Senate convenes at 2pm ET today to consider House Republicans' proposal to delay Obamacare for a year. Follow the latest here
Source: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/30/us-government-shutdown-congress-deadline-live
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posted by pension333 @ 23:00
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A rundown of chief executives' alma maters is instructive. But its authors are focusing on the wrong area of inequality
Here's an exam question for you. FTSE 100 chief executives are split equally between those educated privately and those who went to a state school. A new government imposes a radical system compelling companies to fill 70% of boardroom vacancies with state-educated candidates. Assuming 10 chief executives leave every year, how long does it take to get to the point where 70% of FTSE 100 bosses are from the state sector?
The answer ? after a lot of other assumptions ? is a decade. This is instructive, as a consultancy called Equal Approach is bemoaning the "slow progress" of changing the status quo, in which 45% of FTSE 100 chief executives and chairs were schooled privately in the UK, while 28% studied at Oxbridge.
Even so, it is hard to see a reason to moan on this topic. The kiwi Ross McEwan has just got the top job at Royal Bank of Scotland, while Mark Selway, an Australian, has bagged the vacancy at the engineering group IMI.
Of the newly installed Brits, the BT Group boss, Gavin Patterson, went to Cambridge but also to a comprehensive school.
What a thoughtful pupil may notice, however, is that the FTSE is dominated by white, middle-aged men. In the study of diversity, schooling is not the main question.
Source: http://www.theguardian.com/business/blog/2013/sep/30/ftse-100-chief-executives-school
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posted by pension333 @ 21:00
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Just a shameless plug actually for a Zen themed Breakfast Seminar at which I, together with an Actuary and an Investment Manager will give some insights on how to get the best out of your pension advisors.
Source: http://www.pensionlawyerblog.com/the-art-of-wise-instruction
posted by pension333 @ 19:01
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Last week BMA members received a survey from us in the post.� You can also complete it online should you prefer. The deadline is midnight on Monday 16 January, so get a move on! The survey asks you two big questions: 1. What is your attitude to the latest proposals for changes to the NHS [...]
Source: http://blogs.bma.org.uk/pensions/2012/01/12/help-us-to-help-you/
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?You like to-may-to, I like to-mah-to?; you say auto-enrolment, I say contractual enrolment. Unfortunately, we can?t call the whole thing off. The pensions auto-enrolment regime is logistically quite complex. Many employers are finding it easier, for a variety of reasons, to arrange things so that their workers are already members of a suitable pension arrangement [...]
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posted by pension333 @ 15:00
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This time last week, I was conscious of an evening appointment to come, having already visited a gentleman in the morning.
Source: http://www.lse.co.uk/blogs/expert/resident-ifa-blog/q7f01q/
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posted by pension333 @ 13:00
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In discussion with Pension Practitioner .com managers. The first of three scheduled meetings. We considered how a SIPP (Self-Invested Personal Pension) could be relevant from a tax perspective, for sheltering properties and other possible investments. However, Pension Practitioner .com stated that there are circumstances, especially for small to medium sized family businesses, when [...]
Source: http://www.pensionpractitioner.com/blog/is-ssas-better-than-sipp/41/
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posted by pension333 @ 11:00
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Senate convenes at 2pm ET today to consider House Republicans' proposal to delay Obamacare for a year. Follow the latest here
Source: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/30/us-government-shutdown-congress-deadline-live
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posted by pension333 @ 09:01
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A big shake-up to Pensions provision is coming in the next 1 to 4 years.
Source: http://www.lse.co.uk/blogs/expert/resident-ifa-blog/83cpk9/
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posted by pension333 @ 07:01
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After some great feedback and support from listeners for the launch show I bring you �episode two. […]
The post PNR002: Don?t believe everything you read in the papers appeared first on RMP Property - The UK Property Investment Experts.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/co/SgjQ/~3/IJuUJq1l5Po/
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posted by pension333 @ 05:00
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Accessing this form of finance in this way is taking advantage of the benefits prior to you retiring. With this you can get access to the maximum tax free cash and/or maximum income.� Alternatively, you can release a cash lump sum and then reinvest the balance until the point at which you decide to retire. [...]
Source: http://www.pensionrelease.org/early-pension-release/
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Source: http://www.iea.org.uk/blog/socialists-of-all-parties-and-the-miliband-energy-proposals
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If you are a mortgage provider, I.F.A., property developer, tax adviser or accountant; you� need to know that in a recent survey by Pension Professional Magazine, Pension Practitioner .com appeared head and shoulders above the competition for small self administered schemes (SSAS).
Source: http://www.pensionpractitioner.com/blog/who-is-pension-practitioner-com/78/
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I?m working to the assumption that the readers of this Blog will be ?clued-up?, and so enjoy an ongoing relationship with an Independent Financial Adviser (IFA).
Source: http://www.lse.co.uk/blogs/expert/resident-ifa-blog/idqodi/
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Work based pension schemes are likely to be affected by new regulations coming in effect from 2012 according to UK’s No.1 SSAS provider Pension Practitioner. Com.
Source: http://www.pensionpractitioner.com/blog/work-based-pension-schemes-affected-by-new-regulations/89/
posted by pension333 @ 19:00
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Source: http://www.iea.org.uk/blog/artificially-limiting-rises-in-house-prices-will-do-more-harm-good
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Source: http://blogs.birminghampost.co.uk/business/2013/09/arresting-the-cycle-of-unemplo.html
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posted by pension333 @ 15:01
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I was beavering away yesterday; preparing for an interim Client meeting ? to let him know how my financial planning thoughts had progressed re: his impending retirement.
Source: http://www.lse.co.uk/blogs/expert/resident-ifa-blog/4fnaz7/
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posted by pension333 @ 13:00
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One of my Clients died yesterday...on his 45th birthday.
Source: http://www.lse.co.uk/blogs/expert/resident-ifa-blog/rcygd0/
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posted by pension333 @ 11:00
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Once again Europe has spoken and this time it’s the women who will pay – well sort of. The latest diktat from the ECJ has declared that it will no longer be legal for insurance companies to use sex based factors when pricing products whether that be car insurance, life insurance or (and this is [...]
Source: http://www.pensionlawyerblog.com/pensions-ec
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posted by pension333 @ 09:00
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The combination of the financial crisis, related threats to pensions schemes and changes to be introduced by the Government have pushed pensions higher up everyone's agenda than ever before. What can we do about it? This course aims to train Pensions Champions who will be active in their workplaces in helping colleagues understand the different aspects of pensions, how much they are likely to get in retirement and what they can do to improve their situation if necessary.
Source: http://www.pensionschampions.co.uk/?q=node/66
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The Financial Advice sector is due to undergo a major change on 1st January 2013.
Source: http://www.lse.co.uk/blogs/expert/resident-ifa-blog/d1waut/
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posted by pension333 @ 05:00
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There?s no equivalent to the UN?s Intergovernmental Panel […]
Source: http://touchstoneblog.org.uk/2013/09/theres-a-finite-amount-of-carbon-we-can-burn-un
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posted by pension333 @ 03:00
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At 6.45 a.m. today I enjoyed my weekly business networking fix...good venue, good weather, good company, and a good breakfast!
Source: http://www.lse.co.uk/blogs/expert/resident-ifa-blog/jjcpg3/
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posted by pension333 @ 01:01
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?You like to-may-to, I like to-mah-to?; you say auto-enrolment, I say contractual enrolment. Unfortunately, we can?t call the whole thing off. The pensions auto-enrolment regime is logistically quite complex. Many employers are finding it easier, for a variety of reasons, to arrange things so that their workers are already members of a suitable pension arrangement [...]
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posted by pension333 @ 23:00
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It's official. I am now part of THAT generation that is no longer twenty-one. I shudder at the idea of staying out with friends until dawn before heading to an early morning class, fueled with espresso coffee. Don't get me wrong. There are some amazing traits associated with persons who are classified as belonging to Generation Y or Z. (According to a United Nations paper entitled "Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Generation X, Generation Y (and Generation Z) Working Together," someone born between 1981 to 1999 belongs to "Gen" Y. If someone was born in 2000 or thereafter, they are considered part of Generation Z.)
Their comfort level with technology is viewed by many experts as a big plus. This is especially true at a time when cost-effective innovations are enabling people in far-flung corners of the world to enjoy access to information and knowledge that arguably opens the door to job opportunities and the ongoing development of new skills. This development is beneficial to employers in need of skilled workers as well. Unfortunately, just as technology has its advantages, it is not perfect. One disadvantage for some of our smart phone-obsessed youth may be the fact that communications are shrinking down to short bursts of text that make no sense to older managers.
As someone who marvels at the literary artist with a flair for correct grammar and clever writing (or speaking), I don't understand the need to have the word "like" appear in a conversation over and over. According to "The Rampant Overuse of the Word "Like" is Making People Seem Stupid" (September 11, 2007), Consumer Guide editor David Bellm writes that clients and managers may interpret an excess use of the word "like" as an indication of "flightiness, poor communication skills, and an uncertainty in your own thoughts...Not exactly the stuff on which great careers are built."
The ability to communicate clearly and concisely is an important skill and one that cannot be mastered without continued work. Courtesy of my father who constantly urged me to look up words in a dictionary and to read "difficult" articles and books, I appreciate the role of practice (and outside reviewers) in mastering one's mother tongue. I am still learning. In my work as a forensic economist, being able to appropriately interpret words such as "risk" is a critical part of resolving a business dispute.
Poor communication skills cost time and money and could create confusion. Consider the following example.
"OMG - We did not do enough to like vet our vendor. We like lost money. DQMOT but this is like BAU. BLNT."
Huh?
Interpretation (according to "Text Messaging Abbreviations & Shortcuts"): "Oh my gosh, We did not do enough to vet our vendor. We lost money. Don't quote me on this but this is business as usual. Better luck next time."
Source: http://feeds.lexblog.com/~r/PensionRiskMatters/~3/YWfe1ZR67pU/
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posted by pension333 @ 21:00
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There has been a lot of conjecture recently around what better approaches to take during the recent market volatility.
Source: http://www.lse.co.uk/blogs/expert/resident-ifa-blog/11406t/
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posted by pension333 @ 19:00
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You obtain a mortgage, and then you obtain life insurance. Right?
Source: http://www.lse.co.uk/blogs/expert/resident-ifa-blog/4ode9v/
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posted by pension333 @ 17:00
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Program wasn’t including attribution…� posts will return later this weekend.
Source: http://harlowhome.com/reposting-later/
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posted by pension333 @ 15:00
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According to Companies House, ...
Source: http://www.lse.co.uk/blogs/expert/resident-ifa-blog/oom2o5/
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posted by pension333 @ 13:00
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There is much to welcome in the results […]
posted by pension333 @ 11:00
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If you are a serious investor, you may have heard of the following 4 terms that measure volatility/risk:
Source: http://www.lse.co.uk/blogs/expert/resident-ifa-blog/h3j320/
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I am not a big fan of silly movies and try to avoid sophomoric humor at all costs. I like witty comedies that combine laughs with a message. That is one of the reasons why I enjoyed seeing "The Internship" the other day. Not being 21, I confess that some of the pop culture references were lost on me. Other than that, this somewhat charming tale of two unemployed sales persons is worth the price of a ticket for its life lessons. Having been fired from their job after their employer closes its doors, they seek a chance to intern at Google and hopefully retool their way back into the workforce. An early interview scene when they struggle to use a laptop with a webcam while sitting on little stools in the children's section of the local library is telling. Once they arrive on campus at Google, they fail at numerous tasks that require a real knowledge of programming and computers. Over time, they are shown as studying what they don't know, putting in long hours and motivating their team of young people, not picked by the Ivy League graduates, to keep trying. There is a romantic sub-plot of course and an obvious ending. They win the challenges set before them and get to stay at Google as full-time employees. Despite the formulaic approach to story telling, Owen Wilson has a point when he urges a colleague to live life without regret. Actor Vince Vaughn supposedly wrote the story and co-wrote the screen play as a way to encourage individuals to regain their business mojo by opening themselves up to the excitement of trying something new.
CBS News went a step further. In "The Internship: 6 real-life lessons from the movie" (June 18, 2013), job seekers are urged to consider any or all of the following actions:
If you are inspired, you can check out information about the Google's summer internship program. For everyone else, "Starting Over" 10 Tips to Reboot Your Career" by Anne Favreau (US News, January 8, 2013) offers a wonderful tip. Figure out what needs to be done, understand the necessity to keep learning and be a problem-solver.
My dad, now retired, once told me about a colleague who left engineering in his fifties to become a veterinarian. He himself went back to school later in life to learn Computer Aided Design ("CAD") and Computer Aided Manufacturing ("CAM") in order to develop skills that he needed to get hired as a consultant.
Walt Disney said it best. "The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing."
Source: http://feeds.lexblog.com/~r/PensionRiskMatters/~3/RaXtFbM6SZU/
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posted by pension333 @ 07:01
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I have been thinking a lot about aging of late. For one thing, I have an elderly father in a nursing home. Second, several of my mentors are retiring. Third, I have observed a significant uptrend in snappy red convertible automobiles being driven by people with gray hair. Fourth, anyone involved in the pension industry is acutely aware of the changing demographics around the world and the economic impact for company sponsors and participants, respectively. Whether focused on an investment strategy for a defined benefit plan or selecting choices for a defined contribution scheme such as a 401(k) plan or both, fiduciaries are understandably focused on how longer life spans are likely to alter the money landscape.
According to the Administration on Aging, part of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, the numbers tell an important story.
Other statistics can be found in "A Profile of Older Americans: 2012."
Whether you see this wave of senior citizens as welcome news or cause for worry about how programs will be financed, demographic patterns are a reality. As a result, performance-hungry investors are searching for winners.
One possibility is non-medical care companies that offer services such as grocery shopping and driving seniors to doctor appointments. Karen Axelton, Chief Content Officer for GrowBiz Media and former executive editor of Entrepreneur Magazine, describes the "big opportunity" for franchise companies to play a vital role for those persons who can afford help and want to live at home. She adds that senior relocation is another revenue generation opportunity, citing a large jump in companies that have joined the National Association of Senior Move Managers. Adult day care is yet another suggestion. See "Franchisees Profit from Growing Senior-Care Market."
Rizwan Koita writes that health care spending in the United States continues to grow, from $2.4 trillion or 17 percent of GDP in 2008 with an expectation of $4.4 trillion in spending or 20 percent of GDP by 2018. A CNBC commentator and CEO of health care analytics company Citius Tech, Koita explains that venture capital and private equity professionals are funding businesses in what is seen as a fast expanding health care technology industry. "Given the high level of inefficiency in the health care ecosystem today, there is significant potential to reduce costs while still protecting the financial interest of all stakeholders...[t] is tremendous opportunity in using technology to enhance health care delivery for the aging population and reduce costs." See "Aging Populations Mean Big Opportunities in Health Care IT," CNBC Commentary, November 1, 2012.
"The Prophet of the Coming Aging Boom" by Forbes reporter Susan Adams (October 19, 2011) credits Ken Dychtwald as being upbeat about "a potential explosion of products and services, from new dating websites to longevity insurance to new kinds of food" that cater to the preferences and needs of mature consumers. This CEO of the specialized research and consulting firm, Age Wave, is excited about the chance to innovate and "make serious money" from the gray hair movement. His recent presentation entitled "Transforming Retirement" is worth the 43 minutes it takes to watch on You Tube.
In the April 2013 issue of "Health Capital Topics," senior industry guru Bob Cimasi describes the massive overhaul underway for numerous stakeholders as the result of new regulations. A strong case can be made that business opportunities abound to assist consumers, employers, states and healthcare providers, respectively, as the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ("PPACA") proceeds.
Interested readers can visit the vast library of articles provided by Health Capital Consultants. "Global Population Ageing: Peril or Promise?" (World Economic Forum, 2012) includes numerous statistical tables and discussions about the economic implications of changing demographics. The American Society on Aging website may likewise be of interest.
Disclaimer: This post is not intended to provide investment, financial, accounting or legal advice. It is left to the reader to perform adequate due diligence about any investment being considered or in place already. Furthermore, this blog post does not present an exhaustive list of the investment implications being discussed as the result of a global aging population.
Source: http://feeds.lexblog.com/~r/PensionRiskMatters/~3/RJnrgQquEZE/
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Sorry for the lack of blogs over the last couple of weeks but we have been busier than Harry Redknapp?s legal team. Fortunately, like Harry?s football team, we have a lot of very skilful and hard-working individuals. Since BMA members overwhelmingly rejected the pensions proposals, we?ve been doing all we can to urge the government [...]
Source: http://blogs.bma.org.uk/pensions/2012/02/14/sign-the-e-petition-now/
posted by pension333 @ 03:00
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posted by pension333 @ 01:00
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Do the math — Common Core = a massive, risky experiment on your kids – Fox News news.google.com U.S. News & World Report (blog)Do the math — Common Core = a massive, risky experiment on your kidsFox NewsEspecially in the … Continue reading
Source: http://harlowhome.com/more-common-core-news/
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In an earlier life I was the Legal Director of the Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority, the predecessor body to the current Pension Regulator. One of the issues which took up a considerable amount of management and investigatory time concerned a scam called ‘Pension Liberation’. It worked like this.
Source: http://www.pensionlawyerblog.com/pensions-untouchable
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posted by pension333 @ 21:00
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Job hunters and those already employed may need super powers to ready themselves for retirement. A big part of planning is knowing what you are likely to earn from work. For so many without jobs and deep in debt, looking ahead is tough. People with jobs are affected too. Even fuzzy mathematicians have to acknowledge that taxpayers will be stretched further as the number of non-contributors goes up.
To say that this issue has touched a nerve is a gross understatement.
ERISA attorney Stephen Rosenberg and blogger extraordinaire at www.bostonerisalaw.com ruminates about labor force participation all the time and commented accordingly. "I have always thought that a reduction of force ("RIF") of people in their 50s, perhaps via early retirement programs (combined with subtle bias, structural and otherwise, against older workers), on the one end, and the demands for more education before starting careers/difficulty getting first jobs on the other end, were creating a much smaller and more demographically circumscribed labor pool. I am reminded all the time that the most important thing in the economy is job creation – real jobs, like when a new business makes it. It creates such a ripple effect for everyone else, that nothing equals it." ERS Group labor economist, Dr. Dubravka Tosic, asserts that "A critical lack of supply of qualified labor in certain occupations is really startling. Consider the shortage of truck drivers and truck mechanics as two examples. There is a nursing shortage as well although the imbalance may be somewhat corrected as qualified persons are allowed to work in the United States on special visas from countries such as the Philippines. Returning veterans with needed skills could be another way to help companies in need of qualified workers." She points to a recent article entitled "Seventy Four Percent of Construction Firms Report Having Trouble Finding Qualified Workers" (September 4, 2013) as one of many references.
Last week, the U.S. Department of Labor announced the addition of 169,000 jobs in August 2013 with a steady unemployment rate just above seven percent. Netted against its downward adjustments for June and July 2013 number, the true increase is pegged at 95,000 jobs. See "U.S. Adds 169,000 Jobs in August, But Economic Outlook Remains Gloomy" by Christopher Matthews, Time, September 6, 2013. Ask most people what they think about the future and expect to get a reply that reflects cautious optimism at best. Withdrawals from 401(k) plans have exacerbated an already difficult situation for the disillusioned, underemployed and out of work professionals.
This blog author will return to the issue of retirement planning as it is important to all of us, individually and collectively, except perhaps to the top one percent of wealth owners. According to "Top 1% take biggest income slice on record" by Matt Krantz (USA Today, September 10, 2013), individuals at the head of the class account for "19.3% of total household income in 2012, which is their biggest slice of total income in more than 100 years."
Source: http://feeds.lexblog.com/~r/PensionRiskMatters/~3/2Bqdv1cJFes/
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posted by pension333 @ 19:00
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As our property investment in Barbados, Weston Resort approaches completion, we thought we would show our valued clients some details of another success story for investors on a Fresh Invest Overseas Property Investment. We started selling the Weston Resort development back in 2010, after a long period of due diligence where we looked at [...]
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posted by pension333 @ 17:00
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You and your Partner have just arranged a new mortgage and/or reviewed your existing protection arrangements. So, time to arrange/replace your Life (& Critical Illness) insurance in joint names?
Source: http://www.lse.co.uk/blogs/expert/resident-ifa-blog/cwka78/
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posted by pension333 @ 15:00
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Ed Miliband made one of his earliest passages in today’s conference speech a paean to the green economy. Having reportedly forgotten to mention it in last year’s similar no-note speech, the Labour leader made sure he got it in early this time.
Continue reading �You see some people say, including George Osborne that we can’t afford to have an environmental commitment at a time like this. He’s wrong, we can’t afford not to have an environmental commitment at a time like this.
Source: http://blogs.ft.com/westminster/2013/09/low-prices-and-green-energy-can-we-have-both/
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posted by pension333 @ 13:00
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Mortensen's tortured Vietnam vet outlaw teaches us that while we may be flawed, the only hope is to live a little better
"I got some skeeter bites that need scratching. How about you and me go fiddle with the hydraulics?"
Not something you'd ever hear George Clooney whisper into his on-screen beau's ear. But then, Viggo Mortensen's Frank in The Indian Runner is no slick Hollywood seducer. Recently returned from Vietnam, Frank is a troubled, angry soul, played utterly convincingly by Mortensen in his first major role.
The Indian Runner (1990) was Sean Penn's first film as writer-director. It's a throwback to the 70s, the golden age of American cinema ? rambling, emotional and humanist, but with a sharp, inventive visual style, like a Cassavetes movie shot by Scorsese. Film writer Bill Craske likened the film to a blues ballad for its oscillation between uplifting humour and melancholic despair.
With echoes of Sam Shepard's True West, the story centres on the relationship between Frank and his brother Joe, played by David Morse. Joe is the yin to Frank's yang: moral, loving, responsible. When a drunken Frank tells his brother there are only two kinds of men ? "heroes and outlaws" ? we are in no doubt as to which brother is which. With those soulful, sloping eyes, Morse conveys Joe's heartbreak at finding himself unable to connect with Frank.
This is a film filled with beautifully observed moments. The way Penn goes into slow motion when Frank's girlfriend Dorothy (Patricia Arquette) leaps across the room to the ringing telephone after waiting for his call, her face alight with joy, her parents sharing an anxious glance. Frank and Joe's father (Charles Bronson) calling Joe in the middle of the night, unable to articulate his loneliness after having lost his wife, trying to hide his pain by telling Joe of some trivial domestic task he thinks his son should do.
What makes these moments so powerful is the authenticity that Penn and his actors imbue them with, a truth most shockingly present during the scene in which Frank requests that Dorothy attend to his mosquito bites, as a way of expressing his amorous mood.
The scene opens charmingly with Frank and the pregnant Dorothy canoodling at home. Frank has a hand on Dorothy's bump, and is talking softly to the baby inside. Seeing the affection between the parents-to-be is reassuring, not least because we see the volatile Frank smiling and relaxed, apparently in a playful mood. Then he suggests fiddling with the hydraulics.
Arquette is perfectly cast, her natural aura of gentle goodness and purity making what follows all the more horrific to watch. At Dorothy's admonishment- "Frank don't talk like that!"- Frank switches. If we weren't so caught up in the film itself, we would be in awe of Mortensen's skill here. His acting is breathtaking, as he builds from disappointment through hurt to a mean sarcasm- "Did I say the wrong thing?" that turns quickly to simmering anger- "Is it that we're strangers? We're not strangers". He is genuinely frightening to watch, the whole scene feels as if we are onlookers at a real-life domestic dispute. By the time Dorothy tells him "I don't know what you're talking about. Let's eat", he is ready to explode.
Frank's floodgates are wide open, and he unleashes a torrent of pent-up hatred on Dorothy, standing over her, glowering, taking handfuls of food from his plate, stuffing it into his mouth and spitting it into her face. "You eat! You. Eat." Even as Lucifer in The Prophecy, Viggo was never nastier.
Central to the drama is the theme of impending fatherhood. The lives of Frank and Joe mirror one another in that, as the film opens, Joe already has a baby, and the story builds towards the birth of Frank's child. My own personal fondness for the film has to do with the birth of my son at around the time the film came out. Indelible in my mind is a shot of a pensive Joe sitting under a tree, his baby playing on the grass beside him. There is something profoundly beautiful about the image, something primal - Morse's bulk dominating the frame, with the tiny infant child crawling around under his worried, watchful eye.
This is a film to love for its unflinching honesty, it's willingness, as Craske puts it, to "investigate human fallibility in all its ugly manifestations". It is to be treasured for its ambition to offer us a true reflection of ourselves, with all our flaws. And finally, for the hope inherent in that act ? that from it we might learn to live a little better.
Source: http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2013/sep/27/why-i-love-the-indian-runner
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