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How has stamp duty changed?
Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s ‘mini-budget’ on 23rd September announced permanent stamp duty cuts for some home-buyers.
Stamp duty is a tax payable to the government when you buy a home, or land, priced above a certain threshold in England or Northern Ireland.
Previously, you would pay stamp duty tax on a home, or the portion of a home, priced between £125,001 and £250,000. Following today’s announcement, no stamp duty is payable below the price threshold of £250,000.
This means a third of all homes currently for sale (33%) are now completely exempt from stamp duty in England, compared to 7% when the threshold was £125,000.
Before the mini-budget announcement, first-time buyers paid no stamp duty on the first £300,000 of a home purchase. This has now been raised to £425,000. And if the home you’re buying is priced below £625,000, you’ll still pay no stamp duty on the portion of the property priced below £425,000, and 5% on the portion priced above this. This is an increase of £125,000 on the previous price cap of £500,000.
These changes reduce stamp duty bills across the board for all home-movers by up to £2,500, and by up to £11,250 for first-time buyers.
And two thirds of homes (66%) in England are now exempt from stamp duty for first-time buyers.
What are the stamp duty rates now?
Stamp duty tax bands from 23 Sept 2022 Normal rate First-time buyers Rate Up to £250,000 0% Up to £425,000 0% £250,001 to £925,000 5% £425,001 to £625,000 5% £925,001 to £1.5 million 10% Homes priced above £625,000 Normal rates apply Over £1.5 million 12%
**Credits to rightmove.co.uk
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Crypto top ten
The top 10 cryptocurrencies in terms of market capitalization are listed below in case you’re not familiar with the world of cryptocurrency. This number, which is frequently abbreviated as “market cap,” shows the total value of each coin currently in use.Market capitalization numbers are constantly susceptible to change due to the law of supply and demand. The numbers below are approximate and pertain to 3 October 2022 for the purposes of the list.
Each cryptocurrency’s abbreviation, such as BTC, refers to its ticker symbol, which serves as an identifier for trade.
Note that not everyone should invest in cryptocurrency. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the UK’s financial watchdog, regularly warns customers about the cryptocurrency market. The FCA advises prospective traders that cryptoassets are unregulated and high-risk, which means consumers “should be prepared to lose all their money if they choose to invest in them” and “are highly unlikely to receive any protection if things go wrong.”
1. Bitcoin (BTC)
- Market cap: £327 billion
The original cryptocurrency, Bitcoin was first mooted in 2008 by an anonymous individual, or group of people, using the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. Its invention was a breakthrough in cryptography.
As with most cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin runs on a blockchain – a piece of software that acts as a digital ledger that logs transactions distributed across a network comprising thousands of computers.
Because additions to the distributed ledger must be verified by solving a cryptographic puzzle – a process known as ‘proof of work’ – Bitcoin is kept secure from fraudsters.
Despite becoming a household name, Bitcoin’s price has oscillated wildly in recent years. At the time of writing, a coin was worth around £17,100, having peaked at just over £51,000 in November last year. In 2016, a single Bitcoin could be bought for around £370.
Ethereum 2. (ETH)
Capitalization: £137 billion
Because of its potential applications, Ethereum is both a cryptocurrency and a blockchain platform that is well-liked among programmers.These include non-fungible tokens, often known as NFTs, and so-called “smart contracts,” which automatically carry out when certain circumstances are satisfied. NFTs are digital assets that simulate actual physical objects, such as one-of-a-kind pieces of art.
Another cryptocurrency that has grown significantly is ethereum. For instance, since April 2016, its cost has increased from £8 to almost £1,149.
Tether 3. (USDT)
Capitalization: £60 billion
Tether is a form of “stable coin,” in contrast to some of its cryptocurrency competitors.Stable coins make an effort to tie their market value to an outside standard. This means that Tether is backed by recognised “fiat” currencies like the US dollar, the euro, or the British pound and that it theoretically maintains a value equivalent to one of those denominations.
According to the hypothesis, Tether’s value should fluctuate less than other cryptocurrencies. Investors who are leery of the significant volatility linked to other coins frequently favour it.
Binance Coin 4. (BNB)
Capitalization: £41 billion
Users of Binance, one of the biggest cryptocurrency exchanges in the world, may trade and pay fees using Binance Coin. A discount is applied to exchange fees paid in Binance Coin.Binance Coin was introduced in 2017 and is now used for more than just enabling deals on the Binance platform. Now, it may be used for trading, collecting payments, and even making trip plans. Additionally, it can be traded or converted into other cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin or Ethereum.
A coin had a price of less than 10p in 2017, but this month it has been selling at almost £254.
US Dollar Coin 5. (USDC)
Capitalization: £36 billion
Another stable currency is the US Dollar Coin (USDC). It is backed by dollar-denominated assets stored in segregated accounts with financial institutions governed by US law and convertible 1:1 for US dollars. Ethereum powers USDC, which may be used to conduct transactions anywhere in the globe.XRP 6.
Capitalization: £39 billion
A quick and inexpensive cryptocurrency for international transfers is what XRP intends to be. A digital technology and payment processing firm founded by some of the same founders as Ripple, XRP may be used on that network to conduct exchanges of various currency types, including fiat currencies and other significant cryptocurrencies.Cardano 7. (ADA)
Capitalization: £12 billion
Cardano is remarkable for its early adoption of “proof-of-stake” validation despite entering the crypto industry later.This is the second of the two main consensus techniques that cryptocurrencies employ to verify new transactions, add them to the blockchain, and produce new tokens (the first is “proof-of-work,” see Bitcoin above).
Through the elimination of the competitive, problem-solving element of transaction verification that exists via platforms like Bitcoin, this solution speeds up transaction times while lowering energy consumption and environmental effect.
Cardano uses ADA, its native coin, to power smart contracts and decentralised apps, much like Ethereum does.
Solana 8. (SOL)
Capitalization: £10 billion
A public, open-source blockchain named Solana enables NFTs, smart contracts, and a wide range of so-called decentralised apps, or “dApps.”Digital applications (dApps) are programmes or applications that operate on a blockchain network of computers rather than a single computer. dApps can be created for a variety of uses, including gaming, finance, and social media, outside the jurisdiction and control of a single government.
Solana’s unique proof-of-stake and proof-of-history hybrid operating system enables it to handle transactions rapidly and securely. The platform is powered by SOL, its native coin.
SOL currently costs little over £28 from its original price of about 57p in 2020.
Market valuation of Polkadot 9. (DOT) is £6.5 billion.
The 2020-launched cryptocurrency project Polkadot aims to connect different blockchain networks so they can cooperate.The cost of Polkadot has increased from its first debut through October 2022, going from £2.15 to roughly £5.56.
Dogecoin 10. (DOGE)
Capitalization: £4.8 billion
In 2013, Dogecoin was created as a joke, but with the help of a passionate community and innovative memes, it quickly became a well-known cryptocurrency. Dogecoins can be manufactured in an unlimited amount, unlike many other cryptocurrencies, making the currency vulnerable to devaluation as supply rises.In 2017, the price of Dogecoin was £0.00016. Its cost was 5p as of 3 October 2022.
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Energy crisis: UK expands gas emergency exercise ahead of winter — Tallbloke’s Talkshop
Image credit: thecount.com Ministers ‘insist’ there will be no blackouts, but is anyone comforted by that? They’ve already contracted some extra power from coal that was supposed to be being phased out. Maybe they’re relying on the high price of energy cutting demand. – – – A regular emergency planning exercise to help the UK […]
Energy crisis: UK expands gas emergency exercise ahead of winter — Tallbloke’s Talkshop -
An Introduction to the World of Digital Finance from the Finance Fox….
A small town girl from Rickmansworth, stepping out into the big world of Digital Finance, how does this happen you ask? Well lets just find out and support one another in the big world of finance, business and in my view – #notomonetarism.
It may seem like a HUGE SCARY world for some, but once you have broken down the aspects of what you actually need to digest of course, what can be kept on the backburner for now and, what might be utter nonsense, my advice is, do not over learn! Take your time, take in all the things you need directly, when you have pieced these together in your mind, whatever they may be – you will start to relax and new doors will open up with new questions that you can go and venture to find the answers to for yourselves. With the right community, networking skills and fantastic advisor/mentor/patient teacher as I am very grateful to have, I am certain that any person, wherever you may be in the world, thinking about a career in finance, can do it!!
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5 Skills a Top Trader must have…
There are a vast amount of pathways around whilst learning to become a professional trader, as well as many skills that a candidate must have to excel in a high-stress, highly-competitive field. When it comes to financial firms recruiting for trading positions, they aspire to look for people with degrees in math, engineering, and hard sciences rather than simply those with finance backgrounds.
With this, there comes different trading jobs, many of which require customer-facing communication skills as much as chart savvy. That said, we’ll look at some of the skills that are required of all traders.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- developing ones self into a trader requires a background in math, engineering, or hard science, rather than just finance or business.
- Traders need research and analytical skills to monitor broad economic factors and day-to-day chart patterns that impact financial markets.
- The ability to focus and concentrate, particularly in a chaotic, fast-moving environment, is an underappreciated but crucial skill for traders.
- Self-control is crucial, as well as the ability to regulate emotions despite developments that could be upsetting.
- Accurate record-keeping is important for trader accountability and for learning and improving.
Analytical Skill
The ultimate skill every trader needs is the ability to analyze data quickly. There is a huge amount of maths involved within trading, however it is represented through charts with indicators and patterns from technical analysis. Consequently, traders need to develop their analytical skills so they can recognize trends and trends in the charts.
Research
Traders need to have a healthy thirst for information and a desire to find all the relevant data that impacts the securities they trade. Many traders create calendars of economic releases and set announcements that have measurable effects on the financial markets. By being on top of these information sources, traders are able to react to new information as the market is still digesting it.
Focus
Focus is a key skill and it increases the more traders exercise it. Because there is so much financial information out there, traders need to be able to hone in on the important, actionable data that will affect their trades.
Some traders also focus on the types of securities they trade so they can deepen their understanding of a specific sector, industry or currency to the point where it becomes a competitive advantage against less specialized traders.
Most of the required skills are learned, and with a bit of effort, traders can improve their analytical capacity, research abilities, focus, control and record keeping.
Control
Hand in hand with focus is control and, specifically, self-control. A trader needs to be able to control their emotions and stick to a trading plan and strategy. This is especially important in managing risk by using stop losses or taking profits at set points.
Many strategies are designed so the trader loses a little in bad trades and systematically gains more on good trades. When traders start to get emotional about their trades—good or bad—strategy goes out the window.
Record Keeping
One of the most important keys to trading is record keeping. If a trader records the results of his or her trades diligently, then improving is simply a matter of testing and tweaking strategies to find a successful one. It is hard to show real progress if you aren’t keeping accurate records.
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Qi Coin® NFTs: Own Digital Art With a Purpose.
**Attributes to Qi Coin®, Qi Coin NFT. ®
In a world where a “Bored Ape” NFT has recently sold for $2.7 million or where you can routinely purchase a Mutant NFT for $3.8 million or a Crypto Punk NFT for $23.7 million you have to ask yourself some questions. Throughout the ages art has always been purchased for its beauty, however can that be applied to the modern day age with the sale of block pixelized images for millions of dollars? We all know that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and we respect any and all of the NFTs which have been purchased even “the First 5000 Days” Beeple which sold for $69 million and “The Merge” for $91.8 million albeit to a crowd of collectors.
FIAT money is guaranteed to be worth less.
It has now become clear to many more people that the FIAT money that you transact in (i.e Dollars Pounds, Euros, Etc. is devaluing at an alarming rate around the world, with the highest inflation rate recorded for almost 40 years. Energy, food, housing and borrowing costs are now increasing at an unsustainable rate for many people and all of this is happening while our political and corporate leaders arrogantly tell us that the economy is strong. Even if all of these geopolitical events were not occurring it has always been government policy to devalue your money by a certain amount each year by aiming to hit a certain inflation rate target.
Buy Into the Qi Coin® Revolution
Now NFT purchasers have the opportunity to buy 2 exclusive and unique NFTs (only 1 has been minted of each) from the Qi Coin® “Sound Money” collection. Qi Coin® have again demonstrated their innovative thinking by not only releasing these NFTs but by also undertaking that anybody who purchases these NFTs will literally cement a place in history by being one of the leaders in pushing forward the Qi Coin® Project. Qi Coin® have stated that the sale proceeds will only be used to progress the Qi Coin® Project in many ways and that in addition to this they will convey to the purchaser, or hold the Qi Coin® in trust for them, the sum of Qi 1,111,000 which they expect will be worth an absolute fortune in the near future. They hope that the type of buyer who buys these NFTs will hold these tokens and use them for philanthropic purposes (but of course that would be the owner’s choice).
These NFTs are priced at 666 Ethereum each and are listed on the Opensea platform. The proceeds will be put towards Qi Coin’s goals of disrupting the traditional banking and financial system, moving us all towards the goal of “sound money”. The Links to these NFTs are shown below:
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5 of the best Altcoins to buy…
**Attributes to U.S. News
Here are five of the best Bitcoin alternatives, or altcoins, to buy for 2022.
By Wayne Duggan
Qi Coin (QIC)
The Universal Cryptocurrency which combines east and west with the common purpose of empowering people and democratizing the centralized power structures. Qi Coin® have developed this radical and revolutionary protocol with an ambitious purpose. Qi Coin is a digital cryptocurrency which is backed by physical assets. It has been designed to provide individuals and organisations with a robust and decentralised method of holding and exchanging value. They state they are the only issuer allocating Cryptocurrency through an Initial Qi Offering (IQO) and an Initial Loan Offering (ILO).
Solana (SOL)
Solana is a relative cryptocurrency newcomer that launched in March 2020. The coin has quickly amassed a large following and is now the sixth-most-valuable cryptocurrency in the world, excluding stablecoins, with a market capitalization of $31 billion. Like Ethereum, Solana supports dApps and NFTs, but it has far fewer total projects on its blockchain than Ethereum does. Solana’s unique combination of proof-of-history, or PoH, and proof-of-stake, or PoS, transaction verification gives it several advantages over Ethereum, including faster and cheaper transaction verification. Solana also requires far less energy than Bitcoin or Ethereum transactions, making it a much greener alternative.
Polkadot (DOT)
The Polkadot blockchain was launched in 2020 by Ethereum co-founder Gavin Wood. Polkadot operates a main network blockchain where transactions are permanently recorded. The technology’s unique feature is its parachains, which are user-created blockchains that can be customized while still benefiting from the same security measures as the main Polkadot chain. Users can customize different Polkadot parachains for different uses, but the network only requires enough computing resources to operate the main chain. In December, OTC-listed Deutsche Telekom AG (ticker: DTEGY) – Europe’s largest telecom company – bought some of Polkadot’s native DOT cryptocurrency as part of its initiative to integrate cryptocurrency into its accounting system.
Bitcoin
Bitcoin (BTC) gets the lion’s share of cryptocurrency media coverage, and rightfully so. But in the years since the first Bitcoin transaction in 2009, thousands of additional cryptocurrencies have popped up, creating a confusing landscape for investors. Some of these altcoins feature major technical innovations that differentiate them from Bitcoin, while others have simply become popular digital currency brands and social media memes. Cryptocurrency investing remains an extremely speculative endeavor, but it can be lucrative for investors willing to risk painful losses in the hopes of big payouts. Here are seven of the best altcoins to buy today.
Ethereum (ETH)
Ethereum is the largest and oldest Bitcoin alternative, but the Ethereum network was built with an entirely different goal than Bitcoin. The Ethereum blockchain was the first to introduce smart contracts – code designed to run decentralized applications, or dApps. There are currently 2,921 dApps running on the Ethereum network, according to the website State of the dApps. The Ethereum network is home to dApps for gaming; gambling; socializing; decentralized finance, or DeFi; and nonfungible tokens, or NFTs. The network’s functionality is one reason Ether, the native token of the Ethereum network, has significantly outperformed Bitcoin in recent years.
7 of the best altcoins to buy:
- Ethereum (ETH)
- Ripple (XRP)
- Solana (SOL)
- Polkadot (DOT)
- Dogecoin (DOGE)
- Qi Coin (QIC)
- FTX Token (FTT)
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