General Article

What Are The Hard Assets?

A good investor always knows where money goes and where to invest it. And that is an essential quality, especially nowadays when economy is so sensitive and unpredictable. The crisis that struck worldwide proved that in order to be successful in business you must make safe investments and follow attentively the market tendencies. The causes which led to the recent recession must also be studied and taken into account, lest they should occur again and cause even more devastating effects.

One of the most debated causes of the crisis is inflation and its fluctuating levels have marked the financial history of many states. They led to the Great Depression, to Ireland’s temporary decline and continue to affect numerous developing countries. Inflation occurs when the level of prices rises over a general period of time. Which makes that each unit of currency can buy less, and further on, the purchase power of money erodes. The effects are also psychological: most investors are discouraged to invest their money because of the uncertainty over the future.

What analysts and economists encourage, and what really happens when inflation occurs, is to invest money in tangible assets, also known as hard assets. As the name says, this kind of assets are actually investments which hold an intrinsic value, like gold, oil, stamps, art, forestry, mines, diamonds or natural gas, for example. What makes them a hedge against inflation is the fact that they keep their value and even appreciate regardless of the fact that prices rise and the purchasing power of money drops.

The stocks of hard assets don’t decline with the overall bond markets, but their value tends to increase. As for the cost of hard assets, it represents the actual price paid for the purchase, before it is put into exploitation. The cost will not suffer any changes and it will remain the same, but the value differs at each moment and is more difficult to calculate or define. Some factors must however be taken into account, like the depreciation rate of the asset in time. You must also be patient with hard assets, for sometimes these stocks may lose money, especially when bonds are gaining value, but normally they will appreciate again after periods of inflation, when dividends are reinvested. They also maintain their buying power.

From an empirical point of view, gold is one of the most famous hard assets people nowadays invest in. Whether it is gold bullion, or gold mines, the majority of investors turn towards this commodity because it is known to maintain its value over time. It also maintains its buying power, and its popularity is reflected in the total assets available in gold. Safe, stable and always valuable, gold will continue to be a better investment in times of recession, when inflation is a serious issue.…

How to Be Insanely Productive

You are reading this article because you want to know how to be insanely productive. If you got here by accident, then just continue reading the rest of this article and you’ll be happy to know the secret of productive people. Maybe what you’ve got in mind is someone productive but stressed out? Well, the tips below will not only help you how to be productive but also on how to be stress free at work.

1. Be peaceful within. High productivity is not everything about work, it also about being at peace and relaxed. If you want to be productive and still happy of what you are doing, practice focus. Your body, mind and soul should be aligned to what you are doing. Avoid the negative thoughts or the problems you’ve got at home so you can work smoothly without those interrupting thoughts. Practice this and action becomes effortless and simply free flowing.

2. Take action. Where can you find someone productive without doing any action? Of course in everything there’s an action that needs to be done. Even if you have enormous plans but you don’t put it into actions, those plans are meaningless.

3. Get organized. You cannot start working with a cluttered workspace. One of the tips on how to be more productive is to have a clean workplace. According to New Age gurus a cluttered workspace is usually a sign of a cluttered mind. You must organized things to avoid delays while working. With this you can easily find the files or other things you may need.

4. Be proactive. It does not mean you’ll have to use all your energy. Being proactive will also help you avert disasters. It is also a great method of finishing the tasks ahead of time.

5. Do what you love. It can also be, love what you do. This is always the advice of many people. When you love what you are doing, there will be no hesitancy and procrastination. If you are not lucky enough to be inline of your passion, learn to love what you are doing. Learn how to be passionate about your work. If you are able to master this, work will never be work but something fun you’ll always love.

6. Commune with nature. Our lives is said to be connected with nature. Being detached from it is actually impossible. The air we breathe, the water we drink, and the environment that surrounding us are all part of nature. Being close to nature will not only help you have a peaceful mind but a healthier body to be more productive. Have a little break by visiting a park nearby just to refresh your mind. You can also integrate the “green habit” in your office, like using green office cleaning products, or placing some decorative plants in your workplace.

Just follow the above mentioned tips to help you become insanely productive and still happy at work.…

Benefits of a Clean Office

When we think about an office, we think about desks, computers and lots of papers.  Depending on the type of business, we can think about other types of equipment also, but, no matter what your business is about, the truth is that there are many documents that cannot be kept just electronically; we need a printed copy for our files.  The paper-less culture is still at large, and we still need to handle lots of papers around the office.

It is very common to see office desks swamped with to do lists, papers to file and much other stuff.  Of course, some employees are better than others at handling their workload, however, when there is too much to do, even the tidy ones can find it difficult to deal with everything in a neat way.

The benefits of a clean working space are endless.  There is no question about it, when clients, visitors and even employees, come into a dirty office, it immediately gives a sense of unprofessionalism.  On the contrary, a clean office will clearly say expertise, and will even improve productivity. 

We all have had the experience of having to spend time looking for a missing file or vital piece of information that we remember writing down somewhere.  That was valuable time that could have been used for something more productive.  Tidy employees work more efficiently as they do not have to get organized every day prior to starting their work.  They also are much happier while working, since they know exactly where everything is and what they have to do.

Messy offices are less hygienic than clean ones.  It is easier to spot a possible hazard when the office is uncluttered than when it is completely disorganized.  A clean office will diminish greatly the risk of allergies, flu and other diseases, because the space is free from dust and contamination.  This is why professional office cleaning is so important to make your working place enjoyable and efficient.

It has been confirmed that an untidy desk creates a lot of unnecessary stress that adds up to the pressure of the normal heavy workloads, creating the possibility of a potential breakdown.

It takes a lot of work to train employees to be tidy, but with the help of a professional cleaning service, they will soon understand all the benefits that come along with being clean and organized. 

Time and resources are maximized when people work under organized, clean and less stressful conditions, so, devote the necessary time to ensure your office is a clean environment, and get ready to work in the right way! …

Why Incorporate in Luxembourg?

What are the factors contributing to the success of the financial service and banking sector?

The success of Luxembourg can be lent to a combination of factors. The country has built a reserve of expertise and its diminutive size gives it an outward-looking mentality, which is complimented by the multilingual, multicultural workforce. It operates against the backdrop of a stable political and social environment, supported by firm but sensitively-applied regulation. Laws are drawn up in consultation with the industry, with all parties eager to offer solid investor protection and robust action against money laundering. Financial firms are therefore able to benefit from a range of flexible and sophisticated investment vehicles.

Luxembourg is a popular centre for corporate finance

Luxembourg is also a popular centre for corporate finance, with many multinational groups establishing their head offices in the country. The stock exchange also has an integral role, specialising in the listing of bonds, with more than 3,500 issuers from over 100 countries represented.

In their quest for effective leadership and management, many global companies have established their corporate or regional headquarters in Luxembourg, in industries such as steel, sattelites, and cargo airlines among many other.

All of these successful companies have all decided to register a company in Luxembourg.

What are the advantages of Company formation in Luxembourg?

A rewarding tax environment and a business friendly legal and regulatory framework have made Luxembourg a leading jurisdiction for corporate holdings, known for the comprehensive participation exemption regulatory structure.

The high standard of living provides an excellent foundation for top executives and their families and helps attract international staff.

Through varied air and high-speed train connections, management and sales staff can rapidly access the European economic centers of activity.

The highly skilled, multi-lingual workforce assures a valuable resource for corporate functions, including finance and accounting, sales and marketing, supply chain management and logistics, and for research and development and IP management.

In Luxembourg:

Individuals benefit from an 80% tax exemption on income generated from the acquisition and development of intellectual property (IP), leading to an effective tax rate of just over 5%

You benefit from other exemptions from capital gains and wealth taxes.

R&D (research and development) expenditure can be deducted if no commercial results are forthcoming.

Innovation is backed by the Public Research Centers and the University, as well as government-backed business-incubators and R&D investment incentives.

Another advantage of Luxembourg is the simple and easy importation process in the country. Importing goods into the EU often triggers import declaration, pre-financing of value added tax (VAT) and other such duties in the European country of importation. Thanks to an easy access to Government and custom authorities, these procedures can be made straightforward in Luxembourg. While most European countries ask for immediate payment of the import VAT, in Luxembourg such payment is shifted to the VAT return automatically. Therefore no cost is generated by the pre-financing of import VAT in Luxembourg, which can be helpful, particularly in start-up companies. Becasue …

How Do I Get Rid of My Credit Card Debt?

Many people who face financial difficulties are in their current state because their credit card debt is spiraling out of control.  This happens to millions of people every year – an unexpected situation arises such as car repairs or medical costs, they don’t have the savings to cover it and they use a credit card to pay the bill. 

Most soon realize that credit card payments are the most expensive money they’ll ever borrow, and many people simply do not understand how to get rid of their credit card debt.  Below are a few suggestions of how to begin the process of wiping out this sort of debt forever.

Evaluate your debt – Every debt situation must involve obtaining a clear idea of just how much you’ll need to pay it off.  This isn’t as easy as it sounds, as you’ll need to include calculations for the interest that accrues on your debt every month.  However, you’ll need to do this in order to have a goal in place.

Assess your budget – It’s quite surprising how many people do not do this, but you’ll need to take the basic step of writing out what your net income is every month, deducting your required payments such as your mortgage/rent, car payments and food.  After that, you’ll have an idea of what you can afford to spend on paying down your debt every month.

Get control of your spending – When people take a hard look at their monthly expenses, most can easily pick out several items that they can immediately eliminate from their spending.  Examples include going out to lunch and/or dinner regularly, paying for high-priced coffee and unnecessary trips to the mall.  If you’re constantly adding to your debt load, you’ll never get on top of it.

Save money – This may sound counterintuitive, as the reason you have credit card debt is likely because you didn’t have savings available in the first place.  However, even if it’s $100 per month, every dollar saved will eliminate the need to spend that dollar with a credit card should future unforeseen circumstances arise.

Get moving – Now that you’ve gotten a picture of your financial situation, figure out what you can afford to send your credit card companies every month.  Make sure you pay a higher amount than the interest that accrues (which is often more than the minimum required payment) so that your total debt is reduced.…

How a Lawsuit Loan Can Help You Get Justice

A lawsuit loan can be a wonderful tool to help you get the justice you are seeking. Unfortunately, lawsuits can be expensive, and when you have already been harmed, this can add a great deal of insult to injury. To stay on top of legal bills, medical bills, and all of the other common daily living expenses, money can become extremely tight, or non-existent. This type of a loan can keep repossession, foreclosure, and even bankruptcy at bay.

Since legal cases can take months, and sometimes years, to reach a conclusion, a lawsuit loan can help by providing a bit of financial relief upfront while your lawsuit is still being heard in the court system. This type of loan can provide you with a percentage (up to ten percent on average) of the value of your future payout, which can be a substantial amount to help you with expenses. By getting a bit of financial help early on, you can better pursue your case without having to feel as though you are being forced to settle for a lesser amount to get a faster payout.

It is important to understand that a lawsuit loan is not really a loan in the traditional sense of the word. This type of funding is termed as a “non-recourse debt”, which is basically a form of secured debt that is based on the possible future monetary award you will receive from your lawsuit. The potential payout is the only type of collateral you need to put up in order to receive the funding. Better still, there are no credit checks to deal with, no personal, professional, or bank references to provide, and no need to prove employment. The lender is basically making an investment in your case, and when you do settle, you simply repay the borrowed amount plus interest and fees.

Quite possibly the best feature of all for a lawsuit loan is that if for some reason you do not win your lawsuit, you do not have to repay even a portion of the loan. This makes the loan “no risk” and is better than any other type of loan or cash advance from a credit card that requires you to make monthly payments regardless of the outcome. If you were to lose your case and you still have a considerable portion of the money from your loan left, you are allowed to keep it all, and not have to repay one cent to the lender.

Because of this no risk benefit, a lawsuit loan provider will extensively review your case to make sure they will eventually have their funding returned. The lender will review all of your legal documents, speak to your attorney, and review other cases of a similar nature to determine the average payout. Once approved, the lender will issue your funds in a matter of a few days and that is that until your case settles. A lawsuit loan …

Office Cleaning Tips For Home Or Work

One of the biggest enemies of productivity is a cluttered space. While the rare few might work better in such an environment, chances are you aren’t one of them (even if you think you are). Organization and cleanliness is an important aspect of getting work done efficiently. That’s why the concept of office cleaning is so vital. Not only for the workplace, but also for the home, if you do work of any kind at your house. Here are some tips to getting things tidied up.

Organization is perhaps the most important part of office cleaning. It is something that you and you alone can do. Letting someone else do it for you is inviting disaster. Give everything you have an assigned place. Put it in that place and remember to put future examples of that item in that place as well. Having an inbox and an outbox is only the tip of the iceberg. Look through your stuff and see if there is anything you can throw away or shred. Label your desk drawers if you need to.

Part of the organization process involves sorting and prioritizing your important documents. A major step in becoming more productive is taking one task at a time. The problem is that a cluttered space can cause you to forget which ones need to take priority over others. Then you have the terrible feeling of not knowing where to start. It’s likely, however, that each of your tasks has a deadline of some sort. Arrange them according to whatever priority scale you need to and then begin at the top and work your way down.

Of course, office cleaning isn’t all about only you. If you are employed in a typical workplace, you share space with several other employees. Be respectful of boundaries and work together to make your workplace a pleasant and safe place to be. This includes practicing good hygiene and staying home where you are sick. It also means protecting yourself from other people’s poor consideration. Grab some disinfectant and use it liberally around your space. Wash your hand frequently. Just these two actions can prevent many illnesses from ever touching you.

Although organization is best done at your command, an office cleaning service can help with other tasks, such as vacuuming, dusting, and taking out the trash. Look for a service that has flexible hours and is experienced in working in the type of environment you work in. Hire a new service on a limited basis at first and see what kind of job they do. In the future, you can always sign them to a contract or set up more permanent employment.…

A Couple Of Basic Tips On Finding Cheap Car Insurance

Any motorist needs to get a car insurance policy and they are most likely going to want to get the best rates possible. With a little bit of time and effort there is no reason why you shouldn’t be able to save a great deal of money when you next purchase a policy. Here are some basic tips that may prove useful.

If you are coming to the end of your current policy and are simply thinking of renewing and letting your policy rollover, think again. Now that you have built up some loyalty with a specific provider you may be in a position to negotiate better rates. Call up your provider and ask them for a new, and cheaper, quote.

You should also make sure that you shop around and gather quotes from separate providers as well. Even if you are happy with the services being provided by your current insurer, there is absolutely no harm in seeing what else is on offer on the market. You may well find some more affordable quote elsewhere, giving you leverage to negotiate even lower rates with your insurer. Ideally if you can incite a bidding war between several different companies you will be able to further lower your costs.

It is important for you to consider increasing your deductible if you want to save money. The deductible and your premiums will have an inverse relationship, meaning that as you increase your deductible your premiums should go down. Simply doubling your deductible may help you to save up to 20% or more on your monthly premium rates.

It is important for you to reduce your risk as much as possible and there are lots of different ways of doing this. For example, make sure that your vehicle has safety and antitheft devices installed onto it. For example, dual airbags, antilock breaks, and car alarms will all help to reduce theft of the vehicle or injury of anyone in it in an accident. Reducing such risks will help to lower your premiums.

You need to pay attention to the long-term goal of maintaining a good driving record. Your driving record is going to play a significant role in the cost of your policy. Essentially, the worse your record is, the more expensive your premiums will be. If you want to achieve lower rates, therefore, you need to try to maintain a better record.

The same is true of your credit rating. People’s credit ratings have come under scrutiny in relation to their auto insurance rates in recent times and insurers are considering this to be a far more important factor than they used to. If you have demonstrated a poor financial record then your insurer will consider you to be more of a financial risk and will, therefore, raise your premiums.

It is always important for you to make sure you’re getting the right coverage as well. Every state will have minimum liability …

Office Cleaning in Glasgow

There are some companies offering office cleaning in Glasgow and promoting that they are able to deliver a premium service at a vastly reduced price. The price being quoted is for A�8 per hour.

We explore the belief that companies can provide an office cleaning service for A�8 per hour and whether the quality will be able to stand the test of time.

The City of Glasgow

Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland ahead of the Scottish capital of Edinburgh. Glasgow is the centre point for thousands of offices across the city and where billions of pounds are generated every year. 2.3 million people live in Glasgow and the surrounding area and many will travel into Glasgow to work.

Glasgow was once the industrial heartland with the river Clyde shipbuilding providing a large percentage of the employment opportunities. However times have changed in Glasgow and people mainly operate from an office, with Glasgow being a popular location for call centres and administration offices.

Commercial Cleaning in Glasgow

The increase in people using offices has resulted in a rise in the supplementary services which are required for day to day business to operate smoothly. Things like office cleaning are essential for businesses to maintain their health and safety standards.

However many companies prefer commercial cleaning which focusses on price as opposed to quality. This can be a false economy because the service is undoubtedly of a lesser standard than companies charging a fraction more.

The reasons office cleaning cannot cost A�8 per hour are because:

1. The basic rate of pay in the UK for an adult is A�6.08. This is already more than three-quarters of the cost.

2. Companies hiring staff must pay an additional 11% to the Government to cover the employer’s national insurance contribution. That’s another 60pence per hour.

3. The cleaning supplies will be purchased in bulk however they will still cost hundreds of pounds and will require replenishing regularly.

4. A company has other overheads other than just the cleaner’s costs. For instance, the accounts team, the directors and receptionists all have to be paid too.

5. The company will have to file their accounts every year at companies house and an accountant will charge usually at least A�400 a year to complete this task.

6. The cost of travel must be additional too, whereas other company’s will include this within the price.

Cheap Office Cleaning

Cheap office cleaning is often a false economy and despite the current economic climate, companies should be considering if they really are getting value for money.

Our experience of cheap office cleaning services is that:

– Are you really getting the time you paid for? If you receive reports check that you’re getting your full contracted hours. Most companies offering the cheapest office cleaning may be contracted for 30 hours a week but are only providing 15 hours, whilst still charging for 30.

– Is the quality of the products being used of a high …

The Benefits of Creating a Budget You Can Stick To

Planning a budget is one of the simplest and most effective ways of managing your money. However, most individuals avoid actually taking the time to do it because it take time and a little bit of effort. Many also believe that budgeting their money will prevent them from being able to do the fun activities they enjoy.

In reality, budgeting doesn’t keep you from enjoying the activities you love. Rather, it shows you where to put your money and how to spend it so you can still do what you love and live within your financial means. It keeps you from spending too much money and ending up in debt.

If you are considering starting a budget using online home budget software, you can take advantage of the many benefits budgeting provides. Some of the best benefits are listed below.

The Advantages of Budgeting

Gain Control Over Your Money- When you create a budget, you are being intentional about the what you spend and what you save. This allows you to control you money, instead of your money taking control over your life. It help you avoid the stress of discovering you don’t have the funds to pay certain bills and helps you determine what you need to sacrifice in the short term to gain what you want in the long term.

Helps you See Where Your Money is Being Spent- My husband has a phrase he uses all too often in our house: “It’s only a dollar.” When you think of your spending habits this way, it can sometimes seem like you really aren’t spending all that much. In reality, though, even those items that seem inexpensive now can add up quickly and take over your life. Home budget software allows you to see exactly how much you are spending and determine what it is costing you each month.

Saving for the Unexpected- Budgeting allows you to create a plan for you money. This means you can actively plan to set aside a certain amount of cash each paycheque for unexpected costs and emergencies. Then, when the unexpected occurs, you don’t have to break your budget; the money is already there.

Allows You to Communicate Personal Financial Management With Others- If you share your household with a spouse, a roommate, or your family, a budget will allow you to communicate your financial needs and financial planning with these individuals. You can determine how your money can be used together, teach responsibility to your children, and avoid conflicts about money with your spouse.

Alerts You To Potential Problems- While we like to think that budgeting keeps problems from occurring, this is not always the case. If you can’t stick to the budget or a new expense occurs that doesn’t fit within it, your old budget may be more of a problem than a solution. If you have a budget set up, though, you can see how new expenses affect your …