Sunday, February 8, 2015

Struggling with Debt? Here are Your Options

With the economy still recovering, millions of Americans are struggling with consumer debt. If you're barely managing to hang on, or debt collectors are already hassling you, the best thing you can do is come up with a plan of action as soon as possible.

If you're facing a level of debt you can't afford, you do have a few options available to you. These include:

• Setting up a budget and contacting creditors yourself
• Getting help from a credit counseling agency
• Turning to debt settlement companies
• Working with a debt settlement attorney
• Filing for bankruptcy

What are the Consequences of Not Paying Debt?

If you're having trouble paying your bills, it's important to understand the type of debt you have and the consequences of not paying. There are two types of debt: secured and unsecured.

Debt may be secured by property, or collateral, to guarantee repayment of your loan. If you can't repay your secured debt, the creditor can take back the property without suing you or getting a court judgement. Common examples include car loans, mortgages and home equity lines of credit.

Debt may also be unsecured, which means it is not attached to any particular property. If you don't pay this type of debt, creditors may sue you and get a court judgement, which may mean your wages will be garnished. Examples include credit card debt and medical bills.

Tax debt and student loans are in a separate category, as the government is allowed to take drastic action without getting a court judgement. These debts are generally not dischargeable in bankruptcy, unlike the first two categories.

1: Contacting Creditors Yourself
If you go this option, you should begin by making a budget and listing all of your outstanding debt. Look for ways to reduce your spending and expenses, and increase your income, then come up with a realistic amount you can put toward debt every month.

From there, contact creditors one by one and explain the situation to hopefully get a payment plan. You may be able to negotiate for reduced late fees, a discount on the balance or a lower interest rate.

2: Credit Counseling
Credit counseling agencies are another option if you can't work out a plan with your creditors, or you need help. An accredited, nonprofit credit counseling agency may offer money management classes, budget counseling, debt counseling and refer you to other agencies to help. Some may even help you contact creditors and set up a debt management plan.

3: Debt Settlement Companies
Companies that offer debt reduction services are one option available to you, although you need to be aware of the reality. These companies often make unrealistic promises they cannot keep, such as guaranteeing your creditors will discount your total debt, and their fees can be very high.

Most will also get you into trouble by causing even further damage to your credit by telling you to stop paying your creditors, instead diverting this cash into an account and paying their fees. The idea is, after 6-12 months, this lump sum will be used to reach a settlement agreement with your creditors, but that does not always happen.

Instead, your creditors may increase their collection actions against you or take you to court when they learn you're using debt reduction services. If they sue you, these companies cannot represent you in court or offer legal advice. They also cannot stop phone calls from your creditors, and the cost to sign up for their services can easily cost you thousands. Many will also not tell you that you may owe taxes on any debt that is successfully forgiven.

4: Debt Settlement Lawyers
While the services a debt settlement attorney offers ay seem similar to a debt settlement company, working with an experienced law firm comes with some distinct advantages. Attorneys often have better leverage against your creditors, who have their own army of lawyers on their side. A lawyer will also be able to give legal advice and represent you in court if your creditors sue you, working to obtain a pre-judgement settlement of your debt. If a judgement against you is obtained, they will assist you further in protecting your assets.

5: Bankruptcy
Finally, do not overlook bankruptcy as an option. While most people want to avoid it at all costs, it may be your best option if even a settlement won't be affordable to you. Bankruptcy has its consequences, including damage to your credit and possible employment issues, but it will completely erase most debts, including a mortgage, car loan, credit card debt and other consumer debt, allowing you to get a fresh start on life.

Liability Insurance for Small Businesses

In everyday life, insurance is a necessity such as having automobile insurance for those unexpected accidents that may happen while one is on the road. Without insurance, our lives would be uncontrollable as an accident may be catastrophic in terms of economics. It is also the same for health insurance; without it, medical care can become expensive. Likewise, a small business must have insurance to protect it from unexpected consequences resulting from a number of factors one may not initially expect. Without it, a small incident may ruin the business.

Having your own business is one of the most rewarding aspects of being in the business world. And being a small business owner come the risks involved. Yet, one of the most important parts of a small business is insurance. While there are many types of insurances available for businesses, one of the most common insurance is liability. This type of insurance is required for small businesses to protect against losses and protects the business from losing its assets.

When seeking out liability insurance for your small business, it is important to work with your insurance agent in determining the type of insurance needed as well as meeting the minimum requirement to maintain insurance and the type of business. There are several types of liability insurance: general, professional, product, and commercial property. General liability insurance covers property damage and injury claims whereas professional liability insurance covers malpractice issues, negligence, errors, and omissions. Product liability is as such, it covers the product only if it causes harm to the customer. Commercial property insurance covers everything on the property. The commercial property insurance also has two types: all-risk, and peril-specific. All-risk insurance protects against everything unless specified in the insurance policy whereas a peril-specific policy only covers what is specified in the contract.

Each type of insurance coverage depends on the type of business. An insurance agent will be of assistance in determining the type of coverage needed for your business. Depending on the type of business, there may also be additional insurance required. While initial loss coverage may be needed, the additional coverage will protect the business from these charges such as legal fees in the event of an unfortunate outcome. In addition to finding the right licensed insurance agent, it is important to assess the risk factors of the business in order to find the right policy. Plus, it is also important to update your policy on an annual basis as your business may increase and therefore, you will need to increase the insurance value so as not to be liable for additional losses. It should not be hard for a small business owner to understand the liability issue surrounding the business in the event of unforeseen circumstances, and the reason having insurance is meant for protecting the business.

Guide to Buying Life Insurance Leads Online

Gone are the days when insurance agents were forced to spend long hours tracking down prospects the hard way, with hours spent making connections, building relationships and meeting with people one-on-one. Today, many agents grow their business by purchasing high-quality leads from a company that specializes in insurance and business to business lead generation. These companies generate leads online from qualified prospects interested in buying insurance, and the agent buys the leads, typically at a flat price per lead.

With life insurance leads, the cost will typically be determined by the quality of the lead itself. Common lead types include substandard, final expense, standard and premium life insurance leads, with substandard leads being the cheapest.

Premium life insurance prospects are typically between the ages of 45 and 70 with no major health conditions, such as drug or alcohol abuse, hepatitis, HIV/AIDS, vascular disease, cancer, heart disease, mental health problems or emphysema. Standard life leads are those aged 25 through 44 with no major health conditions. Final expense life leads are between the age of 50 and 80 with a maximum $25,000 policy, while substandard leads fall outside of these groups and may have pre-existing conditions.

When you buy life leads or health insurance leads, for that matter, you will usually receive a full profile of the prospect, including contact information, current insurance and provider, when their current policy expires, coverage options and their health conditions. Many companies that sell business leads also allow you to filter leads to receive only the leads that make sense for your business. This includes geographic filters, lifestyle filters and demographic filters to help you maximize your investment.

As with anything though, quality is important. When comparing the cost per lead, remember to consider the potential return. Many agents start out with a batch of 50 to 100 leads to help them determine their return on investment (ROI), but it's also important to keep in mind most agents take some time to get their process down, so the success rate should climb after a bit of experience.

It's also essential to work only with companies that sell high-quality, fresh insurance and business leads. Unfortunately, there are poor quality companies who will simply resell old leads dozens or even hundreds of times. While their pricing is very low, you're getting a poor value because these leads will not lead to conversions, and you'll be wasting your time tracking down prospects who may have changed their contact information and are most likely not interested in insurance any longer.

Buying insurance leads truly is the way of the future, allowing any agent to maximize their budget and gain access to qualified leads with little time and money. If you're still doing things the old-fashioned way, consider going a test run and buying a batch or two of high-quality life insurance leads to see why millions of agents turn to this strategy to grow their business.

Thursday, February 5, 2015

SVS SECURITIES - SHARE DEALING

Based in the City of London, SVS Securities PLC offers clients access to a broad range of investment opportunities in a friendly, simple and cost-effective manner.

SVS Securities offers trading in all UK markets via one of two dealing accounts. These accounts were created so that investors could pick the one which best suits their investment goals, giving everyone the opportunity to make the most of their investments.

ADVISORY ACCOUNTS

SVS Securities’ Advisory account is designed for investors who take an active interest in the market but who also want to be able to call on the advice of a professional when they feel the need. SVS Securities’ advisors are dedicated to providing not only great customer service and prompt and professional trading, but also relevant advice and analysis based on their experience, skills and expertise.

EXECUTION ONLY ACCOUNTS

SVS Securities’ Execution Only account is designed for investors who simply want to deal quickly and efficiently without the need for investment advice. This service is for investors who know what they want to trade and when. Our role is simply to provide factual information and execute trades at the investors’ instruction.

RESEARCH

SVS Securities serves sophisticated investors by providing practical strategies and technical and fundamental equity research. Written by market professionals, SVS Securities’ research provides timely updates to complement investor’s trading strategies, whether your aim is to achieve steady income, capital appreciation, or both.

SVS Securities - PORTFOLIO THEORY

Investing in stocks and shares is all about research and analysis. The more you do, the better you’ll become at recognizing good investment opportunities and (hopefully) the more profit you will realize. Analyzing and researching investment opportunities is a long and arduous task. It is for this reason that advisory accounts are so popular amongst investors. Advisory accounts offer investors access to the analysis and research carried out by experienced analysts and brokers. Clients are still required to manage their own risk and make their own investment choices but having a professional to turn to is often a great help. Even if you do hold an advisory account, it is useful to have some knowledge and understanding of portfolio theory so as to better understand your investments and how to make the most of them. Portfolio theory has changed a lot over the years and will no doubt change even more in the future. It is worth, every so often, reading over news pieces or text books about portfolio theory to make sure that you are up-to-date and that you are doing everything you can to make the most of your investments.

COMPANY PERFORMANCE

Before you invest in a company, it is good to know exactly how the company is performing. The problem is that there are a variety of different ways that you can try and measure a company’s future prospects. None of these methods are guaranteed to give you a genuine insight into the company’s performance. Analyzing the results of a number of these indicators may give you a good indication of how the company is performing in a very general sense. The more research you do and the more indicators you compare, the more reliable your findings will be.

ROE

ROE or Return on Equity is the most common measure of a company’s performance used by analysts and investors. ROE measures the rate of return on the shareholder’s equity. It shows how well a company uses invested funds to generate earnings growth. ROE is judged against the rest of the sector and the cost of capital in that sector. Therefore a Return on Equity less than the cost of capital is considered destructive. Despite its popularity, measuring a company’s performance using ROE is not without its draw backs. Companies can artificially create a healthy ROE (for a time at least) by leveraging debt and buying back shares using accumulated funds. This can leave a healthy ROE calculation whilst company performance is actually in a slump. Companies are keen to maintain a healthy ROE due to its popularity as an indication of performance. A dip in ROE could result in a dip in share prices and a loss of investor confidence in the company. It is for these reasons that we suggest considering a number of different indicators when considering an investment.

SVS Securities - AGIRICULTURE AND THE WORLD FOOD CRISIS

The world food crisis is a growing problem in the world today. A growing population and dwindling resources are pushing up the prices of soft commodities and exacerbating the whole situation. In 2010, 925 million people went hungry. Poverty is the principle cause of hunger. The rise in soft commodity prices, although it may offer a good opportunity for investors to realise a profit, is making it even more difficult for the worlds poor to find the money to eat. For this reason, speculating on the price of soft commodities is an ethical “grey area”. We’re not suggesting that you be completely altruistic and donate all of your money to charity, but the world is getting smaller and it is about time we began to think of the ethical implications of our investments.

SOFT COMMODITIES AND FARMING:

Soft commodities refer to commodities such as coffee, cocoa, sugar, corn, wheat and fruit which are generally grown rather than mined. There are a number of people suggesting that soft commodities and farming might be a better long-term investment in the current market conditions than other “hard” commodities. In most cases an excess of a commodity or a lack of demand will cause commodity prices to drop. Similarly, if there is a drop in supply or a rise in demand, prices will rise. There are four main factors currently affecting the supply and demand of soft commodities and farmed goods.

1. The global population is rising exponentially. A growing population increases demand for food, soft commodities and farmed goods.

2. Arable land is being lost to urban sprawl. This decreases the quantity of food, soft commodities and farmed goods it is possible to produce and therefore limits supply.

3. Recent movements towards renewable energy have led to an increased demand for biofuel and the crops that are used to produce it.

4. Investors speculating on commodity prices cause sudden peaks and troughs in demand, increasing volatility in the market.

Meera Patel of Hargreaves Lansdown commented “The global population is growing faster than the amount of new farmland available, and, at the same time farmers are under pressure to use less water and fewer chemicals, which is likely to constrain supply even further. The resulting excess of demand over supply is likely to lead to rising prices over the long term.”

This is because, with the exception of speculation from investors, factors affecting the price of farmed commodities are relatively stable. The global population is increasing steadily with estimates from the United Nations suggesting we will require a 70% increase in food production by 2050. This growth in population size is a contributing factor to the loss of arable land. Though there is currently a real push for renewable fuels, the demand on soft commodities for biofuel purposes are more likely to increase steadily than shoot up suddenly.

SVS SECURITIES - FOREX

FX is a branch of SVS Securities plc and offers Forex Trading Online with no re-quotes and no dealing desk. SVS: FX offers Instant execution, tight spreads and sophisticated charting tools with a trusted Forex broker based in the City of London. SVS Securities: Forex offers two different types of account.

CAPITAL PROTECTED ACCOUNT (CPA)

If you are relatively new to trading, or you'd like to see how you can execute and manage your trades on the Web-trader Forex trading platform, the Capital Protected account might be exactly what you are looking for. There's a limited range of instruments on the trading system so that you can concentrate on getting the basics right. Not only this but should you lose money on your trades, SVS: FX will reimburse your trading losses for a fixed period.

GLOBAL TRADER ACCOUNT (GTA)

With the Global Trader Account you can trade the full range of 30 currency pairs, indices, oil and gold with the benefit of guaranteed stops, tight fixed spreads and generous leverage. Instant execution means the price you click is the price you trade and you can hold your account in Sterling, US Dollars or Euros.

SVS Securities: Forex offers investor’s access to the Webtrader and MetaTrader trading platforms and gives you the opportunity to open a demo account until you are comfortable with the software and with your trading strategies.

SVS SECURITIES - CONTRACTS FOR DIFFERENCE

SVS Securities: CFD is a branch of SVS Securities plc. At SVS CFD we understand that our investors are individuals and that everyone has different investment goals and preferences. This is why we have developed three different Contracts for Difference accounts to meet each client’s specific needs.

ADVISORY ACCOUNTS

SVS Securities’ Advisory account is for investors who intend to take an active interest in the market but who also want to be able to call on the advice of a professional when they need to. SVS Securities’ advisors are dedicated to providing not only great customer service and prompt and professional trading, but also relevant advice and analysis based on their experience, skills and expertise.

EXECUTION ONLY ACCOUNTS

SVS Securities’ Execution Only account is designed for investors who do not wish to receive investment advice but simply to deal quickly and efficiently. This service is for investors who know what they want to trade and when. SVS Securities’ role in these accounts is simply to provide factual information such as prices, and execute trades at the investors’ instruction.

SVS Securities - GETTING DEFENSIVE

Constantly thinking that your glass is half empty can often lead to missed opportunities. However, constantly thinking that your glass is nearly full when all you have is a drop of water left is even more damaging. When making financial decisions, realism is the name of the game. Recently, news services across the globe have been giving a lot of air time to the financial markets being in turmoil. A global slowdown, the risk of another recession and the possibility of a European default are making everyone nervous, especially investors. To quote the immortal words of Douglas Adams “Don’t Panic”. It may have become harder to realise huge trading profits, but you can still make a profit in the markets. If you are having problems, perhaps now is the time to consider defensive stocks and the part they play in your portfolio.

WHAT ARE DEFENSIVE STOCKS?

Defensive stocks are believed to provide consistent dividends and stable earnings regardless of macroeconomic fluctuations. Shares in these companies are seen as attractive during times of volatility and economic slumps, but less so during a bull market as they are often seen as performing below the markets during these periods. Defensive stocks rarely shoot up and provide investors with huge, short term returns. They are long term investments to hold in your portfolio to reduce risk and provide stability. Utility stocks are considered defensive because whatever the state of the economy, there will be a constant demand for the services these companies provide. 

ARE DEFENSIVE STOCKS THE ANSWER?

There is no knowing what the markets will do next, no knowing whether any one share price will rise or fall. The advantage of investing in defensive stocks is that they offer a high dividend yields and are less susceptible to market slumps than other companies. They are not ideal for realising huge gains over short periods, they are a long term investment in which you could maintain your wealth whilst making a little extra in way of dividends. The question you need to ask yourself is: do you think the market is going to recover any time soon? There are a myriad of problems confronting the economic world, many of them are going to take months, if not years to put right. This doesn’t mean that you should start running for the hills, you just need to reconsider your portfolio choices and decide whether or not you are sufficiently exposed to companies that tend to weather economic storms rather well and offer high yield dividends.

SVS Securities - TAKE AIM

In the current economic climate, investors have found themselves in a dilemma: Should they risk losing their money if the market slumps again or stay out of the markets and risk missing an opportunity? The AIM, like most other markets around the world has recently seen a dip in its share prices. For many this has reinforced the belief that AIM companies are too small and volatile and therefore too great a risk. Is the mass exodus of investors really warranted, or should investors with a greater appetite see it as an opportunity to invest? To encourage growth in smaller businesses, the government has gone to great lengths to make investing in these companies an attractive option. There are currently a number of tax benefits available for investments in unquoted companies (for the purposes of these tax reliefs, companies quoted on the AIM and PLUS markets count as unquoted). With tax relief on inheritance tax, income tax and capital gains tax available and the existence of Enterprise investment schemes, entrepreneurs’ relief and Venture capital trusts, perhaps now is the time to consider investing in AIM listed companies.

WHAT IS AIM?

The Alternative Investment Market or AIM is a sub-market of the London Stock Exchange. AIM is home to over 1,200 companies which operate in over 40 different sectors. There are relatively few restrictions on which companies can become listed on the AIM. According to the London Stock Exchange’s website; “AIM is the most successful growth market in the world. Since its launch in 1995, over 3,000 companies from across the globe have chosen to join AIM. Powering the companies of tomorrow, AIM continues to help smaller and growing companies raise the capital they need for expansion.” There are a number of reasons for the AIM markets success, such as:

• The AIM has a more balanced approach to regulation which facilitates a smooth transition into becoming a public company which allows companies to remain focused on growth.
• The AIM employs a large number of Advisors who are experienced in supporting companies from the moment they consider joining and throughout their time in the market.
• An international customer base willing to provide capital to less established companies as they grow.

AIMs regulatory environment has been designed with smaller and growing companies in mind, to help these companies make the most of their floatation. The entry criteria for AIM are more relaxed than on the main markets and more in tune with the needs of smaller growth companies. There is no trading record required, no minimum size criteria and no prescribed level of shares that must be in public hands. To be admitted to the AIM companies are required to have a Nominated Advisor at all times. AIM employs a “comply or explain” model of regulation. This means that companies can either comply with their rules or explain why they will not or cannot comply. There are a number of reasons that companies decide to float on a public market:

• To provide access to capital growth
• To create a market for company shares
• To broaden its shareholder base
• To place an objective market value on the company’s business
• To encourage employees by making share schemes more attractive
• To increase the company’s ability to make acquisitions by using quoted shares as currency
• To increase the public profile of the company
• To enhance the company’s status with customers and suppliers

TAX BENEFITS

There are a variety of ways of investing in AIM listed companies and a collection of tax benefits for doing so. These tax reliefs have a variety of qualification criteria and many are very complex. Depending on your circumstances, you could receive income tax relief of up to £150,000, 100% inheritance tax relief and a number of opportunities for Capital Gains Tax relief. If you are interested in receiving these benefits we strongly advise that you consult a financial advisor to ensure that any investment you are planning on making would be eligible. These tax reliefs are set by HMRC and are subject to change. Talk to a financial advisor for a complete and up-to-date list of tax benefits.

SVS Securities - ETFS AND THEIR PLACE IN YOUR PORTFOLIO?

An Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) is an investment fund that holds assets such as stocks, commodities and derivatives and is traded on an exchange. ETFs are very complex and each one is different, they can be grouped into “types” of ETF. These include:

• Index ETFs
• Commodity ETFs
• Bond ETFs
• Currency ETFs
• Sector/Industry ETFs
• Actively managed ETFs

We are going to take a closer look at Index ETFs:

The majority of ETFs are index ETFs and track an index such as the FTSE 100. ETFs can even be created to inversely track an index, these are referred to as inverse ETFs and use investments in derivatives to seek a return which corresponds with the inverse of the performance of the index. Inverse ETFs involve additional risks to regular index ETFs due to their exposure to derivatives. ETFs can be an attractive investment due to their low costs, tax efficiency and share-like features. ETFs are cheaper than mutual funds, mostly due to the fact that ETFs do not have to maintain cash reserves and can save on brokerage expenses. The tax benefits of ETFs can be seen in the fact that Capital Gains Tax (CGT) doesn’t need to be paid until the ETF or its assets are sold. This means that though the assets in the ETF may change, money that would otherwise have been paid out in CGT is allowed to remain within the fund where it can continue to accumulate wealth. The most attractive aspect of an ETF is its share-like qualities. As they are traded on stock exchanges, investors can set stop losses, buy on margin and invest as much or as little as they would like.

Inverse ETFs are often used to hedge against losses in physical shares during periods of economic turmoil. If the markets begin to slump, anyone holding physical shares may see the value of their portfolio slump. Investing in an inverse ETF means that investors, who have been adversely affected by market movements, can also benefit from the decrease in the index while they wait for their physical holdings to recover. For instance; if losses are seen in a portfolio, the index will probably be trending downward which will result in a positive result for anyone holding an inverse index ETF. It is hoped that the losses sustained in the portfolio will match or be outweighed by the gains from the inverse ETF. This involves the risk that if the market rallies, losses on the ETF may outweigh the gains on the equities. This saves money on the brokerage fees involved in selling and then buying back your physical shares when the market begins to improve.