How to Improve Your Credit Score – Personal Finance Basics
The health of your credit score is incredibly important to your finances for a number of reasons. To begin with good credit scores are exactly what banks are looking for when deciding whether or not they will lend you money. More often than not insurance brokers or landlords often look into your credit when determining whether or not to choose you as a potential client or possible tenant. This article will describe to you a number of ways of improving your credit score and will assist with your personal finance basics.1. Pay Your Bills On TimeThe reason why this is first on my list is because this is likely the most important rule to follow when trying to boost your credit score. If you visit a bank and want to apply for a home mortgage the first thing the bank will search for is if you regularly make bill payments when they are due. These bills include everything from your cable, home or cell phone, credit card or any other types of bills. Your credit score will directly reflect if you pay for, miss or are late on your bills. If they discover that you always miss or are late for payments, there is a good chance they will not approve you for the loan.Helpful advice so you will make every bill payment:-Create a new checking account and allocate enough cash at the beginning of each month for your bills so you always have enough.-Create automated email reminders a few days prior to when your bills are due.-Create automatic payments through your online banking.-Keep a written calendar of when each bill is due. Update and check it regularly.-Purchase everything possible with cash. Not having a credit card means one less bill to forget.2. Never Let Bills Go To CollectionsThis may seem very simple but these collection agency’s exist because thousands of people allow their unpaid bills to go this far. You can’t forget about your bills. Your bills won’t just disappear. If just one of your unpaid bills go to collections you will have to pay surcharges, major interest and your credit rating will be tarnished.3. Keep Credit Card Balances LowThe most simple of personal finance basics is if you must use a credit card, keep the balance at zero or as low as possible. The less of your available credit you use the better. The number that most reflects your credit score the most recent balance on your statement. Even if you pay your bill in full every month you should never exceed more than 30% of your available credit. The less you use the better.4. Use Old Your Credit CardsThis may seem a bit odd but try not to switch from one credit card company to the next. If you jump around and continually open and close credit cards your credit score can be adversely affected. If you can use the credit card you got when you were 20 and stay with it. If you primarily use a different credit card, attempt to keep your old cards active and use it every once in a while. Make certain you pay it off in full each time.5. Check Your Scores Once A YearCredit scores can change fast. One day everything may be going well and tomorrow your credit score might be awful. Looking into your score each year is a personal finance basic tip we all should follow. This will allow you to correct any mistakes that the banks or you might have made. Keep in mind, if you check your credit rating more than once a year or on a regular basis it will affect your scores negatively. Checking once a year is your best option. Be sure to dispute any errors like unpaid bills or late payments when you are certain that they were paid on time or there might be other issues that you could find.High credit scores create the chance for lower interest rates on mortgages, car loans, personal loans and credit cards. The most simple of personal finance basics you should follow is to maintain the health of your credit score so you will be able to take advantage all sorts of different financial opportunities. The sooner you rectify any issues you might have with your credit, the sooner you will get everything back in order. By following these tips you will be completely on your way to improving the health of your credit score.
Close-Up Photography Tips – Exploit Your Macro Lenses For Stunning Close Up Shots
“What is a macro lens and what can it do to better aid photography?” If you happen to be new to photography, this is a question you would most likely ask a more experienced photographer.Well, macro lenses are designed and tailored to aid close-up photography attempts. What a macro lens does is that it projects the image of your subject onto your camera’s sensor that appears to be of the same size, otherwise larger than the actual size of the subject itself.Close-Up Photography Tips #1 – The Focal Lengths For Macro Shots Of Flowers And PlantsI favor using 100mm lenses to photograph flowers. I realized that a focal length that is slightly longer can mean that there is no need for me to get right on top of the subject to take stunning shots. This gives me a little more breathing space.Despite that, slightly longer focal lengths allow me to get closer to flowers or plants that may otherwise be situated quite a distance away with a 50mm or 60mm lens.My effective focal length is longer because I use a 100mm full-frame lens on a DX-format sensor. Hence, the effective focal length turns out to be more like 150mm.Close-Up Photography Tips #2 – The Optimum Aperture For Macro PhotographyWhen I conduct close-up photography, I normally close the lens down to the smallest aperture it is capable of, which is currently f/22 for my lens, so that the subjects’ details are shown. However, the aperture I would use will vary depending on the close-up photography effect I want.Often times, it is best to have the background blurred so that emphasis is placed solely onto the flower you are photographing. What you should do is to make use of your camera’s depth-of-field preview to check and see if your aperture setting gives you your desired close-up photography effect.When I happen to not stop the lens all the way down, the two most common apertures I use are f/8 and f/11. However, when I happen to be outdoors photographing close-up shots of flowers and plants under windy conditions, I will then open up the lens so that the shutter speed is kept short. This will help avoid getting blurred shots.Close-Up Photography Tips #3 – Manual Focus (MF) Vs. Autofocus (AF) Macro LensesThroughout my years in the photography arena, I have always used manual focus to photograph close-up shots, even when I had an autofocus macro lens.The reason as to why I prefer using manual focus is because I want to decide where to place the focus on my subject, and not allow the camera to choose where the focus goes.Another reason is because I would rather shoot in manual focus is because the depth-of-field in close-up photography is very little. To ensure that the focus point is right where you want it to be, use the ‘in focus’ indicator in the viewfinder.
Successful Design Management for the 6 Stages of Design of Infrastructure and Building Projects
Design ManagementDesign Management seeks to establish project management practices that are primarily focused on enhancing the design process. For Infrastructure and Building projects the successful implementation of Design Management throughout the entire Project Life Cycle can represent the difference between a superior outcome for the project in terms of Quality, Timing, Cost and Value or failure, given the complexity of Infrastructure and Building projects in today’s environment.Design Management is however primarily focused on the Design Process within the project framework and as such is only a part of the overall Project Management of a project, albeit a critical part of the project.If you are going to be a successful Design Manager and achieve superior outcomes for both your clients and your own business, you cannot manage design haphazardly and expect consistent results. You must manage design projects by undertaking a proven stage by stage process. This brief article outlines those stage by stage processes and gives the Design Manager a guide to successfully design managing Infrastructure and Building projects. The Design Management role is considered in this article in the context of an in-house or consultant client side Design Manager and not a Design Manager within the design team itself. It is also on the basis of a fully documented Design and Construct only contract.Stage 1: Early Design Management Involvement-Statement of NeedThe output for this stage will be a Design Report that will directly feed into the Client’s Statement of Need and overall Business Case.Early involvement to the Project Life Cycle is important but this may need to be reinforced with the Client to appreciate and understand the benefits this will provide. There are several key tasks during this stage:1.1 Obtaining and Assessing all the available key design InformationCollation of all available data and information
Visit the site
Review contract as related to design aspects
Review the level of the design that has been prepared to date
Evaluate information and highlight critical issues
Review findings with Client
Assess the team capability requirements and resourcing
Assess any spend on fees required at this stage
Engage consultant as required to provide required technical and project inputs to assist the preparation of the design report.1.2 Design Risk ReviewIdentify design risks and create a Design Risk Register
Identify any Safety in Design issues
Analyse and provide suggestions for risk mitigation for ongoing stages
1.3 Design Report Input to Statement of Need
Prepare draft of design report input into the Statement of Need report and review with Client
Prepare final Design Report component into the Statement of Need reportStage 2: Design Management during the Outline Design StageWith the Statement of Need or Business Case formally approved for the project to proceed, the next step is to get the Outline Design Stage going.This stage involves clearly defining the Client requirements and project needs so as to form a sound foundation for the design process to proceed and is the right time to engage consultants and set up the formal Design Management process. The following are the key tasks in this stage:2.1 Define Client design requirements and project design needsGather all available and updated project data from the Client.
Identify any gaps in the information provided.
Meet with the Client to review the information provided and identify additional information required.
2.2 Engage Design Consultants
Engage all the key consultants that are required to develop the Functional Design Brief. It is critical that the consultant’s scope of work is clear for the level of input required and clearly noted in their Contract.2.3 Prepare Functional Design BriefManage and coordinate the consultant team to deliver the Functional Design Brief that will respond to and record all the client requirements and needs and form the basis to proceed for all disciplines.
The Functional Brief will generally be supported by Concept design sketches that provide an outline of the proposed design.2.4 Prepare the Design Management Plan (DMP)The DMP provides the roadmap for the way the design will be managed and needs to be prepared at this stage of the design process for best results. The DMP is a component of the Project Management Plan prepared by the Project Manager.The key Design headings in a DMP are as follows:Introduction
Project Overview
Objectives
Process and related procedures
Status
Documentation & Deliverables Schedule
Value Engineering
Reviews
Change Management
Independent Third Party Checks, Permits
Quality Management
Client Approvals
Close Out & As Built Record2.5 Outline Cost PlanManage and coordinate the development of the Outline Cost Plan with the Quantity Surveyor, with input from all the relevant consultants.2.6 Identify Design RisksIdentify Design Risks within the overall Risk Management framework.
Analyse and manage risks and update the Risk Register, design out risks where possible.
Ensure Safety in Design requirements are followed.2.7 Value ManagementArrange a Value Management workshop. Value Management is a systematic review of the essential functions or performance of a project to ensure that best value for money is achieved. It takes an overall view of the function of the project as well as capital and recurrent costs.
Prepare a Value Management Report and implement recommendations.2.8 Project ApprovalsOutline and define the planning approval process and coordinate with the design process requirements.Stage 3: Design Management during the Schematic Design StageWith the Outline Design Stage formally approved for the project to proceed to the next stage, the next step is to get the Schematic Design Stage going. This stage involves developing the design across all the disciplines in response to the approved Functional Design Brief. The following are the key tasks in this stage:3.1 Manage the Development of the SchematicDesignManage the team in developing the Schematic Design.
Monitor the compliance of the Schematic design with the Functional Design Brief.
Review Design Programme and coordinate with overall project programme.
Coordinate the development of the Schematic Design with the project procurement process.
Manage the preparation of the Schematic Design Report which contains drawings and outline specifications for all disciplines.3.2 Schematic Design Cost PlanManage and coordinate the development of the Schematic Cost Plan with the Quantity Surveyor, with input from all the relevant consultants.
Identify any major design decisions to the Quantity Surveyor that could influence cost.3.3 Identify Design RisksIdentify Design Risks within the overall Risk Management framework.
Analyse and manage risks and update the Risk Register, design out risks where possible.
Ensure Safety in Design requirements are followed.3.4 Value EngineeringArrange a Value Engineering Workshop, including external peer reviewers to negate any “built in” resistance to change and get a fresh perspective
Prepare a Value Engineering Report and present to the Client and implement approved Value Engineering recommendations within the Schematic Design Report or in the detailed design stage as appropriate.3.5 Project ApprovalsReview and update the planning approval process and coordinate with the design process requirements.
Manage the submission of any required Planning Approval Applications.3.6 Update the DMPReview and update the DMP as required catering for the current project circumstances.Stage 4: Design Management during the Detailed Design StageWith the Schematic Design Stage formally approved for the project to proceed to the next stage, the next step is to get the Detailed Design Stage going. This important stage involves developing the design to tender and construction across all the disciplines in response to the approved Schematic Design Report. The following are the key tasks in this stage:4.1 Manage the Development of the Detailed DesignManage the team in developing the Detailed Design ready for tender including as required coordination meetings between disciplines experiencing coordination difficulties and the exchange of progress design drawings and specification for proper inter-disciplinary coordination.
Manage changes and variations.
Monitor the compliance of the Detailed Design with the Schematic Design Report, Value Engineering recommendations and the Functional Design Brief.
Review Design Programme and coordinate with overall project programme
Coordinate the development of the Detailed Design with the project procurement process including early issue of documents to the Quantity Surveyor to start the Bill of Quantities. Any “shortcuts” in the deliverables to accommodate the tender programme need to be fully understood and agreed
Coordinate the inputs to the development of the Contract documents being prepared by the Project Manager
Consider the requirement for lead disciplines that are producing background and base drawings, such as architects on building projects, to complete these ahead of the supporting engineering disciplines, so as to allow the supporting disciplines adequate time to complete their dependent work. The team cannot realistically work effectively all in parallel to deliver all at the same time without some lag with the lead discipline. It also allows time for the lead consultant to review the documentation from the dependent disciplines. Allow adequate time in the design programme for this lag in completion and coordination.4.2 Detailed Design Cost Plan and Pre Tender EstimateManage and coordinate the development of the Detailed Cost Plan with the Quantity Surveyor, with input from all the relevant consultants.
Identify any major decisions to the Quantity Surveyor.
Prepare for the Pre Tender Estimate (PTE).
Take any required action if the PTE is in excess of the Detailed Design Cost Plan.4.3 Identify Design RisksIdentify any additional Design Risks within the overall Risk Management framework.
Analyse and manage any remaining risks and update the Risk Register, design out risks where possible
Ensure Safety in Design requirements are followed4.4 Peer Review and Value EngineeringArrange for the drawings and specifications that are being prepared for Bill of Quantities or that are at 90% completion to be issued for external Peer Review to review the “tender readiness” of the tender documents for each of the disciplines. This is also the time to review the consistency of the presentation of the documents across all disciplines and the adherences to project protocols such as title sheet formats, sheet sizes, drawing extents and overlaps, drawing scales, document numbering and revision notation.
As part of the Peer Review, Value Engineering of the detailing within the tender documentation should be undertaken at the same time to ensure the detailed design is the most efficient possible.
Manage the peer review responses and issue to the team to respond to the comments and incorporate the recommended and agreed comments or mark ups. Allow adequate time in the design programme for this important process.4.5 Project ApprovalsReview and update the planning approval process and coordinate with the design process requirements.
Manage the submission of any required Planning Approval Applications.
Obtain any required certification from the consultants.
Manage any required inputs to obtain the required Planning and Building approvals.4.6 Update the DMPReview and update the DMP as required to cater for the current project circumstances
4.7 Tender Readiness Report
Prepare Tender Readiness report to the Client recommending issue to tender including any project issues or risks and the PTE.Stage 5: Design Management during the Tender StageWith the Detailed Design Stage Tender Readiness Report formally approved for the project to proceed to Tender, the next step is to arrange the design documents to be issued for tender. The following are the key tasks in this stage:5.1 Prepare Design Documentation for TenderManage the team in delivering the documents as per the DMP at the required time in the required hardcopy and soft copy formats to the required locations.
Collate the required document transmittals.5.2 HousekeepingTake the opportunity to catch up with housekeeping of files on the server, in local drives and hardcopies.5.3 Tender Technical Queries and ClarificationsManage all incoming tender technical queries and clarifications during the tender period and arrange responses from any of the team where required.
Participate in any Tender clarification meetings with the contractor as requested by the Project Manager.5.4 AddendumsManage any design and documentation requirement for addendums that are required due to omissions from the Tender due to time constraints or from new Client requirements.5.5 Tender EvaluationManage all required technical tender review and evaluation inputs from the team to allow the tender to be evaluated from a technical perspective.
Where required prepare a technical evaluation report and deliver to the Project Manager.
Participate in any negotiation meetings where technical matters require further clarification and arrange appropriate technical inputs from team.5.6 Manage ConsultantsManage the finalisation of design related fees and any outstanding variations and claims.Stage 6: Design Management during the Construction StageWith the Tender formally awarded and on the assumption that the Project Manager will typically manage the construction phase delivery of the project, then the role of Design Manger will generally be reduced during this stage to a support role only or where required due to incomplete or ongoing design development resulting from client variations or changes made during tender negotiations. The following are some of the key tasks in this stage:6.1 Issue Approved For Construction(AFC) documentsManage the team in delivering the AFC documents as per the DMP at the required time in the required hardcopy and soft copy formats to the required locations.
Collate the required document transmittals6.2 HousekeepingTake the opportunity to complete the housekeeping of files on the server, in local drives and hardcopies6.3 Outstanding DesignManage the team in delivering any outstanding design due to client changes or changes resulting from tender negotiations6.4 Manage Contractor Design SubmissionsSubject to the complexity of the design, assist the Project Manager to manage the team in reviewing and responding to any contractor designs.Design Management in ActionThe above methodology represents a general approach for Design Managing Infrastructure and Building Project. This methodology has been applied successfully to numerous projects undetaken by the author, however as any Design Manager will know, every project is different and every design and project team is generally comprised of different team members.The key to making the above methodology work is studying, applying and start implementing it to suit your particular project. It offers focus and a clear direction for any design for an Infrastructure or Building project to achieve a superior outcome for your Client and your own business.