Segregated funds were initially developed by the insurance industry to compete against mutual funds. Today, many mutual fund companies are in partnership with insurance companies to offer segregated funds to investors. Segregated funds offer some unique benefits not available to mutual fund investors.
Segregated funds offer the following major benefits that are not offered by the traditional mutual fund.
1. Segregated funds offer a guarantee of principal upon maturity of the fund or upon the death of the investor. Thus, there is a 100 percent guarantee on the investment at maturity or death (this may differ for some funds), minus any withdrawals and management fees - even if the market value of the investment has declined. Most segregated funds have a maturity of 10 years after you initial investment.
2. Segregated funds offer creditor protection. If you go bankrupt, creditors cannot access your segregated fund.
3. Segregated funds avoid estate probate fees upon the death of the investor.
4. Segregated funds have a "freeze option" allowing investors to lock in investment gains and thereby increase their investment guarantee. This can be powerful strategy during volatile capital markets.
Segregated funds also offer the following less important benefits:
1. Segregated funds issue a T3 tax slip each year-end, which reports all gains or losses from purchases and redemptions that were made by the investor. This makes calculating your taxes very easy.
2. Segregated funds can serve as an "in trust account," which is useful if you wish to give money to minor children, but with some strings attached.
3. Segregated funds allocate their annual distributions on the basis of how long an investor has invested in the fund during the year, not on the basis of the number of units outstanding. With mutual funds, an investor can invest in November and immediately incur a large tax bill when a capital gain distribution is declared at year-end.
There has been a lot of marketing and publicity surrounding segregated funds and how much value should be placed on their guarantee of principle protection. In the entire mutual fund universe, there have been only three very aggressive and specialized funds that lost money during any 10-year period since 1980. Thus, the odds of losing money after ten years are extremely low. If you decide you need a guarantee, it can cost as much as 1/2 percent per year in additional fees.
However, with further market volatility these guarantees could be very worthwhile. In addition, most major mutual fund companies also offer segregated funds.
Saturday, 14 April 2012
New IRS Scam Hits Email Mailboxes
There is a new wave of email "phishing" that is showing up in email mailboxes this spring, unscrupulous scammers are now targeting the American public with email claiming to be from the IRS.
The ingenious fraudsters' aim is to collect your Social Security number, credit card account information and banking account information. The emails, which look authentic complete with the IRS logo and privacy policy, lure people into providing this information by notifying them of an audit or offering them access to a link to collect their refund. Additionally, the web site that appears bears a striking resemblance to the official IRS web site (even the font type matches) and when people click home, it actually takes them to www.IRS.gov (the real IRS web site).
However, there are some flaws to these thief's attempts to secure people's private and personal information. This is what the public should know: In one of the scam emails in the browser or address bar at the top of the page it reads: http://tzk.kozle.pl and the information that is requested, Social Security number, credit card number, banking information (where the refund goes).
The public needs to know that the IRS generally does not communicate with them via email.
"We do not communicate with taxpayers via email. We may send you a letter, we may call you, but we do not send out email," stated IRS spokeswoman Nancy Mathis.
In recent weeks up to one hundred complaints a day are reported regarding email scams and the IRS has found twelve web sites operated in eighteen different countries committing this type of fraud or other types of IRS related fraud.
If you get an email from the IRS and if you doubt its authenticity, it is best to call the IRS and verify that they did, in fact send the correspondence. Call the IRS at 1-(800) 829-1040 ask confirm if they are trying to contact you. To report a fraudulent or suspicious email claiming to be from the IRS, call the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 1 (800) 366-4484. Furthermore, report any cases of identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission at www.consumer.gov/idtheft.
The ingenious fraudsters' aim is to collect your Social Security number, credit card account information and banking account information. The emails, which look authentic complete with the IRS logo and privacy policy, lure people into providing this information by notifying them of an audit or offering them access to a link to collect their refund. Additionally, the web site that appears bears a striking resemblance to the official IRS web site (even the font type matches) and when people click home, it actually takes them to www.IRS.gov (the real IRS web site).
However, there are some flaws to these thief's attempts to secure people's private and personal information. This is what the public should know: In one of the scam emails in the browser or address bar at the top of the page it reads: http://tzk.kozle.pl and the information that is requested, Social Security number, credit card number, banking information (where the refund goes).
The public needs to know that the IRS generally does not communicate with them via email.
"We do not communicate with taxpayers via email. We may send you a letter, we may call you, but we do not send out email," stated IRS spokeswoman Nancy Mathis.
In recent weeks up to one hundred complaints a day are reported regarding email scams and the IRS has found twelve web sites operated in eighteen different countries committing this type of fraud or other types of IRS related fraud.
If you get an email from the IRS and if you doubt its authenticity, it is best to call the IRS and verify that they did, in fact send the correspondence. Call the IRS at 1-(800) 829-1040 ask confirm if they are trying to contact you. To report a fraudulent or suspicious email claiming to be from the IRS, call the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 1 (800) 366-4484. Furthermore, report any cases of identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission at www.consumer.gov/idtheft.
Affordable Cars Priced From Under $15K
Are you looking for a new car? If you are, there are several models available to you for under $15,000. Twelve are mentioned here; thirteen if you include the Nissan Versa to be released later this summer. Increased competition has made this a great time to buy a new car so compare, shop, and save!
Chevrolet Cobalt – With an MSRP of under $13,000, this Chevrolet model is one of the lowest priced cars manufactured in the U.S. A competitive price when you realize that few new car models are priced so low. If the Cobalt price still isn't low enough for you, then Chevrolet also markets the Aveo, a vehicle GM imports from its South Korean subsidiary Daewoo. The Aveo retails for just $9890!
Ford Focus – Retailing at $13,990 the Focus is the lowest priced vehicle sold by "blue oval" in the U.S. Not cheap enough for you? Special incentives on the ZX3 version of the Focus can lower the price by as much as $3000!Kia Rio and Kia Spectra – With an MSRP listed at $11, 110 the Kia Rio is the lowest priced four door car sold in the U.S. Recent upgrades for the model include several safety features: six airbags, impact-absorbing steering column, front and rear crumple zones and side-impact door beams. Select the Spectra for a car that is better appointed and larger than the Rio.
Saturn ION – Base models of the little car from Tennessee currently are retailing around $13,500, but that price may drop later in the year as GM seeks to move several slow selling cars including the ION
Toyota Corolla – Always competitive, the Corolla is priced at $14,105 and is considered by industry leaders to have the highest quality amongst all small cars on the market. A lower cost model, the Echo, has been discontinued but a new model, the Yaris, will appear later this year and retail for about $12,000.
Scion xA and Scion xB – Two of the three models sold by Toyota's Generation "Y" division, Scion, are priced under $15,000. The xA starts around $13,500 and the xB sells for about $1000 more than that.
So, are the days of finding transportation under $15,000 soon to be behind us? On the contrary, with the 2007 importation of cars from China the under $10,000 category will soon have new life as cars from Chery and Geely hit U.S. showrooms pushing new prices down to as low as $6600! As a result, Ford, Dodge, and others are looking at ways to build and import cars overseas or in Mexico that will sell for much than current base models.
Honda Civic Coupe – It is getting increasingly difficult to find a Civic under $15,000. Why is that? Well, Honda has been gradually pushing the Civic up market in a bid to compete against the Nissan Sentra and Toyota Corolla. Don't worry, Honda is about to release a car even smaller [and cheaper] than the Civic: the $12,000 Fit will be in Honda showrooms later this year!
Hyundai Accent and the Hyundai Elantra – Leave it to Hyundai to have two vehicles in its line up that sell for under $15,000. Starting at just $12,455 the Accent GLS is bargain basement, but not stripped. The car comes with four wheel disc brakes, 8 way adjustable driver's seat, and ABS. The Elantra is slightly up market and retails for about $1300 more than the Accent
Chevrolet Cobalt – With an MSRP of under $13,000, this Chevrolet model is one of the lowest priced cars manufactured in the U.S. A competitive price when you realize that few new car models are priced so low. If the Cobalt price still isn't low enough for you, then Chevrolet also markets the Aveo, a vehicle GM imports from its South Korean subsidiary Daewoo. The Aveo retails for just $9890!
Ford Focus – Retailing at $13,990 the Focus is the lowest priced vehicle sold by "blue oval" in the U.S. Not cheap enough for you? Special incentives on the ZX3 version of the Focus can lower the price by as much as $3000!Kia Rio and Kia Spectra – With an MSRP listed at $11, 110 the Kia Rio is the lowest priced four door car sold in the U.S. Recent upgrades for the model include several safety features: six airbags, impact-absorbing steering column, front and rear crumple zones and side-impact door beams. Select the Spectra for a car that is better appointed and larger than the Rio.
Saturn ION – Base models of the little car from Tennessee currently are retailing around $13,500, but that price may drop later in the year as GM seeks to move several slow selling cars including the ION
Toyota Corolla – Always competitive, the Corolla is priced at $14,105 and is considered by industry leaders to have the highest quality amongst all small cars on the market. A lower cost model, the Echo, has been discontinued but a new model, the Yaris, will appear later this year and retail for about $12,000.
Scion xA and Scion xB – Two of the three models sold by Toyota's Generation "Y" division, Scion, are priced under $15,000. The xA starts around $13,500 and the xB sells for about $1000 more than that.
So, are the days of finding transportation under $15,000 soon to be behind us? On the contrary, with the 2007 importation of cars from China the under $10,000 category will soon have new life as cars from Chery and Geely hit U.S. showrooms pushing new prices down to as low as $6600! As a result, Ford, Dodge, and others are looking at ways to build and import cars overseas or in Mexico that will sell for much than current base models.
Honda Civic Coupe – It is getting increasingly difficult to find a Civic under $15,000. Why is that? Well, Honda has been gradually pushing the Civic up market in a bid to compete against the Nissan Sentra and Toyota Corolla. Don't worry, Honda is about to release a car even smaller [and cheaper] than the Civic: the $12,000 Fit will be in Honda showrooms later this year!
Hyundai Accent and the Hyundai Elantra – Leave it to Hyundai to have two vehicles in its line up that sell for under $15,000. Starting at just $12,455 the Accent GLS is bargain basement, but not stripped. The car comes with four wheel disc brakes, 8 way adjustable driver's seat, and ABS. The Elantra is slightly up market and retails for about $1300 more than the Accent
Finding The Best Motor Homes For Sale
Considered to be top of the line, Class A motor homes measure at about 24 feet or 7.3 meters and can be as long as 40 feet or 12 meters. Their weight can range between 15,000 to 30,000 pounds or 6,804 to 13, 608 kg; the undercarriage may be custom or a 3 to 10 ton truck chassis. Class A motor homes come with each of the luxury amenities you can fathom like a kitchen, a bathroom with shower and a tub, and sometimes a separate bedroom at the back depending o the floor plan of the truck. They also have heating and air conditioning, hot and cold running water, 100-125 volt electrical system, a dinette or living room area complete with couch and recliners, closets and an entertainment center. This is just the tip of the iceberg. In fact, some of these motor homes can be more elaborate than homes themselves.
Class A motor homes are usually utilized by famous bands especially when they are in tour. There are also some rich families that own Class A motor homes for vacation and travel. A Class A motor home is perfect for those who can afford its high cost. Most Class A motor homes have all leather interior, a wet bar, big screen TVs, an advanced sound system and other high technology that may not be available to lower income families.
Depending on the model and the floor plan a class A RV can accommodate up to 8 people. But all of this luxury comes at a price. New, lower-end models are sold at up to $50,000 US dollars while larger and much nicer class A RVs can even cost more than any house in many states coming in at about $300,000+. Class A RVs are really very expensive; in fact even used class A RV can still be sold for $30,000-$40,000. If you prefer luxury lines, you may start saving about $325,000 up to over $1 million if you prefer the crème de la crème of all RVs.<
Last but not least are Class C motor homes. Class C motor homes can also come in very luxurious models or more economical ones depending on your budget. They are much lighter in weight, ranging only from 10,000 to 15,000 pounds and generally run from just under 20 to 44 feet in length. They are constructed on cutaway chassis depending on the model. The cab is usually similar to that of the truck with a bunk above plus a rear bedroom. Just like the class A, Class C motor homes have all the amenities of home including kitchen, bathroom, dinette, heating and air conditioning system, and an entertainment center for additional cost.
Dinettes are not always present in class C motor homes and if ever there is one included, it usually converts into a double bed. If a dinette is not present, two captain chairs are available instead. Sometimes, the motor homes contain a couch and chairs instead of captain chairs. The couch may also be turned into a sleeper couch.
Because of the overcab bed, a Class C motor home can sleep more than a comparable Class A motor home, accommodating up to 10 people are accommodated. The cost of class C motor homes ranges from $50,000 to $170,000.
The common features of Class A and Class C motor homes are their slide-out wherein with a simple touch of a button the wall of the living room expands outwards to extend the living space by several inches.
Another type of motor home is the Class B which is usually referred to as van conversion. Class B motor homes look like pop-top camper vans and are self contained but cramped compared to their big motor home counterparts. The advantage of purchasing a Class B motor home is in terms of handling and size that is if you don't want spacious motor home. They are usually promoted as a place to sleep more than what is deemed comfortable by most people. The class B motor home can also be used as a second car. Its price ranges from $38,000 to $75,000.
Motor homes are great for camping, road trips, or just simply living in style. If you are interested in purchasing a motor home, it is definitely wise to take time to do some comparison shopping and research as these motor homes can prove to be very expensive.
Traffic Exchanges : Why You Should Steer Clear
While I usually prefer to focus on positive subjects for my articles, the merry-go-round of the traffic exchange "industry" is something I feel I have a duty to warn you of. If you're new to marketing your business online then you've been doing some searches here and there, trying to find ways of "getting out there".
You've discovered that there's a million and one different websites making fantastic claims and promising the earth! Whilst most traffic exchanges don't claim to be able to make you a millionaire, they do claim to be able to send you untold numbers of "hot prospects". This is what I have a problem with - the quality of the traffic is almost always very poor.
No doubt you've discovered a few of these traffic exchanges yourself. Why don't they work?
The giveaway is in the name but first a little history will help you understand the context in which traffic exchanges have come to exist. Back in the primordial days of the internet, at least as long ago as 2001, the first traffic exchange was born. It was a beautiful concept and it worked very well. Users signed up and agreed to view or "surf" other members' pages. As the user surfed, so credits built up which were used to display the users site across the network.
Because this concept was new, it worked fantastically well. It was a great way to get traffic to your new site. Then, inevitably, the business model was copied. The traffic exchange "industry" was now upon us. There seemed to be a new exchange being released every week. Different exchanges had different surf/display ratios. All the same people joined all the same exchanges.
Let's jump right back into the present. With a little research, it won't take you long to find out that these days it's the search engines driving more than 80% of the traffic on the internet. The only people using traffic exchanges are new webmasters and people trying to find a free way of promoting their website.
Look at this user base for a minute.
No-one is interested in what you have to sell. All they care about (just like you) is getting traffic to their own website. People who still insist on using the exchanges have devised ways of surfing more than 15 exchanges simultaneously, never spending more than a second or two on one site. This all adds up to nobody really seeing your page and equates to a very poor return on your investment - that investment being time, your most precious commodity.<
Traffic exchanges began when SEO was a term that had not even been coined. With the rise and rise of Google, the other engines playing catch-up and many smaller niche directories now appearing on the scene, the overriding focus in this day and age is search engine optimisation or SEO. When you see the awesome power of a top listing in Google, the traffic exchange "industry" becomes a complete farce.
Then the final nail in the coffin. The robots!
Since a traffic exchange relies on a piece of software to distribute the traffic around the network, there is always going to be the potential to design a piece of software that can cheat the system. These "bots" are available to buy if you look around.
Enough robots can effectively make a traffic exchange completely useless and they regularly do. No matter how much "cheat protection" the exchange owner implements, some savvy coder will always find a way around it. It's quite probable that the only winners in the traffic exchange game are the people running the robots - they get tons of free traffic! A clever exchange owner can also carve a living out it, if they try really hard.
So I have some very good reasons to warn you against using the traffic exchange and first hand experience of this industry too (I experimented with the exchanges for way too long). If you're new to this internet marketing thing then please take my advice - don't waste your time.
Concentrate on search engine optimisation. Concentrate on giving something of value away for nothing if you can. This has the effect of getting other people to link to your site since you are providing a resource. Links into your site raise your popularity. In my book I show you some great software programs available which will help you build a web property that is really worth something. That's where the fun begins.
In my opinion you must forget about traffic exchanges. Stop click - click - clicking and start - link - link - linking.
To your success!
Riley.
Top 2 Reasons Why Motorhomes Are The Wave Of The Future
1)Retirement. There is a huge amount of the US population that is considering retiring in the next few years. Baby boomers have worked all their lives and have been spending their money like there is no tomorrow on all sorts of travel accessories. Motorhomes are no exception. One of the biggest things that all retirees want to do after they finish work is travel. Motorhomes provide future domestic travelers with lots of transportation options. Seeing the country (or even the world) in style is possible with a motorhome.
2)Cheap Mobility. Let's be honest here, gas prices are expensive. They've been expensive and probably will remain so for a long time. However, 2 or more people traveling in a motorhome can see a lot of things for relatively little money. Imagine how much money it would cost you in airplane tickets to fly to each destination individually? A lot more than the gas it costs to navigate from city to city. A tank of gas, financially, doesn't go as far as it used to, but it certainly isn't that bad considering all the place it can take you.
There is a lot more to motorhomes than just what's been covered here. In fact, there is a ton more of material available out there about motorhomes. Get informed before deciding to invest in a motorhome.
Motorcycle Jacket's Comfort and Protection
Well, they choose scientifically and practically. There must be comfort and protection not just style, same thing with motorcycle apparel such as jackets. They must also give both comfort and protection.
However, there are some areas that need special attention. Let us discuss them one by one.
1. Material. Motorcycle jackets may either be leather or non-leather. Leather is the most famous material for jackets. However, mesh is now also widely used specially in warm season. Dupont Cordura, a form of nylon with a scale going up to approximately 1000 denier, can also be used.
2. Airing. Air circulation is necessary especially during summer where the heat of the sun can hurt the skin and can also result to a sweaty and uncomfortable ride. Riders can purchase jackets that have ventilation zippers with them. These zippers are usually found under the armpits and other ventilation holes to allow air to circulate.
Be sure that suit integration is applied to the jacket. A Velcro or a zipper at the back can provide considerable comfort. Pockets can also be added - the more, the better.
3. Conspicuity. The third thing that we have to look for is the jacket's ability to be seen from afar by fellow riders as well as pedestrians. Conspicuity is the primary reason for motorcycle accidents. Failure to see another rider is a fatal flaw. To remedy this, riders must wear jackets with reflective materials or luminous colors. The use of scotelite can also result to a reflective jacket.
4. Waterproof. Finally, you have to consider that waterproof jacket is a must have in riding. Riding knows no weather – be it a sunny or a rainy weather – riders are always on the go. Nothing can stop them, even the harsh weather. However, if a rider rides with a non-waterproof jacket, he will likely be having illness that can preclude him from further enjoying rides.
Keeping the rider's jacket waterproof is also a way to avoid the feel of being stinky, dirty and less confident.
Caveat emptor. Buyers must also be wary with those materials that easily loose its power of being waterproof.
Keep in mind what Nicholas Cage said in Wild at heart: A good jacket is like 'your symbol of individuality'. Therefore, your jacket reflects you as a person - your style, comfort and protection.
However, there are some areas that need special attention. Let us discuss them one by one.
1. Material. Motorcycle jackets may either be leather or non-leather. Leather is the most famous material for jackets. However, mesh is now also widely used specially in warm season. Dupont Cordura, a form of nylon with a scale going up to approximately 1000 denier, can also be used.
2. Airing. Air circulation is necessary especially during summer where the heat of the sun can hurt the skin and can also result to a sweaty and uncomfortable ride. Riders can purchase jackets that have ventilation zippers with them. These zippers are usually found under the armpits and other ventilation holes to allow air to circulate.
Be sure that suit integration is applied to the jacket. A Velcro or a zipper at the back can provide considerable comfort. Pockets can also be added - the more, the better.
3. Conspicuity. The third thing that we have to look for is the jacket's ability to be seen from afar by fellow riders as well as pedestrians. Conspicuity is the primary reason for motorcycle accidents. Failure to see another rider is a fatal flaw. To remedy this, riders must wear jackets with reflective materials or luminous colors. The use of scotelite can also result to a reflective jacket.
4. Waterproof. Finally, you have to consider that waterproof jacket is a must have in riding. Riding knows no weather – be it a sunny or a rainy weather – riders are always on the go. Nothing can stop them, even the harsh weather. However, if a rider rides with a non-waterproof jacket, he will likely be having illness that can preclude him from further enjoying rides.
Keeping the rider's jacket waterproof is also a way to avoid the feel of being stinky, dirty and less confident.
Caveat emptor. Buyers must also be wary with those materials that easily loose its power of being waterproof.
Keep in mind what Nicholas Cage said in Wild at heart: A good jacket is like 'your symbol of individuality'. Therefore, your jacket reflects you as a person - your style, comfort and protection.
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