Guides to next-gen finance tools
What to check before you pick a tool: fees, safety, rules and trade-offs, explained with sources. No hype, no advice, just what you need to decide.
Payments · 26 October 2026Merchant of record vs payment processor: who handles your sales tax?Selling software or digital products worldwide? How a merchant of record like Paddle differs from a processor like Stripe, and who owes the VAT and sales tax.Budgeting · 25 October 2026Mint is gone: how to pick a budgeting app to replace itIntuit shut down Mint in March 2024. How the replacements differ, from strict budgeting with YNAB to tracking with Monarch, Copilot and Rocket Money.Business banking · 25 October 2026Is your money safe in a fintech account? What deposit protection really coversMany accounts are run by fintechs, not banks. How pass-through FDIC insurance and e-money safeguarding work, and what the Synapse collapse showed.Money transfer · 25 October 2026Money transfer fees: how to find the real cost of sending money abroadThe fee is only half the price of an international transfer. How to spot the markup hidden in the exchange rate and compare what actually arrives.Crypto exchanges · 25 October 2026How to check if a crypto exchange is licensed under MiCASince 1 July 2026, crypto firms serving EU customers need MiCA authorisation. How to check an exchange in ESMA's register, and what a licence covers.Crypto wallets · 25 October 2026Hardware wallet vs software wallet: which crypto wallet do you need?Exchange, software wallet or hardware wallet? How each one holds your crypto keys, what can go wrong, and how to choose for your situation.Payroll · 25 October 2026Employer of record vs contractor: how to hire someone in another countryHiring abroad? Compare the two main routes, a contractor agreement or an employer of record (EOR), and the misclassification risk to watch.Tax · 25 October 2026New crypto tax reporting rules: DAC8, CARF and Form 1099-DA explainedFrom 2026, EU and UK crypto platforms report your transactions to tax authorities, and US brokers send Form 1099-DA. What changes and what to do.
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