Since they were first introduced, prepaid cards have experienced a meteoric rise. In fact, a study conducted by Pew indicated that prepaid card usage has increased by as much as 50 percent from 2012 to 2014.

Undoubtedly, from the time these innovative financial instruments were first introduced, they have come a long way. Today, prepaid cards have evolved into one of the most popular and well-loved plastic cards available.

Prepaid Card Essentials You Should Know

If you are like many people, you either own a prepaid card already or you are considering getting one. Surprisingly, many who have owned and used a prepaid card are still not that familiar with its many ins and outs.

Fortunately, you have come to the right place. This article will be your easy and quick guide on how to use one of the most ingenious tools available at your disposal. This guide will also help you make the most of your prepaid card.

It’s easy for many people to mistake prepaid cards for other plastic cards like credit and prepaid cards. However, unlike the other two, prepaid cards don’t need to be linked to any savings or checking account.

In other words, prepaid cards have to be preloaded with money before you can use it for purchase transactions and ATM withdrawals. So basically, your prepaid card is considered “empty” unless money has been successfully loaded onto it.

Also, unlike credit cards, you won’t be “borrowing” money from the bank. With credit cards, the bank will pay for the purchase and the cardholder will pay the bank back at a later date. With prepaid cards, you will be using your own money.

The amount of the withdrawal or purchases you will do will be deducted directly from the available balance you have on your card. It is also deducted in real time. As soon as the balance has been depleted, your transactions will be declined for the time being.

However, as soon as you are able to successfully load money onto your card, you will be able to use the card right away for both purchase transactions and ATM withdrawals. You also have different ways to load money on the card.

What to Consider When Getting a Prepaid Card

With so many plastic cards now available, choosing the best one has become tricky for many. Fortunately, you can narrow down the options by asking yourself some essential questions. For example, ask yourself which of the two you prefer: loading through direct deposits or through networks.

If you prefer loading through networks, you should pick a card with a reload network you can easily access. Another consideration would be the charges and fees associated with the card. You need to determine the transactions you often do using the card.

Another consideration would be your patterns in terms of card use. Undoubtedly, it is recommended that you opt for a card that will charge the minimum for the transactions you often do.

Another consideration is easy access to the card. With a prepaid card, you are spared from the hassle of submitting personal and financial information and documents. It’s the exact opposite when it comes to prepaid cards.

Unlike credit cards, obtaining a prepaid card is as easy as can be. You won’t have to submit any financial or confidential documents. Also, since it won’t be tied to any accounts, you won’t have to wait for a long time for the approval.

Lastly, if it’s help with money management that you are after, getting a prepaid card is hands down your best option. Unlike credit cards, you won’t be able to accumulate any debts using your prepaid card and you won’t have to pay exorbitant monthly fees.

For a trader who understands how to trade and where to trade, trading on the stock market is simple, but entering the world of share trading can be pretty tricky for newcomers. Thanks to modern savvy tech, you can now invest in shares, which is no longer a big concern. The stock market is a massive marketplace for buying and selling publicly traded shares. There are several types of investors; therefore, you must place yourself in the appropriate group.

Opening a Demat account is the first stage in the stock and share purchase process. Many banks and applications will help you open a free Demat account, and then you can maintain your shares in this account, which is also where trading happens. But it’s not as easy as it seems to open a Demat account. You must be very careful with the small pieces of information because it involves a lot of documents. Saying so, let us look into it in a more detailed way.

What Do We Mean By A Demat Account?

The Indian market was made available to international investors after the 1990s. Experts first created Demat accounts in 1996 to make it easier for overseas investors to trade on the Indian stock markets. In essence, the Demat account is a securities account. Instead of possessing physical certificates, it enables international investors to own shares and other securities digitally. As a result, trading Indian stocks and shares is relatively simple.

Physical, financial instruments are recorded electronically in a dematerialization account. A physical certificate is represented electronically. The electronic record of your shares, stocks, ETFs, and mutual fund investments is kept in a Demat account. It is an entry in an electronic book. A record of your assets is held there. Your stock broker maintains an electronic ledger for this purpose. It is a bank account where your stocks or other investments are kept. It is a record held by your stock broker of the shares you have purchased.

How Do These Accounts Operate?

You must open a Demat account to purchase shares or other securities. Its resemblance to a dematerialized account led to its naming. You can keep your stakes in this account. The bank, which is the custodian of your account, maintains this account. You need two versions to store your stocks. Your trading account is one, and your Demat account is the other. For instance, you must create a Demat account to purchase shares. It is necessary because your Demat account must first receive credit for the shares. You will not credit your trading account with the stocks. It’s crucial to remember that you cannot keep any securities in your trading account.

The stock trading app has made investing in the stock market quite simple. These apps thoroughly review each potential benefit linked with each stock and explain what will happen if you decide to buy it.

The advantages of mobile trading apps for investors and traders have been established. The days of constantly seeking stock market news are long gone. These apps provide you with the whole share market online.

Before you can start trading on an online platform, it makes sense for you to confirm if making that move will be safe for you. There are many online trading services providers, but they are not the same in terms of their services, and some might not even be legitimate. Can you trust the company that you have chosen for trading? Well, there are certainly some signs that you can use to know that. I will explain in this ATP Markets review how I think this company is a reliable online platform for any trader in the world. 

Once I have told you all the features and signs that make me trust this company, I want you to use your intuition and knowledge to go ahead and sign up or not sign up. 

Complete Contact Details

One of the things that make online trading platforms a little less trustable is the fact that their contact details are missing. I am not sure how much experience you have of trading with online companies, but I have been reviewing them for quite a few years. I can tell you based on my experience that most of them rely on a web contact form or FAQs as their customer support. They don’t have any way for you to get in touch with them. With ATP Markets, things are quite different and in your favor as a trader.

When you sign up with this company and need help with anything, you can call because there is a phone number given on the website. There is also an email address where you can send your concerns to get a reply within 24 hours. The best thing is that the company has a proper physical address too. 

A Registered Company  

Are you in doubts about the legality of the broker that you have thought about signing up with? That’s the feeling and dilemma that a lot of new traders go through these days. They are not sure if they are signing up with a legitimate company. In fact, many people completely quit the idea of trading when they can’t be sure about the legitimacy of online platforms. However, I can tell you with confidence that a company that wishes to scam you will never register as a business in the first place. It is not even a company when you go deep down into the details. 

In most cases, these are just some random people who are running their websites. You know for a fact that buying a website domain is not difficult at all. So, they just buy a cheap domain and start building a website that looks like an online trading broker’s website. However, when you sign up with them, you realize you are never getting your money back. ATP Markets is different in that it is a properly registered business providing you with legitimate trading services. 

Different Types of Accounts 

You should know that a company that wishes to harm you financially would like to get as much money from you as possible in one attempt. That’s not the case when you are on a legitimate platform. I have seen in many years of my research that the best trading platforms offer you many ways to sign up with them. They usually have multiple types of trading accounts so you can pick the one that meets your requirements. You will find the same when you decide to pick ATP Markets as your online broker. A basic account can be opened with as little money as $250. 

Final Thoughts

So, I hope that I have made my point clear in my short yet concise ATP Markets review. I have specifically talked about features and elements that invoke trust in the person who wishes to sign up with the company. I would highly appreciate that you visit the website yourself, look things around, and sign up only when you are fully satisfied with this online trading platform.