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Everybody dreams of living a smooth life post retirement as there will be no work.Also there is a strong urge to enjoy every aspect of life which you may or may not have done in the past due to some reasons.
But it needs a strong retirement planning. As future is uncertain and anything can happen like Health problems in old age, unfortunate Natural calamities (accidents) etc
You should take utmost care in planning for your retirement. Some of the factors that are needed to be implemented for a smooth retirement life are:

1. Always make it a point that you should save some percentage i.e10% of your monthly income. You can decide the percentage based upon your requirements and income. Do not spend money from this saving.
2. Adhere to an appropriate retirement plan which suites your need and income requirement. Do not choose a retirement plan sacrificing your basic needs.
3. You should invest in health policies, children education plan etc. because you will get an extra benefit of saving tax. Most of these plans are excluded from tax deduction. This way you can save more.
4. Apart from savings try to spend wisely in securities taking the risk factor in mind. Try spending in equity’s for high risk and high gain. If you want a fixed and safety income then you should stick to debentures etc.
5. You should try to get rid of your credit as soon as possible. This will make you to lead a debt free life post retirement. Attempts should be made on your part to avoid taking credit. Use the credit cards wisely and that too in the state of urgency.
6. Make one thing clear in mind do not think that retirement is the end of your life and you have nothing to do. <Start your own business after retirement and enhance your personal finance.

The above discussed retirement planning factors may help you to spur up your financial worth more efficiently and you will lead a smooth and debt free life after retirement.

saurabh kanwar
http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/six-vital-financial-tips-for-retirement-725721.html

Business credit cards or corporate cards are issued to corporate executives or small business holders to cater to their specific needs. This specific category of credit cards has been used and misused and here we are going to talk about both aspects of business credit cards as more and more people apply for these to borrow money in UK.

Credit cards facilitate business transactions and provide loans without collateral to the business holder/executive, depending on credit limit extended by the bank/lending body. Credit cards carry the normal features of a regular business cards along with added features of a business credit card, these may vary across different banks.

Security is one of the major concerns while extending credit cards. Credit card information can be lost due to human carelessness or due to dysfunctional software. Security is a concern in spite of the measures adopted by lending institutes, the aim is to control security to manageable limits before we can think of actually eliminating it. Business credit cards may also be misused by employees as there are possibilities that credit meant for business expenses might be used for personal expenses by dishonest employees.

Business credit cards help avail loans without collateral security in majority of cases. Attractive features include less paper work, waiving of stock statement, easy manageability of big amounts of cash via a small plastic card, simplified application, availability of scoring models for application, easily accessible reviews, lucrative repayment schemes etc. there are schemes like instant approval credit cards or guaranteed approval credit cards for credit cards in UK.

Typically business credit cards take care of finance needs in more ways than one. Apart from extending loans business credit cards facilitate efficient management of accounts and business holders can avail facilities like unlimited credit cards issuable to employees with a defined credit limit. Some credit cards companies even offer 0% credit interest up to 12 months. Though these offers may have some applicable conditions like 0% interest chargeable only on balance transfers.

Credit cards are the easiest way to obtain loans. Easy cash availability may encourage customers to avail the facility more frequently, paying the amount before the grace period is crucial if you do not want to make high interest payments along with the amount borrowed, it might turn out to be expensive money.

TA Honey
http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/credit-card-concerns-find-answers-here-96160.html

Here is Moreno Valley Business Lawyer Sebastian Gibson’s Top Ten:

 

1. Celebrities can’t get endorsement deals anymore.

 

2. The paparazzi are bored silly since no one is going out at night.

 

3. Your bank teller asks you for a job.

 

4. Date night is now watch TV night.

 

5. Beer sales are up.

 

6. Wal-Mart is packed.

 

7. High end boutiques are now consignment stores.

 

8. You study the fast food menu for the cheapest items.

 

9. Your car’s odometer is getting close to a hundred thousand miles.

 

10. You realize you won’t be retiring on what’s left in that retirement account.

 

Now here is everything (well, almost everything) you need in business to know about environmental, international law, election and campaign law, consumer law, class actions, constitutional, internet, publishing, advertising, media, publicity and privacy rights, employment law, estate planning, wills, trusts, water law, agricultural, insurance law, bad faith, psychologist and psychotherapist defense, education law and child accidents.

You can also find all you need to know (well, mostly) in business about personal injury, car accidents, brain damage, wrongful deaths, business, real estate, landlord-tenant, homeowners association law, construction, patents, trademarks, corporations, entertainment law, advertising, copyrights, food and wine, and hotel and restaurant law and litigation by searching for those subjects and adding the words Moreno Valley business lawyer or Moreno Valley business attorney to your search terms and looking for other articles by Sebastian Gibson.

 

You can also learn more about any of these business areas of law and how we can assist you as Moreno Valley business attorneys, or as lawyers in any city, by calling the Law Offices of R. Sebastian Gibson at any of the numbers which can be found on our website at http://www.SebastianGibsonLaw.com  .

 

1. Personal Injury, Car Accidents, Brain Damage, Catastrophic Injuries and Wrongful Deaths in Moreno Valley – If you’ve had a Moreno Valley auto, motorcycle, truck, pedestrian, bicycle, bus, train, airplane or car accident of any kind, get the other driver’s information, take camera or cell phone pictures, call the police, get a report, seek medical treatment immediately, call us or another good Moreno Valley personal injury lawyer. Report the accident to your insurance agent, file a report with the DMV and don’t talk to anyone else or give a recorded statement until you talk with an attorney from our office. If you’ve lost a loved on in an accident, call us or another good Moreno Valley personal injury lawyer immediately. Brain damage and catastrophic injury cases as with wrongful death cases require the expertise of a Moreno Valley attorney with experience in these difficult cases. If you want to ensure that you and your family members receive the compensation you deserve, be sure to hire a Moreno Valley personal injury attorney with decades of experience with brain damage, catastrophic injuries and wrongful deaths.

 

2. Environmental and Toxic Tort Law in Moreno Valley – With multi-billion dollar energy companies spending more money to confuse the public on the threat posed by global warming than on research into alternative forms of energy, it will take all of us to sort fact from fiction and solve the growing problem of global warming. An additional danger to all of us comes from exposure to toxic materials in our daily lives from tainted food, to contaminated ground water, to dangerous viruses in the public and in hospitals to lead and mercury poisoning. If you experience unusual symptoms that a doctor can’t explain, you may have been exposed to a toxic substance and have a toxic tort claim that should be evaluated by us or another qualified Moreno Valley environmental attorney.

 

3. Moreno Valley International, Shipping and Maritime Law – A Moreno Valley international attorney with years of international legal education and experience such as you’ll find at our Moreno Valley law firm, can provide you with a wealth of practical knowledge and the ability to find answers to your international law questions. It is to your advantage to also have a Moreno Valley international lawyer working in cooperation with foreign counsel in other jurisdictions to ensure that the most cost-effective avenues are pursued to resolve your legal matter. However, many international matters can be resolved with letters between Moreno Valley international lawyers and foreign lawyers, and international mediations and arbitrations can also be utilized. If you have been injured on a ship or an oil rig you have rights under the Jones Act to be compensated for your injuries, medical treatment, past and future wage loss and care.

 

4. Moreno Valley Election and Campaign Finance Law – If you are considering running for political office or have already done so and are facing campaign finance legal issues, the time to hire a Moreno Valley election attorney with election law knowledge is at the first possible opportunity before you get into hot water that can sink your campaign or put your political career into jeopardy.

 

5. Moreno Valley Consumer Law and Class Actions – If you have paid for an item but have not received it, been promised an action or service that has not come to fruition or are considering ordering services or signing any type of agreement, the time to hire a Moreno Valley consumer lawyer is immediately in order to avoid being scammed, or defrauded. A Moreno Valley consumer attorney’s letter drafted forcefully but professionally will obtain the desired result, products or services in a good percentage of cases. Whether you ordered gold bars but did not receive them, were told that your car would be paid off when you traded it in on a new one or were promised that a pool would be completed in your back yard, a Moreno Valley consumer attorney can and should be hired for a modest fee to write a letter on your behalf and demand the required action, products or services. If you think you are just one of many who have been scammed or defrauded in some way, you may have a class action.

 

6. Constitutional, Publishing and Publicity and Privacy Rights, Internet Law, Advertising and Media Law in Moreno Valley – Defamation includes both libel and slander. Anyone in the media or publishing or broadcast world or with a web site is at risk of a lawsuit for claims of defamation or false advertising However, constitutional law questions also arise in civil rights discrimination cases, discrimination in employment and a wide variety of other legal matters. If you have been disenfranchised or your constitutional rights abused in any matter or if you have been accused of abusing the rights of others, contact a Moreno Valley constitutional lawyer as soon as it occurs. If others seek to profit with the use of your name or image you also have a claim for damages.

 

7. Employment Law in Moreno Valley – It may seem silly to think you should hire a Moreno Valley employment attorney whenever you are considering firing an employee, but it has come to that. However, a consultation with a good Moreno Valley employment law firm can provide you with the advice of how to handle your employee relations both immediately and in the future as you either seek to cut costs or get rid of a problematic employee. If you have been sued or threatened with a suit, or are being scammed by an employee, consult a Moreno Valley employment lawyer immediately.

 

8. Moreno Valley Estate Planning, Wills and Trusts – The current estate tax in 2008 affects only people who die with an estate in excess of two million dollars. In 2009, that amount will increase to three and a half million dollars and in 2010, the estate tax is repealed. That’s the good news. If, however, the estate tax repeal is not extended by 2011, the estate tax will kick in again. The worse news is that in 2011, if the estate tax repeal is not extended, the estate tax will kick in at one million dollars. The current federal estate tax rate is a whopping 47 percent. That stays the same in 2009. But other current provisions in the tax code change or end in 2010. In light of this, it is more important than ever to hire a Moreno Valley estate planning lawyer to draft your will and evaluate the need for a living trust to avoid probate fees ensure your estate goes to the beneficiaries you want it to go to. If you don’t have a will or trust at death, the state will determine who gets your estate, but it will usually be your spouse and children, of if you have none, your closest relatives.

 

9. Water, Agricultural and Natural Resource Law in Moreno Valley – It is hoped by American farmers and meat producers that the new Country of Origin Labeling Law taking effect in groceries will cause food shoppers to seek meat and produce from the U.S. over food items from other countries. But it is the water shortage in California that has California farmers faced with dire consequences. In 2008, the California Governor formed a Water Bank to stave off mandatory water rationing, but if California has another dry winter, or more fires that draw upon California’s precious water reserves, or if the state legislature does not address the state’s delta environmental problems and expand the state’s water works, with a bill that has been tied up while the legislators haggled over a budget, rationing across the state could become a reality. If you have a water or agricultural issue, the time to call a Moreno Valley agricultural lawyer with knowledge in this areas is before the issue becomes critical.

 

10. Insurance Law, Bad Faith, Psychologist, Psychiatrist and Psychotherapist Defense in Moreno Valley – As insurance companies feel the pain of the stock market crash and face the reality of the value of their own investments decreasing, we expect to see insurance companies delaying settlements, and flirting with violations of the insurance bad faith statutes. As the public becomes more and more depressed with the sinking stock market, loss of jobs, reduced income and less enjoyment out of life, we also see the likelihood of greater use of psychiatrists, psychologists and psychotherapists. When claims are made against these professionals without justification, our Moreno Valley law firm stands ready to defend them

 

11. Moreno Valley Education Law and Child Accidents – A recent court ruling in California has given temporary relief to parents homeschooling their children. However, we still expect further court rulings to make guidelines that will govern when or under what circumstances homeschooling of children will be permitted in California. Children, as any parent knows, can be injured any time, anywhere. What should not happen is any injury to a child that is the result of the negligence of another. To that end, our Moreno Valley personal injury lawyers championed protection for children and convinced at least one court and encouraged other personal injury attorneys to do the same, to uphold a new tort for negligent endangerment of a child.

 

If you have a legal matter in Moreno Valley, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, Temecula, Murrieta, Riverside, San Bernardino, Fontana, Inland Empire, Rialto, Redlands, Hemet, Perris, Colton, San Bernardino County, Highland, Yucaipa, Banning, Riverside County, Big Bear, Lake Arrowhead or anywhere in the Inland Empire, our Moreno Valley law firm has the knowledge and resources to be your Moreno Valley Lawyers and your Moreno Valley Attorneys. Be sure to hire a Coachella Valley law firm with experience in Personal Injury, Car Accidents, Drownings, Brain Damage, Catastrophic Injuries, Wrongful Death, Business, Real Estate and Landlord Tenant Law, Homeowner Association Law, Construction, Trademarks, Patents, Corporations, Entertainment, Sports Law, Marketing, Advertising, Media, and Copyright Law, and who will endeavor to ensure that your rights are properly represented.

 

Additionally, if you have a legal matter which involves Environmental and Toxic Tort Law, Litigation, International, Shipping and Maritime Law, Employment, Election and Campaign Finance Law, Consumer Law and Class Actions, Constitutional, Publishing, Publicity, Privacy Rights, Internet Law, Advertising and Media Law, Food and Wine Law, Hotel and Restaurant Law, Estate Planning, Wills and Trusts, Water, Agricultural and Natural Resource Law, Insurance Law, Bad Faith and Psychiatrist and Psychotherapist Defense, Education Law or a Child Accident in Moreno Valley or anywhere in Southern California, call the Law Offices of R. Sebastian Gibson, or visit our website at http://www.SebastianGibsonLaw.com  and learn how a Moreno Valley attorney from our offices can assist you.

R. Sebastian Gibson

What’s it all about?

The past 4 – 8 years have seen a tremendous increase in the interest, purchase and hype of buying a property abroad. The late 90’s and early part of the 21st century has seen house prices surge in the UK to record heights, this together with the ever increasing coverage of the low cost airline destinations has given the average man in the street the excess equity in their existing homes and easier access to be able to think about buying and perhaps living overseas.

We’ve probably all been on a foreign holiday to some exciting destination, be it Europe, The Americas or even further afield and admit it whenever we’ve seen a local estate agent we always make a beeline for their shop window if not to compare the prices to back in the UK then certainly to see how and what we could afford – we’ve been doing it for years without really considering the possibilities.

4 years ago the number of properties owned by people from the UK hovered at around 170,000. Now there are over 1million Brits owning second homes in Spain and France alone, and figures from the Office for National Statistics recently revealed that around 200,000 Britons travel abroad every year in search of buying a property with the intention of staying for a minimum of 12 months.

The main question we at property-abroad.com are asked by investors and holiday home seekers is “where should we buy”? A difficult question to answer because every person’s idea of owning an overseas investment or holiday property is completely different. We have a selection of questions that we ask client to consider when thinking of buying abroad which include:

•Budget – how much do you want to or can you spend. Do you need a mortgage or finance?

•Location – is location important for you? Beach, countryside or town?

•Use – personal for holidays or purely investment or a bit of both?

•Access – is getting to your property easily and cheaply important to you?

•Employment – will you need to work what is the employment situation?

•Schooling – do you need to consider such things as schooling for your children?

•Size – will a one bed apartment be big enough or do you need to consider a 4 bed town house or villa?

•Rentability – is it going to be a necessity to rent your property out to help with mortgage payments?

Although we have over 300 different websites and feature over 50,000 properties for sale in over 45 different countries abroad no two enquiries are ever the same and as such we treat each enquiry on a personal basis. We feature properties for sale directly from local estate agents and developers in every country.

What about the legalities

Buying a property abroad can be relatively straightforward – there’s nothing really complicated as long as you follow instructions and use a reliable legal representative – whether they are from the country concerned or from the UK – it will make you feel more at ease and will help things to run smoothly. We feature various guides and books on buying property abroad on our website and apart from various little peculiarities in certain countries most overseas property purchases can run smoothly.

Mortgages

Financing your overseas property is a lot easier now than it was a couple of years ago. Mortgages for buying property abroad can be arranged through high street banks like the Abbey National, Nat West and Barclays. However, you may need to look at specialist lenders for new and emerging countries like Turkey, Bulgaria, and Croatia etc. Consideration should also be given to obtaining a mortgage in the country that you are buying in – things like euro mortgages can often work out cheaper than UK lenders but be aware of the changing exchange rate. Typical loan to value %’s can range from 60 – 80% depending on the country.

Insurance

As with all major purchases insurance must play a part in your overall budget plan. We would strongly recommend that adequate property and contents insurance is taken out to cover your investment as it grows. Although you don’t anticipate any problems arising with your new home you certainly want to ensure that your investment is covered against loss and damage. Although there are a number of UK based companies that will offer Overseas Property Insurance – you will also find that there are local companies able to offer similar coverage in each country.

Most of us here in the UK are already home owners and there exists a continuing strong demand for our little piece of England. However, there exists a growing sector of young people who are unable to climb on the UK property ladder because of the high cost of entry property prices and as such are entering the overseas property market as a means to secure some foot holding on an emerging property market.

A Place in the Sun – Channel 4’s property programme recently compiled their list of the 20 best places to buy a property abroad for investment purposes. To refresh your memory we have included those destinations below in ascending order from the best to the least projected returns on investments.

Romania – Poland – Portugal – The Baltic States (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia) – Sweden – Belgium – Slovakia – Sweden – Finland – Hungary – Luxembourg – Germany – Czech Republic – Ireland – Austria Netherlands – France – Italy – Spain – Cyprus

With over 45 countries covered in our overseas property database prices of properties for sale in the areas above can range from a plot of land in the Bahamas from £2000 right up to a country holiday complex in Tuscany for over £33 million. Typical property prices in the likes of Romania stand at around the £10-15,000 mark for a decent property in the outlining areas whereas £5,000 + will get you a rural property requiring renovation and upwards of £30,000 will buy you something very near to the city of Bucharest.

Our Tip

The property market in Poland is our tip for rapid future growth as we consider the country to have the best prospects of all current EU members. There are a huge number of international companies, such as Tesco’s and GSK, beginning to set up offices, shops and warehousing in the country – this together with over EUR70 billion of European funding earmarked for the country over the next 8 years or so can only indicate the anticipated growth in employment, housing and infrastructure. Together with our Polish partners we are currently busy identifying new opportunities within the country and will soon be marketing off-plan developments in Poland throughout our massive infrastructure of websites.

As we become more and more daring in our ventures of overseas holidays then the great British public will continue to conquer new and exciting areas of the globe in which to lay their foundations of a holiday home or indeed a permanent residence abroad. Whatever your reasons are for considering a move abroad then remember there’s only one company out there that can offer access to over 50,000 properties for sale worldwide .

Les Calvert
http://www.articlesbase.com/ask-an-expert-articles/property-abroad-whats-it-all-about-105870.html

Here is Palm Springs Business Attorney Sebastian Gibson’s Top Ten:

1. You Betcha, sign a $7 million book deal.

 

2. You Betcha, buy another snow mobile or two.

 

3. You Betcha, buy seven houses to keep up with McCain.

 

4. You Betcha, take over as a television talk show host as soon as this Alaska gig is over.

 

5. You Betcha, replace that Katie Couric and her confusing interview questioning.

 

6. You Betcha, turn those Alaskan consignment stores she used to shop at into high end boutiques.

 

7. You Betcha, spend, spend, spend.

 

8. You Betcha, drill, drill, drill.

 

9. You Betcha, offer to be Barack Obama’s personal shopping assistant.

 

10. You Betcha, open campaign offices for President in 2012.

 

Now here is everything (well, almost everything) you need in business about personal injury, car accidents, brain damage, wrongful deaths, business, real estate, landlord-tenant, homeowners association law, construction, patents, trademarks, corporations, entertainment law, advertising, copyrights, and litigation without making any serious legal missteps.

If you need to know more about business, environmental, international law, election and campaign law, consumer law, class actions, constitutional, internet, publishing, advertising, media, food and wine, hotel and restaurant law, estate planning, wills, trusts, water law, agricultural, insurance law, bad faith, psychologist and psychotherapist defense, education law or child accidents, you can find valuable information by searching for those subjects and adding the words Palm Springs business lawyer or Palm Springs business attorney to your search terms and looking for other articles by Sebastian Gibson.

 

You can also learn more about any of these business areas of law and how we can assist you as Palm Springs business attorneys, or as lawyers in any city, by calling the Law Offices of R. Sebastian Gibson at any of the numbers which can be found on our website at http://www.SebastianGibsonLaw.com .

 

1. Personal Injury, Car Accidents, Drowning Accidents, Brain Damage, Catastrophic Injuries and Wrongful Deaths in Palm Springs – If you’ve had a Palm Springs auto, motorcycle, truck, pedestrian, bicycle, bus, train, airplane or car accident of any kind, get the other driver’s information, take camera or cell phone pictures, call the police, get a report, seek medical treatment immediately, call us or another good Palm Springs personal injury lawyer, follow up with more medical treatment if you are still hurt, report the accident to your insurance agent, file a report with the DMV and don’t talk to anyone else or give a recorded statement until you talk with us. If you’ve lost a loved on in an accident, call us or another good Palm Springs personal injury lawyer immediately. If you’ve been bitten by a dog, get treatment, call animal control and then call us. If you or someone you know has come close to drowning, seek medical treatment immediately as death or serious injury can still occur hours later.

 

2. Palm Springs Business – Put everything in writing and preferably with our help or the help of another good Palm Springs business lawyer. Spend money only as you need to. A Palm Springs business attorney can tell you where to save costs and how to do it without risking liability. Limit your promises to employees and to customers. Buy insurance. Protect your intellectual property at the outset. Don’t disclose your inventions or any trade secrets to anyone without a non-disclosure agreement. Incorporate as soon as you are profitable. Get legal advice for problems or indications of pending lawsuits immediately. Keep all costs, including labor costs, to the bare minimum. Always use confidentiality agreements when disclosing valuable information and be careful what information you agree to receive. Tell customers they must pay in advance or on delivery. Do not agree to bill and be paid at a date after delivery. Otherwise you won’t be paid on a percentage of your products. Be wary of the potential for fraud by customers, business partners and employees.

 

3. Residential and Commercial Real Estate, Landlord Tenant Law, Mortgage Law and Homeowners Association Law in Palm Springs – Use a Palm Springs real estate lawyer who is also a Realtor, or a Realtor who is also a Palm Springs real estate attorney. Don’t buy or lease more than you need. Choose the right location. Choose the right mortgage. Don’t refinance if you think you may need to walk away from a home. Don’t buy more than you can afford. Check out the neighborhood carefully. Get a home inspection and a home warranty. Have a Palm Springs real estate lawyer look over the documents. Homeowner Associations are facing a host of problems stemming from the number of foreclosures. As fees are reduced by vacant homes and condos, projects must be trimmed back or delayed in order to save money. Some homeowner associations, who were already in trouble, may face additional problems in the future and both homeowners and their associations should consult with legal counsel to help resolve how to deal with such issues.

 

4. Construction in Palm Springs – With the construction industry in it’s biggest ever slump, down more than 90% from its peak in many areas, Palm Springs contractors need to shift their focus to energy free homes, apartment construction and to take advantage of contracts likely to be offered for bid under the new administration’s plan to create new jobs rebuilding the country’s infrastructure, construction of roads, bridges, the electrical grid and other utility projects. If you are dealing with contractors yourself, always use licensed contractors and have a Palm Springs construction lawyer look over your contracts. You can also investigate the contractor online to ensure he is licensed and insured and a Palm Springs construction attorney can do an additional investigation at little extra cost. Never pay a contractor the entire sum for a project at the start. Put all agreements in writing, including any changes.

 

5. Palm Springs Patents and Biotechnology – A patent should be applied for, for any new, and non-obvious process, or invention and to any new improvement of an invention at first opportunity. A patent is good for 20 years. Depending upon the complexity, most utility patent applications will cost between $8,000 and $12,000.00. A design patent can be applied for by a Palm Springs patent attorney, for the look of an item and is good for 14 years. A provisional patent can be applied for, good for one year at a cost of half of the usual utility patent cost but is only good for one year. If the inventor does not upgrade the provisional patent into a utility patent application within that period, usually for the cost of the remainder of the corresponding cost of a utility patent, the inventor loses his or her protection. A patent is pending once it has been applied for, and can be licensed, or sold outright. Without a patent, others can make and sell your invention with no compensation to you. Patent searches help the Palm Springs patent lawyer write an application around existing patents and cost an additional sum, usually under $1,000.00. Drawings must also be prepared for the patent application usually for under $500.00. A design patent can be sought for between $1,000 to $1,500 and a European design patent for between $2,000 to $2,500. Accelerated patent applications usually cost an additional 50% of normal patent applications. Foreign patent applications also require additional fees.

 

6. Palm Springs Trademarks – Trademark any original logos, designs, words, phrases, symbols or combinations that you use to identify your products or services as soon as possible. Call a Palm Springs trademark attorney as soon as anyone else’s trademark or service mark is so similar as to cause a likelihood of confusion in the public or if you receive a cease and desist letter from someone else accusing you of infringement. Trademark applications range from between $2,500 if there has not yet been any use of the trademark to $1,500 to apply for a trademark already in use. Therefore, to save money, create some products and advertising materials and apply for the trademark once they are ready to be sold and advertised.

 

7. Palm Springs Corporations – Never incorporate by yourself. Corporations will not protect you from liability if you do not follow corporate formalities correctly. Protect your intellectual property from the start with the help of a Palm Springs corporations attorney. Don’t borrow someone else’s employee handbook or fire problematic employees without legal advice. Don’t get investors without seeing one of our Palm Springs corporate attorneys. Cut costs to the bone. Use extra money to advertise, and sell in new markets. A Palm Springs corporations lawyer can provide you with advice as to which type of corporation or LLC to use for your business.

 

8. Entertainment Law, Sports Law, Marketing, Advertising, Media and Copyrights in Palm Springs – Whether you are a musician, an actor, a model, a writer, an athlete, a broadcaster or connected in any other way to the entertainment industry, contact us or another good Palm Springs entertainment attorney as soon as anyone gives you a contract to sign. Signing a bad contract can end your career before it’s ever begun. As soon as you have written any body of work, have it copyrighted. You can do this quite easily yourself, but if you need assistance or if someone else infringes your copyrighted work, you can then file suit against such a party.

 

9. Palm Springs Litigation – At the first sign that someone may sue you or your business, consult with a Palm Springs litigation attorney. Many times, a lawsuit can be forestalled before it has been filed or the matter resolved with letters between the litigation attorneys. If you are served with a lawsuit, hire a Palm Springs litigation lawyer like one from our firm who specializes in mediations and non-binding arbitrations so your litigation can be resolved at the soonest possible opportunity and limit your exposure to years of lawyer’s fees and costs as your case winds slowly through the courts.

 

10. Employment Law in Palm Springs – It may seem silly to think you should hire a Palm Springs employment attorney whenever you are considering firing an employee, but it has come to that. However, a consultation with a good Palm Springs employment law firm can provide you with the advice of how to handle your employee relations both immediately and in the future as you either seek to cut costs or get rid of a problematic employee. If you have been sued or threatened with a suit, or are being scammed by an employee, consult a Palm Springs employment lawyer immediately.

 

If you have a legal matter in Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Indio, Coachella, Rancho Mirage, La Quinta, Indian Wells, Cathedral City, Desert Hot Springs, Thermal, Yucca Valley, Joshua Tree, Twentynine Palms or anywhere in the Coachella Valley, our Palm Springs law firm has the knowledge and resources to be your Palm Springs Lawyers and your Palm Springs Attorneys. Be sure to hire a Coachella Valley law firm with experience in Personal Injury, Car Accidents, Drownings, Brain Damage, Catastrophic Injuries, Wrongful Death, Business, Real Estate and Landlord Tenant Law, Homeowner Association Law, Construction, Trademarks, Patents, Corporations, Entertainment, Sports Law, Marketing, Advertising, Media, and Copyright Law, and who will endeavor to ensure that your rights are properly represented.

 

Additionally, if you have a legal matter which involves Environmental and Toxic Tort Law, Litigation, International, Shipping and Maritime Law, Employment, Election and Campaign Finance Law, Consumer Law and Class Actions, Constitutional, Publishing, Publicity, Privacy Rights, Internet Law, Advertising and Media Law, Food and Wine Law, Hotel and Restaurant Law, Estate Planning, Wills and Trusts, Water, Agricultural and Natural Resource Law, Insurance Law, Bad Faith and Psychiatrist and Psychotherapist Defense, Education Law or a Child Accident in Palm Springs or anywhere in Southern California, call the Law Offices of R. Sebastian Gibson, or visit our website at http://www.SebastianGibsonLaw.com  and learn how a Palm Springs attorney from our offices can assist you.

R. Sebastian Gibson

Author: Max Redd www.ReddRacing.co.uk

I recently re-mortgaged our house, sold all my shares, emptied the savings account, drained the kids’ Trust Fund…. and put it all on the favourite in the 2:30 at Newmarket.

Of course I didn’t! That would have been complete madness, and dicing with financial suicide. Putting absolutely everything you have on one horse is an example of bad money management – albeit an extreme example, but it got your attention didn’t it?

Yet all too often the average punter is guilty of bad money management. On a much lesser scale admittedly, but is it any wonder that the average punter loses money betting on horse racing? I am often asked by my members “how much” they should put on each bet, “do I have a staking system?”, or “how soon can I give up my job and just bet on the horses?”.

It seems plenty of people like to pay lip service to managing their betting bank-roll, but it never ceases to amaze me how so many people are still acting so recklessly with their money when it comes to betting. It strikes me that the perennial losing punter is a little like the over-weight bloke, who sets out on January 1st with every good intention of losing his beer gut. He has a few salads, maybe even pays a visit to the gym. But more often than not come February he is back to his comfortable eating habits, and the weight continues to pile on.

It’s often the same with the average punter – he has developed bad habits that have, over time, contributed to a steady flow of money out of his bank account and into the coffers of his local bookmakers. To become a winning punter he must change his ways.

Let’s examine some of the bad betting habits that contribute to an unhealthy bank balance:

1. Poor value bets

Let’s imagine you go into Tescos and pick up a tin of baked beans from the shelf. At the check-out the spotty 17-year-old scans the tin, and says “four hundred and seventy-eight pounds sixteen pence please, sir. You hand him your debit card, key in your PIN number and stroll out of the store. Ridiculous? Of course it is – you wouldn’t pay whatever price the store decided to charge. So why do so many punters take whatever price is on offer about a horse they fancy?

The answer is simple – they have no idea what a good price about the horse should be. We are all familiar with a tin of beans, we have an idea of how much it is worth, and we can make a decision what we will and will not pay. But when it comes to backing horses, probably the only limit most punters will place upon themselves is never to back odds-on.

This self-imposed rule can in itself be a fallacy – if you offered me 4/5 odds-on about a horse with a 4/9 odds-on chance of winning, I would bite your arm off!

The odds about any given horse are a reflection of the weight of money behind it, and not necessarily a reflection of the true odds of the horse winning. Let me give you an example: top trainer Sir Michael Stoute is running a valuable filly for the first time in a maiden race at York. Champion jockey Kieron Fallon is in the saddle. The Racing Post has 7 experts tipping this horse to win. There are 11 other runners in the race. This horse’s price is 11/10 – is this a good bet? Do you really think that a filly running in public for the first time with no form to point to has a genuine chance of just under 50% to win the race?

This is a good example of when a horse’s price is lower than it’s true chance of winning. NOT good value.

The only way to make a profit from betting on horse racing in the long run, is to consistently back horses at prices too high compared to their actual chance of winning. This is known as getting ‘value’ into your bets. You are paying less for something than its true worth. It’s stuff you would learn on day one of your economics GCSE. Equally, you will profit long term if you consistently lay horses to lose at prices too short compared to their actual chance of winning.

The lesson to be learned is only ever bet when you have value on your side. Otherwise, just let the horse run. I will continue my examination of the other money-sapping betting habits in future articles, but that’s all for today.

About the author: Max Redd has been making a living betting on horse racing for over 10 years. He runs the Redd Racing betting advisory service which offers members a FREE trial and a 60-day money-back profit guarantee. Find out more at http://www.reddracing.co.uk

Max Redd
http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/betting-on-horse-racing-sensible-money-management-part-1-94351.html

It is no surprise to any of us that interest rates have risen and are still rising and lenders are able to be choosy so borrowing on a whim is no longer possible.

The credit crunch has made borrowing prohibitive as the bank loan rates have soared on personal loans and mortgages. The popular lenders have made increases in the last couple of weeks including Nat West with a 2.5 per cent rise.

Michelle Slade from the financial comparison website Moneyfacts.co.uk says, “It is not only mortgage rates that continue to increase, so have personal loan rates and monthly repayments.”

She says Tesco Personal Finance has gone up another 0.6 per cent, Lombard Direct has gone up 1 per cent, the AA is up 0.1 per cent and Barclaycard rates have increased by 0.5 per cent. Barclaycard have also put a stop on their one-time best-buy product which they used to offer through Masterloan.

At least half of the lenders who offer personal loans have altered their charges since the beginning of the year.

An increase of 11 per cent on smaller loans by Black Horse has seen an addition of 52 pounds and 68 pence in interest, per year, on a 1,000 pound, one-year loan.

To borrow 25,000 pounds from the Nat West over 5 years with a rate increase of 1.5 per cent on these bigger amounts, will see an extra 1,015 pounds and 20 pence on the total cost of the loan.

Some lenders have actually reduced rates. Brittania BS and Moneyback Bank lowered rates at the beginning of 2008 and a loan for 5,000 pounds with the Clydesdale Bank or Yorkshire Bank can cost up to 7 per cent less than before.

The experts are all echoing that in such glum economic circumstances and family budgets are really being squeezed borrowing should be thought about.

Steve Wilcox at Citizens Advice warns, “The fact that a lender has approved your loan does not mean you can afford the repayments, “and he goes on to say, “Loans are not for paying off current borrowings or to buy everyday essentials such as food or energy. While there is a credit crunch on, lenders still need to make some money but borrowers must be extra-careful that they can afford repayments.”

Do not forget, if you can justify borrowing, that the “typical rate” may not be the rate that you will be offered. By law a “typical rate” must be offered to a minimum of 66 per cent of approved borrowers, which leaves a remaining third that may well be charged a higher rate.

As we know, lenders are picky so you may not qualify for a loan if your credit history is nothing other than perfect; the slightest blip may cause your application to be turned down flat.

Also, buying Payment Protection Insurance from your lender is not a good move and can cost you thousands. If you want this cover go for independent cover from insurers like britishinsure.com or paymentcare.co.uk.

Another mistake is to assume that your own bank will offer you the best the deal – get quotes from other lenders.

You must not forget that every application you make for a loan will leave a footprint on your credit file which in turn might push up the rate that you are offered or you could result in being refused by lenders contacted subsequently.

Michael Challiner
http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/some-tips-for-loans-as-borrowing-gets-harder-755750.html

The ads have been around for years in magazines and newspapers. Now they’ve moved to the Internet. They promise easy work from home ideas, unlimited opportunities and high pay. Unfortunately they usually promised more than they delivered, and the buyer was disappointed once again. There are real business opportunities though. It just takes personal discipline to determine which the best business is for you. An honest and thoughtful analysis of your skills, abilities knowledge and resources is the first steps to choosing an easy work from home idea.

Here are some ideas to get you started.

Online store

Looking for easy work from home ideas? You can start in a matter of minutes with prepackaged software and name brand merchandise. You don’t need to stockpile inventory, you arrange for drop shipment from a central warehouse directly to your customer. You don’t need to pay for expensive office or sales space, just a corner of your kitchen or den.

Web site design

In order to do this job you will need to be creative and understand computer program. You can use one of the web site design software programs. Many small businesses would welcome your assistance in going online. Be sure to maintain a portfolio of your work to offer to show future customers what you’re capable of. Easy work from home ideas such as this guarantee a bright future.

Content writing

Creative writing ability and a good command of grammar and punctuation are prerequisites for this easy work from home idea. You need to have access to the Internet. Answer an ad on one of the good freelance opportunity sites to soon have more work than you can handle. Again, it’s important to maintain a portfolio of your best work to demonstrate your abilities to potential clients. There is other easy work from home ideas that we can list, so keep reading!

Multi-level marketing

There are many multi-level marketing programs out there, not all of them are good opportunities for work at home. Choose carefully, look for companies, which offer real products and provide good compensation plans. Easy work from home ideas such as multi-level marketing is great for people inclined towards sales.

Online Surveys

There are many companies who want you to sign up to take surveys. Choose sites that pay for the services with cash or merchandise. You shouldn’t need to pay for the service. Sometimes these sites also include cash for reading emails offers. If you receive gifts for surveys and it’s an item you don’t want, consider selling it on one of the online auction sites.

Online auctions

The most well known of these sites is eBay. You can offer new or used merchandise at auction. This is a simple and easy work from home idea and requires very little in the way of up front costs.

Trading Domains

Good domain names are out there. You can find names, which are underused and link them to your own site or another site. Sometimes, you can even receive a commission as an affiliate for items that are purchased through your link. Or, sell the domain names directly on an online auction. Easy work from home ideas does not get better than this!

Online stock, commodities and Forex (foreign exchange) trading

Are you interested in easy work from home ideas relating to finance? Learn to be a trader through the educational programs available on broker websites, start with a virtual trading account, practice with virtual money, and when you have gained confidence and experience, try it with real money. You will need a computer with a reliable Internet connection.

Description: This article describes the importance of a self-inventory in determining which work at home opportunity is best for the individual. Here are eight easy work from home ideas that require little cash, experience, or inventory are described briefly.

Kelvin Tan
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-business-articles/easy-work-from-home-ideas-66948.html

Public Debt Management is the process of establishing and implementing a policy for managing the government’s debt in order to raise the required amount of funding, track its cost and risk objectives, and to convene any other public debt management goals for which the government has put criteria for developing and maintaining an efficient and liquid market for national securities. Hence,

 

The Legal framework should clarify the authority to borrow and to issue new debt, invest and undertake transactions on behalf of the Government. The organizational framework should be well specified where mandates and roles are well articulated. Sovereign debt management may span a country’s debt management organization or a fundamental depository. Debt management report should be made publicly which would review preceding year’s activities and provide synopsis of borrowing plans based on budget protuberance.

 

The Public Accounts comprises of three divisions Debt, Deposits and Reserves and Remittances. The ‘Debt’ Comprises receipt and payments in respect of which government incurs a liability to repay the money received or has a claim to recover the amount paid together with repayments of the former and recoveries of the latter. State General Provident Fund, National Savings Certificate and Postal Savings Certificates etc. are recorded in this division. The ‘Deposit and Reserves’ comprises receipts and payment for which the Government acts as a banker. The government, as the banker, deals with civil deposit, personal deposit and renewal reserve fund etc. The ‘Remittances’ division comprises all adjusting heads for instance, remittances to and from Bangladesh Bank and PWD, Defence, Forest, T and T and Postal etc. Remittances to Bangladesh mission abroad are also included in this division. The form of accounting used by the Government of Bangladesh is based on the cash basis of accounting; that is, recording the transaction at the time when cash is paid or received. Cash basis of Accounting is a traditional basis of govt accounting. There are completely two different sets of published accounts in Bangladesh- the Annual Finance Accounts and the Annual Appropriation Accounts and Annual Finance Accounts: The Finance Accounts reflect total annual receipts and expenditure of the government together with relevant financial statements.

Furthermore, the cash balance of the government is also publicized in this statement where preparation of the Annual Finance Accounts is vested with the C&AG according to Article 4 of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Additional Functions) Act, 1974. Appropriation Accounts: The appropriation is a proportional report viewing comprehensive head-wise/code-wise ultimate budgetary distribution and authentic expenses of different ministries and their subordinate offices with details of variances (if any). According to Article 128 of the Constitution and Rule 4 of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Additional functions) Act 1974, preparation of the Appropriation Accounts by the concerned Accounts Offices, it is reviewed by the Directorates of Civil Audit and PT&T according to concerned portions and then certified by the C&AG with required observations.

The primary accounts are held in reserve where the transactions take place. There are two branches of primary accounts, one kept by the govt. accounting departments; and the other kept by the self-drawing departments known as departmentalized accounts departments, like Public Works Department, Telephone Board Postal Department, forest Department etc. To keep consistency and for the convenience of administrative functions, govt. has set up accounting offices under the control of CGA. CGDF and ADGFR. Office of the CGA covers all ministries and departments except Defence and Railway. The lowest tire of accounting unit tender the Controller General of Accounts (CGA) is the Upazilla Accounts Office. Next unit is the District Accounts Office, which is located at the District Headquarters. For the account purpose, there are also 20 regional Accounts Offices at the greater district headquarters, which consolidate the accounts received from the District and Upazilla Accounts Officers for onward transmission to the Controller General of Accounts. The Chief Accounts Offices of the respective Ministries keep accounts of the presidency. There are 21 Accounts Offices for the ministries and divisions of the govt. They work under the Administrative control of the C&AG and CGA and under the functional control of the secretary of the concerned Ministry/Division. All these Accounts Offices and their activities facilities the CGA office to prepare the Monthly Accounts, the Finance Accounts and Appropriation Accounts. Considering the special nature of functions and activities of the Defense Service and the Railway. Govt. has established separated departments for their accounting functions, namely the CGDF and the ADGFR respectively. Accounting units of these Departments also prepare and maintain their monthly accounts, which facilitate the CGDF and the ADGFR to prepare the Monthly Accounts, the Finance Accounts and the Appropriation Accounts.

The accounting system for the departments, which run the Departmentalized concept such as Railway, Defence, Postal, T&T, Works, Forest etc, is a bit different from concept such as Railway, Defense, Postal, T&T, Works, Forest etc. is a bit different from the general government accounting system. However, except Railway all other departments do not have separate bank account. The Railway has separate bank account with the Bangladesh Bank and that shows separate through a head called ”Remittance””- an adjusting head in the government account and deposit it their income through using this head too. The Bangladesh Bank (BB) acts the banker to the government although there exists distinction between Consolidated Fund and Public Account, in effect cash balance of the Government is one and that lies with the Bangladesh Bank. The Accounting Offices issue cheque in favour of the parties/person’s and then the cheques are finally drawn from the (now Central Reconciliation Unit) fore reconciliation and outside the presidency where there are no branches of BB Sonali Bank acts as the Banker to the Government Cheques issued by the Accounting Offices and drawn on the Sonali Bank afterwards are sent back to the concerned Accounting Offices for reconciliation. The Thana, District and Chief Accounts Officers record each and every transaction of the government as the initial accounts where it is applicable. Initial accounts are recorded under the relevant head of accounts where the transaction is taken place where Upazilla and District Accounts Offices send accounts as usual by the 10th of the following month. The DCA Offices subsequently classify the detailed accounting information under the respective head of accounts and propel it to the CGA by the 20th of that month. On the other side, self-drawing Departments transmit their accounts to the CAO of their respective ministries. Along with those, the CAO Office prepares initial accounts of the presidency, classify and consolidate the accounts within the purview of its ministry’s boundaries and then send the accounts to the CGA by 20th of the following month. They also send the accounts to their respective Principal Accounting Officer/Secretary of Ministry or Division. CGA Prepares consolidated accounts based on the accounting data supplied by the CAO and DCA’s. Similar procedure is followed in the accounting units of the Defense Finance and Railway so far as flow of accounts is concerned. In respect of preparation of the Finance Accounts and the Appropriation Accounts of the Defence Ministry and the Railway Department, the CGDF and the ADGFR respectively play the key role. The monthly Accounts prepared and maintained by the Accounts Officers of the government are the basis of Finance Accounts and the Appropriation Accounts. The following criteria are the factor which is worth noting.

• Well-articulated responsibilities for staff, clear monitoring, control policies and reporting arrangements required.
• Precise and comprehensive management information system with proper safeguards.
• Staff be subject to a code of conduct and conflict of interest guidelines re management of personal financial affairs.

Debt Management approach:

Risk can be moderate by transforming debt structure against costs which is accelerated for borrowing decisions at reduced risks. Debt managers should consider financial and other risks characteristic to government cash flows where carefully assessment and managing risk associated with foreign currency and short term floating rate debt is virtual important with due regard. Debt Management Strategy should be Cost effective where cash management policies needs to meet with a high degree of certainty financial obligations as they fall due. A framework enabling debt managers to manage the trade-off between expected costs and risk in government debt portfolio should be set forth in consistence with real life situation. Impact of contingent liabilities on Government financial and liquidity position cannot be ignored while making decision in respect of selecting borrowing criteria.

Risks in sovereign debt management

 

Market risks involve changes in interest rate, exchange rate and commodity prices and their impact on government debt servicing. Longer term fixed rate needs to be preferred. In this connection, rollover risk is another factor to reduce risk in the field of Debt Management System: The risk that debt may have to be rolled over at an unusually high cost, and in extreme cases, cannot be rolled over. Operational Risk: A Transaction error, failure of internal control or systems, security breaches natural disasters affecting business activity.

• Risks in sovereign debt management
• Liquidity risk: It involves a situation when volumes of liquid assets diminish quickly in face of unanticipated cash flow obligation or difficulty in raising cash thru borrowing on short notice. Credit Risk: It refers to non-performance by borrowers on loans or other financial assets e.g. contingent liabilities, derivative contract entered into by debt manager.
• Develop Efficient Govt. Securities Market

• To minimize cost and risk debt managers should strive to develop efficient securities market. To strive to achieve a broad investor base for both domestic and foreign obligation with investors being treated equitably.
• The primary market should be transparent and predictable with market-based debt issuance. Government should promote a resilient and there should have criteria for

 

Debt versus Deficit which

 

deficit is a flow of new debt incurred when the Government spends more than it raises as taxes.

 

• Ex: When US government ran a deficit of $ 100 billion in 1995, it adds to stock of government debt, but when it enjoyed a surplus of $ 200 billion in 1999, it reduced the stock by that amount.

Objectives of Debt management

• To ensure that government financing needs and its payment obligations are met.
• To secure government debt at the lowest possible cost over medium and long range.
• It should be consistent with prudent degree of risk
• Coordination with Monetary and Fiscal Policies

Debt Managers, fiscal policy advisors and central bankers should share an understanding on the objectives of debt management, fiscal and monetary policies. They should also know Government’s current and future liquidity requirements. Debt managers should convey fiscal authorities their views on the costs and risk associated with government financing requirements and debt levels. Divergent objectives respected where Debt-managers focus on cost/risk trade-off of debt while monetary policy directed towards achieving price-stability and inflation issues. In this connection, Debt management and monetary policy be allowed to perform in their own realms with one not affecting the core objectives of the other. Furthermore, the goal of cost minimization subject to prudent level of risk should not be viewed as a mandate to reduce interest rate. Coordination with Monetary and Fiscal Policies

 

Debt Managers, fiscal policy advisors and central bankers should share an understanding on the objectives of debt management, fiscal and monetary policies. They should also know Government’s current and future liquidity requirements where Debt managers should convey fiscal authorities their views on the costs and risk associated with government financing requirements and debt levels.

• Divergent objectives respected and in this respect, debt-managers focus on cost/risk trade-off of debt while monetary policy directed towards achieving price-stability and inflation issues.
• Debt management and monetary policy be allowed to perform in their own realms with one not affecting the core objectives of the other.
• The goal of cost minimization subject to prudent level of risk should not be viewed as a mandate to reduce interest rate.

Borrowing Authority:

An IMF survey shows that:

• In all of the countries surveyed, the legal authority to borrow rests with the parliament
• In most of the countries, legislation has been enacted authorizing the Ministry of Finance to borrow on behalf of the government.
• In some others, that power has been delegated to the Cabinet, and in one case (India) straightly to the state bank.

Debt Management Responsibility in Bangladesh: Regarding debt management system, there exists lots of responsibility to create and debt management market by borrowing and establishing funds and in a nutshell, these are as follows:

• The Rules of Business empowers Finance Division to borrow and float market loans. Bangladesh Bank Order 1972 envisages that BB acts as an agent to the Government, among others, for management of the public debt, they play active role in this respect.
• FSAP Report of IMF recommended that the terms, manner and conditions of borrowing fund should rest with Finance Division.
• The Report envisaged that Debt Management Office may be established in Finance Division. That the Office should report to Finance Secretary. The Office is responsible for all public debt including NSCs and external debt as well. Currently, NSCs debt are managed by IRD while external debt are managed by ERD, while borrowing from the banking system is managed by Bangladesh Bank with peripheral. Current Practice in Debt Management
• Domestic debt management is performed by BB very often not reflecting the needs of Government’s fiscal policy. The objective of debt management and monetary management seems to get blurred. Because of lack of involvement FD depends on its creditor (BB) for debt stock and borrowing information during the year.

 

Government accounting system derived its authorization from the Constitution of Bangladesh and as such the Constitution empowered the Comptroller and Auditor General to lay down the forms and manners of the government accounting. The Comptroller and Auditor General (Additional Functions) Act, 1974 assigned the C&AG with the responsibilities of maintenance the accounts of the Republic. These responsibilities of the Appropriation Accounts. Office of the Controller General of Accounts (CGA), Controller General Defense Finance (CGDF), Additional Director General Finance of Railway (ADGFR) and the Bangladesh Bank are the main source of accounting information for the government. Controller General of Accounts (CGA) plays the most important role in the government accounting function. CGA is responsible for keeping the accounts of the receipts and expenditure that are done the govt. departments other than the departmentalized accounting Departments and the Defense and Railway Department. CGDF maintains the accounts of the armed Forces and the departments under the Ministry of Defense. ADGFR is responsible for keeping the accounts of Bangladesh Railway. Bangladesh Bank furnishes the information and figures to the govt. accounting departments regarding foreign loans and aids provided by the International Development Partners to Bangladesh.

Kh. Atiar Rahman

One of the biggest concerns for small and medium size businesses (SMEs) is juggling time and company finances, particularly as the economy slips further into a financial downturn and priorities shift. Business owners are always looking for new ways to give themselves a little bit of financial breathing space that won’t unbalance either their business or their books. Using a business credit card could be one weapon that could help to minimise the day to day problems that many businesses encounter, giving them the chance to reappraise their cash flow and give them more control over their daily finances.

A business credit card (unlike a personal credit card) can offer SMEs greater financial flexibility and provide an alternative to expensive loans or debilitating overdrafts. If your company only needs a relatively small ‘fighting fund’ to cover daily expenses or the occasional payment to suppliers, a business credit card could be the answer. By choosing a card that best suits your company’s needs, you can reduce the amount of ’empty money’ you pay on overdraft interest payments or loan interest charges. Business credit cards are easily managed and can certainly help a business to survive a lean month by ensuring suppliers are paid on time, thus keeping open other lines of credit essential to the operation of the business. If managed carefully it can also improve the credit rating of a business – something that, in the current climate, where banks are reigning in on business loans to minimise their exposure to ‘bad debt’, puts a business on much firmer ground.

In 2004, the Warwick Business School carried out a study of 2,500 businesses that looked into financial options for SMEs. The study found that business credit cards were the financial option of choice for 55% of small and medium sized businesses. 53% of SMEs had overdrafts, 27% used hire purchase agreements or leasing contracts and only 3% cited equity finance as their primary financial source. This study, although carried out before the current recession kicked in, is still applicable today and business credit cards are still an integral part of business life. The major benefit of a business credit card is that it gives a company a separate source of income from their main cash flow. It can also provide them with an extended, interest-free credit period when dealing with suppliers. This ‘grace’ period between payment to a supplier and the money being removed from the company’s assets via credit card payment can sometimes mean the difference between survival and closure for many small businesses.

Time management is another crucial factor, and business credit cards can also be a boon to a business in this aspect. SMEs waste valuable time (and money) by carrying out labour-intensive administrative and accounting processes. By employing a business credit card as part of an overall fiscal strategy, the time spent on complicated accounting (particularly when dealing with expenses such as travel and accommodation) can be reduced, as the statements provided by the card supplier will give a complete breakdown of monthly expenditure on all cards. This lets the accountants monitor expenses, supplier payments and other transactions quickly and easily. It also ensures that personal expenditure and business costs are kept separate, again allowing the business to chart ‘cash in’ and ‘cash out’ much more easily.

Most business credit cards allow multiple users to access the same account by issuing additional cards for employees. This gives SME owners the reassurance that employees have a payment tool that can be collated into a single account. Pre-set limits also control the amount of spending additional card holders can make, ensuring that the company does not inadvertently overspend and allowing owners to monitor individual employees’ spending. With the advent of online banking this monitoring can be carried out instantly, giving a business owner the chance to stop any overspend in its tracks. Statements can also be a useful cost-cutting tool, giving a business a window on their expenditure and if necessary making fundamental changes in their organisation to reduce overheads such as travel expenses.

There is a wide range of business credit cards available, so it pays to shop around to find the best offer that suits your particular business needs. Some cards offer ‘reward schemes’ with offers on petrol or accommodation, so if your business involves employees travelling extensively this option could save your business money in the long term. Others offer attractive APR rates or interest-free periods, which may be more suitable for a new business trying to find its financial feet. By choosing carefully, a business credit card can be an integral part of an overall financial policy that benefits a business both in the short and long term, particularly in a chilly economic climate.

Hannah Callen
http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/business-credit-cards-the-smart-way-to-improve-your-cash-flow-722359.html