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The Impact of AI and ML on the Finance Industry

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What was once considered a niche piece of technology that was mostly thought of by the mainstream for the gaming world is now a part of our everyday lives. Of course, we’re talking about artificial intelligence and machine learning, or AI and ML for short. You’ve probably tinkered around with AI when it comes to using a chatbot or even had to talk to AI yourself when attempting to contact customer service.

However, AI has a much broader scope than you might think. These days, AI is used in just about everything, and that includes the finance industry. From predicting trends in stocks to detecting fraud, AI and ML have a massive impact on the field. Let’s take a look at that impact through some of the examples of how these technologies are used 

Predicting Stocks

Some of the most predictable people in stocks have done years of research to find trends, look at specific stocks, and analyze what their potential profits could be in a certain amount of years. However, artificial intelligence is able to do all of this within a matter of seconds. It’s quite remarkable to see how machine learning can take all of the historical data available and predict which stocks will see an upward trend in the coming weeks and months and which will take a dip.

There was once a time when someone could simply play the stock market on a hunch, using their emotions to predict the next big company. While that still plays a large part in potential massive earnings, AI can help you with safer bets. This has allowed a lot of people to get into stocks for the first time in their lives as you don’t have to spend hundreds or thousands for expert opinions to see the trends in front of you.

Personal Spending

There are still a lot of people who will painstakingly write down all of the money that they’ve brought in and spent, keeping receipts in a shoebox and going over the financials at the end of the month. Thankfully, there are now AI programs that come with just about every bank account that will tell you all of these numbers in real time and come up with a budgeting solution that will make your life much easier.

Some of the more useful aspects of this include telling you where you’re spending your money, what categories you’re spending your money on, and what payments you have coming up for the month. This has been instrumental in helping a lot of older generations have their finances more accessible as they adjust to a more digital era. With cash quickly becoming less frequently used, there are going to be more people who lean on AI for financial help.

Enhanced Security

In this growing digital age, we all want to make sure that our assets are protected, making security more important than ever. Fraudulent transactions can get by a human rather easily, but AI is able to detect trends easily and will flag any potential fraudulent charge so that a human can take a deeper look.

This is one of those great examples of how AI isn’t exactly replacing people, but rather making the work easier for those who are already in the field. Many of the largest financial institutions are already using AI to go over every transaction on a daily basis because it’s capable of handling that workload.

Underwriting/Credit

Back in the day, you could simply walk into a bank, show them a paystub and a few other documents like a deed to show them that you were worthy of a loan without a full risk assessment of your finances. Times are much different, and computing is used in every major financial decision from mortgages to car loans. Now, AI is being used to streamline that process and give a yes-or-no based on your debt-to-income ratio among other details.

Within a matter of seconds, AI has the ability to pull up your financial history and determine an approval, interest rate, terms, and more. While this might not be ideal for the person who is applying for the loan, the risk assessment is what finance companies are most worried about. Since AI doesn’t have any feelings in the transaction, they’re able to make a calculated decision instead of an emotional one.

Accounting

Whether your business has 10 employees or finds itself firmly within the Fortune 500, there is a lot of accounting that needs to be done. However, even the smartest humans can make the simplest math errors on a consistent basis. While human accountants are likely to never be replaced, some of the more simple accounting tasks are now being handled by AI.

That’s because AI uses nearly foolproof systems that can cut accounting errors down to almost zero. Of course, humans are going to be needed to double-check that AI didn’t get anything wrong while adjusting the AI to make sure that the same mistake isn’t made again.

5 Famous People Obsessed with Crossword Puzzles and Why They Love Them

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One of the more common hobbies that you’ll find worldwide is the daily crossword puzzle. It’s estimated that more than 50 million people play crossword puzzles each day, and there is a wide variety to pick from. Between the USA Today, Washington Post, New York Times, and many others, people can play the old-school way with pen and paper or online.

With such a wide net of players, there was always bound to be some famous people who avidly play crossword puzzles. Here are five famous people who are obsessed with crossword puzzles and talking about why they love them.

Jesse Eisenberg

New York City native Jesse Eisenberg got his acting career starting while he was a teenager in the late 1990s, and became a star in the late 2000s thanks to his roles in films like “Zombieland” and “The Social Network”. He then went on to star in blockbusters like “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”, playing legendary villain Lex Luthor.

Eisenberg has used crossword puzzles to help him calm down and prepare for roles as it helps him get more in touch with other members of the pop culture world. Eisenberg was involved in the 75th-anniversary celebration of the New York Times crossword puzzle, as well, creating his own puzzle. “I initially created this puzzle thinking that it would be released around Thanksgiving,” he said. “As a nod to my family, vegetarians who celebrate ThanksLiving, I thought we would create a puzzle for vegan dinner options.”

Bill Clinton

Bill Clinton served as the Governor of Arkansas from 1983 until 1992, and in that final year launched his campaign to become the third-youngest President in United States history. Clinton unseated George H.W. Bush from the White House and assumed the office for two terms. While Clinton didn’t receive much downtime while being the leader of the free world, he did spend much of that free time filling out crossword puzzles.

“Half the time I do these things just to see what people are thinking about,” Clinton said, hoping that crosswords would keep his finger on the pulse of society. “Sometimes you have to go at a problem the way I go at a complicated crossword puzzle,” he added. “You start with what you know the answer to, and then you build on it. A lot of complex problems are like that.” Clinton has even authored crossword puzzles over the years for the New York Times, perhaps the most well-known publication crossword puzzle.

John Lithgow

A highly-decorated actor, John Lithgow started his career on Broadway in the early 1970s and never looked back. Showing off a wide range of skills from comedies like “3rd Rock From the Sun” to dramas like “The Crown”, Lithgow has done it all.

Lithgow has been playing crossword puzzles for many years and even collaborated with the New York Times to create a puzzle with veteran constructor Brendan Emmett Quigley. Lithgow said that it was “exhilarating.” He added that it was “a lot of fun” and that you “learn the mysteries of crossword puzzle construction.” Lithgow was able to display his “pride and joy” live on “The Tonight Show” with Jimmy Fallon, even including the show as one of his clues in the puzzle.

Ken Burns

Not all documentary filmmakers are well known, but Ken Burns is one of those that’s a household name. Between his love for the sport of baseball and wars around the world, Burns has released some of the most celebrated documentaries of all time. He’s received Grammy Awards, Emmy Awards, and many others over his illustrious career.

Burns mentioned that he still plays crossword puzzles on a daily basis, saying that he sticks to the New York Times and never misses one whether it be in print or online. He even keeps track of his times, saying that on Saturdays he hopes to accomplish the puzzle within 15 minutes (the day with the easiest puzzles) while some of the more difficult puzzles can take around 25. 

Lisa Loeb

Lisa Loeb burst onto the music scene in the mid-1990s thanks to the release of her song “Stay (I Missed You)” which became the number-one song in the United States. She released several successful subsequent albums and branched out her career into other forms of entertainment including acting and hosting, landing a regular spot on SiriusXM’s 90s on 9 satellite radio station.

While Loeb didn’t really play crossword puzzles in the 1990s, she started doing it much more after her children were more grown up and she had downtime on tour. After becoming a more avid crossword player, Loeb was tabbed to help create a puzzle for the New York Times and said that making the puzzle was a lot like writing a song. “When you collaborate, you have certain ideas which are the structure, like the ‘posts’ of the house that keep it all together…but then just the laughter and the joking and the side conversation that you have when you’re coming up with ideas and what’s important to you…it felt like writing a song.”

Why Catwoman is More Than Just a Femme Fatale

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While comic books were originally a heavily male-dominated industry, there have been plenty of popular female characters throughout the years. One of the first that comes to mind for any comic book fan is Selina Kyler, a.k.a. Catwoman. Catwoman was introduced in the very first Batman comic book issue and has been a staple of the franchise ever since.

Along the way, there have been several on-screen adaptations showing Catwoman with varying types of demeanors. Julie Newmar and Eartha Kitt played Catwoman in the original television series, while actresses including Michelle Pfeiffer, Halle Berry, and Anne Hathaway have played the character more recently on the big screen.

Catwoman has been seen as a villain in some instances, as well as a hero. No matter how you see Catwoman, she’s certainly one of the more complex characters throughout comic book history. She’s more than just a femme fatale that’s used as a setpiece for Batman’s adventures, too. Let’s take a look at why Catwoman is much more, and why she’s become a popular individual character in her own right.

The Good Side

From the outside-looking-in, Catwoman can appear to be one of the “bad guys” in the Batman universe. After all, she’s an expert burglar and tends to fight off Batman whenever he tries to foil her heists. However, Selina Kyle has proven to be someone who isn’t motivated by evil, as she doesn’t intentionally try to hurt anyone, and she certainly never sets out to kill anyone like many of the other Batman villains.

Because of this, Batman was always able to see the good in Catwoman. She’s someone who acts on pure necessity rather than evil instincts. Creator Bob Kane said that this was intentional and that Selina was someone who was hard to understand fully, just like a cat, though his full explanation (in his own words) was a bit “chauvinistic.” Once Catwoman’ is developed more throughout the series, we see that there is a lot of good in her character.

Relatable

The early iterations of Catwoman focused more on Catwoman being a femme fatale and a romantic interest for Batman. This would remain the constant for the first couple of decades of Catwoman’s history but eventually changed during the 1980s. It was then that Catwoman was established as someone with a backstory that was much deeper. Frank Miller wrote Catwoman as someone who worked as a “lady of the night” that became a burglar after seeing Batman, but that was soon scrapped.

Catwoman’s backstory has been changed several times depending on the generation and Batman series that she’s part of, though there are some constants that remain. Catwoman is often seen with a background in which she was orphaned, abused, and left out in the streets. This is the main inspiration as to why she’s a burglar, as Catwoman has used her athletic prowess as a way to make ends meet, stealing high-valued jewels and money without inciting chaos like the Joker.

Independent

Though Catwoman isn’t a model citizen, there’s one thing that’s for certain, and it’s that she’s as independent as anyone that you’ll meet. Even though Batman was also orphaned when he was a child like Catwoman, he still had a support system around him that helped position him into being perhaps the most powerful person in Gotham City.

Catwoman, on the other hand, didn’t get that kind of support as she grew up. There was no Alfred or Lucius, so she relied entirely on herself to make ends meet. That type of independence, even if it was illegal, endeared a lot of people to the character. After all, Batman breaks the rules all the time by being a vigilante and people idolize him, so why shouldn’t Catwoman get a break when she simply is trying to keep herself alive?

There are a lot of people who didn’t grow up with a support system and admire the type of independence that Selina Kyle has shown throughout all adaptations. Catwoman also tends to not ally herself with factions around Gotham City, or even Batman for too long, as she is independent and likes to keep it that way.

Caring

There are a lot of Batman villains that simply don’t have a soul or a fiber of well-meaning in their bodies. You think of villains like the Joker who just want chaos and to hurt as many people as possible, but the opposite is true for Catwoman. There have been many instances when Catwoman has been shown to be perhaps the most compassionate and caring person in the Batman universe.

One of the more prominent examples comes from “Batman Vol. 3” when Catwoman admitted to killing more than 230 people after the orphanage burned down. It turned out that she didn’t do it at all, and was simply covering for Holly Robinson, her friend and protege who would end up becoming the next Catwoman. Needless to say, Catwoman may be hardened and talented, but she’s not the dangerous criminal that Gotham City thinks she is.

How to Organize and Catalog Your Comic Book Collection Like a Pro

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While comic books have been around since the late 19th century, it wasn’t until the late 1930s that they really started to take off and become part of the mainstream thanks to heroes like Superman, Batman, and Spider-Man. Ever since then, there have been countless characters introduced into the comic book world, thus creating an opportunity to amass large collections of books for avid readers.

Right up there with baseball cards, stamps, and coins, comic books are one of the most common hobbies when it comes to collectibles. While a majority of them are barely worth the paper that they’re printed on, some can still maintain high sentimental value. Also, some of them have incredible monetary value. After all, around 10 comic book issues have sold for more than $1 million, including a $5.3 million Superman comic and a $3.6 million Spider-Man comic.

For those who collect comic books, it can be quite difficult to figure out how to organize and catalog them. Whether you’ve just picked up your first issue and want to start a collection or are wondering how you can organize the hundreds that you already have, we have some ways to make your collection really shine.

Figure Out the Order

There are a few different ways in which you can catalog your comic book collection. One of the more unique ones is to sort them by issue number. Of course, if you do that, you could end up with a #1 issue of a comic book released in 2015 while the next comic is a #2 for a different series released in the 1960s. This obviously is the least-preferred way of doing things, but it is a way if you’re so inclined.

Instead, most people prefer to catalog their comic books in order of main character alphabetically. If you were to list all of your comic books in alphabetical order going by their title, you could end up with some mismatches. For instance, “The Amazing Spider-Man” would be toward the front of the collection while “Spider-Man 2099” and “Ultimate Spider-Man” would be closer to the end.

That’s why it’s easier to list the main characters in alphabetical order, starting with Ant-Man and Aquaman, and going all the way to the X-Men and Zatara. Once you have your sections with each superhero, you can get a bit creative with each of those sections. Try to divide them into subsections of series, sorting them by release date. This is the easiest way to find exactly what you need right away, especially if you place a divider (even as simple as an index card) in between each character and series run.

There’s another way to organize your collection, and that’s via sorting by release date. While it could end up being a bit scrambled due to the alphabet being all over the place (which could drive some people batty), it’s not the worst way to find which ones could possibly hold more value. However, that’s better reserved for our next suggestion.

Digitize Your Catalog

Comic book collecting is such a common hobby that there are several popular apps that allow you to organize your entire collection. You can either manually enter which ones you own, or even scan the UPC codes so that they’re automatically added. This will allow you to quickly see any gaps that you may have.

Also, some people may prefer to have their comics in a digital format so they don’t have to find room for a physical collection. Buying digital comics will instantly allow you to sort by name, date, and more with a couple of taps. You also don’t have to worry about keeping the comics in good condition, though there is something special about having the physical copy.

Displaying Your Comics

Now that we’ve figured out how to arrange the comic books and catalog them, there’s the issue of displaying the physical copies that you own. The first thing that you’ll want to do is to determine which ones are the most valuable in your collection. These ones should instantly be placed into a protective sleeve so that they don’t get wear and tear, as even some of the rarest comics have lost millions in value because of poor condition.

What most avid comic book collectors do is take these valuable ones, place them in protective sleeves, and remove them from the rest of the bunch. They also tend to put them on the very top shelf as a form of display, showing that these comics are truly the crown jewel of the bunch. As for the other comics, a shelf is usually the way to go, especially if there are ends on the shelves to prevent the issues from flopping over the sides.

When doing this, it’s best to pack in the comics on each shelf so that they are snugly in place. If it’s too tight, the pages can fold or rip easily. If it’s too loose, the comics will droop over and cause a bend that’s impossible to get rid of. The most important thing, though, is to have fun with it and come up with a way of displaying that pleases you aesthetically.

5 Differences Between Words With Friends And Classic Scrabble

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It’s no secret that people love word games, and millions of people turn to board games, their computers, and their smartphones to play their favorite ones. Among the most popular word games out there are classic Scrabble and the app Words With Friends. The two share a lot of similarities, naturally, as they’re both played with similar sets of rules, but there are some notable differences between them.

For starters, Scrabble was first introduced in 1938 and became a staple of households around the world. To this day, there are still thousands of Scrabble clubs around the world with more than 150 million versions of the game sold. As for Words With Friends, the game is almost exclusively in app form (though they did make a fairly unsuccessful board game) and is played by more than 10 million people each month.

Today, we’ll take a look at the major differences between classic Scrabble and Words With Friends, though we won’t say if one is better than the other.

Digital Features

Of course, we’ve already mentioned how one of the games (Words With Friends) is mostly online while the other (Scrabble) is mostly physical, it doesn’t mean that either game has tried to muscle into the territory of the other. The previously mentioned Words With Friends board game didn’t sell well, mainly because people felt that they already had a copy of Scrabble and didn’t feel it was necessary to have both.

Scrabble has also tried to get into the online game, with Hasbro setting up a website where you can play games with friends, against the computer, or with random people worldwide (the same way as Words With Friends). However, the inverse of Words With Friends trying to get into the physical market was true for Scrabble in the digital world. Many felt, “Why do we need X when we already have Y?” With that said, Words With Friends is the go-to for digital, and Scrabble for when you have friends and family in person.

Tile Placement

When it comes to both games, there are double and triple-word score tiles, as well as double and triple-letter tiles. However, the placement of these tiles is the opposite of each other. The specialty tiles on a Scrabble board make the shape of an X through the board while half diamonds make up the sides of the board (and a triple word score in the center of each half-diamond). The double letter scores surround the center space diagonally in each direction to get things started.

As for Words With Friends, there is a diamond surrounding the center square, with the double word tile being four spaces away in each cardinal direction. Surrounding the main diamond of specialty tiles is another larger diamond, though it’s missing the final tile to complete the shape. In each corner, there are diagonals of four tiles, including two triple-word tiles at the end of each line.

The Dictionary

If you’ve ever played Scrabble with someone who is a hardcore fan of the game, you can almost count on having an argument over whether or not a word you’re using is an actual word. Thankfully, Scrabble has a very clear set of words that are allowed and publishes its own dictionary that’s often updated. Hasbro has even teamed up with Merriam so that you can easily search online to see if your word is valid.

As for Words With Friends, it doesn’t use the official Scrabble dictionary but has a slightly modified version. It’s called the Enhanced North American Benchmark Lexicon, and there are some glaring differences. It’s much easier to play a slang word in Words With Friends, especially since it’s aimed at the members of younger generations who are more accustomed to playing on their phones.

Ranking System

In Words With Friends, you can make your way up the leaderboard, but you’ll mostly be stacked up against your friends rather than on a global scale. Sure, there will be weekly competitions to see who can get the highest score out of anybody in the world, but there typically aren’t prizes or sanctioned competitions where you’ll be making your way to a convention center in Las Vegas.

As for Scrabble, there are ratings that you can get from playing in official tournaments. If you defeat an opponent with a high ELO rating, you’ll see a massive jump in your rating. The more tournaments you play, the better of an idea you’ll have about where you stack up against the typical Scrabble player. Needless to say, people take Scrabble very seriously in competitions where it’s not as cutthroat as in Words With Friends.

Letter Score Differences

If you feel like the scores in Words With Friends end up higher at the end in Scrabble, it’s because many of the letters are worth one or two more points in the online game. 

For instance, the letter J is worth an additional two points in Words With Friends, while several other letters including B, C, and M are worth one more point each. As for the letters that are higher valued in Scrabble, it’s only Y and H that are worth an extra point. 

The Best Perennial Flowers for a Low-Maintenance Garden

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Creating a beautiful garden is a rewarding endeavor that brings joy and tranquility to many homeowners. However, the thought of maintaining a garden can often be daunting, especially for those with busy schedules or minimal gardening experience. That’s where perennial flowers come to the rescue. Perennials are the unsung heroes of the plant world, providing effortless beauty year after year with minimal upkeep required.

Perennial flowers, unlike their annual counterparts, have the remarkable ability to survive and bloom for multiple years. They establish strong root systems that allow them to withstand changing seasons and come back to life with a burst of color year after year. Their resilience and longevity make them the perfect choice for gardeners seeking a low-maintenance solution without compromising on visual appeal. 

Here are the best perennial flowers that you should be looking for when trying to create a low-maintenance garden:

Peony 

Peonies are big, beautiful, and come in a variety of vibrant colors. They’re a fabulous addition to your garden if you’re looking for a perennial that stands out and is easy to care for. Peonies require adequate air circulation, 6-8 hours of full sun, and somewhat moist/well-drained soil. Peonies are known to be top-heavy, so it’s a good idea to invest in stakes to support them if needed. 

Black-Eyed Susan  

This perennial is simple to care for and does a swell job of attracting pollinators. The black-eyed Susan possesses a pronounced disc in the middle, the perfect landing spot for any hungry pollinator wanting to feast on its sweet nectar. This flower can handle drier, sunny climates. They do best in full sun, with slightly moist/mostly dry soil.  

Coneflower

Coneflowers make a fantastic addition to any beginner’s garden. They attract pollinators, due to their sweet nectar, pollen, and pronounced disc that makes for easy landing. What’s even better, coneflowers are low maintenance and quite drought-tolerant. All they need to thrive is moderate watering, full sun, and well-draining soil. 

Catmint

Not only does catmint offer benefits for digestive issues, nasal congestion, and menstrual cramps. It’s also a rather self-sustainable plant to have in your garden. After the first year of growing your catmint, with it being given adequate love and care, is relatively drought and heat tolerant. It does well in full sun but can thrive in shade as well. Water 2-3 times a week to start and reduce to two times a week once established. 

Russian Sage

Russian Sage looks very similar to lavender and shares many similar qualities with the wonderfully herbal plant. Like lavender, Russian sage is extraordinarily heat and drought-tolerant. Making it a must-have for gardeners who reside in hot and dry climates. Do not water them too regularly and keep them in full sun, with some bouts of shade here and there. 

Bee Balm

Bee balm has been known to remedy sore throats, nausea, and digestive problems. The spiky, edible, and wonderfully colorful flowers attract pollinators, especially hummingbirds. These perennials are rather easy to care for. They need to thrive in full sun, moist/well-drained soil, and some simple steps to prevent powdery mildew growth. 

Yarrow

The common makeup of a low-maintenance perennial is often how drought-tolerant and heat tolerant the plant is. Yarrow is a great fit for a gardener living in a hot and dry climate that may not receive much rainfall during the summer months. Yarrow requires well-drained soil and seldom watering. In fact, too much moisture could bring upon invasive spread. So, keep that soil nice and dry, with the exception of a weekly 1-inch deep watering. 

Daylily

Like most of the perennials on this list, daylilies require very little care once they’re fully established within your garden. They of course thrive on 6-8 hours of sunlight, well-drained soil, and a brief watering twice a week, reducing to once a week after the first growing season. Keep in mind, darker varieties might require more shade than the brighter daylilies. 

5 Certifications That Don’t Mean What You Think They Do

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Whenever you’re filling out a resume that details your accomplishments and skills, you’ll likely see a spot where you can also list all of the certifications that you’ve earned throughout your career. This is the opportunity for you to showcase some very specific skills that have been recognized by a third party, but not all of them are built the same. 

For many people, hearing the word certification usually brings up thoughts of intense training in a specific field. However, there are a few different forms that you should know. Certificates typically don’t require any formal education and can simply be obtained through quick training in as soon as a few minutes. Then, there are certifications and licenses that require a lot more training and carry a lot more weight. Let’s take a look at some of the certifications that fall under these categories, showing you their true meaning. 

Certified Life Coach

There are times in our lives when we feel like nothing is going right and we want some outside help to get us back on track. In many cases, people will turn to a psychiatrist or psychologist who can help you determine the source of your problems and set you on the path to correcting those problems. However, those professions require years of formal education, so everyone is aware of just how much it can cost per hour to see one of them.

Then, there are people who are life coaches, who promise to carry the same type of knowledge as a trained professional, but the life coach industry has almost no regulations. Because of this, it’s easy for someone to go through a one-day certification program so they can give themselves a label that makes them appear more professional. While not all of them are scammers, always be wary and do some background checks.

Certified Master Chef

When we hear the term “Master Chef” our minds suddenly go to the likes of Gordon Ramsay thanks to his reality television cooking competition. While it just seems like a moniker that’s given to the winner of the series, it’s actually a certification that can be obtained through the American Culinary Federation. According to the ACF, it is “the only Master Chef certification in the U.S. recognized by the Department of Labor.”

However, those who are experts in the field of cooking have called the certification a “hustle” and say that it’s basically something that is paid for instead of earned. However, it looks good on a resume, especially to someone who isn’t deep into the cooking world. If you were to present the same certificate to say, Gordon Ramsay himself, he would likely roll his eyes.

Certified Financial Planner

The role of a financial planner is something that anybody can do whether or not they have a bachelor’s degree. There isn’t a lot of regulation when it comes to the job, and most people will trust anyone that has the Certified Financial Planner. Before you trust your money to someone with this certification, though, always make sure to check their qualifications.

This is one of those tricky ones because there are some people who have no experience in finance that have the same certification as others who have a master’s degree in accounting, business, or even law. Always double-check the history, because sometimes the board doesn’t always do enough vetting. The best financial planners will have a long history and list of clients that you can speak with who can vouch for their skills.

CPR Certification

Whether you obtained it in school or through work, almost everyone in the United States has received a cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certification at some point. While it’s important to know CPR in the event of an emergency, it doesn’t take much to receive the certification. Typically you are in a class for a couple of hours over the course of a few days and have to show the most basic skills.

Once you receive your CPR certification, you might think that you’re in the same realm as lifeguards or paramedics, but you can be wholly unprepared for an emergency situation despite having the same certification. After all, it only costs about $13 to obtain your CPR certification online without even needing to showcase your skills on a CPR dummy where you’d perform chest compressions. At the end of the day, it’s about as hard to obtain as a boating license.

Certified Nutritionist

When you’re looking to either manage your weight or improve your overall health through your diet, one of the first people that you’ll turn to is a nutritionist. Before you even begin a conversation with a nutritionist, though, check their credentials. If they’re a registered dietitian or a certified nutrition specialist, then they have gone through formal training and are a trustworthy source.

Then, there are those that don’t have the words “registered” or “specialist” in their title, but are instead certified nutritionists. There aren’t many regulations when it comes to this certification (for whatever reason) and allows people to give nutritional advice in most states despite possibly not being an expert.

Cooking and Baking as Hobbies: Recipes for Success

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In a world of fast-paced lifestyles and instant gratification, there’s something truly magical about the art of cooking and baking. Beyond mere sustenance, these culinary pursuits offer a creative outlet, a means of self-expression, and a source of immense satisfaction. Whether you’re a seasoned chef or a novice in the kitchen, embracing cooking and baking as hobbies can bring about a myriad of benefits for your well-being and enjoyment.

Let’s take a look at the world of cooking and baking as hobbies, where delicious flavors, artistic presentations, and personal fulfillment await. Whether you’re looking to try a new recipe or cultivate your culinary skills, these tips will serve as your guide on a journey toward culinary mastery and a lifetime of delicious enjoyment.

Easy Recipes 

When you take up cooking and baking as a hobby, you’re likely wondering where to start. Approach learning this valuable skill with a simple mindset. Start by testing out simple recipes that don’t require too much effort, but still make you feel as though you’ve accomplished something. Try putting together recipes that contain simple instructions and fewer ingredients. Move on to intermediate recipes once you’re comfortable slinging out the basics. 

Have Fun 

The best thing you can do for yourself when you start out cooking and baking as a hobby is to simply enjoy the process. Creating scrumptious dishes can easily become a stressful activity and feel like a chore if you spend too much time worrying about achieving perfection. You’ll have moments where dishes don’t turn out quite the way you want and instances where you make a mistake or two. It’s all about the process and learning from your mistakes. Open your mind to all aspects of learning a new skill, even the ugly parts. 

Tools 

It’s important you have a collection of basic kitchen appliances and tools. As your skills reach a more intermediate level, you can venture into more advanced products. For now, stick with the basics that will get you by and yield satisfying dishes. Buy a variety of pans, baking sheets, baking dishes, utensils, and appliances. As you grow more comfortable with your skills and wish to try out more complicated recipes, slowly add more tools to your collection to help you do so. Go at your own pace and grow confident with the basics first. 

Taste Test  

The best part about picking up this new skill is that you and those around you get to reap the rewards of your hard work. Taste testing your dishes isn’t only fun and delicious, it’ll help you to identify flavors and make adjustments when needed. You’ll want to familiarize yourself with a bounty of different flavors, combinations, and a wide range of seasonings and spices. Being confident in your flavors will help you cook bold, more tasty, and well-put-together dishes that you and your test subjects can enjoy. 

Decorating the Plate

It’s common knowledge that we eat with our eyes. Meaning, how appetizing a dish looks is just as important as how delicious it tastes. Decorating baked goods, or decorating a savory plate of food is a valuable skill to learn. You don’t have to be the most artistic person in the world to succeed at making food look delectable. 

Semi-homemade 

Cooking and baking are relatively easy to master once you put in the time and effort to learn your way around the kitchen. Though, sometimes you’ll come across recipes that seem extremely tempting, but may go beyond your experience level. An easy way to counter this is to take the semi-homemade approach. Where some of your dish contains homemade elements and the rest are store-bought. There’s no shame in taking shortcuts or taking advantage of premade items. What matters is the love you put into your dish.  

5 Common Foods That Cause Indigestion

Posted on by scatty

Indigestion is one of the most common ailments in the world, and each year around 25 percent of people in the United States suffer from some type of indigestion regularly. There are many different causes of indigestion which include stress, smoking, drinking, and a long list of underlying health problems. However, what you eat can be the most common reason for indigestion.

Certain foods cause indigestion so frequently that some people have to avoid them altogether to feel healthy. If you’re suffering from indigestion on a consistent basis, make sure to check your diet and remove the foods that are causing it. These five are the most common indigestion culprits that you should be looking out for.

Cheese

Cheese can be a healthy contributor to a healthy and balanced diet, though too much of the fatty treat, can cause irritation to your digestive system. Cheese is high in calcium, contains a good amount of protein, and is a delicious addition to many dishes. 

Most cheeses have a relatively high-fat content, specifically saturated fat. Consuming foods that are high in “bad” fats means you’re more likely to suffer the uncomfortable symptoms of indigestion like bloating, gas, tummy, discomfort, and acid reflux. Enjoy all heavy foods in moderation to avoid discomfort.

Fatty Meats 

As we now know, foods that are high in “bad” fats are more likely to upset your stomach. Some of the common fatty meats you should avoid, or eat in moderation, include pork bacon, fatty cuts of beef, pork and beef, sausages, and ground meats with a higher fat ratio. 

If you enjoy these foods and struggle to avoid them, there are alternatives that have a significantly lower fat content. Turkey and chicken bacon, turkey sausage, leaner cuts of beef, white meat poultry, and ground meats with a lower fat content, are all healthier alternatives that are less likely to cause indigestion. 

Spicy Foods

Not surprisingly, spicy foods are a massive trigger for those who suffer from indigestion. Seasonings like cayenne, chili powder, black and white pepper, buffalo and hot sauces, and spicy peppers are all common foods that are more likely to leave your tummy upset and bloated. 

If you are a sufferer of indigestion who also happens to be a spicy food junkie, it’s best to enjoy spice in moderation. There are plenty of flavorful and strong seasonings and sauces you can add to your dishes to ensure your food is tasty, without causing indigestion. 

Chips 

Chips are one of the most consumed snack foods around the world. The problem is, they are often high in fat and extremely easy to overeat. All resulting in a higher probability of chips, causing symptoms of indigestion. The salty treat is okay to enjoy in moderation, though most people find it difficult to do so. Not to mention, just one serving of chips can contain over 12g of fat. 

With this in mind, you may want to consider a low-fat alternative to normal chips. With society becoming more health conscious, these low-fat alternatives such as baked chips, flavorful popcorn, pop chips, seaweed chips, and rice cake chips are more widely available in your local grocery store. 

Beans

Although beans are rather nutritious, being that they’re full of fiber and protein, they are also a common source of indigestion. Beans are notorious for causing gas, bloating, and tummy discomfort. If beans are one of your trigger foods, it may be best to avoid them altogether. Typically, they’re alright in moderation. 

Beans contain a type of sugar called oligosaccharide, that our bodies cannot break down. Meaning, unfortunately, there isn’t really a way around the symptoms you might get when you consume them. There are over-the-counter supplements you can take to counteract the bloating and indigestion if beans are a must-have in your diet. 

The Impact of Cryptocurrencies on the Global Economy: Challenges and Opportunities

Posted on by scatty

Cryptocurrency has been one of the most talked about things in the news since the start of the 2010s. While crypto is a staple of the financial sector now, it’s actually quite a bit older than you might think. In 1983, David Chaum created the first cryptocurrency called ecash, and crypto became a very niche form of currency for the rest of the decade and into the 1990s and the 2000s.

It wasn’t until the end of the 2000s that cryptocurrency started to get mainstream attention thanks to the creation of Bitcoin by an unknown developer who used the name Satoshi Nakamoto. Since then, Bitcoin has become an internationally recognizable name, and many other cryptocurrencies have joined the fold since then.

Undoubtedly, cryptocurrency has had a major impact on the global economy. Some of it has been good, and some of it has been bad. Let’s take a look at the challenges and opportunities that cryptocurrencies provide to the financial world.

Challenge: Volatility

When it comes to stability, the stock market is a lot less volatile than cryptocurrency. Any time that the stock market has gained or lost more than 7 percent in one day came during the Great Depression, COVID-19 pandemic, or the Great Recession of the late 2000s with a few very rare exceptions. The same can’t be said of cryptocurrency, which sees prices bounce up and down on a daily basis wildly.

Opportunity: Volatility

On the flip side, volatility is one of the greatest assets of cryptocurrency. When things swing upward in a hurry, it can make a lot of money for people who invested heavily. Bitcoin, for instance, has seen gains of more than 40 percent in one day that made some people into instant millionaires. The biggest single-day gain in terms of percentage was 67,000% for HuskyX in November 2021.

Challenge: Lack of Regulation

One thing that most financial experts agree on is that there isn’t enough consistent regulation of cryptocurrency. There have been plenty of efforts to place regulations, but those at federal and state levels are finding it hard to agree on how to do so. As it is now, those who trade don’t get a lot of rights like they would with, say, a credit union that’s federally insured for over six figures.

Opportunity: Fast Transactions

While regulations can be a hindrance for a lot of reasons, there is one major advantage that comes with it. When you’re dealing with a global crypto market, there is no waiting when you want to buy or sell your currency. On apps like RobinHood, you can finish a transaction within a matter of seconds instead of having to wait for the stock market to open up until a transaction is complete.

Challenge: Not Eco-Friendly

Those who aren’t too familiar with crypto might be wondering how a currency that’s entirely online can be bad for the environment. After all, nothing is being printed, so no trees are being torn down. However, cryptocurrency requires a lot of mining which has computers operating at full capacity. This, of course, requires a tremendous amount of electricity. Bitcoin alone uses more energy than the entire country of Norway.

Opportunity: Global Trading

When you’re buying and selling stocks outside of your own country, things can get a bit tricky due to all of the rules and regulations. Things can get held up when making an international trade, and you could end up losing money instantly depending on the currency conversion. That’s not the case with cryptocurrency, though, as it has the same value in every single country and can be traded in any country.

Challenge: Security Issues

Cryptocurrency is one of the biggest targets for online hackers, and there have been plenty of instances of these hackers gaining access to peoples’ wallets and taking their crypto. While some forms of crypto are much more secure than others, all of them are subject to the risk of hacking. What makes matters worse is that we mentioned the lack of regulation earlier, which means people who are hacked are likely out of luck.

Opportunity: Great Transparency

On the other hand, all transactions are made public record with cryptocurrency. This can help alleviate some of the fraud potential, even if there are some security issues. Being able to trace all of the transactions increases your chances of getting your crypto back if a potential fraudster does come around.

Challenge: Not Accepted Everywhere

Pretty much every online business will accept PayPal, a credit card, or a debit card. However, not many of them will accept cryptocurrency, and that’s mostly because of the volatility. Many of the larger retailers will accept crypto, but small businesses don’t want to deal with it too much. This, however, could change quickly and end up becoming a positive.

Opportunity: Accessibility

While not everyone is accepting cryptocurrency just yet, anyone with an internet connection is able to get involved in the crypto market. You could be in the most remote area in the world but if you have a solid connection, you can start trading in the blink of an eye.