Don’t lose your smartphone. It is as simple as that. It does not matter how secure your phone happens to be. Yes, some phones are more easily hackable than others. That is true. But all computing devices are vulnerable when a motivated thief has possession of the device.

Major companies don’t even try to recover lost or stolen devices. They just wipe and replace them. Even if they got a lost device back, they couldn’t trust it. The smart hacker will not keep the device, they will return it with some kind of trojan in place so that it continuously feeds them valuable information. The device is actually more valuable to the thief if the owner gets it back because the thief can gain access to secured, private networks and the sensitive information from everyone in the company. That is quite the haul.

Even if you are not a corporate target, you still have a lot to lose when you lose your phone. Without replacement insurance, you are going to have to purchase another one even if that means securing a quick personal loan. These days, no one can go without their main computing device for very long. You are likely not their exception.

Also, regardless of your worthiness as a target, most finders of lost phones try to access personal information. Even if they return your phone for the reward, the damage is already done. If you don’t have a passcode on your phone, they will access your credit card information, passwords, bank accounts, and everything else they can get their hands on. These are just a few reasons why you can’t afford to lose your phone:

Your Phone Is Your Wallet

Before smartphones, we carried fat wallets stuffed with all kinds of personal information, including things we shouldn’t keep in wallets such as social security cards and passports. A wallet is a one-stop shop for identity thieves. And they are surprisingly easy to pluck from a back pocket.

Guess what, smartphones are also surprisingly easy to pluck from back pockets. And people carry them in just that way. Furthermore, they carry all of that information on the phone. If your phone is your only payment source and you happen to lose it while out and about, good luck getting home. You can’t even call an Uber because that requires a smartphone app. Even if you have paper backups of everything at home, you will have to cancel everything and get new ones. In some ways, it was better to lose the wallet than smartphones.

Your Phone Is the Key to All of Your Accounts

If you are thinking that you can just dash home and close all of your accounts, think again. Once a thief has possession of your phone, they also have possession of the treasure-trove of passwords on your phone. The first thing the smart thief will do is log into your accounts and change the passwords so you can’t get back in. You can lose your Twitter account, your Facebook, Your AppleID can be compromised. Your Amazon Prime account is vulnerable. Every account that holds value could be suddenly and irrevocably locked to you because your phone fell into the wrong hands.

Your Photos Are Priceless

One of the great tragedies of modern life is that the best camera we own is the worst place to store the most important photos we take. A shocking percentage of people only have their photos located on their smartphone because that is where they took the picture. And they will not pay for online storage. They will only use free solutions or no solutions.

If you don’t have some sort of cloud backup of every photo you take, all those baby pictures, wedding pictures, and vacation pictures are lost to you forever when you lose your phone. This is just one of the reasons you need to do whatever it takes to keep up with it.

Smartphones serve the function of our external brain. Losing it is like getting a digital lobotomy. We lose our wallet, our accounts, and our photos along with the device. None of us can afford that loss.

Justin Weinger

A married father of three, Justin Weinger works in private equity as a Corporate Finance Manager, he is also an avid blogger and personal finance enthusiast with a strong history of working in the automotive and publishing industry.

Some people realize that diamonds are made up of different colors, while other people do not pay close enough attention to the various shades and hues the diamond colors have to offer. If you feel that a diamond is only a diamond and color doesn’t matter, you’re about to learn an important lesson today.

No one said that all diamonds are created equally. They’d certainly vary in shapes and sizes. And they definitely vary in color as well. The diamond color scale existing should be reason enough for anyone to realize that diamonds have multiple colors. We’ll discuss the scale in greater detail right now.

Colorless: Diamond Scale Grade D-F

If a diamond fails to have any type of tint within it, it is known as a colorless diamond. Most people would be ecstatic if they were to have a colorless diamond since it is the rarest type of diamond out of them all. As you can imagine, they are very popular yet they are also very expensive.

Diamonds in this color scale range will vary in price. A diamond graded D will cost about $1500 more than a diamond graded E. And a diamond graded E will cost about $1500 more than a diamond graded F.

Near Colorless: Diamond Scale Grade G-J

At this stage of the grading scale, you’re still looking at diamonds that technically appear colorless to the naked eye, but if you look at them under magnification you will see that these diamonds do have a slight tint to them. The tint is very subtle and very difficult to notice, which is why it’s definitely good to buy diamonds on this section of the grade scale. They are cheaper than colorless diamonds yet still nearly perfect.

Faint Color: Diamond Scale Grade K-M

The diamonds that are known as part of this color scale consist of grades K, L, and M. This is a very popular point on the color grade scale because the diamonds definitely have color them and it’s certainly noticeable, but it’s not that noticeable. So people can purchase these diamonds for a fraction of the cost of colorless and near colorless diamonds, but still have a diamond that looks incredibly beautiful.

Very Light Color: Diamond Scale Grade N-R

On this point of the color grading scale, the diamonds in this range do have color, it is noticeable, and the colors are typically either a light brown or a light yellow. Since many people do not want to purchase these particular diamonds, they are very cheap. It’s good they aren’t expensive because it gives people with little money an option to buy a diamond without spending a small fortune.

Light Color: Diamond Grade Scale S-Z

Believe it or not, diamonds light in color are more popular than very light color diamonds at the moment. The fact that the color is so prominent is the reason why people are buying them. They appreciate yellow gemstones, like the way they look, and buy them because they are inexpensive. It’s definitely a good option if you don’t mind the color.

James Hendrickson

James Hendrickson is an internet entrepreneur, blogging junky, hunter and personal finance geek. When he’s not lurking in coffee shops in Portland, Oregon, you’ll find him in the Pacific Northwest’s great outdoors. James has a masters degree in Sociology from the University of Maryland at College Park and a Bachelors degree on Sociology from Earlham College. He loves individual stocks, bonds and precious metals.

www.dinksfinance.com

You cannot turn on the TV or pick up a newspaper lately without being bombarded by people telling us to claim back PPI. Many of them do not however, take the time to explain exactly what PPI is, why it has affected so many of us or why it is important that we try and claim it back.

What is PPI?

Payment Protection Insurance (PPI) is a type of insurance provided by money lenders when you take out a loan, credit card or mortgage. Its purpose is to provide financial cover should you become ill, injured, unemployed or redundant. Should you be unlucky enough to fall victim to one of these circumstances, PPI should be able to meet the remaining payments you owe your lender until you can return to work.

Why Is PPI a Bad Thing?

Given that its function is to protect us, it may seem odd that the press is branding PPI as a bad thing. The fact is; it is not a bad thing if the recipient has asked for PPI. The reason for all the outcry is that in many cases, the individual borrowing money was not made awarethat they were purchasing PPI or the terms of the agreement were unfair or poorly explained. In a time where most people have to be keeping a tight rein on their spending;millions of people having splashed out hundreds – or even thousands – of pounds on unwanted PPI suddenly makes all the fuss seem justified.

Who Can Claim?

Various companies have emerged to try and help people claim back miss-sold PPI. In their efforts, they have outlined exactly what PPI is and who is entitled to try and claim it back. Generally, situations where people can claim back PPI include:

• Customers who were not made aware that they were paying PPI.
• PPI policies that were not utilised.
• Cases where PPI was made compulsory.
• PPI policies that ignored existing health issues.
• Policies that did not provide cover for the unemployed.
• Cases where the PPI cover did not last for the entire length of the loan.

Should I get Help?

With so many organisations offering helpto claim back PPI, you may ask what exactly it is that they do. If youopt to have someone help, you often just need to fill out a claims form with basic info about yourself and then sit back and wait. At most you may have to sign a pre-prepared form they send or speak briefly to one of their advisors on the phone but you will not have to contact your bank or lender personally and can let the claims company do all the leg work. Being experts and knowing all the correct protocol, your chances of a successful claim are arguably greater but most of these companies offer a ‘no win, no fee’ payment system where if they cannot get your money back, you do not have to pay them a penny.

Can I do it myself?

People who decide to make claims often automatically assume they need to use a claims company but it is possible to do it alone. When the whole point of the PPI scandal is that consumers have paid out money they did not want to; some would argue that paying out more money to try and get other money back seems somewhat backwards. With some wanting as much as 30% of your settlement from a successful claim; boycotting the middleman and making the claim yourself is definitely a viable option.

You would need to dig out your paperwork and check the details of your policy to see if you qualify, then contact your lender directly, via phone or letter, requesting a refund. If your bank rejects you, the next step involves contacting an ombudsmen; the official, free service for resolving financial disputes.

Going it alone is without doubt the more time consuming of the two options but allows the greatest monetary reward upon victory but whichever route you decide to take, PPI is considered one of the nastiest hidden charges to hit the public in recent times and making a claim is definitely worth it.

Have you ever thought about retiring overseas? It is a dream for many to enjoy their golden years under a sunnier climate, in a cheaper country, or closer to family (in the case of foreign workers). Before you take the plunge and pack your bags, you should think about several aspects of your overseas retirement.

Retiring overseas, things to consider

Where will you retire? The list of heavenly destinations is long, but what country suits you most? Will you speak the language or be willing to learn? Make a list of your priorities, such as proximity to an airport, a supermarket, a library, the need for a car, and so on. What are your non negotiable? How far off the beaten paths do you want to live? You may be looking for some sun but can you bear real heat for months at a time? How about immigration or banking?

You can find lots of expat forums to inquire about the cost of living, renting or buying a place, healthcare, food, domestic help and other expenses. Remember to consider the time difference with the UK if you want to keep in touch by phone on a regular basis, as well as the cost of a flight if you would like to come back once in a while.

The cost of local products can be very low overseas compared to the UK, while other things like internet service, imported foods, healthcare… could be higher. You need to determine the overall budget to make sure it fits your pension allowance.  Once you take into account the cost of flights, some European countries may actually end up cheaper than places like Turkey or Egypt.

Talking to a few people who already live there can be enlightening, as they will have an in-depth knowledge of the area, something that is difficult to get if you visit for a week while on holiday. Ask about the seasons, the political situation, the health system… and how expats blend into the local community.

Local expats are also a good source to tell you where to get a first flat or house, the neighborhoods to avoid and the price you should expect to pay. Having a temporary home for the first few months allows you to search for the perfect place without stress. You could ship your belongings, generally with a tax exemption if you are a resident in your new country, or just bring the minimum with you and furnish your new place locally.

A few UK credit cards will let you withdraw money abroad without a commission, apply for one of those before you leave so you can get money while you set up a bank account in your new country.

The next step to consider is how to get the best value of your pension pot.

Transferring your pension abroad with a QROPS

QROPS means Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme. It is a pension scheme approved by HM Revenue and Customs, that allows you to transfer your pension benefits overseas without any penalty. For this you need to decide to retire abroad, in a country of the UE or any other country that has a double taxation agreement with the UK, like Thailand, the USA or Zimbabwe. You can receive part of your pension as a lump sum, but 70% of the nest egg need to be invested to produce a lifetime allowance. To be worth the move, you would need a pension nest egg of over £25,000.

Qrops information is available online, to make sure you get the most of your UK pension. This is a popular scheme for expats since your pension pot will not be taxed under UK law, but in your country of residence. There are also no lifetime allowance caps or age limit to purchase an annuity. Your UK pension scheme administrator will take care of the transfer and make sure it complies with HMRC requirements. This scheme does not apply to your state pension.

Have you ever considered retiring abroad? Which country has your preference?