http://brightbridgewealthmanagement-advice.com/2011/05/brightbridge-wealth-management-headlinesemerging-markets-latam-stocks-slide-as-china-economy-cools/
* Chinese industrial output slows as economy cools
* Investors still see inflation worries in Brazil
* Brazil Bovespa off 1.25 pct, Mexico IPC off 0.43 pct
By Luciana Lopez and Michael O’Boyle
SAO PAULO/MEXICO CITY, May 11 (Reuters) – Latin American stocks slid on Wednesday as signs of slower Chinese growth signaled lower commodities demand ahead, which may spur foreign investors to dump more shares of the region’s materials producers.
The MSCI Latin American index .MILA00000PUS fell 1.16 percent in the morning after gaining in the previous session. Brazil rebounded from its lowest since July last week, but low-volume gains marked little conviction in the rise.
China’s industrial output growth eased much more than expected in April, suggesting the economy of Brazil’s top trading partner is cooling. [ID:nL3E7GB0H2]
“If China doesn’t grow the way people hoped… many investors will turn to less risky assets, which could offer more opportunities for gains,” said Raphael Martello, an economist with Tendencias Consultoria, a Sao Paulo economic research company.
Foreign investors have increasingly pulled out of emerging markets like Latin America to bet on a strengthening recovery in more developed economies, such as the United States.
Rising inflation and the risk of higher interest rates that could weigh on growth have curbed the attraction of stocks in Brazil, where the 12-month IPCA price index has breached a government ceiling of 6.5 percent, Martello said.
Also hurting demand for riskier assets, a euro zone sovereign debt crisis has kept global investors jittery, with rumors flying of a possible restructuring of Greek debt. [ID:nLDE74A16A]
“That never really leaves the agenda,” Martello said.
Brazil’s benchmark Bovespa stock index .BVSP fell 1.25 percent, led by losses in heavyweight commodities companies.
Technical signals continued to paint a gloomy picture for the index, which traded below several key simple moving averages. The Bovespa’s moving average convergence divergence, or MACD, has now stayed persistently bearish for about a month.
Shares of mining giant Vale (VALE5.SA), the world’s largest producer of iron ore, fell 1.73 percent, as state-controlled energy giant Petrobras (PETR4.SA) gave up 1.42 percent.
Brasil Foods (BRFS3.SA) slid 1.28 percent, extending the 7.13 percent loss in the previous session on worries that Brazilian antitrust regulators could impose stricter conditions on the merger that created the company. [ID:nN11106574]
Limiting losses, beef producer JBS (JBSS3.SA) rose 2.67 percent after the company reported a jump in first-quarter net profit.
Mexico’s IPC index .MXX slid 0.43 percent to 35,522 points, potentially snapping a two-day streak of gains.
Technical signals pointed to uncertainty, with a fall below 35,000 boding for a deeper correction, analysts said.
A rise above 36,200, the 38.2 percent Fibonacci retracement of the gauge’s slump from an early April high to a May low, could mean the index will see further gains.
Mining company Grupo Mexico (GMEXICOB.MX) fell 1.55 percent, as telecommunications company America Movil (AMXL.MX) dipped 0.69 percent.
Chile’s IPSA index .IPSA edged up 0.08 percent, buoyed by banking shares.
Shares of Sociedad Matriz del Banco de Chile CHI_pb.SN rose 3.29 percent, with BCI BCI.SN advancing 0.74 percent.
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onsdag 6. juli 2011
Brightbridge Wealth Management Headlines: Destination for Swiss investors
http://brightbridgewealthmanagement-advice.com/2011/05/brightbridge-wealth-management-headlines-destination-for-swiss-investors/
President Swiss Business Council Pakistan Farukh Mazhar, currently leading a delegation of heads of Pakistan based Swiss companies and prominent Pakistani businessmen to Zurich, said that Pakistan is a huge opportunity destination for investors despite all odds.
Mazhar was addressing a seminar in Zurich at the start of an extensive interaction between the business leaders of the two countries, says a press release.
Presenting the opening address in Zurich, Farukh Mazhar said, “The Pakistani delegation is anxious to explore possibilities of mutual interest with their counterparts here in Zurich.”
Pakistani business leaders fully understand the objective behind this initiative and the dynamic members of the delegation aim to highlight investment opportunities.
within Pakistan for soliciting Foreign Direct Investment from Switzerland as well as exploring export opportunities to Switzerland, Mazhar further added.
In November 2008, Swiss Business Council in Pakistan formed an alliance with Swiss Asian Chamber of Commerce (SACC) to work together in order to develop and expand trade and investment opportunities between both countries. SACC headquartered in Zurich is a strong Chamber of Commerce in Switzerland with business links to 12 Asian countries. Pakistan is now a part of this great Swiss Asian business axis. The Swiss Business council Pakistan and its members hugely value this association, said Mazhar.
President Swiss Business Council Pakistan Farukh Mazhar, currently leading a delegation of heads of Pakistan based Swiss companies and prominent Pakistani businessmen to Zurich, said that Pakistan is a huge opportunity destination for investors despite all odds.
Mazhar was addressing a seminar in Zurich at the start of an extensive interaction between the business leaders of the two countries, says a press release.
Presenting the opening address in Zurich, Farukh Mazhar said, “The Pakistani delegation is anxious to explore possibilities of mutual interest with their counterparts here in Zurich.”
Pakistani business leaders fully understand the objective behind this initiative and the dynamic members of the delegation aim to highlight investment opportunities.
within Pakistan for soliciting Foreign Direct Investment from Switzerland as well as exploring export opportunities to Switzerland, Mazhar further added.
In November 2008, Swiss Business Council in Pakistan formed an alliance with Swiss Asian Chamber of Commerce (SACC) to work together in order to develop and expand trade and investment opportunities between both countries. SACC headquartered in Zurich is a strong Chamber of Commerce in Switzerland with business links to 12 Asian countries. Pakistan is now a part of this great Swiss Asian business axis. The Swiss Business council Pakistan and its members hugely value this association, said Mazhar.
Brightbridge Wealth Management Headlines: Ifo economic survey remains optimistic on Taiwan
http://brightbridgewealthmanagement-advice.com/2011/05/brightbridge-wealth-management-headlines-ifo-economic-survey-remains-optimistic-on-taiwan/
The latest Ifo World Economic Survey indicates that Taiwan’s economy will continue to strengthen in the next two quarters along with the global economic recovery, the Council for Economic Planning and Development said May 18.
According to the CEPD, experts polled in the quarterly Ifo survey rated Taiwan’s overall economic climate as “satisfactory” and its private consumption as “good.”
They expect the two categories to show similar results in the next six months and for capital spending to remain “the same.”
Exports are expected to pick up steam, while stock prices are likely to be higher, according to the Ifo survey. Consumer prices and short and long-term interest rates are likely to increase, while the New Taiwan dollar will continue to strengthen versus the U.S. dollar, the survey said.
On the global front, the survey predicts the world economy to continue recovering from the 2009 Great Recession, but at a more moderate pace. The benchmark World Economic Climate Indicator reached 107.7 in the latest poll, up from the 106.8 points in the previous survey.
The CEPD said the stable growth of world economy will help Taiwan maintain its foreign trade momentum. A series of government programs, including its global investment promotion campaign, will help drive the nation’s economy forward, the agency added.
Initiated in 1981 by the German-based Ifo Institute for Economic Research, the Ifo WES assesses the economic situation worldwide based on a comprehensive survey among global professionals.
The latest Ifo World Economic Survey indicates that Taiwan’s economy will continue to strengthen in the next two quarters along with the global economic recovery, the Council for Economic Planning and Development said May 18.
According to the CEPD, experts polled in the quarterly Ifo survey rated Taiwan’s overall economic climate as “satisfactory” and its private consumption as “good.”
They expect the two categories to show similar results in the next six months and for capital spending to remain “the same.”
Exports are expected to pick up steam, while stock prices are likely to be higher, according to the Ifo survey. Consumer prices and short and long-term interest rates are likely to increase, while the New Taiwan dollar will continue to strengthen versus the U.S. dollar, the survey said.
On the global front, the survey predicts the world economy to continue recovering from the 2009 Great Recession, but at a more moderate pace. The benchmark World Economic Climate Indicator reached 107.7 in the latest poll, up from the 106.8 points in the previous survey.
The CEPD said the stable growth of world economy will help Taiwan maintain its foreign trade momentum. A series of government programs, including its global investment promotion campaign, will help drive the nation’s economy forward, the agency added.
Initiated in 1981 by the German-based Ifo Institute for Economic Research, the Ifo WES assesses the economic situation worldwide based on a comprehensive survey among global professionals.
Brightbridge Wealth Management Headlines: Market Preview: All Eyes on LinkedIn’s Encore
http://brightbridgewealthmanagement-advice.com/2011/05/brightbridge-wealth-management-headlines-market-preview-all-eyes-on-linkedins-encore/
The market shrugged off a ton of shaky economic data on Thursday as LinkedIn(LNKD)-inspired euphoria seemed to serve as a cure-all.
The problem is the business-oriented social networking company’s impressive debut is an impossible act to follow, and there could be a hangover for the broad market to deal with after the stock closed up more than 100%. At one point, the shares ran as high as $122.70, a gain of 170% from LinkedIn’s pricing at $45 per share.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average is now up about 10 points for the week so Friday’s direction is likely to determine whether the blue-chip index falls for a third straight week for the first time in 2011 or breaks the streak.
Retail investors have continued to trend toward bearishness, according to the latest American Association of Individual Investors survey, which found 41.3% of respondents fell in the bear camp for the week ended on Wednesday. That’s up 5.8% from the week before, and well beyond the long-term average of 30%.
Those identifying themselves as bullish in the survey, which draws from the organization’s 150,000 members and asks how they feel about the stock market for the next six months, came in at just 26.7%, down 4.1% from last week and far below the long-term average of 39%. The remainder of those polled identified themselves as neutral.
Thursday’s after-hours session was a busy one with disappointing results from both Gap(GPS) and Aeropostale(ARO) set against positive reports from Salesforce.com(CRM) and Foot Locker(FL).
Quarterly reports of note due on Friday are few and far between. AnnTaylor Stores(ANN) is always good for some insight into how the affluent consumer is doing, and the company has topped Wall Street’s expectations in three of the past four quarters.
The consensus for the April-ended period calls for a profit of 48 cents a share on revenue of $512.1 million, and there’s bullish lean ahead of the numbers with 12 of the 19 analysts covering the shares at either strong buy (12) or buy (12). The stock closed Thursday at $30.20, up 12.5% so far in 2011 and 50% over the past 52 weeks, so the snapback if there’s a shortfall could be harsh.
The market shrugged off a ton of shaky economic data on Thursday as LinkedIn(LNKD)-inspired euphoria seemed to serve as a cure-all.
The problem is the business-oriented social networking company’s impressive debut is an impossible act to follow, and there could be a hangover for the broad market to deal with after the stock closed up more than 100%. At one point, the shares ran as high as $122.70, a gain of 170% from LinkedIn’s pricing at $45 per share.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average is now up about 10 points for the week so Friday’s direction is likely to determine whether the blue-chip index falls for a third straight week for the first time in 2011 or breaks the streak.
Retail investors have continued to trend toward bearishness, according to the latest American Association of Individual Investors survey, which found 41.3% of respondents fell in the bear camp for the week ended on Wednesday. That’s up 5.8% from the week before, and well beyond the long-term average of 30%.
Those identifying themselves as bullish in the survey, which draws from the organization’s 150,000 members and asks how they feel about the stock market for the next six months, came in at just 26.7%, down 4.1% from last week and far below the long-term average of 39%. The remainder of those polled identified themselves as neutral.
Thursday’s after-hours session was a busy one with disappointing results from both Gap(GPS) and Aeropostale(ARO) set against positive reports from Salesforce.com(CRM) and Foot Locker(FL).
Quarterly reports of note due on Friday are few and far between. AnnTaylor Stores(ANN) is always good for some insight into how the affluent consumer is doing, and the company has topped Wall Street’s expectations in three of the past four quarters.
The consensus for the April-ended period calls for a profit of 48 cents a share on revenue of $512.1 million, and there’s bullish lean ahead of the numbers with 12 of the 19 analysts covering the shares at either strong buy (12) or buy (12). The stock closed Thursday at $30.20, up 12.5% so far in 2011 and 50% over the past 52 weeks, so the snapback if there’s a shortfall could be harsh.
http://brightbridgewealthmanagement-advice.com/2011/06/brightbridge-wealth-management-headlinesgoogle-sued-by-paypal-over-claims-it-stole-trade-secrets/
http://brightbridgewealthmanagement-advice.com/2011/06/brightbridge-wealth-management-headlinesgoogle-sued-by-paypal-over-claims-it-stole-trade-secrets/
Osama Bedier, a former PayPal executive now at Google, stole PayPal’s confidential information, the company said in the lawsuit filed yesterday in state court in San Jose, California. Stephanie Tilenius, another ex-PayPal executive now at Google, violated contractual obligations by recruiting Bedier, PayPal said.
Bedier “is now leading Google’s efforts to bring point-of- sale technologies and services to retailers on its behalf,” according to the complaint. “Bedier and Google have misappropriated PayPal trade secrets by disclosing them within Google and to major retailers.”
Both companies are trying to move into storefronts from online transactions and build their mobile businesses. PayPal, based in San Jose, is working with major retailers to develop a new type of point-of-sale system — the equipment next to cash registers where consumers swipe credit cards.
Google, based in Mountain View, California, yesterday unveiled two services to let consumers pay merchants and download coupons with a tap of their mobile phones.
“Silicon Valley was built on the ability of individuals to use their knowledge and expertise to seek better employment opportunities, an idea recognized by both California law and public policy,” Aaron Zamost, a Google spokesman, said in an e- mailed statement. “We respect trade secrets, and will defend ourselves against these claims.”
Tilenius, who left EBay in 2009, was under contract not to recruit employees, PayPal said. She messaged Bedier on Facebook Inc.’s social-networking website, telling him she had a “HUGE” opportunity for him, and sent him e-mails and text messages offering advice while he interviewed for a position, according to the complaint.
The case is PayPal v. Google Inc. (GOOG), 11CV201863, California Superior Court, County of Santa Clara (San Jose).
Osama Bedier, a former PayPal executive now at Google, stole PayPal’s confidential information, the company said in the lawsuit filed yesterday in state court in San Jose, California. Stephanie Tilenius, another ex-PayPal executive now at Google, violated contractual obligations by recruiting Bedier, PayPal said.
Bedier “is now leading Google’s efforts to bring point-of- sale technologies and services to retailers on its behalf,” according to the complaint. “Bedier and Google have misappropriated PayPal trade secrets by disclosing them within Google and to major retailers.”
Both companies are trying to move into storefronts from online transactions and build their mobile businesses. PayPal, based in San Jose, is working with major retailers to develop a new type of point-of-sale system — the equipment next to cash registers where consumers swipe credit cards.
Google, based in Mountain View, California, yesterday unveiled two services to let consumers pay merchants and download coupons with a tap of their mobile phones.
“Silicon Valley was built on the ability of individuals to use their knowledge and expertise to seek better employment opportunities, an idea recognized by both California law and public policy,” Aaron Zamost, a Google spokesman, said in an e- mailed statement. “We respect trade secrets, and will defend ourselves against these claims.”
Android Talks
PayPal also alleges that Bedier, who left the company in January, discussed a job with Google while simultaneously leading negotiations to make PayPal a payment option on Google’s Android Market. He didn’t disclose the job-related talks, a breach of his fiduciary duty, the company said.Tilenius, who left EBay in 2009, was under contract not to recruit employees, PayPal said. She messaged Bedier on Facebook Inc.’s social-networking website, telling him she had a “HUGE” opportunity for him, and sent him e-mails and text messages offering advice while he interviewed for a position, according to the complaint.
The case is PayPal v. Google Inc. (GOOG), 11CV201863, California Superior Court, County of Santa Clara (San Jose).
Brightbridge Wealth Management Headlines:Hillary Clinton says FBI will probe Gmail hacker attack
http://brightbridgewealthmanagement-advice.com/2011/06/brightbridge-wealth-management-headlineshillary-clinton-says-fbi-will-probe-gmail-hacker-attack/
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the U.S. government was investigating a hacker attack on personal Google email accounts used by senior government officials, as well as members of the military, political activists and journalists.
Google Inc. disclosed the attack on its Gmail email service Wednesday, saying it appeared to have originated in China and affected hundreds of people.
“We are obviously very concerned about Google’s announcement,” Clinton said Thursday at a news conference. “These allegations are very serious.”
She said the FBI would conduct an investigation into the breaches.
White House press secretary Jay Carney said that President Obama had been made aware of the attacks. But Carney added that there was no reason to believe that any official U.S. government email accounts had been accessed by the hackers.
Carney said that government officials are permitted to have personal email accounts, but not allowed to use them in any official capacities.
“All of our work is conducted on work email accounts,” Carney said at a news briefing. “That’s part of the Presidential Records Act.”
Google has not publicly disclosed the names of the people whose email accounts may have been exposed during the attack. The company said that they had notified them of the breech.
A Department of Defense spokeswoman said the agency was not sure if any of the victims of the cyber attack were DOD employees.
“As the breach involved Gmail,” said Lt. Col. April Cunningham, “since those are not official DOD email accounts, we are unaware if the targeted individuals are Defense employees.”
Also on Thursday, the Chinese government — which has long been at odds with Google over censorship and other issues — said it had nothing to do with the attack.
“Allegations that the Chinese government supports hacking activities are completely unfounded and made with ulterior motives,” said Hong Lei, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, according to news reports in China.
Hong said the Chinese government was firmly opposed to activities that sabotage Internet and computer security, including hacking.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the U.S. government was investigating a hacker attack on personal Google email accounts used by senior government officials, as well as members of the military, political activists and journalists.
Google Inc. disclosed the attack on its Gmail email service Wednesday, saying it appeared to have originated in China and affected hundreds of people.
“We are obviously very concerned about Google’s announcement,” Clinton said Thursday at a news conference. “These allegations are very serious.”
She said the FBI would conduct an investigation into the breaches.
White House press secretary Jay Carney said that President Obama had been made aware of the attacks. But Carney added that there was no reason to believe that any official U.S. government email accounts had been accessed by the hackers.
Carney said that government officials are permitted to have personal email accounts, but not allowed to use them in any official capacities.
“All of our work is conducted on work email accounts,” Carney said at a news briefing. “That’s part of the Presidential Records Act.”
Google has not publicly disclosed the names of the people whose email accounts may have been exposed during the attack. The company said that they had notified them of the breech.
A Department of Defense spokeswoman said the agency was not sure if any of the victims of the cyber attack were DOD employees.
“As the breach involved Gmail,” said Lt. Col. April Cunningham, “since those are not official DOD email accounts, we are unaware if the targeted individuals are Defense employees.”
Also on Thursday, the Chinese government — which has long been at odds with Google over censorship and other issues — said it had nothing to do with the attack.
“Allegations that the Chinese government supports hacking activities are completely unfounded and made with ulterior motives,” said Hong Lei, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, according to news reports in China.
Hong said the Chinese government was firmly opposed to activities that sabotage Internet and computer security, including hacking.
Brightbridge Wealth Management Headlines:The real deal? Groupon files for public offering
http://brightbridgewealthmanagement-advice.com/2011/06/brightbridge-wealth-management-headlinesthe-real-deal-groupon-files-for-public-offering/
NEW YORK/PALOS VERDES, California (Reuters) – Daily deals site Groupon Inc filed for an initial public offering, hoping to capitalize on the biggest investor stampede into Web start-ups since the dotcom bubble burst a decade ago.
The company filed on Thursday to raise up to $750 million in its IPO, an offering that has been speculated about for months and that will be watched as a barometer of whether Internet valuations have become too rich.
In April, a source told Reuters that Groupon could raise as much as $1 billion in an IPO that could value it at $15 billion to $20 billion.
Thursday’s filing did not specify the number of shares to be sold in the IPO, the price range, or the exchange, though it did say the shares would trade under the symbol “GRPN.” It also said the $750 million figure is preliminary and may change.
Other Web companies including LinkedIn Corp and China’s Renren Inc have had strong IPO premieres, and anticipation is building toward a fever pitch for potential offerings by Facebook and Twitter. Pandora, a Web radio company, raised its IPO size to up to $141.6 million on Thursday — 40 percent more than estimates.
Some doubt whether the buzz surrounding the new Web generation is justified, warning that the hype is reminiscent of the atmosphere prior to the dotcom bust in 2001.
Groupon has also been called into question by critics who say its business — essentially a coupon service — can be easily replicated both by startups and existing Web powerhouses. Google has already begun such a service.
At the All Things Digital conference Wednesday, Groupon Chief Executive Andrew Mason himself admitted he feared possible competition from businesses that “have some twist on the model we haven’t thought of yet.”
“I think investors will go for this one,” said Ryan Jacob, chairman and chief investment officer of Jacob Funds, which includes the Jacob Internet Fund. “Whether or not it’s worth the valuation it comes at is still an open question.”
Groupon in the filing warned that it has incurred losses ever since its birth 2-1/2 years ago, that its technology may not be up to the task of handling demand, that expenses are bound to rise, and that the market may not continue to grow.
“As with any business in a 30-month-old industry, the path to success will have twists and turns, moments of brilliance and other moments of sheer stupidity,” Mason, 30, said in a letter to potential stockholders that was attached to the filing.
NEW YORK/PALOS VERDES, California (Reuters) – Daily deals site Groupon Inc filed for an initial public offering, hoping to capitalize on the biggest investor stampede into Web start-ups since the dotcom bubble burst a decade ago.
The company filed on Thursday to raise up to $750 million in its IPO, an offering that has been speculated about for months and that will be watched as a barometer of whether Internet valuations have become too rich.
In April, a source told Reuters that Groupon could raise as much as $1 billion in an IPO that could value it at $15 billion to $20 billion.
Thursday’s filing did not specify the number of shares to be sold in the IPO, the price range, or the exchange, though it did say the shares would trade under the symbol “GRPN.” It also said the $750 million figure is preliminary and may change.
Other Web companies including LinkedIn Corp and China’s Renren Inc have had strong IPO premieres, and anticipation is building toward a fever pitch for potential offerings by Facebook and Twitter. Pandora, a Web radio company, raised its IPO size to up to $141.6 million on Thursday — 40 percent more than estimates.
Some doubt whether the buzz surrounding the new Web generation is justified, warning that the hype is reminiscent of the atmosphere prior to the dotcom bust in 2001.
Groupon has also been called into question by critics who say its business — essentially a coupon service — can be easily replicated both by startups and existing Web powerhouses. Google has already begun such a service.
At the All Things Digital conference Wednesday, Groupon Chief Executive Andrew Mason himself admitted he feared possible competition from businesses that “have some twist on the model we haven’t thought of yet.”
“I think investors will go for this one,” said Ryan Jacob, chairman and chief investment officer of Jacob Funds, which includes the Jacob Internet Fund. “Whether or not it’s worth the valuation it comes at is still an open question.”
Groupon in the filing warned that it has incurred losses ever since its birth 2-1/2 years ago, that its technology may not be up to the task of handling demand, that expenses are bound to rise, and that the market may not continue to grow.
“As with any business in a 30-month-old industry, the path to success will have twists and turns, moments of brilliance and other moments of sheer stupidity,” Mason, 30, said in a letter to potential stockholders that was attached to the filing.
Brightbridge Wealth Management Headlines: Tax tips by the numbers
http://brightbridgewealthmanagement-advice.com/2011/06/brightbridge-wealth-management-headlines-tax-tips-by-the-numbers/
With just a few savvy moves, you could lower your tax bill or perhaps give your annual refund a nice boost, writes David Potts.
No glory without sacrifice, as the saying goes, but as a taxpayer, sacrificing brings nothing unless it’s your salary into super. Still, there are a few things you can do to bump up this year’s refund, or if that’s too optimistic, at least cut your tax bill.
Fortunately, the budget nasties don’t start until the new financial year – or the one after that in the case of the lower caps on salary-sacrificed super contributions for funds of more than $500,000.
You can even buy yourself more time by registering with a tax agent, which will delay your tax bill until at least May next year.
By the same token, the reduced penalty for first offenders for salary sacrificing too much to super isn’t available until next year.
Speaking of savings, although the 50 per cent discount off tax on interest or dividend income doesn’t start until July 1 either, you can take advantage of it immediately.
Just roll over any term deposits into the new financial year or, if you’ve got savings in a cash account, whip them over into a one- or two-month term deposit.
“Instead of an online cash-management trust you could put the money in a short-term term deposit that rolls over into the year,” the director of tax services at RSM Bird Cameron, Con Paoliello, says. “Although you’ll have to pay more tax because of the flood levy, you’ll be better off because of the 50 per cent discount.”
The discount on interest up to $1000 also applies to bonds, debentures and annuities.
By the way, next year the discount will reduce the “adjusted taxable income” used for qualifying for government goodies such as social security, the family tax benefit or the seniors health card.
Mind you, even better than a 50 per cent discount would be no tax at all.
Now I’m talking – but how? Move your money into the names of your children or a lower tax-paying spouse.
True, the budget abolishes the low-income tax offset on a child’s unearned income from July 1. But that still leaves $416 in dividends and interest tax-free for each child. Also, when negative gearing, an asset in the lowest-income-earning name is better if you plan to one day sell.
Although the annual tax breaks won’t be as great, this will be more than made up for by the much lower capital gains bill.
What’s more, if you’re getting franked dividends, the 30 per cent tax credit will generate a refund in the hands of a family member in the 15 per cent or zero tax brackets.
Since the low income tax offset still applies this year for children, a family trust should distribute income before the end of the month.
It can also pay to split your super.
You still have to stick to the caps but salary sacrificing some of your super to a partner will generate two tax-free thresholds when drawing out a lump sum and get near the $500,000 fund size limit from 2012-13. Oh, and don’t forget the spouse rebate. Contribute $3000 to the super of a spouse or live-in partner earning less than $13,800 and you get a $540 rebate.
Even better than co-habitation is co-contribution. So long as you’re working and earn less than $31,920, the government will match up to $1000 you put in super, so long as it isn’t salary sacrificed. This phases down as you earn more, cutting out altogether at $61,920.
This year’s tax dodge du jour is all about next year – minimising the flood levy, which begins on July 1. The surcharge is 0.5 per cent of whatever you earn between $50,000 and $100,000, or 1 per cent (plus $250) of anything over $100,000.
Rather than postponing income and spending sooner, this year do it the other way around.
Bring forward income, such as advance leave pay or a bonus and push back expenses so this year’s income is higher than next year’s.
Don’t get too carried away though. Since the levy on an income of $100,000 is $250, if you have more than $675 in expenses that could be claimed this year by pre-paying, such as subscriptions to trade journals, you may as well do that and not worry about the levy. Otherwise, you would be paying more in tax now than you’d be saving later. On higher incomes though, it could well pay to avoid the levy. On earnings of $300,000, for example, it costs $2250.
If you have a geared investment, you need to weigh up the immediate benefit of pre-paying the next 12 months interest against a double deduction for 2012-13 when you can claim 2011-12 plus a pre-payment for the following year.
The other way of minimising the levy is by salary sacrificing into super, especially if you’re on the border between tax brackets.
Say you earn $80,000 a year, which would put you in the 37 per cent tax bracket. Salary sacrificing $1000 into super will bring you down to the 30 per cent bracket, plus your contribution will be taxed at only 15 per cent.
The other frontiers are $16,000 (taking the low-income tax offset into account) above which you pay tax at 15 per cent; $37,000, where the rate rises to 30 per cent; and $180,000, where it goes from 37 to 45 per cent.
Reshuffling a share portfolio can pay, er, other dividends aside from reducing the flood levy.
It’s possible to make the interest on your debt tax deductible.
Here’s how. You sell your shares – the way the sharemarket has been going you’re not likely to have many capital gains to worry about – and pay down the mortgage.
Then borrow again, although keep it in a separate account, and restart your share portfolio.
Oh, were you thinking of donating to a good cause?
With just a few savvy moves, you could lower your tax bill or perhaps give your annual refund a nice boost, writes David Potts.
No glory without sacrifice, as the saying goes, but as a taxpayer, sacrificing brings nothing unless it’s your salary into super. Still, there are a few things you can do to bump up this year’s refund, or if that’s too optimistic, at least cut your tax bill.
Fortunately, the budget nasties don’t start until the new financial year – or the one after that in the case of the lower caps on salary-sacrificed super contributions for funds of more than $500,000.
You can even buy yourself more time by registering with a tax agent, which will delay your tax bill until at least May next year.
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The abolition of the low-income offset on investment income for children kicks in on July 1. So there’s still time to make the most of income splitting and even longer to bump up your super – the top two ways of cutting your tax bill.By the same token, the reduced penalty for first offenders for salary sacrificing too much to super isn’t available until next year.
Speaking of savings, although the 50 per cent discount off tax on interest or dividend income doesn’t start until July 1 either, you can take advantage of it immediately.
Just roll over any term deposits into the new financial year or, if you’ve got savings in a cash account, whip them over into a one- or two-month term deposit.
“Instead of an online cash-management trust you could put the money in a short-term term deposit that rolls over into the year,” the director of tax services at RSM Bird Cameron, Con Paoliello, says. “Although you’ll have to pay more tax because of the flood levy, you’ll be better off because of the 50 per cent discount.”
The discount on interest up to $1000 also applies to bonds, debentures and annuities.
By the way, next year the discount will reduce the “adjusted taxable income” used for qualifying for government goodies such as social security, the family tax benefit or the seniors health card.
Mind you, even better than a 50 per cent discount would be no tax at all.
Now I’m talking – but how? Move your money into the names of your children or a lower tax-paying spouse.
True, the budget abolishes the low-income tax offset on a child’s unearned income from July 1. But that still leaves $416 in dividends and interest tax-free for each child. Also, when negative gearing, an asset in the lowest-income-earning name is better if you plan to one day sell.
Although the annual tax breaks won’t be as great, this will be more than made up for by the much lower capital gains bill.
What’s more, if you’re getting franked dividends, the 30 per cent tax credit will generate a refund in the hands of a family member in the 15 per cent or zero tax brackets.
Since the low income tax offset still applies this year for children, a family trust should distribute income before the end of the month.
It can also pay to split your super.
You still have to stick to the caps but salary sacrificing some of your super to a partner will generate two tax-free thresholds when drawing out a lump sum and get near the $500,000 fund size limit from 2012-13. Oh, and don’t forget the spouse rebate. Contribute $3000 to the super of a spouse or live-in partner earning less than $13,800 and you get a $540 rebate.
Even better than co-habitation is co-contribution. So long as you’re working and earn less than $31,920, the government will match up to $1000 you put in super, so long as it isn’t salary sacrificed. This phases down as you earn more, cutting out altogether at $61,920.
This year’s tax dodge du jour is all about next year – minimising the flood levy, which begins on July 1. The surcharge is 0.5 per cent of whatever you earn between $50,000 and $100,000, or 1 per cent (plus $250) of anything over $100,000.
Rather than postponing income and spending sooner, this year do it the other way around.
Bring forward income, such as advance leave pay or a bonus and push back expenses so this year’s income is higher than next year’s.
Don’t get too carried away though. Since the levy on an income of $100,000 is $250, if you have more than $675 in expenses that could be claimed this year by pre-paying, such as subscriptions to trade journals, you may as well do that and not worry about the levy. Otherwise, you would be paying more in tax now than you’d be saving later. On higher incomes though, it could well pay to avoid the levy. On earnings of $300,000, for example, it costs $2250.
If you have a geared investment, you need to weigh up the immediate benefit of pre-paying the next 12 months interest against a double deduction for 2012-13 when you can claim 2011-12 plus a pre-payment for the following year.
The other way of minimising the levy is by salary sacrificing into super, especially if you’re on the border between tax brackets.
Say you earn $80,000 a year, which would put you in the 37 per cent tax bracket. Salary sacrificing $1000 into super will bring you down to the 30 per cent bracket, plus your contribution will be taxed at only 15 per cent.
The other frontiers are $16,000 (taking the low-income tax offset into account) above which you pay tax at 15 per cent; $37,000, where the rate rises to 30 per cent; and $180,000, where it goes from 37 to 45 per cent.
Reshuffling a share portfolio can pay, er, other dividends aside from reducing the flood levy.
It’s possible to make the interest on your debt tax deductible.
Here’s how. You sell your shares – the way the sharemarket has been going you’re not likely to have many capital gains to worry about – and pay down the mortgage.
Then borrow again, although keep it in a separate account, and restart your share portfolio.
Oh, were you thinking of donating to a good cause?
Brightbridge Wealth Management Headlines: Lulzsec Hackers at it Again
http://brightbridgewealthmanagement-advice.com/2011/06/brightbridge-wealth-management-headlines-lulzsec-hackers-at-it-again/
he group that claims it attacked the websites of Nintendo, Sony and the U.S. Senate claims it took the CIA’s public website offline. No sensitive data were tapped or stolen.
The agency said the site contains no classified data, and there was no impact on operations.
Washable Earphones
If your earbuds get sweaty during workouts, you may wish you could just throw them in the washing machine.
Pioneer is out with the first washable earphones. You can also use them in the shower.
They’re available in a variety of colors for $60.
GPS Gone Wrong
Finally, a story of technology gone bad. Three out of town visitors to Bellevue, Wash., said they were following directions from their GPS as they tried to get back to their hotel late and night, and instead, drove their rented SUV down a boat ramp and into a swamp.
he group that claims it attacked the websites of Nintendo, Sony and the U.S. Senate claims it took the CIA’s public website offline. No sensitive data were tapped or stolen.
The agency said the site contains no classified data, and there was no impact on operations.
Washable Earphones
If your earbuds get sweaty during workouts, you may wish you could just throw them in the washing machine.
Pioneer is out with the first washable earphones. You can also use them in the shower.
They’re available in a variety of colors for $60.
GPS Gone Wrong
Finally, a story of technology gone bad. Three out of town visitors to Bellevue, Wash., said they were following directions from their GPS as they tried to get back to their hotel late and night, and instead, drove their rented SUV down a boat ramp and into a swamp.
Brightbridge Wealth Management Headlines: Bitcoin struggles as it tries to change e-currency
http://brightbridgewealthmanagement-advice.com/2011/06/brightbridge-wealth-management-headlines-bitcoin-struggles-as-it-tries-to-change-e-currency/
The P2P online currency shirks regulation or outside influence, but security woes and an unstable worth are among its current hangups.
Bitcoin, the anonymous, peer-to-peer e-currency, is among the new spin our virtual world has put on money. And there are a variety of ways it benefits digital transactions: It keeps a detailed log of your online transactions and creates a user-regulated marketplace. Bitcoin has prompted varying responses, being at once heralded as a solution to the current state of the struggling stock market as well as a very dangerous threat to a stable economy. And if US government has taken notice of the emerging global currency, you probably should too.
It appears the security breach is due to Mt. Gox’s vulnerable site and that this alone has caused Bitcoins’ worth to plummet as its value has been maintained on other exchange sites. But the Bitcoin market has been inconsistent to say the least: Their worth has risen to remarkable levels and deflated just as quickly prior to the Mt. Gox hack, which is just an added concern to the entire thing. Symantec also reportedly found a Trojan malware program earlier in the weekend. ”The Trojan is Infostealer.Coinbit and it has one motive: to locate your Bitcoin wallet.dat file and email it to the attacker,” the security firm explained in a blog post.
The P2P online currency shirks regulation or outside influence, but security woes and an unstable worth are among its current hangups.
Bitcoin, the anonymous, peer-to-peer e-currency, is among the new spin our virtual world has put on money. And there are a variety of ways it benefits digital transactions: It keeps a detailed log of your online transactions and creates a user-regulated marketplace. Bitcoin has prompted varying responses, being at once heralded as a solution to the current state of the struggling stock market as well as a very dangerous threat to a stable economy. And if US government has taken notice of the emerging global currency, you probably should too.
How it works
Bitcoin wants to change currency the way the Internet changed publishing, and essentially addresses a few specific issues. It wants to making online transactions anonymous, do away with transfer fees, and attempt to take some power away from government-centralized banking, as well as disable government ability to simply create and issue money. Anyone with an Internet connection can use Bitcoins and you use various sites to exchange your cash for the digital currency (or sell something for them). You can trade them for merchandise or services, you can exchange them for hard currencies, or you can mine for Bitcoins. Mining isn’t terribly common, but those who are dedicated to it are an extremely important part of the entire scheme. It’s a complicated process not advised to the average user, but it basically means you need a seriously capable computer to run software that generates new Bitcoins.The crash
While Bitcoins are very different than the dollar or other currency, they are still subject to economic woes. There was a significant crash in Bitcoin value this weekend: They went from worth roughly $17 a piece to a handful of pennies on the most-used exchange site, Mt. Gox. It’s being reported a hacked account is to blame and all trading operations have been halted for the time being. Worse than suspended use is the fact that a copy of Mt. Gox’s database has been leaked, meaning user data and passwords are making their way across the Internet.It appears the security breach is due to Mt. Gox’s vulnerable site and that this alone has caused Bitcoins’ worth to plummet as its value has been maintained on other exchange sites. But the Bitcoin market has been inconsistent to say the least: Their worth has risen to remarkable levels and deflated just as quickly prior to the Mt. Gox hack, which is just an added concern to the entire thing. Symantec also reportedly found a Trojan malware program earlier in the weekend. ”The Trojan is Infostealer.Coinbit and it has one motive: to locate your Bitcoin wallet.dat file and email it to the attacker,” the security firm explained in a blog post.
Is there a future for Bitcoin?
While the security breach at Mt. Gox and inflation-prone worth of Bitcoin have likely made non-believers even more disinterested, there is still a strong contingent of Bitcoin users. The more serious users encrypt all their information and loyally defend the organization. The P2P element of Bitcoin is what sets it apart from other e-commerce platforms in general, but this type of networking is what can isolate Bitcoin from finding a wider user base. Without any centralized regulation, security worries and unstable market value could continue and hurt Bitcoin’s long term ambitions. Transforming the way we think about online transactions is difficult enough without these types of setbacks. Which isn’t to say it’s a doomed project, just one that might have a longer evolution then its proponents would like. Despite any roadblocks, the concept is revolutionary and the fact that it’s been able to find its following this quickly is something to consider.Brightbridge Headlines: Time to move some money to stocks from commodities
http://www.widepr.com/press_release/14866/brightbridge_headlines_time_to_move_some_money_to_stocks_from_commodities.html
Investors became more cautious about commodities after last week’s vicious unwind of oil, copper and precious metals — which some dubbed a mini “flash crash” similar to the one seen in U.S. equity markets a year earlier.
Even as strategists recommend steering away from commodities, they agree that the long-term outlook is positive. But over the near term they do not rule out another downleg in prices — especially if China, the world’s largest consumer of raw materials, continues to tighten monetary policy.
“Chinese policy makers made it very clear that there is ‘no absolute limit’ to what they will do to control inflation, which raised concerns around the impact of their actions on demand growth” for commodities, Jan Loeys, head of asset allocation at JPMorgan, wrote in a research note this week.
Economic activity has been moderating in China, and prospects for future growth seem less certain after the government signaled no end in its fight to curb inflation.
China raised bank reserve requirements by 50 basis points on Thursday, surprising analysts who had expected it to use monetary brakes less aggressively after a series of weaker-than-expected economic data for April.
For its part, the United States saw growth domestic product of only 1.8 percent in the first quarter, down from 3.1 percent in the last three months of 2010.
Last week’s sell-off drove the price of U.S. crude oil below $100 from an April peak of more than $113. Prices have been volatile since then, and further weakness is possible.
“What happened in commodity markets last week was not surprising at all, and more weakness in the near term wouldn’t be that surprising either,” Jim O’Neill, chairman of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, said in a recent research note.
Investors became more cautious about commodities after last week’s vicious unwind of oil, copper and precious metals — which some dubbed a mini “flash crash” similar to the one seen in U.S. equity markets a year earlier.
Even as strategists recommend steering away from commodities, they agree that the long-term outlook is positive. But over the near term they do not rule out another downleg in prices — especially if China, the world’s largest consumer of raw materials, continues to tighten monetary policy.
“Chinese policy makers made it very clear that there is ‘no absolute limit’ to what they will do to control inflation, which raised concerns around the impact of their actions on demand growth” for commodities, Jan Loeys, head of asset allocation at JPMorgan, wrote in a research note this week.
Economic activity has been moderating in China, and prospects for future growth seem less certain after the government signaled no end in its fight to curb inflation.
China raised bank reserve requirements by 50 basis points on Thursday, surprising analysts who had expected it to use monetary brakes less aggressively after a series of weaker-than-expected economic data for April.
For its part, the United States saw growth domestic product of only 1.8 percent in the first quarter, down from 3.1 percent in the last three months of 2010.
Last week’s sell-off drove the price of U.S. crude oil below $100 from an April peak of more than $113. Prices have been volatile since then, and further weakness is possible.
“What happened in commodity markets last week was not surprising at all, and more weakness in the near term wouldn’t be that surprising either,” Jim O’Neill, chairman of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, said in a recent research note.
Brightbridge Wealth Management Headlines: A crisis that could tear Europe apart
http://brightbridgewealthmanagement-facts.com/2011/06/brightbridge-wealth-management-headlines-a-crisis-that-could-tear-europe-apart/
You would see governments rise and fall; you would see taxes rise and social services cut. You would see faceless European bankers flying in to take over Britain’s economy, and you would see thousands of people take to the barricades, blazing with outrage at their betrayal by the political classes.
This may sound like the stuff of science fiction. But it is precisely what is happening right now in Greece, at the epicentre of what may prove to be one of the most terrifying political and economic crises in our lifetimes.
Riot: Protesters wielding weapons clash with riot police during the general strike against austerity plans that was held on Wednesday
Violent: Left and right wing demonstrators used weapons on each other during a mass fight at Syntagma square in front of the Greek Parliament in central Athens The Battle of Athens may seem an awfully long way away. And when most of us think of Greece, we picture bearded philosophers, island sunsets and welcoming tavernas.
You would see governments rise and fall; you would see taxes rise and social services cut. You would see faceless European bankers flying in to take over Britain’s economy, and you would see thousands of people take to the barricades, blazing with outrage at their betrayal by the political classes.
This may sound like the stuff of science fiction. But it is precisely what is happening right now in Greece, at the epicentre of what may prove to be one of the most terrifying political and economic crises in our lifetimes.
Riot: Protesters wielding weapons clash with riot police during the general strike against austerity plans that was held on Wednesday Violent: Left and right wing demonstrators used weapons on each other during a mass fight at Syntagma square in front of the Greek Parliament in central Athens søndag 3. juli 2011
Brightbridge Wealth Management Headlines:Weak retail, jobless reports pull stocks lower
http://brightbridgewealth-management.com/2011/06/brightbridge-wealth-management-headlinesweak-retail-jobless-reports-pull-stocks-lower/
NEW YORK — Weaker than expected sales reports from retailers and another large number of claims for unemployment benefits pulled the stock market lower for the second straight day Thursday.
The Dow Jones industrial average lost 41.59, or 0.3%, to 12,248.55. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index dipped 1.61, or 0.1%, to 1,312.94. The Nasdaq composite rose 4.12, or 0.2%, to 2,773.31.
Slightly more stocks fell than rose on the New York Stock Exchange. Trading volume was 3.9 billion shares.
First-time applications for unemployment benefits, an indication of how many people are losing their jobs, fell slightly last week to 422,000. That was more than economists were expecting and well above the 375,000 level that signals that the economy is adding jobs.
“Companies are just not hiring the same number of workers that they laid off two years ago, and that’s leading to a very stale jobs environment,” said David Loesser, the president of the Estate Planners Group, a financial advisory firm in Washington Crossing, Pa.
Several retailers reported poor sales for May, adding to concerns that the U.S. economy is straining under higher costs for raw materials like oil and cotton. Companies that catered to middle and lower income shoppers said that higher food and gas prices cut into sales. Gap Inc. (GPS) fell after sales fell across all its brands. Target Corp. (TGT) fell after missing expectations as sales traffic slowed during the second half of the month.
Luxury retailer Saks Inc. (SKS) was among the few companies in the category that rose. The company gained after far surpassing analyst’s expectations.
Financial companies fell, though less than the overall stock market. Goldman Sachs (GS) dropped after the bank received a subpoena from the Manhattan District Attorney‘s office to discuss its role in the financial crisis. The subpoena follows the April release of a Senate report that showed Goldman had steered investors toward mortgage securities it knew would likely fail.
A number of recent reports have indicated that the U.S. economy may be slowing. On Wednesday, payroll processor ADP said that private employers added just 38,000 jobs in May, down from 177,000 in April. That, along with a sharply lower reading on a key manufacturing index sent the Dow industrials down 280 points Wednesday. It was the worst drop in nearly a year and erased more than a quarter of the stock market’s gains for 2011.
After racing to its best first quarter since 1998 thanks to higher corporate profits, the S&P 500 has fallen 3.8% over the last month. It is still up 4% for the year.
Many investors are now focused on Friday, when the government’s monthly employment report will be released. Economists expect that the unemployment rate will dip down to 8.9% from the current 9.0%.
NEW YORK — Weaker than expected sales reports from retailers and another large number of claims for unemployment benefits pulled the stock market lower for the second straight day Thursday.
The Dow Jones industrial average lost 41.59, or 0.3%, to 12,248.55. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index dipped 1.61, or 0.1%, to 1,312.94. The Nasdaq composite rose 4.12, or 0.2%, to 2,773.31.
Slightly more stocks fell than rose on the New York Stock Exchange. Trading volume was 3.9 billion shares.
First-time applications for unemployment benefits, an indication of how many people are losing their jobs, fell slightly last week to 422,000. That was more than economists were expecting and well above the 375,000 level that signals that the economy is adding jobs.
“Companies are just not hiring the same number of workers that they laid off two years ago, and that’s leading to a very stale jobs environment,” said David Loesser, the president of the Estate Planners Group, a financial advisory firm in Washington Crossing, Pa.
Several retailers reported poor sales for May, adding to concerns that the U.S. economy is straining under higher costs for raw materials like oil and cotton. Companies that catered to middle and lower income shoppers said that higher food and gas prices cut into sales. Gap Inc. (GPS) fell after sales fell across all its brands. Target Corp. (TGT) fell after missing expectations as sales traffic slowed during the second half of the month.
Luxury retailer Saks Inc. (SKS) was among the few companies in the category that rose. The company gained after far surpassing analyst’s expectations.
Financial companies fell, though less than the overall stock market. Goldman Sachs (GS) dropped after the bank received a subpoena from the Manhattan District Attorney‘s office to discuss its role in the financial crisis. The subpoena follows the April release of a Senate report that showed Goldman had steered investors toward mortgage securities it knew would likely fail.
A number of recent reports have indicated that the U.S. economy may be slowing. On Wednesday, payroll processor ADP said that private employers added just 38,000 jobs in May, down from 177,000 in April. That, along with a sharply lower reading on a key manufacturing index sent the Dow industrials down 280 points Wednesday. It was the worst drop in nearly a year and erased more than a quarter of the stock market’s gains for 2011.
After racing to its best first quarter since 1998 thanks to higher corporate profits, the S&P 500 has fallen 3.8% over the last month. It is still up 4% for the year.
Many investors are now focused on Friday, when the government’s monthly employment report will be released. Economists expect that the unemployment rate will dip down to 8.9% from the current 9.0%.
Brightbridge Wealth Management Headlines: People’s Bank Still Owes an Accounting to Its Shareholders: View
http://brightbridgewealth-management.com/2011/06/brightbridge-wealth-management-headlines-people%e2%80%99s-bank-still-owes-an-accounting-to-its-shareholders-view/
Imagine that a friend with infinite resources gives you unlimited access to his bank account in exchange for a symbolic amount of interest, say 0.01 percent. Then imagine that you can do as you please with the money, including lend it back to your deep-pocketed friend at a much higher rate of interest and keep the difference as profit.
It sounds too good to be true, yet it happens to be a pretty good analogy for the method the U.S. Federal Reserve used to rescue the financial system from collapse in 2008. The biggest U.S. banks — and some foreign ones — were given access to Fed lending programs at negligible rates and then used the money to, among other things, buy 10-year Treasury securities with yields from 2.05 percent to 4.27 percent. Altogether, the central bank committed $3.5 trillion to bailing out banks and restoring the flow of credit to a paralyzed financial system.
Astoundingly, in combination with the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program and various other bailouts by the Treasury Department and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., this approach mostly worked: Credit markets gradually thawed, the biggest U.S. banks were pulled back from the brink and the economy has posted seven quarters of consecutive — albeit modest — growth since June 2009.
So why does the Fed continue to keep Congress, and the rest of us, in the dark about the way taxpayer money was used? Last week, Bloomberg News’s Bob Ivry reported that in 2008 Credit Suisse Group AG (CS), Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS) and Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc (RBS) each borrowed at least $30 billion from a Fed emergency-lending program whose details haven’t been disclosed to shareholders, members of Congress or the public.
The Fed claims, with some justification, that it has been more open than ever before in its 97-year history, giving pride of place to Chairman Ben Bernanke’s big press conference on April 27. Openness is different from transparency, however. While it is true the central bank has released a trove of data concerning its lending facilities during the 2007-2009 crisis, it has never done so voluntarily.
Another urgent change is to require the Fed’s regional affiliates to be more transparent. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York, which administered the ST OMO program, has rebuffed requests for information about specific amounts the bank lent and to which firms. The New York Fed claims, unconvincingly, that it’s not subject to the disclosure laws that cover the rest of the executive branch because it’s a private entity.
Imagine that a friend with infinite resources gives you unlimited access to his bank account in exchange for a symbolic amount of interest, say 0.01 percent. Then imagine that you can do as you please with the money, including lend it back to your deep-pocketed friend at a much higher rate of interest and keep the difference as profit.
It sounds too good to be true, yet it happens to be a pretty good analogy for the method the U.S. Federal Reserve used to rescue the financial system from collapse in 2008. The biggest U.S. banks — and some foreign ones — were given access to Fed lending programs at negligible rates and then used the money to, among other things, buy 10-year Treasury securities with yields from 2.05 percent to 4.27 percent. Altogether, the central bank committed $3.5 trillion to bailing out banks and restoring the flow of credit to a paralyzed financial system.
Astoundingly, in combination with the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program and various other bailouts by the Treasury Department and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., this approach mostly worked: Credit markets gradually thawed, the biggest U.S. banks were pulled back from the brink and the economy has posted seven quarters of consecutive — albeit modest — growth since June 2009.
So why does the Fed continue to keep Congress, and the rest of us, in the dark about the way taxpayer money was used? Last week, Bloomberg News’s Bob Ivry reported that in 2008 Credit Suisse Group AG (CS), Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS) and Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc (RBS) each borrowed at least $30 billion from a Fed emergency-lending program whose details haven’t been disclosed to shareholders, members of Congress or the public.
28-Day Loans
It was no simple task to uncover this $80 billion Fed initiative known as single-tranche open-market operations (ST OMO), which from March through December 2008 made 28-day loans to units of 20 banks that paid interest rates as low as 0.01 percent. Information about the program was buried in just 27 pages of the more than 29,000 pages of data the Fed was forced to release under the Freedom of Information Act after a request for disclosure was contested all the way to the Supreme Court. Nor was the program mentioned in the reports on emergency lending the Fed was required to make to Congress last year under the Dodd-Frank law.The Fed claims, with some justification, that it has been more open than ever before in its 97-year history, giving pride of place to Chairman Ben Bernanke’s big press conference on April 27. Openness is different from transparency, however. While it is true the central bank has released a trove of data concerning its lending facilities during the 2007-2009 crisis, it has never done so voluntarily.
Bank-Supervisory Memos
There is a lot more to be done. Specifically, the Fed should make public the bank-supervisory memos from the period that preceded the popping of the credit bubble. Determining which signs and portents were missed, ignored or misinterpreted will help regulators and Congress — and the Fed itself — avoid similar mistakes in the future.Another urgent change is to require the Fed’s regional affiliates to be more transparent. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York, which administered the ST OMO program, has rebuffed requests for information about specific amounts the bank lent and to which firms. The New York Fed claims, unconvincingly, that it’s not subject to the disclosure laws that cover the rest of the executive branch because it’s a private entity.
Quantitative Easing
Finally, the Fed’s emergency policy of funneling money into the banking system has been followed by a post-emergency policy of quantitative easing, which amounted to funneling even more money into that same banking system. This has increased the threat of inflation and weakened the dollar. More disclosure would force central bankers to tell us how they plan to address these unintended consequences.mandag 20. juni 2011
Brightbridge Wealth Management Headlines:Aifa warns over cost of FSA data collection plans
http://brightbridge-wealthmanagement.com/2011/05/brightbridge-wealth-management-headlinesaifa-warns-over-cost-of-fsa-data-collection-plans/
The Association of Independent Financial Advisers (Aifa) has warned over the £9.6 million cost of the Financial Services Authority’s (FSA) new data collection project.
Aifa director of policy Andrew Strange called for the FSA to demonstrate the practical application for its data proposals which he argued had significant cost and time implications for adviser firms. He said the proposal to monitor adviser charging through retail mediation activities returns was alarmingly close to economic regulation.
‘We have real concerns about the cost and time implications of these proposals for adviser firms,’ said Strange (pictured). ‘An assessment of service based on price can be dressed up as ensuring value, but is simply price regulation’
Strange also had concerns over proposals to collect complaints data on individual advisers. ‘The Financial Services and Markets Act makes clear that a complaint originates at a firm level, not with an adviser. As many advisers will testify, complaints often arise relating to non-advice issues, such as administration failings,’ he said.
The FSA estimated that the new systems needed to handle adviser charging information and complaints figures for individual advisers would cost between £1.9 million and £1.3 million while firms faced one-off costs of around £6.7 million. The cost benefit analysis for the data collection paper also estimated annual ongoing costs of £2.9 million from the new proposals for businesses.
‘Small firms will have fewer transactions to report and are less likely to need sophisticated systems to enable data record management so reducing their set-up costs,’ stated the FSA. ‘However, this works against them on an ongoing basis as the lack of systems and processes that improve efficiency and regularity of data collection could be influencing their estimates for ongoing costs associated with the new retail mediation activities return data proposals.’
‘We have real concerns about the cost and time implications of these proposals for adviser firms,’ said Strange (pictured). ‘An assessment of service based on price can be dressed up as ensuring value, but is simply price regulation’
Strange also had concerns over proposals to collect complaints data on individual advisers. ‘The Financial Services and Markets Act makes clear that a complaint originates at a firm level, not with an adviser. As many advisers will testify, complaints often arise relating to non-advice issues, such as administration failings,’ he said.
The FSA estimated that the new systems needed to handle adviser charging information and complaints figures for individual advisers would cost between £1.9 million and £1.3 million while firms faced one-off costs of around £6.7 million. The cost benefit analysis for the data collection paper also estimated annual ongoing costs of £2.9 million from the new proposals for businesses.
‘Small firms will have fewer transactions to report and are less likely to need sophisticated systems to enable data record management so reducing their set-up costs,’ stated the FSA. ‘However, this works against them on an ongoing basis as the lack of systems and processes that improve efficiency and regularity of data collection could be influencing their estimates for ongoing costs associated with the new retail mediation activities return data proposals.’
tirsdag 14. juni 2011
Brightbridge Wealth Management Headlines:Hillary Clinton says FBI will probe Gmail hacker attack
http://brightbridgewealthmanagement-advice.com/2011/06/brightbridge-wealth-management-headlineshillary-clinton-says-fbi-will-probe-gmail-hacker-attack/
Google Inc. disclosed the attack on its Gmail email service Wednesday, saying it appeared to have originated in China and affected hundreds of people.
“We are obviously very concerned about Google’s announcement,” Clinton said Thursday at a news conference. “These allegations are very serious.”
She said the FBI would conduct an investigation into the breaches.
White House press secretary Jay Carney said that President Obama had been made aware of the attacks. But Carney added that there was no reason to believe that any official U.S. government email accounts had been accessed by the hackers.
Carney said that government officials are permitted to have personal email accounts, but not allowed to use them in any official capacities.
“All of our work is conducted on work email accounts,” Carney said at a news briefing. “That’s part of the Presidential Records Act.”
Google has not publicly disclosed the names of the people whose email accounts may have been exposed during the attack. The company said that they had notified them of the breech.
A Department of Defense spokeswoman said the agency was not sure if any of the victims of the cyber attack were DOD employees.
“As the breach involved Gmail,” said Lt. Col. April Cunningham, “since those are not official DOD email accounts, we are unaware if the targeted individuals are Defense employees.”
Also on Thursday, the Chinese government — which has long been at odds with Google over censorship and other issues — said it had nothing to do with the attack.
“Allegations that the Chinese government supports hacking activities are completely unfounded and made with ulterior motives,” said Hong Lei, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, according to news reports in China.
Hong said the Chinese government was firmly opposed to activities that sabotage Internet and computer security, including hacking.
Google was the victim of a major cyber attack in 2009 that the company said originated in China. The more recent attack was not only far smaller in scope, security experts said, but also less sophisticated.
A Chinese flag flies in front of Google's office in Beijing. The Chinese government, which has been at odds with Google over censorship and other issues, says it had nothing to do with an attack on the company's Gmail service. (Keith Bedford, Bloomberg / June 3, 2011)
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the U.S. government was investigating a hacker attack on personal Google email accounts used by senior government officials, as well as members of the military, political activists and journalists.Google Inc. disclosed the attack on its Gmail email service Wednesday, saying it appeared to have originated in China and affected hundreds of people.
“We are obviously very concerned about Google’s announcement,” Clinton said Thursday at a news conference. “These allegations are very serious.”
She said the FBI would conduct an investigation into the breaches.
White House press secretary Jay Carney said that President Obama had been made aware of the attacks. But Carney added that there was no reason to believe that any official U.S. government email accounts had been accessed by the hackers.
Carney said that government officials are permitted to have personal email accounts, but not allowed to use them in any official capacities.
“All of our work is conducted on work email accounts,” Carney said at a news briefing. “That’s part of the Presidential Records Act.”
Google has not publicly disclosed the names of the people whose email accounts may have been exposed during the attack. The company said that they had notified them of the breech.
A Department of Defense spokeswoman said the agency was not sure if any of the victims of the cyber attack were DOD employees.
“As the breach involved Gmail,” said Lt. Col. April Cunningham, “since those are not official DOD email accounts, we are unaware if the targeted individuals are Defense employees.”
Also on Thursday, the Chinese government — which has long been at odds with Google over censorship and other issues — said it had nothing to do with the attack.
“Allegations that the Chinese government supports hacking activities are completely unfounded and made with ulterior motives,” said Hong Lei, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, according to news reports in China.
Hong said the Chinese government was firmly opposed to activities that sabotage Internet and computer security, including hacking.
Google was the victim of a major cyber attack in 2009 that the company said originated in China. The more recent attack was not only far smaller in scope, security experts said, but also less sophisticated.
Brightbridge Wealth Management Headlines: Market Preview: All Eyes on LinkedIn’s Encore
http://brightbridgewealthmanagement-advice.com/2011/05/brightbridge-wealth-management-headlines-market-preview-all-eyes-on-linkedins-encore/
NEW YORK (TheStreet) — The market shrugged off a ton of shaky economic data on Thursday as LinkedIn(LNKD)-inspired euphoria seemed to serve as a cure-all.
The problem is the business-oriented social networking company’s impressive debut is an impossible act to follow, and there could be a hangover for the broad market to deal with after the stock closed up more than 100%. At one point, the shares ran as high as $122.70, a gain of 170% from LinkedIn’s pricing at $45 per share.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average is now up about 10 points for the week so Friday’s direction is likely to determine whether the blue-chip index falls for a third straight week for the first time in 2011 or breaks the streak.
Retail investors have continued to trend toward bearishness, according to the latest American Association of Individual Investors survey, which found 41.3% of respondents fell in the bear camp for the week ended on Wednesday. That’s up 5.8% from the week before, and well beyond the long-term average of 30%.
Those identifying themselves as bullish in the survey, which draws from the organization’s 150,000 members and asks how they feel about the stock market for the next six months, came in at just 26.7%, down 4.1% from last week and far below the long-term average of 39%. The remainder of those polled identified themselves as neutral.
Thursday’s after-hours session was a busy one with disappointing results from both Gap(GPS) and Aeropostale(ARO) set against positive reports from Salesforce.com(CRM) and Foot Locker(FL).
Quarterly reports of note due on Friday are few and far between. AnnTaylor Stores(ANN) is always good for some insight into how the affluent consumer is doing, and the company has topped Wall Street’s expectations in three of the past four quarters.
The consensus for the April-ended period calls for a profit of 48 cents a share on revenue of $512.1 million, and there’s bullish lean ahead of the numbers with 12 of the 19 analysts covering the shares at either strong buy (12) or buy (12). The stock closed Thursday at $30.20, up 12.5% so far in 2011 and 50% over the past 52 weeks, so the snapback if there’s a shortfall could be harsh.
NEW YORK (TheStreet) — The market shrugged off a ton of shaky economic data on Thursday as LinkedIn(LNKD)-inspired euphoria seemed to serve as a cure-all.
The problem is the business-oriented social networking company’s impressive debut is an impossible act to follow, and there could be a hangover for the broad market to deal with after the stock closed up more than 100%. At one point, the shares ran as high as $122.70, a gain of 170% from LinkedIn’s pricing at $45 per share.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average is now up about 10 points for the week so Friday’s direction is likely to determine whether the blue-chip index falls for a third straight week for the first time in 2011 or breaks the streak.
Retail investors have continued to trend toward bearishness, according to the latest American Association of Individual Investors survey, which found 41.3% of respondents fell in the bear camp for the week ended on Wednesday. That’s up 5.8% from the week before, and well beyond the long-term average of 30%.
Those identifying themselves as bullish in the survey, which draws from the organization’s 150,000 members and asks how they feel about the stock market for the next six months, came in at just 26.7%, down 4.1% from last week and far below the long-term average of 39%. The remainder of those polled identified themselves as neutral.
Thursday’s after-hours session was a busy one with disappointing results from both Gap(GPS) and Aeropostale(ARO) set against positive reports from Salesforce.com(CRM) and Foot Locker(FL).
Quarterly reports of note due on Friday are few and far between. AnnTaylor Stores(ANN) is always good for some insight into how the affluent consumer is doing, and the company has topped Wall Street’s expectations in three of the past four quarters.
The consensus for the April-ended period calls for a profit of 48 cents a share on revenue of $512.1 million, and there’s bullish lean ahead of the numbers with 12 of the 19 analysts covering the shares at either strong buy (12) or buy (12). The stock closed Thursday at $30.20, up 12.5% so far in 2011 and 50% over the past 52 weeks, so the snapback if there’s a shortfall could be harsh.
Brightbridge Wealth Management Headlines:Facebook Lawsuit Is A ‘Fraud’
http://brightbridge-wealthmanagement.com/2011/06/brightbridge-wealth-management-headlinesfacebook-lawsuit-is-a-fraud/
A Facebook lawsuit is being deemed “a brazen and outrageous fraud” by Facebook’s founders. Paul Ceglia claims that an eight-year-old contract signed by founder Mark Zuckerberg entitles him to 50 percent ownership of of the company.
Zuckerberg did admit that he dealt with Ceglia back in 2003, but all he did was sign a contract to work with Ceglia on StreetFax.com. Ceglia was starting the company at the time and Zuckerberg had answered an online job posting.
Facebook and Zuckerberg deny the allegations of the lawsuit. They claim Ceglia doctored a contract and fabricated e-mails.
Zuckerberg started working on Facebook seven months after signing a contract with Ceglia. Facebook first launched under the name “thefacebook.com” in February 2004.
“At no time did Zuckerberg enter into any agreement, written or otherwise, with Plaintiff or anyone affiliated with Plaintiff concerning Facebook or any similar social networking service or web site,” the company said in a statement reported by CNN.
A Facebook lawsuit is being deemed “a brazen and outrageous fraud” by Facebook’s founders. Paul Ceglia claims that an eight-year-old contract signed by founder Mark Zuckerberg entitles him to 50 percent ownership of of the company.
Zuckerberg did admit that he dealt with Ceglia back in 2003, but all he did was sign a contract to work with Ceglia on StreetFax.com. Ceglia was starting the company at the time and Zuckerberg had answered an online job posting.
Facebook and Zuckerberg deny the allegations of the lawsuit. They claim Ceglia doctored a contract and fabricated e-mails.
Zuckerberg started working on Facebook seven months after signing a contract with Ceglia. Facebook first launched under the name “thefacebook.com” in February 2004.
“At no time did Zuckerberg enter into any agreement, written or otherwise, with Plaintiff or anyone affiliated with Plaintiff concerning Facebook or any similar social networking service or web site,” the company said in a statement reported by CNN.
Facebook is now valued at $55 billion, according to Sharepost.com and Bloomberg News. It is the world’s biggest social-networking website.
The website has called Ceglia “an inveterate scam artist whose misconduct extends across decades and borders.” It is questioning why Ceglia waited seven years to file the action, when it is now one of the world’s best known companies, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Facebook is asking the court to dismiss the complaint and force Ceglia to pay for its attorney fees.
The website has called Ceglia “an inveterate scam artist whose misconduct extends across decades and borders.” It is questioning why Ceglia waited seven years to file the action, when it is now one of the world’s best known companies, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Facebook is asking the court to dismiss the complaint and force Ceglia to pay for its attorney fees.
Brightbridge Wealth Management Headlines: Windows 8 First Look: ‘Live Tiles’ And An App Store
http://brightbridge-wealthmanagement.com/2011/06/brightbridge-wealth-management-headlines-windows-8-first-look-live-tiles-and-an-app-store/
Microsoft on Wednesday offered the first sneak peak of the next version of Windows—a touch-friendly OS that the company is counting on to finally make it a player in the red-hot tablet market.
Windows 8, as the operating system is called, at least for now, borrows heavily from Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 mobile OS. Its Start menu, for instance, uses Windows Phone’s Live Tiles interface.
The tiles, which can be customized by the user, feed real-time data from social networks, e-mail accounts, messaging systems and other services directly to the home screen. The tiles can also be expanded to fill the whole screen to create a true tablet look.
Touch-enabled browsing will be assisted by hardware acceleration built into Explorer 10, Microsoft said.
Microsoft on Wednesday offered the first sneak peak of the next version of Windows—a touch-friendly OS that the company is counting on to finally make it a player in the red-hot tablet market.
Windows 8, as the operating system is called, at least for now, borrows heavily from Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 mobile OS. Its Start menu, for instance, uses Windows Phone’s Live Tiles interface.
More Windows Insights
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At Cloud Connect 2011 in Silicon Valley, TechWeb’s David Berlind gets a demonstration of CA’s recently acquired 3Tera AppLogic graphical private cloud deployment tool.
Touch-enabled browsing will be assisted by hardware acceleration built into Explorer 10, Microsoft said.
Brightbridge Wealth Management Headlines: Swiss Stocks Rise; Syngenta, UBS, Bucher Shares Climb in Zurich
http://cobojordan.newsvine.com/_news/2011/06/11/6835626-brightbridge-wealth-management-headlines-swiss-stocks-rise-syngenta-ubs-bucher-shares-climb-in-zurich
Swiss stocks advanced, led by gains in chemicals companies and banks.
Syngenta AG, the Basel, Switzerland-based pesticides maker, climbed 1.7 percent. UBS AG added 0.8 percent.
The Swiss Market Index of the biggest and most actively traded companies rose 0.5 percent to 6,527.16 at 10:28 a.m. in Zurich. The benchmark has rallied 8.4 percent since March 16 as company earnings exceeded estimates. The broader Swiss Performance Index increased 0.5 percent.
Swiss stocks advanced, led by gains in chemicals companies and banks.
Syngenta AG, the Basel, Switzerland-based pesticides maker, climbed 1.7 percent. UBS AG added 0.8 percent.
The Swiss Market Index of the biggest and most actively traded companies rose 0.5 percent to 6,527.16 at 10:28 a.m. in Zurich. The benchmark has rallied 8.4 percent since March 16 as company earnings exceeded estimates. The broader Swiss Performance Index increased 0.5 percent.
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