Offshore Investment Guide

This is the first in a series of articles that are not intended to be a definitive technical reference manual. The aim is to convey the essence of each subject summarised, highlighting the majority of advantages and disadvantages attributable to each type of investment. In this way Private Investors can assess the various plus and minus points of the many investment options available to them. This can be achieved at a leisurely pace without any pressure.

When you have read the information related to your own circumstances, you will be able to easily and quickly structure your own profile in line with your individual investment philosophy. Reading these articles will help you learn more about 'Offshore Investing'.

About UK Regulated Financial Advice

The UK Financial Services Act 1986 laid the foundations for what is arguably the most stringent and robustly regulated financial legislation in the world today.

All UK financial advisers and investment institutions must be authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

Persons that provide financial advice, including homeowner mortgages, must demonstrate their competence by passing the requisite examinations related to the type of financial advice given. Further more, advisers are required to keep up to date with knowledge to demonstrate their 'continuous professional development.

UK financial advisers fall into three main categories:

" Single Tied Agents that represent one investment company

" Multi Tied Agents of a limited number of investment providers

" Independent Financial Advisers (IFA) that have access to the whole market

Advisers are required to provide their full terms of business together with a copy client agreement that must be signed by the client.

Advisers are required to 'know their clients' by obtaining a thorough fact find about the client's circumstances and financial objectives.

Private Investor Protection

There are a number of rigorously enforced complaints procedures that apply to both UK regulated financial advisers and investment/insurance product providers.

The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS)

The UK FOS deals with all complaints against authorised persons in connection with regulated investment activities. The FOS can award compensation for any loss and/or enforce the respondent to remedy any loss. The maximum compensation is ?100,000 plus costs.

The Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS)

The FSCS is empowered to award compensation in relation to:

Protected deposits- Maximum ? 31,700

Protected investments - Maximum ? 48,000

Long term insurance - Minimum 90 (No Maximum)

Non UK Regulated Investment Institutions

Ask your adviser about the Regulatory procedures and Compensation schemes related to the offshore jurisdictions where non UK based investment companies are located. The Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey have regulatory and financial protection measures similar to the UK. Other locations in Europe such as Switzerland and Lichtenstein have stringent controls to protect client invested assets. Further a field, the USA, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Singapore to name but a few also have robust investor protection regimes.This is the first in a series of articles about offshore investing. If you would like to learn more visit:www.expatinvestdirect.com

Are you trying to create a budget that will allow you to finally get out of credit card debt? If you are like many Brits in debt, you are probably feeling a bit overwhelmed by your debt. As a result, you may have a tendency to ignore it or to simply pay the minimum payment each month without giving it a second thought. If you are playing the minimum payment game, however, it will likely take you a very long time to get your credit card paid off and you will lose a great deal of money in the form of finance charges. In order to get a better idea of your current financial situation and to make smart choices that will help you get out of debt quickly, it is helpful to use credit card calculators.

Finding Out How Long it Will Take

A calculator that is helpful when it comes to getting out of debt is one that helps you see how long it will take to pay off the debt with a specific monthly payment. If you have a debt of ?2,000 and you are paying ?40 per month on a credit card with an attractive 9.99% APR, it will still take you five years and five months to pay off that debt - that is longer than most people pay on their new car purchases! If you increase your payment by just ?10 and start sending in ?50 each month, it will only take you four years and one month to pay your balance off. If you double your original payment to ?80 per month, you can get that ?2,000 debt paid off in two years and five months.

By doubling your monthly payment, you decrease the amount of time it takes to pay off the debt by much more than half. You also save some money in the long run. By taking sending in ?40 per month for five years and five months, you will pay a total of ?2,600 to pay off your debt. That means you are paying ?600 in interest. By paying ?80 per month for two years and five months, on the other hand, you only pay a total of ?2,320. That means you save ?280 in finance charges.

Setting a Pay Off Goal

Rather than determining how long it will take you to pay off a debt when you send in a certain minimum amount, you can also work the other way. In other words, you can decide when you want to have the debt paid off and then use a credit card calculator to help you determine how much you need to send each month. If you need to get your ?2,000 debt paid off in 18 months, for example, you can input your current debt, your APR, and the amount of time you need to pay it off in order to find out what you need to pay each month. In this scenario, you would need to pay ?120.10.

By determining how much you will have to pay each month in order to reach your goal, you can easily take a closer look at your current financial situation and determine if you can actually reach your goal. It also helps you when planning your monthly budget, as you can be certain to set aside enough money each month in order to make your goal a reality.This article was written by Kjell Anderton, the creator of the UK Financial Options website where you can compare all the major credit cards currently on offer in teh UK and choose the deal that best suits you. UK Financial Options offer a free credit card calculator.

Obtaining credit nowadays seems to be a lot easier than it was 10 or 20 years ago. Because we are not all mind readers, it is sometimes impossible to determine what lies behind the corner which could have a negative affect on our finances.

If for some unfortunate reason you found yourself in a situation where you were no longer able to meet your monthly repayments to your creditors, would you be aware of the protection from creditors you have from the Office of Fair Trading?

It was recently reported that 12 debt solution companies were issued warnings for misleading debtors to cancel existing Individual Voluntary Arrangements and opt for Bankruptcy instead.

These companies sent unsolicited mail to unaware debtors informing them that they should not be in an IVA as it was unsuitable for them and should go down the bankruptcy route instead.

The companies had no right to do this, as one a debtor is in an IVA, it is a legally binding agreement between the creditors and the debtor which also ensures the debtor is protected from any form of harassment including how the debtor is making repayments.

The Office of Fair Trading makes it clear what is expected of creditors when dealing with people in debt.

There are guidelines set out for creditors which they are expected to follow and is important for people who are struggling repaying their creditors are aware of these guidelines so that they know their rights and know when creditors are attempting to act outside of these guidelines.

The guidelines are not only set out for those already in repayment arrangements but for all who are in debt.

All creditors are required to follow the guidelines set out by the OFT, this includes:

Not encouraging debtors to borrow money to pay their existing debt

Not contacting a debtor at work if this puts the debtors job at risk

Creditors should not harass debtors for payment where undue stress is being caused

The Data Protection Act also protects debtors from creditors disclosing their information to any third party without written permission from the debtor.

This includes sending letters to the debtor with information regarding who they are on the envelope.

Some creditors may arrange house calls to speak to the debtor regarding repayments. If they are unsuccessful, they may try to get information from a neighbour regarding your whereabouts. If this happens, the creditor must disclose who they are or why they need to contact the debtor.

If they were to disclose this information, they would be breaching the Data Protection Act and could have action taken against them.

Creditors who do not abide by the guidelines outlined by the OFT could find their Consumer Credit License taken away from them which in effect, put?s them out of business, as they cannot legally lend money to people without it.

The guidelines set out by the OFT can be found on their website. It is wise to be clued up about your rights when you find yourself in a situation where you can no longer meet the repayments required of you.

It is not a crime to be in debt, anyone can find themselves in debt for a variety of reasons at any time of their lives.

The important thing is to always keep in touch with your creditors so that you can come to an agreement of what you can realistically afford to pay each month and be aware if a creditor attempts to mislead you about what and how you can pay.Nicky Bullimore has been writing articles on various topics for a number of years. For more information about Individual Voluntary Arrangement or debt related issues, please visit http://www.goodbye2debt.co.uk

Whenever I get asked by anyone how to invest in property, I respond with a series of questions:

? What are your financial aims? In other words what are you after? Are you seeking an income, capital or both?

There is a big difference between wanting to retire in 2 years so you can live off your investment income and wanting to help your children with tuition expenses in 12 years.

? Will you need to borrow money and how much risk are you willing to take?

? Will you consider investing overseas, and if so, where will you invest ? Europe, the Far East or the Middle East.

? What level of risk are you willing to take?

? What happens if you need your money back quickly?

Remember, liquidity is a major problem in property investment. If you invest in the stocks and share market, you can pick up the phone and sell in minutes. That?s liquity. Just try doing that with property and you?ll see that it?s a completely different story.

? What about your tax liability and what would happen if it all went wrong?

? Do you want to invest in commercial or residential? Do you even know the difference?

These are the type of questions you should be asking yourself before you dive in and invest in property. It?s very helpful to write down your reasons for wanting to invest in property. You can always revise your list if you change your mind about your investment motives. But I guarantee you won?t be sorry for spending a little time up front making the list. On the other hand, if you?re unable to come up with any motivating factors for investing, you?re also setting yourself up for failure.

This may seem like a lot of work, but it?s a crucial part of the process if you want to succeed. Remember: buying property BEGINS with a well thought out plan for your exit strategy!

You should also be aware of the intense marketing hype of many online estate agent sites; they often prey on gullible, uninformed individuals. Be careful not to fall for the hype regarding the off plan deals marketed in nearly every country. Media such as glossy overseas magazines that advertise second homes for sale as investments are often very misleading.

Another word of caution ? don?t be fooled or conned by the promises of ?get rich quick? property schemes. Property is a long-term investment. It?s easy to lose sight of this as you hear any number of different, new and possibly more exciting property investment strategies that appear to be making money NOW. Years ago you could purchase reasonably-priced property, rent it out and make good money in a relatively short period of time. However, times have changed and this is no longer the case.

Not all real estate agents will be upfront about this fact. Like many others, you may mistakenly assume that your real estate agent is determined to help you obtain the best possible return for your money. Unfortunately, this is often not the case. The main goal of real estate agents is to sell property ? period. Do you think it is in their best interest to convince you to make long-term property investments? Definitely not!

Media resources can also hamper your property investment opportunities by writing bad or good reports about property investments that simply aren?t true. Property-related journalists are being paid to write, not to conduct research about the real estate market or lucrative investment opportunities.

Advertising is big business and journalists may be paid to write a scathing or glowing report about various overseas or local investments that is completely false. Hence, it?s best to ignore the majority of what you read in the magazines and conduct some solid market research on your own. After all, it?s your money so you want to invest it wisely!

Fortunately, there are some reliable resources available to help you learn about current trends in the property market. Start by consulting one of the following websites before you invest in any of your hard-earned cash:

Collierscre ? One of the leading worldwide real estate consultancies

Knight Frank ? Residential and commerical property professionals

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors ? Leading source of information relating to construction, the environment, property and land

Estates Gazette ? Magazine offering detailed information about commercial property trends

Also be sure to talk to local real estate agents as well as some reliable rental management companies. They can discuss some of the more successful local invesment property strategies. Don?t forget about members of your local business community and shop owners in your community. They can prove to be invaluable sources of information when it comes to local property invesmtent.

If you establish clear investment targets, you can focus only on the relevant types of property. I don?t recommend choosing more than two property types if you?re an inexperienced property investor. Given the vast amount of possible investment properties, this small step can save you a lot of wasted hours.

You should also limit the cities you?re considering to one or two. You can then determine the best and worst investment areas of a specific city by analyzing various factors such as crime and employment statistics.

The bottom line is don?t rely on only the latest investment fads to determine where to invest your money. This can prove to be a very costly mistake, especially if you are new to property investment. Spend some time determining your motivating factors for investing, ask yourself several important questions and narrow your target area to one or two cities. These steps will greatly improve your chance of success. With a little planning and advice, you can develop a clear investment strategy and avoid the most common property investment mistake.Surrinder Ahitan offers free property investment advice and tips on how to invest in residential and commercial property for maximum returns. Visit http://www.best-investment-property-tips.com where he reveals more valuable insider tips and property secrets.

College vs. Retirement

For most people, investing in mutual funds is pretty straight forward. You have specific goals that need to be met. You and your partner are approaching mutual fund investing with your eyes open and you?re both on the same page. Granted, she may want that pretty cottage down by the lake and you want that new speedboat, but both your goals involve water, and that?s close enough for you. But what if you?re in a completely different boat? What if you know you need to invest, but you have two equally important goals pulling you two different ways? This is the case with thousands of parents who see the need to save for retirement but also want to save for the kids? college education. How can you do both at the same time? Here are a few tips.

One of the biggest factors in the college vs. retirement battle is the fact that people are putting off having kids until later in life these days. Fifty years ago, this wasn?t the case, and saving for both college and retirement usually happened during two distinctly different phases in one?s life. These days, now that we realize that saving for retirement is something that should be started when you?re 18, not 48, the two overlap more than ever.

The gut instinct of most parents is to put the kids? future ahead of their own and cut back on retirement savings in favour of college. While this is a popular choice, it really only should be a last resort. A technique that is becoming more and more popular with parents who face saving for both at once is offering your prospective college student the chance to get matching funds from you. This is simply the idea that for every dollar they pay for, you?ll match it. If your not sure how junior will pay for half, remember, there are many ways for teenagers to save for college themselves. Almost everyone qualifies for student loans, there are scholarships for good grades as well as an after school and summertime job. Most college students work while they are attending classes, as well.

While walking the tightrope of saving for two goals at once can be stressful, a logical and determined approach to the situation is really the only way to go. Choosing retirement over your kids? education isn?t a ?wrong? choice, and neither is choosing college over retirement. Everyone?s situation is different and you need to make the right choice for your situation.All things related to online savings accounts, money market savings accounts and offshore accounts, for more info visit us at at? http://www.open-a-online-savings-account.com

For updated information on Financial Planning please visit this site.

Criticism of mutual funds

While mutual fund investing has exploded over the past 50 years to become one of the most popular forms of investing anywhere, there are still possible pitfalls that you can fall into if you?re not careful. Investing is still a risky business, even if everyone is doing it. Here are some tips to help you through any problems you might have.

One common criticism of mutual fund investing is that they don?t have a high enough return on their investment and that index funds, which aren?t as popular have historically returned a higher investment than the much more popular actively managed mutual funds.

A second common problem that some have with mutual fund investing is the use of load funds. You have probably seen the phrase ?no-load mutual fund? in the newspaper or on television. The reason the no-load type of fund is preferred is because load funds come loaded with fees. These fees can run anywhere between half a percent, all the way up to 8.5 percent of however much you chose to invest. It?s thought that these fees are a clear conflict of interest as they clearly benefit the people making the sale and hurt the person making the investment. Load mutual funds are also thought to make your broker recommend funds that will maximize his fee, and not your investment portfolio.

Some investors also point to a perceived conflict of interest in regards to the size of the mutual fund. Most companies that manage the mutual fund charge a fee of between half a percent up to two and a half percent of the total amount of the funds assets. It?s thought that this fee could cause a fund to spend more on advertising than is actually needed so that they can get more people to invest in the fund and maximize their fee as much as possible.

The mutual fund market isn?t immune to scandals, either. In 2003, a scandal involving the practice of unethical and dishonest trading practices. Many funds were found to have participated in late trading and market trimming, both of which are illegal practices. You obviously don?t want to invest in a mutual fund that is engaged in illegal activities.

Mutual fund investing is gaining in popularity on an almost weekly basis, and a few bad eggs in the business won?t ruin it for everyone. However, it is always good advice to enter into any kind of investing with your eyes open, and if you feel your mutual fund is behaving improperly, there are authorities you can report them to.All the things you need to know about mutual funds, online savings accounts, money market savings accounts and offshore accounts, for more info visit us at at? http://www.open-a-online-savings-account.com

Click here to read more on Finances.

Explore the financial options available to you. If you are looking out for corporate finance, hunt for that specially designed loan just for corporate financial needs. Plan your finances accordingly, before opting out for a loan, check out the various options open to you. See if you can afford that amount and pay back on time without calling up on an wrath on your business. Make use of the finance calculators to aid you in calculating the monthly EMI(Equated Monthly Installments) and also compare the loan terms and conditions accordingly.

You can overcome your credit challenges with finance advice from online adverse credit experts for bad credits/no credit/CCJ/loan defaults/mortgage arrears or even bankruptcy. Payment Protection Insurance offers you the much required peace of mind in case of unforeseen circumstances. You pay a little extra every month to secure your payments in the event of unforeseen incidents like accidents or unemployment. Now, with the advent of internet, you have access to a number of guaranteed finance deals which can help you out.

Personal Finance Services online goes through four steps

Information you provide at the time of application is reviewed and relevant information and options for your circumstances are e-mailed/discussed with you by the online lender.

Your loan enquiry is then forwarded to the best lender among their online wide network of reputed lenders.

You can avail free service round the clock to deal with all your finance

The tedious paperwork is handled by online experts and they keep you informed on how to reduce your loan repayments and save money on your outgoings. This way you can plan your finance in a better way and avert incurring any financial catastrophe.

While a secured loan assures you the lowest interest rates in the market, and offers you preferential repayment terms and an opportunity to borrow more. But secured loan puts your property at risk in case you fail to repay the loan amount. If you don?t have property/have it but don?t want to pledge it, you can opt for an unsecured loan. Explore your variety of corporate finance, property finance or personal finance with the help of an online guide for your Financial Planning Kirthy Shetty, expert author, Platinum status

Free advice on Personal finance:

Financial Advice

Sound financial planning assistance:

Financial Planning

The most important thing to remember when shopping for international investment property is the word in the middle: ?investment.?

Many investors get carried away by visions of sunny beaches and swaying palm trees and forget that the true purpose of investing in international property is making money and not taking vacations.

Some properties can double as a holiday homes and rental property, but the best investment opportunities are in less exotic locales where residential properties are undervalued or where the market is anticipated to increase in value.

Knowing whether your priority is to own a home abroad, earn additional income through a rental property, or make a killing on an off-plan investment is the first step toward developing a solid investment strategy for your future purchases.

There are typically three main investment types and they are:

Vacation / Retirement Home - You need to consider specific details such as, location preferences and whether you would rather be near a ski resort or beach? Do you plan to continue to work to supplement your income? Is being near your relatives important? Do you wish to return to the same spot year after year? As this will also be your home, will you be comfortable renting it out to strangers when you are not there?

Rental Income / Capital Appreciation - If your primary focus for investing internationally is for financial gain then you need to decide whether you prefer steady income vs. capital appreciation or perhaps both? Is the rental season long? Is the area popular among tourists?

Off-Plan Investments - This type tends to be more complicated and requires an in-depth analysis. Investors considering this type of investment should become well acquainted with off-plans in great detail before investing internationally.

Again, investors should watch out for locations that are currently improving, such as, countries that are growing or communities that are being restored. Early investments in these areas can pay off largely in the end when these locations become more recognized and valued.

All in all, investing internationally is for investors with long-term goals, with many investments lasting twenty years and longer and is not for investors looking to make a quick profit. Follow the economic and social data of the countries, even the poorer ones, to get a feel as to which ones may be growing.

Be careful of sales people promoting specific locations and offering discounts. Doing your research on countries can help you avoid making poor investment decisions.

Another important factor to consider is whether or not mortgages are available in the area. If not, will they soon be available? This can lead to an increase in property values.

When investing internationally, it is recommended that investors try to invest in countries which are steadily improving. Investing earlier on in the process can yield a higher profit. Of course, braver investors often invest in a country once it has already busted. Keep in mind, that newly restored countries tend to go through the ?boom-and bust? cycle which typically lasts an average of seven years (the bust is known as the time when the best international deals are available).

Investors looking to invest internationally should always use a professional agent who is registered with ?The Association of International Property Professionals?.Surrinder Ahitan offers free property investment advice and tips on how to invest in residential and commercial property for maximum returns. Visit http://www.best-investment-property-tips.com where he reveals more valuable insider tips and property secrets.