Expert Funds

Andrew Hagger Head of News and Press at Moneyfacts.co.uk looks at the performance of Child Trust Funds, one year on.

April 6 2006 marked the first birthday for the Child Trust Fund (CTF), and there are undoubtedly some mums and dads out there who are feeling pretty smug with the performance of the investment that they have chosen.

One year on from launch, those who have opted for one of the riskier options will have seen their initial 250 deposit grow to over 370 if they had opted for the F & C Global Smaller Companies investment trust. This level of growth dwarfs the returns for cash based investments where parents will have seen their 250 become approximately 262 during the last 12 months.

Although the cash return may seem small beer when compared with the dramatic increases seen in some of the equity based CTFs, the situation could have been worse, i.e. they could have been one of the half a million parents who have failed to use their voucher to open an account, thus depriving their siblings of any return whatsoever.

For those who have failed to open an account, it is worth remembering that Gordon Brown confirmed in his recent budget that the Government would contribute a further 250 (up to 500 in some cases) to your chosen fund on your childs seventh birthday.

Both Abbey and Nationwide BS report that over 60% of CTFs opened have been cash based; however when parents see the types of return that have been made in some of the non-stakeholder equity based funds, they may be tempted to switch.

However a word of caution before anyone hastily decides to make the move. The funds that offer the potential for greater returns are also those that in more turbulent times are the funds that could lose the most money, so dont be blinded by just one years performance, think of the CTF for what they are a long term savings and investment account.

There is a middle ground that falls somewhere between the cash and investment trust CTFs, namely stakeholder equity based funds that will offer potential of higher returns than cash CTF, but less risky than the non-stakeholder investment trusts.

If you are in doubt about what is the best option for your childs savings, time spent now discussing with an independent financial adviser could prove to have been a worthwhile exercise when your son or daughter gains access to their nest egg on their 18th birthday.

Building An Emergency Fund – A Vital Part of Financial Planning

None of us have the ability to foresee the future or predict the hurdles which lie ahead of us. This makes building an emergency fund a financial priority. Building an emergency fund is healthy for your financial well being, since youre rarely given advance notice of a setback or an accident which will keep you out of work for an extended period. It is also a safety net that can save you from bankruptcy or severe financial hardships in the event of an unexpected change in your income or expenses.

Housing a small rainy day fund should be a vital part of an individuals financial goals. This is of high importance if you dont already have readily available funds in your account for covering any unanticipated expenses. They provide financial security because they give you funds to fall back on if you become ill, or if you or your spouse loses your job, you incur large medical bills, or have an unexpected large bill such as a major car or home repair. You do not want to end up in a situation where you have to buy daily necessities on credit and end up payments on groceries you bought two years back on credit, with a further 10-18% interest on it.

Saving your money in an small account for emergencies is definitely a better alternative to taking a loan or cashing in your long-term investments. If you take a loan, there is the additional burden of paying interest. Encashment of your investments before maturity means not only will you lose out the interest, but also some part of the original investment. This will also set you back significantly in your overall financial plan.

Success at building an emergency fund depends on consistency of saving money on a regular basis, and resisting the urge to dip into this rainy day fund for non-emergencies. This money should be kept separate from the general savings account. Otherwise you will be tempted to dip into these monies even if you simply run over your budget at a certain point. A substantial part of this emergency fund account should be invested in low risk funds. This ensures that your investment does not lose its value in case you need the money. Also, it should be extremely liquid, to give you access to the cash easily and quickly if you need it.

The size of the special savings account will depend on your personal situation. People often keep three to six months salary in the reserve. But you will have to decide on an appropriate amount based factors such as your dependants and fixed monthly expenses.

If you are single with no obligations, and have a reliable support system of friends or relatives during a financial crisis, you might not need a substantial amount stashed in this fund. This is opposed to someone who needs to pay nursing costs for his aging parents and supporting a young family. The more people you support, the more likely you are to have unexpected or unplanned costs.

While making a decision about an emergency fund, you should also take into account the degree of difficulty you’d have in finding a new job if you lost the present one. In case of a two-income household, the contribution of both parties should be weighed while calculating how much you should keep aside.

You may not be able to gather your emergency fund money together at once. Treat it as a financial goal and add to the kitty over time. If you get a tax refund, put it in your special rainy day account. Maybe a part of the bonus at work!

Emergency funds are considered to be a necessity as far as financial security is concerned, since it can provide one with financial resources that one can resort to and depend on when an emergency arises such that when one is sick and have the burden of paying huge medical bills, or unexpected home or major car repair.

When one has no emergency fund, one can be obliged to acquire debt on your credit card that might take several years to repay with interest that would later cost so much more.

However by putting an extra thirty to fifty dollars every month in an individual emergency savings account one can be secured with what emergency the future may bring. In doing this, it is recommended that one regards the emergency fund as an additional bill, to be punctually paid each month.

Yes, one can and should budget and allocate the extra money for emergency fund, as this is very significant when one refers to his financial future. Here, the goal is to create savings from budgeting your income; the emergency savings should ideally be equal to at least three months your living expenditures.

What’s important is that you should steadily put a certain amount of money aside, and only use it for real emergencies.

Not like an investment, the success of ones long-term savings funds does not really count on the amount of return or interests but on placing a fixed amount of money away constantly and steadily so to have immediate access to it at all times.

In spite of ones financial status, the initial step in the process of constructing an emergency fund is by knowing where your money is presently being consumed or spent.

When one recognizes and determines where ones earnings are spent, then it will be easy for one to choose and make a decision where to trim down expenses. In other words, budget.

Budgeting is putting or setting aside money for anticipated and unanticipated future use. It is here that one sets up a goal so as to save. So set an emergency fund as your goal.

Checking, savings, money market accounts and certificates of deposits, are great places to keep ones cash that might be needed on quick notice.

The amount saved from budgeting can either go to your savings goal, emergency fund or both. One could utilize the money saved from budgeting financial expenses by saving half of it to your savings account and half of it for emergencies. This way, you achieve your goals in savings and at the same time put in funds for emergency use. Its your choice.

No parent wants their child to have to attend a school that is sub-standard. We all want our children to get the best education they possibly can. Even those who dont have kids in school today are interested in the success of the schools and often get involved in supporting their neighborhood schools. The reality is that not all kids get to attend the top-notch school. Some, many in fact, wind up in schools that are facing issues that make it hard for them to inspire students to do their best.

Gangs, school violence, lack of funding, and uninspired teaching and administrative staff are all factors that can be associated with failing schools. While money isnt everything, it sure helps. Having enough funding, and in certain situations, a bit extra can go a long way to tackling the other problems. Boston Public Schools are working to achieve more equality for their schools by changing the way the budget is allocated each year.

Boston Schools are looking into a budget allocation process used by other large urban districts called weighted student funding, or WSF. A task force staffed by Boston Schools employees has been formed to look into the plan and determine if its something that will help Boston Schools achieve a more equitable distribution of funds. Currently, schools in Boston are not all receiving the funding required to successfully implement the programs they offer.

For example, Traditional Boston Schools have, in the past, been allocated positions, not funds, based on the different types of programs they offer, as well as the number of kids in each program. Pilot Boston Schools, offer higher-cost special and bilingual (not to be confused with English as a 2nd Language students) education programs.

Special Boston Schools, such as the Mann School for the Deaf, are funded based on its students special disabilities.

Alternative Boston Schools are funded on an individual basis, with no consistent requirements across the board. In addition, 10 designated Superintendents Schools have been recently chosen. These Boston Schools have demonstrated consistently low performance. For the 07-08 school year, each of these schools will get 1.2 million in extra funds.

In order for Boston Schools to receive a more equitable distribution of funds they would develop weights so that the allocations match the needs of the students while still adhering to the priorities of the Boston Schools district. Determining these weights will involve extensive participation from the community. The purpose of this is to institute a formula to evenly determine which schools need what in terms of cash. For example, regular education students are given a weight of 1, students who are leaning to speak English a 1.7, and a moderate special-needs student a 1.6. The whole thing would then be added up, and guidelines for funding would be determined. While this sounds like the same horse with a different color, it can affect more equitable funding for all Boston Schools.

The lay-up is the most basic shot in basketball. Unfortunately, it does not get a lot of attention when people work on improving their overall game. In a time now where fundamentals are slowly being forgotten and replaced with fancy show-boating moves, players need to remind themselves of the basic techniques of shooting lay-ups to make themselves better scorers. In this article we will discuss just a few things associated with lay-ups that will help improve your overall game.

When Practicing Lay-ups Take It Serious
In an actual game you will rarely have the opportunity to lazily run to the basket and shoot an uncontested lay-up. Most lay-ups are shot while you are fast breaking with a defender on your hip harassing you all the way to the basket. If you practice lay-ups nonchalantly then in a game type situation you are more likely to miss the lay-up because you might jump off the wrong foot, or shoot the lay-up too hard because your timing is off. It’s not logical at all for you to make even the simplest of shots in a game if you are not practicing the shots the same way you would shoot them in a game. Make sure you are using correct technique and that you are moving at game speed when you shoot lay-ups during your warm-ups.

Be Able To Use Both Hand
You should be able to shoot lay-ups effectively with both the right and left hand. If you are driving to the basket on the left hand side of the floor and shoot a lay-up using your right hand you are likely to get the shot blocked. Make sure that whatever side of the basket you are driving towards you use that hand to shoot the lay-up. This will ensure that your body will be in between you and your defender and it’s likely that you will draw a foul if your defender tries to block your shot.

Be Selective
If you try to shoot the same type of lay-up in every situation you will lack the advantage. It’s important that you are use to shooting different types of lay-ups so that you will be harder to defend in certain situations. For example a defender may be over aggressively challenging every shot you take, as you get to the basket you may want to head fake and shoot what is referred to as a power lay-up where you go off two feet and try to draw a foul or shoot over your defender as you time it perfect. Or sometimes on a break you would want to actually shoot a lay-up with the opposite hand of the side of the basket you are driving towards. Sometimes when you are pressured to get a shot off you can get the ball to the basket quicker if you were to use the right hand when going up on the left hand side of the basket or vice versa. The bottom line is that you need to have a selection of lay-ups that you feel comfortable shooting so that during games you can use every advantage you possibly can.

Tent Weight and Size

The qualities desirable in a backpacking tent are different from those tents being pitched next to a car in a campground. The biggest difference being that the backpacking tent will be carried with you and therefore, should be small and lightweight. Most modern two person tents weight around four to five lbs. whereas a roomy family camping tent can weigh twenty lbs or more. Solo or single person tents can weigh less than three lbs and are great if you are hiking alone. However, if you are hiking with someone else, it usually works out better weight wise to split the gear and take a two person tent.

Tent Quality

The quality of the tent is more important when backpacking because there is usually nowhere dry to go if the tent starts leaking. While a top quality tent is not necessary, cheap discount store tents should only be used if the forecast calls for clear weather.
Being tired, wet, and cold knowing the next dry place is at least ten miles away on a rocky trail will quickly put a damper on what should be an enjoyable outdoor experience.

Clips and Sleeves

There are two common ways that tent poles are attached to the tent. One is using sleeves that the poles slide through and the other is using clips that latch over the poles. Some tents even use a combination of clips and sleeves. In general, clip based designs are easier and faster to set up, while sleeve based designs are stronger and can be easily repaired with a needle and thread right at the camp site. For most conditions, I believe the clips are plenty strong and are generally better because of how quickly they allow the tent to be set up and dismantled.

Free Standing and Staked Designs

Free standing tents seem to have become the norm. Their primary advantage is that they can be set up without being staked into the ground. Stakes are still important to keep the tent from blowing around, but the stakes usually do not need to be driven far into the ground. Staked tents tend to be a bit lighter than free standing tents, but need to be staked solidly into the ground to hold their shape. Staked tents can be difficult to set up or keep up if the soil is hard or rocky. I’ve become a convert from staked tents to freestanding tents after bending multiple tent pegs beyond repair trying to pitch the tent on hard rocky ground.

Single Wall and Double Wall Construction

Double wall tents are tents that require a separate rain fly to keep out water. Although they are slightly heavier than their single walled counterparts and take a bit longer to set up, they are generally less expensive, warmer, and hold up better in wet conditions. While the lower weight specifications and small packing size of the single wall tents make them attractive, the double wall tents are generally a better deal economically.

Three Season and Four Season Specifications

Three season tents are just that; tents designed for Spring, Summer, and Fall camping. Few people go backpacking in the winter compared to the other three seasons, so the vast majority of tents sold are three season tents. Four season tents are built from heavier materials in order to hold up against the winter weather and are bulkier and harder to carry. Some manufacturers offer a 3+ season tent if you are camping early in the Spring or late in the Fall; but unless you are planning specifically to camp in the winter months a three season tent is more than sufficient without undue bulk and weight.

Vestibules

If you don’t have room to keep your shoes in the tent with you, vestibules are a great place to keep them dry and yet outside the main tent. Some vestibules provide enough of an overhang to allow the screen or even the door to be open during the rain. I personally enjoy feeling the breeze from a storm while I am dry inside the tent. Most people probably would not consider the vestibule worth the weight, but they are a nice luxury.

Conclusions

While different individuals will select different tents based on various factors, understanding the fundamentals differences between tents can help you pick the tent design that fits your hiking style and conditions.

In Secured Loans UK no requirement of collateral has actually made this option highly popular and accessible to many of the borrowers. The Secured Loans UK are available for all sorts of reasons, under the categories of auto loan, home loan, vacation loan, education loan and etc. Now let us focus on some important facts attached to the unsecured personal loans. First of all, it is important to mention that, a borrower is allowed to demand for an amount ranging between 1,000 and 25, 000 under the provision of this loan, with the repayment schedule of 10 to 15 years from the time of approval. It is true that property is considered as the most valuable asset, to arrange for good financial support in times of urgent monetary requirement but unfortunately, not everybody in the society is lucky to have this solution. As a matter of fact, in Secured Loans UK the complete loan procedure can now be managed through the amazing services of these online options. All you need to do is, to get an access to the website of your chosen lender and then follow the given instructions. Click on the option of online application form and fill in your personal as well as employment details in this form. Once your form is registered and you qualify for the eligibility criteria, the loan amount will be credited into your savings account in no time. However, before finalizing your Secured Loans UK deal with any of the lenders, make sure that you opt for a reliable and experienced loan supplier. For this purpose, you can also carry out a planned research through the medium of internet, where all the finance companies are available with their websites.

As far as the eligibility criteria for this Secured Loans UK is concerned, a borrower has two fulfill two basic requirements; he should be 18 years of age or above and must posses an active source of income. The credit report of an individual is usually not a hassle for accomplishing this loan service.

No guide for writing a funding proposal would be complete without cautioning that a business looking for funding cannot do so without also presenting a completed business plan. Every lender, whether bank or other financial institution, venture capitalist, or private individual, will want to see the firm’s business plan in addition to the project detail. They’ll want to know the company’s mission, its goals, its steps to achieving those goals, its products and services, its available resources, the market, the competition, and your firm’s competitive edge.

The business plan that accompanies the funding proposal you write and present should also include the owners or officers and all major players such as executives and others instrumental in the day to day workings of the company.

If you’re new to writing a funding proposal a guide is essential, whether a written brochure or publication, online assistance, or a counselor at the local small business development center. SCORE, the Service Corps for Retired Executives, is another top-notch resource that can guide you through writing a funding proposal. The volunteers are all retired executives and other experts who have been where you are and have succeeded.

In addition to the standard documents that the bank or credit union will require for the loan application, the lender also expects to see a written funding proposal when you apply for the loan. Rather than looking at writing a funding proposal as a tedious chore, look at it as the guide for your lender to see just how exciting, promising and profitable your idea and firm could be and what an opportunity they have to be a financial part of your great venture.

Give your funding proposal a zippy but clear title, then talk about the overview of the project you’ve planned, supplying background information on the problem as you see it, the details of the project that will solve the problem, what resources you have available and what resources you’ll need to get the job done, what staff and administration help you have and what else you might need, the facilities available for your project and any that you’ll need to lease or buy in addition, any supplies or equipment or personnel that will be added, and any communication capabilities or requirements that are pertinent. Present a budget for your project.

Step by step, you should….

* Write a cover letter with your funding proposal, both as an enticement to read the proposal and a guide to what will be found in the funding proposal pages. Included in the cover letter, besides the title, are a brief introduction to your firm, the purpose of the loan and the amount of money you are requesting.

* The funding proposal should begin with the company name, address, and contact information such as phones and e-mails. Here should also be the names, titles and social security numbers of all the principals, the reason for the loan, the amount requested and details of what you will be doing with the money including the equipment and supplies purchase, perhaps the lease of new facilities, the resources now available, the staff that might be added, and the administration personnel that will oversee the project.

* Next offer extensive details about the firm, including any previous projects and performance, clientele, overall goals and objectives, unique aspects of the firm and the ownership and legal structure.

* Background information is next, with details about the company budget, as well as the project budget, the market and the competition, and your firm’s standing among the competition. Details on the current clientele as well as an evaluation plan for determining the company’s overall financial and competitive health and for that of the project itself should be included as well.

* All key personnel should be profiled, including their education, the accomplishment both as a firm member and prior, as well as their qualifications. Along with background information and a budget for the project, you should provide all information and documents about the last three years of the company’s operations. If not in business that long, provide the financial statements including balance sheets and income statements that you have. Collateral should be pledged for the funding.

* Written communication is a crucial part of your funding proposal and someone should guide you through the process by proofreading the materials, to check for spelling, grammar, factual accuracy and overall quality of presentation.

Any time you apply for a loan, whether the details of the needed resources, the project overview, the statement of the problem, and the budget are already in the application or the cover letter, you should still submit a funding proposal as an overall guide to the loan officer and other funding decision makers.

So, youre looking for a fundraising project for a school, sports team or construction project and youre thinking about engraved bricks. Brick fundraising is pretty simple, but what are the pitfalls?

We talked to Larry Cannon (www.bricksculpture.com), whos been engraving bricks for fundraisers since 1988. He offers the following advice before you embark on the campaign..

1.First look at your donor database. How likely are they to contribute to your new cause? Take nothing for granted. Dont assume that people will donate without a good strategy.

2.Think about who youre targeting. You should expect about 20% of your database to contribute. Buthow interested are they in your project? How committed are they? How are they doing financially?

4.Think about the best time to mail donation requests. Timing is everything in fundraising.

5.Think of the best way to word it. Should you play on their sympathies or emphasize that their name on a brick is a memorial will last beyond their life?

6.The project chair will make or break the project. Dont let just anyone do itget volunteers with the time and energy to put into the project.

7.How much money do you want to raise? Come into the project with an established goal.

8.Decide how much money people will donate to purchase a brick. Subtract the costs from the brick manufacturer and the difference is direct profit..

9.What about donor level appreciation? Do you want to honor different levels of donor contribution? If so.how? Some options are brick placement, size of bricks, number of words on the brick, emblems or logos on the bricks.

10.Can you get services donated? Does someone in the group know a brick mason wholl donate their time to lay the brick, build the wall or whatever? If not, the cost for hiring one must come from the raised donations.