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Five Great Reasons to Invest in Bitcoin Right Now

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The year 2017 has seen a record-breaking rise in the value of the bitcoin, from $900 during the start of the year soaring to a little over $17,000 by mid-December. And while there are a few skeptics like hedge fund manager Ray Dalio and JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon who have been very expressive of their oppositions to this cryptocurrency, many experts in the financial investment arena such as former JP Morgan director Tom Lee who is also a famous Wall Street strategist have always believed that this digital currency will continue to rise and even reach $55,000 in the next five years.

With the year nearing its close and given the movement of the bitcoin during the past twelve months, it is no doubt that investing in this digital currency is one of the best decisions anyone can make for the upcoming year. In fact, there are five really good reasons for one to invest in bitcoin very soon.

More Countries Will Be Adopting Bitcoin in 2018

The adoption of bitcoin has been steadily growing worldwide. In April 2017, this digital currency became one of the payment methods offered in Japan, with more than 260,000 food stores accepting bitcoins. There has been some buzz going around that giant online retail company Amazon is planning to offer bitcoin payment as one of its payment options for its online shoppers. In 2017 alone, there has been a 55% increase in the volume of bitcoin transactions, with 30,000 new bitcoin wallets being created every day. Even online games now accept bitcoins as well. At bitcasino.io, for instance, a player can easily register and add their bitcoin wallet so they are able to conveniently make their payments and withdraw their winnings with just a few clicks. And unlike other establishments where bitcoin is among several other payment options, this site only accepts bitcoin as its online payment method.

Reputable Financial Institutions Will Be Investing in Cryptocurrencies

It is predicted that, in 2018, there will be a significant growth in regulations for cryptocurrencies which will be instrumental in encouraging reputable financial institutions to invest billions in this digital currency. It is predicted that ETFs will be approved by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. This will pave the way for major financial institutions to begin investing and offer clients with new investment options. ETFs would expose the bitcoin to a greater number of investors who used to be uncertain about how to securely buy and store this type of currency. Aside from ETFs, LedgerX has been launched recently and is now available for options trading. Ledger X is licensed as a swap execution facility and a derivatives clearing organization. Then there is tZero, a subsidiary of overstock.com which just acquired regulatory compliance with the SEC and FINRA for an alternative trading system for blockchain assets.

Various Industries Will Continue To Embrace New, Innovative Technologies

In 2017, there have been so many new technologies that have disturbed the status quo and offer consumers much better options. A couple of these innovative technologies are Uber and Airbnb, and these have gained popularity, acceptance, and strong following almost instantly. Bitcoin technology has the same impact in the monetary system. Blockchain technology, the foundation of the bitcoin, has similar revolutionary origins as Uber and Airbnb, and the consistent growth it has exhibited in 2017 proves that this digital currency will continue to present positive movements in the following year. And with this new technology called Ripple, banks are now starting to coordinate in creating a more transparent system that will improve how transactions are made across borders on a global scale. In a similar manner, Civic coin makes use of blockchain to verify and protect the identity of both individuals and businesses.

There Will Be An Inevitable Shift in Trust From Wall Street to Blockchain

Even though it has been almost ten years since the 2008 financial crisis happened, this has not been erased from people’s minds and is far from being forgotten by the entire world. The impact that this incident has created has significantly scarred Wall Street and it will be difficult to regain the trust of financial institutions. Bitcoin was developed in 2009, back when people were struggling to survive the economic crisis that was caused by Wall Street’s poor financial practices. During this time, a middleman, bank, or broker was necessary to be able to transfer funds.

When bitcoin was introduced, however, its revolutionary blockchain technology took away the need to transact through a central bank, as it offered a faster, more convenient way to safely transfer funds directly from one party to another. The process is completely transparent and is much efficient as transactions do not encounter system failures that are commonly experienced when transacting with traditional banks. And with more companies adopting the bitcoin technology, the immediate future shows a lot of promise that involves a paradigm shift in favor of this cryptocurrency.

The Future Promises Greater Accessibility for the Bitcoin

Unlike before when the bitcoin was initially launched, this digital currency will become more accessible to more people on a global scale. During its earlier years, bitcoin technology was entirely a peer-to-peer digital currency system that only those who were tech-savvy can understand and become involved with. Fast forward to this year, several companies have emerged that make using and transacting with bitcoins so easy to everyone, even those who are not tech savvy. There are now a lot of sites that offer a one-stop shop for bitcoin, so it is very convenient to buy, sell, trade, and store this cryptocurrency. And a lot of online and physical retailers all over the world have embraced this technology as one of their payment options. One can now add bitcoins to their retirement accounts with bitcoinira.com.

The bitcoin has been so successful in 2017 that it will be such a waste if one does not take advantage of this upward movement. If you need a push to finally make that investment, take note of these five reasons so you can gain the confidence to make that leap. But if you`re short on cash try cashfloat on demand. That is one alternative you might wish to consider for extra cash you may desire.

 

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Beauty Week is back at Hudson’s Bay in Toronto and it’s time to get glam

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Beauty enthusiasts rejoice! Beauty Week at Hudson’s Bay is back in Toronto for another year. It’s time to stock up on all of your fall essentials and, maybe discover some new ones. 

From Friday, August 18 to Sunday, August 27, you can expect a truly elevated beauty experience in-store with incredible special offers, limited-time gifts, and exciting activations. 

If you’re a diehard beauty lover, you’ll already know that Hudson’s Bay is the place to shop thanks to its extensive range of over 195 skin and makeup brands from both luxury labels and masstige brands — including Tata Harper, Estée Lauder, YSL, Nars Cosmetics, Bobbi Brown, and so much more.

Throughout The Bay’s Beauty Week, visitors can take in some at-counter activations and interactive expert-led tutorials, where there will be chances to get makeup touch-ups from top-tier brands, try a spritz of the most alluring fragrances, and sample tons of new products.

This year’s Beauty Week highlight is the ‘Best in Beauty’ tote, a meticulously-curated selection of 30 deluxe samples from an array of top-tier brands like Dr. Barbara Sturm and Shiseido spanning skincare, fragrance, and makeup — all in a super sleek bag.

The tote, which is valued at over $300, is retailing for just $39 and is a fantastic way to explore new products (without breaking the bank). However, there is a limited quantity, so if you want to get your hands on one, you’ll need to be fast.

Wondering exactly what Beauty Week’s free gifts with purchases entail? If you spend over $95 at Lancôme, you will receive a six-piece set valued at $130. Or, you can get an Estée Lauder gift valued at $170 with purchases over $80. (And that’s just to name a few.)

If you’re a Hudson’s Bay Rewards member, you’ll also get $20 in Hudson’s Bay rewards when you spend over $100 on beauty.

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The Canadian Armed Forces are hiring for several non-combat military jobs

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The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) have several non-combat jobs, some of which do not require a college degree or past work experience.

Life in the forces has several benefits, such as paid education plans (college, university and graduate-level programs), 20 paid vacation days, health and dental coverage for you and your family, maternity and paternal leave, and pension plans. You can learn more about the benefits in detail here.

And to make it easier to gauge if you qualify, the listings also include related civilian jobs to see if it’s your ideal role.

Financial services administrator

Related civilian jobs: Financial records entry clerk, financial manager, accounting technician, bookkeeper, budget officer, cashier clerk, business planner technician, and verification manager.

Description: You’ll help budget resources for all military activities besides providing financial assistance.

Education: You need to have completed Grade 10.

Duties: As a financial services administrator, you’ll be responsible for bookkeeping and managing budgets. You’ll also provide support in accounts payable and accounts receivable.

Work environment: Those in this role work at CAF bases, on ships or overseas. You might also be expected to help special operation units, recruiting offices, schools, and medical organizations.

Postal clerk

Related civilian jobs: Mail clerk, mail sorter.

Description: You’ll provide postal services to members and their families at bases and establishments.

Education: Grade 10. No previous work experience or related career skills are required.

Duties: As the postal clerk, you’ll handle mail duties.

Work environment: Besides a postal office, you may work on a ship or a mobile postal van. You might be expected to serve with Royal Canadian Navy, the Army, and the Royal Canadian Air Force in Canada and abroad.

Dental technician

Related civilian jobs: Dental assistant, dental hygienist.

Description: You’ll be helping dental officers provide dental services to CAF members, their families, and dependents.

Education: Level II dental assisting diploma from an accredited college or a National Dental Assisting Examining Board (NDAEB) certificate.

Duties: Those in this role will be responsible for various responsibilities, including disinfection and sterilization of dental equipment, applying rubber dams, placing cavity liners, and controlling bleeding. In addition, you’ll assist in laboratory procedures like creating casts, custom trays, and mouthguards.

Work environment: This role will require you to work in a military dental clinic, a Mobile Dental Clinic, an Air Transportable Dental System, or onboard a ship. You might be expected to work on a base in Canada or other operations in other parts of the world.

Human resources administrator

Related civilian jobs: Records administrator, data entry supervisor, receptionist, office manager, executive assistant, payroll clerk, and information management technician.

Description: Provide administrative and general human resources support.

Education: Grade 10. No previous work experience or related career skills are required.

Duties: In addition to human resources administration and services, you’ll be handling pay and allowances, managing automated pay systems, and maintaining personnel records.

Work environment: HR administrators work at all CAF bases in Canada. They also work on ships and overseas to support the Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Navy, or Royal Canadian Air Force operations.

Medical assistant

Related civilian jobs: Emergency medical responder, ambulance and first aid attendant, registered nursing assistant, licensed practical nurse, and hospital orderly.

Description: Successful candidates will help treat the sick and injured in CAF units. You’ll be assisting and supporting nursing and medical officers.

Education: Minimum of Grade 11 biology, Grade 10 physics or chemistry, and Grade 10 math.

Duties: You’ll provide initial care and essential life support treatments in trauma cases. You’ll help with health assessments (hearing and vision tests, perform basic lab procedures, etc.) and initiate and manage medical records and reports. You’ll also be expected to provide support and first aid during training exercises.

Work environment: Medical assistants may serve with the Royal Canadian Navy, the Royal Canadian Air Force or the Canadian Army as part of the Canadian Forces Health Services Group. Those in this role are exposed to the same risks as the forces they support.

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Porter’s new loyalty program promises to match Air Canada’s Aeroplan status

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Porter Airlines is once again stirring the pot among Canadian airline rivals, now going after Air Canada’s Aeroplan members by offering to match their loyalty status to an equivalent of their own.

The beloved airline, which recently ranked as having the best cabin service in North America, challenged the competition for the second time this year, after previously deploying a similar tactic against WestJet in the spring. 

Earlier in April, Porter presented customers with a limited-time offer to match the loyalty status of WestJet’s patrons with VIPorter levels.

Now, they’re offering Aeroplan members to seamlessly transition to an equivalent VIPorter Avid Traveller status based on their existing membership tier.

Members can then take advantage of an array of travel perks that come with flying Porter, including seat selection, baggage, and flight changes.

For those currently holding an Aeroplan membership, there are two ways to acquire the Avid Traveller status for the rest of 2023:

Status-Based Match:
  • Aeroplan 25K members = VIPorter Venture
  • Aeroplan 35K members = VIPorter Ascent
  • Aeroplan 50K, 75K, and Super Elite = VIPorter First
Flight Segments-Based Match:
  • 5 flight segments = VIPorter Passport
  • 8 segments = VIPorter Venture
  • 17 segments = VIPorter Ascent
  • 28 or more segments = VIPorter First

Members will have to first submit their applications on Porter’s website. Registration will remain open until September 6, 2023.

In order to maintain their membership level through 2024, customers will have until the end of 2023 to reach the following reduced qualifying spend (QS) targets:

  • Passport = $500 in QS
  • Venture = $750 in QS
  • Ascent = $1500 in QS
  • First = $2500 in QS

Over the past year, Porter has launched an aggressive expansion strategy, including everything from introducing longer flights on newly-purchased jet planes flying out of Toronto Pearson, free WiFi, and a new all-inclusive economy experience.

With Canadians losing both Swoop and Sunwing as WestJet incorporates both into their mainline business, Porter’s direct competition is welcome to keep prices competitive.

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