Showing posts with label on our radar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label on our radar. Show all posts

Let’s talk about the Huawei Y Series

- - No comments
All the features you love at a fraction of the cost? Sign us up!
The high-end phone market is a saturated and competitive place, with brands trying to outdo each other in functionality and tech features. It has us wondering, ‘What about the rest of us?’ Huawei answered this call with the release of the 2018 Y Series – five phones that address the needs of the young (or young at heart) with the functionality you love at a price you can afford. Here are the highlights of each model:

The Y 7 2018 is designed for those who love gaming. Get lost in the 5.99 inch display, which offers a more immersive gaming experience with detailed graphics and audio. The Y 6 2018 is made for those who enjoy music on the go, as well as those who like to sing and share their performances with friends. The Y 5 Prime and Y 5 Lite 2018 are perfect for first-time mobile users and those looking for an inexpensive device with a seamless user experience. The Y 3 2018 features Android Go, a lite version of the current Oreo operating system, which optimises the device performance while making it more efficient.

No matter which device you choose, the great thing about the Y Series is that all of them look as good as they perform, with sleek and fashionable designs, wide displays and ergonomically designed curved screens. They also have split-screen mode, which allows you to multitask between two applications at any given time. And, as with any modern Huawei, the camera quality is insane. Other cool functions include Face Unlock (Y 5 Lite, Y 5 Prime 2018, Y 6 2018 and Y 7 2018) and impressive battery life.


We mentioned that the Y Series comes at a fraction of the cost of high-end smartphones. What do we mean by that? Retailing between 999 and 2999, the price is almost unheard of for a phone range delivering this level of performance.


Content partnership with Huawei

Why healthy credit is good for you

- - No comments
Here's how to be in debt that's not scary and doesn't drown you, but rather is good for you and your financial future.
You need to have credit to have a credit score. And a good credit score can get you what you want. Here’s how to get on the bureau’s radar.
After securing your first job, you muster up the courage to approach a car dealership and put down a deposit for your first set of wheels. But you quickly find out that your credit score is inadequate; or more specifically, that you don’t have a credit score at all.

When getting advice on how to remedy this, you constantly hear a single phrase: 'Just open an Edgars account'. Rumour has it that paying off a pair of shoes can establish your credit record, and have it blossom into a meaningful reference.

'I am no financial expert, but I do know that "opening an Edgar's account" works,' says Nalene de Klerk, a Pretoria based, media and research liaison.

'I was told to open an account in order to put me on the map with credit providers, so I opened two accounts: one with Edgars and one with another reputable clothing franchise,' explains De Klerk. 

After a year she decided to open a credit account at her local bank, and her credit score with Edgars provided a great reference. However, the other retailer’s information didn’t reflect at all.

'I guess that’s why people specifically refer to Edgars. They put my credit information on the system, and the other retailer did not,' De Klerk remarks.

Why do retail credit accounts, like Edgars, work?


According to Garnet Jensen, senior director at TransUnion Interactive, one of the top credit bureaus in South Africa, they look at a consumer’s historic credit usage patterns to understand their particular ability to manage and meet their credit commitments.

'It is therefore more difficult for a credit provider to assess a consumer’s credit worthiness with little or no credit history,' says Jensen.

She advises customers to start building a credit history with smaller credit-based purchases, rather than with large items, like a house or a car. Although the latter is possible, they are onerous and should be taken on by consumers with experience in managing smaller credit commitments first. 

'Credit agreements available through retailers, are seen as a good first step, as the credit amount and terms are more manageable for someone who is new to credit,' says Jensen.

An Edcon spokesperson agrees that obtaining credit from a retailer is far easier than entering into a higher purchase credit agreement with banks and dealerships.

'For credit decisions (e.g. home loan or vehicle finance applications) to be made, consumers do need a credit record to enable access to these forms of credit,' the spokesperson says.

However, she cautions against opening too many retail credit accounts, which could be seen in a negative light by credit bureaus. A natural next step would be to follow in De Klerk’s footsteps, and enquire about opening a credit card with a small manageable credit limit.
Convinced? Open your Edgars account here and get 1750 in vouchers if you also join Edgars Club.

Words: Isabelle Coetzee. Originally published in justmoney.co.za

Ever wonder how Black Friday started?

- - No comments
Popular in the US since 1952, Black Friday marks the day after Thanksgiving, and people generally take this day off in order to have a four-day weekend (and start their Christmas shopping).
While Black Friday is relatively new to South Africa, it has been a popular event in the US since 1952.  

The history of Black Friday explained

The fourth Friday of November marks the day after Thanksgiving in the United States, and people generally take this day off in order to have a four-day weekend (and to start their Christmas shopping). This day off increased the number of potential shoppers and marked the opening of the festive season, and a time when many businesses went from being 'in the red' to 'being in the black' from a profit perspective. Thus, the term Black Friday was born. The origin of the concept of Black Friday dates back to 1952, but the term was only widely recognised in the early 2000s.

Then what happened?

Eventually, other countries began to adopt this phrase as a retail publicity stunt to boost sales and it caught on like wildfire.
 

How can you score with Black Friday?

But enough of the history lesson. Point is, you stand to benefit from *major* discounted prices, and any savvy shopper knows a good deal when they see one.

Click here to be the first to know about Edgars' Black Friday deals running from 22-25 November.