Mohit Tater's Blog, page 704

Are You a Natural-Born Leader? Earn a Degree in Project Management

Project management is a great career to have, especially if you like to be creative and work with a team. If you have ever wanted to manage 5-10 people and design a building, website, or advertising campaign, then you are destined to be a project manager. A project manager is responsible for the good and the bad of a project, and you have to be ready to take the praise as well as the negative comments when something doesn’t go right.

Project Managers are the ones who make decisions; they coordinate with the staff, get everyone on the same page, and make sure they are all doing their part. In the 80s and 90s, they did not put a name on this position, but as time passed and projects started getting more elaborate and necessary to have a manager over-looking the day-to-day operations, they came up with the project management position.

What is Project Management?

Image via Flickr by Sebastiaan ter Burg

Many people have done project management in their past jobs or schooling and didn’t even realize it. If you ever ran a committee for a dance at school, then you were participating in project management. Delegating tasks to others for a completed project in the end is one way project management works. A dance committee is just one example of project management; there are so many other fields that project management can apply to.

Choose Your Education Path

If you’re interested in a degree in project management, then you should find a school that has the best degree program that fits your lifestyle. Some people need traditional school to learn effectively, and others can get a project management degree online without ever stepping foot in a classroom. Online schooling has made it easier for people to obtain their degrees in fields such as project management. It has also helped to invent many home-based project management businesses over the past twenty years or so.

Decide on Your Degree

If you are thinking of obtaining a degree in project management, then choosing the school you’ll attend is a very important step. There are many types of programs that can help you earn your degree. You can go for a Bachelor’s degree for your chosen field and get hands-on training for project management. Another way to earn a degree is to go for your Masters in Science with a minor in project management or go for a Master’s in Business. Either choice is fine for this career field.

Freelance From Home

Working at home as a project manager can be very lucrative and rewarding. Not only are you doing something you love, but you are doing it in the comfort of your own home on your own time. Many people over the past ten years have chosen to stay at home and run businesses from their living rooms. This has boosted the economy and helped the unemployment rates in project management fields.

Freelancing is a great way to set your own prices and make what you are actually worth. When you get a degree, whether it’s a Bachelors or a Masters in project management, you will be able to charge higher rates for your work efforts. This will not only boost your bank account, but it will also make your schooling and student loans be well worth the effort.

Project management can be an exciting option for natural-born leaders. Consider this career path if you enjoy leading teams.

Financial Spread Betting on the Rise

Credit: Tax Credits

Entrepreneurs understand the value of insight more than most. As a breed they’re also hard-wired to target a cash return on everything they do. That’s why more and more financially savvy, entrepreneurially-minded people are taking up the growing trend of financial spread betting.

Financial spread betting (FSB) offers a direct means to exploit business insight by betting against the moves in the world’s stock markets. Using either a conventional desktop or a smartphone app individuals are able to trade in stocks, currencies (i.e. forex), bonds, commodities and even the movement of composite indices like the FTSE or the Dow Jones index. The world is your trading oyster.

FSB’s growing popularity is easily explained: It offers the potential for immediate and substantial returns. It has to be said, it is not a risk-free way to trade – there is also the possibility to run up significant losses. But that risk-reward equation is meat and drink to the entrepreneurially minded at whom this product is targeted.

Not only does FSB entail the means to win big, it is also free of the charges that ordinarily attach to dealing in stocks and shares. With no stamp duty, no dealing or brokerage fees and no capital gains tax liability on any winnings FSB is increasingly the medium of choice for individuals keen to cash in on market insight.

FSB is a derivative-based concept which means that no stocks are actually traded – hence the lack of any tax hit. Rather, what is traded equate to ‘contracts for difference’ whereby a trader takes a position on a market and either wins if the market moves in his favour, or starts to build up losses if it moves against him (90% of spread betters are men).

The spread bet aspect of the concept means that an initial stake is set against the degree of movement of the market. If the market moves ten points in the player’s favour they win ten times their stake, a twenty point swing brings a twenty-fold return, and so on. The potential for profits in a volatile market are obvious. The downside is that losses are calculated on the same basis. Players must recognise that FSB entails an open-ended exposure.

Currently, providers are falling over themselves to attract new users. That means that over and above the attractions of FSB itself there are some juicy sign-up offers on offer. For example, signing up for spread betting with Tradefair  currently comes with a 10% account bonus up to a value of £1,000.

There are those who make a full-time living in FSB. Others treat it more as a recreation. The smartphone apps offered by the main providers enable trading 24/7 but they are by no means as sophisticated as the more comprehensive desktops that are designed to replicate the information-packed screens of professional traders. In an environment where information translates into cash, access to that sort of detailed intelligence is fundamental.

In essence, FSB is what you make it. Undeniably it is more involved than a fixed-odds bet, but for those who take their money seriously that is part of the attraction. There is a growing literature of books, articles and websites offering advice, insight, tips and tricks aimed at precisely those who are intrigued by what is still a relatively unknown betting forum.

FSB’s open-ended risk/reward equation does require players to enter the market with some insight and some self-discipline. But for anyone with strong nerves and the right mindset, it offers a stimulating and potentially lucrative experience.

CEO Stress – Take Some Time to Relax

Credit: Giuseppe Savo

For many, being a CEO is a dream job; you get to enjoy a high salary and a luxury lifestyle. However, there are downsides; perhaps the most often quoted being the incredible level of responsibility.

Admittedly there are all the perks that go with such a high-powered position, but you will also be under tremendous stress. While your PA is employed to deal with the minutiae of your working life your typical day will consist of a constant round of meetings dealing with issues such as sales, marketing, and general staffing issues. There will also be occasions when you have to take strategic decisions that could affect the very survival of your company.

All of this means you will be putting yourself under a great deal of stress, which could have a detrimental effect on your professional performance, not to mention your health. Even CEO’s deserve time to themselves and this most certainly applies to you. Fortunately, your salary will probably allow you to spend vacations in destinations that allow you to completely relax for at least a few days every so often. Even a meal with your spouse, friends and family in a luxury restaurant, followed by an evening in an exclusive club will help recharge your batteries.

Your hobbies can also help release you from the stress and strain of work. If you own a yacht there is no better way to relax than by taking it out on the waves. Many executives enjoy golf and being a CEO you may be a member of a plush golf club. Enjoy a regular round or two with friends and once again those professional duties will be pushed to the back of your mind.

While quiet time away from work and hobbies is an excellent way to relax, albeit for a short time, you should also look after your health over the longer term. While the cost of healthcare will be no problem to you, you should also concentrate on keeping yourself fit, both physically and mentally. One of the best ways to achieve this is by visiting a luxury spa to enjoy the benefits of massage therapy.

A massage will help you relax, something which is all but impossible during your hectic working day. Other benefits of massage therapy include an improved mental outlook and a reinforced positive attitude, crucial elements for any successful CEO.

Mental and physical fitness go hand in hand and a visit to a chiropractor will help ease those aches and pains and keep the body in tip top condition as well as provide complete relaxation. Both are essential if you are to perform at optimum level. Skilled chiropractors such as Detroit Chiropractor Dr. Sol Cogan provide an excellent service for senior executives.

You role as a CEO is crucial for your company. To quote a sporting phrase you need to be constantly “on top of your game”, but this also causes stress. In order to carry out your duties to the best of your ability you need to relieve that stress and relax by dedicating some time to you, whether it be by taking up a hobby, enjoying leisure time or taking care of your health.

Health Hacks for Entrepreneurs

Credit: Jacsonquerubin

The entrepreneurial lifestyle has many rewards, but it also brings with it new challenges. It’s easy to feel that any time you take away from working is time you’re stealing from yourself and it can be hard to devote the time you need to your own health.

But staying healthy is every bit as important for someone who is self-employed as for anyone else — if not more so. For instance, studies have shown that regular exercise improves memory, confidence, productivity and analytical thinking. If you want to do your best work, you need to invest time in looking after your health. And since making time to exercise isn’t always easy in an entrepreneur’s busy life, here are a few simple health hacks that can help you reap the most benefits when you’re short on time.

Create a commute

If you spend most of your time working from home, it’s important to maintain a routine that stops business from eating into your personal life. One way to do this is to establish a commute. Every morning, “leave for work” by walking or cycling for a set time and do the same thing when you “head home” in the evening.

Use fitness apps

If your business keeps you on the road a lot, it can be difficult to fit in time at the gym. Install a workout app on your phone or mobile device. For instance, running/walking apps can set daily exercise goals for you to achieve and then track the exercise that you do; including routes taken, calories burned and distance covered. Or there are apps that can guide you through a series of bodyweight exercises, to ensure that you stay fit even when you’re on the road.

Watch your nutrition

Low-prep fast food may save time, but it can harm both your physical and mental health. Start your day off with a healthy — but fast — meal of scrambled eggs and greens topped with pumpkin seeds. Eggs provide healthy protein, greens — such as kale and spinach — are rich in vitamins, while the pumpkin seeds are rich in magnesium and zinc, which reduce anxiety as well as boosting your immune system. You can also reinforce your diet with multivitamins or sports supplements.

Get out and about

Controlling your own schedule gives you the opportunity to make healthy choices. Try working outside whenever possible. If you travel for your business, getting outside during the day helps minimise the effects of jet lag. Exposure to sunlight is known to improve mood and concentration, as well as boosting your body’s production of Vitamin D.

Each entrepreneur’s routine is different, but everyone’s health needs are similar. Keeping fit will help to lengthen your life and boost your productivity, and for the self-employed and driven entrepreneur that should be topping your personal priorities.

Five Reasons to Look For a Job in Winter

Credit: Moyan Brenn

It is never too early to search for your dream job. Contrary to popular opinion, in winter your chances for successful employment are growing the same way as the temperature falls outside! It is not necessary to wait for the spring, because the search for work in winter is really a win-win strategy. Why? You can find here 5 reasons for searching jobs right now!

The first reason: in winter there are less competitors

When the temperature outside is – 15, you do not really want to go anywhere, so it’s the best time to monitor recruitment portals in search of a suitable job. In winter job seekers tend to sit at home, near a fireplace, or at least near the radiator, but not to go for an interview. So the candidates put away looking for work, saying that now it is still the low season, there is no use looking for, it is better to wait until spring, as there will be more suggestions … What does this mean for active candidates? That’s right, less competition!

Many recruiters complain that in winter the amount of job seekers is far less compared to other seasons. Use the moment! If in autumn so as to get a good job you will have to undergo a serious competition, now it is easier to find a job! While other candidates thinking about Christmas and New Year holidays, you might take the vacant place, avoiding a decisive battle with them.

The second reason: the holiday season exacerbates the staffing problems in companies

Winter is the time of ailment due to the weather conditions. If, for example, in the department three managers should work with clients, and there are only two, the absence of one of them can become a real disaster. Naturally, the company will make every effort to close the vacant position. And that means that the recruiter and the potential leader will be more “accommodating”. Even if your experience is not enough, you may be taken to the company. However, you will have to convince your interlocutors in your high motivation and complete adequacy.

Reason Three: in winter there are more jobs in some areas

Tourism, and all that is connected with it, winter holiday mountain resorts and hotels, entertainment facilities, transport, food industry, logistics – in many areas the number of vacancies increases in winter. And not all of them are temporary jobs. In addition, even a temporary job can always be converted into a permanent if you prove yourself as an excellent worker.

Reason Four: in winter it is easier to adapt to a new place

As a rule, most companies do not pick new projects and large-scale deployments in winter before the holidays and the end of the year. The New Year and Christmas holiday season is the time of relative calm in the work of the office. This means that the new employee will not meet the challenges during his first days at work while trying to remember the names of new colleagues. Most likely, he will have time to look and get the insight into his work. A successful adaptation is a significant factor in the effectiveness of a new job.

Reason Five: Why to put off until tomorrow?

In fact, why are you putting off such a good deal as a job search? As the saying goes, strike while the iron is hot, i.e., as long as you want to change and dream about new accomplishments. Inspiration is a great help in any case, do visit the site JobTonic.com to realize your intentions and career prospects!

Here’s What You Need to Know About the Pros and Cons of PEOs

If you’re like many small business owners, administrative tasks aren’t your strong suit. Managing payroll, tax payments, regulatory compliance, recruitment, training, and company policies is a full-time job in itself, and one that can eat away at the time you have to spend building your business and honing your skills. Not to mention, it’s not easy for small employers to offer competitive benefits packages, or navigate the maze of health care reform by themselves.

For many small employers, a professional employer organization, or PEO, is the answer. For over 30 years, companies have turned to PEOs to manage every aspect of human resources, from recruitment through to termination. PEOs work as a sort of surrogate employer, allowing you access to group health insurance rates for your employees, as well as retirement plans, life insurance, and trained HR professionals. There are currently about 700 PEOs working in the United States, helping employers to manage between two and three million workers. There are many benefits to contracting with a PEO, and a couple drawbacks.

Pro: Gain Protection and Peace of Mind With Help From a PEO

With each passing year, employers face an increasing number of convoluted and complex new laws and regulations. Whether you’re a baker or a barber, chances are good you don’t have the legal and accounting expertise necessary to keep up with all the changes, particularly those associated with health care reform. Employee benefits, payroll, paying taxes to the IRS, and handling workers’ compensation are all some tasks that many small- and medium-size businesses don’t feel qualified to handle.

National PEO, a PEO company in Arizona, can take over management of payroll and human resources, giving you the peace of mind that comes with knowing you’re fulfilling your legal obligations to your employees and the government. With professionals covering the administrative side, you’ll be free to focus on running your business, developing new products, and pleasing your customers. In addition to peace of mind regarding compliance issues, you’ll also get legal protection and assistance in case a former employee sues your company for wrongful termination, discrimination, or some other allegation.

Pro: PEOs Help You Offer Your Employees Better Benefits

It can be hard for small companies to attract the best employees, because it’s often hard for them to offer the competitive benefits packages great employees are seeking. A PEO can help you beef up your benefits package by giving you access to group rates on health insurance and life insurance plans, as well as supplemental insurance like vision and dental. Your PEO can even help you set up a 401(k) and other employee retirement programs. A PEO can help you offer a benefits package that rivals that of the biggest Fortune 500 companies.

Pro: Take the Headache out of Interstate Employee Management

Many small business owners avoid hiring employees in other states because of the hassle of filling out all the extra paperwork required to hire across state lines. That can be a real stumbling block to expanding your business, and can make it impossible to offer employee benefits like telecommuting that allow you to take on quality employees who live far away. Some states may require an out-of-state business to file dozens of forms, even to do a minimal amount of business in the state.

A PEO can help you escape that bureaucratic nightmare by taking on the hassle themselves. Whether you want to expand your business or allow employees to telecommute from other states, a PEO can make it possible.

Con: Giving up Control

While the benefits of using a PEO are many, it isn’t without a couple drawbacks. Perhaps the biggest issue most employers have is relinquishing control of the administrative side of the business — obviously, if you’re going to outsource your HR, you’re going to have to relinquish those duties. Most employers, however, feel a reluctance to give up control simply because they’re so accustomed to having it. Once an employer sees how much more time and energy he or she will have to devote to doing what they love, the fear of giving up control will disappear.

One other minor issue that can crop up is that sometimes employees may feel the HR attention they receive from a PEO is less personal than that they might receive directly from their boss. That’s why it’s important to look for a PEO that’s dedicated to giving the same level of personal care to your employees that you, yourself, would give. Pay attention to what the company’s other clients have to say.

If you’re a small business owner, consider contracting with a PEO to ease the administrative burden of payroll, taxes, employee benefits, and regulatory compliance. With help from a PEO, you can gain peace of mind — and focus on growing your business.

How to Plan For Your First Business Trip

The first business trip can be a huge stepping stone in your career. It can be an opportunity to demonstrate your worth to the business and strengthen your position in the industry.

Here are a few tips to take the stress out of the trip, so you can concentrate solely on business.

Research Your Contemporaries

If you are meeting with partners, distant colleagues, potential clients or customers – it is always worth doing your research beforehand. Seek them out on LinkedIn and view their professional profile to get a better understanding of their professional history, connections and abilities. The personal interests and associations sections can also give you a greater insight into their personality.

LinkedIn also gives you the opportunity to seek out other like-minded professionals from your industry in case you wish to reach out to them and arrange additional meetings whilst in the local area.

Increase Value for your Boss

Loyalty and incentive schemes can help increase the value of your business trip for both yourself and your management. Loyalty schemes in industries necessary to travel lead to future benefits for the business, yourself and the management.

The Hilton Hhonors scheme can help business trippers earn points against their stays in Hilton hotels around the world which can be redeemed for future stays. This will make it more valuable for your management to put you up in Hilton hotels rather than cheap, unfancied motels – making your stay more comfortable and restful.

Similarly, the PartnerPlusBenefit scheme from Lufthansa can be used to make flying with Lufthansa and nine partner airlines more valuable than budget airlines. Again, this can improve your comfort and professional efficacy.

Research the Local Area

A little bit of research into the area you are visiting can vastly improve your experience whilst on your business travels, and could even improve relations with any business people you are meeting. Use TripAdvisor to find highly regarded cafes and restaurants in the area to impress colleagues or simply to enjoy a nice meal or drink by yourself.

The site can also be used to discover local sights and attractions to fill any free time you may have during your travels.

Be Free to Roam

If your business travels take you overseas, you may be subjected to high data roaming charges should you wish to contact loved ones back home or keep in touch with the office. Upgrade your mobile phone tariff to help reduce unnecessary costs and charges for making overseas calls. EE offers a selection of plans making it more affordable to call home from your business trip.

Fight Jetlag

Travelling through time zones can be incredibly difficult for first-time business trippers. The onset of jet lag and tiredness could see you lose concentration in meetings or presentations or even display an aura of lethargy. Here are a few tips for avoiding jetlag and staying awake and alert throughout your trip.

Adjust your body clock before travelling. Increasingly alter your sleeping and eating patterns slightly for four days before the trip.
Drink at least 8 ounces of water for every hour you are in the air.
Don’t drink alcohol on the day of the flight or the day before.
Fly overnight and try to catch your usual allocation of sleep.
Take in the sun. When you reach your destination try and spend some time in the sun to encourage your body clock to adapt.

3M’s ePrivacy Filter Software: The Latest Innovation in The World of ePrivacy

This post brought to you by 3M. The content and opinions expressed below are that of Entrepreneurship Life.

In today’s corporate and enterprise world, breach of data is a real threat, especially now that people are beginning to embrace the idea of a mobile workforce. And since breach of data has been a concern for a long time, there has been a growing need to seal the loopholes and ensure that data is in safe hands. Consequently, this has led to a growing demand for data protection measures amidst enterprises and their consumers alike.

The Solution

3M is a brand in delivering efficient visual privacy PC solutions, which is why they are expanding their line of offering with the inception of 3M’s ePrivacy Filter Software, a software application that warns users operating PCs against over-the-shoulder lookers or snoopers. Furthermore, this software product has the capability to offer complete protection against visual hacking that may come from virtually all directions (of course when paired with 3M Privacy Filter).

Key Points to Note about this Product

(a) It takes note of the user’s facial features by using a PC’s Webcam in combination with a high-tech facial recognition software

(b) The facial feature recognition works only by revealing the screen to the rightful user.

(c) When someone attempts to snoop from behind, the authorized user is alerted through a pop-up of the intruder’s face. This is called the intrusion feature.

(d) The computer screen will blur when the authorized user moves away from their workstation, or when they are looking away. But when they return, it instantly resumes the device screen as it was, which allows for seamless transition from data protection to usability.

(e) An authorized user can adjust privacy settings to achieve the optimal level desired for visual privacy, as well as that which is also in accordance with their special needs.

Other Things to Note

First, this software works with windows operating system only. Secondly, the field of view depends on your webcam, and third, the application’s performance also depends on your webcam and OS special requirements.

3M’s ePrivacy Filter Software exists in both Professional and Enterprise editions. This means that users who upgrade will have access to bonus features such as audit capability, central deployment & management settings.

Learn more about 3M™ ePrivacy Filter Software  

About the Company, 3M

3M captures new ideas, and then transform them into useful and ingenious products. It’s a culture of creative collaboration, which also inspires a never-ending stream of technologies that transform life and make it better. Boasting over $30 billion in sales alone, and operations in 70 countries, 3M only strives to continue inventing.

Therefore, if you really feel that data security is a concern at your workplace, or whichever place you use your device at, then you definitely need to get 3M’s ePrivacy Filter Software, and you’ll have a peace of mind. Don’t give intruders a chance to steal your data because it’s costly.

So go ahead and download the free trial of the ePrivacy Filter Software by going to: 3Mscreens.com/ePrivacyFilter/Trial

Download software and enter your activation code (VX7J-3CVJ-AyW2-X4PQ) to start your 30-day trial.

Download a 30-day free trial of 3M™ ePrivacy Filter Software

Resume Tips: How to Tailor Your CV for Any Industry

First of all, you should remember that you always have to tailor your resume for the position you are applying for. And not everywhere the portfolio made in Pinterest would be suitable, as well as video instead of covering letter. Yet, there are some ways to stand out of the crowd and impress potential employers, no matter how conservative or creative is the field you are aiming for.

Clean Out Your Experience History

If you are one of the people who have a two-page resume where the list of previous jobs includes all the babysitting and meals serving throughout the whole India? In such case it is high time that you clean your Work History.

This is a mistake newbies make – having little experience in the sphere they are interested in, they still want this section to look more impressive. But if you already have experience, it is better to exclude those you never want to do again from the list. You don’t want to be hire for something you hate, do you?

Check for the Echo

Let’s say you’ve found job entries on Jobtonic.in, and you are tailoring your resume to look suitable for them. Even if you are not sure in your abilities and hired a writer to write your resume, or it was created for you in the career center, read it out loud and make sure it sounds like you. That is, if you don’t usually use some big words in your everyday speech, avoid using them in your writings, otherwise you may come off insecure and inexperienced. If employer notice that your vocabulary does not match with what you wrote, it would be pretty embarrassing.

Tell a Story

Hiring managers usually look through hundreds of resumes to choose the right one, and it would be useful that you show them the progression of your career and knowledge, and the stories you have gone through are parts of your success story. That is, despite any position you apply for that you find on this website, or another service or resource, do your best to sell yourself to hiring managers with the help of colorful details that will show them what you have accomplished and what you can offer their company.

If you are not sure how to do that, here is a small tip – try writing an accomplishment story in less than two lines under each of your jobs – these are stories you want them to ask you about on the interview, so make them captivating and interesting.

Polish your LinkedIn Profile

No job search can be full without social media, and LinkedIn is one of the leaders in the process of finding a job today. Well, if not the main tool, but most employers lookup the profiles of the candidates, and that means you should finally fill in the empty spaces you have left when you registered. Even with the free account, there is an opportunity to add videos and projects, show the examples of your work. That is, you should have no excuses – there are the best tools at your disposal, and there is no reason to not make the most of it.

Show Yourself

It is not about over-exposing yourself, but when it comes to the job interview, don’t be bashful and try to sell yourself short – pitch yourself to show all the qualities the employer is looking for, because no one would do that for you. And even though it may be hard for you to write about yourself due to natural humbleness, don’t be afraid to inflate yourself – let managers know about the qualities they are investing in when hiring you, and let them know how great you are as a specialist and a person.

Name Drop

Due to the latest crisis, it may not be that easy to find available jobs in India. And that is why if you should use all the opportunities you have to stand out, and name drop is one of the effective techniques to do that. It is not about saying that your grandfather invented toaster – we are talking about mentioning big companies you have worked for. Even if it was indirectly – it will still show well-respected companies that you had a valuable experience that they might use for their benefit. Thus, if you have worked for small subsidiary of a big company – mention the biggest one. People like name recognition, as it gives the candidate a sense of validation.

Has There Ever Been a Better Time to Re-mortgage?

Credit: Tax Credits

Make no mistake; the recent slight collywobbles in the world’s major economies is good news for entrepreneurs and investors alike – on the whole that is.

That’s because this has achieved two very important things at the same time:

Firstly, it has made the valuations of most things such as equities, properties, commodities and so on more affordable. So this is unequivocally good news as long as you’d kept at least a little of your powder dry.

And secondly – it has pushed away the spectre of imminently rising interest rates for a while. This won’t last forever, though, so it’s a good idea to strike while the iron is hot here. Simply put – there may never have been a better time to re-mortgage. This is because the overall recovery is underway – but the wobbles mean that there are still some great deals available at fixed rates.

Be careful on the fees though if you’re thinking about re-mortgaging. The main fee is the penalty in exiting any current deal you have – and this may effectively preclude transferal to a new product for the term, so make sure you’ve read your fine print and know exactly what charges you’re in for.

Also – with any new deal, make sure you understand exactly what you’re likely to be charged for. Many mortgage deals look too good to be true – and that’s because they are. The devil is often in the detail here with transfer charges from the new mortgage provider, arrangement fees, legal fees and general administrative hassle that you don’t need.

This is not always the case though. With a new mortgage from HSBC there are no such fees whatsoever – and this is guaranteed. What’s more – the deal is available for up to five years on a fixed basis. There is more information on the mortgage product here

Obviously, the longer you fix for, the higher the interest rate, but don’t worry about that; if you can afford the five-year deal payments – be sure to go for that one. Certainty is a big thing and exceedingly rare with any financial transactions and the fixed deals for five years surely won’t last forever – as interest rates will surely rise.

This time next year, we may well be into a whole new realm of economic forecasting and governments may be keen to shore up currencies and cool down demand. Who really knows what will happen? But this is certainly a possibility and you don’t want to be sweating over central banks’ decisions if you can afford not to; peace of mind is a priceless commodity.

All in all, then, this may be the perfect time to fix a new deal and to make it as long-term as you can. And if the world doesn’t pan out that way and you could have paid less because interest rates continue to stay lower than their historical averages – at least you’ll have been able to relax and enjoy life knowing your house was eminently affordable for five years – and having been able to sleep well at night in that knowledge.