Investing In Sustainable Technologies In 2014

© Guerito 2005 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

2013 was a good year for companies in sustainable technologies. Investors took to the risk and put up their finance portfolios on green investment opportunities. The trend is expected to continue even further in 2014. Investment forecasts predict that investors are going to double their investment portfolios in sustainable technologies in 2014.

Growing trends in Sustainable Technologies

Over the last couple of years, sustainable technologies have generated a lot of interest. Sustainable technologies promise to bring down the cost of production and at the same time conserve the environment. Advancement in technology has seen a number of technologies deliver on this promise. This is why many companies are interested in implementing one form or another of sustainable technologies.

Qualified engineers leaning towards sustainable technologies are also graduating from universities. This means the sectors are not short on manpower. From the current going-ons, ambitious engineers are expected to drive inventions and innovations in sustainable technology to push it to greater heights.

Investing in Sustainable Technologies

The demand for sustainable technologies has been on the rise over the last five years. On the other hand, supply is working to satisfy this demand. If you are a keen investor, 2014 should be the year you put your money in sustainable technologies. Below are some of the areas of sustainable technologies that hold a lot of promise:

Solar Energy

Solar energy has been around for a while and has always been a good sector for high net-worth, low risk investors. The good news is that solar energy is not about to slow down anytime soon. On the contrary, this sector will see tremendous growth in 2014.

Technology advancement has increased efficiency in harvesting and storage of solar energy. This means consumers of solar energy are getting satisfied. Moreover, more homes and industries are expected to take to solar energy. Several solar energy companies are coming up to satisfy this demand. Now is the opportune time to invest in such companies.

Water and Waste Management

Demand for water is at its peak in the United States. A number of companies centered on waste management to reclaim water have been set up. These companies are riding on the water demand wave. The wave is going to get even bigger as households and industries compete for the scarce water resources. When demand outstrips supply, the country will turn to sustainable technologies in water and waste management to solve this equation.

Water and waste management is an area which will see a lot of innovation in 2014. You can invest in companies specializing in sustainable technology in water and waste management as they are about to see immense growth.

Large-Scale Energy Storage

To encourage the move to renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, there is a need to fill the vacuum on how the energies are stored. 2014 is the year when we will see innovations to address this problem. Solar and wind energy uptake is on the rise and innovations to enhance storage will only see the graph climb higher. Both households and industries are turning to renewable energy to cut on costs associated with fossil fuel.

Lots of innovations on energy storage are on the offing. This can only mean one thing; a breakthrough is imminent. Energy storage will prove to be profitable sector to have in your portfolio for 2014.

The whole world has shifted focus to sustainable technology to solve problems and increase productivity. In 2013, we saw sustainable technologies prove they can solve global problems. In 2014, companies in sustainable technology will seek to take their efforts a notch higher and provide practical solutions. The demand for such solutions is at an all time high. This means 2014 is the right time to put part of your finance portfolio in sustainable technologies.

Author Bio
Joshua Turner is a writer who creates informative articles in relation to business. In this article, he explains new green technologies and aims to encourage further study with a Marylhurst University Sustainability Degree.

What To Watch For This Tax Season

The tax season is the time of year when many families and individuals have to figure out what they owe in taxes or imagine what they are going to get back in a refund. However, there are some items that families and individuals have to look at to make sure that all of the bases are covered before a tax return is filed.

Each of these items are things for people over 50 to look out for when they are preparing their tax returns. There are considerations for people over 50 that are unique to them as parents and people with greater earning potential.

The House

Many people over 50 own their home and have for many years. However, house payments usually contain interest payments that can be used as deductions on a tax return. If the individual is going to make their payments faithfully, they should also use their interest payments to get a write-off on their return.

College

Many parents over 50 are paying for their children to go to college. These loans also have interest payments that can be written off just as they are with a home loan. However, the stressed parent of a college student may forget to deduct the interest payments that they have made while their child is still in college.

Dependents

Parents over 50 may also have dependents that they can name on their income tax return. Having dependent children who live at home at least for part of the year can help to reduce an older parent's tax liability simply because the dependent helps to reduce the tax bracket that the individual falls under. Even if the child is an adult, they may be considered a dependent child who can be claimed on an income tax return.

Capital Gains

Many people who have been earning money for quite a long time may also have a long list of investments that they are juggling to produce income or as part of the retirement planning process. However, every dollar that is earned from the dividends on these holdings or from the sale of these holdings must be reported. Many people may forget these things and fail to report them on their income tax return. Failing to report these items on a tax return could cause the individual to be audited now or in the future.

Side Businesses

Many people who work for a living also have side businesses where they own properties and rent to tenants or do work on the side to earn extra cash. These side businesses all produce income meant to finance the family, but this money has to be reported on income tax returns to avoid the ire of the government.

Every person who does a little bit of work on the side must be certain that they are not only calculating how much money they are making but also notating the deductions they can take for that business.

Mileage reports, business expenses from internet connections to office supplies and even electronic equipment can be used as deductions for these side businesses. The only way the side business will be worth it at the end of the year is if the individual deducts all of the items they use for the business.

When looking at home to finance the family activities for the year as well as preparing for tax returns at the end of the year, the family can put together a tax return that accounts for interest payments, dependent children, side businesses and investment income. Wit all of these factors in play, any family can feel safe during the tax season.

Author Bio
Joshua Turner is a writer who creates informative articles in relation to business. In this article, he offers tax tips to individuals and aims to encourage further study with a masters degree in accounting.

Advertising during Soccer Games Has Evolved

You can find more soccer games and championships being shown on American television now more than ever. The game has never had the following is enjoys in Europe, South America, and the rest of the world.

The American public is much more interested as a whole in sports like baseball, basketball, and American football. Soccer remains a second rate sport in terms of popularity. As a result, it was rarely shown on major sport channels like ESPN. It also seems like American professional leagues and college teams are all but ignored, especially with dedicated internet access when life gets in the way of TV viewing.

Things are slowly starting to change as soccer becomes more relevant and interesting to American's today. It also helps that advertisers are starting to take note of the game. This has resulted in more air time across a variety of channels at prime time.

In a 1994 article in MIT's The Tech, columnist Michael K. Chung argues that soccer is not shown often in America due to its game structure. The whole game is split into two halves that are never stopped. Thus, there is no time for commercial break during game time. Halftime is the only period when this is possible. As a result, advertisers stayed away from the game. It is only now nearly twenty years later that things are changing.

Most games from Europe are played in the middle of the night. This allows broadcasters to play the big game later during prime time with commercial breaks. This has piqued the interest of major corporations that are eager to tap into a previously ignored fan base. If these companies can grab their attention, then they will be able to improve their margins thanks to legions of soccer fans watching commercials during PrimeTime air play.

Soccer still continues to be shown on 2nd level sport channels dedicated to the sport or only available on satellite through cable TV deals. However, it is a start. Teams like L.A. Galaxy were able to draw in commercial support when they brought in soccer legend David Beckham. Beckham's popularity and iconic status drew the attention of big sports companies who were eager to cash in America's sudden interest in the sport. Now that Beckham is gone once again, there will need to be another celebrity draw to the game. In lieu of actual commercials, companies are able to provide sponsorship and support teams who will display their logos on team jerseys and around the stadium. However, near-field advertising and team sponsorship can only go so far in the eyes of the advertisers.

It is unfortunate that the game does not have the coverage other sports enjoy. However, with the continued support of advertisement, then it will hopefully be aired more. Perhaps if the game was shown as much on TV than it would become as popular as it is elsewhere in the world. However, there still seems the needs for broadcast support which only appears when potential advertising revenue is present.

How to Find the Right Medicare Plan for You

Choosing a Medicare plan can be a daunting task. Not only do you have to understand what Medicare does and doesn't cover, you have to understand how it pays for services, when it pays services, and how you can supplement it to ensure all of your medical costs are covered. Your job, when selecting a Medicare plan, is to fit the pieces together to form a coherent, comprehensive plan that you can afford. This guide will help you do just that.

Understanding Medicare

The first step to choosing a Medicare plan is to understand what Medicare is and how it works. Medicare is often touted as the affordable health care plan, but there is actually no limit to the out-of-pocket expenses you could be responsible for under Medicare. For instance, consider that the Part A deductible is not an annual deductible, which means that you may have to pay the same $1,184 deductible multiple times in a year. Paying it once is bad enough, but bills can really pile up if you have to pay it over and over again.

The best way to understand Medicare is to realize that the basic plan is not enough. You need coverage that will ensure that you aren't on the hook for thousands of dollars if your happen to fall into the categories that have you paying deductibles more than once or covering expenses over and above what Medicare will cover. Choosing Medicare coverage should always include choosing a Medigap plan, such as the plans offered by MediGapAdvisors.com. Here is a brief overview of Medigap coverage.

Medigap: Extending Medicare Protection

The best way to understand what costs Medicare doesn't cover is to look at plans that are designed specifically to fill in those gaps. These plans, referred to as Medigap Plans, can vary some from state to state, but the general idea is to cover shortfalls in Medicare. There are ten different Medigap plans labeled A - G and then K - N. Each plan offers different levels of coverage for the following Medicare gaps.

• Coverage for hospital costs for an additional year after Medicare Part A benefits are used up.
• Coverage for deductibles associated with Medicare Part A. 
• Coverage for deductibles and other expenses (called "excess expenses") associated with gaps in Medicare Part B.
• Coverage of blood transfusions. 
• Payment for hospice care. 
• Payment for skilled nursing care. 
• Coverage for medical care during foreign travel.

The list does go on, but the point is clear. There are a lot of gaps in Medicare coverage and you have to decide how best to fill them. Each of the ten plans covers these gaps in different ways for different costs. Plan F, for instance, covers 100% of the costs that Medicare doesn't. Of course, it is a more expensive plan than say Plan K, which covers most things to 50% of their total cost and does not cover certain gaps at all.

Making Sense of It

Making sense of Medicare takes time and effort. There are advisors available to help you, but a great deal of information is available online. You will need to know what types of coverage you expect to use (you may not need foreign travel coverage, but blood transfusion coverage may be critical) and how much you can afford to pay. Let those two factors be your guides, but remember that there are advisors who know the system well and can help you get more coverage even if you think you can't afford it. The worse thing you can do is go without coverage that you think you need, so be diligent and ask for help. There is almost always a solution.

Billy Henderson has many years of experience in the healthcare industry. He enjoys explaining the ins and outs of the system to help the everyday person understand the options.

4 Tricks for Investing After Retirement That Stretch Your Savings

retirement (Photo credit: 401(K) 2013)

Saving for retirement is one of the most important financial responsibilities that all people share. While most people plan decades in advance and have well established retirement savings plans, very few consider that they will need to continue to invest after they retire. Those that are in retirement should consider the following investment tricks, which will help to ensure that their retirement savings last. 

Invest in an Income Stream

When looking to make their savings last, retirees should consider making an investment that will provide them with a source of income, which could replace some or all of their expenses. A very common investment would be to purchase an annuity. This gives a steady income potentially for life, depending on the annuity type, while the owner also enjoys some tax benefits. Those that are willing to take on a little bit more risk and potentially receive a better return could consider purchasing a piece of investment real estate, such as a small apartment building, and lease it out to tenants. Such investments provide a steady source of income even if initial retirement funds are eventually exhausted.

Hedge Against Inflation

The second trick to follow while investing in retirement is to hedge against inflation. Inflation is one of the most underestimated expenses. While inflation has been low for awhile, over time it can greatly dilute the value of your assets. Instead of keeping your money in cash or money market accounts, at a minimum you should be investing in treasury bills and low-risk bonds, which tend to at least appreciate at the same rate as inflation. Be aware that inflation can cause your funds to decrease in value over time and plan accordingly.

Invest for Growth

While most retirees may focus on ensuring that their assets last their lifetime, it would still be a good idea to invest at least a portion of your portfolio for growth. At least twenty percent of your portfolio should be invested in industries, markets, and companies that are poised for growth. This amount will allow your assets to grow without taking on too much risk if there is a decline in value.

Consider Tax Implications

The fourth trick to maximize retirement savings is to remember to consider the tax implications of any withdrawal from a retirement account that you make. During retirement, withdrawals from your 401k will be taxed at the federal and state level. Depending on the type of IRA you have, the withdrawals may not be taxed at all. Because of this, you should be conscious to ensure that the withdrawals you make from your account limit your tax liability, which will ultimately allow your retirement savings to last.

In conclusion, saving and investing properly for retirement is very important, but investing during retirement can be just as important. No one wants to print a check one day and have it bounce because the retirement savings they've counted on have run out! For those that are looking to invest in retirement and prevent any potential financial disasters, there are several tricks that should be followed, which will help to ensure that their savings last as long as they need to.

The 4 Ways Health Care Has Changed For Your Retirement Fund

Most retirees depend upon Medicare for health care. The Affordable Care Act made changes that continue to go into effect throughout the rest of the first quarter of the century. Your retirment fund should be on the forefront of your mind and every aspect should be accounted for. For many senior citizens the changes affect how much of their retirement fund is allocated for medical care. Although there are many changes, four stand out in particular.

Preventative Services

Medicare insurance companies have to provide some preventative checkup services for free that required a co-pay in the past. Mammograms and colonoscopies are two of the screenings now completely covered. A yearly check-up is now also included as part of the free service. However, to pay for the new services many insurance companies are cutting other services that they were not required to pay for but covered as part of their marketing. For example, many Medicare enrollees no longer have free access to health clubs through their policy. The key here is to remember that changes have been made and to fully research what you are covered for exactly. 

Pharmaceutical Drugs

Greater access to pharmaceutical drugs at a discounted price is part of the ACA. The “doughnut hole” is being discarded, which can save many seniors several thousand dollars a year. Seniors can continue to use an ongoing drug treatment program without fear of running out of money halfway through. A greater percentage of coverage has gone into effect for both brand name and generic drugs. 

Medicare Advantage

Those who are on Medicare Advantage may feel that they have lost the advantage the program provided. Known for its low cost care, the program is suffering under the ACA. Many insurance companies are raising the cost for the program, and the services it provides. It has become much more competitive with the standard Medicare Part B supplement program. Many seniors are finding it financially wise to meet with a Medicare insurance agent to compare plans and finding the best option for them. 

Dental Care

The greatest change is one that did not happen in spite of the desires of many seniors. The ACA did not provide any additional coverage for dental care. Medicare does not cover any treatment for the general health of the teeth, leaving seniors to handle expensive bills on their own. Fortunately for them places such as Ivory Dental Centre exist to provide excellent care for reasonable fees. Many dental practices also extend credit to help patients with extensive bills.



Managing retirement and health care remains a juggling act. The changes to Medicare make part of the task easier, but care is needed to understand all the options. Make sure you contact your insurance representative and ask if the changes made will affect you and make sure you fully understand everything that is going on with your funds. Preparation is going to be needed as you enter retirement, make sure nothing goes unnoticed.