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The bond matures on 30 November 2010 and it is a limited edition issue which will be withdrawn when fully subscribed, so savers are advised to move quickly.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."
The Dow has closed above 11,000, the European Union is bailing out Greece and the U.S. economy seems to be perking up. Is the future as bright as it looks? In fact, it looks pretty good, says Wharton finance professor Jeremy Siegel. While the Dow's 11,000 close doesn't mean much to professional market watchers, it can give ordinary investors a psychological boost, and it focuses attention on the stock market's fine showing over the past year. According to Siegel, the U.S. economy is in a self-sustaining recovery, no longer dependent on government stimulus -- and while the housing market could take years to make up recent losses, the economy should do well. With interest rates likely to rise, it's a risky time to invest in bonds, but stocks could end the year 8% to 10% higher than they are today, Siegel said in an interview with Knowledge@Wharton.
An edited transcript of the conversation can be found here.
If you are looking for a new, innovative approach to online trading then read on...
There are many Forex programs and brokers that claim to offer the perfect answer to the Forex trader. We decided to do some investigating and see which of the many brokers and programs really lived up to its name. After a lot of searching and testing, we found a new and unique trading platform where, on the same screen and at the same time you can trade in foreign currency pairs, financial indexes and stocks and commodities. You pay no commission on any of your trading activities; it's all in the spread between purchase price and selling price just like FOREX.
The first thing we did was to see how easy it was to set up shop and start trading. Nothing could be easier or quicker than downloading and installing the program. The entire process is simple and clear and enables you to open an account, either real or "Demo" and begin trading within a surprisingly short time.
Then we started to see how the program works. We have seen and checked a lot of Forex trading programs. Many do an excellent job but are clumsy and have a steep learning curve making it difficult for the novice, and even the experienced, trader to work. We were surprised at the ease of this system, clear, logical and it's obvious that a great deal of thought has gone into the development of the platform. Even when performing relatively complex tasks such as moving from one currency pair to another or a foreign currency pair to financial indexes or shares; the system works quickly, smoothly and efficiently. Every transaction takes place on the screen in front of you - you have total control and constant up to date information. If you want a number of investment channels, you don't need to open different accounts. The same account and the same program can be used even if you decide to divide your investment portfolio over a wide spread of investment opportunities and channels.
You are working with one broker with customer service available 24 hours a day. And if that isn't enough, the system provides you with real-time quotations taken from alternative stock markets, options for Trailing Stop trading and the ability to concentrate each of your investment channel's on the most popular and favourable options whether currency, stocks or indexes . Also, if you prefer, you can show in one window your most important investments. This makes tracking your transactions much easier and your trading experience more enjoyable and more efficient and, more profitable!
The platform exists and is ready for you to download and to start trading today. It is constantly being updated and developed to provide you with the best and most professional trading platform available.
Program characteristics:
• "Demo" Trading - Yes and with no time limits.
• Minimal first investment required - 100$.
• Deposits and withdrawals possible with - Credit card, bank transfer, internet account and more.
• Spread - 2-5 with the more popular investments (foreign currency). Permanents: do not change during the trading session.
• Leverage - Up to 1:200.
Tools for the trader:
• Technical and professional support - 24 hours a day.
• Trading courses - the site provides basic trading knowledge and information.
• Range of currency pairs, stocks, financial indexes and commodities - a range of foreign currency pairs, financial indexes, stocks, and commodities.
• Language interface - support for over 12 languages.
• Bonuses - 20$ no-deposit plus 30% on first deposit.
• Trading platform - Downloadable to any computer. Easy to use, trade, track and supervise transactions.
• Allows for foreign currency trading and differential index trading, commodities and stocks all with the same program.
Advantages:
• Innovative and original approach to trading.
• Ease of use.
• Excellent range of pairs, indexes and shares.
• The platform allows for multiple trading over a wide range of investment channels all at the same time and on the same screen.
• No commissions, calculations on the basis of spread only with complete transparency
• An easy to understand, up to date picture of the current situation.
Crude oil futures kept falling back from highs even though speculative funds increased their bets that prices are headed higher. The benchmark West Texas Intermediate contract ended the week at $80.68 a barrel, after nearing $83 earlier in the week, compared to $81.24 a week ago.
Saudi Arabia's oil minister, Ali Naimi, made it clear once again on Tuesday that the world's largest oil producer prefers a range of $70 to $80 for oil prices. Speaking to journalists in Vienna prior to and OPEC meeting, Naimi said the oil-exporting group, which accounts for 40% of daily oil consumption, won't let tight supplies push prices too high.
Further bearish factors were the increase of 1 million barrels in U.S. crude oil inventories in the weekly report from the Energy Information Administration and renewed strength of the dollar amid continuing concern about Greece's fiscal situation.
A report in The Wall Street Journal on Friday suggested that EIA collection methods for the oil inventory data may be flawed, according to internal agency documents obtained by the newspaper. Greece said on Thursday it might have to call on the International Monetary Fund for aid if its efforts to reduce its deficit are not successful.
But bulls were encouraged by the Federal Reserve's reiteration that interest rates would remain low and by OPEC's decision to leave production volume unchanged, indicating their belief that prices would remain firm. The benchmark oil contract settled at $82.93 on Wednesday.
However, the move by the Reserve Bank of India to raise its key rates on Friday drove oil prices down amid fears that China and other emerging economies might follow suit and dampen demand for oil.
With the large choice of trading systems available, with almost any trading markets can be traded on certain systems, including commodities, stocks or Forex, it's very difficult to choose a whole trading solution. The leading trading systems are very good at what they do; however, a comprehensive solution for all trading instruments with a simple interface is very rare. 10PIPS offers a real multichannel online trading system; its goal is to present a trading solution for all the available instruments with a variety which increases all the time. To create this solution an innovative system was built which is focused also on the ease of use with no lack on professionalism.
Privacy, Asset Protection and greater freedom of movement are just some of the qualities that lure investors offshore.
Some people are happy to have their money safely locked away, an insurance policy against volatile stock markets, currency fluctuations and avaricious authorities. Others see investing offshore as a way of maximizing their return, in other words they want to see the investment pay for itself.
You have or are thinking about opening an offshore bank account – how can you make your money work for you?
*Disclaimer*
Not all of these options will suit every investor – and remember that every great investment will be balanced by risk. If you are prepared to take the risk and have some idea about what to do with your money – here are some options I would definitely recommend.
Gold – In addition to being one of best financial reserves you can get, gold can actually increase in value during a bear market. If you had bought an ounce of gold in 2003 you would by now have nearly tripled your investment in only 6 years!!! Gold has its own intrinsic value unlike paper monies which can fluctuate wildly, especially in economic downturns when countries ‘compete’ to devalue their own currencies. Imagine having your very own offshore gold ‘plan b’ stored in a safe deposit box, anonymously, out of reach of creditors, greedy lawyers, the taxman and anyone else with a covetous eye on your assets. Best of all its value is quietly multiplying…
Certificates of Deposit – Rather than let your offshore assets sit idly by while inflation gobbles them up, invest in a certificate of deposit. Ranging from a couple of months to several years, these will pay you interest, usually based on a fixed annual rate. Sometimes you can get much better interest rates in a different country – this is one of the primary reasons for moving offshore – but remember to do your research beforehand. There have been countless cases of scams where investors were promised fantasy interest rates and ended up losing everything to a ponzi scheme. Part and parcel of ‘soft-touch’ regulation in tax havens is that you will come across schemes like these. The best method of research is to ask other banks who have had contact with the institution to give their professional opinion. Always remember the maxim – ‘if its sounds to good to be true, it probably is’. A bank offering interest rates of 10% when the benchmark is set at 2% is either a fraud or in serious financial trouble.
Tax-Free Trading - Once you have invested in an offshore bank account, think about expanding further and trading stocks. Most banks and brokerages will charge you for opening an anonymous investment account, but some might even do it for free! From a trading account you can buy and sell shares in all the major markets- anonymously- and since your account is offshore your gains are also tax free! Fees will vary greatly depending on the brokerage, but the best ones will give you an online platform so you can manage all your trades from the comfort of your own home, and with low overheads they can afford to charge nominal premiums on each trade.
Exotic Investments – Exotic investments are usually more risky than average, and may consist of financial instruments such as sovereign & corporate debt, high-yield investment schemes and other investments which are outside of your domestic reach. The best bet here is to find a broker you can trust to advise you in this area. If you are willing to accept a high degree of risk, exotic investments may just be for you, since in return for high risk the results can be spectacular.
Are you ready to take a giant step forward, and start making your money work for you?
During a Wealth Management Summit being held this week in Boston, Singapore and Geneva, private banking executives provided some investment tips.
Jennifer Tay, Citi Private Bank, Asia-Pacific Head of Portfolio Counselling
"We tell clients, markets are not going to stay down forever. There will come a time when you have very decent recovery and typically even when you look at the (past) since the 1950s, you had nine recessions and after a recession markets just spike upwards.
Thomson Financial, an operating unit of the Thomson Corporation and leading provider of information and technology solutions to the global financial community, and The Wall Street Journal have teamed for the eighth consecutive year for the Best on the Street Analysts Survey published in today's Journal.
According to the survey, Merrill Lynch & Co. regained the top after falling from the No. 1 spot in the survey last year. The No. 2 position was taken by smaller research group Sidoti & Co., showing that while big Wall Street firms continue to perform well, other research outfits are gaining ground.
Options University Presents the 1st Annual Online Trading & Investors Superconference 2007 with Leading Financial Experts on Wednesday, April 25 with Renowned Worldwide Financial Experts
On Wednesday, April 25, the media will have the rare opportunity to hear from the seven top financial trading experts - under the same roof and to conduct one-on-one interviews with experts in the field. Violent swings on Wall Street have prompted an 'Emergency Profit Protection Bootcamp', featuring seven of the world's top stock and options traders.
This week all eyes will be on the Fed. and their interest rate announcement coming at 2:15 EST on Wednesday. This meeting will set the tone for many markets for the remainder of the 1st quarter. We are not expecting the FOMC to do anything and that should be disappointing for a market that has all but built in a rate cut sometime soon. This meeting should add even more volatility to an already very volatile trading environment in stocks, bonds, and commodities.
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