Making plans for the holidays is probably the furthest thing from your mind right now, but now is the time to take advantage of all the Royal Caribbean promotions and rack-up up to $250 in onboard credits!
Royal Caribbean is running 2 special promotions for the month of September. We've highlighted the eligible holiday cruises below. Onboard credit amounts vary based on the length of the cruise and the cabin type. You can lock in this special by putting the minimum deposit amount down, and take the next 12 months to pay off the balance! Deposits for 4 & 5-day cruises are $100 per person, and deposits for 6 & 7-day cruises are $250 per person. Promotion Breakdown Deck the Holidays Deals · Offer Period: Sept 1-30, 2017 · Onboard Credits: Ø Sailings 5 days and less: · Interior & oceanview cabins: $25 OBC per cabin · Balconies & suites: $50 OBC per cabin o Sailings 6 days and more: · Interior & oceanview cabins: $50 OBC per cabin · Balcony cabins: $100 OBC per cabin · Suites: $150 OBC per cabin Early Booking Incentive · Sailing Window: departing 6 months in advance · Onboard Credits: Ø Sailings 5 days and less: · Interior & oceanview cabins: $25 OBC per cabin · Balconies & suites: $50 OBC per cabin o Sailings 6 days and more: · Interior & oceanview cabins: $50 OBC per cabin · Balconies & suites: $100 OBC per cabin Click Here For More Information about Galveston Capital Tourism and Marketing
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What is investing all about? How do you start?
If you have decided to enter the world of investing, learning how to invest must now dominate your time and focus. Two steps will help you on your way. Defining investing In essence, investing involves spending your time, effort and resources to attain a higher objective. For instance, you spend weekends with a social group to do charitable work, use your talent in the arts to create works of beauty and value or apply your profession in your job or your business to earn a living. In the same way that you do these things hoping to gain valuable rewards, you likewise invest your money in a bond, mutual fund or stock, just be careful of investment scams online, but with the goal of achieving material benefits in the future. Eradicate your debts now Now that you are eager to go ahead and start investing once you learn how to, you certainly would want to know the next step. But rein in your enthusiasm for a while. Hold your horses while you check if you are really ready to take the ride of your life in investing. Now that you see the possibilities opened to you through the magic of compounded returns, you have to protect yourself from the same trap which you could be unwittingly locked in. Do away with high-interest debts that you may have at the present. Reward yourself first of all To succeed as an investor, you must make investing an integral part of every day. That may sound difficult or tedious; but not really. You must realize that the act of buying something, say a cappuccino, will influence your daily finances as much as acquiring a home-equity loan to cover your credit-card payments. Active and passive methods of investing There are two primary methods of stock investing: active and passive management; and they differ on how stocks are chosen, not on how you choose your verbs. Active investing involves selecting stocks yourself or you can ask your brokers or fund managers to pick the stocks, bonds, and other forms of investments. Passive investing requires you to let your holdings follow an index which a third party makes. Speculating versus investing Perhaps, you may have heard of a close friend who struck it rich with options. Or you may have had moments of lucky streaks in the past where you won a sizeable amount of cash from a raffle or lottery. Why should you then enter into a long and slow process of investing your money which can only bring you a double-digit gain and not bundles of cash right away? Investing demands years of patience before you can finally reap the good harvest. What if you cannot wait that long? Planning and setting objectives Investing is a long-term process, like planning a long vacation. Ask yourself these questions before you embark on this endeavor: • What is your destination? (What financial goals do you have?) • How long is your vacation? (What is your time frame in investing?) • What should you bring along? (What investments forms will you choose?) • How much gas do you need to use? (How much will you invest to achieve your goals? How much can you invest a regular plan?) • Do you have stopovers on the way? (What short-term financial expenses do you have?) • How long is your vacation? (Will you have to retire using your investment?) • If you run out of gas because you frequently stop to rest and drive through the night, you are bound to spoil your vacation. So it is if you do not save enough money, if you invest haphazardly or fail to invest at all. How stock trading works Now that you have set your finances in order and you have also established definite financial objectives, you are now ready to learn how to begin investing. With mutual funds, the procedure is quite easy: Call the fund company and request them to open an account for you. Dealing with stocks can be a more challenging endeavor. The dangers of margin Through a brokerage account, you can choose between a cash account or a margin account. A cash account allows you trade using available money you are willing to invest. A margin account allows you to buy stocks using other people’s money – which you borrow. Margin accounts can be attractive for obvious reasons; however, the risks can be significant. Summary Now that you have gained enough background information on how to start investing in stocks, as well as what your financial goals are, how much money you will need to invest, how long it will take to recover your investment, the next move is to begin considering where to invest and the kind of potential gain you hope to make. You can get more info from our newsletter services which we offer free for one month. Our contributors may have diverse views on many issues; but this fact helps to provide you with a wide selection of insights and perspectives on how to succeed in investing. We have a disclosure policy which allows us to be fully transparent in all transactions. Some things you can easily neglect or forget without causing any harm, such as what the last two answers are in the crossword puzzle today; but you cannot do that to a debt. Debt stays like a recurring nightmare in the night, haunting us and chasing us like Mr. Anderson in a Matrix world, charging compounded annual rates of 20% or more of monthly interests. We are stuck in that world’s system – with no escape in sight. But there is a way out of debt, using our free debt-crushing strategies -- and with the help of some of your rich friends and wealthy relatives (see tip No. 5). The nine ways to escape this enslaving system follow:
1. Exceed your monthly dues The first step toward freedom from debt is to pay above the demanded minimum monthly payment. Do not extend your burden of paying the usual 2% to 3% of the outstanding balance for the required payment term. Moreover, banks would enjoy such subservience, even wishing you would pay for longer terms to increase their profits. Tell yourself now that it is time your own happiness is your priority, not the bank’s. The strategy is to pay as much as you can afford regularly for every month. For instance, if your minimum amortization is $200, make it $150 or 200 even more. Try to look into your daily or monthly expenses to see where you can get the extra money. (To find some tips on how to do this, read our Living Below Your Means discussion forum.) For example, minimize or eliminate dining out and cook at home. Desserts are things we can do without, if you think about it. Happy hours would not be so happy if you think you have a debt to pay off. "Luxuries", in short, are things you can do without and are rich sources of hard cash. The operative word (as in, you need to get it out of your system through some form of mental surgery) is “sacrifice”. Then, you will find a way to drastically up your debt amortizations and avoid getting scammed. It is the best way to save valuable money that would go into paying interests. Moreover, you will have a faster way of escaping your “debtly” situation. There is no joy in that kind financial crisis, having to live in constant penury and fear. 2. Snowball your debt payments If you have credit cards, think seriously of how you can win some more points. Which one gives the lowest rate of interest? If you have not gone beyond the highest amount allowed on that card, try moving your higher-interest bill to it. This is allowable in most cases. Why pay 18% if you can pay only 12%? In case your total credit balance does not fit on your low-interest card, pay at least the minimum amounts required for all cards except for one. You can then transfer most of your debt repayments into that one credit card, and do it as fast as you can. Once the balance on that card is zero, transfer the next by applying the same rapid repayment scheme. This is what “snowballing” means – one small step at a time until you accomplish more. While the debt is decreasing, the money you will need to undo your debt will increase. The money you use to pay off “snowballs” until your debt disappears. You see how easy it is? One alternative means of moving higher-interest debt to a lower-interest card involves the use of promotional offers from banks which provide credit card facilities. Note such ads offering to "Transfer all your credit card balances” to them at only “5.9%" for a period of a year. Why not? 5.9% is far beneficial to you than 18% interest. It would be unwise not save all that money in interest which could be funneled to reduce the principal every month, effectively decreasing the outstanding debt balance even more. But think before you bite into any offer. Check properly the details for any possible catches. For instance, find out whether the interest rate will remain at the offered rate after the introductory period expires or revert to what you pay now. This would mean changing again and other possible surprises along the way. Banks have become wary of credit card holders who jump from one card to another to avail of the low introductory interest rates. Many such offers now stipulate that once you move outstanding debts from the new card within a year, the regular interest rate will revert retroactively to all outstanding balances. That stipulation might come as a big burden to bear for cash-strapped individuals, giving no relief whatsoever. The fine print tells it all – if you can read patiently. 3. Withdraw your savings account You can decide to withdraw your savings and investments and slowly pay off your debt using the proceeds. It might appear unwise; yet, sometimes one has to play the fool to survive. Even at 12% rate, your investments would need to bring in above 18% before paying all taxes to match the dollars flowing out. Besides, the money in your savings account will not earn you close to that rate of interest. Terminating the debt this way, amounts to achieving that 18% gain, minus any risks involved otherwise. The greater the interest rate you pay, the more desirable repayment becomes against any existing investment. 4. Take out a loan using your life insurance policy Does your life insurance policy provide a cash value? Then, make us of it by borrowing your own money. The interest rate is usually way below commercial rates avoid online fraud; and you can have longer terms to repay the loan. Be sure you pay it faithfully. In case you die prior to repaying the debt, the remaining loan balance and interest will be taken from policy’s face value due to the beneficiary. Indeed it is a small burden to carry now to try to remove a debt than allowing your loved ones to carry the burden, if you leave them permanently before paying it back. 5. Persuade family and friends for help There must be a relative or friend who trusts you and cares enough to reach out to you with a helping hand. If so, you stand to get a loan at a bargain rate with less pressure on the payment schedule. In order to keep your relationship intact, frame up a formal agreement on paper to clarify expectations on either side as to interest and repayment scheme. This will do away with any hurt feelings or doubts in the future. And try to stick to the agreement if you want to remain welcome at family, office or school events. 6. Acquire a home equity loan If you have a home whose equity has piled up over the years of paying the mortgage, why not get a home equity loan (HEL) credit facility at the highest allowable amount? There are two ways that a HEL can help you save: first, applying the loan amount to your debt repayment, which allows you to exchange an 18% loan, for example, for a 6%-7% loan; second, itemizing deductions when you file your income tax credits HEL interest as a deductible item in most instances. A 25% marginal tax bracket will provide the 6% loan an effective rate of 4.5%, which is probably the best deal you can get on a personal debt. Avoid, however, the common pitfall of getting an HEL, paying out your current debt and then ringing up credit card charges once again. That will give you two birds to shoot at with a single bullet, since you cannot afford another bullet to solve both challenges. Avail of HEL to erase your credit card debts, and then pay off HEL as well. Makes you appreciate your dire situation and the meaning of the saying, “There’s HEL to pay!” 7. Avail of a loan through your 401(k) If you have a 401(k) retirement plan, yours may have a facility for loans up to 50% of your account's value, or $50,000, whichever is smaller. Usually, the rates are one or two points above prime, making them lower what credit cards charge. This makes 401(k) plan loans a way to pay off your debts. The best thing about this scheme is not just the lower interest but that you pay it back to your account as each dime paid on interest goes straight to the borrower's 401(k) account and not the lender's. The downside on this plan includes the following: first, you repay the loan and interest with after-tax dollars, and the interest will be subject to tax again when you finally withdraw money from the 401(k) in the future. Moreover, the loan repayment period is five years. Leaving your work before repaying the whole loan will, therefore, require you to immediately pay off the loan. If not, that amount will be considered as a distribution to you and subject to tax at regular rates. And in case if you are below 59 and one-half years old, an additional 10% excise tax will be charged as penalty for cashing out your retirement funds early. Hence, make certain your 401(k) loan can be fully paid prior to leaving your job. 8. Restructure your loans Are you at your rope’s end? No savings left. Friends and relatives cannot be of help. You do not own a home or a 401(k) account to loan against. In short, you are wiped out and you consider filing for bankruptcy. Wait! Hope always shines in the darkest places. Ironically, the prospects of bankruptcy can be of use to you. If your creditors become aware of your situation and that you cannot renegotiate, your only recourse is to declare bankruptcy. You may seek a lower repayment term; ask for a lower interest rate; and satisfy their demand for payment. Creditors, more often than not, will choose to receive any deal where they get to recover some of their investment rather than nothing at all. The transaction table is always open to a reasonable compromise where everyone wins and no one loses anything. It is worth a try and in time you will realize such recourses do work for the best. There are even organizations which will do it for you, in case you are not sure what you need to do. 9. Final option: Declare bankruptcy If it comes down to the last option you have left, file for bankruptcy. As much as we all want to pay our debts, sometimes repaying is not at all possible. But be aware of the consequences. For ten years, you will have a credit record with this bankruptcy information, making it hard for you to acquire a loan for that long. Furthermore, it is ironic that filing for bankruptcy requires a lot of money. Hundreds of dollars of lawyer fees and court filing expenses have to be met to get the relief you seek. With tougher bankruptcy laws in the offing as well, you might end up not obtaining any relief at all. Two kinds of personal bankruptcy relief are available: Chapter 7 and Chapter 13. Chapter 7, called straight bankruptcy, provides almost total relief from debts, not including such items as alimony, taxes, child support, loans acquired through filing false financial records, loans not included in the bankruptcy petition, student loans and legal decisions against the petitioner. Although Chapter 7 frees you of the duty of paying back most creditors, you may need to give up a big part of your property to partially pay off the debt. Nevertheless, some states have different laws providing exemptions on particular types of property, for instance, a specific amount of home equity, an old or low-value vehicle, minimal worth of jewelry and other personal belongings, and tools used in the pursuit of one’s business or occupation. Although such exemptions are quite small, no one will need to start over from zero. Chapter 13, also referred to as the "wage-earner plan," is quite different. You can hold on to your property but give up all financial control to the bankruptcy court. The court recommends a repayment scheme based on your financial capability for paying off all or part of your debt for period of 3 to 5 years, during which creditors cannot harass you for any payment. You are also free of any interest charges on your debts during that period. Once the requirements of the court-approved scheme have been satisfied, you come out debt-free from the bankruptcy Every few years, the federal government comes out with advice about one of the most important things you do every day—eating. The new recommendations came out last month in the form of an update to the official Dietary Guidelines, and they include some big changes that are meant to help Americans make smarter choices about the food they eat in order to lower their risk of obesity and chronic disease.
“People whose diets match these guidelines stay healthier than those whose diets don’t,” says Nancy Copperman, RD, assistant vice president of public health and community partnerships for Northwell Health (formerly North Shore-LIJ Health System). “And as our understanding of nutrition gets more sophisticated, those guidelines get tweaked based on the strongest and most recent science.” While many of the government’s suggestions will seem familiar (yes, you still have to eat your veggies), you may be surprised by some of the other recommendations in the new guidelines. One of the most important changes: Limit added sugar. Dietary experts have cautioned for years against eating too much of the sweet stuff, but for the first time they’ve singled out added sugar, meaning sugar that doesn’t occur naturally in whole foods like an apple or glass of milk (although milk doesn’t taste sweet, it naturally contains a sugar called lactose). Americans should consume less than 10 percent of their daily calories from added sugar, say the new guidelines; for someone who eats about 2,000 calories a day, that’s just 200 calories. “That’s equal to about 12 teaspoons of sugar, total,” says Copperman. “Most of us currently consume about 22 teaspoons a day, so we need to basically cut that in half.” The easiest way to do that is to read labels, she says; choose foods with less than 5 grams of sugar per serving. If the label lists anything over that level, the item probably contains added sugar. “That should make you think twice about whether that snack is really worth it,” Copperman says. Worry less about cholesterol Research has shown that cholesterol in food isn’t a major factor in raising the cholesterol level in our body. Instead, the new guidelines suggest limiting saturated fat. How? Try reducing your intake of fatty cuts of meat, and increasing chicken, fish and plant-based proteins like beans and nuts. Get pickier about protein Dovetailing with the above, another of the new guidelines says that many of us—specifically, many teen boys and adult men—eat more than the recommended 26 ounces of protein from animal sources per week. The problem is, a body can process only so much protein at a time, says Copperman. Anything it doesn’t use is stored as fat. And while the guidelines single out guys, Copperman says that most of us (of either gender) can benefit from eating less animal-based protein. “Choosing smaller portions and filling our plates with fruits, vegetables, and whole grains instead is never a bad thing,” she says. “That’s advice that has stood the test of time.” Below, you will find out about opportunities to improve your savings and results and receive a few of our tips to finance your innovation.
We wish you a pleasant reading! PIC SCHEME Optimize your PIC claims! Did you know that companies can combine for YA 2013 to YA 2015 the yearly cap for each qualifying activity at S$ 400k? Companies are allowed to claim up to S$ 1,2M of eligible expenses for each qualifying activity by combining the three Years of Assessment. For example, if you haven’t claimed R&D costs in YA 2013 and YA 2014, you can claim up to S$ 1,2M of R&D costs in YA 2015. Do not miss this opportunity to optimize your savings! PIC Bonus: get it while you can The PIC Bonus is a S$ 15,000 dollar-for-dollar matching cash bonus on top of the PIC cash payout and the enhanced tax deduction available for YA 2013 to 2015. The PIC scheme will remain active at least until 2018. It is still time to get the PIC Bonus by optimizing your PIC Claims for YA 2015. PUBLIC FUNDING IN SINGAPORE Innovation Capability Voucher (ICV) ICV is a public financing tool for local SMEs helping them to purchase integrated IT solutions and to get access to consultancy services for innovation, productivity, HR and finance management. Local businesses can get up to S$ 40,000 with 8 different vouchers. iSprint Funding for Intermediate Packaged Solutions This funding program initiated by IDA for local SMEs reimburses up to 70% of the buying cost of numerous pre-approved packaged solutions up to S$ 20,000 as well as consultancy and training costs related to packaged solutions such as SaaS, PoS, Accounting Management Systems, etc. GAC EXPERTISE Assistance to IRAS technical queries More and more companies have seen their claims rejected or challenged by IRAS. It requires a specific expertise to claim technical staff salaries and outsourced R&D projects under the PIC scheme. We were expecting an increase of the controls, as it happened in other countries, with similar schemes. Make sure to secure your R&D tax credits by following all regulations and expectations from IRAS to avoid troubles and delays in the process. R&D Tax Credits From IRAS perspective, R&D includes the notion of innovation whereas it is excluded in OECD definition. Several countries use the OECD R&D definition for R&D tax credits, such as France, England or Canada. In Singapore, the definition of R&D is broader and therefore, the notion of eligible R&D activity of the PIC is larger than scientific research and is not limited to lab work and PhDs teams. Our consultants are R&D experts with either a MSc or a PhD who successfully claimed R&D projects in different fields such as Software Development, SaaS, Energy, E-commerce, Microsystem, Healthcare, Water, Big Data, Web technologies, etc. GLOBAL NEWS Singapore is becoming a global IP hub The government has been implementing effective tax measures to encourage the anchoring of intellectual property in Singapore for the past few years. By helping companies finance acquisition and registration of Intellectual Property Rights through the PIC scheme, among other initiatives, the objective of the Government is to help Singapore become a global IP hub in Asia. Top 20 Hottest Startups Released in the Singapore Business Review, the Singapore's Hottest Startups 2015 awards the most innovative startups in the country. Five of our clients are ranked in this top 20! This shows the strong links between GAC and the technology-oriented startups ecosystem of Singapore. We help innovative companies finance their technical projects by claiming the salaries of their technical teams through the PIC scheme. |