Saturday, July 18, 2009

Currency Markets Even If You Know Nothing About Finance

By: Anamika Gupta

Discover How You Can Make Money in the Currency Markets Even If You Know Nothing About Finance

Forex trading is one of the hottest growing money making opportunities that individuals become involved. As more everyday people discover the big money making potential of forex trading, the currency markets grow and grow.Visit Now http://gov-debt-grantbenefit.blogspot.com

Just like transacting in stocks, in the currency markets you need to buy low and sell when it's high. Except in forex trading, currencies are traded rather than stocks. Similar to shares, currency values rise and fall in value each day. It's a very simple idea really. If you purchase a currency when you find it is inexpensive and then trade it when it grows in price, you make a profit.

Although this looks simple in theory, there are many things you must keep in mind before you jump into forex trading. One of the immediate things you'll discover is that there are numerous currency types - it's not realistic to keep track of each currency. Professional traders will focus on just a couple. But, even if you do decide on a few interesting currencies to observe, how do you know when it's the ideal time to make a transaction?

It might sound challenging, but you can pick up currency trading software that will return profits for you. These computer programs the difficulty of analyzing the markets out of currency trading as they use a specially programmed algorithm to analyze the forex markets.. The programs will spot when it's time to purchase and sell, and also which currencies to put money into.

And don't worry about these software being difficult to operate - they are extremely easy. Another useful feature that most programs will have is a demo mode. This allows you to utilize the program without using any of your cash so you can monitor how it performs. This is a good feature, since you do not want to risk cash through currency markets while you're still discovering how to use the software.

You can try the program risk free, since reputable companies will offer a money-back guarantee. This way you can use the software and learn if it's as strong as it promises to be. More importantly, you'll also be able to see if the software provides you with the additional money you're hoping to generate from the markets.

It's natural to be a touch nervous to jump into the currency markets if you are new. That's precisely why a currency trading program can be so helpful. You can rely on the program to help you generate some cash as you learn more about the markets.

As your knowledge of the currency markets grows, you will likely execute trades coming from your own intuitions and also based on what the software gives you. But it's still wise to use a currency trading program even after you're out of the newbie stage. Using a trading program will generate for you some extra cash, and it also helps in giving you knowledge about the markets.Visit Now http://gov-debt-grantbenefit.blogspot.com

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/currency-markets-even-if-you-know-nothing-about-finance-1048206.html

Friday, July 17, 2009

The Existing Informal Microfinance financial sources

By: R.Yuvarani

The informal financial sources generally include funds available from family sources or local money lenders. The local money lenders charge exhorbitant rates, generally ranging from 36% to 60% interest due to their monopoly in the absence of any other source of credit for non-conventional needs. Chit Funds and Bishis are other forms of credit system operated by groups of people for their mutual benefit which however have their own limitations.

Lately, few of the NGOs engaged in activities related to community mobilisation for their socio-economic development have initiated savings and credit programmes for their target groups. These Community based financial systems (CBFS) can broadly be categorised into two models: Group Based Financial Intermediary and the NGO Linked Financial Intermediary.

Most of the NGOs like SHARAN in Delhi, FEDERATION OF THRIFT AND CREDIT ASSOCIATION (FTCA) in Hyderabad or SPARC in Bombay have adopted the first model where they initiate the groups and provide the necessary management support. Others like SEWA in Ahmedabad or BARODA CITIZEN's COUNCIL in Baroda pertain to the second model.

The experience of these informal intermediaries shows that although the savings of group members, small in nature do not attract high returns, it is still practised due to security reasons and for getting loans at lower rates compared to that available from money lenders. These are short term loans meant for crisis, consumption and income generation needs of the members. The interest rates on such credit are not subsidised and generally range between 12 to 36%. Most of the loans are unsecured. In few cases personal or group guarantees or other collaterals like jewellery is offered as security.

While a census of NGOs in micro-finance is yet to be carried out, there are perhaps 250-300 NGOs, each with 50-100 Self Help Groups (SHG). Few of them, not more than 20-30 NGOs have started forming SHG Federations. There are also agencies which provide bulk funds to the system through NGOs. Thus organisations engaged in micro finance activities in India may be categorised as Wholesalers, NGOs supporting SHG Federations and NGOs directly retailing credit borrowers or groups of borrower.

The Wholesalers will include agencies like NABARD, Rashtriya Mahila Kosh-New Delhi and the Friends of Women's World Banking in Ahmedabad. Few of the NGOs supporting SHG Federations include MYRADA in Bangalore, SEWA in Ahmedabad, PRADAN in Tamilnadu and Bihar, ADITHI in Patna, SPARC in Mumbai, ASSEFA in Madras etc. While few of the NGOs directly retailing credit to Borrowers are SHARE in Hyderabad, ASA in Trichy, RDO Loyalam Bank in Manipur.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/the-existing-informal-microfinance-financial-sources-1045593.html

Weaknesses of Existing Microfinance Models

By: R.Yuvarani

One of the most successful models discussed around the world is the Grameen type. The bank has successfully served the rural poor in Bangladesh with no physical collateral relying on group responsibility to replace the collateral requirements. This model, however, has some weaknessed. It involves too much of external subsidy which is not replicable Grameen bank has not oriented itself towards mobilising peoples' resources. The repayment system of 50 weekly equal instalments is not practical because poor do not have a stable job and have to migrate to other places for jobs. If the communities are agrarian during lean seasons it becomes impossible for them to repay the loan. Pressure for high repayment drives members to money lenders. Credit alone cannot alleviate poverty and the Grameen model is based only on credit. Micro-finance is time taking process. Haste can lead to wrong selection of activities and beneficiaries.

Another model is Kerala model (Shreyas). The rules make it difficult to give adequate credit {only 40-50 percent of amount available for lending). In Nari Nidhi/Pradan system perhaps not reaching the very poor.

Most of the existing microfinance institutions are facing problems regarding skilled labour which is not available for local level accounting. Drop out of trained staff is very high. One alternative is automation which is not looked at as yet. Most of the models do not lend for agriculture. Agriculture lending has not been experimented.

Risk Management : yield risk and price risk
Insurance & Commodity Future Exchange could be explored
All the models lack in appropriate legal and financial structure. There is a need to have a sub-group to brainstorm on statutory structure/ ownership control/ management/ taxation aspects/ financial sector prudential norms. A forum/ network of micro-financier (self regulating organization) is desired.

R.Yuvarani, M.Phil Scholar, Department of commerce, Periyar University, Salem-11

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/weaknesses-of-existing-microfinance-models-1045606.html

How to Make Sure You Get the Best Home Insurance Policy

By: Alien

Whenever you plan to buy a home insurance policy, the two things that will surely come in your mind will be the cost that the policy will incur and the coverage it will assure you. If you can manage to get the best combination of both these aspects, you perhaps will have the best quality policy, which you can trust and rely upon. Never fall in the trap of just being satisfied, by even one of the two aspects. It is very easy for a customer to fall for a cheap home insurance policy, and not to give much of a consideration to the coverage it assures you. The same case can be other way; some customers may be overspending on their policies, just for receiving a huge coverage.

Trust the market on this; you can manage to find a medium type of a policy that will satisfy both the aspects of your needs, a cheap cost and a high coverage. It has been observed that many customers settle for a cheap cost or a huge coverage return, but do no really feel the necessity of having both. It is important for you to understand that there are many insurance companies who will give you a quality policy in a price that will be very well affordable for you to live with. It is not necessary for you to spend too much from your pocket to get a high quality policy. Many people do not realize this, and end up wasting their hard earned money.

It is important for you to have a good knowledge about how a balance home insurance policy should be like. It should neither be too expensive, nor too cheap, but should offer a decent enough coverage, that suits your requirement. The best home insurance policy suitable for you will be a good combination of both a decent cost, and a decent coverage.

Also it is important for you to trust your policy, and make sure that it covers all the aspects, in order to protect you and your property at all the times you need. But, you also should make sure that you are not overpaying for your policy. Always make sure that you pay only what you can afford, and what is required to be paid for your house. Now go get the best policy for you.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/how-to-make-sure-you-get-the-best-home-insurance-policy-1045854.html

MICRO FINANCE-A NEW PARADIGM

By: R.Yuvarani

A new paradigm that emerges is that it is very critical to link poor to formal financial system, whatever the mechanism may be, if the goal of poverty allieviation has to be achieved. NGOs and CBOs have been involved in community development for long and the experience shows that they have been able to improve the quality of life of poor, if this is an indicator of development. The strengths and weaknesses of existing NGOs/CBOs and microfinance institutions in India indicate that despite their best of efforts they have not been able to link themselves with formal systems. It is desired that an intermediary institution is required between formal financial markets and grassroot. The intermediary should encompass the strengths of both formal financial systems and NGOs and CBOs and should be flexible to the needs of end users. There are, however, certain unresolved dilemmas regarding the nature of the intermediary institutions. There are arguments both for and against each structure. These dilemmas are very contextual and only strengthen the argument that no unique model is applicable for all situations. They have to be context specific.

Dilemmas

Community Based

Investor Owned

Community Managed
Community (self) financed
Integrated (social & finance)
Non profit / mutual benefit
Only for poor
'Self regulated'
Professionally managed
Accepting outside funds for on-lending
Minimalist (finance only)
For profit
For all under served clients
Externally regulated
The four pillars of microfinance credit system (Fig. 1) are supply, demand for finance, intermediation and regulation. Whatever may the model of the intermediary institution, the end situation is accessibility of finance to poor. The following tables indicate the existing and desired situation for each component.





DEMAND

Existing Situation

Desired Situation

fragmented
Undifferentiated
Addicted, corrupted by capital & subsidies
Communities not aware of rights and responsibilities
Organized
Differentiated (for consumption, housing)
Deaddicted from capital & subsidies
Aware of rights and responsibilities


SUPPLY

Existing Situation

Desired Situation

Grant based (Foreign/GOI)
Directed Credit - unwilling and corrupt
Not linked with mainstream
Mainly focussed for credit
Dominated
Regular fund sources (borrowings/deposits)
Demand responsive
Part of mainstream (banks/FIs)
Add savings and insurance
Reduce dominance of informal, unregulated suppliers


INTERMEDIATION

Existing Situation

Desired Situation

Non specialized
Not oriented to financial analysis
Non profit capital
Not linked to mainstream FIs
Not organized
Specialized in financial services
Thorough in financial analysis
For profit
Link up to FIs
Self regulating


REGULATION

Existing Situation

Desired Situation

Focussed on formal service providers (informal not regulated)
regulating the wrong things e.g. interest rates
Multiple and conflicting (FCRA, RBI, IT, ROC, MOF/FIPB, ROS/Commerce)
Negatively oriented
include/informal recognise e.g. SHGs
Regulate rules of game
Coherence and coordination across regulators
Enabling environment


R.Yuvarani, M.Phil Scholar, Department of commerce, Periyar University, Salem-11

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/micro-financea-new-paradigm-1045611.html

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Payday advance: instant cash to deal with financial crisis

By: Harry Chick

Uncertain situations can be occurred anytime that is filled with some unexpected expenses that can adversely affect your financial budget. In these kinds of circumstances, when you really need money to fix some unexpected expenditure, you can easily apply for the payday advance. These financial aids surely offer you the small amount of money so that you can overcome your problems.

These are especially designed to help the borrowers in their financial crisis. As its name suggest these loans are offered on the basis of your next paycheque. These are short term financial help that offer the sufficient amount to fulfil certain needs such as paying electricity bills, school fees, car bills, credit card bill, grocery bills, or any urgent medical expenses.

In order to borrow cash, you need to meet certain criteria such as applicants should have regular employment; applicants should also possess a valid and active bank account. Borrower should also be over 18 years of age. If the applicant qualifies the desired eligibility, the required amount is automatically transferred in his/her bank account within the same day.

The amount approves under this fiscal aid ranges from £100 from £1500 as per the borrower’s requirement. The repayment term of the amount is varies from 14 to 31 days till borrower’s next salary day. If you tracked with crisis then you can extent the repayment term by paying the extra fee to lender. The rate of interest of the borrowed amount is slightly high because of its short repayment term.

These loans are free from credit check, so that borrowers with bad credit problems like defaults, late payment, arrears, etc can also borrow the amount in their urgencies.

Online is the most convenient way to get the loan amount. There you just have to fill up the simple application form in order to get the required cash. Through online medium you can also compare the different loan quotes in order to get the deal that suits your requirement and budget.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/payday-advance-instant-cash-to-deal-with-financial-crisis-1042325.html

Financial coaching can effectively increase financial awareness

By: Pradeep Shukla

There are several reasons that lead to a proper perspective and help us to know more about the financial decisions. Financial coaching is new concept and this helps us to know more regarding the strategic ways of money management.

Economic crisis is often the cause of excessive stress and mismanagement of finances is a prime cause of suicide each year. It is indeed good idea to consider that irrespective of social stature or class, everyone should be aware of the art and science of money management. Many of us have a fear of being financially ruined, we think of possessing money. But on the contrary it is a fact the seventy five percent of the wealthy population of the globe has earned the bucks, they have not at all inherited. For this self made people know the process of maintaining life with and without money. Proper financial coaching help to know the fact that money is the cause of great deal of anger, depression and anxiety.

Different personal financial coaching has been tailored to clarify existing doubts among the people. It is possible to get exactly the required information. There remain a properly tailored coaching agenda and it has been tailored to fit several individual requirements. With these facilities it is possible to find a personal mentor who can ensure financial freedom. The perfect selection of finance coaching related course indeed matters. There are plenty of online courses available and with a few mouse’s click it is possible to plenty of information from the online resources.

It is not difficult to control money to gain faith and confidence when the right steps are known. Thoughts matter and it is necessary for everyone to believe that money creates worthiness and social prestige directly or indirectly. Taking control over the spending habits it is indeed possible to make better financial future. There are plenty of books but online interactive courses are much better. At times it becomes necessary to identify and prioritize the expenses and we become rattled. From a proper coaching program we get to know the basics related to wealth creation.

Details of the finance coach can be found from the web portals that deliver finance coaching. These sites also offer information on the prevailing special offers. In case of doubts, just by sending an electronic mail or by dialing the telephone numbers further details can be obtained.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/financial-coaching-can-effectively-increase-financial-awareness-1043049.html

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Government Financial Assistance Grants

By Jack Cardell

Government financial assistance grants are merely finances that are offered by the government without any interest and which does not need to be re paid. These grants are a very good way of getting financial assistance irrespective of the type of credit rating that you currently have.

In order to be eligible to receive a grant you have to fulfill certain criteria. There is a specific principle for receiving financial assistance that has been fixed by the government itself. According to this principle, if you are seeking a grant then you have to have complete knowledge about that grant and need to struggle with other people vying for the grant too. Even after this, there is no guarantee that you will receive the government grant. The amount of money you receive as a part of a grant is always preset and is never altered later. Therefore, it is wise to apply for a government grant as quickly as you can as they are usually given out on a first come first serve basis.

There are various different types of government grants that are made available to the all the citizens by the government of the United States of America. The types available are:

1. Adoption tax credit
2. Housing rental grants
3. Grants for retirees
4. Legal help grant
5. College student grants and loans
6. Health insurance for children grants
7. Financial assistance for small business
8. Health care grants
9. Training and employment grants
10. Expatriate settlement grant

One of the main reasons for the government to offer these grants is so that it can provide assistance to persons who were not given loans to by banks or financial agencies. In the United States, there are approximately 3,500 different government grants and close to 20,000 educational programs.

Minority small business grants are the pinnacle of financing ordinary peoples' business dreams. The United States is built from that very same dream of prosperity and the government wants ordinary people like us to build our own future and take charge of our own lives. Barack Obama is a great supporter of the people that make up our nation, and he's laid out tens of billions every year in funding from personal government grants to business and education grants for all to benefit. You can visit the links in this article to learn exactly how to obtain government grants for your needs.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jack_Cardell

10 Pointers to Rein Your Finances

By Wain Roy

No matter how much or how little you earn, you should plan your finances well ahead to have a steady cash-flow and a secure future. However, it’s easier said than done! That is precisely why you need to be extra cautious about your savings and expenses. If managed prudently, you will soon see your money flesh out like never before, driving worries away and supporting you to sail through all odds and lows. To help you hold the reins to your funds, here are ten tips:

1. Save a minimum of 10% from your pay to build your long-term securities, such as a retirement plan. This includes your pay hike as well. The more you save, the more you are moving towards the ‘comfort’ zone of financial stability. Consider the inflation aspect and save in accordance with that.
2. Invest, but choose your investments wisely. You can have both short-term and long-term investments. Invest in money market or bank term deposits for short-term fund-building. Investments in shares and equities are generally for long-term goals.
3. Be wary if the returns offered on your investment look unusually attractive. Then the chances are that it’s a swindle. Do your homework and check if your investment company is registered with the Financial Services Board (FSB). Don’t invest in unlisted companies.
4. Begin with safe investments like life insurance, asset allocation funds, etc. Returns may not be too lucrative here, but security is much higher.
5. Investment in shares is risky but rewarding. However, before you jump to conclusions, it’s crucial that you know the stock market completely. Be on your toes while you invest on shares—track company performances and other ups and downs to buy/sell shares judiciously and get good monetary benefits.
6. Keep an emergency fund always at hand to be on your guard and help save that bit of worry when misfortune strikes. But if all roads close, you always have an option for fast cash. It’s easy to apply for a UK payday loan online, which you can easily access when you need money.
7. If your confidence falters, get a financial advisor. But please don’t hesitate to negotiate the advisor’s commission/fees. Remember, it’s your money.
8. Don’t be fooled by fancy labels or promises while investing. Research and probe deep into the product/company for understanding the investment proposal before deciding.
9. If a big amount is sitting idle in a low-interest savings account, act. Put the same in a money market account or a mortgage bond.
10. Most importantly, consider your finances in the light of your needs, not desires. Buy houses or cars when you need them, not when you just want them. That way, you will make a more sound decision. The thumb-rule of managing finances is not to be ruled by the heart, but by the head—always!

Wain Roy is an internet marketing professional expert in various industries like real estate, web design, finance, medical tourism and Payday Loans UK

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Wain_Roy

Ameriprise Financial Services - The Best Personal Financial Adviser

By Abhishek Agarwal


In today's growing consumer market, where one has plethora of options to choose from for almost all goods and services, many companies have managed to maintain their goodwill and win the rat race with a simple rule - consumer is the king!

Some companies have carved their niche with prompt and accurate customer services and support system. A leading name among financial advisory services today is - Ameriprise Financial Services or the AFS.

Ameriprise Financial Services initiated as a small company from a local office, and have managed to expand a fortune. They are best known for their online financial advisory services and personal consultation.

Their strategy for the same is to use a handy advisor locator. The best part of using this locator is that you do not need to give any personal details. On the company's web portal simply key in your zip code. The locator would automatically supply a list of Ameriprise Financial Services Advisors with in your vicinity. Be rest assured that you won't be contacted unless & until you yourself opt to call an agent.

Besides the regular functions of the web portals, Ameriprise Financial Services' website offers enormous wealth of information on all aspects regarding financial planning. An individual's financial planning primarily depends on their budget and the financial requirements. However, at the end financial planning remains one's personal decision. Yet, all of us need to have a clear understanding of our goals from the same.

The personal advisors at Ameriprise Financial Services understand these basics and hence their website details the very core information like:

i. The fundamentals of investment
ii. Tips for paperwork
iii. Information that we must put forward before the advisor to make the best of his services. This way he or she would give you the best possible recommendations for your personalized financial planning needs.

How the Ameriprise Financial Services' Advisor works?

Ameriprise Financial Services' personal financial planner initially offers a free consultation session. Here, he or she would help you identify your financial goals. He or she would present before you the realistic & concrete picture of your current scenario and your actual needs. That is your financial stand today and what it requires to meet what you want.

In the following sessions, the advisors would help you synchronize the goals, that is prioritizing the needs & wants. He or she would then prepare the information you need. Next, He or she would present this information in a way that it clarifies all your doubts. Hence the advisor would help you understand the best possible ways to achieve your financial goals.

Ameriprise Financial Services advisors are always there for you in order to answer your questions. Yet, they are just advisors and they would leave the final decisions for the client or customer.

Finally a written plan would be developed. As per your requisites and goals it would also be modified until completion.

That is not all. You advisor would also help you implement the plan with regular meetings. Ensuring that the customer stays on the track to achieve their financial objectives and goals, they would guide you through the required changes as well.

What are the other services provided by Ameriprise Financial Services?

1. Insurance

Ameriprise Financial Services also deals with insurance. They provide:

i. Life Insurance
ii. Health Insurance
iii. Disability Insurance
iv. Long Term Care Insurance
v. Home Insurance
vi. Auto Insurance

2. Banking & Lending Agency

Ameriprise Financial Services is also an efficient banking & lending agency so they help you through money management & financial planning in the practical terms.

3. Investment Products
Ameriprise Financial Services' investment products include the following:
i. IRAs
ii. Annuities
iii. Stocks
iv. Bonds
v. Mutual Funds

This implies that the clients could easily diversify the portfolios & try varied types of investments during working with the advisors

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Abhishek_Agarwal

Film Making Finance - 12 Points To Keep In Mind

By Abhishek Agarwal

Finance is a very important and crucial part of film making. While many people pull you here and there explaining about this vast topic, where as they are all beating behind the bushes, here are some real facts about film making finances.

Every film maker at some point in his career is supposed to make a choice between a hobby and a profession - that is whether you choose film making as a full time career or just a mere hobby. The key to the answer lies in their ability to finance or fund their own projects.

Film making, as we all know involves a lot of money in indeed, most oft the film makers focus on their current project, not the future ones. Hence in order to become a film maker, it is immensely important to understand the professionalism involved in film making, and the mechanisms of film investment.

In this regard many people claim to be Mr. Know-It-All, but as a matter of fact, this is not any toddlers' job. Such people often try to take advantage of your ignorance in the field.

We suggest you to contact a legitimate company who are equipped with the right knowledge and have some experience in the field of film making. But, like all other services and products, there are so many consultancy firms out there. On what basis do you choose or reject one? Here are some basic facts that you must understand:

1. The fake or some average companies would merely try to grab your money away with high dreams and no results.

2. The legitimate and quality organizations would never promise you any investors. They would rather assist you with a list of the potential investors and help you win over them.

3. Whether your project gets an investor or not is matter that is decided by several factors like the subject of your project, the market scenario, your individual potential and its portrayal, and for those who believe, luck.

4. The legitimate consultants understand that there is no fun stealing away those few dollars paid for consultancy that any producer could afford conveniently.

5. The genuine financial consultants at times do not even charge the percentage of the funds you have earmarked for the project. They charge you their fees but ultimately aim towards the success of your project and its effective distribution.

6. They must help you evaluate the accumulated interest levied on the money you have borrowed during production.

7. They would also guide you through a well planned financial end of your project.

The toughest part of this business comes in to the scene when you have to convince a financial consultant of a legitimate producer to get involved in your project. You must find an investor who trusts you and your project well enough in order to invest in such high-risk, that is film making. For this you must step in to the shoes of an investor and evaluate as to what would be his/her investing criteria.

There are some essential basics of film investing. These are:

1. Usually, a film investor contributes around 50% of the total cost of the film. Film producer bares the remaining 50%.

2. 30-40% is quite enough to make the film. This would totally depend on your convincing power to bring forth the end users to become a part of your plan.

3. The investor would always want that the budget of the film project is as low as possible.

4. Foreign sales must cover at least 50%.

5. An investment worth $5 million is should be enough to allow the investor to buy several films.

As getting a film financed through investors is not an easy nut to crack, the independent film makers must consider the film making grants. Those who are passionate about this art and are in love with this profession, have a real scope of getting these grants. Just log on to internet and key in 'film making grants' and you shall get to know about several funders who are all willing to help such budding talents. All you need is to believe in your project. But make sure to gain enough knowledge about each grant as there are several types of grants that define different criteria for each.

Abhishek is an avid Film Making enthusiast and he has got some great Film Making Secrets up his sleeve! Download his FREE 78 Pages Ebook, "Understanding The Basics Of Film-Making!" from his website http://www.Fun-Galore.com/94/index.htm. Only limited Free Copies available.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Abhishek_Agarwal

Financial Meltdown - The End of a 300 Year Ponzi Scheme

By Ellen Brown

Panic struck on Wall Street, as the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged a thousand points between July and August, and commentators warned of a 1929-style crash. To prevent that dire result, the U.S. Federal Reserve, along with the central banks of Europe, Canada, Australia and Japan, extended a 315 billion dollar lifeline to troubled banks and investment firms. The hemorrhage stopped, the markets turned around, and investors breathed a sigh of relief. All was well again in Stepfordville. Or was it? And if it was, at what cost? Three hundred billion dollars is about a third of the total paid by U.S. taxpayers in personal income taxes annually. A mere $188 billion would have been enough to repair all of the 74,000 U.S. bridges known to be defective, preventing another disaster like that in Minneapolis in July. But the central banks’ $300 billion was poured instead into the black hole of rescuing the very banks and hedge funds blamed for the “liquidity” crisis (the dried up well of investment money), encouraging loan sharks and speculators in their profligate ways.

Where did the central banks find the $300 billion? Central banks are “lenders of last resort.” According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta’s "Economic Review", “to function as a lender of last resort [a central bank] must have authority to create money, i.e., provide unlimited liquidity on demand.”1 In short, central banks can create money out of thin air. Increasing the money supply (“demand”) without increasing goods and services (“supply”) is highly inflationary; but this money-creating power is said to be necessary to correct the periodic market failures to which the banking system is inherently prone.2 “Busts” have followed “booms” so regularly and predictably in the last 300 years that the phenomenon has been dubbed the “business cycle,” as if it were an immutable trait of free markets like the weather. But in fact it is an immutable trait only of a banking system based on the sleight of hand known as “fractional-reserve” lending. The banks themselves routinely create money out of thin air, and they need a lender of last resort to bail them out whenever they get caught short in this sleight of hand.

Running through this whole drama is a larger theme, one that nobody is talking about and that can’t be cured by fiddling with interest rates or throwing liquidity at banks making too-risky loans. The reason the modern banking system is prone to periodic market failures is that it is a Ponzi scheme, one that is basically a fraud on the people. Like all Ponzi schemes, it can go on only so long before it reaches its mathematical limits; and there is good evidence that we are there now. If we are to avoid the greatest market crash in history, we must eliminate the underlying fraud; and to do that we need to understand what is really going on.

The 300 Year Ponzi Scheme Known as “Fractional-Reserve” Lending

A Ponzi scheme is a form of pyramid scheme in which earlier players are paid with the money of later players, until no more unwary investors are available to be sucked in at the bottom and the pyramid collapses, leaving the last investors holding the bag. Our economic Ponzi scheme dates back to Oliver Cromwell’s revolt in seventeenth century England. Before that, the power to issue money was the sovereign right of the King, and for anyone else to do it was considered treason. But Cromwell did not have access to this money-creating power. He had to borrow from foreign moneylenders to fund his revolt; and they agreed to lend only on condition that they be allowed back into England, from which they had been banned centuries earlier. In 1694, the Bank of England was chartered to a group of private moneylenders, who were allowed to print banknotes and lend them to the government at interest; and these private banknotes became the national money supply. They were ostensibly backed by gold; but under the fractional-reserve lending scheme, the amount of gold kept in “reserve” was only a fraction of the value of the notes actually printed and lent. This practice grew out of the discovery of goldsmiths, that customers who left their gold and silver for safekeeping would come for it only about 10 percent of the time. Thus ten paper banknotes “backed” by a pound of silver could safely be printed and lent for every pound of silver the goldsmiths held in reserve. Nine of the notes were essentially counterfeits.

The Bank of England became the pattern for the system known today as “central banking.” A single bank, usually privately owned, is given a monopoly over issuing the nation’s currency, which is then lent to the government, usurping the government’s sovereign power to create money itself. In the United States, formal adoption of this system dates to the Federal Reserve Act of 1913; but private banks have created the national money supply ever since the country was founded. Before 1913, multiple private banks issued banknotes with their own names on them; and as in England, the banks issued notes for much more gold than was in their vaults. The scheme worked until the customers got suspicious and all demanded their gold at once, when there would be a “run” on the banks and they would have to close their doors. The Federal Reserve (or “Fed”) was instituted to rescue the banks from these crises by creating and lending money on demand. The banks themselves were already creating money out of nothing, but the Fed served as a backup source, generating the customer confidence necessary to carry on the fractional-reserve lending scheme.

Today, coins are the only money issued by the U.S. government, and they compose only about one one-thousandth of the money supply. Federal Reserve Notes (dollar bills) are issued by the privately-owned Federal Reserve and lent to the government and to commercial banks. Coins and Federal Reserve Notes together, however, compose less than 3 percent of the money supply. The rest is created by commercial banks as loans. The notion that virtually all of our money has been created by private banks is so foreign to what we have been taught that it can be difficult to grasp, but many reputable authorities have attested to it. (See E. Brown, “Dollar Deception: How Banks Secretly Create Money,” www.webofdebt.com/articles, July 3, 2007.)

Among other problems with this system of money creation is that banks create the principal but not the interest necessary to pay back their loans; and that is where the Ponzi scheme comes in. Since loans from the Federal Reserve or commercial banks are the only source of new money in the economy, additional borrowers must continually be found to take out new loans to expand the money supply, in order to pay the interest creamed off by the bankers. New sources of debt are fanned into “bubbles” (rapidly rising asset prices), which expand until they “pop,” when new bubbles are devised, until no more borrowers can be found and the pyramid finally collapses.

Before 1933, when the dollar went off the gold standard, the tether of gold served to limit the expansion of the money supply; but since then, the Fed’s solution to collapsed bubbles has been to pump ever more newly-created money into the system. When the savings and loan associations collapsed, precipitating a recession in the 1980s, the Fed lowered interest rates and fanned the 1990s stock market bubble. When that bubble collapsed in 2000, the Fed dropped interest rates even further, creating the housing bubble of the current decade. When lenders ran out of “prime” borrowers, they turned to “subprime” borrowers – those who would not have qualified under the older, tougher standards. It was all part of the structural imperative of all Ponzi schemes, that the inflow of cash must continually expand to pay the people at the top. This expansion, however, has mathematical limits. In 2004, the Fed had to begin raising rates to tame inflation and to support the burgeoning federal debt by making government bonds more attractive to investors. The housing bubble was then punctured, and many subprime borrowers went into default.

The Subprime Mess and the Derivatives Scam

In the ever-growing need to find new borrowers, lending standards were relaxed. Adjustable rate mortgages, interest-only loans, no- or low-down-payment loans, and no-documentation loans made “home ownership” available to nearly anyone willing to take the bait. The risks of these loans were then minimized by off-loading them onto unsuspecting investors. The loans were sliced up, bundled with less risky mortgages, and sold as mortgage-backed securities called “collateralized debt obligations” (CDOs). To induce rating agencies to give CDOs triple-A ratings, “derivatives” were thrown into the mix, ostensibly protecting investors from loss.

Derivatives are basically side bets that some investment (a stock, commodity, etc.) will go up or down in value. The simplest form is a “put” that pays the investor if an asset he owns goes down, neutralizing his risk. But most derivatives today are far more difficult to understand than that. Some critics say they are impossible to understand, because they were intentionally designed to mislead investors. By December 2006, according to the Bank for International Settlements, the derivatives trade had grown to $415 trillion. This is a Ponzi scheme on its face, since the sum is nearly nine times the size of the entire world economy. A thing is worth only what it will fetch in the market, and there is no market anywhere on the planet that can afford to pay up on these speculative bets.

The current market implosion began when investment bank Bear Stearns, which had been buying CDOs through its hedge funds, closed two of those funds in June 2007. When the creditors tried to get their money back, the CDOs were put up for sale, and there were no takers at anywhere near their stated valuations. Panic spread, as increasing numbers of investment banks had to prevent “runs” on their hedge funds by refusing withdrawals by investors concerned about fraudulent CDO valuations. When the problem became too big for the investment banks to handle, the central banks stepped in with their $300 billion lifeline.

Among those institutions rescued was Countrywide Financial, the largest U.S. mortgage lender. Countrywide was being called the next Enron, not only because it was facing bankruptcy but because it was guilty of some quite shady practices. It underwrote and sold hundreds of thousands of mortgages containing false and misleading information, which were then sold in the market as “securities.” The lack of “liquidity” was blamed directly on these corrupt practices, which frightened investors away from the markets. But that did not deter the Fed from sending in a lifeboat. Countrywide was saved when Bank of America bought $2 billion of its stock with a loan made available by the Fed at newly-reduced interest rates. Bank of America also got a nice windfall, since when investors learned that Countrywide was being rescued, the stock it just purchased shot up.

Where did the Fed itself get the money? Chris Powell of GATA (the Gold Anti-Trust Action Committee) commented, “[I]n central banking, if you need money for anything, you just sit down and type some up and click it over to someone who is ready to do as you ask with it.” He added:

"If it works for the Federal Reserve, Bank of America, and Countrywide, it can work for everyone else. For it is no more difficult for the Fed to conjure $2 billion for Bank of America and its friends to “invest” in Countrywide than it would be for the Fed to wire a few thousand dollars into your checking account, calling it, say, an advance on your next tax cut or a mortgage interest rebate awarded to you because some big, bad lender encouraged you to buy a McMansion with no money down in the expectation that you could flip it in a few months for enough profit to buy a regular house."3

Which brings us to the point here: if somebody is going to be “reflating” the economy by typing up money on a computer screen, it should be Congress itself, the publicly accountable entity that alone is authorized to create money under the Constitution.

The Way Out

Economic collapse has been the predictable end of all Ponzi schemes ever since the Mississippi bubble of the eighteenth century. The only way out of this fix is to reverse the sleight of hand that got us into it. If new money must be pumped into the economy, it should be done, not by private banks for private profit, but by the people collectively through their representative government; and the money should be spent, not on bailing out banks and hedge funds that have lost speculative market gambles, but on socially productive services such as rebuilding infrastructure.

When deflation is tackled by creating new money in the form of debt to private banks, the result is a spiraling vortex of debt and price inflation. The better solution is to put debt-free money into consumers’ pockets in the form of wages earned. Workers are increasingly losing their jobs to “outsourcing.” A government exercising its sovereign right to issue money could pay those workers to build power plants using “clean” energy, high-speed trains, and other needed infrastructure. The government could then charge users a fee for these services, recycling the money from the government to the economy and back again, avoiding inflation.

Other considerations aside, we simply cannot afford the bank bailouts coming down the pike. If it takes $300 billion to avert a market collapse precipitated by a few failing hedge funds, what will the price tag be when the $400-plus trillion derivatives bubble collapses? Rather than bailing out banks that have usurped our sovereign right to create money, we the people should skip the middlemen and create our own money, debt- and interest-free. As William Jennings Bryan said in a historic speech a century ago:

"[The bankers] tell us that the issue of paper money is a function of the bank and that the government ought to go out of the banking business. I stand with Jefferson . . . and tell them, as he did, that the issue of money is a function of the government and that the banks should go out of the governing business. . . . [W]hen we have restored the money of the Constitution, all other necessary reforms will be possible, and . . . until that is done there is no reform that can be accomplished."

______________________________________________________________________________

1. James Barth, et al., “Financial Crises and the Role of the Lender of Last Resort,” Federal Reserve of Atlanta Economic Review (January 1984), pages 58-67.

2. George Selgin, “Legal Restrictions, Financial Weakening, and the Lender of Last Resort,” www.cato.org (1989).

3. Chris Powell, “Central Banking Is Easy,” www.gata.com (August 23, 2007).

Ellen Brown, J.D., developed her research skills as an attorney practicing civil litigation in Los Angeles. In "Web of Debt," her latest book, she turns those skills to an analysis of the Federal Reserve and "the money trust." She shows how this private cartel has usurped the power to create money from the people themselves, and how we the people can get it back. Her websites are http://www.webofdebt.com and http://www.ellenbrown.com Her eleven books include the bestselling "Nature's Pharmacy," co-authored with Dr. Lynne Walker, which has sold 285,000 copies.

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Carbon Finance at the World Bank

By Emmanuel Ayomide Praise

The World Bank was a pioneer in the carbon market. The Bank’s operational engagement in carbon finance started with the establishment of the $180 million Prototype Carbon Fund (PCF) in 1999. This was rapidly followed by the establishment of other funds and facilities as the Kyoto Protocol was ratified. Today, the World Bank manages just over $2 billion across 10 carbon funds and facilities. Sixteen governments and 65 private companies from various sectors have made financial contributions to these funds.

The funds and facilities include the PCF; the Community Development Carbon Fund (CDCF), which extends c arbon finance to small poorer countries and communities; the BioCarbon Fund (BioCF), which applies carbon finance to forestry and land use projects; the Netherlands (Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and Joint Implementation (JI) (*) Facilities; the Italian Carbon Fund; The Spanish Carbon Fund; the Danish Carbon Fund; the Umbrella Carbon Facility; and the Carbon Fund for Europe, launched in March 2007.

While the Bank’s initial role was to catalyze the global market for carbon emission reductions, carbon finance is now emerging into the mainstream of the Bank’s lending program. In December 2005, the Executive Directors endorsed the Bank’s approach for further engagement in carbon finance, focusing on three clear objectives – to:

Ensure that carbon finance contributes to sustainable development;
assist in building, sustaining, and expanding the international market for carbon emission reductions; and further strengthen the capacity of developing countries to benefit from the emerging market for emission reduction credits.

Operationally, the carbon finance program essentially supports the objectives of the second pillar of the Investment Framework for Clean Energy and Development, by providing incentives for transitioning to a low-carbon economy in the Bank’s client countries.

(*) The Clean Development Mechanism, (CDM) and Joint Implementation (JI) are flexible mechanisms under the Kyoto Protocol that allow OECD countries to fulfill some of their greenhouse gas emission-reduction commitments through projects in the developing world (CDM) and countries with economies in transition (JI) .

Emmanuel Ayomide Praise

Emmanuel Ayomide Praise is a world leading internet entreprenuer and investor. Some of his areas of interest include sport management,merchandise,ownership,internet entreprenuership,investments, media and writing amongst others.

Business URL: http://www.emmapraise.blogspot.com - http://www.nigeriasoccer.blogspot.com

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Importance of Financial Education

By Pauline Go


The knowledge of financial education is important to all investors, whether a business man or a family. Financial management enables us to organize and spend our money wisely in different areas. It may help you understand the significance of your savings, expenditures, liabilities, investments, and financial statements better. The entire concept of financial education is to impart you with the skill to maximize the profit and to extend your business life period. Precisely a well informed and financially educated individual can make better economic and financial decisions on the job, at home and in their community.

The prime importance of financial education is to guide an individual or businesses to plan the budget for a better and smooth economical living. A financially strong person always adds to the progress of a nation. They enjoy higher level of living and have this ability to make the major consumptions as well as purchase. Successful businesses add more savings in the banks and make the most use of credit available, which in turn provides jobs and income to millions of people.
Financial education empowers a common man and thus helps to prevent any financial loss or damage. Countries like UK, US, Australia, Singapore and other economically developed countries lay stress on the fact that financial and economic literacy should be the key component of any public policy. If you want to be a good financial planner in the years to come, make sure you get all your doubts cleared through better financial education.

About Author:
Pauline Go is an online leading expert in finance industry. She also offers top quality finance articles like :

Weekend Payday Advance, Loan For Bad Credit

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Financial Risk, Investment in College and Academic Clout Often Over Blown

All too often academia misleads parents and college students into believing that their institutions carry clout. In fact in the end it is the individual not the school, which provides propulsion in one’s career you see? One thing that colleges and universities always tell students and parents during pre-enrollment visits is that; “Our institution places 85% of our graduates in the Fortune 500 Companies.”

Well that is just grand, but doing what, being the janitor? And what do these corporations do with all these up and coming kids? The average corporate employee now changes jobs on average every 3.2 years you see? The average corporation has an under funded pension issue now, are they going to give you or your child a guarantee that they will never fulfill? One could say what does it matter if you kid will only work there for 3-4 years anyway? Universities always tout who went to and/or graduated from their institution? Of course they do not tell you how many kids committed suicide or failed out or were let go by these corporations the first time they downsized in a downward sector rotation or a downward business cycle do they?

You know that is false and misleading advertising, businesses must always disclose the good and the bad when selling stocks, franchises or investment opportunities? Well what do you call those high fees of tuition? It is an investment in your child’s future and therefore you have the right to know how big the risk is and therefore these universities should disclose the whole truth and not misrepresent. Why are they able to cheat the system like this? Consider this in 2006.

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Hurricanes and Finance

By Lance Winslow

Are your personal and family finances in order and ready to go for the 2006 Atlantic tropical hurricane season? Are you ready to go for a mandatory evacuation and realize that your home may be destroyed and you may not even come back for four to six weeks to look at it because the power is out and FEMA will not want you back in the area?

Have you consider what you will do or how you will live for three to four weeks away from your home while still paying all your bills? Are you worried that when you come back to your area that your business or your job may no longer be there because the building was destroyed and therefore the company is no longer in existence?

Have you considered plans in case of such a potential eventuality; have you even considered what on earth you will do if you lose your job and your home? Where will you go, what would you do, how will you pay your bills, can you get another job; doing what?

If your families finances are straight and you have a financial plan in place in case of such a catastrophe like the folks along the Gulf Coast of the United States went through during Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita during the 2005 Atlantic tropical hurricane season; then you might be okay. Please consider all this 2006.

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Tracking Down the Financial Future by Passionately Pursuing the Present

By Lance Winslow

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to know the future? Can you imagine the advantage that you would have if you had a better glimpse into future events? Well, perhaps this is why futurists are so gainfully employed. But how do they do it?

First, a good futurist thinker must consider recent history and the present period, he must know it like no other. When Sun Tzu said "know thy self and know thy enemy" that was indeed a wise comment. For futurism strategies to work one must "know the present and know their sector."

So, considering this let's discuss the news on February 17, 2009 as an example and see if we can see trends here:

* Stanford Financial; Houston - New Fraud Case on High Yielding CDs
* Dow down 250 points at 9:00 AM PST; Closed Down 300 points
* Obama to sign Stimulus in Denver today
* Cisco Launches Video Conferencing via Cell Phone Devices
* Cirrus Satellite Radio gets bailed out Financing & John Malone to prevent BK
* Rumor: Direct TV setting up Long-term play to own Cirrus
* Mini-Cooper Auto Makers laying off 1/3 workforce - not immune to slow down
* Return to Financial Viability plan; Auto Maker Deadline; Rumors ask for more & BK
* Russia gives helicopters to Bolivia; supposedly to fight Drug War?
* Bolivia and Peru at odds, tension mounts
* Japanese Finance Minister Resigns
* Madoff Doll to Smash made by FL Entrepreneur: Cost $99

Now then, think deeply and consider how these trends work together and what they might mean for the future. For instance, fraud will mean more regulation in the financial sector. What will more regulation mean?

Go ahead and study all these events and ask, what do they mean. Write down the major events for the next month, scan them, you'll spot the same trends that the top futurists do. Think on this.


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# Winning in the Financial Services Industry is a Lot Like Making the Money in the First Place

By Lance Winslow


In turbulent economic times, working in the financial services industry can be quite challenging. Even when recovery is on the way investors are sketchy, fearful and almost hostile towards anyone in the industry. Although it's not easy to win during such a global economic crisis as a financial services professional, it is possible, let me explain:

You know money is a lot like winning. If you don't care about it, you'll never have any. Any money. Or any wins. If you are a financial services consultant or sell financial products you might wish to make a note of it. If the financial company you work is having difficulties in this market, it can become a catch-22 if you do not do it right.

For instance, you need to make money to live well, but if you sell people financial products that are not appropriate you'll lose your way for violating your integrity. Thus, you have to think of it this way; You must make money, by making other people money, or make money by saving people money.

Therefore you are doing a valuable service for them, and thus, YOU deserve the money you make. And if you are successful in your services to help them make money, you will get referrals and have no trouble asking for referrals, because? Well, because you have earned them and YOU deserve the money you've made.

Many financial firms have quotas, and since that type of sales is a numbers game you have to obviously focus on the number of folks you get in front of and talk to. I suppose they already told you that you need to see X amount of people a day, week, month, to meet your goals.

All goals should be broken into sub-goals and you must treat the sub-goals as important as the main-bigger goal. Always remembering "service first" in other words YOU resolve to help people make money or keep more of the money they make.

Maybe to help you in this dilemma, set your goals to how much money you saved or helped grow for other people and set that goal in the millions of dollars per week or month? Whatever number that should correspond to your firms goals.

If you find you cannot make people money, say due to the economic situation, consider how much you saved them from losing now, and as the economic factors shift how much money you grew their portfolio, investment (s), etc. If you find a better way to make them more money on their money or grow their nest egg with a different firm, then quit and work for the better company.

This will give you a strong personal conviction in what you are doing. You must have PURPOSE to win, (participation without purpose is not noble, it's just busy work) a reason and one which matches your personal character.

If you had a low personal character or integrity value, then you'd need to go take care of that prior to focusing on making money, otherwise you will set yourself adrift towards a dead end. Think of it like Niagara Falls, it's important to know it's there, just don't go over it.

Lance Winslow - Lance Winslow's Bio. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/.

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