The Financial Services Authority, also known simply as the FSA, is a financial body, and operates as an independent financial regulator within the UK. The powers that have been granted to the FSA come through the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. A board is appointed by the Treasury to set the overall policies of the FSA, and on the board you will find managing directors and non-executive directors, as well as a Chief Executive Officer and a Chariman.
The FSA reports to parliament through Treasury ministers, to which it is answerable. The agency is funded through the various financial companies that it regulates. Describing itself as an 'open and transparent' organisation, the FSA's aim is to regulate financial services providers and to protect consumers, as well as to raise awareness and educate.
Set up by the government, the regulatory activities and powers of this agency are the responsibility of the government. The powers that are granted to the FSA means that the agency can take action against financial firms that fail to meet its strict standards and policies, and the agency has responsibility for regulating most financial firms and markets.
What the FSA does
The FSA basically regulates the financial services industry within the UK, and it does this through the implementation of policies and procedures, as well as through setting objectives. The agency has a number of statutory objectives, and these include: raising public awareness of the financial services industry, increasing consumer protection when it comes to financial services and products, improving upon consumer confidence when it comes to financial services and products, and reducing financial crime committed by financial firms.
The strategic aims of the FSA, as set out in its website, are:
• 'Promoting efficient, orderly and fair markets'
• 'Helping retail consumers achieve a fair deal'
• 'Improving our business capability and effectiveness'
The FSA sets standards that must be met by member companies in order for these firms to comply with FSA regulations. This provides peace of mind for consumers, as they know that when they use a financial firm that is FSA regulated the firm is complying with various regulations and policies designed to protect the consumer, amongst other things. These policies and regulations ensure that the member financial firms are adhering to set standards and practices.
In short, the FSA provides a range of valuable services, and in addition to setting out policies and standards with which financial services providers must comply, it also acts to protect and educate the public about financial services, reduce financial criminal activity by firms, and promote efficient and fair markets within the financial sector.
Loans4 provide homeowner loan solutions for homeowners. Please visit http://www.loans4.co.uk for the latest finance related news.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Lynes
วันพุธที่ 30 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551
Old Rules Measure Yesterday
Everyone from Main Street to Wall Street watches the inflation numbers. If the numbers are going up, we assume the Federal Reserve will take action. With so much riding on the veracity of the numbers, it was vital that a full review of their accuracy be instituted.
Accordingly, a Congressional Advisory Commission on the consumer price index (CPI), chaired by Michael Boskin, was formed. After study, the commission reported that the CPI overstated the change in the cost of living by about 1.1 percentage points per year. This number seems small, but compounded over time, the effects are enormous. For example, instead of falling 13 percent, real hourly wages actually rose by 13 percent from 1973 to 1995.
With about one-third of federal budget overlays indexed to the cost of living, as are income-tax brackets, the distortion between the numbers reported and the real world is huge.
Many analysts also look at a nation's savings rate to predict how its economy will unfold. For Example, a low savings rate may foretell a scarcity of capital that could cramp the growth of the economy, whereas a larger rate portends ample money capital for expansion.
Many commentators have deplored the fact that Americans don't save enough money and that our savings rate is said to be low compared with that of other nations. And although the official numbers seem to confirm this story, it is the way these numbers are put together that assures this result.
Press reports on these numbers often run in juxtaposition to stories reporting that the inflow of money to mutual funds has just hit an all-time high, that the purchase of new homes (many people's principal asset) continues apace, that IRAs and 401Ks are bulging with cash, and that many corporate pension funds are overfunded. All of these events, plus the purchase of consumer durables, represent savings by Americans and constitute a direct disconnect from the official savings number that is derived by computing savings as the proportion of disposable income individuals set aside.
Measurement in the private sector is hardly any better. The industrial age that spawned our accounting rules had hard assets-things that you can touch and count, such as buildings, factories, and inventory. In the new economy, intellectual capital is far more important that money capital, but so far it goes mostly uncounted in the balance sheets of our corporations because it is largely ignored by the writers of accounting standards. Examples abound, but to cite just one, the value of patents is nowhere to be seen on our corporate balance sheets. This is not a trivial number.
The American accounting profession has now produced 5,000 pages of accounting rules, but Robert Elliott, a partner of KPMG, pointed out, "At best, today's financial statements are an obsolete product. Relatively unchanged over the last 100 years, financial statements were designed to describe industrial-era assets: inventory, machinery, buildings, and land. Post-industrial enterprises run on intangible assets, capacity for innovation, and human resources... Yet non of these appear on the balance sheet."
Today there is a debate among the various accounting authorities of the world about how to handle "goodwill." One school of thought holds that it should be written off against the earnings, which is another way of saying intellectual capital or the worth of a brand name like Citibank or Coca-Cola has no value. On the other side of the debate is the marketplace, and the verdict of the market is loud and clear. Microsoft, for example, which has trivial fixed assets, has a cap exceeding that of the three big automobile companies put together. This being slow, it becomes increasingly hard to argue that intellectual capital has no value.
The old guard will say that this view is just a way of measuring hot air and not real assets, even though many of the so-called real assets are rusted hulks in the scrap heaps of history while the films based on intellectual capital, such as AOL, are propelling companies into the new economy.
As bad data produces bad results, both the public and the private sectors are in need of new metrics for a new economy. So far, there has been little progress in this direction, as there is a huge vested interest in the familiar and the known. But reality is beginning to sink in, and there are scattered efforts to come to grips with the need for new metrics.
There is no doubt that an essential factor in the Industrial Revolution was the use of accounting to permit the management of huge corporations, but the old rules measure yesterday and usually only a point in time.
Today, investors and credit grantors want, need and can get an almost constant stream of useful information. Audited financial statements have their place in the stream of data, but the current accounting rules now prevent a company from publishing a cash-flow-per-share number, data that many managers believe is vital in running a business. As Elliot observes, "Financial statements are assembly-line Model T's when it is needed are instruments designed to client-specific management criteria and performance indicators, such as measures of customer satisfaction, product and process quality, innovation, new technology skills, and global business know-how."
The pace of change is so swift that no bureaucracy, public or private, can keep up. Only now are efforts in both public and private sectors beginning to attack the problem of metrics to measure the economy.
Walter B. Wriston was a banker and former chairman of Citicorp. An expert on commercial banking, Mr. Wriston wrote and spoke widely on topics relating to finance, banking, technology, and international business. He was a Director of ICOS Corporation, Cygnus, Inc. and Vion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. He was Chairman of President Reagan's Economic Policy Advisory Board, a member and former Chairman of The Business Council, and a former co-Chairman and Policy committee member of the Business Roundtable. He was a Trustee of the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, a Life Governor of New York Presbyterian Hospital and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
For more about the foundation for this article, visit: http://www.walterwriston.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Walter_Wriston
Accordingly, a Congressional Advisory Commission on the consumer price index (CPI), chaired by Michael Boskin, was formed. After study, the commission reported that the CPI overstated the change in the cost of living by about 1.1 percentage points per year. This number seems small, but compounded over time, the effects are enormous. For example, instead of falling 13 percent, real hourly wages actually rose by 13 percent from 1973 to 1995.
With about one-third of federal budget overlays indexed to the cost of living, as are income-tax brackets, the distortion between the numbers reported and the real world is huge.
Many analysts also look at a nation's savings rate to predict how its economy will unfold. For Example, a low savings rate may foretell a scarcity of capital that could cramp the growth of the economy, whereas a larger rate portends ample money capital for expansion.
Many commentators have deplored the fact that Americans don't save enough money and that our savings rate is said to be low compared with that of other nations. And although the official numbers seem to confirm this story, it is the way these numbers are put together that assures this result.
Press reports on these numbers often run in juxtaposition to stories reporting that the inflow of money to mutual funds has just hit an all-time high, that the purchase of new homes (many people's principal asset) continues apace, that IRAs and 401Ks are bulging with cash, and that many corporate pension funds are overfunded. All of these events, plus the purchase of consumer durables, represent savings by Americans and constitute a direct disconnect from the official savings number that is derived by computing savings as the proportion of disposable income individuals set aside.
Measurement in the private sector is hardly any better. The industrial age that spawned our accounting rules had hard assets-things that you can touch and count, such as buildings, factories, and inventory. In the new economy, intellectual capital is far more important that money capital, but so far it goes mostly uncounted in the balance sheets of our corporations because it is largely ignored by the writers of accounting standards. Examples abound, but to cite just one, the value of patents is nowhere to be seen on our corporate balance sheets. This is not a trivial number.
The American accounting profession has now produced 5,000 pages of accounting rules, but Robert Elliott, a partner of KPMG, pointed out, "At best, today's financial statements are an obsolete product. Relatively unchanged over the last 100 years, financial statements were designed to describe industrial-era assets: inventory, machinery, buildings, and land. Post-industrial enterprises run on intangible assets, capacity for innovation, and human resources... Yet non of these appear on the balance sheet."
Today there is a debate among the various accounting authorities of the world about how to handle "goodwill." One school of thought holds that it should be written off against the earnings, which is another way of saying intellectual capital or the worth of a brand name like Citibank or Coca-Cola has no value. On the other side of the debate is the marketplace, and the verdict of the market is loud and clear. Microsoft, for example, which has trivial fixed assets, has a cap exceeding that of the three big automobile companies put together. This being slow, it becomes increasingly hard to argue that intellectual capital has no value.
The old guard will say that this view is just a way of measuring hot air and not real assets, even though many of the so-called real assets are rusted hulks in the scrap heaps of history while the films based on intellectual capital, such as AOL, are propelling companies into the new economy.
As bad data produces bad results, both the public and the private sectors are in need of new metrics for a new economy. So far, there has been little progress in this direction, as there is a huge vested interest in the familiar and the known. But reality is beginning to sink in, and there are scattered efforts to come to grips with the need for new metrics.
There is no doubt that an essential factor in the Industrial Revolution was the use of accounting to permit the management of huge corporations, but the old rules measure yesterday and usually only a point in time.
Today, investors and credit grantors want, need and can get an almost constant stream of useful information. Audited financial statements have their place in the stream of data, but the current accounting rules now prevent a company from publishing a cash-flow-per-share number, data that many managers believe is vital in running a business. As Elliot observes, "Financial statements are assembly-line Model T's when it is needed are instruments designed to client-specific management criteria and performance indicators, such as measures of customer satisfaction, product and process quality, innovation, new technology skills, and global business know-how."
The pace of change is so swift that no bureaucracy, public or private, can keep up. Only now are efforts in both public and private sectors beginning to attack the problem of metrics to measure the economy.
Walter B. Wriston was a banker and former chairman of Citicorp. An expert on commercial banking, Mr. Wriston wrote and spoke widely on topics relating to finance, banking, technology, and international business. He was a Director of ICOS Corporation, Cygnus, Inc. and Vion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. He was Chairman of President Reagan's Economic Policy Advisory Board, a member and former Chairman of The Business Council, and a former co-Chairman and Policy committee member of the Business Roundtable. He was a Trustee of the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, a Life Governor of New York Presbyterian Hospital and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
For more about the foundation for this article, visit: http://www.walterwriston.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Walter_Wriston
Lead Me, Follow Me Or Get Out Of My Way
Hello Neighbors. This title quote comes from none other than General George S. Patton who was known for his quotes and determination to win at all costs. "If everyone is thinking alike, someone isn't thinking", is another General Patton saying.
Let me quote a few more: "Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity." "You're never beaten until you admit it." "Always do everything you ask of those you command." "People who are not themselves are nobody." "Prepare for the unknown by studying how others in the past have coped with the unforeseeable and the unpredictable." "If a man has done his best, what else is there?" "You need to overcome the tug of people against you as you reach for high goals." "I don't measure a man's success by how high he climbs, but how high he bounces when he hits bottom." "A good plan violently executed now, is better than a perfect plan executed next week." And one of my favorites: "Take calculated risks. That is quite different from being rash. My personal belief is that if you have a 50% chance, take it!"
Can we apply these General George S. Patton philosophies to the battle fields of Retirement and Estate Planning? I would vote an enthusiastic YES! Whether a person is 19 or 92, or somewhere in between, the Patton approach applied to portfolio management may be an interesting discipline. It refers to past performance of others as an indicator of behavior in similar experiences. This might mean to study the historical decisions of Warren Buffet, the world's wealthiest investment advisor, to see how he acted and reacted during specific market cycles and environments and emulate his moves yourself.
If everyone is thinking alike and selling-off positions, perhaps it's more follow the leader instead of blazing a new trail or perhaps buying some of the positions they are selling. If I make a bad business or financial decision, I'm not beaten, just advancing in the wrong direction, which, can easily be corrected. General Patton says, "if you have a 50% chance take it," to me this means; be an investor in the stock market not a saver, as the historical long-term performance of the stock market out-performed other asset classes better than 50% of the time! Give your money to the portfolio managers NOW to manage and give them ample time to get the job done without canceling or swapping funds chasing the highest past performance figures. This statement coincides with General Patton's sayings of, "A good plan violently executed.... and "Lead me, follow me, or get out of my way."
We can create a metaphor between global stock markets and the battlefield of Patton's era, especially during these turbulent economic times. Strategy is involved, risk of loss of supplies, equipment and loss of life. If it were possible, it would be fascinating to see Patton's portfolio, first, to see what percentage was in stocks and second, which stocks they were. Did he command his portfolio the way he commanded his troops. Did he follow the philosophies he espoused above? Wouldn't it be interesting to see what performance his philosophies, when applied to the stock selection process, generated in total return?
In crafting your battle plan for your portfolio, be sure to have a front line of offense (disposable and discretionary dollars). Calculate acceptable losses. Have multiple plans of attack (value stocks, growth stocks, large cap, mid cap and small cap stocks, domestic and foreign issues too) and a plan for retreat in case the battle goes against you (the ability to move into safer alternatives, perhaps bonds and fixed principal investments). Have reinforcements ready to spring into action when the market is down (ready cash for buying opportunities) and your Medics and MASH units nearby to take on casualties (long-term-care, life liability and health insurance). Finally, have a nuclear deterrent to intimidate the opposition (a quality variable annuity with a living benefit rider that provides principal protection and lifetime income even when the markets are falling ).
Yes, investing in stocks today can very easily be compared to a battle. Even more interesting is some of the nations Patton and his fellow Generals were fighting now represent fabulous growth stock opportunities for investors such as Russia, Japan and Germany. I wonder what he would say about that?
Interested in comparing portfolio battle plans? Just give me a call for a no obligation appointment and bring in your plan and I'll show you mine - The Trinity Method of Investing©; no enlistment necessary - call today!
Mark Charnet is President and Founder of American Prosperity Group. APG is the Premier Retirement and Estate Planning Franchise in the United States. Mr. Charnet has over a quarter of a century of experience in the Retirement and Estate Planning fields. Mark encourages your inquiries and can be reached at: 973-831-4424 or via email, markcharnet@1APG.com Interested in a career in retirement and estate planning? Check out this website: http://www.APGFranchise.com
fGuarantee is based on the claims paying ability of the insurance company. A variable annuity is a long-term investment vehicle designed specifically for retirement. While they are subject to market risk and fluctuation in account value, they may also offer several optional protection features not found in other investment vehicles. Securities and Advisory Services offered through BCG Securities, Inc. Member FINRA, SIPC and a Registered Investment Advisor. APG & BCG are separate and unrelated companies. © APG April, 2008
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_Charnet
Let me quote a few more: "Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity." "You're never beaten until you admit it." "Always do everything you ask of those you command." "People who are not themselves are nobody." "Prepare for the unknown by studying how others in the past have coped with the unforeseeable and the unpredictable." "If a man has done his best, what else is there?" "You need to overcome the tug of people against you as you reach for high goals." "I don't measure a man's success by how high he climbs, but how high he bounces when he hits bottom." "A good plan violently executed now, is better than a perfect plan executed next week." And one of my favorites: "Take calculated risks. That is quite different from being rash. My personal belief is that if you have a 50% chance, take it!"
Can we apply these General George S. Patton philosophies to the battle fields of Retirement and Estate Planning? I would vote an enthusiastic YES! Whether a person is 19 or 92, or somewhere in between, the Patton approach applied to portfolio management may be an interesting discipline. It refers to past performance of others as an indicator of behavior in similar experiences. This might mean to study the historical decisions of Warren Buffet, the world's wealthiest investment advisor, to see how he acted and reacted during specific market cycles and environments and emulate his moves yourself.
If everyone is thinking alike and selling-off positions, perhaps it's more follow the leader instead of blazing a new trail or perhaps buying some of the positions they are selling. If I make a bad business or financial decision, I'm not beaten, just advancing in the wrong direction, which, can easily be corrected. General Patton says, "if you have a 50% chance take it," to me this means; be an investor in the stock market not a saver, as the historical long-term performance of the stock market out-performed other asset classes better than 50% of the time! Give your money to the portfolio managers NOW to manage and give them ample time to get the job done without canceling or swapping funds chasing the highest past performance figures. This statement coincides with General Patton's sayings of, "A good plan violently executed.... and "Lead me, follow me, or get out of my way."
We can create a metaphor between global stock markets and the battlefield of Patton's era, especially during these turbulent economic times. Strategy is involved, risk of loss of supplies, equipment and loss of life. If it were possible, it would be fascinating to see Patton's portfolio, first, to see what percentage was in stocks and second, which stocks they were. Did he command his portfolio the way he commanded his troops. Did he follow the philosophies he espoused above? Wouldn't it be interesting to see what performance his philosophies, when applied to the stock selection process, generated in total return?
In crafting your battle plan for your portfolio, be sure to have a front line of offense (disposable and discretionary dollars). Calculate acceptable losses. Have multiple plans of attack (value stocks, growth stocks, large cap, mid cap and small cap stocks, domestic and foreign issues too) and a plan for retreat in case the battle goes against you (the ability to move into safer alternatives, perhaps bonds and fixed principal investments). Have reinforcements ready to spring into action when the market is down (ready cash for buying opportunities) and your Medics and MASH units nearby to take on casualties (long-term-care, life liability and health insurance). Finally, have a nuclear deterrent to intimidate the opposition (a quality variable annuity with a living benefit rider that provides principal protection and lifetime income even when the markets are falling ).
Yes, investing in stocks today can very easily be compared to a battle. Even more interesting is some of the nations Patton and his fellow Generals were fighting now represent fabulous growth stock opportunities for investors such as Russia, Japan and Germany. I wonder what he would say about that?
Interested in comparing portfolio battle plans? Just give me a call for a no obligation appointment and bring in your plan and I'll show you mine - The Trinity Method of Investing©; no enlistment necessary - call today!
Mark Charnet is President and Founder of American Prosperity Group. APG is the Premier Retirement and Estate Planning Franchise in the United States. Mr. Charnet has over a quarter of a century of experience in the Retirement and Estate Planning fields. Mark encourages your inquiries and can be reached at: 973-831-4424 or via email, markcharnet@1APG.com Interested in a career in retirement and estate planning? Check out this website: http://www.APGFranchise.com
fGuarantee is based on the claims paying ability of the insurance company. A variable annuity is a long-term investment vehicle designed specifically for retirement. While they are subject to market risk and fluctuation in account value, they may also offer several optional protection features not found in other investment vehicles. Securities and Advisory Services offered through BCG Securities, Inc. Member FINRA, SIPC and a Registered Investment Advisor. APG & BCG are separate and unrelated companies. © APG April, 2008
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_Charnet
วันอังคารที่ 29 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551
What Are Dividends?
If you've ever invested in the stock market or held certain other types of investments, you might already be familiar with the concept of dividends. Even those people who have made investments that paid dividends may still be a little confused as to exactly what they are, however... after all, just because a person has received a dividend payment doesn't mean that they fully appreciate where the payment is coming from and what its purpose is.
If you have ever found yourself wondering exactly what dividends are and why they're issued, then the information below might just be what you've been looking for.
What Are They?
Dividends are payments made by companies to their stockholders in order to share a portion of the profits from a particular quarter or year. The amount that any particular stockholder receives is dependent upon how many shares of stock they own and how much the total amount being divided up among the stockholders amounts to. This means that after a particularly profitable quarter a company might set aside a lump sum to be divided up amongst all of their stockholders, though each individual share might be worth only a very small amount potentially fractions of a cent, depending upon the total number of shares issued and the total amount being divided. Individuals who own large amounts of stock receive much more from the dividends than those who own only a little, but the total per-share amount is usually the same.
When Are They Paid?
How often dividends are paid can vary from one company to the next, but in general they are paid whenever the company reports a profit. Since most companies are required to report their profits or losses quarterly, this means that most of them have the potential to pay dividends up to four times each year. Some companies pay dividends more often than this, however, and others may pay only once per year. The more time there is between dividend payments can indicate financial and profit problems within a company, but if the company simply chooses to pay all of their dividends at once it may also lead to higher per-share payments on those dividends.
Why Are They Paid?
Dividends are paid by companies as a method of sharing their profitable times with the stockholders that have faith in the company, as well as a way of luring other investors into purchasing stock in the company that is paying the dividends. The more a particular company pays in dividend payments, the more likely it is to sell additional common stock... after all, if the company is well-known for high dividend payments then more people will want to get in on the action. This can actually lead to increases in stock price and additional profit for the company which can result in even more dividend payments.
Getting the Most Benefit
In order to get the most out of the dividends that you receive on your investments, it is generally recommended that you reinvest the dividends into the companies that pay them. While this may seem as though you're simply giving them their money back, you're receiving additional shares of the company's stock in exchange for the dividend. This will increase future dividend payments (since they're based upon how much stock that you own), and can set you up to make a lot more money than the actual dividend payment was for since increases in stock prices will affect the newly-purchased stock as well.
Bill Stone writes for Direct Online Loans who help homeowners find the best available loans via the http://www.directonlineloans.co.uk website.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bill_Stone
If you have ever found yourself wondering exactly what dividends are and why they're issued, then the information below might just be what you've been looking for.
What Are They?
Dividends are payments made by companies to their stockholders in order to share a portion of the profits from a particular quarter or year. The amount that any particular stockholder receives is dependent upon how many shares of stock they own and how much the total amount being divided up among the stockholders amounts to. This means that after a particularly profitable quarter a company might set aside a lump sum to be divided up amongst all of their stockholders, though each individual share might be worth only a very small amount potentially fractions of a cent, depending upon the total number of shares issued and the total amount being divided. Individuals who own large amounts of stock receive much more from the dividends than those who own only a little, but the total per-share amount is usually the same.
When Are They Paid?
How often dividends are paid can vary from one company to the next, but in general they are paid whenever the company reports a profit. Since most companies are required to report their profits or losses quarterly, this means that most of them have the potential to pay dividends up to four times each year. Some companies pay dividends more often than this, however, and others may pay only once per year. The more time there is between dividend payments can indicate financial and profit problems within a company, but if the company simply chooses to pay all of their dividends at once it may also lead to higher per-share payments on those dividends.
Why Are They Paid?
Dividends are paid by companies as a method of sharing their profitable times with the stockholders that have faith in the company, as well as a way of luring other investors into purchasing stock in the company that is paying the dividends. The more a particular company pays in dividend payments, the more likely it is to sell additional common stock... after all, if the company is well-known for high dividend payments then more people will want to get in on the action. This can actually lead to increases in stock price and additional profit for the company which can result in even more dividend payments.
Getting the Most Benefit
In order to get the most out of the dividends that you receive on your investments, it is generally recommended that you reinvest the dividends into the companies that pay them. While this may seem as though you're simply giving them their money back, you're receiving additional shares of the company's stock in exchange for the dividend. This will increase future dividend payments (since they're based upon how much stock that you own), and can set you up to make a lot more money than the actual dividend payment was for since increases in stock prices will affect the newly-purchased stock as well.
Bill Stone writes for Direct Online Loans who help homeowners find the best available loans via the http://www.directonlineloans.co.uk website.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bill_Stone
What You Need To Know About Premium Financing?
Traditionally, life insurance contracts have been associated with the high class elite segment of society sign it as a guaranteed insurance of their business and estate security. Overtime, this hitherto so-called "no go" area is becoming attractive to members of the middle and lower class bracket sections of our society. It has thus become imperative to restructure the conventional insurance scheme in order for it to work for everybody irrespective of income status. This ushered in the new brainstorming that was engendered in the insurance industry; eventually bringing unto the market various insurance scheme options now on offer for the choice of their clients.
Many people are caught up in a confusing crossroad when it comes to the choice of the right life insurance policy program. Most often than not, these misgivings are founded on legitimate fears. In any case making a good insurance decision is as easy as making a bad one. In addition, the hurdle of making premium and periodic payments does not fall within the comfort zone of some segments of our societies.
To address this anomaly, a new policy on premium financing is currently in place, to ensure both functional vibrancy and efficient service delivery. The main feature of the policy is that senior fellows can receive life insurance coverage without recourse to the payment of monthly premiums. The policy will particularly favor patrons with above average net-worth in tangible asset ownership.
How does the system operate? The premium financing company carries out the mandate of funding the insurance package of their clients. The simple mathematics here is that, the beneficiary of the life insurance package does not necessarily have to sell off assets in order to make up for the premium requirements.
Granted you entertain the feeling that the cost of your current insurance scheme does not commensurate your expectations, then you are welcome to consider switching to premium financing life insurance policy. You stand to gain unlimited access to long term support, you also can maintain your physical assets without necessarily having to dispose them off in order to be insured.
If you want to know more about Premium Financing then feel free to visit Life Settlements.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jitesh_Arora
Many people are caught up in a confusing crossroad when it comes to the choice of the right life insurance policy program. Most often than not, these misgivings are founded on legitimate fears. In any case making a good insurance decision is as easy as making a bad one. In addition, the hurdle of making premium and periodic payments does not fall within the comfort zone of some segments of our societies.
To address this anomaly, a new policy on premium financing is currently in place, to ensure both functional vibrancy and efficient service delivery. The main feature of the policy is that senior fellows can receive life insurance coverage without recourse to the payment of monthly premiums. The policy will particularly favor patrons with above average net-worth in tangible asset ownership.
How does the system operate? The premium financing company carries out the mandate of funding the insurance package of their clients. The simple mathematics here is that, the beneficiary of the life insurance package does not necessarily have to sell off assets in order to make up for the premium requirements.
Granted you entertain the feeling that the cost of your current insurance scheme does not commensurate your expectations, then you are welcome to consider switching to premium financing life insurance policy. You stand to gain unlimited access to long term support, you also can maintain your physical assets without necessarily having to dispose them off in order to be insured.
If you want to know more about Premium Financing then feel free to visit Life Settlements.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jitesh_Arora
Financial Derivatives And Their Importance In International Financial Management
For some the word "derivative" is synonymous with everything that is wrong with capital markets, trading for trading sake, rampant profiteering, nothing to do with the financial needs of real people. These are a few of the charges ranged against the financial derivative but is that a fair reflection or is there a softer side to this apparently irredeemable beast.
The origins of derivative contracts do indeed begin with meeting the needs of ordinary folks. Farmers in the Mid-west in the mid 1800's were faced with financial ruin due to severe fluctuations in the price of corn. By the time they had paid for seed corn plus the expense of growing it and harvesting it they faced the probability of having to sell it for a loss. The simple idea of agreeing a fixed price in the future that locked in a guaranteed profit for the farmer was in fact the birth of modern financial markets with the first corn contracts being offered on the Chicago Board of Trade on March 13, 1851. Of course in order to allow the farmers to hedge the price of corn there needed to be someone willing to offer a fixed price in the future - enter the speculator. A simple and obvious fact over-looked by those who wish to denounce market forces is that there can be no hedgers without speculators.
Remarkably, however, more than one hundred years would pass before the concept of a forward hedge would translate from farming needs and commodities trading into the financial markets proper. The International Monetary Market (IMM) offered the world's first foreign exchange futures contract on 31st December 1974. Once again the emergence of these early derivative contracts arising from a need to stabilize foreign exchange fluctuations as the post world war II international monetary agreement known as Bretton Woods broke down.
As each new layer of abstraction built upon previous layers the world of derivatives trading grew to encompass more and more aspects of the financial markets. For example, futures on interest rates were added to the already existing currency futures and futures on gold with the establishment of futures on U.S. Treasury bills in January 1976.
In the last 30 years the trend has continued with ever increasing complexity. Options on Futures by the early 1980's, followed by over-the-counter swaps and options in the mid 1980's and continuing with credit derivatives in the 1990's and insurance derivatives in the early 2000's.
What began as a simple means of hedging the price of corn has become a global market that trades trillions of dollars per day. The interactions and correlations between markets that were once considered separate are today closely connected,with price shocks rippling from one market to another. The development of computer systems has been the single most important "enzyme" without which it would simply not have been possible for markets to grow.
Ironically, it is now the inability of computer systems for risk management to keep pace with the markets that is holding back further development. The IT systems landscape within most investment banks is now highly complex with many different systems interacting in ways that are difficult for a human being to understand. Armies of software specialists and consultants maintain fragile systems; "if it ain't broke don't fix it" being the mantra of many. But a nest of vipers lies hidden, a tangled web of fragmented and fragile interconnections that means trading firms are vulnerable to substantial losses due to potential system failures. Operational risk within IT systems has the potential to bring about collapse of the entire firm. The time has come for many banks to face up to this problem and tackle it at the grass roots level. Instead of adding more and more patches onto existing systems, radical investment is needed to clean up and bring a structured, well architected systems landscape into being.
cKlear is an IT products and services company specializing in trading and risk management software systems and services.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Priya_Sinha
The origins of derivative contracts do indeed begin with meeting the needs of ordinary folks. Farmers in the Mid-west in the mid 1800's were faced with financial ruin due to severe fluctuations in the price of corn. By the time they had paid for seed corn plus the expense of growing it and harvesting it they faced the probability of having to sell it for a loss. The simple idea of agreeing a fixed price in the future that locked in a guaranteed profit for the farmer was in fact the birth of modern financial markets with the first corn contracts being offered on the Chicago Board of Trade on March 13, 1851. Of course in order to allow the farmers to hedge the price of corn there needed to be someone willing to offer a fixed price in the future - enter the speculator. A simple and obvious fact over-looked by those who wish to denounce market forces is that there can be no hedgers without speculators.
Remarkably, however, more than one hundred years would pass before the concept of a forward hedge would translate from farming needs and commodities trading into the financial markets proper. The International Monetary Market (IMM) offered the world's first foreign exchange futures contract on 31st December 1974. Once again the emergence of these early derivative contracts arising from a need to stabilize foreign exchange fluctuations as the post world war II international monetary agreement known as Bretton Woods broke down.
As each new layer of abstraction built upon previous layers the world of derivatives trading grew to encompass more and more aspects of the financial markets. For example, futures on interest rates were added to the already existing currency futures and futures on gold with the establishment of futures on U.S. Treasury bills in January 1976.
In the last 30 years the trend has continued with ever increasing complexity. Options on Futures by the early 1980's, followed by over-the-counter swaps and options in the mid 1980's and continuing with credit derivatives in the 1990's and insurance derivatives in the early 2000's.
What began as a simple means of hedging the price of corn has become a global market that trades trillions of dollars per day. The interactions and correlations between markets that were once considered separate are today closely connected,with price shocks rippling from one market to another. The development of computer systems has been the single most important "enzyme" without which it would simply not have been possible for markets to grow.
Ironically, it is now the inability of computer systems for risk management to keep pace with the markets that is holding back further development. The IT systems landscape within most investment banks is now highly complex with many different systems interacting in ways that are difficult for a human being to understand. Armies of software specialists and consultants maintain fragile systems; "if it ain't broke don't fix it" being the mantra of many. But a nest of vipers lies hidden, a tangled web of fragmented and fragile interconnections that means trading firms are vulnerable to substantial losses due to potential system failures. Operational risk within IT systems has the potential to bring about collapse of the entire firm. The time has come for many banks to face up to this problem and tackle it at the grass roots level. Instead of adding more and more patches onto existing systems, radical investment is needed to clean up and bring a structured, well architected systems landscape into being.
cKlear is an IT products and services company specializing in trading and risk management software systems and services.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Priya_Sinha
วันจันทร์ที่ 28 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551
Where to Look for Business Financing
Starting a new business can be difficult. In addition to creating a business plan that will outline what your business intent is and finding the contacts and locations that you'll need, finding the money that is needed to get a business off of the ground can sometimes seem impossible. If you're not exactly sure how to get the money that you need, you'll find several suggestions below. From information about traditional bank loans to finding investors, you're sure to find something that helps you to get on the right track toward the money that you need.
Bank Loans
The first stop for many potential business owners is their local bank. Many banks offer loans for startup businesses, though the process for applying for a business loan from a bank tends to be a bit more in-depth... after all, they want to make sure that your business plan is solid and that they'll get their money back whether your business succeeds or not. In most cases, it is easier for a person to get a personal loan with the intention of using the money to cover startup expenses than it is to get a business loan for a venture that isn't guaranteed to succeed.
Loans from Alternative Lenders
Alternative lenders such as finance companies and online lenders can provide money for new businesses at competitive interest rates to banks, but also tend to have some of the same apprehensions about lending money to an untested venture as many banks do. Once again, personal loans are often better than business loans, though there are some lenders that may specialize in providing startup capital for businesses. Taking the time to investigate all of your options is the best way to determine which type of loan you should apply for.
Business Organizations
There are a variety of business and small business organizations that exist for the sole purpose of helping individuals get the money that they need to start a new business. Often these groups won't lend the money that is needed directly (though some do), but instead will act as somewhat of a cosigner in guaranteeing the loan to the bank or other lender that issues it. With the support of one of these organizations, lenders are often much more likely to grant a business loan... even if the business goes under, they are guaranteed that they will be repaid.
Government Grants
In some cases, government grants are also available to help you get your business off of the ground. These grants usually require that you meet certain criteria and fill out applications, but should you qualify for the grant assistance you'll receive the money that you need for your business without having to pay it back. Needless to say, not everyone who applies for a grant will receive one, but if you can find one for which you qualify it's certainly not going to hurt you to try.
Investors
One other alternative method of getting the money that you need to start a business is to find investors to contribute to the startup funds. In return for their investment, investors are usually either granted a limited partnership in the business, or are simply considered to be shareholders and as such are granted a portion of the profits from the business, depending upon how many shares they own. You should carefully work out how you plan on dividing profits and protecting the rights of investors before approaching potential investors, however... if you don't, some investors may abuse the rights granted to them and try to control how you do business.
Paul Rogers writes general finance and loan articles for the Loans UK Online website at http://www.loansukonline.co.uk
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Rogers
Bank Loans
The first stop for many potential business owners is their local bank. Many banks offer loans for startup businesses, though the process for applying for a business loan from a bank tends to be a bit more in-depth... after all, they want to make sure that your business plan is solid and that they'll get their money back whether your business succeeds or not. In most cases, it is easier for a person to get a personal loan with the intention of using the money to cover startup expenses than it is to get a business loan for a venture that isn't guaranteed to succeed.
Loans from Alternative Lenders
Alternative lenders such as finance companies and online lenders can provide money for new businesses at competitive interest rates to banks, but also tend to have some of the same apprehensions about lending money to an untested venture as many banks do. Once again, personal loans are often better than business loans, though there are some lenders that may specialize in providing startup capital for businesses. Taking the time to investigate all of your options is the best way to determine which type of loan you should apply for.
Business Organizations
There are a variety of business and small business organizations that exist for the sole purpose of helping individuals get the money that they need to start a new business. Often these groups won't lend the money that is needed directly (though some do), but instead will act as somewhat of a cosigner in guaranteeing the loan to the bank or other lender that issues it. With the support of one of these organizations, lenders are often much more likely to grant a business loan... even if the business goes under, they are guaranteed that they will be repaid.
Government Grants
In some cases, government grants are also available to help you get your business off of the ground. These grants usually require that you meet certain criteria and fill out applications, but should you qualify for the grant assistance you'll receive the money that you need for your business without having to pay it back. Needless to say, not everyone who applies for a grant will receive one, but if you can find one for which you qualify it's certainly not going to hurt you to try.
Investors
One other alternative method of getting the money that you need to start a business is to find investors to contribute to the startup funds. In return for their investment, investors are usually either granted a limited partnership in the business, or are simply considered to be shareholders and as such are granted a portion of the profits from the business, depending upon how many shares they own. You should carefully work out how you plan on dividing profits and protecting the rights of investors before approaching potential investors, however... if you don't, some investors may abuse the rights granted to them and try to control how you do business.
Paul Rogers writes general finance and loan articles for the Loans UK Online website at http://www.loansukonline.co.uk
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Rogers
How Buying on Margin Works
If you pay attention to finance and investment news, you might hear something from time to time about buying on margin. It may sound intriguing, being able to purchase large amounts of stocks or other securities without having to pay the full cost of them... in most cases, though, that's all of the information that is given and it leaves you to wonder exactly how buying on margin works.
If you are in this situation, then the information provided below is designed to give you more details on margin trading and may help you to determine whether or not buying on margin is right for you. Should you decide to try your hand at margin trading, do so with care... after all, there's a lot of money that can be made, but trading on margin without realizing how and what you should be doing can also cost you quite a bit of money.
Definition
Before getting into the hows and whys of margin trading, it's important that you realize exactly what buying on margin really is. In essence, buying on margin is like getting a loan from your stock broker that will enable you to purchase larger amounts of stocks and securities than you might actually be able to afford at that moment. The funds that you do pay go into a special type of brokerage account known as a margin account, and act as a deposit toward the total price of the purchase. The remainder of the price must be paid to the broker, either when you sell the stocks or after a predetermined interval.
Requirements for a Margin Purchase
Because of the specialized type of purchase that margin trading requires, you have to set up your margin account before being able to make any margin trades. Though the laws regarding buying on margin may vary from country to country, in most cases the setting up of a margin account requires that the brokerage has your signature on file authorizing them to set up the account.
A minimum deposit is also required for a margin account, which can be in the thousands... for many brokerages, however, they instead require that at least 50% of the value of the intended purchase is used as the deposit for the margin account though some may require as high as 60% to 75% for a first purchase.
The purchase made when buying on margin utilizes the value of your deposit as well as an additional amount which is borrowed from the broker... for experienced traders this can be up to 50%, though you can choose to borrow less for any trade. There may also be additional rules concerning which stocks and securities can be purchased, as well as a minimum price for any individual stock share.
Payment of Outstanding Cost
As with any loan, money borrowed for a purchase on margin must be repaid in a timely manner. Usually, the money is recovered when the purchased stocks or securities are sold... the portion that was borrowed from the brokerage firm is repaid first, and the remainder then goes to the shareholder.
In the case of long-term investments that are purchased on margin, however, payments may be required on regular intervals to maintain the margin loan. Should you not make the required deposits to maintain the margin and pay down the loan, the broker may require you to sell your stock so that they can reclaim their money.
Paul Rogers writes general finance and loan articles for the Loans UK Online website at http://www.loansukonline.co.uk
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Rogers
If you are in this situation, then the information provided below is designed to give you more details on margin trading and may help you to determine whether or not buying on margin is right for you. Should you decide to try your hand at margin trading, do so with care... after all, there's a lot of money that can be made, but trading on margin without realizing how and what you should be doing can also cost you quite a bit of money.
Definition
Before getting into the hows and whys of margin trading, it's important that you realize exactly what buying on margin really is. In essence, buying on margin is like getting a loan from your stock broker that will enable you to purchase larger amounts of stocks and securities than you might actually be able to afford at that moment. The funds that you do pay go into a special type of brokerage account known as a margin account, and act as a deposit toward the total price of the purchase. The remainder of the price must be paid to the broker, either when you sell the stocks or after a predetermined interval.
Requirements for a Margin Purchase
Because of the specialized type of purchase that margin trading requires, you have to set up your margin account before being able to make any margin trades. Though the laws regarding buying on margin may vary from country to country, in most cases the setting up of a margin account requires that the brokerage has your signature on file authorizing them to set up the account.
A minimum deposit is also required for a margin account, which can be in the thousands... for many brokerages, however, they instead require that at least 50% of the value of the intended purchase is used as the deposit for the margin account though some may require as high as 60% to 75% for a first purchase.
The purchase made when buying on margin utilizes the value of your deposit as well as an additional amount which is borrowed from the broker... for experienced traders this can be up to 50%, though you can choose to borrow less for any trade. There may also be additional rules concerning which stocks and securities can be purchased, as well as a minimum price for any individual stock share.
Payment of Outstanding Cost
As with any loan, money borrowed for a purchase on margin must be repaid in a timely manner. Usually, the money is recovered when the purchased stocks or securities are sold... the portion that was borrowed from the brokerage firm is repaid first, and the remainder then goes to the shareholder.
In the case of long-term investments that are purchased on margin, however, payments may be required on regular intervals to maintain the margin loan. Should you not make the required deposits to maintain the margin and pay down the loan, the broker may require you to sell your stock so that they can reclaim their money.
Paul Rogers writes general finance and loan articles for the Loans UK Online website at http://www.loansukonline.co.uk
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Rogers
วันอาทิตย์ที่ 27 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551
Roller Coaster For Interest Rates
The start of this year has been a roller coaster for interest rates... and a steep drop for housing prices...
The most common thing I have seen lately is friends and clients looking to refinance and take advantage of the lower interest rates, yet finding out their mortgage is the same or higher than their home value.
Many of these people have excellent credit, and can prove they are capable of making payments at 90, 95 and 100% financing.
However given the new lending standards, these loans are not available for them anymore, and they must wait until the home values rebound before they can make a change...
If this is the case for you, just hold on... and keep making your payments... things will turn around...
Much like our 401Ks that slid for sometime, yet we continued to contribute and watched them rebound...
Some reasons for the roller coaster:
1. The Fed cutting rates so quickly
2. Conforming loan limits changing
3. The bond market moving up and down quickly (this is the index that mortgage rates are based on)
4. The Dodgers poised to win the pennant... (Well they do have a new coaching staff and pitcher)
It is no wonder everyone is talking about the housing industry...
Now that conforming loan limits have increased, (Due to the signing of the U.S. Stimulus package that was signed into law back in February) look for interest rates to creep up as demand on loans increases... As well as the banks to keep the current 417K Conforming loan limit, and establish a new "Conforming Jumbo" that will come with a higher interest rate.
Now is a great time to take a good look at your real estate holdings, especially in regards to:
1. Home values
2. Loan amounts and programs
3. How much you pay for insurance, etc.
If you have not already done so, set a meeting with a Certified Mortgage Planner for your annual debt and equity review to see where you are and if you need to make a change.
Cezar Mansour is Certifed Mortgage Planner and President and owner of Beach Lending, and Clear Blue Realty in Redondo Beach, CA.
A real estate financing firm assisting people buy their first home, investment and or commercial property.
He is a the author of "The Official Guide to Building a Referral Based Business" available on Amazon.com
You may also contact Cezar directly at: Cezar@cezarmansour.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cezar_Mansour
The most common thing I have seen lately is friends and clients looking to refinance and take advantage of the lower interest rates, yet finding out their mortgage is the same or higher than their home value.
Many of these people have excellent credit, and can prove they are capable of making payments at 90, 95 and 100% financing.
However given the new lending standards, these loans are not available for them anymore, and they must wait until the home values rebound before they can make a change...
If this is the case for you, just hold on... and keep making your payments... things will turn around...
Much like our 401Ks that slid for sometime, yet we continued to contribute and watched them rebound...
Some reasons for the roller coaster:
1. The Fed cutting rates so quickly
2. Conforming loan limits changing
3. The bond market moving up and down quickly (this is the index that mortgage rates are based on)
4. The Dodgers poised to win the pennant... (Well they do have a new coaching staff and pitcher)
It is no wonder everyone is talking about the housing industry...
Now that conforming loan limits have increased, (Due to the signing of the U.S. Stimulus package that was signed into law back in February) look for interest rates to creep up as demand on loans increases... As well as the banks to keep the current 417K Conforming loan limit, and establish a new "Conforming Jumbo" that will come with a higher interest rate.
Now is a great time to take a good look at your real estate holdings, especially in regards to:
1. Home values
2. Loan amounts and programs
3. How much you pay for insurance, etc.
If you have not already done so, set a meeting with a Certified Mortgage Planner for your annual debt and equity review to see where you are and if you need to make a change.
Cezar Mansour is Certifed Mortgage Planner and President and owner of Beach Lending, and Clear Blue Realty in Redondo Beach, CA.
A real estate financing firm assisting people buy their first home, investment and or commercial property.
He is a the author of "The Official Guide to Building a Referral Based Business" available on Amazon.com
You may also contact Cezar directly at: Cezar@cezarmansour.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cezar_Mansour
A Guide to Asset Protection
Asset Protection Guide:
The strange and sometimes puzzling evolutions in the business world ask for more and more secure methods of protecting the client's assets. In spite of all popular articles claiming the right to be taken into consideration, asset protection strategies depend on individual perceptions. Each person involved in a business is supposed to choose his own means to protect his assets. His decision is crucial but it can be changed by several factors. First element which enters the system of asset protection strategies is considered to be the counselor. He can be a lawyer or not. His position is not really important. Most important fact about a counselor is to understand his client's business and to be able to offer the appropriate advice. He is the most significant element which decides upon asset protection strategies. A counselor must be well informed about all law changes so he can direct his client in the right way. If the relation between two of them respects the basic principles of communication then results are fortunate. Each counselor has to know everything about his client's business as long as he is supposed to guide him towards financial success. However each person owning a business has the right to decide on his future movements. Even if a counselor does try to influence him the final move depends on the client's dynamic character.
A business man might be misguided by his private counselor. Applying asset protection strategies means playing with the law system. This is not about violating basic principles. Most of all is about discovering original ways which might give someone the chance to take advantage in certain situations. For example the principle of LLC might prove extremely operative. But if there are not any experienced persons behind the business master then he would probably miss this hint. The asset protection strategies system is quite sinuous and requires a capable person who is able to explain the basic rules.
People involved in a business might take this fact as a childish game and enjoy playing till the end. First of all, people are supposed to think about asset protection strategies. If taken into consideration right from the beginning then things are really simple. So the business man will enjoy his position being already protected against all possible dangers. If his counselor prescribes him the appropriate asset protection strategies then he does not have to worry about future success. From now on procedures are not so complicated. They remain exhausting but they are pleasant in a way. They are pleasant because they prove their efficiency. They are no longer insecure means of gaining money. Taking real advantage of the asset protection strategies means finding all the possible ways towards financial success. No one should miss this valuable tip of the presence of the counselor. Once a business is getting stronger and stronger, its owner must thing about all opportunities to protect his money. Of course that a counselor would always come with additional information but the final decisions belongs to the client. He is the only person who can decide upon asset protection strategies. He can say if certain strategies are compatible with his expectations. A counselor might always suggest something but if his client does not want to respect the plan then the deal is violated. There are no formal procedures to punish such a decision. The business man might be right. He knows his business. Maybe the counselor is wrong. There are numerous possible situations. But a good counselor would always be able to offer a good advice. So asset protection strategies might be best suggested only by a counselor.
For more information visit us at: http://www.asset-protection.articlesmymoney.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shawn_Burgy
The strange and sometimes puzzling evolutions in the business world ask for more and more secure methods of protecting the client's assets. In spite of all popular articles claiming the right to be taken into consideration, asset protection strategies depend on individual perceptions. Each person involved in a business is supposed to choose his own means to protect his assets. His decision is crucial but it can be changed by several factors. First element which enters the system of asset protection strategies is considered to be the counselor. He can be a lawyer or not. His position is not really important. Most important fact about a counselor is to understand his client's business and to be able to offer the appropriate advice. He is the most significant element which decides upon asset protection strategies. A counselor must be well informed about all law changes so he can direct his client in the right way. If the relation between two of them respects the basic principles of communication then results are fortunate. Each counselor has to know everything about his client's business as long as he is supposed to guide him towards financial success. However each person owning a business has the right to decide on his future movements. Even if a counselor does try to influence him the final move depends on the client's dynamic character.
A business man might be misguided by his private counselor. Applying asset protection strategies means playing with the law system. This is not about violating basic principles. Most of all is about discovering original ways which might give someone the chance to take advantage in certain situations. For example the principle of LLC might prove extremely operative. But if there are not any experienced persons behind the business master then he would probably miss this hint. The asset protection strategies system is quite sinuous and requires a capable person who is able to explain the basic rules.
People involved in a business might take this fact as a childish game and enjoy playing till the end. First of all, people are supposed to think about asset protection strategies. If taken into consideration right from the beginning then things are really simple. So the business man will enjoy his position being already protected against all possible dangers. If his counselor prescribes him the appropriate asset protection strategies then he does not have to worry about future success. From now on procedures are not so complicated. They remain exhausting but they are pleasant in a way. They are pleasant because they prove their efficiency. They are no longer insecure means of gaining money. Taking real advantage of the asset protection strategies means finding all the possible ways towards financial success. No one should miss this valuable tip of the presence of the counselor. Once a business is getting stronger and stronger, its owner must thing about all opportunities to protect his money. Of course that a counselor would always come with additional information but the final decisions belongs to the client. He is the only person who can decide upon asset protection strategies. He can say if certain strategies are compatible with his expectations. A counselor might always suggest something but if his client does not want to respect the plan then the deal is violated. There are no formal procedures to punish such a decision. The business man might be right. He knows his business. Maybe the counselor is wrong. There are numerous possible situations. But a good counselor would always be able to offer a good advice. So asset protection strategies might be best suggested only by a counselor.
For more information visit us at: http://www.asset-protection.articlesmymoney.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shawn_Burgy
Initial Public Offering - 10 Interesting Facts About Initial Public Offering!
When does a corporate organization feel pleased with itself? When it has managed to live up to its promise of delivering high-quality goods as well as services to the general public, generating significant revenue in the process! For instance, where the trading community is concerned, any institution, organization or business house putting forward an initial public offering, is doing a great service to them.
Maybe a comparison with a cookbook will serve to explain things better. The cookbook (company) lists out all the ingredients needed for the recipe and then details the actual cooking process in a step-by-step manner. The person who collects all the required ingredients (raw material) and puts together a delicious meal (finished product), feels a sense of accomplishment at having managed to satisfy even the most refined palate! The appreciation (revenue) that follows will prompt the cook to prepare even more delectable meals in future!
We referred to something called "initial public offering" in the very first paragraph (it is also called IPO). Well, some more details about the IPO are presented below--
(1) Whenever some commodity is offered to the entire public, there is always the fear that some individuals or even groups can use it to their own advantage. This can bring a bad reputation to the organization involved. Hence, a process is always set in motion to ensure that the IPO flows smoothly and is well protected.
(2) What exactly is a process? It is like an ingredient, something that the organization cannot do without. Therefore, the end-result of the commercial undertaking can only be "success". A process is very much a part of the finance, trade and business worlds.
(3) A process starts out with collection of essential data (inputs) that is required. Then, it proceeds to different methods that can be adopted for these inputs. And finally, the outputs, or what results can be expected from this proceedure.
(4) Many times, a corporate organization may wish to serve the public, but is not exactly sure of how to go about it. With a process in place, it is able to put together interrelated structural activities that can prove valuable to its clients as well as its shareholders. Of course, the organization itself benefits too!
(5) A process is not something that is meant for corporate organizations alone; it is useful for external affairs too, as their applications should be made available to the trading community everywhere. Like stated above, IPO can be taken as an example.
(6) Most companies/organizations/institutions require the support of the public to continue in business, especially where funds are concerned. Year after year, production and distribution may increase, new projects may be started, and so on. So the company/organization/institution offers its common shares to the public as an initial sale. Everyone is not expected to purchase those common shares; only those investors who are interested will do so.
(7) In contrast to the initially offered shares, there are common shares that are issued late. These are known as a secondary market offering.
(8) Like everything else, the process of initial public offering has to follow certain rules and regulations. These are decided by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Securities Act of 1993. If the common shares are offered by renowned stock exchanges like NYSE and NASDAQ, they are not affected by state laws. Common shares offered by others are governed by state laws.
(9) There are two steps involved in this process of initial public offering--
(a) Before actually offering the common shares to the public, the issuer has to draft out a prospectus. This means a document that relates details concerning the history of the organization, its background, its current financial status, industry environment, what are the services and/or products it is offering, and so on. Approval for the initial public offering is given only after the Securities and Exchange Commission goes through the prospectus and okays it. That is why major law firms are hired by organizations whenever such a draft has to be prepared.
(b) In the second step, set prices are placed on the common shares. As soon as the prices are settled, the IPO is entered into a "free riding" period. Some investment banks known as underwriters, are responsible for putting up these common shares for sale. They can be offered in a variety of ways, but each one must be accompanied by a copy of the approved IPO prospectus.
(10) There is strict prohibition on any false or misleading statements coming out in public, during the period of sale. The company appoints some executives to handle the initial public offering. So they are liable to face punishment if they make wrong statements in public or there are any omissions seen on the prospectus.
Should the underwriters come to know about these misleading statements or omissions related to the initial public offering, and do not go ahead with a proper investigation, they will also be taken to task.
Abhishek has an uncanny insight into Trading! Visit his website http://www.Trading-Masters.com and download his FREE Trading Report and learn some amazing Trading tips and tricks for FREE. His tips would save you thousands and make you better at Trading! But hurry, only limited Free copies available! http://www.Trading-Masters.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Abhishek_Agarwal
Maybe a comparison with a cookbook will serve to explain things better. The cookbook (company) lists out all the ingredients needed for the recipe and then details the actual cooking process in a step-by-step manner. The person who collects all the required ingredients (raw material) and puts together a delicious meal (finished product), feels a sense of accomplishment at having managed to satisfy even the most refined palate! The appreciation (revenue) that follows will prompt the cook to prepare even more delectable meals in future!
We referred to something called "initial public offering" in the very first paragraph (it is also called IPO). Well, some more details about the IPO are presented below--
(1) Whenever some commodity is offered to the entire public, there is always the fear that some individuals or even groups can use it to their own advantage. This can bring a bad reputation to the organization involved. Hence, a process is always set in motion to ensure that the IPO flows smoothly and is well protected.
(2) What exactly is a process? It is like an ingredient, something that the organization cannot do without. Therefore, the end-result of the commercial undertaking can only be "success". A process is very much a part of the finance, trade and business worlds.
(3) A process starts out with collection of essential data (inputs) that is required. Then, it proceeds to different methods that can be adopted for these inputs. And finally, the outputs, or what results can be expected from this proceedure.
(4) Many times, a corporate organization may wish to serve the public, but is not exactly sure of how to go about it. With a process in place, it is able to put together interrelated structural activities that can prove valuable to its clients as well as its shareholders. Of course, the organization itself benefits too!
(5) A process is not something that is meant for corporate organizations alone; it is useful for external affairs too, as their applications should be made available to the trading community everywhere. Like stated above, IPO can be taken as an example.
(6) Most companies/organizations/institutions require the support of the public to continue in business, especially where funds are concerned. Year after year, production and distribution may increase, new projects may be started, and so on. So the company/organization/institution offers its common shares to the public as an initial sale. Everyone is not expected to purchase those common shares; only those investors who are interested will do so.
(7) In contrast to the initially offered shares, there are common shares that are issued late. These are known as a secondary market offering.
(8) Like everything else, the process of initial public offering has to follow certain rules and regulations. These are decided by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Securities Act of 1993. If the common shares are offered by renowned stock exchanges like NYSE and NASDAQ, they are not affected by state laws. Common shares offered by others are governed by state laws.
(9) There are two steps involved in this process of initial public offering--
(a) Before actually offering the common shares to the public, the issuer has to draft out a prospectus. This means a document that relates details concerning the history of the organization, its background, its current financial status, industry environment, what are the services and/or products it is offering, and so on. Approval for the initial public offering is given only after the Securities and Exchange Commission goes through the prospectus and okays it. That is why major law firms are hired by organizations whenever such a draft has to be prepared.
(b) In the second step, set prices are placed on the common shares. As soon as the prices are settled, the IPO is entered into a "free riding" period. Some investment banks known as underwriters, are responsible for putting up these common shares for sale. They can be offered in a variety of ways, but each one must be accompanied by a copy of the approved IPO prospectus.
(10) There is strict prohibition on any false or misleading statements coming out in public, during the period of sale. The company appoints some executives to handle the initial public offering. So they are liable to face punishment if they make wrong statements in public or there are any omissions seen on the prospectus.
Should the underwriters come to know about these misleading statements or omissions related to the initial public offering, and do not go ahead with a proper investigation, they will also be taken to task.
Abhishek has an uncanny insight into Trading! Visit his website http://www.Trading-Masters.com and download his FREE Trading Report and learn some amazing Trading tips and tricks for FREE. His tips would save you thousands and make you better at Trading! But hurry, only limited Free copies available! http://www.Trading-Masters.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Abhishek_Agarwal
วันเสาร์ที่ 26 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551
Fair Debt Collection Practices Act - What Are The Essentials?
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act was passed in 1978 as part of the Consumer Credit Protection Act. FDCPA sets out specific things that debt collectors may and may not do when attempting to collect debts from consumers. The Act has several main points that you should know, especially if you are getting telephone calls from debt collectors.
Who the Law Affects
The FDCPA specifically affects "third party collectors" - people and companies who are in the business of collecting debts that were originally owed to other people. In other words, if your credit card company contacts you regarding a debt you owe to them, the federal law may not apply to them - though there may be state laws that do apply to "original creditors". If your credit card company hands your account over to a collection agency, though, this law does apply to the collection agency.
Your Rights Under the FDCPA
The FDCPA lays out rules about fair debt collection practices. It states when debt collectors may call you, with whom they may speak, what they may say to you and to others and what they must and must not do when contacting you. It also gives you the right to demand that they cease contacting you and that they provide you with proof that you owe the money they are trying to collect and that they are entitled to collect it. Finally, the FDCPA gives you the right to sue if a debt collector violates any of the points laid out in the law. If you prove that they violated the law, you are entitled to damages and up to $1,000.
What Debt Collectors Must Do
Debt collectors must:
- tell you their names and state that they are attempting to collect a debt every time they contact you in any way. They must also inform you that anything you say will be used in their attempt to collect the debt.
- Inform you within five days of their first contact with you of your right to validate your debt
- Provide you with validation of your debt if you request it in writing within 30 days of being notified of your right to validation
- Inform you of any legal actions that they intend as required by law
- Stop contacting you if you inform them in writing that you wish them to cease all communication. Once you have requested that they cease communication, they may only contact you to tell you they are ceasing their collection attempts, or to inform you of legal actions as required by law.
What Debt Collectors May Not Do
Under FDCPA, debt collectors may not:
* threaten you with physical harm
* threaten you with jail
* threaten you with court action that they do not intend to take
* use abusive language when speaking to you
* lie about who they are (for instance, saying that they're lawyers or that they're officers of the court if they're not)
* talk to anyone but you or your spouse about your debt
* publish your name on a bad debts list
* call you at work after you tell them not to do so
* call you before 8 AM or after 9 PM your time
* call you repeatedly and harass you about your debt
* contact you after you inform them in writing that you wish them to cease all communication
* contact you directly after you inform them that you are represented by a lawyer
You Have the Right To:
* tell debt collectors not to call you at work
* tell debt collectors not to communicate with you
* demand proof that you owe the money they are trying to collect
* demand proof that they are legally entitled to collect the debt
* be free of harassment, threats or abuse
* sue in court if a debt collector violates any of the points of the FDCBA
If you ever need to find the address of a bill collector and only have their phone number, you can with this free cell phone lookup resource.
Travis Craig writes informative articles about phone number searches, area codes layouts, and how to find out more information about them.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Travis_Craig
Who the Law Affects
The FDCPA specifically affects "third party collectors" - people and companies who are in the business of collecting debts that were originally owed to other people. In other words, if your credit card company contacts you regarding a debt you owe to them, the federal law may not apply to them - though there may be state laws that do apply to "original creditors". If your credit card company hands your account over to a collection agency, though, this law does apply to the collection agency.
Your Rights Under the FDCPA
The FDCPA lays out rules about fair debt collection practices. It states when debt collectors may call you, with whom they may speak, what they may say to you and to others and what they must and must not do when contacting you. It also gives you the right to demand that they cease contacting you and that they provide you with proof that you owe the money they are trying to collect and that they are entitled to collect it. Finally, the FDCPA gives you the right to sue if a debt collector violates any of the points laid out in the law. If you prove that they violated the law, you are entitled to damages and up to $1,000.
What Debt Collectors Must Do
Debt collectors must:
- tell you their names and state that they are attempting to collect a debt every time they contact you in any way. They must also inform you that anything you say will be used in their attempt to collect the debt.
- Inform you within five days of their first contact with you of your right to validate your debt
- Provide you with validation of your debt if you request it in writing within 30 days of being notified of your right to validation
- Inform you of any legal actions that they intend as required by law
- Stop contacting you if you inform them in writing that you wish them to cease all communication. Once you have requested that they cease communication, they may only contact you to tell you they are ceasing their collection attempts, or to inform you of legal actions as required by law.
What Debt Collectors May Not Do
Under FDCPA, debt collectors may not:
* threaten you with physical harm
* threaten you with jail
* threaten you with court action that they do not intend to take
* use abusive language when speaking to you
* lie about who they are (for instance, saying that they're lawyers or that they're officers of the court if they're not)
* talk to anyone but you or your spouse about your debt
* publish your name on a bad debts list
* call you at work after you tell them not to do so
* call you before 8 AM or after 9 PM your time
* call you repeatedly and harass you about your debt
* contact you after you inform them in writing that you wish them to cease all communication
* contact you directly after you inform them that you are represented by a lawyer
You Have the Right To:
* tell debt collectors not to call you at work
* tell debt collectors not to communicate with you
* demand proof that you owe the money they are trying to collect
* demand proof that they are legally entitled to collect the debt
* be free of harassment, threats or abuse
* sue in court if a debt collector violates any of the points of the FDCBA
If you ever need to find the address of a bill collector and only have their phone number, you can with this free cell phone lookup resource.
Travis Craig writes informative articles about phone number searches, area codes layouts, and how to find out more information about them.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Travis_Craig
IPO Mania -7 Noteworthy Events Of 1998!
On the Gregorian calender, 1998 came across as a year like any other. Okay, there was some significance attached to the fact that it was the year of the Twins or Geminians. But apart from the above facts, no one paid much attention to this particular year. It was only after historians got together to compile certain facts, that everyone realized how really momentous this one year had been! It was the year of IPOmania, along with other noteworthy events!
This is a compilation of all the major occurrences that had taken place in 1998, along with IPOmania--
(1) More than positive happenings like IPOmania, scandals remain in the public memory for a long time, especially if it is something involving the U.S. president! This was the year when Bill Clinton's relationship (supposedly discrete) with Monica Lewinsky (ex-White House intern) was brought out into the open. From then on, this incident was always referred to as the White House scandal.
(2) Ramzi Yousef, a prime suspect in the bombing of the World Trade Center, was sentenced for life on the eighth of January.
(3) The U.S. president, Bill Clinton took action against Iraq, which refused to close down its weapons of mass destruction program (WMDP). The president had been impressed upon by the U.S. Senate to do something in this regard. It was in the month of February that the Senate had passed Resolution 71.
(4) On the sixth of January, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration launched the Lunar Prospector spacecraft into space. It was directed into the moon's orbit, and later presented evidence of frozen water found at the moon's poles. This spacecraft had been constructed and developed for the sole purpose of low polar orbit investigation on the moon, and was meant to be a part of the Discovery Program.
(5) The popularity of the Internet grew by leaps and bounds in this year. There was quite a lot of sophisticated technology that was offered to its users.
Not only were Net savvy people excited about how the World Web could change their lifestyles, even the business world felt thrilled at the opportunity to experiment with a new way of conducting business transactions! The trading community believed that the Internet would prove to be a wonderful platform for investors and brokers--they could use it to generate great gains!
(7) The most exciting thing about 1998 was the "launching" of IPOmania, as mentioed earlier. Quite a few Internet-based organizations were involved with this idea of generating large revenues and seeing business operations to successful completion, via their own initial public offering (IPO).
The SEC or U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission conducted a survey, and discovered that around 370 organizations had registered their IPO in 1998! The total revenue proved to be an astounding $44.8 billion! IPOmania was definitely at its height!
Around 25 organizations that were part of IPOmania, were Internet-based companies. Some noted organizations were--
(a) Think of search engine, and one thinks, "Google Inc."! Well, its services were launched in 1998! Even today, it is claimed to be the biggest search engine on the World Web.
(b) Who has not heard of the best auctioneering service on the World Web--eBay? They too came into the public eye on September 24, 1998. Thir initial public offering was set at a price of $18 per common share. By the time it closed, the value of each common share had risen to $252.25--a whopping difference of 1,301.39%!
(c) Geocities offered each of its common shares at a price of $17, when it launched its initial public offering on August 11, 1998. At closing time, the price had gone up by 122.79% or $37.88.
(d) Then we have Broadcom offering each common share at $24. This was on April 17, 1998. By the time it closed, the IPO had gone up to $112 per common share (an increase of 366.67%).
(e) Each common share of 24/7 Media was priced at $14 on August 14, 1998. The closing value was $25.88, an increase of 84.82%.
(f) The final noteworthy entrant to IPOmania was Broadcastcom! Valued at $18 per common share on July 17, 1998, the price went up by 294.44% at closing time--it was $71 per common share!
Abhishek has an uncanny insight into Trading! Visit his website http://www.Trading-Masters.com and download his FREE Trading Report and learn some amazing Trading tips and tricks for FREE. His tips would save you thousands and make you better at Trading! But hurry, only limited Free copies available! http://www.Trading-Masters.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Abhishek_Agarwal
This is a compilation of all the major occurrences that had taken place in 1998, along with IPOmania--
(1) More than positive happenings like IPOmania, scandals remain in the public memory for a long time, especially if it is something involving the U.S. president! This was the year when Bill Clinton's relationship (supposedly discrete) with Monica Lewinsky (ex-White House intern) was brought out into the open. From then on, this incident was always referred to as the White House scandal.
(2) Ramzi Yousef, a prime suspect in the bombing of the World Trade Center, was sentenced for life on the eighth of January.
(3) The U.S. president, Bill Clinton took action against Iraq, which refused to close down its weapons of mass destruction program (WMDP). The president had been impressed upon by the U.S. Senate to do something in this regard. It was in the month of February that the Senate had passed Resolution 71.
(4) On the sixth of January, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration launched the Lunar Prospector spacecraft into space. It was directed into the moon's orbit, and later presented evidence of frozen water found at the moon's poles. This spacecraft had been constructed and developed for the sole purpose of low polar orbit investigation on the moon, and was meant to be a part of the Discovery Program.
(5) The popularity of the Internet grew by leaps and bounds in this year. There was quite a lot of sophisticated technology that was offered to its users.
Not only were Net savvy people excited about how the World Web could change their lifestyles, even the business world felt thrilled at the opportunity to experiment with a new way of conducting business transactions! The trading community believed that the Internet would prove to be a wonderful platform for investors and brokers--they could use it to generate great gains!
(7) The most exciting thing about 1998 was the "launching" of IPOmania, as mentioed earlier. Quite a few Internet-based organizations were involved with this idea of generating large revenues and seeing business operations to successful completion, via their own initial public offering (IPO).
The SEC or U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission conducted a survey, and discovered that around 370 organizations had registered their IPO in 1998! The total revenue proved to be an astounding $44.8 billion! IPOmania was definitely at its height!
Around 25 organizations that were part of IPOmania, were Internet-based companies. Some noted organizations were--
(a) Think of search engine, and one thinks, "Google Inc."! Well, its services were launched in 1998! Even today, it is claimed to be the biggest search engine on the World Web.
(b) Who has not heard of the best auctioneering service on the World Web--eBay? They too came into the public eye on September 24, 1998. Thir initial public offering was set at a price of $18 per common share. By the time it closed, the value of each common share had risen to $252.25--a whopping difference of 1,301.39%!
(c) Geocities offered each of its common shares at a price of $17, when it launched its initial public offering on August 11, 1998. At closing time, the price had gone up by 122.79% or $37.88.
(d) Then we have Broadcom offering each common share at $24. This was on April 17, 1998. By the time it closed, the IPO had gone up to $112 per common share (an increase of 366.67%).
(e) Each common share of 24/7 Media was priced at $14 on August 14, 1998. The closing value was $25.88, an increase of 84.82%.
(f) The final noteworthy entrant to IPOmania was Broadcastcom! Valued at $18 per common share on July 17, 1998, the price went up by 294.44% at closing time--it was $71 per common share!
Abhishek has an uncanny insight into Trading! Visit his website http://www.Trading-Masters.com and download his FREE Trading Report and learn some amazing Trading tips and tricks for FREE. His tips would save you thousands and make you better at Trading! But hurry, only limited Free copies available! http://www.Trading-Masters.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Abhishek_Agarwal
Do You Have Unclaimed Money To Your Name?
Every person in society works hard to earn money so they can live their daily lives. What is rather amusing is many people have money right under their nose, however they just do not realize it. But without realizing it, you too could have unclaimed money to your name, and it could be much more than you may imagine.
You have to ask yourself if you have ever moved without getting a security deposit back or have forgotten about a savings account with money in it. There are state governments all over the country with billions of dollars of unclaimed money. While the government wants to return this money, people are not coming forward to claim what is rightfully theirs.
It seems rather outlandish that there is all of this money sitting there unclaimed. If it were a few bucks per person, it may not be as big of a deal. But there are some people with thousands of dollars that have been unclaimed. In an effort to make things easier on you, the government has begun to make it easier for you to find and recover your money.
Now you can claim your money online with online access to property databases and even online claim forms. With this information, you can receive information on unclaimed property and links to all available online state property recovery resources. Then, all you have to do is go to these sites and find out what money is yours and how much of it is yours.
The National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators estimates that states are holding back as much as $10 billion in unclaimed property. Not $10 thousand or even $10 million. But a ridiculous figure of $10 billion. It has been approximated that 26 million Americans have unclaimed property. So why not take the time to see if you are one of the 26 million Americans missing out on money they already own?
You may wonder what exactly is classified as unclaimed property. Unclaimed property can be a wide array of things ranging from wages, checking and savings accounts, gift certificates, safe deposit boxes and stocks or bonds. There are numerous things that you could have to your name and not even realize it.
If you do wish to pursue finding your unclaimed money, you will learn that each state has its own methods and requirements for finding and reclaiming the money. But searching on the internet has certainly become a popular method because of the ease and convenience.
Noah Ulrich is webmaster of popular and highly regarded sites. His sites have helped many people find unclaimed money and property, earn large online incomes with resell rights to ebooks and information products, and build large downlines with International and USA guaranteed signups and real web traffic - popup and expired domain.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Noah_Ulrich
You have to ask yourself if you have ever moved without getting a security deposit back or have forgotten about a savings account with money in it. There are state governments all over the country with billions of dollars of unclaimed money. While the government wants to return this money, people are not coming forward to claim what is rightfully theirs.
It seems rather outlandish that there is all of this money sitting there unclaimed. If it were a few bucks per person, it may not be as big of a deal. But there are some people with thousands of dollars that have been unclaimed. In an effort to make things easier on you, the government has begun to make it easier for you to find and recover your money.
Now you can claim your money online with online access to property databases and even online claim forms. With this information, you can receive information on unclaimed property and links to all available online state property recovery resources. Then, all you have to do is go to these sites and find out what money is yours and how much of it is yours.
The National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators estimates that states are holding back as much as $10 billion in unclaimed property. Not $10 thousand or even $10 million. But a ridiculous figure of $10 billion. It has been approximated that 26 million Americans have unclaimed property. So why not take the time to see if you are one of the 26 million Americans missing out on money they already own?
You may wonder what exactly is classified as unclaimed property. Unclaimed property can be a wide array of things ranging from wages, checking and savings accounts, gift certificates, safe deposit boxes and stocks or bonds. There are numerous things that you could have to your name and not even realize it.
If you do wish to pursue finding your unclaimed money, you will learn that each state has its own methods and requirements for finding and reclaiming the money. But searching on the internet has certainly become a popular method because of the ease and convenience.
Noah Ulrich is webmaster of popular and highly regarded sites. His sites have helped many people find unclaimed money and property, earn large online incomes with resell rights to ebooks and information products, and build large downlines with International and USA guaranteed signups and real web traffic - popup and expired domain.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Noah_Ulrich
วันศุกร์ที่ 25 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551
Business Finance - Multiple Your Profits
Supporting the fresh ventures or the old existing one business finance has come a long way. It is meant for venture owners no matter small or big. Any business professional seeking monetary aid can approach lenders and approve funds with or without the use of collateral. The applicants by placing property as collateral can derive amount between £50,000 and £3,00,000 with prolonged repayment term of 10-15 years. On contrary, business persons without the use of collateral can procure finance from £5,000 to £1,00,000 with reimbursement term of 1-10 years. The benediction can be unleashed even applicants are striving from serious credit issues like defaults, arrears, late-payments, county court judgment, bankruptcy and debts. But, applicants should always enclose the details and layout of business in a rational manner for approval of funds.
Persons who are planning to set a fresh venture can get financial relief if required by considering this scheme. The funds can also be obtained by persons seeking some monetary aid to expand their existing business. They can meet commercial demands like purchasing raw materials, machineries, equipments; expenses of recruitment and salaries of employees; transportation and maintenance of factories and office are among them. The borrowers can also invest money in buying stocks and shares that are in interest for company's advancement.
The rates of interest are reasonably tabled for all sorts of venture owners. Moreover, if applicants follow the exercise of collecting and differentiate the offers then they can easily grab some cheap and low interest rate figure. The loan quotes can be collected from home or office through online. Furthermore, by applying through e-application method you can approve the loan from any location on earth. Loan calculator is also an effective tool that helps applicants to have a preview of the monthly instalments.
Thus, business finance is meant to prop your business so that you can take your empire to your expected horizons.
Bonnie Castle works as a consultant in Small Business Finance UK. He is proficient in the finance world. Small Business Finance UK endeavors to find the best possible deals for its customers. To find Business Finance, small business loans, small business loan bad credit, bad credit small business start up finance visit http://www.smallbusinessfinanceuk.co.uk
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bonnie_Castle
Persons who are planning to set a fresh venture can get financial relief if required by considering this scheme. The funds can also be obtained by persons seeking some monetary aid to expand their existing business. They can meet commercial demands like purchasing raw materials, machineries, equipments; expenses of recruitment and salaries of employees; transportation and maintenance of factories and office are among them. The borrowers can also invest money in buying stocks and shares that are in interest for company's advancement.
The rates of interest are reasonably tabled for all sorts of venture owners. Moreover, if applicants follow the exercise of collecting and differentiate the offers then they can easily grab some cheap and low interest rate figure. The loan quotes can be collected from home or office through online. Furthermore, by applying through e-application method you can approve the loan from any location on earth. Loan calculator is also an effective tool that helps applicants to have a preview of the monthly instalments.
Thus, business finance is meant to prop your business so that you can take your empire to your expected horizons.
Bonnie Castle works as a consultant in Small Business Finance UK. He is proficient in the finance world. Small Business Finance UK endeavors to find the best possible deals for its customers. To find Business Finance, small business loans, small business loan bad credit, bad credit small business start up finance visit http://www.smallbusinessfinanceuk.co.uk
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bonnie_Castle
What Are Grants?
A grant is a free gift of money, goods, or services. You never have to pay back a grant. In most cases, grants are tax-free.
Grants truly are a "parallel economy". Literally hundreds of billions of dollars are granted each year. This money stimulates the economy, creates projects the improve communities, creates jobs, supports businesses, and helps dreams come true.
Grants consulting - providing assistance to businesses and non-profit corporations by writing grant proposals - is a highly rewarding career, and always in demand. There are 3 basic types of grants: foundation, corporate, and government grants. Grants can range in amount from a few hundred dollars up to hundreds of thousands, or more, depending upon the project and the funder.
Foundations have been established by wealthy individuals, families or organizations, or through community fundraising efforts, to support worthy projects. Every foundation has certain causes it wants to support.
Some foundations give to support youth or the elderly, some want to underwrite medical research, and still others are committed to creating social change. If you have a project that will benefit humanity, chances are there's a foundation that will be interested in hearing about it.
There are over 70,000 foundations in the United States alone - and many more all over the world. Corporations often establish their own foundations, or they give money through their community service departments. Some corporations set aside a percentage of their profits for giving. Like foundations, corporations choose the types of projects they want to support.
When requesting money from a corporation, remember that one of the company's motivations in giving a grant is positive public relations. Always think of ways in which you can assist the company in achieving their goal of looking good to potential customers. Offer to honor the company at an event, or install a permanent plaque in recognition of their gift.
Government grants are available from the federal government, and from state, county and city governments. Governments have two ways of carrying out their responsibilities. One is by doing a job directly. As an example, the federal government handles the national defense function by employing and deploying the armed forces.
But the government finds it's more effective to subcontract many of its responsibilities. For instance, much of the country's affordable housing is built through by private business and funded through government grants. Sometimes the feds give the money directly. Sometimes they make "pass-through" grants to state and local government entities, which then distribute the grant funds.
If you would like to learn how to write grants for a community project, or to start a new career as a Certified Grant Writer, check out our Grants Training Classes below.
Jillian Coleman Wheeler is a consultant to businesses and non-profit corporations. Through her website, http://www.GrantMeRich.com she provides professional training in finding and writing grants. Students may also become Certified Grant Writers. Information on real estate grants is available at http://www.NewAmericanLandRush.com
Free Grant Tips are available at http://GrantMeRich.com/nl.htm
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jillian_Coleman_Wheeler
Grants truly are a "parallel economy". Literally hundreds of billions of dollars are granted each year. This money stimulates the economy, creates projects the improve communities, creates jobs, supports businesses, and helps dreams come true.
Grants consulting - providing assistance to businesses and non-profit corporations by writing grant proposals - is a highly rewarding career, and always in demand. There are 3 basic types of grants: foundation, corporate, and government grants. Grants can range in amount from a few hundred dollars up to hundreds of thousands, or more, depending upon the project and the funder.
Foundations have been established by wealthy individuals, families or organizations, or through community fundraising efforts, to support worthy projects. Every foundation has certain causes it wants to support.
Some foundations give to support youth or the elderly, some want to underwrite medical research, and still others are committed to creating social change. If you have a project that will benefit humanity, chances are there's a foundation that will be interested in hearing about it.
There are over 70,000 foundations in the United States alone - and many more all over the world. Corporations often establish their own foundations, or they give money through their community service departments. Some corporations set aside a percentage of their profits for giving. Like foundations, corporations choose the types of projects they want to support.
When requesting money from a corporation, remember that one of the company's motivations in giving a grant is positive public relations. Always think of ways in which you can assist the company in achieving their goal of looking good to potential customers. Offer to honor the company at an event, or install a permanent plaque in recognition of their gift.
Government grants are available from the federal government, and from state, county and city governments. Governments have two ways of carrying out their responsibilities. One is by doing a job directly. As an example, the federal government handles the national defense function by employing and deploying the armed forces.
But the government finds it's more effective to subcontract many of its responsibilities. For instance, much of the country's affordable housing is built through by private business and funded through government grants. Sometimes the feds give the money directly. Sometimes they make "pass-through" grants to state and local government entities, which then distribute the grant funds.
If you would like to learn how to write grants for a community project, or to start a new career as a Certified Grant Writer, check out our Grants Training Classes below.
Jillian Coleman Wheeler is a consultant to businesses and non-profit corporations. Through her website, http://www.GrantMeRich.com she provides professional training in finding and writing grants. Students may also become Certified Grant Writers. Information on real estate grants is available at http://www.NewAmericanLandRush.com
Free Grant Tips are available at http://GrantMeRich.com/nl.htm
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jillian_Coleman_Wheeler
วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 24 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551
How To Choose And Open An Offshore Bank Account
This is the age of global conglomerates. The multi national companies are spreading their branches and functional areas beyond basic geographical boundaries. With this growth rate of transnational businesses, the requirement to operate an offshore corporation with all its facilities and activities has increased more than ever. A demand for companies that can help you with offshore incorporations has formed gradually. One of the most challenging business activities in this regard making sure that you get a guaranteed offshore bank account with your company, not just an introduction.
An offshore bank account is a necessary part of operating an offshore company. A bank account is one of the first and most important steps of forming a business. All the non-cash transactions of the business depend on this bank account. Cash flow is the heart of a business, and it operates through a bank account. A easily operated and proficiently managed offshore bank account can thus contribute to the success and growth of your business.
When you are opting for an offshore bank account to operate your offshore incorporation, then look for certain facilities, and choose only that institution that offers such facilities for your business bank account -
- Check whether the bank is a well-known, old and established one. Choose the bank that has international operational experience and a track record in offshore bank account management.
- The offshore bank account should offer multi currency facility along with up-to-date and fast currency transfer ability.
- Opt for those institutions that which do not ask for detailed credit score report or even bank references. It will save a lot of your time and money. Generally, getting this option depends upon the reputation and experience of the company that you choose as an introducer
The offshore business formation consultancy/introducer should be able to provide you a hundred percent guarantee of a legal bank account, along with complete help in documentation and application for the offshore bank account. To open any bank account, you will need to provide some basic documentation like a passport and a utility bill.
Even for a personal offshore bank account, the regulations are same. Offshore private bank accounts are quite popular for many reasons like offshore asset protection or for tax planning. Various old and established banks can also offer you credit or debit cards facilities alongside the account.
Another important financial aspect to building your offshore investments is building an offshore trust. For offshore trust formation also, various offshore company consultancies can help you with research and choosing the best country for your investment. So, before starting any financial activity at international level seek the help of a well referred international company formation and banking specialist.
Sarah is a financial adviser and tax consultant. For more information on offshore bank accounts, she recommends you to visit http://www.molybank.com/offshorecompanieswithaccounts.php
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sarah_S_Jones
An offshore bank account is a necessary part of operating an offshore company. A bank account is one of the first and most important steps of forming a business. All the non-cash transactions of the business depend on this bank account. Cash flow is the heart of a business, and it operates through a bank account. A easily operated and proficiently managed offshore bank account can thus contribute to the success and growth of your business.
When you are opting for an offshore bank account to operate your offshore incorporation, then look for certain facilities, and choose only that institution that offers such facilities for your business bank account -
- Check whether the bank is a well-known, old and established one. Choose the bank that has international operational experience and a track record in offshore bank account management.
- The offshore bank account should offer multi currency facility along with up-to-date and fast currency transfer ability.
- Opt for those institutions that which do not ask for detailed credit score report or even bank references. It will save a lot of your time and money. Generally, getting this option depends upon the reputation and experience of the company that you choose as an introducer
The offshore business formation consultancy/introducer should be able to provide you a hundred percent guarantee of a legal bank account, along with complete help in documentation and application for the offshore bank account. To open any bank account, you will need to provide some basic documentation like a passport and a utility bill.
Even for a personal offshore bank account, the regulations are same. Offshore private bank accounts are quite popular for many reasons like offshore asset protection or for tax planning. Various old and established banks can also offer you credit or debit cards facilities alongside the account.
Another important financial aspect to building your offshore investments is building an offshore trust. For offshore trust formation also, various offshore company consultancies can help you with research and choosing the best country for your investment. So, before starting any financial activity at international level seek the help of a well referred international company formation and banking specialist.
Sarah is a financial adviser and tax consultant. For more information on offshore bank accounts, she recommends you to visit http://www.molybank.com/offshorecompanieswithaccounts.php
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sarah_S_Jones
Young Home Buyers in Debt
Buying your first house can be very exciting but it can be a very stressful time as well due to the amount of financial support that is often needed.
Many young home buyers are taking out expensive personal loans and overdrafts so that they will be able to pay their monthly bills.
A leading debt charity heard that this is leading to extensive long term financial problems for young home buyers.
According to the Consumer Credit Counselling Service (CCCS), people under 25 who have bought a house owe two-thirds more money than tenants in the same age range do. On top of this debt, the homeowners also accumulate a lot more credit.
The main reason for people being in this much debt is because of an eagerness to jump on to the property ladder at a time when the interest rates are rising. The CCCS based its comments on the regular quarterly Debt Dashboard study of the 73,000 client records and their ability to repay their loans.
The charity said that the people who used their help-lines on average owed £16,351 by the time they reach 24. Also, home buyers under the age of 25 owe an average of £20,290 on unsecured credit. This is compared to just £12,113 that tenants owe in the same age group.
The charity also discovered that young people were more likely to use catalogues, overdrafts and store cards which all contributed to the reason why they were in so much debt. One thing that young home buyers could do in order to lessen the money they owe would be to get debt management advice from an expert.
The charity, CCCS, advises young home buyers under the age of 25 to make sure that they can afford to live, as well as paying the mortgage, without having to rely on taking out loans.
A leading debt charity has discovered that young home buyers are taking out personal loans and ending in financial difficulties.
The main reason for people being in debt is because of an eagerness to jump on to the property ladder in times of high interest rates.
Young home buyers could seek debt management advice from an expert in order to reduce their debts.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gill_Critchley
Many young home buyers are taking out expensive personal loans and overdrafts so that they will be able to pay their monthly bills.
A leading debt charity heard that this is leading to extensive long term financial problems for young home buyers.
According to the Consumer Credit Counselling Service (CCCS), people under 25 who have bought a house owe two-thirds more money than tenants in the same age range do. On top of this debt, the homeowners also accumulate a lot more credit.
The main reason for people being in this much debt is because of an eagerness to jump on to the property ladder at a time when the interest rates are rising. The CCCS based its comments on the regular quarterly Debt Dashboard study of the 73,000 client records and their ability to repay their loans.
The charity said that the people who used their help-lines on average owed £16,351 by the time they reach 24. Also, home buyers under the age of 25 owe an average of £20,290 on unsecured credit. This is compared to just £12,113 that tenants owe in the same age group.
The charity also discovered that young people were more likely to use catalogues, overdrafts and store cards which all contributed to the reason why they were in so much debt. One thing that young home buyers could do in order to lessen the money they owe would be to get debt management advice from an expert.
The charity, CCCS, advises young home buyers under the age of 25 to make sure that they can afford to live, as well as paying the mortgage, without having to rely on taking out loans.
A leading debt charity has discovered that young home buyers are taking out personal loans and ending in financial difficulties.
The main reason for people being in debt is because of an eagerness to jump on to the property ladder in times of high interest rates.
Young home buyers could seek debt management advice from an expert in order to reduce their debts.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gill_Critchley
The Banking World Is Changing
You may not have known this, but the most popular method for paying for things used to be with checks and with it came a variety of different problems.
People could pay for things with money they didn't actually have and "float" the check a couple days before it actually hit their account. Many people were able to get out of financial binds this way but that is no longer the case.
Today, the vast majority of checks written are turned into digital checks immediately. That means your check really turns into a one-time debit from your account in the same way that it would if you used your debit card.
So, if the funds are not in your account at the time the transaction takes place then your purchase will be declined. You need to keep this in mind when making credit card payments and the like because you no longer have that window of time where you can "float" the check.
In fact, many companies worldwide are choosing to not accept checks anymore. This may seem extreme, but that is the way companies are choosing to go about saving money. Not only do they cost more money to process, but they also carry a higher risk of bouncing than a debit or credit card purchase.
For example, if an individual writes you a check and gives you his name, number, and license number you will be able to track him down should this bounce. But, this will occur after your bank has charged you for depositing it and it will take time and effort to track down the individual.
However, none of this will ever take place with a debit or credit card purchase. You simply slide your card and within seconds you are either approved or declined.
If approved, the funds are immediately withdrawn from your account and you no longer have access to them. If you are declined, then you will not receive the products you were trying to purchase. Nobody will be charged any extra fees and all will be well.
It is for this reason that many stores are choosing to decline checks in favor of cash, debit, and credit payments. Of course, most consumers choose to pay by these methods these days anyway.
That is because writing out a piece of paper to a company takes time and effort that most people don't have these days. Instead, it is preferable to swipe some plastic money through a machine and sign a voucher. It only takes a fraction of a second and it is preferred by most people these days.
Of course, the older generations are not accustomed to paying for anything in any other way than with a check so it is taking them a bit longer to get used to things. They are coming around though.
The banking world is changing and everyone, young and old, has to get used to the changes being made. Otherwise, they will be left behind the times!
If planning to open a bank account then look for us. We help you with current accounts, saving accounts and with bank charges.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ajeet_Khurana
People could pay for things with money they didn't actually have and "float" the check a couple days before it actually hit their account. Many people were able to get out of financial binds this way but that is no longer the case.
Today, the vast majority of checks written are turned into digital checks immediately. That means your check really turns into a one-time debit from your account in the same way that it would if you used your debit card.
So, if the funds are not in your account at the time the transaction takes place then your purchase will be declined. You need to keep this in mind when making credit card payments and the like because you no longer have that window of time where you can "float" the check.
In fact, many companies worldwide are choosing to not accept checks anymore. This may seem extreme, but that is the way companies are choosing to go about saving money. Not only do they cost more money to process, but they also carry a higher risk of bouncing than a debit or credit card purchase.
For example, if an individual writes you a check and gives you his name, number, and license number you will be able to track him down should this bounce. But, this will occur after your bank has charged you for depositing it and it will take time and effort to track down the individual.
However, none of this will ever take place with a debit or credit card purchase. You simply slide your card and within seconds you are either approved or declined.
If approved, the funds are immediately withdrawn from your account and you no longer have access to them. If you are declined, then you will not receive the products you were trying to purchase. Nobody will be charged any extra fees and all will be well.
It is for this reason that many stores are choosing to decline checks in favor of cash, debit, and credit payments. Of course, most consumers choose to pay by these methods these days anyway.
That is because writing out a piece of paper to a company takes time and effort that most people don't have these days. Instead, it is preferable to swipe some plastic money through a machine and sign a voucher. It only takes a fraction of a second and it is preferred by most people these days.
Of course, the older generations are not accustomed to paying for anything in any other way than with a check so it is taking them a bit longer to get used to things. They are coming around though.
The banking world is changing and everyone, young and old, has to get used to the changes being made. Otherwise, they will be left behind the times!
If planning to open a bank account then look for us. We help you with current accounts, saving accounts and with bank charges.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ajeet_Khurana
วันพุธที่ 23 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551
Analyzing Your Bank Statement On a Daily Basis
How many business owners take out the time to review and analyze their bank statements, daily? When we perform accounting tasks we basically record data from the bank statement and perform reconciliation to our cashbook or ledgers.
Evaluating transactions on a bank statement is a completely different exercise from accounting for the respective items. Businesses lose thousands, due to failure to review the transactions on their bank statements, regularly.
Payments
When payments are reconciled, we compare amounts in our books to transactions on the bank statement. The payments however have to be verified as well. A discrepancy will be identified immediately when our numbers differ from the statement amount, which is one objective of the bank reconciliation. But what if the amount agrees with the bank statement, but the check was never verified. A bookkeeper or admin person could have just slipped the check under your nose, and you could have inadvertently signed the check, without really authorizing it. This happens, especially for a range of small checks, (a huge amount will catch the signatories attention immediately) and where various people deal with preparing the check, and the owner only signs.
Standing orders and bank charges
How many "deductions" on a bank statement go undetected? Anyone who gains access to your bank account details can draw on your account. The culprits range from legitimate companies to con artists.
Big companies sometimes commence deducting amounts prior to the agreed date. On many occasions standing, debit or stop orders, are not even signed, but amounts are withdrawn. Experienced business owners will deal with such problems immediately, but others will overlook this sad state of affairs. Stop and reverse payments at your soonest. Scams are the other strategy employed by many crooks to extract cash out of your accounts. Fraudulent e-mails by people purporting to be from the bank, requesting a verification of your bank details and passwords, if you use Internet banking. If an account number (and password) is supplied, huge amounts can be withdrawn, and by the time, you identify the problem, it could be too late.
Bank charges
If your business make use Internet banking, a bank is not supposed to levy balance or statement enquiry fees. Banks tend to charge for the silliest of items. Loyal bank clients are entitled to a substantial reduction of bank charges. When you see those huge bank charges contact your banker. Also verify whether your bank is charging interest, when a loan or overdraft facility on your account is not in place..
Deposits
A common scam worldwide is the "mistaken" deposit of huge amounts into innocent business account. The crooks than call to demand a refund of this amount, and their mistaken deposit will bounce, leaving the business cash strapped, if they refunded. A further problem, is that they also possess you bank details, and can withdraw amounts. Know your customers, and have proper arrangements for payment. Insist on referenced deposits only.
The only way, you will stay abreast of your cash is to review your bank statements daily. Preferably on an Internet site. Printouts at tellers could be a costly affair. Remain vigilant and you could save your business substantial sums.
Our firm specialises in small business consulting, including cashflow management, business formation and entrepreneurial advice to an international small business community.
Sean Goss
website: http://www.sgafc.co.za
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sean_Goss
Evaluating transactions on a bank statement is a completely different exercise from accounting for the respective items. Businesses lose thousands, due to failure to review the transactions on their bank statements, regularly.
Payments
When payments are reconciled, we compare amounts in our books to transactions on the bank statement. The payments however have to be verified as well. A discrepancy will be identified immediately when our numbers differ from the statement amount, which is one objective of the bank reconciliation. But what if the amount agrees with the bank statement, but the check was never verified. A bookkeeper or admin person could have just slipped the check under your nose, and you could have inadvertently signed the check, without really authorizing it. This happens, especially for a range of small checks, (a huge amount will catch the signatories attention immediately) and where various people deal with preparing the check, and the owner only signs.
Standing orders and bank charges
How many "deductions" on a bank statement go undetected? Anyone who gains access to your bank account details can draw on your account. The culprits range from legitimate companies to con artists.
Big companies sometimes commence deducting amounts prior to the agreed date. On many occasions standing, debit or stop orders, are not even signed, but amounts are withdrawn. Experienced business owners will deal with such problems immediately, but others will overlook this sad state of affairs. Stop and reverse payments at your soonest. Scams are the other strategy employed by many crooks to extract cash out of your accounts. Fraudulent e-mails by people purporting to be from the bank, requesting a verification of your bank details and passwords, if you use Internet banking. If an account number (and password) is supplied, huge amounts can be withdrawn, and by the time, you identify the problem, it could be too late.
Bank charges
If your business make use Internet banking, a bank is not supposed to levy balance or statement enquiry fees. Banks tend to charge for the silliest of items. Loyal bank clients are entitled to a substantial reduction of bank charges. When you see those huge bank charges contact your banker. Also verify whether your bank is charging interest, when a loan or overdraft facility on your account is not in place..
Deposits
A common scam worldwide is the "mistaken" deposit of huge amounts into innocent business account. The crooks than call to demand a refund of this amount, and their mistaken deposit will bounce, leaving the business cash strapped, if they refunded. A further problem, is that they also possess you bank details, and can withdraw amounts. Know your customers, and have proper arrangements for payment. Insist on referenced deposits only.
The only way, you will stay abreast of your cash is to review your bank statements daily. Preferably on an Internet site. Printouts at tellers could be a costly affair. Remain vigilant and you could save your business substantial sums.
Our firm specialises in small business consulting, including cashflow management, business formation and entrepreneurial advice to an international small business community.
Sean Goss
website: http://www.sgafc.co.za
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sean_Goss
Maverick v. Motley - Who Will Win the Covered Calls Debate?
A covered call strategy is a way of effectively 'renting out' your shares for a steady income of between 3% and 5% per month.
Warren Buffet does it, as do a lot of the large buy-and-hold investors, because it makes sense to generate income on stock holdings while you wait for them to rise in value, or to produce dividends.
It may not be right for everyone, of course, but if you're at all interested in generating 3% - 5% each and every month from covered calls, then you owe it to yourself to get as well informed about the various strategies as you can.
Now, if you spend any time searching the web for more information on covered calls, you have probably come across an article on Motley Fool called "Stay Away From Covered Calls".
The author, Dan Caplinger, makes the fundamental error of seeing covered calls as a 'gimmick' that doesn't really make much sense. His case is built on sand, and there are a few large holes in his arguments.
This Motley Fool article has been brought to our attention on a number of occasions now, and it's time to correct the errors Mr Caplinger has made.
1. In his Reliance Steel example, Caplinger says that the stock was stuck around $20 for most of 2004 and 2005 (you'll find a link to the 5-year RS chart below).
Assume the stock was 'stuck' for 20 months, and assume 5% a month in premium income for selling the covered calls. So you would be making $100 a month per option sold, every month for twenty months, for a stock holding of $2,000 per option. So, after 20 months, your stock is effectively free, because you've got back 20 x $100 in premium income.
2. All the time you're generating that income, you know the stock is going to break out of the range at some point - what you don't know is when it will break, and you don't know whether it will break up or break down! It's fine now saying it broke up, but it could have gone the other way or, indeed, done nothing at all.
3. Once it does break up, and you get your stock called away at a profit, there's nothing at all to stop you getting right back in again! In the same hour! Assuming the premium still looks good, and the charts look OK, this is what a lot of covered call traders do.
You'll also notice from the chart that it wasn't quite the smooth run from $25 to $60 that Caplinger implies. The first climb took the stock to around $50, and then it retraced to around $30 before it resumed its upward move. There's plenty of opportunity in there to make significant sums from covered calls in this period, too!
Caplinger is basically arguing for a buy-and-hold strategy, or what is sometimes called a buy-and-pray strategy, which means you can only make money when the stock goes up. (With dividends, maybe you make a bit if it holds steady, too).
With covered calls, you profit when the stock goes up, down or sideways! You have far more bases covered. Sure, you might miss a big move occasionally, but so what? As an investor, you are never wrong to take a profit, no matter what happens subsequently.
At Maverick Investor, our view is that...
(steady monthly income) + (no losing trades)
beats
(occasional big upward moves) - (money tied up in stocks going nowhere) - (some losing trades)
Every Time!
I can't comment on the tax, but there are entirely legal and above board techniques to trade covered calls without paying any tax at all.
As for commissions, I'm amazed he even mentioned them! They're so small now with online trading that that is almost irrelevant. OptionsXpress, as an example, quote a minimum of $29.90 for covered calls. Think or Swim are even lower, starting at $2.95 per option contract, and a $9.95 flat fee for stock trades up to 5,000 shares.
All in all, this is not the most impressively thought-through article I've ever read, and quite a disappointing drop in the usually high standards at Motley Fool.
Make 2008 the year you start making 5% a month from covered calls! Go now to Maverick Investor and click on the Covered Calls section. The 5-year RS chart referred to in the article is at http://tinyurl.com/34m44q
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rob_Best
Warren Buffet does it, as do a lot of the large buy-and-hold investors, because it makes sense to generate income on stock holdings while you wait for them to rise in value, or to produce dividends.
It may not be right for everyone, of course, but if you're at all interested in generating 3% - 5% each and every month from covered calls, then you owe it to yourself to get as well informed about the various strategies as you can.
Now, if you spend any time searching the web for more information on covered calls, you have probably come across an article on Motley Fool called "Stay Away From Covered Calls".
The author, Dan Caplinger, makes the fundamental error of seeing covered calls as a 'gimmick' that doesn't really make much sense. His case is built on sand, and there are a few large holes in his arguments.
This Motley Fool article has been brought to our attention on a number of occasions now, and it's time to correct the errors Mr Caplinger has made.
1. In his Reliance Steel example, Caplinger says that the stock was stuck around $20 for most of 2004 and 2005 (you'll find a link to the 5-year RS chart below).
Assume the stock was 'stuck' for 20 months, and assume 5% a month in premium income for selling the covered calls. So you would be making $100 a month per option sold, every month for twenty months, for a stock holding of $2,000 per option. So, after 20 months, your stock is effectively free, because you've got back 20 x $100 in premium income.
2. All the time you're generating that income, you know the stock is going to break out of the range at some point - what you don't know is when it will break, and you don't know whether it will break up or break down! It's fine now saying it broke up, but it could have gone the other way or, indeed, done nothing at all.
3. Once it does break up, and you get your stock called away at a profit, there's nothing at all to stop you getting right back in again! In the same hour! Assuming the premium still looks good, and the charts look OK, this is what a lot of covered call traders do.
You'll also notice from the chart that it wasn't quite the smooth run from $25 to $60 that Caplinger implies. The first climb took the stock to around $50, and then it retraced to around $30 before it resumed its upward move. There's plenty of opportunity in there to make significant sums from covered calls in this period, too!
Caplinger is basically arguing for a buy-and-hold strategy, or what is sometimes called a buy-and-pray strategy, which means you can only make money when the stock goes up. (With dividends, maybe you make a bit if it holds steady, too).
With covered calls, you profit when the stock goes up, down or sideways! You have far more bases covered. Sure, you might miss a big move occasionally, but so what? As an investor, you are never wrong to take a profit, no matter what happens subsequently.
At Maverick Investor, our view is that...
(steady monthly income) + (no losing trades)
beats
(occasional big upward moves) - (money tied up in stocks going nowhere) - (some losing trades)
Every Time!
I can't comment on the tax, but there are entirely legal and above board techniques to trade covered calls without paying any tax at all.
As for commissions, I'm amazed he even mentioned them! They're so small now with online trading that that is almost irrelevant. OptionsXpress, as an example, quote a minimum of $29.90 for covered calls. Think or Swim are even lower, starting at $2.95 per option contract, and a $9.95 flat fee for stock trades up to 5,000 shares.
All in all, this is not the most impressively thought-through article I've ever read, and quite a disappointing drop in the usually high standards at Motley Fool.
Make 2008 the year you start making 5% a month from covered calls! Go now to Maverick Investor and click on the Covered Calls section. The 5-year RS chart referred to in the article is at http://tinyurl.com/34m44q
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rob_Best
Search Your Unclaimed Money
There are billions of dollars and still growing unclaimed money in the United States. Aren't you curious if you are one of those people who own this money? You can search your unclaimed money and find out if you are one of the rightful owners who can file a claim. It would be a great discovery to find hidden properties that's been hiding for years and turned out to be yours.
You may ask where all these unclaimed money came from? These are inactive or dormant financial properties declared abandoned by the law on a certain period of time. The owners cannot be located due to various reasons like change names, change address, deaths and there are no active transactions for 3 years or more. These include dormant bank accounts, insurances, stocks, etc.
Unclaimed financial properties are turned over to the state or government by financial institutions once declared as abandoned. Each state in the United Sates has laws in retrieving unclaimed money or properties. You have the option to search your unclaimed money and file a claim to the money due to you. You maybe the direct owner or the rightful heir entitled to claim the money.
To make it easier for you, the internet can offer you great convenience to search your unclaimed money. You do not have to hire someone or personally visit financial institutions or government agencies to know if there are financial properties due to you. You can search your unclaimed money online at the comfort of your own home.
If you are financially challenged and looking for a solution to your financial difficulties, this could be the answer. Detective or investigation tools that used to be available for private investigators only are now available for you. To search your unclaimed money visit Search Unclaimed Money
For people and property serach visit http://www.peoplesearch.great-discovery.com/
To know more about Home Detective Tools visit Home Detective
Gerry Restrivera writes informative articles on various subjects including Search Your Unclaimed Money. You are allowed to publish this article in its entirety provided that author's name, bio and website links must remain intact and included with every reproduction.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gerry_Restrivera
You may ask where all these unclaimed money came from? These are inactive or dormant financial properties declared abandoned by the law on a certain period of time. The owners cannot be located due to various reasons like change names, change address, deaths and there are no active transactions for 3 years or more. These include dormant bank accounts, insurances, stocks, etc.
Unclaimed financial properties are turned over to the state or government by financial institutions once declared as abandoned. Each state in the United Sates has laws in retrieving unclaimed money or properties. You have the option to search your unclaimed money and file a claim to the money due to you. You maybe the direct owner or the rightful heir entitled to claim the money.
To make it easier for you, the internet can offer you great convenience to search your unclaimed money. You do not have to hire someone or personally visit financial institutions or government agencies to know if there are financial properties due to you. You can search your unclaimed money online at the comfort of your own home.
If you are financially challenged and looking for a solution to your financial difficulties, this could be the answer. Detective or investigation tools that used to be available for private investigators only are now available for you. To search your unclaimed money visit Search Unclaimed Money
For people and property serach visit http://www.peoplesearch.great-discovery.com/
To know more about Home Detective Tools visit Home Detective
Gerry Restrivera writes informative articles on various subjects including Search Your Unclaimed Money. You are allowed to publish this article in its entirety provided that author's name, bio and website links must remain intact and included with every reproduction.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gerry_Restrivera
วันอังคารที่ 22 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551
More and More People Are Taking Out Loans for Strange Purposes
There are many reasons why people take out loans; some of these needs are for home improvements, a new car or taking a holiday. For reasons such as these, the personal loans business is a very successful one.
However; if you think that these needs summarise the typical loan requests, you'd be wrong.
A recent study has shown that there are many varied reasons for why people need their personal loans.
One reason why some have taken out personal loans is for plastic surgery. Over half of Britons (57%) believe that plastic surgery is the solution to their unhappiness, and with this surgery being very expensive, a loan is the only option for many.
According to a study, 90% of the British public wish to change something about their appearance. Of this 90%, 10% would actually consider taking out loans in order to afford the surgery.
What once may have been thought of as an eccentric use of loans is now becoming almost as popular as a new home or car. Banks used to record cosmetic surgery requests under the miscellaneous category, but now it has a category of its own.
Other examples of strange loan requests are; £15,000 for a camel, £10,000 for a black stallion and £5,000 for a suit of armour.
One request for a loan was from a property developer and so it seemed like a perfectly normal request at first until he informed the loans company that it was so that he could transform a cave into a place where he could comfortably live.
One reason why people take out personal loans is for plastic surgery.
90% of the British public would like to change something about their appearance and 10% of those would consider taking out loans in order to do this.
Cosmetic surgery was once thought of as an eccentric use of loans but now has its own category.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gill_Critchley
However; if you think that these needs summarise the typical loan requests, you'd be wrong.
A recent study has shown that there are many varied reasons for why people need their personal loans.
One reason why some have taken out personal loans is for plastic surgery. Over half of Britons (57%) believe that plastic surgery is the solution to their unhappiness, and with this surgery being very expensive, a loan is the only option for many.
According to a study, 90% of the British public wish to change something about their appearance. Of this 90%, 10% would actually consider taking out loans in order to afford the surgery.
What once may have been thought of as an eccentric use of loans is now becoming almost as popular as a new home or car. Banks used to record cosmetic surgery requests under the miscellaneous category, but now it has a category of its own.
Other examples of strange loan requests are; £15,000 for a camel, £10,000 for a black stallion and £5,000 for a suit of armour.
One request for a loan was from a property developer and so it seemed like a perfectly normal request at first until he informed the loans company that it was so that he could transform a cave into a place where he could comfortably live.
One reason why people take out personal loans is for plastic surgery.
90% of the British public would like to change something about their appearance and 10% of those would consider taking out loans in order to do this.
Cosmetic surgery was once thought of as an eccentric use of loans but now has its own category.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gill_Critchley
Business Finance with Equity Finance
It has been said that nearly 61% of businesses are launched with either private capital or capital that is invested into their business by family and friends but investment doesn't have to stop with merely just your family and friends, which is why equity finance exists.
Equity finance is cash that is invested into your business in return for a share of your business. These investments of cash never have to be repaid and don't have interest attached to them. Equity finance is true risk capital as there is no guarantee that the investor will get their money back at all and these investments are not tied to assets that can be removed from your business should it fail.
The way in which investors get a profit from their investment is the fact they have a share in your business. This share means that investors either get money that is generated either through a sale of the shares once the company has grown or through dividends, a discretionary payout to shareholders if the business does well.
There are several types of equity finance such as business angels and venture capitalists. Each type of equity finance varies in the amount of money that is available for investment and the process of completing the deal.
If your business can support a growth rate of a least 20% you are more likely to be able to get equity finance. If you can't generate a growth rate of at least 20% in your business then you are unlikely to be able to gain equity finance. It is the idea of control and the prospect of higher returns if your business is successful that attracts people to invest in your business
Sadly however many people are still highly reluctant to seek the help of equity finance as they see the idea of it as 'relinquishing control' of their business. Many small businesses are especially reluctant if their business is growing fast. As a business owner you should ask yourself the following questions below making any decisions about choosing to use equity finance:
• Are you prepared to give up a share of your business as well as some of its control?
• Are you and your management team confident in the business and the products and services that are on offer?
• Does your business have a unique selling point?
• Do you have drive to grow your business?
• What industry experience and knowledge does your management team have?
You should also consider the following when it comes to obtaining equity finance:
• How much funding do you need?
• How much control are you hoping to retain?
• How long do you need your funds for?
Each business should investigate the options that are open to them when it comes to finance. Equity finance is medium to long term finance and is the perfect type of finance that is open to small businesses, especially if you are an entrepreneurial business. Entrepreneurial businesses are what private equity investors are mainly interested in. This is because they have aspirations and a high potential for growth.
If you are interested in the use of equity finance it is important that you speak to a financial team who can put you in touch with people who will be able to put you in touch with the right investors.
Helen is the web master of ARCH Entrepreneurs, specialists in Business Finance.
Please feel free to republish this article provided a working hyperlink remains to our site
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Helen_Cox
Equity finance is cash that is invested into your business in return for a share of your business. These investments of cash never have to be repaid and don't have interest attached to them. Equity finance is true risk capital as there is no guarantee that the investor will get their money back at all and these investments are not tied to assets that can be removed from your business should it fail.
The way in which investors get a profit from their investment is the fact they have a share in your business. This share means that investors either get money that is generated either through a sale of the shares once the company has grown or through dividends, a discretionary payout to shareholders if the business does well.
There are several types of equity finance such as business angels and venture capitalists. Each type of equity finance varies in the amount of money that is available for investment and the process of completing the deal.
If your business can support a growth rate of a least 20% you are more likely to be able to get equity finance. If you can't generate a growth rate of at least 20% in your business then you are unlikely to be able to gain equity finance. It is the idea of control and the prospect of higher returns if your business is successful that attracts people to invest in your business
Sadly however many people are still highly reluctant to seek the help of equity finance as they see the idea of it as 'relinquishing control' of their business. Many small businesses are especially reluctant if their business is growing fast. As a business owner you should ask yourself the following questions below making any decisions about choosing to use equity finance:
• Are you prepared to give up a share of your business as well as some of its control?
• Are you and your management team confident in the business and the products and services that are on offer?
• Does your business have a unique selling point?
• Do you have drive to grow your business?
• What industry experience and knowledge does your management team have?
You should also consider the following when it comes to obtaining equity finance:
• How much funding do you need?
• How much control are you hoping to retain?
• How long do you need your funds for?
Each business should investigate the options that are open to them when it comes to finance. Equity finance is medium to long term finance and is the perfect type of finance that is open to small businesses, especially if you are an entrepreneurial business. Entrepreneurial businesses are what private equity investors are mainly interested in. This is because they have aspirations and a high potential for growth.
If you are interested in the use of equity finance it is important that you speak to a financial team who can put you in touch with people who will be able to put you in touch with the right investors.
Helen is the web master of ARCH Entrepreneurs, specialists in Business Finance.
Please feel free to republish this article provided a working hyperlink remains to our site
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Helen_Cox
Parkinson's Law In Finance
There is this theory known as "Parkinson's Law."
In the context of finance, it means "the more you EARN, the more you will SPEND."
Many of us were illusioned with this myth, "If this person is a director of a company, this person is a big shot, this person is running his own business.... this person must be filthy RICH!
This person, for sure, has LOTS and lots of money."
My humble experience as a financial associate tells me otherwise.
The MORE the person earns, the HIGHER his expenses will be.
Come on.... Lets face it!
" Usually when we are earning $3000/month, we will have a normal house, a normal car, eat in normal restaurants and go holiday in nearby countries.
However, when our earnings grew, say $5000/month, without us knowing, we will then get a bigger house, a more sporty car, eat at expensive restaurants and travel further."
This is what we called Parkinson's Law.
This theory does not only happen to other people.
I am guilty of it too! :(
Don't feel good right, earn so much, yet spend so little. :P
So... What can we do, to counter and avoid being a victim of Parkinson's Law?
Financial advisors across the board have always emphasize in savings at least 10% of your income.
You must always remember, when your income increases, your savings should also increase too, to avoid Parkinson's Law.
Maybe when you earned $3000, you save $300 (10%).
However, when your income increases to $5000, your savings should not remained at 10%.
Increase it to 20% ($1000).
With this method, you still can enjoy your increment in your income without feeling guilty ($4000), and you still be able to save more and fight Parkinson's law ($1000) at its root! :)
Helmi Hakim is a young, promising, exuberant financial associate in Singapore. Passionate in helping the mass to achieve financial literacy, he dedicated his blog to the public and share with them his knowledge on Insurance, Savings and Investment.
Do visit his blog at http://www.helmihakim.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Helmi_Hakim
In the context of finance, it means "the more you EARN, the more you will SPEND."
Many of us were illusioned with this myth, "If this person is a director of a company, this person is a big shot, this person is running his own business.... this person must be filthy RICH!
This person, for sure, has LOTS and lots of money."
My humble experience as a financial associate tells me otherwise.
The MORE the person earns, the HIGHER his expenses will be.
Come on.... Lets face it!
" Usually when we are earning $3000/month, we will have a normal house, a normal car, eat in normal restaurants and go holiday in nearby countries.
However, when our earnings grew, say $5000/month, without us knowing, we will then get a bigger house, a more sporty car, eat at expensive restaurants and travel further."
This is what we called Parkinson's Law.
This theory does not only happen to other people.
I am guilty of it too! :(
Don't feel good right, earn so much, yet spend so little. :P
So... What can we do, to counter and avoid being a victim of Parkinson's Law?
Financial advisors across the board have always emphasize in savings at least 10% of your income.
You must always remember, when your income increases, your savings should also increase too, to avoid Parkinson's Law.
Maybe when you earned $3000, you save $300 (10%).
However, when your income increases to $5000, your savings should not remained at 10%.
Increase it to 20% ($1000).
With this method, you still can enjoy your increment in your income without feeling guilty ($4000), and you still be able to save more and fight Parkinson's law ($1000) at its root! :)
Helmi Hakim is a young, promising, exuberant financial associate in Singapore. Passionate in helping the mass to achieve financial literacy, he dedicated his blog to the public and share with them his knowledge on Insurance, Savings and Investment.
Do visit his blog at http://www.helmihakim.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Helmi_Hakim
วันจันทร์ที่ 21 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551
The Best Offense is a Good Defense During a Recession
Hello and welcome to this week's edition of Money Talk Monday! The Dow slid another 150 points or so this week, but that's OK. That just means everything is still on clearance. This is no time to put the wallet away. I'm going to talk today a little bit about some precautionary moves in a time like this. I know that the general rule of thumb is that "chicks dig the long ball", but if I may quote a tried but true adage, "sometimes the best offense is a good defense."
During a recession, or even a correction, the stocks that generally perform the greatest (or the least worst) are stocks that supply goods that have inelastic demand. A good with inelastic demand, as you may remember from your finance class, is a good that generally carries the same demand regardless of the price. For example, a commuter is going to purchase gas whether the price is $2.50 per gallon or $3.50, but would more likely pass on an airline ticket that is above average price. During a recession, even if the price of a good does not change, the average citizen carries less purchasing power, so the goods with the most inelastic demands will fare the best.
Now that we have a better understanding of the term, what is a consumer good with very inelastic demand? I can't think of anything more inelastic than the products we are addicted to. I'm thinking cigarettes and beer. Anheuser Busch has seen a decline in sales over the past two decades, so I couldn't really recommend them. Sam Adams seems like they are a company on the rise, but a recent increase in the cost of hops could hurt them. Then we come to Miller Lite, which is operated by South-African Brewing Company, which oddly enough is owned (28%) by Phillip Morris, a cigarette company! So we have cigarettes and beer under the same ticker...I'm in! Phillip Morris, in fact, has always beaten the odds, whether it be litigation or Truth campaigns, and there is no end in sight. The company is as strong as ever and as historically provided a hefty dividend (which we will of course reinvest).
The other vice Americans can't get their hands off, of course, is oil. Regardless of the price of a gallon, we are still going to fill up our tanks and neglect public transportation. You really can't go wrong with any of the big oil companies like Exxon Mobile, Royal Dutch Shell, or Conoco Phillips, but at the moment, I prefer British Petroleum. The company is currently near it's 52-week low and offering a higher yield than their counterparts. Plus, at the end of the year, you'll receive a Foreign Tax Credit for the dividend tax you pay during the year, and that's always fun.
Don't feel guilty about investing in these companies. You're not investing in cigarettes, beer, and oil- you're investing in companies for a share of their earnings. And if "The Man" is going to continue to supply the world with these poisons, well, it wouldn't hurt to make a buck off it, too.
Jared Fischer is a Graduate student at Saint Louis University. He is getting his Masters in Accounting. He has traveled all over the world is an expert on saving money. He is straight and to the point when it comes to giving you the most bang for your buck. He is an exclusive writer on Business on the Mound. If your an entrepreneur please Come & Pitch Your Business or give suggestions to other small business owners in the business world.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jared_Fischer
During a recession, or even a correction, the stocks that generally perform the greatest (or the least worst) are stocks that supply goods that have inelastic demand. A good with inelastic demand, as you may remember from your finance class, is a good that generally carries the same demand regardless of the price. For example, a commuter is going to purchase gas whether the price is $2.50 per gallon or $3.50, but would more likely pass on an airline ticket that is above average price. During a recession, even if the price of a good does not change, the average citizen carries less purchasing power, so the goods with the most inelastic demands will fare the best.
Now that we have a better understanding of the term, what is a consumer good with very inelastic demand? I can't think of anything more inelastic than the products we are addicted to. I'm thinking cigarettes and beer. Anheuser Busch has seen a decline in sales over the past two decades, so I couldn't really recommend them. Sam Adams seems like they are a company on the rise, but a recent increase in the cost of hops could hurt them. Then we come to Miller Lite, which is operated by South-African Brewing Company, which oddly enough is owned (28%) by Phillip Morris, a cigarette company! So we have cigarettes and beer under the same ticker...I'm in! Phillip Morris, in fact, has always beaten the odds, whether it be litigation or Truth campaigns, and there is no end in sight. The company is as strong as ever and as historically provided a hefty dividend (which we will of course reinvest).
The other vice Americans can't get their hands off, of course, is oil. Regardless of the price of a gallon, we are still going to fill up our tanks and neglect public transportation. You really can't go wrong with any of the big oil companies like Exxon Mobile, Royal Dutch Shell, or Conoco Phillips, but at the moment, I prefer British Petroleum. The company is currently near it's 52-week low and offering a higher yield than their counterparts. Plus, at the end of the year, you'll receive a Foreign Tax Credit for the dividend tax you pay during the year, and that's always fun.
Don't feel guilty about investing in these companies. You're not investing in cigarettes, beer, and oil- you're investing in companies for a share of their earnings. And if "The Man" is going to continue to supply the world with these poisons, well, it wouldn't hurt to make a buck off it, too.
Jared Fischer is a Graduate student at Saint Louis University. He is getting his Masters in Accounting. He has traveled all over the world is an expert on saving money. He is straight and to the point when it comes to giving you the most bang for your buck. He is an exclusive writer on Business on the Mound. If your an entrepreneur please Come & Pitch Your Business or give suggestions to other small business owners in the business world.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jared_Fischer
Government Grants - Are They Secure?
There are many people out there looking for a grant. Whether you are looking for a grant to start a business, or to start school, you want to be sure that you are getting your grant from a secure location.
With advances in technology, a lot of people are getting their grants online. You no longer have to fill out a paper, you can simply log on to a site from home and apply right then and there.
The sites you want to seek out first are going to be the government sites. Things that end in ".gov" are going to be government sites. You know you can trust a ".gov" site. The government run grant sites are going to be the most secure sites around. Sometimes the process can be confusing, but there are usually numbers you can call, or FAQ pages you can take a look at.
There are also some sites that are dedicated to helping people find grants. The process can be difficult, and long, so some people have come up with certain methods of applying for grants, and they are willing to help you.
When you find these sites that are about helping you find a grant, you want to make sure they are trustworthy sites. You will want to look for their copyright information. You will also want to make sure you read through things like the terms and conditions. There are people out there that want to help you, and there are people that want to hurt you, be sure you know what you are getting into.
Make sure you read through the text of the site. You want to be sure they know what they are talking about, and that their contact information is provided. You want to be sure there is a way to contact them, and make sure they know what they are doing. If they don't know what they are talking about, they are not going to be able to help you much in your grant applying process. Make sure you feel good about their knowledge before you get involved.
Getting a grant can be important to everyone. From students, to new business owners, everyone could use a little help from a grant. Take the time to be sure you are getting into something secure, then apply as much as you can, and get your money!
http://www.minority-grants-now.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Candace_Crown
With advances in technology, a lot of people are getting their grants online. You no longer have to fill out a paper, you can simply log on to a site from home and apply right then and there.
The sites you want to seek out first are going to be the government sites. Things that end in ".gov" are going to be government sites. You know you can trust a ".gov" site. The government run grant sites are going to be the most secure sites around. Sometimes the process can be confusing, but there are usually numbers you can call, or FAQ pages you can take a look at.
There are also some sites that are dedicated to helping people find grants. The process can be difficult, and long, so some people have come up with certain methods of applying for grants, and they are willing to help you.
When you find these sites that are about helping you find a grant, you want to make sure they are trustworthy sites. You will want to look for their copyright information. You will also want to make sure you read through things like the terms and conditions. There are people out there that want to help you, and there are people that want to hurt you, be sure you know what you are getting into.
Make sure you read through the text of the site. You want to be sure they know what they are talking about, and that their contact information is provided. You want to be sure there is a way to contact them, and make sure they know what they are doing. If they don't know what they are talking about, they are not going to be able to help you much in your grant applying process. Make sure you feel good about their knowledge before you get involved.
Getting a grant can be important to everyone. From students, to new business owners, everyone could use a little help from a grant. Take the time to be sure you are getting into something secure, then apply as much as you can, and get your money!
http://www.minority-grants-now.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Candace_Crown
And You Wonder Why Americans Are Broke?
A month ago I wrote about Americans who, despite carrying an average household debt of $8,500, continue to spend, spend, spend and rack up further debt. It's apparent--at least to me--that we have no problem spending money, even if it's money we don't have.
With that post in mind, do you recall recently getting a letter from the IRS informing you about the new "economic stimulus plan" and the resulting $600 (single) to $1,200 (married filing jointly) check that will soon be coming your way? Clearly the way out of the economic toilet this country is in--which, by the way, is a direct bi-product of Americans spending more money than they actually have--is to encourage people to spend MORE money.
God forbid the IRS send a letter saying that the reason the country is perched on the edge of a recession is because you people don't know handle your money so we're going to send you $600 and you're to put it towards any credit card debt you have or, if you don't have any debt, deposit it immediately in your savings account.
No, instead our fearless leader tells us that if we go spend this money it will "boost our economy and encourage job creation." Uh, yeah. For many American families it will play out like this:
"How are we ever going to pay off this $25,000 of credit card debt?"
"Hey--a check for $1,200 just magically showed up in the mailbox. Let's go buy a new TV! And everyone knows you can't get a good TV for less than $2,500 so let's just put it on the credit card and go do something fun with the $1,200."
The government knows that if they give people any length of rope at all, many of them will use it to further hang themselves financially. What a masterful plan: using consumers as pawns to "stimulate" the economy by saddling themselves with more debt--and acting like you're granting them a great favor in the bargain.
Oh, and how about the irony of the whole thing: this generous government subsidy comes at a time when Federal budget deficit is already up more than 60% over last year--$263.3 BILLION as of March 12, 2008.
Hey--it's only money.
Maggie McGary works in web communcations and writes two blogs, Mizz Information and Motherwhatnowredux.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Maggie_Mcgary
With that post in mind, do you recall recently getting a letter from the IRS informing you about the new "economic stimulus plan" and the resulting $600 (single) to $1,200 (married filing jointly) check that will soon be coming your way? Clearly the way out of the economic toilet this country is in--which, by the way, is a direct bi-product of Americans spending more money than they actually have--is to encourage people to spend MORE money.
God forbid the IRS send a letter saying that the reason the country is perched on the edge of a recession is because you people don't know handle your money so we're going to send you $600 and you're to put it towards any credit card debt you have or, if you don't have any debt, deposit it immediately in your savings account.
No, instead our fearless leader tells us that if we go spend this money it will "boost our economy and encourage job creation." Uh, yeah. For many American families it will play out like this:
"How are we ever going to pay off this $25,000 of credit card debt?"
"Hey--a check for $1,200 just magically showed up in the mailbox. Let's go buy a new TV! And everyone knows you can't get a good TV for less than $2,500 so let's just put it on the credit card and go do something fun with the $1,200."
The government knows that if they give people any length of rope at all, many of them will use it to further hang themselves financially. What a masterful plan: using consumers as pawns to "stimulate" the economy by saddling themselves with more debt--and acting like you're granting them a great favor in the bargain.
Oh, and how about the irony of the whole thing: this generous government subsidy comes at a time when Federal budget deficit is already up more than 60% over last year--$263.3 BILLION as of March 12, 2008.
Hey--it's only money.
Maggie McGary works in web communcations and writes two blogs, Mizz Information and Motherwhatnowredux.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Maggie_Mcgary
วันอาทิตย์ที่ 20 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551
Gas Prices - Isn't It Exciting To Burn Your Life Savings?
Do you remember just a handful of years ago when gas was around $1 per gallon? How terrible were those days! All the money left over in our bank account gave us no choice but to travel with our families, pursue new economic opportunities, and enjoy life in general.
Times are better now, right? After all, gas is almost $3.50 per gallon. Prices on all other items are rising to compensate for fuel costs. And, of course, our small cost of living raise we got at work does not even begin to keep pace.
Where should you take the family on vacation? Nowhere! What recreational activities should you pursue? Nothing! How much should you invest this year? Zero! Why? Simple, all the money for those things is conveniently going into the gas tank.
Ahhh......finally, life is simple again.
I'm sure some people out there long to go back to how things were before, back to the days when we had the stress of deciding where to go on vacation. Well, in the event that you are one of those strange souls who enjoyed having money, what can be done to compensate?
First things first......I think we must realize that gas prices are not coming back down. I know......congress and presidential candidates are screaming and hollering at the oil companies. They are performing their "investigations" to get to the bottom of the problem. Have you ever noticed that they do this every time there is a rapid spike in gas prices? Have you also noticed that nothing ever comes if it?
The truth is that gas prices are the result of many global economic factors. None the least of these is the fact that developing nations are beginning to consume oil in enormous quantities. When demand goes up and production does not keep pace, guess what happens to cost? Welcome to the wonderful world of supply and demand.
So, again, what if you want to leave the simple and peaceful life of struggling to make ends meet and return to the stress of having more than enough money? Well, you need to either reduce your consumption of fuel, increase your income, or both.
There are several ways you can reduce your fuel costs-even without buying a hybrid. You can reduce the number of days you drive to work. I'm sure your boss wouldn't mind if you only showed up every other day.
You could also consider eliminating other sources of fuel that really are not needed-like electricity. Turn the air conditioner, the lights, and the fridge all off. People survived for thousands of years without these and I'm sure you wouldn't notice if your air conditioner didn't run anymore......especially in August.
However, if you feel that those suggestions are impractical, you can simply increase your income. I'm sure your boss will understand when you demand a very large raise to keep pace. Don't forget to ask for enough to compensate for the increased taxes you will have to pay.
If a direct raise doesn't work, perhaps request that your boss pay for your fuel to and from work. Simply keep a journal of how much you drive to and from work, figure out your fuel expenses per mile, add in some extra to donate to the IRS, and then insist your boss add that to your check every payday. I'm sure this will not only work, but your ingenuity will probably get your boss to give you a promotion.
Of course, if you really wanted to return to the stress of financial abundance, you need to do BOTH in a way where YOU are in control. That means reducing your fuel expenses AND increasing income without having to consult with a boss.
Taking this route probably means starting some type of internet business. For those who want to have no choice but have the money for vacations and other activities, this moment in history provides an opportunity that has never existed before.
Of course, you're going to need to learn how to do this. That's really not a big deal as it is simpler than many people think. Most of it is also free, which will be appreciated by those who are trying to keep money in their pocket.
The best thing about an internet business is it allows you to increase your income, spend ZERO money for gas because you are at your home, and you are your own boss.
So there you have it! Most of us will continue to enjoy the peace of not having to make any financial decisions because the money is simply all burned up by the gas tank. However, for those who feel the need to run from this peace, the internet has come along at just the right time to allow you to maintain your previous standard of living.
If you are ready to return to the stress of not caring about gas prices, and would like to see if you qualify for an internet business, call Pablo at (863) 658-4045 to request an interview.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Pablo_Terreros
Times are better now, right? After all, gas is almost $3.50 per gallon. Prices on all other items are rising to compensate for fuel costs. And, of course, our small cost of living raise we got at work does not even begin to keep pace.
Where should you take the family on vacation? Nowhere! What recreational activities should you pursue? Nothing! How much should you invest this year? Zero! Why? Simple, all the money for those things is conveniently going into the gas tank.
Ahhh......finally, life is simple again.
I'm sure some people out there long to go back to how things were before, back to the days when we had the stress of deciding where to go on vacation. Well, in the event that you are one of those strange souls who enjoyed having money, what can be done to compensate?
First things first......I think we must realize that gas prices are not coming back down. I know......congress and presidential candidates are screaming and hollering at the oil companies. They are performing their "investigations" to get to the bottom of the problem. Have you ever noticed that they do this every time there is a rapid spike in gas prices? Have you also noticed that nothing ever comes if it?
The truth is that gas prices are the result of many global economic factors. None the least of these is the fact that developing nations are beginning to consume oil in enormous quantities. When demand goes up and production does not keep pace, guess what happens to cost? Welcome to the wonderful world of supply and demand.
So, again, what if you want to leave the simple and peaceful life of struggling to make ends meet and return to the stress of having more than enough money? Well, you need to either reduce your consumption of fuel, increase your income, or both.
There are several ways you can reduce your fuel costs-even without buying a hybrid. You can reduce the number of days you drive to work. I'm sure your boss wouldn't mind if you only showed up every other day.
You could also consider eliminating other sources of fuel that really are not needed-like electricity. Turn the air conditioner, the lights, and the fridge all off. People survived for thousands of years without these and I'm sure you wouldn't notice if your air conditioner didn't run anymore......especially in August.
However, if you feel that those suggestions are impractical, you can simply increase your income. I'm sure your boss will understand when you demand a very large raise to keep pace. Don't forget to ask for enough to compensate for the increased taxes you will have to pay.
If a direct raise doesn't work, perhaps request that your boss pay for your fuel to and from work. Simply keep a journal of how much you drive to and from work, figure out your fuel expenses per mile, add in some extra to donate to the IRS, and then insist your boss add that to your check every payday. I'm sure this will not only work, but your ingenuity will probably get your boss to give you a promotion.
Of course, if you really wanted to return to the stress of financial abundance, you need to do BOTH in a way where YOU are in control. That means reducing your fuel expenses AND increasing income without having to consult with a boss.
Taking this route probably means starting some type of internet business. For those who want to have no choice but have the money for vacations and other activities, this moment in history provides an opportunity that has never existed before.
Of course, you're going to need to learn how to do this. That's really not a big deal as it is simpler than many people think. Most of it is also free, which will be appreciated by those who are trying to keep money in their pocket.
The best thing about an internet business is it allows you to increase your income, spend ZERO money for gas because you are at your home, and you are your own boss.
So there you have it! Most of us will continue to enjoy the peace of not having to make any financial decisions because the money is simply all burned up by the gas tank. However, for those who feel the need to run from this peace, the internet has come along at just the right time to allow you to maintain your previous standard of living.
If you are ready to return to the stress of not caring about gas prices, and would like to see if you qualify for an internet business, call Pablo at (863) 658-4045 to request an interview.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Pablo_Terreros
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