Here Comes New Ideas for Investment In 2014

After the 2008 financial crisis, lawmakers began searching for new ways to regulate financial industries in hopes of preventing a future crisis. The first step taken to avoid the failings of the previous system was breaking up the Financial Services Authority (FSA) into the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). As a result, investment firms can expect to be more heavily regulated than ever before. Read on to learn about some of the changes expected to begin in 2014.

Investment Management Regulatory Updates for 2014

Firstly, the Office of Fair Trading’s (OFT) guidelines and licensing will be subsumed under the FCA. Any firms currently licensed by the OFT to conduct consumer credit-based business have to apply under the FCA by March 31st, 2014. Firms can apply for interim permission to legally conduct business, which allows them some breathing room for becoming fully compliant with the FCA and PRA. However, any firms that have not obtained interim permission by April 1st, 2014 must become fully authorized by the FCA. Full authorization requires full compliance with FCA and PRA regulations as of April 1st. Therefore, it would be prudent to meet the deadline for temporary permission if a firm is not prepared to comply fully.

Major issues to keep in mind during new investments

There are alternative ways to gain authorization and a couple of circumstances that can lead to exemption but, for the most part, all consumer credit business activities will be affected. Consumers should be aware of a company’s status so that they can make an informed decision about with whom they should be doing business. One commonly cited factor in such a decision is what fees a consumer should expect to pay.

Every business that obtains full FCA authorization as opposed to interim permission will have to pay a one-time authorization fee as well as an annual fee. The topbridgingfinance.co.uk provides full financial advice and provide loan on bridging finance. Addition, depending on what a particular company needs to do to become fully compliant, one can suspect that there will be further costs on the road to such compliancy. And although one cannot pigeonhole all businesses in the financial sector, it is likely that many which have to front the cost of authorization will pass some of the burden onto consumers.

Also, the FCA will begin dividing businesses into high-risk and low-risk categories. As expected, the FCA will monitor high-risk activities much more closely than low-risk activities. Sometime down the line, this could potentially put high-risk businesses in precarious financial and fiduciary constraints. For instance, high-risk businesses have capital requirements that they must meet in order to both continue with their current level of business and to expand it (particularly by gaining new clients).

Low-risk businesses, on the other hand, have no capital requirements and less stringent regulation overall. The following are some examples of high-risk and low-risk business activities:

High-Risk:

• For-profit credit information services
• Credit brokerage
• Peer-to-peer lending
• Debt collection
• For-profit debt adjusting and counseling
• Consumer credit lending with interest (such as credit cards) or fees (like overdrafts)

Low-Risk:

• Non-profit debt adjusting and counseling
• Non-profit credit information services
• Hiring goods such as cars
• Lending and credit brokering activities dealing with goods and non-financial services as the primary focus of the business.

New horizon for investing?

Consequently, very little will change for consumers deciding how to invest their money in 2014.As always, investments dealing with physical goods carry significantly lower risks than dealing with incorporeal debts and credits? Much will also remain unchanged for those choosing to dabble with intangible investments or to take out a new line of credit. These consumers should still be diligent in choosing who to do business with and should also remain up-to-date with what exactly is changing.

Fortunately for consumers, the FCA promises to be the “champion of the consumer.” If they can live up to this lofty goal, consumers can expect to be well-protected from the many investment pitfalls that lead us into a financial crisis in the first place.

Michele Duchet is a graduate of Economics. She has been working partly as a financial advisor for topbridgingfinance.co.uk which is a main bridging finance and loans advisory site.

Tips for Traveling Frugally After Retirement

English: Bora Bora (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Many people dream about traveling after they retire. They often have a hard time affording to take trips when they don’t have a regular paycheck anymore. Fortunately, you can still achieve your dreams if you know how to travel frugally. Here are some tips that you will want to consider.

Avoid Popular Travel Seasons

Travel expenses vary considerably throughout the year. You can save nearly 40% off your travel costs by traveling in the offseason. This may mean that you won’t get to swim on the beaches or partake in some of the other activities that are typically available in the summer months, but you can still have a nice time. You may even enjoy traveling offseason more because you will avoid most of the crowds.

As a retiree, you will have a lot more flexibility to set your schedule. You can plan your vacation when you can get the best rates.

Become an AARP Member

One of the perks of getting older is that you qualify for a number of great discounts. One of the best ways to get discounts is by joining AARP. AARP members often save between 20-60% off their airline tickets and can save over 15% off other travel costs.

Many popular tourist destinations give senior discounts as well. You should always ask about them if you are over 55.

Time Your Decisions Carefully

You can save a lot of money by timing your purchases. You can usually save money by making your decisions ahead of time. Most airlines start selling tickets for flights 60-90 days in advance. You can usually get a great discount by buying early.

However, there are also times when it is smart to make your decisions at the last minute. You can often save a lot of money by booking hotels in cities like Bora Bora at the last minute. These establishments don’t want to lose money when they haven’t found people to fill their rooms. You can often negotiate a great discount if the rooms aren’t booked. You probably don’t want to try this during peak travel seasons though, because you may have a very difficult time finding a room at all and they may charge a lot more when vacancy rates are very low. According to Terrance Zepke the author of a on cheap traveling, hotels are much more likely to give deals when they are at 45% capacity than if they are have booked 95% of their rooms.

Contact the Companies Directly

There are a number of great travel sites that can help you find deals and make the right purchases. These sites are great starting points for your travel plans, but you should try to look beyond them.

You should try to contact the companies and verify their rates. You will often find that many hotels and airlines are willing to give you better deals if you talk to them in person and specify what you are looking for. Many businesses also don’t advertise on these sites so you will need to do some additional research to find the best deals.

Knowing Your Options when Purchasing Office Furniture

Needless to say, different offices have different requirements. Nonetheless, there are some standard office furniture fixtures that are normally used in Australia and elsewhere. The office desk is one such fixture. For most people, their desk serves as their primary workspace, an area where they can type, write, read, compute and answer the telephone. Moreover, across office desks, interviews can be conducted and meetings can be held.

Office furniture suppliers, like Progressive Office in Melbourne, sell desks made from metal, wood, glass and plastic. In most instances, unless it is a specialised "computer desk", a desk will include a horizontal work surface -- which might hold a monitor and computer -- and storage. Specialised computer desks might not provide storage. Desks that do offer storage might have a drawer with inbuilt compartments, designed to hold office supplies, whereas other drawers might have space for files and stationery.

Hutches might be available with desks as well. Hutches offer storage space and usually, they have room for CDs and books, with some letter-sized shelves where projects can be kept. Some have cabinets too. Desks have several distinctive shapes. Frequently, they are oblong, however they can be U shaped or L shaped.

These days, there are four substitutes for desks that are commonly used. Computer stands and computer carts -- compact furniture fixtures that hold a monitor and computer -- can function in place of desks, where space permits. These office furniture items are designed to maximise the use of space. Often, these fixtures are on wheels and can be moved if required. Typically, the carts include some additional storage space, but the stands do not.

Furthermore, armoires have been adapted from their use as pantries or storage cabinets into computer centers. These fixtures combine the advantages of computer cabinets with extra space, and lots of armoires are able to conceal everything they store behind their doors. For a home office, this can be very useful. Finally, some people discover that tables work for them as desks, as well as staging and meeting areas. This can be an appealing option for home offices too, because tables can be used for multiple purposes.

The obvious office furniture item to accompany the desk is the chair. Progressive Office in Melbourne sells numerous types of comfortable and affordable chairs for offices. Executive chairs are the most costly desk chairs, and usually feature leather upholstery. Typically, compared to other chairs, these have more adjustments and higher backs. Managerial chairs are less visually impressive than executive chairs, but the ergonomic design is the focus. Specialized chairs with additional height to fit drafting tables are available with footrests, and with arms as optional extras.

For storage purposes, office furniture can take the form of cabinets (including filing cabinets), shelving and bookcases. These come in a range of materials, such as resin, wood, metal and laminate, and in numerous styles and sizes. Coat racks and meeting tables are two other furniture items that can complete the look of an office. 

Investment Ideas For Retired People Who Need Extra Cash

Credit for image

Regardless of what you did for a living during your working life and how much you managed to save, sometimes we find the money just won’t stretch far enough when we reach retirement, and this is where many unexpected problems can arise. You see; the basic state pension in most countries will only just about cover your food bills and living costs, which means you’re going to have to think about ways of earning more money if you want to raise your standard of living. That said; it’s not always easy for elderly people to achieve this, which is exactly the reason why I’ve taken some time out of my schedule to write this short article this afternoon.

Presuming you’ve still got lots of money saved up but you know it won’t last until your last days, deciding to look at the many investment opportunities available for people in your situation could be the best move you ever make. Most consider investments to be far too volatile to trust, but so long as you do some research and put in the ground work, they can actually provide an extra stable income without too much effort on your part. So, if this sounds interesting, read on, and I’ll try to explain how you can benefit. 

The Stock Market and Precious Metals

Gold prices around the world reached an all time high only a few months ago, and this means that millions of savvy people who saw the surge coming have managed to secure themselves some frankly astonishing profits. Likewise, people who manage to make similar predictions within stock market trading can do just as well, so this is something I think you should all try to understand. Alternatively, if you really can’t get your head around metals or stocks and shares, it might be wise to contact a reputable brokerage company to see how they can help. I’d personally check out the reviews on TheBrokerageReview website to get started. 

New Businesses In Your Local Area

If investing in the stock market sounds a little too complicated, then another good idea would be to look for new firms in your local area who need a helping hand. You see; many governments around the world are currently waiving business rates in an attempt to encourage innovation, and this means thousands of new companies are appearing on the market every month. All you need to do is find a local one with potential and offer to buy in as a silent partner. You won’t have to spend your days working, but you’ll be first to get paid when the profits start rolling in. 

Global Currencies

Admittedly, you’re going to need a good knowledge of currency fluctuations to make a success of this, but as all the information you need is available free online, those with the inclination should have no trouble making a profit. As you probably realise, exchange rates change constantly, which means anyone capable of buying large amounts of currency when rates are low stands to cash in when the rates increase and they resell. Simples!

Right, that’s enough about investments for today; I’m getting a bit of a headache, and the kids will be back from school anytime soon. Good luck with whatever you opt to do in the future

10 Low Risk Investments Reaping High Returns

With the rising cost of living, it’s very crucial that we put our money in something that will benefit us in the future. One way to do that is to invest our hard-earned cash in financial plans that will reap the highest returns possible. But a common misconception is that if you want to generate a higher return, you should invest in higher risk investment. But this isn’t true all the time. The following are some of the low risk investments, which have potential high return value. 

Certificates of Deposits

A certificate of deposit (CD) is a savings certificate entitling you, the payee, to receive interest. With the CD, you give your money to a financial institution for a specific length of time. In exchange for this, you get a fixed set of interest rate over a specific term period. If you choose to withdraw your funds before the term of CD terminates, you will be charged a penalty fee, which usually equals to three month’s worth of interest. 

Treasury Inflation Protected Securities

Also known as TIPS, these types of bond investments are designed to protect the investors against the negative impact of inflation. With TIPS, you’re guaranteed that you get your principal back, along with the interest rate. TIPS can be purchased directly from the government, or through banks and financial brokers. The minimum investment is $100, with $100 increments. 

US Savings Bonds

US savings bonds are one of the safest and low risk investments available, since they are backed up by the federal government. They offer a fixed rate of interest over a certain period of time, and are not subject to income taxes. There are two types of US savings bonds: the Series I and the Series EE bonds. The Series I bond works similarly with TIPS – the fixed rate is never changed, but the inflation return rate is adjusted every six months. The Series EE, on the other hand, has a fixed interest rate that is automatically added to the bond at the end of each month. 

Annuities

An annuity is a trade investment, wherein the insurance company pays you a guaranteed income at your retirement in exchange of your large sum of money. It works almost similar with CD. However in annuities, the interest rate is tax-deferred. There are many types of annuities, each of which has varying benefits and disadvantages. Talk to your financial advisor to know more about them. 

Money Market Accounts

Money market account is a type of savings account that offers competitive interest rate in exchange for a larger sum of deposits. This is a great investment option for those who want to gain higher returns. However, you may be required to maintain a certain balance to qualify for higher interest value, which is usually $1000. 

Cash Value Life Insurance

This is a type of life insurance that pays out the policy holder once a certain amount of premium has been paid to it. In addition, the amount contributed to the policy can also be used as a cash value that can be borrowed by the policy holder. In the event of death of the policy holder, the accrued value is transferred to his or her heirs, tax-free. Whole life, universal life, and variable life are all types of cash value life insurance. 

Municipal Bonds

Municipal bonds, also known as munis, are a debt security issued by a state or locality to finance its investment projects, such as schools, bridges, hospitals, and highways. The issuer of the bond receives cash from investors, like you, to fund its projects and gives it back on the agreed period of time. Municipal bonds carry interest, which is paid either in a fixed or variable rate, depending on the agreement. What makes this bond a better deal is aside from the higher interest rate, you also yield tax-free earnings. 

Preferred Stock

Preferred stock is a type of stock issued by corporations that has both equity (stock) and a debt (bond) instrument. Preferred stockholders have a larger distribution portion to company’s assets and earnings compared to common stockholders. If you want to own a share in a company, while getting dividends, then buy a preferred stock. 

Dividend Paying Stocks

Dividends are a distribution of portion of a company’s earnings to its stockholders. When you buy a share from a corporation, you are entitled to receive a dividend. If you’re looking for a way to increase your investment but worried where to put your money, then dividend paying stocks are a great choice. They are usually considered safe, especially if you choose to buy stocks from solid companies. 

Peer to Peer Lending

In P2P, instead of buying shares from a company or paying a financial institution, you lend your money to someone in the hope of gaining income. This type of investment can be a little risky, especially if don’t screen the person or company well. But with thorough screening, you can guarantee higher return value.

The truth is every type of investment is risky. But if you’re too worried that you might lose all your money in the end, then consider the medium to low risk investments mentioned above.

Michelle Mitch is a blogger who really likes to write about crocktock.com to get more information and updated.

Why Accident Insurance Is Necesary To Car Drivers?

• Almost all countries across the globe consider car insurance as a mandatory requirement. This means that a car must have a valid insurance cover for it to operate on public roads.

• However, people tend not to know the importance of having a personal accident insurance cover. In fact, some only buy insurance for the sake of abiding to the laid traffic and insurance laws.

• Accident insurance is of great importance more than people take it. A great number of people who have been involved in a road accident before can attest to the fact that the accident insurance cover was of great importance.

• You must therefore ensure you have a personal accident insurance to avoid any inconveniences should an accident occur

• Note that a car accident comes forth with a lot of complicated issues. Once a driver is involved in a car accident, a lot of troubles are bound to follow. In this regard, accident insurance is important to help victims go through such troubles.

• Once involved in a car accident, you insurer will require your car registration details. This will help them ascertain that indeed your car was involved in an accident.

• The insurance is then processed and compensation granted to the victim once confirmed. The following are benefits of having an accident insurance:

FINANCIAL SUPPORT

• Sometimes the accident might be intense to the extent of confining victims into disability.

• Also, an accident can be serious to an extent of making you not to work for a long time. In such cases, it might prove daunting to cater for your personal and family matters.

• However, if you are covered for motor accidents, your insurer will be there to provide you with financial support especially in times when catering for your living proves hard.

• In the same vein, death can result from an accident. In such cases, accident insurance will be important since it will help in catering for the family of the deceased.

MEDICAL CARE

• Injuries that occur as a result of accidents can be serious. In such cases, you will require medical attention which again might be expensive to pay for.

• In relation to this, the injured party will have no worries of settling medical bills. This means that you will undergo the recommended treatment without any kind of financial strains.

OTHER EXPENSES

• The good thing about accident insurance is that the victim will have any other expense resulting from the accident catered for.

• You will only require proving that the expense came as a result of the accident. Once confirmed, the insurer will step in to pay for such expenses.

• To pay for different expenses that occur during the accident can be super costly especially if left for the driver to settle personally.

• However, it is important to note that not all insurance companies offer such benefits to their clients. You must therefore take enough time to come up with an insurer with best deals and benefits.

Author Bio: Amy Lawson is a content writer. She is a professional blogger from London and have written many articles on Entertainment, Finance and Health categories. Now she is doing research on british driving licence etc.