can expect them to have ideas for how they might progress within it. So, when you want to fill a senior position, it could be particularly beneficial for you to promote from within.

That way, the promoted employee will feel valued as well as crucial to the company’s success.

Solicit feedback from your workers

It would bode well for you to keep your personnel informed about what is happening at the organisation — and seek their thoughts on what direction the business should take.

Dooney explains: “Employers may want to conduct stay interviews with employees to help understand any concerns an employee may have, and come up with ways to address those concerns.”

Budgeting

Smart Financial Tips for College Students

ByCFI.co Blogger

The class “Personal Finance for Young Adults” usually isn’t part of a high school curriculum – an unfortunate oversight that leaves many young people clueless about how to manage their money, apply for credit, and stay out of debt. Now that you’re in college, it’s likely that you’re in charge of your financial affairs more so than when you lived at home and mainly functioned in the realm of your parents’ economic universe. Indeed, you have more freedom to decide where and how to spend money.

College Students

But with that freedom comes the responsibility to spend money wisely. That’s what it’s like when you’re on your own – you get to decide. And you also get to experience the consequences of your choices, both good and bad. Soaring tuition costs coupled with financial unpreparedness spell a recipe for financial setbacks. Accordingly, it is crucial to understand basic financial tips for students and other core lessons about money.

9 Practical Financial Literacy Tips for College Students

While you may be forgiven for being nose-deep in your books, it’s time to reflect on how you manage your money. Do you have a budget? Or are you spending it on the go? Remember that the younger you are, the more time your savings and investments will grow – the sooner you start, the better. Here are some practical, real-world financial tips for college students you can take advantage of to reinforce your saving and spending habits.

Create A Budget

Carefree high school students frequently spend whatever is in their bank account, living off their parents’ generosity or the spoils of a part-time job. Once that student moves to college, a budget becomes indispensable. Making a monthly or semester budget is the first step toward staying on top of your finances. Budgeting gives you a big-picture view of your money, so you can make informed spending and saving decisions. Start by identifying your income for the semester or year, including paychecks if you have a job, loans, grants, and family contributions. Accounting for your inflows gives you an idea of how much to spend each month. Thereafter, plan for essential needs like transport and food. In whatever is left, you can save a fixed percentage and spend on other expenses like trips or simple pleasures. Remember to stick to your budget because straying from your financial blueprint defeats its purpose and risks pushing you into debt.

Practice Self-control

One simple but effective financial tip for college students is always paying with cash, not credit. You’re lucky if your parents taught you self-control. If not, understand that the sooner you learn the essential life skill of delaying gratification, the sooner you’ll keep your personal finances in order and as a habit. Put your money for everyday purchases on a debit card instead of a credit card. A debit card attracts no additional fees when making transactions, unlike a credit card with a high-interest charge. Use credit cards only for emergencies.

Track Your Spending

Write down every purchase you make or use a budget app. Create a routine that includes a regular accounting of your finances. Simply tracking what you spend can help you notice patterns and understand where your money is going. It also enables you to identify if you need to make a change. This financial self-knowledge will make your life calmer and allow you to focus on more important matters like your grades.

Exploit Student Discounts

College students should become masters in exploring ways their educational status can save them money. Restaurants, local venues, vendors, and services near college campuses often offer student discounts that can save you big money. What’s more, you should learn the value of hunting down great deals by looking for bargains. Being discount-obsessed is also an excellent financial tip for high school students since many companies offer discounts in the form of student memberships.

Use Cheap Essay Writing Services

It’s essential to make time for fun and relaxation even as you juggle academic work, family obligations, and social life. Sometimes students feel zapped from energy because they have too much on their plate and end up buying expensive college essays online. Luckily, you can use cheap but reliable and trustable professional essay writing help without breaking the bank. Custom Writings is a college paper writing service that offers affordable academic writing help from scratch for students in the USA and worldwide. Their writers deliver subject-savvy, content-rich custom college essays and research papers that help students fulfill their educational goals without blowing holes in their budgets. More free time, better grades, and financial wellness are three key benefits you get from using their services.

Set Financial Limits

Imposing financial limits for necessary items is another way to curb impulse buying. Setting a spending limit doesn’t necessarily prevent you from making impulse purchases but helps you pause and assess whether the new iPhone is necessary. By setting a relatively low limit, say $100 per month, you get a wiggle room without having carte blanche when it comes to spending power. Add the non-essential money into your student’s proposed budget, separate from basic expenditures on food and gas.

Avoid Full-price Textbooks

Ah, the textbook – the budget breaker for college students everywhere. While it’s true that some professors change and update texts practically every year, the vast majority use the same textbooks each academic year. Students shouldn’t have to shell out hundreds to shop for books before class. As a student, you can exploit many ways to save money on college textbooks, such as shopping for second-hand books from Amazon. You can also rent a book online or borrow local libraries. This financial wellness tip helps you recoup some of the cash spent on buying books.

Get A Job

Of course, college should be fun. The freedom of being on your own is something to be savored, and the social aspects of college are nearly as vital as classes. But if you can, adding a part-time job to the equation can significantly boost your income. Many college jobs have flexible schedules built to accommodate students. So, find a job that fits your workload without spreading yourself too thin. That extra cash can make a huge difference in managing a budget.

Collaborate with Roommates

Having roommates in college is pretty much a necessity. So, if you’re doing college solo, you have set yourself up for a much more expensive ride. Undoubtedly, living with roommates can be a challenge, but saving on housing can make it worthwhile. It’s crucial to go beyond having roommates to cut down on housing costs.

The Bottom Line

Your financial decisions during college have a lifelong impact, which is why it’s important to have financial literacy. You don’t need an MBA in Finance or even specialized training to become an expert at managing your personal finances. Following these basic financial tips for students can lead you to financial security, which forms the cradle for building the rest of your dreams. Remember, these ideas are not just for college students but also practical financial tips for high school students.

Budgeting

Six Essential Habits to adopt for a Brighter Financial Future

ByCFI.co Blogger

Your financial future depends entirely on several habits that may not seem to have anything to do with money or finances. Getting the right information from online tools like Velocity trader reviews is one way but are there other ways? The answer is yes. The journey to financial freedom can be shorter and less arduous if you adapt these six habits.

finance-budgeting

Remain Poised

Like many aspects of life, it is important to remain agile and poised through all aspects of financial situations, good or bad. Losing composure often leads people down a financial rabbit hole chasing high-profit, low-risk investment ghosts that leave them financially drained. Practice keeping a level head through tough times by learning and experimenting with low-cost situations.

Consistency

No habit will significantly impact your life unless you consciously and consistently implement it. It takes about a month to get acclimated to a new habit and start enjoying yourself. The first few days are always the hardest. Encourage yourself to stick to new habits, make bad habits hard to physically achieve, and implement visual reminders to keep yourself on track. In time, your efforts will pay off by being reflected in your bank account.

Use the Best Trading Tools

Trading tools are especially useful if you are looking to invest, which is a crucial habit to initiate in search of a brighter financial future. Tools like Velocity trader reviews give you an upper hand in making crucial financial decisions. Numerous financial tracking tools on the internet help you make the right financial decision for future gain. Make use of these free tools and any other that may require regular subscription fees but add actual value to your life.

Knowledge is Power

If you are determined to make a true difference in your financial journey, you will take measures to increase your knowledge base about money. It is common knowledge that schools do not teach us about money management, so it is important to enlighten yourself using free data littered across the internet. So instead of spending your lunch break scrolling through a social media app, grab a pen and paper and get learning.

Plan for Everything

Monthly or annual budgets and goals will save you a lot of financial chaos and turmoil. Making shopping lists is also a great way to plan for each aspect of your spending. The key to planning is using measurable and timed goals to create plans, so everything falls perfectly in place when the time comes. Planning may also involve identifying areas where the opportunity to save arises.

Discipline

Setting financial goals and making budgets are useless if you have difficulty sticking to the plan. Discipline is a habit that will put you in the top 5% of any crowd. Most people find it difficult to stay disciplined because of external forces, so it is important to forge your focus skills. Always keep your focus fixed on what needs to get done at the moment. One small at a time is the way to go.

The Takeaway

Your financial freedom is entirely in your hands, affecting you and your future generations. Don’t get left behind; take matters into your hands, start practicing these habits, and give yourself a financial leg up.

Technology

Online searches for ‘work from home jobs near me’ have grown by 300% since March 2020

ByCFI.co Blogger

“Quit rates have been steadily increasing over the past 10 years,” US-based professor of management Kristie McAlpine recently told the BBC, underlining why the much-publicised ‘Great Resignation’ evidently did not start with the COVID-19 pandemic.

WFH

Indeed, resignation letters have continued piling up in historically high numbers even as the pandemic threat has receded. Overall, since March 2020, online searches for ‘work from home jobs near me’ have grown by 300%, as London Loves Business reports.

The pandemic’s role in the Great Resignation

There are suggestions that the trauma of the COVID crisis led many people to look again at what they wanted to get from their work.

“We were going through a time where we lost millions of people,” McAlpine, of Rutgers University School of Business — Camden, recalled to the BBC. “It’s hard to imagine how that can all occur and not kind of force us to think about what’s important to us.”

In this light, the 300% figure — as revealed in research by the HR firm Cydney’s Creative Solutions — should not overly surprise.

However, many people have remained active in hunting for jobs, with the Cydney’s findings also including a particularly recent 40% increase in online searches for ‘jobs’ over just a six-month period.

Why have resignations continued at a staggering rate in 2022?

In January 2022, 29% of UK workers reported that a job change was something they were considering for that year. For many US workers, however, this prospect became more than just a consideration — as, in March 2022, 4.5 million of them actually did quit.

One big reason why could have been a widespread yearning for more flexibility in working practices. Cydney’s has found many of its clients claiming that hybrid work models have brought them numerous benefits — including reduced commuting time and higher productivity.

However, another factor could be an emerging focus on wellness — for both employers and employees. Many Cydney’s clients have started offering their staff heightened support packages ranging from team wellness activities to counselling sessions.

What could employers do to combat the Great Resignation?

Cydney’s Creative Solutions founder and CEO Camile Duria has urged business leaders to “reassess their existing HR resources and set out to bring them in line with the new expectations from workers.”

If you run a business, its office might not be particularly suited to workers’ post-pandemic priorities — especially if your company originally moved into this office before the pandemic.

So, you might want to consider booking a new flexible workspace ideal for hybrid working. Workspaces like this are available to rent in various major UK locations — including London, Birmingham, Bristol and Milton Keynes.

Finding a cost-effective workplace like this could also free up money for your business to potentially spend on supporting its employees through the current economic turmoil.

New figures indicate that, worldwide, the increased cost of living is now a major concern for 29% of Generation Z workers as well as 36% of millennial workers. Therefore, the financial perks you offer to employees could hugely assist you in keeping them.

Technology

5 ways you can save money with unified communications

ByCFI.co Blogger

Unified communications is the new ‘big thing’ in business and IT, and for good reason. Moving all communications to the cloud is a brilliant way for companies to reduce costs and increase productivity within the workplace. If you want to know exactly how unified communications could help you to save money, keep reading.

Unified Communications

No hardware is required

On-premises systems generally require a range of hardware like clunky phones on each desk to operate effectively, not to mention the storage space. As well as this, trained IT staff need to be hired which is very costly, and that’s without even going into the costs of maintenance and repairs. Unified communications eliminate all of these costs.

Increased productivity

When there are sufficient or adequate communication tools for employees to use, productivity wanes. Employee productivity is one of the most expensive resources and not one that companies can afford to waste.

With unified communication tools like Voice, Data and Mobile Services by Gamma, employees are able to work in a range of different locations. This will increase productivity because employees aren’t limited in their movements and can get more done outside of the office.

A reduction in downtime

One of the major benefits of cloud based unified communication systems is that it eliminates employees relying on their hardware as much. Instead of having to work at the mercy of your communication systems, the cloud provides a higher level of reliability and effectively fool proofs your systems.

There will be no more wasted time when disaster strikes, and hardware issues take you offline.

Increased employee retention

With the increase of remote and hybrid workers after the coronavirus pandemic, the satisfaction of employees has never been so significant. Companies now have more choice in who they hire, and remote employees have more freedom. Employees need the right tools to be able to do their work and unified communications delivers exactly what out of office employees need most – effective communication and mobility.

This all amounts to cost savings because the happier the employees are, the more likely they are to stay, resulting in less turnover and lowered costs associated with replacing and retraining employees.

Unified communications is a lot more scalable

With on premises hardware, companies don’t have the flexibility they have with unified communications. The capacity is fixed so they will have to pay for the full use of systems, even when a lot of users aren’t actively using the system. In contrast, unified communications isn’t fixed so companies only have to pay for what they need at a given time.

Instead of paying for 100 possible seasonal workers, unified communications allows companies to scale up or down as needed so they don’t need to stick with anything that’s too expensive or struggle with not having enough capacity.

Final thoughts

As you can see, there are numerous ways that unified communication systems can save you and your company money. After all, more time working and less time messing with technology is the key to happier, healthier workforces. All that is left to do is try out, and see whether it works well for you.

Banking

Pay Off My Mortgage or Invest? Consider These Things Before You Decide

ByCFI.co

More and more mortgage loans are getting approved by the Bank of England every year. In April 2021, 86,921 of them got approved which was an 81% increase year-over-year.

Do you have a mortgage as well? Are you almost finished paying it off or did you remortgage it and are now deeper in debt than ever?

A mortgage is good debt, but does that mean that you should hold off on paying off your mortgage and invest instead? This is an age-old debate in financial circles and among homeowners – ‘pay off my mortgage or invest?’

Each individual will be different in which course they should choose. Keep reading for some factors that can help you decide.

Pay Off Your Mortgage Quicker

If you are the kind of person who stays up at night worrying about your mortgage and the debt that you are under, then your best course of action is to pay off your mortgage quicker. There’s no need to become an anxious wreck or deteriorate your mental and physical health because you are constantly worrying about your mortgage.

Also, consider that inflation is causing interest rates to rise rapidly. If that’s a concern of yours, then paying off your mortgage early is a good way to boost your finances.

Pros

There are many pros to paying off your mortgage quicker:

You become debt-free and that frees you up in a way
You don’t have to pay exorbitant amounts for interest payments
Once you pay down your mortgage you are free to use that additional income as you wish

Don’t make the mistake though of paying down your mortgage, only to use that leverage to buy some other big-ticket items, like a car or a world cruise.

Cons

Some cons to consider when paying off your mortgage sooner:

There are prepayment penalties to paying off your mortgage sooner
You are going to miss out on all tax deductions and advantages of having a mortgage

If your mortgage is your only investment, then you are in big trouble. That’s because you are missing out on all the other potential investments you could undertake.

Putting Your Money Into Investments

Some folks are firmly entrenched in the ‘save for retirement first‘ camp. The main reason for this? The power and magic of compound interest over time.

Pros

If you start investing when you are in your 20s, you have to invest less money over your lifetime, than someone who pays off their mortgage first and then starts investing in their 40s or 50s.

Let’s look at the numbers. If you start saving in your 20s and invest $100 every month for 40 years, you would end up with a neat $1.17 million after.

A friend of yours who waits until their 50s to start investing, even if they invest $1000 a month for 10 years, would only have $230,000. This assumes a 12% compound rate on your investments.

But, the conclusion is quite clear. Waiting to invest can rob you of all that precious compound interest and growth time. You would have to invest more money each month if you start later and you won’t even end up with that much more despite the additional investment.

Another big pro to investing your money starting now, rather than waiting until you pay off your mortgage is that you can take advantage of any employee matching programs that your job might offer. This is essentially free money that you can pour into your investments at no disadvantage to you.

Cons

Not to say that there are no cons to this way of doing things. No matter if you are putting money into investments each month, your debt is still looming large over your head.

Your mortgage is there in the background, constantly reminding you that you are in debt and your assets aren’t liquid. You can’t stop making mortgage payments, and that can put a dire strain on your finances as you try to juggle both investments and mortgage payments while trying to live a reasonable quality of life.

Some folks live an extremely frugal life because they don’t have enough income to balance both mortgage and investments at the same time. But if that’s not something that appeals to you, then this option might not be up your alley.

Doing Both in Moderation

When you can’t figure out if one way or another works for you, then the middle way seems like the best option. Instead of pouring all your disposable income into paying off your mortgage or investing, how about you put a moderate amount into both?

This way you don’t have to sacrifice your current lifestyle for your future self. You can still enjoy an occasional meal out and a bit of travel each year. And you can splurge on big-ticket items when the need arises.

You can make decent progress towards both goals by tamping down on your impatience and taking it slow and steady. You might not pay down your mortgage in 15 years or you might not make millions from your investment, but at least you will be able to live a balanced lifestyle while taking care of your financial future.

Everyone reading this article is working with a different life situation. We can’t tell you which option is best for you. You would have to decide that for yourself, but the information above should make your decision easier.

Question: Pay Off My Mortgage or Invest?

This question might seem simple, ‘pay off my mortgage or invest,’ but the answer is quite complicated indeed. Take your time and use all the information presented above to make the best judgment for yourself.

There isn’t a ‘wrong’ answer to this question. It’s just what you are comfortable with and what risk and debt level you can handle. If you would like to read more articles on retirement to build up your knowledge base, keep browsing through our blog.

Wealth Management

How to Know Whether Your Retirement Income Will Be Enough

ByCFI.co

Forget about public speaking or bungee jumping. Not having enough retirement income is the new biggest fear of Brits (and folks all over the developed world).

Are you in the same boat? Do you worry that you will have to get a part-time job, downsize, or beg from relatives to survive your golden years? Keep reading through the article below to know whether your retirement income will be enough to tide you over or not.

Did You Take Into Account All the Retirement Income Killers?

Before you start calculating how much income you will need during retirement, you need to account for all those scenarios and situations that could drain your retirement income dry. We go through some of them below.

Not Having a Long-Term Care Plan

This can be one of the biggest drains on your retirement income if you are not prepared for it. It’s easy enough to make sure that you have some kind of long-term care insurance plan in place, so that if (or when) you need it in your old age, you are not dipping into your dwindling retirement income.

If you know that you have a history of dementia or some other debilitating brain disease, it would be a good idea to purchase a long-term insurance plan, just in case. It’s better than having to dip into your retirement income and running out of cash way too soon.

Not Accounting For Increased Healthcare Costs

Even if you don’t have any major illnesses or diseases in your family history, healthcare costs (and costs in general) are going to increase with time. Inflation will take care of that.

Hopefully, you have saved up enough, while accounting for such increased costs (adding 25% to how much you spend right now is a good way to do it). Consider this: it’s always better to have more saved up for retirement than less. You never know when that extra will come in handy.

Not Taking Care How Much You Withdraw Each Year

We will speak more about the 4% rule below, but ideally, you should be withdrawing 4% or less from your retirement income every year. The problem is that too many folks get overenthusiastic in their newfound retirement freedom and start spending willy-nilly without any discernment or care.

Don’t do this to your older self. Leave YOLO to the younger folks, and take care not to spend beyond your means, even if you are finally retired and looking to enjoy life.

Not Being Careful When Buying Big-Ticket Items

Presumably, you have already paid off your mortgage and all your other debt. Even so, you have to be careful when purchasing big-ticket items like a motorized home or a vintage car in your retirement years. These expenses can quickly add up and before you know it, the retirement income that was supposed to tide you over until the end is depleted and gone.

Not Being Cautious When Lending Money to Children

It can be hard to see your children struggling with money problems. But if you keep bailing them out whenever they have an issue, they are never going to learn and you are soon going to run out of income yourself.

If you are going to lend to them, make sure they have a plan to pay you back or ensure that you have enough left over for yourself.

Not Considering Divorce or Other Situation Changes

So many things can change in the 40 years or more (especially if your life expectancy extends rapidly) while you are retired. You could get divorced and get remarried. This will change your financial situation quite a bit as you will have to split your retirement savings according to the court rulings.

Make Sure You Use the 4% Rule

This is how retirement income is usually calculated. You would first add up all your current yearly expenses (or monthly times 12). Probably you won’t use 100% of your current income during retirement, since you will be living a simpler life.

Thus, 80% of your current monthly income is considered an average for how much you would spend during retirement.

This average will bump up or down depending on your specific situation. Use the various scenarios mentioned above to consider how that would change your retirement savings goals.

Once you have a final figure for your monthly expenses, then you would multiply that by the number of years you expect to live after retirement. If you have a history of longevity in your family, then make sure you account for that.

For example, if your monthly figure is 4000 pounds and you are planning for a 40-year retirement life span, you would need to save 40*12*4000, that is, 1.92 million pounds.

Each year, you would withdraw 4% from this 1.92 million pounds to sustain your lifestyle.

Focus on Income Not Overall Savings

Remember that the money you have saved up will not be sitting there idle. But, it will be making money for you throughout its lifespan. That is, you will have invested it into bonds, stocks, or a combination of investments.

That’s why you also need to think about how much income you will receive from your investments when you calculate how much to save for retirement. You can also take into account government pensions and other reliable income sources, like a business you might still own or dividends from stocks.

Don’t rely too much upon pensions or government social security programs though, since you have no idea if these will be bankrupt by the time you end up retiring. Better to think of them as a bonus rather than a necessity.

Retirement Income Doesn’t Need to Be an Adult Horror Story

You don’t need to start shivering in your boots or cowering with fear every time you think of your retirement savings plan. If you take the advice offered above and calculate your retirement income carefully, you should have more than enough to last you your entire lifetime.

Retire comfortably by keeping informed. Subscribe to our blog, so you can stay on top of financial trends and more.

Finance

Metlife Investment Management to Acquire Specialist ESG Impact Manager Affirmative Investment Managment

ByCFI.co Blogger

Affirmative Investment Management (AIM) announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by MetLife Investment Management.

(MIM), the asset management business of MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET). The acquisition is subject to regulatory approval.

MIM is a global public fixed income, private capital and real estate investment manager that provides tailored investment solutions to public and private pension plans, insurance companies, endowments funds and other institutional clients. MIM has over 150 years of investment experience, with offices in the US, Europe, Latin America and Asia comprising over 900 investment professionals and US$590.9 billion in assets under management, at 30 June 2022.
AIM focuses on mobilising mainstream capital to address the major challenges the world faces. Its mission is to manage fixed income portfolios that generate positive environmental and social impact without compromising financial returns. As the ESG impact and transition bond markets continue to expand, the opportunity to offer investment solutions to meet client demand has broadened from impact into transition, and public into private debt and real estate finance. MIM provides AIM with additional depth and breadth of complementary investment capabilities and resources that allows us to build upon our industry leadership and expand our impact and transition investment solutions in the future.

MIM will integrate AIM’s investing experts, processes and research capabilities to drive excellence in sustainable investing, develop new investment solutions and enhance MIM’s fundamental research, underwriting and security selection processes.

“We are pleased to be able to join a world-class institutional investment firm in MIM and continue our mission to deliver mainstream financial returns along with positive environmental and social impact” said Stephen Fitzgerald, who co-founded AIM in 2014. “Upon integration with MIM’s investment teams, we believe that we will deliver differentiated impact and transition investment insights and solutions to our combined roster of global clients while continuing to support positive environmental and social change.”

“By combining AIM’s expertise with MIM’s longstanding commitment to sustainable investing, we will be even better positioned to provide more comprehensive insight and counsel to clients and consultants on the changing market dynamics related to ESG and impact considerations,” said Steven Goulart, president of MIM and executive vice president and chief investment officer for MetLife. “MIM will maintain its fundamental investment processes, while AIM brings us additional capabilities to go deeper for clients on evaluating sustainability and risk considerations across all of our core competencies in public fixed income, private fixed income and real estate.”

AIM remains committed to its existing clients in Australia, Europe, Japan and US to deliver mainstream bond market returns along with environmental and social impact. As part of MIM, AIM will continue in its ambition to deliver best in class ESG impact and transition investment solutions to existing and prospective clients.

About Affirmative Investment Management

Affirmative Investment Management (AIM) is a leading global environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) impact fixed income investment manager with deep capabilities in impact investing, verification, reporting and engagement. Established in 2014, AIM focuses on mobilising mainstream capital to address the major challenges the world faces. Its mission is to manage fixed income portfolios that generate positive environmental and social impact without compromising financial returns. AIM’s highly experienced team is solely focused on investing in, and expanding, the impact bond market with a rigorous approach to building impact bond portfolios and generating returns.

AIM has won numerous ESG and impact related industry awards, most recently Best Sustainability Reporting by a Fund Manager at the 2022 Environmental Finance Sustainable Investment Awards, Best ESG Investment Fund: Fixed Income at the 2022 ESG Investing Awards, Impact Asset Manager of the Year at the 2021 Australian Impact Investment Awards, and Impact Report of the Year (for investors) at the 2021 Environmental Finance Bond Awards.
About MetLife Investment Management.

MetLife Investment Management, the institutional asset management business of MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET), is a global public fixed income, private capital, and real estate investment manager providing tailored investment solutions to institutional investors worldwide. MetLife Investment Management provides public and private pension plans, insurance companies, endowments, funds and other institutional clients with a range of bespoke investment and financing solutions that seek to meet a range of long-term investment objectives and risk-adjusted returns over time. MetLife Investment Management has over 150 years of investment experience and, as of June 30, 2022, had US$590.9 billion in total assets under management.
About MetLife.

MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET), through its subsidiaries and affiliates (“MetLife”), is one of the world’s leading financial services companies, providing insurance, annuities, employee benefits and asset management to help individual and institutional customers build a more confident future. Founded in 1868, MetLife has operations in more than 40 markets globally and holds leading positions in the United States, Japan, Latin America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

For more information, visit www.metlife.com.

Business

5 Simple Ways to Protect Your Business Assets

ByCFI.co Blogger

As a business owner, you need to ensure that your products and services are high quality, that you’re marketing them correctly, and that your employees are productive and happy. However, one of the most important things you can do for your business is to protect your assets. Here are five simple ways to accomplish this:

Image source: https://unsplash.com/photos/unRkg2jH1j0

1. Have an Efficient Data Back-Up System

Your business records could be lost forever in a fire, flood, or other disasters, so it’s crucial to have a data backup system at the top of your asset management strategies. There are many ways to do this, but one of the most popular is using cloud-based storage. This way, even if your physical records are destroyed, you’ll still have a digital copy that you can access from anywhere.

2. Get Insurance

Insuring your assets is one of the simplest and most effective ways to protect your business. Many types of insurance are available, so be sure to talk to your agent about the best coverage for your business. You may also consider getting liability insurance to protect yourself from lawsuits. In addition, insurance can help to offset the cost of repairs or replacement items. While the initial cost of premiums may seem like a burden, it is nothing compared to the financial losses that could occur in an accident or disaster.

3. Keep Good Records

This includes keeping track of your inventory, recording all transactions, and maintaining accurate financial statements. Good record keeping will help you track what you have and where it is, making it easier to recover if something goes wrong. It can also help you spot problems early on and make it easier to track down assets if they are lost or stolen.

Good record keeping can also help you avoid tax problems. Make sure you keep track of all your deductions so that you don’t end up overpaying on your taxes. You can do this by taking advantage of business accounting services from reputable providers like Pherrus Financial. These services can help you keep track of your expenses and avoid potential problems.

4. Invest in Security

Invest in security like security cameras, alarms, and even guards. If you have a lot of valuable equipment or inventory, investing in a robust security system is worth investing in. It will help deter thieves and give you peace of mind knowing that your things are safe. You can also use security measures to protect your data. Be sure to encrypt any sensitive information and keep it in a secure location. Only give access to people who need it, and change the passwords regularly.

5. Monitor Activity

Even if you have all the security measures, check in on your employees and monitor their activity regularly. Review your financial records and look for any red flags. If something doesn’t seem right, don’t be afraid to investigate further. In addition, it is also important to monitor activity online. Cybercrime is a growing threat, and businesses must take steps to protect themselves from attacks.

There are many different ways to protect your business assets. You can help safeguard your business against potential risks by taking some simple precautions.

Banking

5 Signs to Watch for That It Is Time to Switch to a Different Bank

ByCFI.co

Mobile banking is estimated to be the primary method of managing money in the next two years as more high street branches close. But how do you know which is the right bank?

If you’re feeling drained by the fees, lousy customer service, and find it hard to juggle all your accounts, it might be time to switch to a different bank.

Before you switch banks, look at these common warning signs to determine if it’s worth the hassle and will benefit your business.

5 Warning Signs That You Need a Different Bank

Most of us prefer the comfort of staying with a bank that we know instead of getting used to a new bank and all the different systems. However, moving to a different bank might save you time and money.

Here are the five signs to watch out for that tell you it’s time to change banks.

1. The Fees Are Too High

Fees are part of the deal when using a bank, but they shouldn’t cost you vast amounts of money.

When you’re trying to establish a new business or running a current company, the last thing you want to deal with is increasing fees for sneaky details like international transactions, inactivity, or account maintenance.

Even though these small costs don’t seem like much at once, over time, they will start to eat away at your annual budget and leave you with fewer expenses to invest in your business.

So, changing banks will give you more freedom with your banking without the unfair costs of paper and other additional fees.

2. No Longer Convenient

Banks are meant to make your finances easier to manage, not harder. The reason we use banks is to be able to use our money where and when we want.

That means you should be able to use digital banking on the go and not have to visit a local branch when you have an inquiry or want to deposit cash.

If you’re not already using digital banking, you’re wasting time.

3. Bad Customer Service

As a business, you often have to handle large sums of money and contact your bank to arrange certain transactions, so you want to have a friendly voice on the other end of the phone.

Often, customer service can treat you like a number, not a valued customer, making it hard to develop a working relationship with your bank.

For example, if you have to wait for a long time on the phone, your request is ignored, or you don’t have access to a real-life representative.

If you’re frustrated with the poor customer service, you need to consider changing banks.

4. No Business Tool Features

Using a personal bank account is entirely different from a business account, so you must have certain features if your company runs smoothly.

You should be able to access online management tools, payroll features, and credit card processing. Otherwise, you’re not getting the most out of your bank.

Switching banks might be the only solution for better business features that will help you organise your business finances and give you time to work on other parts of your company.

5. Lifestyle Changes

Things can change in people’s lives; you might get a work promotion, start a new business adventure, or simply want to upgrade your bank account.

No matter the reason, your lifestyle can change, and you’ll need a different bank.

It’s always a good idea to evaluate your banking needs and assess if your current branch is giving you what you need at various stages in life.

Tips for Picking a New Bank

Once you’ve decided that you want a new bank, you’ll have to think carefully before signing up for a new account and getting a card through the mail. Otherwise, you’ll end up moving banks again in a few months.

Firstly, you should consider your bank account options and what’s available.

Look at the Different Bank Account Options

In general, a few main kinds of banks are available for customers. These bank accounts are checking, savings, CD, and money market accounts.

You should decide why you need a bank account and if you want to open several simultaneously. That way, you won’t have to communicate with several banks all the time.

If you want to control all your finances in one place, you should check that the bank offers services for mortgages, financial planning, credit cards, and investment accounts.

Most businesses prefer to use the same bank for all their accounts as it keeps things simple and straightforward when planning your annual budget.

Find a Low-fee Bank

Ideally, you also want to have a bank that has low fees. On average, banks will be transparent about their fees, so asking about the additional costs is essential before opening an account.

You don’t want any surprises later on!

Don’t Miss the Fine Print

You must always read the fine print on a website or bank documents. As a safety precaution, it’s good to examine the procedure for closures, so you know your money will be safe if the bank ever shuts down.

Therefore, you don’t need to worry that your money is safe and can focus on growing your business.

You can check out our page to stay ahead and get regular updates on the business world and economy. At CFI.co, we aim to give you the best insights from world-leading organisations that will help your business thrive.

Move Banks and Get the Service You Deserve

Nowadays, digital banks are created every day. There is no longer a need for visiting a branch and going for regular meetings that take time out of your day.

Switching to a different bank is necessary if you keep having trouble with customer service, there are increasing fees, and the bank no longer meets your needs.

Thankfully, after reading this article, you know the signs to watch out for and how to find the perfect bank.

If you need more help, visit our page and stay informed about everything business-related.