Personal finance knowledge is power. It is one of the most critical forms of education that you can get. It’s not just about managing money but understanding how to make it work for you. When you know how to manage your finances, you can make decisions that positively impact your life!

Free Online Classes for Personal Finance

Whether you’re a college student just starting out, a single parent, or someone looking to retire comfortably, these ten free online classes cover everything you need to know about personal finance. They can be the start of your path to financial freedom! 

Introduction to Personal Finance – Coursera

This personal finance course covers a variety of essential financial topics, including cash flow management, budgeting, the significance of credit scores, setting financial goals, and tax planning. The instructors are CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER professionals. The concepts are broken down into easily understandable videos, readings, and activities that allow you to apply them in real-time situations. This course will give you the foundation to enhance your understanding of basic personal finance terminology and how they relate to your financial situation.

Personal Finance – BYU

Brigham Young University offers a plethora of valuable information through its free online personal finance classes, tailored to all levels of expertise. Accessible to anyone at no cost, these classes provide engaging videos and practical money-management assignments. The free online Personal Finance program is designed for those who prefer a do-it-yourself approach, with topics ranging from achieving financial independence to saving strategies and stock basics. The course also provides tips for setting and attaining long-term financial goals, making it an ideal resource for anyone seeking reliable financial advice.

Budget Basics – Udemy

The Budget Basics program offered through Udemy offers a comprehensive guide to managing your finances with ease. By learning how to prioritize necessary expenses, you can effectively reach your financial goals and gain confidence in your ability to handle money responsibly. Whether you’re struggling with debt or saving for a new home, this course will equip you with the skills needed to take control of your finances and put them on autopilot. In just 30 minutes, you’ll have everything you need to build a customized budget that works for you and transforms the way you approach money management.

**Udemy also offers its Personal Finance 101 course for free.

Behavioral Finance – Coursera

Through Duke University’s Behavioral Finance course, participants explore the common errors that individuals and institutions make while investing, saving, and spending. The course sheds light on the factors that contribute to these predictable mistakes and where individuals are most susceptible to them. It also delves into the practices and methods on how to improve financial decision-making. Participants are given practical insights and techniques on how to improve their spending habits, save effectively, and make informed investment decisions. The skills and knowledge acquired from this course are valuable, especially in today’s fast-paced financial market, where sound decision-making is essential for success.

The Fundamentals of Personal Finance Specialization – Coursera

If you’re looking to take control of your finances, then this Specialization is for you. Over the course of five modules, you’ll explore topics such as budgeting, investing, and risk management in depth. By engaging with readings, videos, and activities, you’ll gain a comprehensive understanding of your current financial standing and learn how to take actionable steps toward achieving your goals. This program is specifically designed for learners based in the United States of America seeking to improve their financial literacy.

Planning for a Secure Retirement – Purdue University

Purdue University offers a comprehensive online course that focuses on guiding you toward a successful retirement. With 10 interactive modules, each containing lessons specific to retirement planning, the course enables self-guided learning. The lessons cover an array of topics ranging from understanding your risk tolerance while saving to navigating simplified employee pensions. While it imparts a wealth of knowledge, the course is best suited for individuals who are aspiring to secure their financial future during their golden years.

Money Skills – Marginal Revolution University

Marginal Revolution University is a nonprofit founded by economics professors. The school offers a comprehensive and amazing course on Money Skills. This course is geared for novices but taught at the university level, with over 900 free economics education videos available. The class features 10 videos and financial exercises that cover a range of topics including investing, real estate, and career development. Enroll today to improve your money management skills!

Managing My Money – Open Learn

The Managing My Money program offered on the Open Learn platform gives you the tools you need to take control of your finances. You’ll learn how to create and use a budget effectively, make wise purchasing decisions, explore different investments and debts, understand mortgages and home ownership financing options, and plan for retirement through pensions. The program also offers guidance on various types of insurance products available in the market so that you can make informed choices based on rational decision-making.

Personal Finance – Khan University

Khan University offers a wide range of free personal finance classes. Through their video lectures, they cover an extensive range of topics with crucial knowledge for effectively managing personal finances. From taxes to car expenses and even advice on how to pay for college, the website offers a wealth of knowledge to help you make informed financial decisions. For example, if you have been struggling to determine whether leasing or buying a car is the better option for you, Khan’s personal finance classes can provide you with the necessary information to make a sound decision. The online free Personal Finance course at Khan Academy is a wonderful resource that can equip individuals with the financial knowledge and skills they need to achieve their monetary goals.

Introduction to Managing Your Personal Finance Debts – Alison

This course provides valuable lessons in responsible debt management that can help alleviate or prevent personal debt problems. Over 1.5 to three hours, you’ll learn how to prioritize your debts, utilize a spreadsheet to organize your finances, and even negotiate interest rates with credit card companies. Upon completion, you’ll receive a certificate and be recognized as an Alison Graduate by achieving an 80% or higher on all assessments – joining over 40,000 others currently enrolled in this program. This course has been highly praised for its informative content and easy-to-follow format, with reviewers giving it an average five-star rating.

Learning about personal finance can be overwhelming, but taking these online classes is a great way to start. And they aren’t all there is out there. You can find hundreds of free online courses and resources to educate yourself on managing money and personal finance.

Remember that putting these lessons into practice will require patience and discipline, but the benefits are worth it in the long run. By becoming financially literate, you can make informed decisions about money and take control of your financial future. And with financial stability comes financial freedom.

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What Skills Can You Learn Online?

You can learn virtually any new skill online! Naturally, many people will opt to learn new creative skills, including painting, sculpting, graphic design, photography, and more. Others want to learn skills that will save them money. However, many colleges and universities also partner with websites to offer legitimate academic courses at a deep discount. 

For example, sites like Coursera or Udemy will offer courses on computer programming, digital marketing, technical support, data analytics, UX design, and more! You can even get entire discounted degrees on these sites. 

Some Platforms to Learn New Skills

In the following section, we will be discussing some of the most popular and affordable sites on the web where you can learn new skills. While there are thousands of sites that you can visit to take classes and learn new things, not all are legit. The sites we’ll delve into are trusted by thousands (if not millions) of students worldwide, and they have awarded countless certificates and degrees. The primary platforms we will be discussing are Skillshare, Udemy, FutureLearn, Coursera, and YouTube. 

Skillshare

Skillshare is an online subscription-based learning community. Users pay a monthly or yearly fee to access all of the courses available. These range from academic classes like computer programming and UX design to creative courses like painting or drawing. 

Courses on Skillshare are not accredited but are made and uploaded by passionate creators with some form of self-taught or formally-taught skills. The most popular Skillshare membership is a Premium plan, which either costs $168 for the entire year ($13.99 a month) or a monthly plan which costs $32 a month.

Udemy

Udemy is one of the web’s most popular MOOC (massive open online course) providers aimed at professional adults and aspiring students. There are more than 185,000 courses on the Udemy site, many starting as low as $14.99, with even further discounts for new students. Additionally, Udemy allows users to subscribe with a monthly personal plan, which gives students access to more than 6,000 top-rated courses in subjects like business and tech. 

FutureLearn

FutureLearn is designed to be a more modern take on a MOOC platform, created for students who want to learn differently and entirely on their own time. FutureLearn has some incredibly unique featured courses, including succeeding at interviews, aiding refugees, becoming a better LGBTQ+ ally, fashion management, end-of-life care, and more! 

FutureLearn has three main options for course access. First, you can purchase a monthly subscription for $27.99 and get unlimited access to all courses. You can also pay only for the course you are interested in. 

Additionally, you can audit a course for free. Auditing a course usually means you can access the materials and lectures, but you can’t participate in any projects or earn certification. Auditing it first is a frugal option for those who are unsure if they want to purcahse the whole class. 

Coursera

Coursera is perhaps the most popular and well-known MOOC site. The platform partners with dozens of top universities and companies, including Harvard, Yale, IBM, Google, and more. 

For example, currently, you can get a Master of Computer and Information Technology from The University of Pennsylvania (an Ivy League institution) 100 percent online! While it will still cost you around $3,400 per course, it is significantly cheaper than if you were to attend Penn in person. And there are many such courses and programs available on the platform.

Coursera is free to join and will prompt you to pay for each course or degree certificate you want to work toward. However, they do also have some free courses available. And like FutureLearn, most courses have a free auditing option. 

YouTube

YouTube is a vastly underestimated resource for finding free classes online and learning new skills. YouTube is the most popular video-sharing platform on the internet and has been around for over a decade. 

YouTube is free to join, and all videos (aside from premium films/television shows) are free to watch, add to playlists, save, and re-watch. Many YouTube influencers will upload free courses on YouTube to generate ad revenue, allowing them to make money. It’s a win-win situation, as you can watch anything you want on YouTube for free, and you will be allowing creators to earn money as you do so. 

How To Pay for Online Courses/Skills 

Learning from online courses provides a significantly cheaper alternative than attending an in-person university or class. However, when offered by certain prominent institutions, they may still be a little pricey. There are many different ways to pay for these courses, but we will discuss two primary options in the following section: setting money aside every week and taking up a side hustle.  

Put Some Money Aside Each Week

Decide on a percentage or dollar amount to take out of your current check that will go toward your prospective online course or degree. For example, if you want to subscribe to one of the platforms above, set aside some money each paycheck to fund your monthly payment. Or, if your goal is to earn a specific certificate or degree, save each week toward a one-time fee for that purpose. 

This method allows you to enroll in courses without taking on additional work. However, you will need to budget your paycheck more carefully and watch your spending habits. 

Take Up a Side Hustle 

Another way to help pay for online courses or certificates is to start a side hustle. A side hustle is a relatively new idea. But the concept is familiar. Essentially, you take on another part-time job that can help you earn additional cash. But instead of a traditional job, a side-hustle implies freelance work. 

The earnings can either be active or passive income, consisting of one or more side gigs. A few ideas include:

• Online tutoring
• Delivering groceries or meals
• Becoming a Lyft or uber driver
• Pet sitting
• Setting up your own blog
• Moving lawns
• Cleaning houses
• Selling crafts or artwork online

Branded Surveys

One popular option for a side hustle is taking online surveys for money. Branded Surveys is one of the most popular side hustle websites. They collaborate with many institutions, researchers, and companies to connect their users with data scientists who are compiling consumer information. Paid online surveys are a win-win situation, as researchers will greatly benefit from your reviews and opinions, and you get paid for surveys! Branded Surveys protects your data, and they offer anywhere from $.50 to $2 or more per survey. 

Many people dedicate the extra cash they earn through a side hustle to help them reach personal goals. In your case, you can use a side-hustle to fund your educational goals. 

Scholarships and Financial Assistance

Another way to fund online courses is through scholarships. Many of the sites we have listed above offer financial help. Usually, it is needs-based help, and you must show proof of income and explain why you need assistance. So if you really want to take some online courses but you can’t afford them, don’t let finances be an obstacle. Check each of the sites above for scholarships or financial aid. 

Learning Online Skills Can Open Up a New World

Taking free or cheap online courses can open up an entirely new world for you. Whether you want to learn a new creative skill or earn an entire degree, having a fresh set of skills under your belt can open up exciting career opportunities. Companies are always looking for people willing to learn and try new things, so learning a new skill makes you instantly more appealing as a job seeker, and can even help you eventually make big money online. 

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If you want to learn the many ways you can help keep your identity safe, keep reading for several tips for protecting yourself from identity theft. 

Shred or Destroy Private Documents

Many people receive their private documents, such as credit card statements and tax returns, online these days, which is a great timesaver. As a result, physical mail has decreased. However, a lot of personal information still comes on paper through the mail, so most people still end up with many paper documents that include their personal data. 

If you don’t need to save this paperwork or have gathered all the information you need from them, be sure to destroy or shred them completely so no one else can read them and steal the information they contain. 

Keep Your Mail/Email Secure

Similar to the last tip, it’s essential to keep your mail secure, whether it’s physical or digital. Many people don’t think to check their mail as often anymore because they don’t think they get anything worth looking at. However, it’s vital to keep tabs on your mail before someone else does. Check your mailbox daily, and be sure to take mail out of your mailbox right away so it can’t get stolen. 

Keep Your Social Security Number Protected

You should never carry your social security number on your person, as this is one of the easiest ways someone can steal your identity. Instead, you should always leave any documents with your social security number at home in a locked file cabinet or secure lock box. In addition, have your social security number memorized so you can use it when you need it without needing the actual physical card. If someone has your social security number, they can essentially use everything within your identity, so keeping that number secure is vital. 

Don’t Fall for Scams

It’s easier said than done, but try not to fall for phishing scams or scammers over the phone. There are various ways you can avoid falling for scams, but one of them is to screen your calls or delete emails from unknown numbers or addresses. Also, if you are in a messaging thread or call with someone asking for personal information, do not feel any pressure to act immediately or hand over your information on the spot. If your personal information is actually needed, the requester can certainly wait. And, of course, never hand over personal information from an address or caller you don’t know. 

Review Credit Card Statements 

It’s easy to see your credit card statements come in and toss them to the side. You might assume you know what you’ve swiped your card for, so you don’t need to review your statements. However, checking your monthly statements can alert you to whether or not anyone else has been using your card. This is useful anyhow if you have kids or other family members that have access to your cards, but it is even better to see if any scammers have access to your credit card numbers. 

Be Careful About Who Contacts You

Never feel uncomfortable asking questions when people contact you for personal information. If someone calls you and requests your personal information, make sure you ask for their name, the company they work for, and why they are calling.

Additionally, make sure they know who they are calling for. Make them repeat your name to be sure they are personally trying to contact you and that they aren’t just trying to get you to say your name so they will have it. And similar to the tip about falling for scams, don’t feel pressured to respond immediately or instantly hand over any personal information. You can always take their number and call back!

Be Careful In Airports/High Traffic Areas

In modern years, scammers have used high-tech scanners in high-traffic areas like airports to scan your cards or identification through your baggage. Invest in RFID-blocking luggage, wallets, or purses to prevent this from happening so that scammers can’t skim your information through your bags. 

In addition, never put your card into a reader or machine that looks odd. At gas stations or ATMs, scammers have been known to install fake readers on top of real ones that skim your information. Be aware!

Use Password Management Software

Password management software helps keep all your information in one place and prevents you from losing track of your passwords. You should change your password/security questions for the software often to ensure that all your sensitive information is kept safely in one place. 

Use All Possible Security Measures 

Like the protective password software, use all possible security measures that a website or mobile app offers. Usually, new applications have the option to include measures like Face ID or two-factor authentication. You should always opt to use these measures because they make it much harder for thieves to access your account. In addition, these measures usually require you to have a different device with you to authenticate that it’s really you accessing the account, making you less susceptible to scammers.

Do the Websites You Use Protect Your Data?

It’s essential to determine whether or not the websites and apps you use protect your data. Websites typically use a specific type of encryption that keeps your personal information safe. The most popular encryption methods are Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and Hypertext Transport Protocol Secure (HTTPS). Using things like Google Safe Browsing can usually help you tell whether websites are safe or not, but they are not always foolproof. So you should also learn how to do your own investigation. 

Does Branded Surveys Protect Your Data?

Yes! Branded Surveys protects your data and keeps your personal information secure. Branded Surveys only retains your personal information for as long as necessary to complete their studies, meaning they only hold onto your data while it’s necessary for the purpose they originally collected it for. Branded Surveys also considers the sensitivity and nature of your collected personal information when determining how long to hold onto the data. The site also allows you to opt out at any time, meaning you can always end the site’s use of your personal data.  As a side note, if you plan to make money taking online surveys, be sure to only work with a legit survey site that protects your data. 

Identity Theft Can Be Life-Altering

Identity theft is nothing to be careless about. Therefore, you should always be considering the steps you can take to protect yourself from identity theft. If your identity is stolen once, it is much more likely for it to happen again, as the original scammer may have sold your information to other criminals on the dark web. And sadly, it is much more difficult to “clean up” identity theft rather than prevent it from happening in the first place. However, if you follow these helpful measures to stay protected, you’ll have a good chance of keeping your identity safe and secure for years to come. 

The post Do You Know How to Protect Yourself From Identity Theft? appeared first on The Branded Daily Digest.

Thanks to the digital transformation over the past decade, the perks of working from home have not only touched the lives of employees, but also those of the business owner. Now, employers can recruit talent from across the globe, not just locally, equating to huge bonuses in business development. And for employees, the perks of working from home not only play into a more desired work/life balance but also offer up notions of freedom. Now, staying home with the kids or going into an office no longer has to be a choice. We can assist around the home when needed, but also be present for meetings when scheduled thanks to modern video conferencing.

We know we’ve only begun to scratch the surface here. So, we figured another infographic was in order to help convey all manner of additional perks of working from home for both the employee and the employer. Give it a look below!

Whether you’re an employee working remotely or a manager considering offering it to your staff, working from home offers many perks and benefits.

Perks of Working From Home For Employees

1. Flexible Schedule

Employees can take a break or run an errand in the middle of the day, leading to a stronger work/life balance.

2. No Dress Code

No more ironing a suit and tie every morning – when you work from home, you can wear whatever you want.

3. No Commute

You can get hours of your life back by skipping your commute. You’ll also save money on gas.

4. Cook Your Own Food

You won’t be as tempted to eat out if you’re working from home. This can help you save money and stick to a healthy diet.

5. Fewer Office Distractions

With no office distractions like coworkers talking your ears off, you can actually get work done.

6. Quieter Environment

You no longer have to escape to a conference room or head outside to take a phone call.

7. Feel Happier

With a better work/life balance, comfortable clothes, and no commute, employees can expect to feel much happier at work.

8. More Productive

A study by Stanford concluded that employees who work from home are 13% more productive than those who work in an office.

Perks of Working From Home For Managers

1. Happier Employees

Employees who have the option to stay home and cut out their commutes are often happier – and happier employees tend to put more effort into their work.

2. More Productive Employees

Increasing productivity amongst employees leads to stronger overall performance – and higher earnings for your company.

3. Employees Take Fewer Sick Days

Employees working from home are spared the viruses going around the office. Instead of calling out to prevent exposing other employees to a mild cold, if they’re feeling well enough, they can handle work from home.

4. Employees Take Shorter Vacations

When working from home, employees experience less burnout and therefore take shorter vacations.

5. You Will Spend Less Time in Impromptu Meetings

If most of your team is working remotely, there’s a far lower chance of you or your team spending tons of time in spur-of-the-moment meetings.

6. You Don’t Have to Pay for Office Space

If your whole team works from home, there’s no need to pay a ridiculous amount for office space. This can expand the budget in other departments.

7. You Can Hire the Best

Location doesn’t matter if you have a remote team. You can hire the best person for the job without worrying about their moving expenses.

8. Communication is a Breeze

Tools like project management software and instant messaging platforms make it easy to keep in touch with your team.

9. Employees are Less Likely to Quit

When employees are happier at work, they’re less likely to quit, which means you will spend less time and money interviewing and training replacements.

As remote work becomes easier, more and more companies are going to offer it – will yours be the next?

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What are Surveys?

Surveys are a quantitative research method with the sole purpose of collecting data and insight from a pool of respondents. Typically, companies or organizations are conducting surveys to make decisions within their business or organization. Surveys are also useful for academic and scientific research. Some companies pay people to take their surveys. Taking surveys for money is a fun way to make extra cash.

Most surveys consist of close-ended questions with a few short answer questions. If the surveyor wants to collect more specific research from their participants, they may use a method called question branching, which redirects respondents to a particular line of questions based on how they respond to questions. Using survey branching ensures the surveyor collects the most relevant data possible.

Before a researcher conducts a survey, they usually have a hypothesis or question they want to gather insight for first. These questions and hypotheses may come from past feedback or a different survey. Surveys help researchers determine if their hypothesis is accurate or not and provide direction based on responses to the questions they need to answer. Researchers use surveys to collect, aggregate, and analyze responses to questions.

What are Questionnaires?

Unlike surveys, questionnaires serve the sole purpose of collecting data. The answers collected from the questionnaire are not analyzed to form hypotheses or to understand the big picture of a problem. Instead, they ask a series of questions to collect information. A survey and questionnaire can ask similar questions, but what makes them different is what’s done with the responses afterward. For instance, your doctor might send you a questionnaire asking you to describe your health. Although she’s analyzing your results to help you improve your health, she doesn’t compare your results to her other patients to form an hypothesis.

Next time someone asks you, “Is there a difference between survey and questionnaire?” you can feel confident answering “Yes!”

Pros and Cons of Surveys

So, which one is better for researchers, a survey or a questionnaire? They both offer their own set of pros and cons. Instead of hosting a focus group in person, researchers can ask the same questions in an online survey. Focus groups often limit participants geographically, which can skew results and also cost more. Online surveys, on the other hand, make it easy to find participants all over. Companies that work with the best paid survey sites like Branded Surveys also don’t have to find survey participants themselves. We use our Survey Matching Engine to connect qualified participants to the right surveys. What’s more, surveys not only save money for big companies but also time.

As for the cons of surveys, they aren’t always the most accurate for concluding. If incomplete, rushed, or robot answers get submitted into the data pool, it can lead to skewed conclusions. Fortunately, when brands work with Branded Surveys, they don’t have to worry about this. Part of the service is to review every survey submitted and eliminate incorrect responses from data pools.

Pros and Cons of Questionnaires

Since questionnaires don’t have too many uses, they also don’t have many pros and cons. As for the pros of a questionnaire, it’s a fast and practical way to collect data from a small or large pool of people. Questionnaires also carry some of the same cons as surveys. It’s always possible for respondents to provide false information.

Uses of Surveys and Questionnaires

Now that you understand the pros and cons of a survey vs. questionnaire, learn how surveys and questionnaires are used in the world.

To start, surveys are used to complete market research. Market research includes everything from getting to know customers better to learning which proposed products will succeed or not. There are several types of market research surveys, including brand awareness, consumer insight, and product research.

Brand awareness surveys help businesses understand what consumers think of their brand and how it compares to competitors. Consumer insight surveys help companies understand their target audience better to improve their marketing and future products. Lastly, product research surveys help companies determine if a new product will become successful and how current products can improve.

The use of a survey vs. a questionnaire is much different. Questionnaires are an easy way to collect information on both a small and large scale. For example, questionnaires are useful for screenings, risk assessments, health assessments, self-assessments, and even tracking employee performance. Questionnaires are even used for wedding guests to decide which food to pick. The main difference between a survey and a questionnaire is what happens with the results. If you’re going to analyze the results after you receive the responses, it turns into a survey rather than a questionnaire.

Get Paid to Take Online Surveys

Would you like to get paid for online surveys? At Branded Surveys, we work with companies who want to conduct market research by distributing their surveys to our members. After our members take the online surveys and the company collects their responses, we reward our members with points. By taking online surveys and earning points with our other offerings, our members can earn cash or gift cards. Anyone can sign up and get paid for voicing their opinion on our platform. Best of all, you can take surveys from the comfort of your own home.

Want to earn money by taking online surveys? Sign up to become a member of Branded Surveys today!

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You’re Not Required to Pay to Sign Up For Legit Paid Survey Sites

One of the first signs a survey website is legit is if it doesn’t require any fees to create an account. Legit survey sites will never ask you for money. Quite contrary: they want to pay you. Although it’s normal for surveys to fill up before you can claim a spot. Still, you should never have to pay.

Some survey websites require a membership fee to access their exclusive list of paid survey sites. In turn, the listed sites also require payments to access their survey opportunities. It’s an endless cycle of paying fees to see lists that take you to other lists where you are required to pay access fees.

Another type of survey website you might encounter is one where you need to complete a pre-qualification survey that never ends. Here, too, you are asked for a membership fee. The site will ask you to tackle questions to verify that you can take the survey; only these “initial” questions will never end. It will continue to ask you question after question until you get so frustrated that you exit out. The site will still collect your membership fee, and you’re left empty-handed. 

Bottom line: Never pay to take a survey!

There Aren’t Promises for Big Payouts

If you encounter a survey website that promises you a big payout, like “earn $200 per day taking online surveys” is not going to be legit. Paid online surveys are legit when they tell you what you can earn and how much the average user makes per survey. Legit sites don’t offer any promises of how much you can earn if you sign up. Online surveys aren’t a consistent job. Some weeks you might get matched with dozens while other weeks you might not receive any surveys to complete. There’s no way to earn consistent money by taking online surveys on one website.

Legit Paid Survey Sites Have a Privacy Policy

Privacy is incredibly important when it comes to giving your opinions online. When you sign up for a survey website, it’s normal for them to ask you a series of questions about yourself. This included questions about demographics, including where you live, what you do for a living, how much you earn, and more. Survey websites use your answers to match you with surveys. Without a privacy policy in place that clearly outlines what they do with your data, the website can do with your information what they want, including selling it.

If a survey website sells your information, prepare yourself to start receiving solicitations and spam emails from across the web. One of the most important ways to determine if paid surveys are legit is by checking the website’s privacy policy. Take a close look and take the time to read the fine print. If you find anything unusual in their privacy policy or they lack one altogether, don’t waste your time taking online surveys there.

You’re Not Asked for Confidential or Personal Information

A truly legit paid survey site won’t ask you for your social security number, your exact address, your banking info, or any confidential personal information. If they ask you for anything in this nature, close your browser window. They likely want to sell your information or steal your identity. Make sure to read every question carefully and exit out if anything seems suspicious.

Rewards and Payment are Clearly Outlined

If you want to taking online surveys for cash, it’s important to understand how and when you’re getting paid. Before you sign up for a survey website, spend time doing in-depth research into their rewards and payment policies. Legit paid survey sites will clearly outline how you will be paid. Most survey websites pay their members with cash through PayPal or with free gift cards. They will also tell you how much effort it takes to earn enough points to collect your payment.

If you’re on a survey website and it doesn’t mention what you’re paid with, how you’re paid, or how long it takes to receive a payment, you’re looking at a red flag. If they’re keeping their rewards and payment information ambiguous or vague, chances are that they’re trying to trick you into a scam.

Reviews Verify if Paid Survey Sites are Legit

A quick way to check if a survey site is legit is by checking reviews. If you’re searching for a new restaurant to try, you’re likely reading reviews before you go there. Just like searching for “the best company to work for” or “the best restaurant in town,” you should take the time to read the reviews about the survey website you’re interested in. Some legit sites that offer to get paid for surveys even display their online reviews for potential members. At Branded Surveys, we display our reviews from Trust Pilot on our home page. Go the extra step and make sure to read the reviews of a survey website on a trusted review website before you sign up to take surveys. Reviews might look legit on the company website, but their independent reviews might tell a different story.

The Survey Company Should be Registered with the Better Business Bureau

If the survey company is legit, their company will be registered with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and have a rating. If you can’t find their listing with the BBB, it’s a first red flag that the company is likely a scam. As a next step, search for the business name with “scam” after it to see what pops up around the web. If they’re a scam, you will see a lot of listings on the subject.

If you do find the survey company’s listing on BBB, make sure to read through their reviews, rating, and complaint section. Learn about other survey takers’ experience. If everything checks out, you’re safe to proceed to take online surveys.

There is a Contact and About Page on their Website

Another way to determine if paid online surveys are legit is by looking through the website for About or a Contact page. If there is no About page filled with a company’s history, address, and phone number, this is a warning sign and can indicate that they’re not a legit business. If they’re also lacking a contact page or any direct way to get a hold of them should you need assistance, consider it another red flag. 

The Domain isn’t Brand New

The last way to check if you’re on one of the legit sites to get paid for surveys is by checking their domain name. If their domain name was purchased within the past few months, investigate them further. Scammers like to move around. By putting up the same online survey website under different domains and names, they can scam more people at a larger scale. Learn how old a domain is by looking it up on WHOis.net.

At Branded Surveys, we don’t want any members to fall victim to another scam online survey website. We offer complete transparency about our business. Please review our privacy policy, about us page, read through our reviews, understand how our platform works, or contact us with any questions or concerns you might have. We are here to help our members earn money by giving their opinion on market research surveys.

If you’re ready to get paid for surveys on a legit survey website, sign up for Branded Surveys today!

The post How to Know if Paid Survey Sites are Legit? [2022 Update] appeared first on The Branded Daily Digest.

1. Start Freelance Writing

One of the best online jobs for college students with no experience is a freelancing writing gig. If you can write grammatically correct sentences, you can likely make money as a writer. Freelance websites like Fiverr or UpWork let you apply to freelance writing gigs like blogs or website copy. Once you gain more experience, try finding your own clients. You can also look for freelance positions with marketing companies to gain steady, high-paying work. If writing isn’t your forte but you love grammar, there are also lots of gigs for proofreading and editing.

2. Become a Virtual Assistant

Juggling college, internships and a social life requires excellent organizational skills. One way you can put these skills to use is by becoming a virtual assistant. Business owners live hectic lives and often don’t have time to respond to emails or organize projects. As a virtual assistant, you would respond to emails, schedule meetings and handle other small tasks. These are easy side hustles for college students because they don’t often require experience, they have flexible hours and you can work on them from anywhere.

3. Create YouTube Videos

Yes, people can actually make a living creating videos and posting them onto YouTube. With no experience needed, you can transform your hobbies, creative ideas, thoughts or basically anything into a video, upload it to YouTube and potentially earn money from it. The more followers and views you have, the more money you can make in ad revenue. Although it can take a while to build up followers, it is possible for college students to make money from creating YouTube videos.

4. Sell Design Work

Students studying to become graphic designers or artists can use their skills to make money online. You can sell prints of your work or even have your designs printed onto clothing or other materials to earn money. If you’re already creating these design pieces for classes, why not make money from them? You can also make money by offering custom design services like designing print designs, logos or even illustrations. Not only will this help you make money while you’re in college, but it will give you the work experience you can use to help you land a job after graduation.

5. Try Online Tutoring

Online tutoring is one of the perfect ways to make money online for college students. It’s often extremely flexible in terms of hours, and you can choose which subjects you would like to tutor in. There are lots of different websites that can connect you with students who could benefit from your knowledge. Since it’s based online, you can work from anywhere, tutoring students around the globe if you so choose. Tutoring doesn’t require any experience, only knowledge, and expertise in the subject you wish to tutor about.

6. Start a Blog

If you’re still searching for online jobs for college students with no experience, think about starting a blog. All you need to do to make money from a blog is to find a subject you’re passionate about and write continuously about it. Once you launch your blog, you can make money from selling ads or using affiliate links to make small commissions on products you mention. The more people visit your blog, the more money you can make. Once your numbers are high, you can even reach out to companies related to your blog’s topic to see if they would like to sponsor a post to promote their company or the services or products they offer.

7. Sell Arts and Crafts on Etsy

Arts and crafts are a great stress reliever and creative outlet…and a great way to make money online. Etsy makes it easy to sell arts and crafts of all sorts to buyers around the world. Whether you work with oils and watercolors or prefer creating lotions, jewelry or custom furniture, there’s a market for you  to make money on Etsy.

8. Create an Online Course

If you have extensive knowledge about a particular subject, creating online courses is a great online job for students with no experience. Similar to tutoring, the only experience you need is extensive knowledge about a single subject. Whether you’re good at marketing, public speaking, writing poetry, painting, fixing cars or doing math, creating an online course is an easy way to make money online. Once you’ve created the course, keep up with your marketing efforts – it can provide you with lots of passive income over time.

9. Become a Translator

If you know a second language fluently, why not put your bilingual abilities to good use? Just like freelancing writing, you’ll find tons of online jobs for college students at home that require translating. You can find translation gigs or even steady work with international companies. Landing one of these gigs is easy as long as you can write correctly in both languages. You can even create your own translation samples to help you stand out more.

10. Do Transcription Work

These days, accessibility is more important than ever. This is great news for college students who want to make easy money at home. Working as a transcriptionist either transcribing audio files like podcasts or audio on video files is an easy way to make money in the comfort of your home. These types of jobs don’t require experience, only the ability to transcribe accurately while using correct grammar.

11. Do Voiceover Work

If you have the perfect radio voice, there are lots of online jobs for college students to make money working as a voiceover artist. Many businesses need voiceover artists to simply record themselves reading scripts that will play over promotional videos. No experience is necessary, but it wouldn’t hurt to create a few sample recordings to make yourself stand out from competitors. As long as you have a good microphone at home, working as a voiceover artist is an easy way to make money online as a college student.

12. Fill Out Online Surveys

Another online job for college students to make money without experience is filling out online surveys. Anyone can sign up for an account to fill out online surveys for money from their participation. Here at Branded Surveys, we use our Survey Matching Engine to pair users up with surveys they meet the general requirements for. The software looks at each user’s profile demographics to determine if they’re a potential match for the survey.

Once you’re paired up with a survey, you will take it, answering each question honestly. After the survey receives approval, you will earn points for your time. You can then redeem your points to earn gift cards or cash. You can take as many surveys as you like! We also offer other opportunities to earn additional points through daily challenges, polls and our loyalty program, Branded Elite.

If you’re a college student who wants to begin earning money online, sign up for an account with us to start taking online surveys today!

The post 12 Ways for College Students to Make Money Online appeared first on The Branded Daily Digest.

Not only does a little extra cash free up your bank account to enjoy the little things in life but you can enjoy going out for lunch instead of bringing it from home, catching the hottest new movie on a Tuesday night, staying out on Friday to grab drinks with your friends, or even filling up your gas tank without dipping into your paycheck.

But finding ways to get extra cash without working yourself half to death is the tricky part. What if there was a legit way to make money online? In reality, there is. With Branded Surveys, the aim is to make enjoying life a little bit easier, by offering you a way to make money without the hassle and using something you already have: your opinion.

Make Money Online With Branded Surveys

Major brands and companies are desperate for feedback on new and existing products, and they want to hear from you directly. But collecting the opinions of countless customers can be a time-consuming and laborious process. To make this process easier, surveys are created for brands and companies to pinpoint the most important information relevant to their industries and products.

Branded Surveys connects you to these surveys, and we have more rolling out every day. Each time you complete one of these surveys, Branded Surveys will pay you, because your time and opinion are valuable, and should be treated as such. Just let that sink in: you get paid to complete surveys as a real way to make money online. Seem too simple? Hear it from the source!

How To Earn Money From Online Surveys

Each survey generally takes 15 minutes to complete and earns you 50 – 200 points per survey. Once you reach 1000 points, you can hit the “Redeem Now” button and earn gift cards (from a number of different vendors) or everyone’s favorite option, directly in dollars. Most people earn an additional $10 – $20 a month, sometimes every other week! It all depends on you. The more surveys for cash you take, the faster you can potentially earn money from home, and the more you get paid for your opinion.

It’s easy to get started. Head over to Branded Surveys, enter some basic information about yourself, and you’re all set to jump in! Once you’ve taken a couple of surveys, you can refer Branded Surveys to your friends for additional points. With new surveys rolling out every day straight into your inbox, you’ll start making Branded Surveys work for you in no time.

The post Can You Make Money & Get Paid By Taking Online Surveys? appeared first on The Branded Daily Digest.

By providing children with solid training and knowledge about money in a fun, age-appropriate way, you can prepare them for a finance-happy future.

Here are the top ways to teach your children good money management skills.

1. Make grocery shopping a time to learn about money & spending.

   
   The grocery store is the perfect opportunity to teach your child about spending. Here, they can witness comparison shopping, such as seeing you choose the generic store brand over the known brand and hearing you say, “They taste the same, only this one is a $1 cheaper. This is the better deal.” This demonstrates the importance of selecting value-based purchases over brand choices.
   
   (Also, make sure to shop with a list. This shows you have thought out your shopping plan and how important it is to prioritize with money.)

2. Talk out loud about your money thoughts and decisions.

   
   Make sure to talk out loud about shopping choices as you make them and, most importantly, why.
   
   “Do we need this item? Or can we hold off?”
   
   “This is a little bit expensive. Since it’s a necessity, I bet I could get a better deal by buying in bulk at a wholesaler like Costco.”

3. Offer children opportunities to learn with real purchase decisions.

   
   When children are simply handed an item, whether a snack or a toy, they won’t think about the money that goes into it. (I definitely did not realize how much Legos cost until I was much older!)
   
   As mentioned in points #1 and #2, observing and hearing a parent’s purchase decisions teaches children valuable habits. Next, let them make some purchase decisions for themselves. For example, bring them to the produce area and give them $2. “If we want to get the most apples with $2, which apples should we buy?” You may be surprised at how fast they learn.
   
   

4. Why give kids an allowance.

   
   By giving your child an allowance, you give them the opportunity to make and choose their own spending money. They will come to understand that they can either get a few small candies now, or, if they wait long enough, can purchase a bigger toy. This teaches kids money management skills and delayed gratification, which are vital to understand as an adult. Take surveys for money and afford to give your kids an allowance.

   

   **Photography by: Jeshu John** (http://www.designerspics.com/photographs/kid-playing/)

5. Reinforce the idea of waiting one’s turn for what they want, of delaying gratification.

   
   It’s easy to reinforce the idea of delayed gratification in other ways, too. For example, when your child is waiting in line to get on a theme park ride, discuss how important it is to wait one’s turn. By waiting patiently, they can earn something great and worthy of the time put in. This type of value system will carry over into their money-saving habits.

6. Help children set purchasing and saving goals.

   
   Have your child set a goal for something they want to purchase, like a card game or stuffed animal. (Just be careful that your child picks an item that won’t take them too long to save up for. A few months is a long time in a child’s mind and may be hard for them to grasp.)
   
   Each week, check-in on their savings goal and see how it’s going. Once they have saved up enough to buy that first item, this will help reinforce the idea that savings lead to bigger and better things.

   
   Photography by: Jeshu John (http://www.designerspics.com/photographs/note-pad-pencil-3/)

7. Support children in small business endeavors.

   
   Money lessons hit even harder with dollars that have been worked for. If a child has a money-making idea? Encourage it! Running a business, however small, teaches kids money management skills they’ll use for life. Let their inner entrepreneur come out through classic jobs like summer lemonade stands or winter hot chocolate booths. When they are helped to set up and achieve business goals, kids learn about pricing, making profits and mastering math skills.

8. Open a checking or savings account for your child.

   
   You may not think opening a child’s checking or savings account is necessary. However, it’s important to know that banks and credit unions are making that a viable option for kids. Your child could start building lifelong credit at as young as 10 years old. By having an account in which they deposit, save money and experience earnings, by the time they’re older, managing a credit card will be an easy transition. 

9. As kids get older, teach them about compound interest.

   
   As a follow up to #8, teach your kids how compound interest works, especially if they now have their own bank account. Put them on a website like Investor.gov where they can experiment with investing options and real, concrete numbers. For example, they can find out that if they put in $100 at age 13, they could have $___ by age 65. This makes spending real and teaches children money management skills.

   
   Photography by: Jeshu John http://www.designerspics.com/photographs/laptop-2/

10. Start talking college finances by freshman year of high school.

    
    Whether your kids are going to be financing part or most of their college cost, it’s important to have them prepared when applying to schools. They need to know what’s realistic or what amounts will lead them to debt. As your kids get closer to junior year college applications, introduce them to tools like College Scorecard. This is a site that compares important university factors such as costs, employment rates post-graduates and the estimated amount for student loans.

11. Get your child their first credit card and train them on how to use it properly.

    
    For emergencies and building credit early, a credit card is an invaluable tool. However, that’s only if you’re able to pay off the amount charged. Teach your child money management by showing them how to only spend as much as they can pay off, with some leftover savings, course.

To learn more? We suggest invaluable reading material such as Neale Godfrey’s  Money Still Doesn’t Grow on Trees: A Parent’s Guide to Raising Financially Responsible Children.

*Featured Image Credit Goes to Jeshu John: http://www.designerspics.com/photographs/kid-studying-beanbag/*

The post 11 Ways to Teach Kids About Money Management appeared first on The Branded Daily Digest.

Here are 15 such life-changing blogs that can help you in everyday life…besides Branded Surveys!

Squawkfox

Founder Kerry K. Taylor began Squawkfox as a newsletter in 2008 and has grown to become Canada’s Top Money Blogger, although most of her readers are in the USA. She’s willing to experiment and get creative with her work, always utilizing hard data and math to back her claims. Kerry’s writing proves Squawkfox’s powerful tagline true, as it’s “where consumer savvy is sexy, delicious & fun”.  Some popular blogs on the site include: Five unconventional ways to get your financial act together and How to Start an Emergency Fund on any Budget

20 Something Finance

“Get a head start on your freedom” by reading 20 Something Finance. This money-smart blog shares finance tips on everything from saving (#credit #debitcards) and retirement plans to living life to the fullest through travel. Some top money-saving posts on this site include How I Successfully Appealed an IRS Penalty and The Impact of Saving our Tax Refunds.

And Then We Saved

As the name implies, And Then We Saved is a blog devoted to helping readers save money and get out of debt. The author, Anna, paid off her own debt of $24,000 in just 15 months using the very techniques in her blog. Some of her top “goodbye debt” blogs include 98 Cheap & Easy Things to Make for Under $5 and How to Make Money Blogging.

Zen Habits

Interested in getting zen without getting on a yoga mat? You can. Just read Zen Habits, a blog that addresses topics like saving money, maximizing time, enhancing productivity and living simply. In this world of media and “stuff” overload, it’s a shot of peace and happiness. Three to four times a week, read posts like How Taking Care of My Finances Changed My Life and 12 Indispensable Mindful Living Tools.

The Life Hackery

The blog The Life Hackery is packed with all types of tips on everything from art and design to money and productivity. I find money blogs like Unwanted Gift Cards? No Problem! helpful and insightful ways to save money.

Lenpenzo

Lenpenzo is a fun, lighthearted blog all about helping people implement easy ways to save money. (And although he’s also an electrical engineer who works in the aerospace industry by 9 – 5 day, there’s no rocket science here.) Some of his highly helpful read blogs? 3 Easy Ways to Minimize Your Monthly smartphone Bill and 18 Amazing Facts You Didn’t Know About Your Credit Card.

My favorite thing he does is Black Coffee. This isn’t a caffeinated beverage Len Penzo passes through the screen, though that would be cool; it’s a weekly round up on valuable news and information in the finance world. It also includes data that’s easy to relate to and consider in everyday purchases, like facts on pizzas:

      Pizzas sold worldwide each year: 5,000,000,000
      Percentage of all pizzas that are sold in the US: 60%
      Number of pizza slices eaten every second: 350

Break me off a pizza those profits.

Wise Bread

Want to live large on a small budget? If so, Wise Bread is a great money-saving blog with innovative tips and up-to-date financial information. Wise Bread is a personal finance site committed to helping readers live within their means with budgeting tips and deals to save money on life’s necessities. You’ll find awesome money-saving blogs like 8 Common Car Repair Mistakes that can cost you and Best Money Tips: 31 Brilliant Ways to Use Dish Soap.  

Buffer

Buffer, a rather well-known blog, is predominantly devoted to customer happiness, social media strategy, and productivity. They also have a wicked reputation for posting blogs on other topics, typically backed by science, such as 10 Simple Things You Can Do Today That Will Make You Happier.

Lifehacker

Lifehacker is the ultimate blog to hack life. This popular, money-smart blog shares valuable advice and wisdom for how to save money and get things done faster and more efficiently. As time is money, this in turn save you dollars. For example, anyone else need naps to power up some days? Maximize time and efficiency by reading How Long to Nap for the Biggest Brain Benefits.

99U

This is, hands down, one of my favorite blogs of all time. Every time I head to the 99U website, I learn something new from its creativity and productivity blogs. This is more focused for the creative type who wants to maximize work hours, whether you’re a freelance graphic designer or interested in starting your own blog, there’s a lot to learn. 99U’s most popular blog of all time? The 5 Most Dangerous Creativity Killers.

Get Rich Slowly

Anyone else interested in getting rich? If so, this money-making blog is all about doing just that, how to get rich slowly. Also known as GRS, Get Rich Slowly is devoted to “personal finance that makes sense”. It offers tips and advice on saving money, spending wisely, and getting a grip on your investing. You’ll get insider tips from money-saving blogs like The Secret to Making Extra Money with eBay.

Asian Efficiency

The name may strike many as odd, but Asian Efficiency is a powerful blog (for people of all ethnicities!) Two friends known for their productivity skills created it with one goal: helping people to optimize their time. As mentioned before, time is money, so the more we can maximize our time…the more we make and save money. I recommend starting with their free webinar: 3 Asian Efficiency Hacks for Instant Higher Productivity.

The post Blogs to Help You Save More Money appeared first on The Branded Daily Digest.