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Uranium is a very unusual sector. For one, it's small. So small, that at one point in history top-producing nations like Canada and France tried to form a uranium cartel to control prices for the metal.

The "uranium OPEC" failed. But production today is de facto controlled by a handful of companies.

Consider this. The world's top ten uranium mines account for 59% of global production. (The top mine, Saskatchewan's McArthur River, alone puts out 15% of the world's supply.)

This is very concentrated, compared to other sectors. In the copper sector, the top ten mines turn out just 30% of global supply. For gold, the number is even lower. About 19%.

This means that what happens at a just few uranium mines around the world makes a big difference to the price for the metal.

For this reason alone, good uranium projects are interesting. Any deposit that could become a significant supplier will garner a lot of interest. From would-be producers who want to break the stranglehold existing suppliers have on the market. And from same existing suppliers, who want to keep as much control as possible over the sector.

But the severe concentration of global production is just one reason to look at uranium projects. Another (perhaps better) reason is the extremely skewed grade distribution of the world's uranium mines.

QUESTION: Do UNALLOCATED metal assets held under the Perth Mint Certificate Program need to be reported on the IRS TDF90-22.1? I recently purchased your book "Reporting Foreign Financial Accounts" as well as the 2010 Update and searched both of them for an answer on this point, and have also searched your online Q&A looking for an answer, but I have not found one.

You have covered the ALLOCATED aspect of the Perth Mint Certificate Program and also the Perth Mint DEPOSITORY SERVICES (a completely different service, which operates like a private client bank account or stockbroking account, except with balances of precious metals in troy ounces---and IS reportable); however, the UNALLOCATED aspect of the Mint's Certificate Program appears to have not been addressed.

With the UNallocated Bullion program, one has title to precious metal deposited in an UNsegregated storage account, and is issued a Perth Mint Certificate. This is not a "managed fund"; it is simply a pool of unsegregated precious metal in which one purchases an interest.

The following description of the Certificate Program appears on the Perth Mint's website:

"With unallocated storage, also known as a metal account, clients purchase an interest in a pool of precious metal held by The Perth Mint. The Mint purchases an ounce of precious metal from the spot market for every unallocated ounce it sells to clients. Accordingly every unallocated ounce is 100% backed.

"The precious metal purchased by the Mint is recorded on its balance sheet as an asset and the unallocated amounts sold to clients are recorded as a liability.

"At purchase, clients only pay for the precious metal. There are no fabrication charges or storage fees, until clients elect to convert their unallocated into a specific coin or bar, which they can do at any time."

Since this question has not previously been specifically addressed or answered, I would really appreciate your view on the UNALLOCATED aspect of the Certificate Program in relation to the FBAR disclosure requirements.

LONDON, May 13, 2010 - Maitland which administers more than $70bn on behalf of 80 fund manager clients was ranked the third fastest growing hedge fund administrator globally in a recent international survey by hedgefund.net. Assets under administration grew by $21bn over the past year and have more than doubled over the past three years.

According to Maitland Fund Services CEO, Veit Schuhen, the success of the business can be attributed to its unique service offering which is based around offering clients a comprehensive outsource solution. "We look to becoming a strategic business partner of our clients. This requires state of the art systems and skills levels that clients would like
to have in their own businesses."

Maitland offers extensive fund and investor administration services covering long only and alternative investment strategies that extend from front through middle to back office activities. In addition to administration services, Maitland also offers legal advisory, corporate secretarial and domiciliation services. According to Schuhen the
comprehensive offering is especially attractive to specialist fund managers who seek to achieve sharp business focus by means of a comprehensive outsource solution.

Maitland offers a fully integrated asset management and fund accounting platform to clients based on the InvestOne and Decalog systems provided by SunGard Systems. According to Schuhen the increasing complexity of investment strategies and underlying securities requires administrators to deploy state of the industry systems with large user bases in order to sustain the high level of investment necessary to keep them current. "The aim is to provide clients with a fully scalable platform on a "plug and play" basis but this is very demanding and skills intensive because it extends us way beyond just providing commoditised services."

How Law Changes Have Drawn in More Foreign Real Estate Investors

by Nadine Davis ~ Thanks mostly to new laws regarding the foreign ownership of land in Australia, there are more offshore investors in Queensland property than ever before. The Foreign Investment Review Board changed laws concerning foreign ownership in late 2008. Before that, offshore investors could only own up to 50% of any Australian property. Under the new laws, full foreign ownership in brand new residential construction is now permitted.

The Allure of Australian Real Estate:

Although the pace has picked up significantly in recent years, foreign investors have long been enamoured of the Australian real estate market. Indeed, buyers agents Brisbane are regularly hired by investors from Russia, China, Malaysia, South Africa and other far-flung places. Along with the assistance of a buyers agent, investors like these are able to make extraordinary money from well-chosen investments in property in Qld - especially in Brisbane and the Gold Coast. With full ownership now possible, it's clear that foreign investments in Australian property are only going to escalate.

Who's Doing the Investing?

There are two main players when it comes to offshore investing in Australian property: Russia and China. The Chinese invested approximately $22.76 million in the last year alone; Russians invested approximately $22.7m themselves. Since it's only been a little more than a year since the new laws went into effect, it is quite likely that these numbers are only going to grow going forward. It's easy to see that the Russian, Chinese and many others are experiencing very favorable outcomes from their investment in Australian property.

The Chinese have been investing in Australian property for quite some time. and continue to be the biggest foreign buyers of property in the country. Russia is quickly catching up, though, as its economy and changing demographics prompt more and more of its citizens to get into the real estate market. Success in the mining and oil industries has armed many Russians with the means to invest seriously in real estate - and Australia is a natural choice. Furthermore, a growing middle class in Russia means that there are more people with expendable income than ever in that country.

The Dubai Connection:

In addition to the changing laws in Australia, developments in Dubai have also played a role in the increasing popularity of offshore investing in Australian property. The real estate market in Dubai collapsed, leaving many investors high and dry - and scrambling for new, more reliable opportunities. For many of them, Australia was a natural choice. Close on the heels of the Dubai real estate market crash, Australian rules and laws changed, opening up the playing field to more foreign investors. All of these converging factors have created key opportunities for offshore investors in the Australian real estate market.

About the Author

There's no doubt that Buyers Agents Brisbane assist local residents with property investment. Did you realise, that it's very common for a foreign investor to hire a Buyers Agent Brisbane like Hot Property Specialists www.hotpropertyspecialists.com.au/ to assist in the purchase of their investment?

addressed to Vern Jacobs (from the Jacobs Report): I was given your e-mail address in the hopes of learning more about how to become sovereign. I would like to know the process and what steps to take in order to do this as well as information regarding any offices or people here locally who could help me in attaining this status.

REPLY: Based on the theory in "The Sovereign Individual" and in the Judeo/Christian bible you don't need to become a sovereign person because that is an inherent element of being human. In the Bible, humans are given free will by God. As for the secular aspects of free will, that is limited by the government where you live and where you consent to be governed. (Your consent is presumed as long you choose to live in that country.) Therefore, you are already a sovereign person, but your freedom is limited by the laws of the country where you live.

The U.S. government structure was designed to permit every citizen to be a sovereign person to the maximum possible extent. However, in the course of two centuries the system has been subverted to the point where the U.S. is essentially a near socialist state. So that begs the question of whether there are any countries in the world today that provide maximum personal freedom. Switzerland is the only country that comes to mind but I admit to having a limited awareness of the lifestyles available in other countries. The Sovereign Society seems to favor Panama. If you have substantial financial resources, there are other countries that give you a tax incentive to live there.

Freedom House (www.freedomhouse.org ) has a public web site that provides a lot of interesting information about the extent of civil, political and economic freedom in countries around the world.

Safe Swiss Passage

Swiss reporter Myret Zaki, who sacrificed three months' salary to probe the UBS financial scandal, was both prophetic and cryptic. "India will never get to know the names of those having accounts in banks across Switzerland. New Delhi has neither the will, nor the clout," Zaki told TEHELKA. "You have to be very rich to investigate," she said in her presentation. On the German Swiss side, Lukas Haessig also investigated UBS as a freelance reporter. But after several months of looking for a book deal, he ended up writing for a publisher on the global financial crisis -- not the actual UBS mess. "Banks love secrecy," says Haessig.

http://www.tehelka.com/story_main44.asp?filename=Bu080510Safe_Swiss.asp

Americans Seeking Reward Money Inform IRS on Others

Americans seeking reward money are turning in neighbors, clients and employers they suspect of cheating on taxes to the IRS at a rate of nearly eight per day, the director of the agency's whistleblower program said. "Right after we got the new law" containing the minimum award, "the fax machine was running the next day," Whitlock told the Offshore Alert Financial Due Diligence Conference. The rate of submissions is on pace to eclipse the 476 applications filed in 2008, a number that was four times the previous year. Whitlock said the submissions have "stabilized."

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-05-04/americans-seeking-reward-money-inform-irs-on-others-update2-.html

I-T asks IPL franchisees to reveal details of offshore stakeholders

The I-T authorities, probing the ownership details of the Indian Premier League (IPL) teams, have asked the owners of the teams to disclose details of offshore companies who have a stake in these teams. Though the team owners claim these offshore companies are legitimate, the I-T authorities suspect that atleast some of them had been set up just a year ago or less. "Some of them may be table companies, with just a table and a chair duplicating as offices," said a senior I-T officer.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/I-T-asks-IPL-franchisees-to-reveal-details-of-offshore-stakeholders/articleshow/5878680.cms

Thus far this week has provided plenty of fuel for higher Gold prices as the economic climate in the European Union continues to drive savvy investors out of the traditional "fiat currencies" and in to "safer havens "especially gold as it has a history of performing better than most commodities in times of crisis. It has been reported that the European states have increased their already vast amounts of gold reserves and the IMF (International Monetary Fund) reported it had sold 18.5 tons of Gold bullion in March. As of this writing the price of Gold has breached the $1200.00 per ounce level as the U.S Dollar continues to ride twelve month high's ....yes indeed the inverse relationship appears to de-coupled...

This European Union continues to put out contradictory information that is as clear as "mud". European Central Bank Officials voted Thursday to keep the bank's key lending rate at 1%. The Euro regions fiscal crisis is threatening the bank's of Portugal, Spain, Italy, and the United Kingdom. Moody's Investors Services was quoted as saying
"Overall, moody's notes that each of these countries banking systems faces different challenges of different magnitudes, but warns that contagion risk could dilute these differences and impose very real, common threats on all of them"...

European Stocks sold-off for the third straight session sending the STAXX Europe 600 to a two month LOW on the continued concern of the Euro regions fiscal crisis will spread....

European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet Is certainly not calming fears as he has resisted to take a solid stance to combat the Greek crisis. Trichet stated "The ECB didn't discuss buying government debt today and that Spain and Portugal didn't have the same challenges faced by Greece".... Then stated "Greece will not default".....
Trichet also stated that loans to Greece were "appropriate" ...

The Asian Development Bank launched a $9 billion solar power initiative to develop projects generating 3,000 megawatts by 2012.

The announcement, which came at the regional lending agency's annual meeting in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, said that Central Asian countries would be prime candidates for siting the projects.

"Given Central Asia's growing demand for electricity, the availability of desert land for large- scale solar energy development, and their stated commitment to offset high carbon emissions, several countries in the region are excellent candidates for ADB support through this initiative," ADB managing director general Rajat Nag said.

The development bank will provide $2.25 billion in direct financing, expecting to leverage another $6.75 billion in private financing for the projects. It will experiment with other methods to attract private-sector investment, such as soliciting $500 million from donor countries to "buy down" some of the up-front capital costs in solar power projects.

"With energy demand projected to almost double in the Asia and Pacific region by 2030, there is an urgent need for innovative ways to generate power while at the same time reducing greenhouse gas emissions," Nag said. "Sustainable solar energy can be the clean power of the future if there are appropriate incentive and financing mechanisms in place."

The initiative also includes a Solar Energy Forum to function as a knowledge-sharing platform. This forum will hold a conference in July in Manila, the headquarters of the ADB.

New Six Month Sterling Bond

ST PETER PORT, Guernsey, May 4, 2010 - Skipton International Limited is offering a six month bond paying 2.26%AER or 2.17% AER as a monthly income option.

The bond matures on 30 November 2010 and it is a limited edition issue which will be withdrawn when fully subscribed, so savers are advised to move quickly. The minimum deposit is GBP10,000, whilst the maximum is GBP5m. No withdrawals are allowed during the fixed rate term.

Jim Coupe, commercial director, Skipton International Limited comments, "In response to client demand, we are pleased to be offering this competitive fixed rate bond. With the backing of our parent, Skipton Building Society, the fourth largest in the UK, this account provides both safety and security, giving savers a known return over the next six months, whatever happens in the markets."

To apply for an account or for more information, visit www.skiptoninternational.com or call +44(0)1481-727374

Eighty-Two Percent of Executives Willing to Move Out of Region, Country or State

LOS ANGELES, May 3, 2010 - A wide majority of global executives are willing to relocate for the right career opportunity, according to Korn/Ferry's latest Executive Quiz. The Executive Quiz, commissioned by The Korn/Ferry Institute, surveyed executives from 65 countries about their motivations to relocate.

Overall, a staggering 82 percent of global executives said they are willing to relocate to a different region, state or country. In the April survey, 47 percent of the respondents expressed an "extreme willingness" to relocate to a different region, state or country, and 35 percent said they are "somewhat willing."

Career acceleration is the primary reason to move, according to 78 percent of the surveyed executives. However, compensation is not necessarily the No. 1 motivating factor that is driving relocation. Nearly half of the global executives - 42 percent - say the "quality of life" in a new location would most motivate them, while only 20 percent chose "job title and promotion" or "salary" as the top motivator. Eighteen percent of executives cite "the reputation of the company" as the primary motivating factor.

"It is a major life decision to move away from family and friends for the sake of one's career and there are two significant factors which are driving this phenomenon," said Michael Distefano, Korn/Ferry chief marketing officer. "First, there is no doubt that the global recession has taken its toll. Today's talented professionals realize that it's a buyer's market, which is forcing them to relocate to where the action is. Additionally, the speed of globalization is tearing down boundaries at an unimaginable pace. Although the global business community is operating seamlessly around the world, there are still hubs of economic activity which attract the best and brightest."

Only 8 percent of executives reported turning down an international work assignment. More than half of the global executives have accepted an international work assignment; 41 percent have never been asked to relocate internationally. Additionally, 81 percent of surveyed executives have relocated to a different region, state or country during their careers.

Global executives say the top four most desirable regions to work in are North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and South America.