Investment Support

Like most people I find balancing the household finances at the end of the month a struggle. With three children all under eight and me not in full time work we need to watch every penny and I have become adept at making the money last and would be described by the popular press as a “Thrifty Mum”. I am probably not alone when I’m not only able to list all of my direct debits but also able to say the amounts I pay each week for each of them and the day they come out of our bank account. The control this gives me allows me to avoid worrying too much as I couldn’t cope with the thought of not being able to do so and the crisis I would be in would threaten everything I and my husband have worked together for. I have become very canny at looking out for offers and religiously cut vouchers out of the newspaper and keep an eye out for when the deals are on at the local Tesco supermarket.

One of the most helpful ways of saving money I’ve come across in recent years is to use the comparison websites to make sure that you aren’t paying a penny more than you have to on your household bills. I will regularly log on and do a permanent health insurance comparison or a check to see if our buildings and contents insurance can be bought cheaper than we have it already. Changing electricity and gas suppliers is always worth considering as they tend to put up prices for people who don’t switch providers like the banks and building societies do for those who don’t move their money to the best savings accounts. I believe that we can save about one month’s salary a year by switching or threatening to switch suppliers. Sometime purely mentioning the fact that you are about to change provider to your existing provider will mean that they will drop their price by a huge margin. Its well worth trying, the alternative is too awful to contemplate.

Source: http://www.permanenthealthinsurance.uk.com/blog/2012/01/27/permanent-health-insurance-must-if-you-are-self-employed/

I have used the same insurance broker ever since I had my first car and I needed to arrange cover. They always seemed to work very hard trying to get me the most competitive premiums and the process seemed to take an hour or so and I would always walk away with a hand written cover note and a feeling that it was very expensive but I had the best deal I could get. Looking back on those days, the trust I had in the staff in that office was based on nothing other than blind faith combined with the hope that if I thought it sounded absurdly expensive I might try the insurance broker along the road. Although having already taken an hour or more to get the insurance sorted out, the last thing I would want to do is to go through the entire process again and waste my entire day off. These days of course, like virtually everyone, I no longer use an insurance broker.

I use the online comparison sites and the rest of the population probably use the telephone. The online process is so advanced these days that, rather than taking half an hour, the time need to obtain a quotation is now down to 10 minutes and every form and cover notes are generated on a PDF file which arrived in your inbox within seconds. Whilst you’re on the website the system provides the facility to obtain other financial products as, from the comparisons site point of view, why stop with car insurance? Within minutes you make a Permanent Health Insurance comparison, arrange travel insurance and arrange a hire car to pick you up from the airport. The freedom the system allows is key, as you can access for your self a list of premiums and see for yourself how much cheaper one insurance company is over another.

Source: http://www.permanenthealthinsurance.uk.com/blog/2011/12/16/it-only-took-5-minutes-after-taking-part-permanent-health-insurance-comparison-i-saved-over-212pa/

Should the term Total Permanent Disability be changed? We asked several leading Life Cover Quotes professionals

Alan Lakey, Partner, Highclere Financial Services:

The main problem is with the word total. Someone permanently disabled from performing his own occupation is not necessarily totally disabled, so the term is deceptive. Apart from the discredited any occupation definition, all other variations relate to an ability to perform some specific task or occupation. An accurate description is essential in dispelling the perception that insurers always look to avoid paying out.

Kevin Carr, Chief Executive, Protection Review

The word total is flawed and misleading and of all the possible suggestions discussed, dropping the word total probably makes the most sense. Two further phrases would also be beneficial. First, a short phrase in plain English along the lines or permanent disability – where you will never be expected to be able to work again – plus a list of conditions that is unlikely to be covered by TPD, such as stress, depression, broken legs, and so on.

Is the move towards tele-claims a welcome development?

Lakey: This is a very positive step. I can recall a number of occasions when providers have created unacceptable delays by failing to send claim forms, thereby adding concern at a time of distress. It also fits with the surge in tele-underwriting and may lend itself to outside agencies taking on the task. This could prove particularly useful when a claimant has more than one plan.

The success will depend on the smoothness of the process, particularly the ease of negotiating call-centre and understanding foreign accents. A provider that gets that bit right will be almost there.

New Or Used Construction Equipment – The Return On Investment Decision

It has always been a debate whether to buy new or used construction equipment. Smaller fleets prefer to buy used construction equipment as they attract less capital investments. Another reason for people to opt for used construction equipment is that they are sometimes as good as new and come at a very heavy discounted price as compared to that offered at the showrooms.

Moreover, Associated Equipment Distributors (AED) and TradeYard, Inc, have jointly announced an alliance that shall provide certified inspection of used construction equipment that can also be sold online. This has been done to boost the business-to-business sales via online medium. It gives better promotion to the sale of used construction equipment and buyers to be confident about their purchase. Usually buyers buy the used construction equipment only upon the preliminary inspection done by the technical agent from either the buyer or the seller side. Since a neutral and unbiased inspection report shall be available it would lead to increased sales and more profitable bargains to small investors. Small fleet owners usually opt for used construction equipment sold from earlier projects. Large construction companies that carry huge fleet of construction equipment can also strike a good bargain at onsite purchase of such certified used construction equipment.

There had always been a skeptical attitude towards the economies in the Indian sub-continent, Russia or Latin America. But over the past years these economies have shown a constant and steady growth. The demand to construct new projects or to renew the old ones has been always in demand. Since these countries are not as cash rich and affluent, they usually have constructors who have smaller fleet. Moreover, they also do not have enough capital to be invested in developing a large fleet. They are always on a look out for used construction equipments. Along with this these constructors take on projects in the neighboring countries and shifting heavy and used construction equipment is also not feasible. Thus sales of such equipments is constantly in demand

Apart from the projects in these countries, bigger companies take up their projects in the continent of Africa and also the Gulf countries. Thus they opt to buy used construction equipments available locally from the companies or constructors who wish dispose off their fleet. The used construction equipments are also on the sale due to the feasibility reasons that lie on the sellers side as well. The construction companies who have finished off their projects in foreign lands and take up projects in other countries, for such large companies it is more feasible to dispose off their used construction equipment and assemble a new fleet at the onsite location rather than carry them to the new land. This is due to the reason that various countries have different rules for export and import of heavy equipment required for infrastructure development.

Some countries impose heavy taxes and import duties to restrict import of used construction equipment. This is done to prevent the domestic markets and small construction companies with limited resources. Further, export of such used construction equipment requires various documentation procedure, inspections and other legal formalities. All such activities are not only tedious but also time consuming. These formalities also require lot of duty fulfillment at both the ends. Moreover clearance at the ports and damage caused in handling and shifiting these equipments is also very tedious job.

Thus construction companies prefer to buy new or used construction equipment locally. Only Large construction companies or companies who have strategic partnerships in the local market for a company prefer to import a part of their used construction equipment for their ongoing projects.

With any investment comes the importance of maintenance. As the CEO of a large company, I wanted to ensure the greatest length of use when installing my new company investment. After purchasing a multi-line digital phone system, I wanted my purchase to last for a lifetime. This would make the cost of the investment more sufficient to my future budgets.

My employees were extremely satisfied with the new installation. Their easy-to-use features allowed for a greater productivity level throughout the company. Customers were happier; employees were as well, which leads to my current state of happiness as well.

After purchasing this large system, it was suggested that close attention be made to the maintenance of the equipment. In order for the phones to remain 100%, they must be taken care of. My employees use the system all day, 7 days a week. It is essential for the phones to remain new and fresh.

By taking time on a daily basis to clean the phones with a cotton cloth and rubbing alcohol, employees can be assured that their health is secure. This is an effective way to remove the usual residue that backs up on a phone because of its constant use. This also will lead to greater success of the phones in the future.

Studies show that most of the germs that we pass along come from the telephone. This added cleanliness factor may result in less sick days being taken by your employees. This also adds to the overall success of your company.

By maintaining the phones, my large equipment investment could be lengthened. By taking a few moments to clean the phones, their continued satisfaction for customers, my employees and myself is guaranteed. This satisfaction ensured even greater success for my business and most importantly, satisfying the concerns of my customers.

Investment Capital – Putting Brand Capital And Human Capital Above Working Capital Or Physical Capital

When you start your own business, you commit to investing your time, talent and resources in the business to make it succeed. You authorize a spending plan; you ask the bank, your credit card company, friends, family, employees, to endow the business to follow your business plan and implement your marketing plan. There’s more to it. You need to determine where you can differentiate your company from the competition, so where should you invest the most resources? To garner the most flexibility, I suggest your investment priorities should be: Brand Capital, then Human Capital, followed by Working Capital with Physical Capital at the bottom of the list.

Brand Capital: Invest the most in your market and marketing to them. Up front this could simply be focusing on a small group of prospects. Do the economics to make them well satisfied customers. So much so, that they provide the testimonials or become the spokespersons for your future sales. Remember, the high value transfer of using relationships.

Human Capital: This is your team and their track record coming on board. Only hire stars, no matter what. Only employ experts in the key roles of your company. For other positions, look for great talent you can mold to your vision, and move around to meet the company’s needs.

In addition, build a stellar Board of Advisors or Board of Directors. A Board of Advisors usually will help you for free, whereas a Board of Directors is paid. The key is to engage thought leaders in your niche who become early adopters of your product or service and advocate for you to their significant networks.

Working Capital: Invest minimally here because there’s no added value to the company or the product. Tying up cash instead of using credit may actually slow your time to market. This could be a critical timing mistake if your competition is racing you to market.

Physical Capital: Invest minimally here because bricks and mortar don’t sell product. Yes, you need a roof and windows that don’t leak (I’ve worked with many startups in the old mills where workstation layout was based on the leaks and drips.). You don’t need to be a miser. And you need the equipment, technologies and conveniences that will make everyone highly productive. Cost- effectiveness should be weighed here too.

Whenever you are investing in your business, recognize that you cannot manage everything, but you can manage the value equation of each investment. Be sure the value to your business is outstanding, so you can win business with every sale.

Over the years, we have seen several kinds of investment options that have conquered the market. HYIPs or High Yield Investment Programs are the latest ones.

Hyip investment is a highly profitable business proposition that allows you to generate maximum profits for minimum investments.

The percentage of interest that you earn on your investments also varies. While some companies offer you a stable 1 to 2% daily, there are other companies that offer you much higher rates. But with the increasing rates also come the ever increasing risks.

Now that you have read about the positive cash flow, it is important that you also keep in mind, that several of these companies are nothing but scams.

Choose wisely

There are several horror stories of people who looked for Hyip investment and invested in shady companies only to find that they had disappeared within weeks.

So before you invest any of your hard earned money in an HYIP, it is recommended that you seek the services of an experienced HYIP investor or consultant.

Even you can spot a scam after you spend some time in the market. Usually these companies have extremely high daily rate of interest.

How they work

The reasons why HYIPs are so popular is because you do not have to do any kind of work at all. The only thing that you do is invest your money and watch it grow.

The HYIP has a semi automatic or completely automatic script that allows you to withdraw your money just about anytime. As an investor, you should keep withdrawing the money frequently rather than compounding it to minimize your risk.

There are experienced investors who are making a lot of money with HYIPs and with time, you too will be there. However, a lot of newbies start their investment career with losses.

Commercial real estate investment refers to the class of real estate that is primarily meant for investing money for profits later on. Examples of such properties include:
Restaurants (including franchises)
Retail
Office buildings
Self-storage (Mini-storage) / industrial
Strip malls
Hotels (also called “hospitality”)
Multi-family / apartment buildings
Why invest in commercial property?
Unlike residential real estate, Commercial real estate investment is evaluated, bought, and sold based purely on numbers – on a set of factors that describe what kind of return on investment you can expect with the property. Most Commercial real estate investment is expected to make a return for you on an on-going (monthly) basis. With the retail boom and increasing return on investment in the commercial real estate market, the value of commercial real estate have grown by leaps and bounds, particularly, in the commercial areas, where the local retail shops and shopping complexes have been replaced by huge and swanky malls.
What to expect?
Remember though! Commercial real estate investment is a long term opportunity, do not expect to increase you net worth over night. No one is going to profit all the time. Real estate investors have to suffer through times of little to no cash flow – it is part of the game.
This may cause panic but if you can stick with it for the long term, cash flow will increase. Investing especially in real estate is not for the weak of mind or body. It can be frustrating, and stressful. But for successful investors the rewards are priceless.

Everyone has heard of stocks and shares, probably even the futures market, but trading the FOREX (Foreign Currency Exchange, or FX) market is a relatively new phenomenon. Until recently, FOREX was the domain of the banking fraternity (large banks can trade billions of dollars daily), and the elite in financial and business circles. But now it is possible for the average person to be a part of this incredible and very profitable way of making a living, thanks to the personal computer and an internet connection. All done electronically and considered an over-the-counter (OTC) market, trading is far easier and less risky than either the futures or the stock markets. Money can be made both on a rising and falling market, unlike the stock market, which relies on shares increasing in price to create profit.

More and more astute internet entrepreneurs are shunning the traditional financial markets and turning to FOREX trading. They know that it is possible to earn a full-time income from part-time effort if youd like to make $200 to $3,000 for as little as ten minutes work, and with minimal risk, then FOREX is for you.

FOREX, the spot (cash) market for buying and selling currency, is the largest financial market in the world. Every day more than $1.5 trillion (yes, trillion) is traded globally and, unlike the stock market, which has fixed hours, it is a market that never sleeps. Somewhere in the world, at any time of day or night, FOREX is open for business, six days a week. The market starts each day in Sydney and moves around the globe as other FOREX financial centers open: first to Tokyo, then London and New York.

In simple terms, currencies are traded in pairs, for example the Euro and the US dollar (EUR/USD). The first currency in this case the Euro is known as the base currency; the second currency (here, the US dollar), is the counter-currency. All trades result in the simultaneous buying of one currency and the selling of the other. Thus, in this example, if you place an order to buy the EUR/USD, you are buying the Euro and selling the US dollar. If you were to sell the pair, you would be selling the Euro and buying the US dollar. There are many other currency pairs, such as USD/JPY, GBP/USD, EUR/GBP, USD/CHF and so on.

What makes trading FOREX an incredible way to make money online, is that price movements are highly predictable, creating trends that can be anticipated when it comes to decide when to buy and sell. Contrasting with stocks and shares, FOREX trading through brokers is commission free. It is also possible and definitely recommended to open a demo (practice) account with a broker first, where you can learn to trade and gain experience before you part with a cent of your own money.

Do you want financial freedom? With huge advantages over other more conventional money markets, why not experience the excitement of pips, rollovers, leverage, lots, long and short positions, limit orders etc. and start to trade FOREX. Good luck!

Penelope Housden.

Why Forex Is A Better Investment Idea Than Stocks or Commodities

Forex, the Foreign Exchange Market, is a worldwide market for buying and selling foreign currencies. The major currencies that are traded include the U.S. Dollar (USD), Euro (EUR), British Pound (GBP), Canadian Dollar (CAD), Australian Dollar (AUD), Japanese Yen (JPY), and the Swiss Franc (CHF). The purpose of this article is not to go into the details of how Forex works, but to compare the benefits of trading in the Forex market versus trading the Equity (American stocks) or Futures markets (Commodities).

The Forex market is the largest market in the world with over 2 trillion dollars traded every day. This compares to the 200 billion dollars traded daily in the Equity and Futures market each. Because of this, the Forex market benefits from fairer prices, price stability, and better trade execution.

Forex has the advantage of being open 24 hours a day. The Forex market opens on Sunday afternoon and remains open until it closes on Friday afternoon. The Equity and Futures markets are only open Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. This gives Forex traders the opportunity to trade around their personal schedule. Also, liquidity in the Equity and Futures markets are reduced after regular trading hours.

When trading Forex, you will not incur the commissions or transaction fees that exist in the Equity and Futures markets. You pay a spread on the currency pair you are trading and costs are very low, especially when compared to the other markets.

Investment leverage in the Forex market can be as high as a 200:1 margin. In the Equity and Futures markets your average margin is 4:1. This means that you can control $10,000 worth of currency with only a 50-dollar margin.

In the Equity and Futures markets, investors are expected to fund several thousand dollars to open a trading account. In the Forex market, you can open a mini account for only 300 dollars and begin trading.

In the Equity market, short selling is very risky and comes with limitations. In the Forex market, you are able to buy long or sell short any currency pair with no limitations or difference in risk.

As an investor in the Forex market, you are able to concentrate on only a few major currencies. There are seven major currencies yielding four major currency pairs that most Forex investors concentrate on. Whereas in the Equity market, investors have over 40,000 stocks to choose from when contemplating where to invest their money.

There are many factors to consider when deciding on which market you want to spend your time and money. The Forex market provides many benefits over the other major investment markets that will allow you, the investor, to make larger profits, take less risk, and spend more time with your personal life and less time investing.