Beware of Investment Opportunities Promoted by Social Media
Almost any business these days has a Facebook or a Twitter account, and the public is accustomed to accessing information just about anyone or anything, including businesses, through their social media accounts. But with the advantages of social media also come disadvantages –this is particularly true in the case of making investment decisions.In a recent Reuters interview, the FBI expressed its concern with fraudulent stockbroker’s use of social media to attract potential investment victims. Like a business or person tweets or gives status updates, it provides the platform for fraudulent stockbrokers to taut the high earnings and low risk of their investment opportunities. While these tweets or updates can be completely false, the savvy way that the stockbrokers use social media helps provide an official front to the investment scam. And the constant reminders of how good an investment opportunity is and how much other people “like” it (including other involved in the scam who leave false positive feedback about the scam) can eventually mount the pressure on a potential investor to take the plunge.Investors should be wary of following investment trends on Facebook and Twitter, especially if the one tweeting is an investment professional. Integrity Research Associates reports that half of surveyed investment advisement firms who are registered with the SEC have established written policies that forbid their advisors from using social media for business purposes. While other firms have increased their use of social media, investors should still not make investment decisions based on information gathered from it.The high pressure, immediate need to invest created by social media is usually bad news for investors, and can be a sign of potential investment fraud. Investors should always take their time when deciding how to invest their money.There are several overall tips to safe investing when it comes to social media:• Don’t fall for hype. Just because an investment is widely talked about or liked doesn’t mean it’s a good investment for you. The hype surrounding an investment might also make you feel pressured to invest quickly, but the life of your investment will outlast how popular it is one day on twitter. Take your time deciding on how to invest your money.• Don’t be wooed by an online investment advisor. Even the most simply investments take some time for potential investors to understand and for advisors to explain. This explanation is best done in person, so that you can review terms together and ask questions. Questions the advisor can’t help you with should be reviewed with your lawyer or other investment professional.• Know that online credentials can be faked. While an investment professional may have an active and legitimate looking firm online, the reality may be much different. The best way to know if your investment advisor is a good fit for you is to check their professional credentials. You can do this on FINRA’s BrokerCheck, available for free on their website. BrokerCheck will let you know if and how your advisor is accredited, and if they are in good standing with regulatory boards.While investments touted on social media may seem like good options for your investment portfolio, investments should always be carefully researched to ensure you don’t give over your hard-earned money to an investment scam.
Custom Software Today
What is custom software development?Software development can be an extremely difficult and complex process. It includes the evolution of software products in a structured and planned manner starting from requirements elaboration and ending with software maintenance and troubleshooting. Currently custom software development companies provide applications for all kinds of industries and vertical markets including Retail & Distribution, Construction, Healthcare, Military & Police, Government, E-commerce, Agriculture etc.Why use custom software development?
Certainly, companies may buy pre-made software packages but often they don’t suit particular business requirements completely and cannot be customized to one’s needs in most of the cases. Custom applications can be built for further integration with the most popular applications used in offices today. Thus, application development has become important to the ever-changing and ever-growing marketplace.Here are some of the benefits you get by using custom software:
It improves workflow efficiency. Company can obtain tailored cost-competitive and robust solutions that can be beneficial for all company’s departments and also may help increase sales. A custom software development company analyzes the company’s business needs, industry and product requirements and delivers personalized applications for tailoring innovative technologies.
Individual approach. Owing to present economic trends applications become more adaptable. Off the shelf software applications are often simply not equipped enough to handle specific and non-standard tasks. Every company is different. Some companies need unique solutions able to complete data processes that are too complex to be accomplished via ordinary software methods. That’s when custom solutions become handy – you can get a tailor-made solution exactly matching your needs.
Step-by-step control. Usually, businesses wish to be a part of the development process. This means to be able to make important changes and have control over software development. Now with custom software development it has become possible. You can add all the important components in the process of development and make some changes if it’s necessary. Most of the software development companies follow SCRUM, so you can get a report about the work done almost every day.
Support and maintenance. Application development process includes also further support and maintenance. It means not only troubleshooting which is surely very important. Software can also be altered by the developers in order to adapt and evolve according to the demands and challenges required.
Helps you stay competitive. As the business world shifts, companies need to be able to adapt. In an effort to survive in the modern competitive business climate companies search for solutions providing them with reliable and innovative IT infrastructure. To meet growing challenges companies need to improve their performance by enhancing business processes and their sustainability. That is why custom software solutions are not a luxury anymore. Companies implement custom software into the workflow to ensure efficient business growth.
Security. When custom software is developed security features may be added to new business applications, allowing businesses to store data safely. Generally custom applications are designed with security in mind taking into account potential threats that could appear in future.
In the current world businesses search for Custom Software Development services to have applications developed according to their requirements. It’s vital to choose the right custom software development vendor to make sure that your requirements vision is brought to reality.