Securities Based Funding, Inc. Announces A Unique Financing Advantage To Borrowers Against The Value Of Their Securities Portfolio

Securities Based Funding, Inc. announces a unique financing advantage to borrowers against the value of their securities portfolio at below-market, simple interest, fixed rate loans ranging from 2.5% to 4.5%.

These   non-recourse   loans will assist Domestic and international buyers, sellers and developers of properties worldwide. The loan proceeds can be used for any purpose except to buy securities or carry securities in a margin account.

Despite the credit crunch and while access to liquidity through traditional capital markets is difficult in today’s uncertain economy, security-based loans enable borrowers to access liquidity at below-market rates by pledging the securities they own as collateral for the loan. Securities based loans offer residential and commercial real estate owners and developers, a viable alternative, that are being frozen out of the market, by their banks and traditional sources of financing.

Eligible securities are publicly trades stocks, bonds, tradable mutual funds, unit investment and real estate investment trusts as well as foreign positions on international exchanges. Ineligible securities include, privately held stocks, securities held in retirement accounts, such as, IRAs and 401Ks. The borrower retains all upside market appreciation and receives any dividends or interest to which the securities are entitled. Loan to security values (LTV) range from 35% up to 80%. The more liquid and actively trades the securities, the higher the LTV.

Securities Based Funding, Inc. represents a full-service, private, nonpurpose, direct lender that specializes in securities-based lending with investors in need of prompt funding. Terms are based on the evaluation of the risk and future performance associated with the stocks, bonds or U.S. Treasuries to be pledged as collateral to maximize and maintain complete yet proprietary flexibility of the equity-loan process.

Successful stock-lending transactions have been executed involving the American Stock Exchange, NASDAQ National Stock Market, NASDAQ Small-Cap Stock market, New York Stock Exchange, Over-the-Counter Bulletin Board and foreign exchanges.

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What To Ask When Getting Home Insurance Quotes

Homeowners insurance rates are rising in many states. As such, it’s more important than ever for homeowners to find ways to save money on their home insurance policies. Just as important to homeowners, they need to be aware of what factors affect their home insurance premium. As a recently published article on InsuranceAgents.com states, too many homeowners are not aware of what questions to ask agents and thus are unable to determine what is important when it comes to designing a policy.

The InsuranceAgents.com article, “What To Ask Agents: Homeowners Insurance Quotes Shopping,” lists different coverage options and questions homeowners may want to discuss with their agents. Doing research beforehand will result in homeowners being more confident and becoming aware of what specifically they want in a home insurance policy.

First, homeowners need to know what factors affect whether they find affordable or costly home insurance quotes.

“These days it’s about money, money, money. The whole reason to invest in insurance is to guard against financial loss. But no one wants to take out a second mortgage just to pay the premiums. So of course homeowners will need to know what factors (credit history, age and condition of the home, pets, lifestyle, etc.) cause home insurance quotes to skyrocket and which factors yield the most affordable rates,” the article states.

Also, to determine that your agent is someone whom you can trust to help you customize your home policy, you may want to conduct quick informal interviews with the agents who offer you home insurance quotes. Your agent should be reliable, trustworthy and experienced (find one with at least a few years’ worth of insurance experience.

“Check with your state’s insurance department to make sure any agent you interview is licensed. Better yet, ask the agent for proof of their license. Furthermore, conduct interviews with any agent you’re considering giving your business to. As a homeowner, that’s your right,” according to the article.

Homeowners should also look into what special hazards their area presents; any additional risks to your property need to be included in your home insurance policy to make it more thorough. Read the article on InsuranceAgents.com to discover more questions to ask your agent and educate yourself on the importance of a home insurance policy.

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Apex Signs up to Tracesmart’s Online Debtor Tracing Facility

Tracesmart Corporate has been appointed by Apex Credit Management to provide their proprietary data cleansing and online tracing services. The intuitive web based tracing system offers a single source solution, which permits the rapid and confident tracing of gone aways and absconded debtors. The facility will provide Apex with the means to conduct their tracing activities, both efficiently and ethically.

Apex Credit Management is a rapidly growing credit management provider. Headquartered in Stratford-Upon-Avon, the business is focused exclusively upon providing debt management services to the financial services sector; notably early arrears outsourcing, debt collection, debt purchase and tracing services. The company was established in 2000 as a specialist UK based consumer debt collection agency.

Apex recently created a new division, Apex Discovery Solutions, which provides dedicated tracing solutions to the financial services sector. Based in West Malling, Kent, the new enterprise boasts a large team of tracers to fulfil the recent uptake in demand from this sector. Head of Trace is Jamie McGrath, who with over twenty years of experience in the debt recovery and debt purchase sectors has extensive knowledge of tracing and compliance. Commenting on the company’s new partnership with Tracesmart, McGrath remarked, “Forging an alliance with Tracesmart enables us to broaden our data cleansing and tracing services across our client base, which will assist us in our goal of becoming a data led, ethical and compliant trace provider.”

Tracesmart is one of the UK’s leading data specialists, providing debtor tracing and consumer data services to a vast number of the country’s credit management companies. In addition to people tracing, the company also offer identity checks and anti-money laundering services to a varying and growing legion of businesses and industries.

Commenting on the new partnership, Chris Rothwell, Tracesmart’s Sales Director remarked, “We are delighted that Jamie and his recently established Apex division have chosen Tracesmart for their tracing and data solutions. Our debtor tracing facility is industry leading; we are confident we can provide increased productivity and efficiencies to any credit management organisation. We look forward to providing a first-rate and cost-effective service to our new partner, Apex.”

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Consumer Price Index Rise Hits UK Savers Pockets

With bank rates predicted to stay low for the next 12 months, savers are in an increasingly tricky situation, according to personal finance website MoneyStand.co.uk.

As the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) is often greater than the savings account interest rates, MoneyStand.co.uk believes some individuals are actually poorer in real terms by keeping money in certain accounts. The UK website, which focuses on giving advice and information on personal finance, debt solutions, and IVA, has stated that simple and well thought out decisions can make all the difference to consumers in these instances. These are particularly testing times for those who live off the interest of their accumulated wealth to subsidise their pension.

Due to the low interest rates affecting most banks within the UK and the erosive affects of rising inflation, individuals with savings are feeling the brunt of the economic downturn. Even with substantial savings, British savers are missing out on a solid return on their investments once tax is taken into account.

With the Consumer Prices Index rising to 1.9 per cent, basic rate taxpayers need their banks to provide a minimum savings rate of 2.375 per cent before seeing any real return on their investments, and higher rate tax payers need a sizeable 3.166 per cent to see a return. In reality, currently only 9 out of 744 variable rate savings accounts available in the UK actually offer an interest rate higher than this. Compared with November, when 69 out of 744 accounts paid above this rate, experts argue that banks are profiteering at the expense of their customers, warning that the situation will now get even worse for the basic rate taxpayers.

Following a widespread media campaign for better deals for UK savers, the UK government has promised to start taking action against these low yield savings accounts. Despite these claims, Moneystand.co.uk suggests that UK individuals will soon have almost no reason to save.

Founder Matt Spencer said, “Due to the worsening interests rates offered by the banks, we have approached the stage where taxpayers are better off investing their money into gold bullion than they are with savings accounts.”

“Due to the Consumer Prices Index rising beyond economists’ expectations from 1.5 per cent to 1.9 per cent last month, basic rate taxpayers will also feel the knock on effects of the increase for some months to come. Economists have attributed this to amongst other things, rising fuel and energy costs.”

Personal Finance weblog MoneyStand.co.uk has been providing unbiased personal finance, IVA and debt related information since early 2008 specifically to help people through these testing financial times. The authors realise people are facing particularly pressing financial times and seek to alleviate this where possible by providing clear and easy to understand information.

“In times of recession individuals and families often overlook simple financial decisions that can make huge differences to their financial health.” Matt Spencer explained, “Our aim is to highlight and offer financial advice on these sensitive topics.”

For the latest financial news and advice on IVA, debt and insolvency visit our personal finance blog, http://www.moneystand.co.uk.

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Saxo Bank announce Outrageous Claims for 2010 now live on Trading Floor

Saxo Bank’s annual ‘Outrageous Claims’ now has its own page on tradingfloor.com, the home for news from the Denmark-based online bank’s strategy team.

Among the 10 ‘Outrageous Claims’ for 2010 are predictions of the devaluation of the CNY, the emergence of a third political party in the US, a massive fall in the price of sugar, a positive US trade balance for the first time since the 1975 oil crisis and the US Social Security Trust Fund going bust.

The online futures trade and investment specialist’s ten claims are an annual thought exercise to predict rare but high impact ‘black swan’ events that are beyond the realm of normal market expectations. The exercise aims to challenge market conceptions. Compiled as part of the bank’s 2010 Outlook, the claims this year paint a picture of a more positive year ahead but with a few tremors along the way.

David Karsboel, Chief Economist at Saxo Bank, commented: “We believe that 2010 will be a year of reflation, but structural headwinds lie ahead of us and could turn 2010 into a rollercoaster ride.

“One of the most likely structural headwinds will be a shift in investor focus towards slowing GDP and timing issues regarding the path of FED tightening. This will bring risk aversion back into markets.

“Whilst our annual ‘Outrageous Claims’ should be seen as the black swans of the market rather than outright predictions, we do believe that the odds of these events happening are somewhat higher than what is currently priced into the market,” David Karsboel concluded.

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Influential Christian Business Leaders Convene In Denver, CO For The 3rd Annual Kingdom Economic Yearly Summit KEYS

Christian business and financial representatives from at least 15 nations and 40 U.S. states will convene Feb. 3-6, 2010 in Denver at the 3rd Annual Kingdom Economic Yearly Summit (KEYS), according to Dr. Bruce Cook, Summit convener and host. “We have the top Christian marketplace thought leaders coming together to offer economic strategies and solutions for today’s troubled times,” said Cook.

Theme for the event is “Fathering Marketplace Leaders: Prospering in Economic Crisis.”

Dr. Lance Wallnau, President of the Lance Learning Group, Keller, TX and Os Hillman, President of Marketplace Leaders Ministries, Cumming, GA will keynote the 2010 Summit along with Dr. Pat Francis, President of Elomax Inc., Pat Francis Ministries and Kingdom Covenant Centre, Toronto, Ontario; Tamara Lowe, best selling author and Executive Vice President and co-founder of Get Motivated Seminars, Inc., Tampa, FL; and Rich Marshall, author of God@Work, Vols. I & II and President of R.O.I. Leadership International, Highlands Ranch, CO; Rick Joyner, best selling author of The Final Quest and numerous other books and founder and senior leader of MorningStar Ministries, Fort Mill, SC.

Other leaders speaking at KEYS 2010 include top-producing real estate broker, author and speaker Kenn Renner, Austin, TX; international business attorney & CEO Carolita Oliveros, president of Oliveros & Associates PC, Tucson, AZ; Al Caperna, CEO of CMC Group, Inc. and Marketplace Leader for Call2All, Bowling Green, OH; Dr. Francis Myles, pastor of Breakthrough City Kingdom Embassy, McKinney, TX and author of The Order of Melchizidek; David van Koevering, physicist, inventor and president of Elsewhen, Cleveland, TN; and John Muratori, author of Rich Church, Poor Church and President of John Muratori Ministries, Senior Pastor of Calvary Life Family Worship Center and Executive Director of Turning Point Christian Center, Cheshire, CT.

“God is moving powerfully in the marketplace,” said Cook, KEYS founder. “What’s happening is both a market correction and a marketplace reformation,” he added, “and the global financial turmoil and shaking of economies, nations, markets, institutions and currencies has helped create or trigger widespread fear and a crisis of belief in many people. In response, a growing number of business men and women are turning to God, discovering prayer and Biblical principles, choosing faith over fear, and re-examining their assumptions and beliefs about finances, investing, debt, retirement and stewardship in light of current conditions,” he stated.

Patterned loosely after the World Economic Forum, but with a Christian focus, the 4-day Summit will also feature Ken Beaudry, President of Beaudry Oil Co., Elk River, MN; Morris Ruddick, President of Ruddick Intl. and Global Strategic Initiatives Foundation, Denver, CO; Kyle Newton, President & CEO of InVision and Newton Inc, Fort Worth, TX; Shawn Bolz, president of Expression58 Ministries, Los Angeles, CA and author of several books; Robert Ricciardelli, former sales executive and President of Visionary Advancement Strategies and Converging Zone Network, Black Mountain, NC; and Teri Werner, business coach and consultant, author of Train Wreck to Triumph and former CEO, Mesquite, TX; Michael Pink, best-selling author, business coach and former sales trainer and corporate executive, Sarasota, FL; and Paul Cuny, retired business executive, author, and president of Marketplace Leadership International, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.

In addition, speakers will include Dr. Peter Wagner, President of Wagner Leadership Institute and Global Harvest and author of 80 books, Colorado Springs, CO; Peter Roselle, pastor and registered securities dealer and wealth manager for a major Wall Street firm; John L. Sorenson Jr., president of Covenant Bancorp., Chicago, IL; Dr. Marlene McMillan, president, Liberty Ministries, Irving, TX; Jim Barthel, President& CEO of Metals Treatment Technologies LLC and Kingdom Business Alliance (KBA), Arvada, CO; and Dr. Bruce Cook, President, VentureAdvisers Inc., Kingdom House Publishing and Glory Realm Ministries, Leander, TX.

“KBA is very pleased to co-sponsor this year’s KEYS event,” said Barthel. “Having attended each of the previous KEYS, I know that those who attend will experience a‘Mountain Top’ experience unlike any other and will advance in their marketplace purpose, position, passion and power for the Lord,” he added. “This event is for anyone who works or leads in a business environment, as well as ministry leaders desiring to better understand the marketplace and how to relate to business leaders.”

Venue for KEYS 2010 will be Faith Bible Chapel International, located at W. 62nd Ave. & Ward Road in Arvada, CO. Schedule is 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. daily February 3-5 and 8:30 am to 1:00 pm Feb. 6th. The event is also being webcast and evening sessions will be offered free after 6:30 pm nightly on a space available basis.

Registration fees are $50 for webcast, $99 for students, $199 for adults, and $349 for couples or colleagues.

Group rates are also available, with a 10% discount offered to groups of 10 or more. For more information on KEYS, visit their web site at http://www.KingdomEconomicSummit.com.

About Bruce Cook
Cook, 55, of Leander, TX, is an ordained Christian minister, private investor and financial consultant, and has served as President and Founder of VentureAdvisers Inc. since 2000. Previously, Cook was Research Director for The University of Texas Investment Management Company (UTIMCO) (focused on private equity), and was a marketing communications executive for 12 years for several universities and a software company and technology incubator, and a bank manager for five years. Cook holds a PhD in Higher Education Administration from The University of Texas at Austin (1994) and wrote his dissertation on fundraising theory.

About the Kingdom Economic Yearly Summit (KEYS):
Patterned loosely after the World Economic Forum, but with a Christian focus and perspective, KEYS will feature a number of internationally-known speakers. Christian business and financial representatives from at least 15 nations and 40 U.S. states are expected to attend the 3rd Annual Kingdom Economic Yearly Summit (KEYS) February 3-6, 2010, in Denver, Colorado, in the midst of one of the worst financial crises in modern history.

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Improved Life Insurance Cover

For people with children Axa has increased the percentage of the sum assured they will pay out under the children’s cover benefit from 25 per cent to 50 per cent, or £25,000, whichever is lower as part of their critical illness cover. In addition the number of children eligible for cover has now doubled from two to four.

As well as taking standard life insurance cover which pays out in the event of death, many consumers should also take critical illness cover which will pay out in the event of a number of specified serious illnesses.

Commenting on the improved terms David Hollingworth said ‘Sometimes these policies have been criticised for being too restrictive. It is encouraging that life insurance providers are now offering greater flexibility through premium reductions and additional benefits so that consumers get cover at the optimum price’.

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End of the Stamp Duty Holiday

The Pre Budget Report did not bring an extension of the stamp duty exemption for property purchases up to £175,000, which means purchasers will face a stamp duty bill of up to £1,750 next year.

Commenting, David Hollingworth at L&C Mortgages said, “With much larger deposits required to secure a mortgage the exemption did at least help reduce the hefty cost of buying a home and its demise will not be welcomed by first time buyers in particular. Those that are currently in the process of buying will need to keep well on top of things to ensure they complete their mortgage before the end of the year. Ensure that your solicitor will be available over the Christmas period and that all is in hand.

Those coming fresh to the market now would need a minor miracle to complete their purchase before the deadline.”

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Guide to Separating Homeowners Insurance after Divorce Released

While divorce is generally a hard time in many people’s lives, the best way to lessen the pain is to know how to take things apart, like property, rights, and particularly homeowners insurance, according to a recent InsuranceAgents.com article, “Home Owners Insurance and Divorce: An Unfortunate Combination.”

Divorce is a huge life change, and it forces individuals to reassess their finances, and that should include the homeowners insurance policy.

“If you plan on keeping the home after the divorce, it is imperative you follow the guidelines to ensure a convenient and stress-free process. Divorce can be an expensive dispute, but that doesn’t mean your homeowners insurance policy has to as well,” the article states.

When a homeowners insurance policy is drafted, its details (like the amount of the deductible), and included coverage options, etc., is all determined by the client(s). In other words, the lifestyle (routine, income, shared personal belongings, and way of life) of a person and their spouse (or soon-to-be ex) determines who the homeowners insurance policy is customized. So when one spouse of is out of the picture, the existing homeowners insurance policy’s coverage is no longer 100 percent relevant and needs to be updated.

It is also important for the spouse who retains ownership of the home to focus on the deductible of the homeowners insurance policy. The policyholder can either get a lower deductible and pay a higher premium, or get a higher deductible and pay a lower premium.

“Depending on your situation following the divorce, each type of deductible may have different benefits for you,” according to the article.

Divorce can be time-consuming, expensive and painful. To reduce the amount of stress and burden on a person, knowing how to split the big things—the home, personal belongings, homeowners insurance policy—will go a long way.

To learn more and/or request home owners insurance quotes, visit InsuranceAgents.com.

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Put Home Insurance Top Of The Christmas Wish List

As a survey reveals that a third of households leave gifts under the Christmas tree well before the big day, home insurance provider M&S Money is advising householders to make sure security remains a priority this festive period.

Crime statistics reveal that domestic burglaries increase during the coldest and darkest months of the year – November, December and January (Home Office Report ‘Seasonality in recorded crime’).

The increased value of property stored in homes in the weeks before Christmas means that householders should be particularly vigilant to the threat of a break-in.

A survey by home insurance provider M&S Money has revealed that security is the last thing on the minds of 39% of householders who say they leave presents under the Christmas tree well before December 25th. Only 7% of householders are security-minded and wait until Christmas morning to put presents under the tree.

Furthermore, only 20% of people say they are ‘very confident’ about what is covered by their home contents insurance, meaning many people may be unaware they are exceeding the limits of their normal home contents insurance cover.

While 75% of UK households have home contents insurance, only 7.53% of policies across the market offer unlimited sum cover for the contents of homes. M&S Home Insurance gives unlimited cover so policyholders can relax knowing that they will never be underinsured, no matter what the value of the presents stored at home.

David Wells, M&S Head of Insurance, said: “At Christmas it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of the season and forget about home security. However, we all know there are criminals who see this time of the year as providing them with rich pickings.

“Householders can take practical measures to deter burglars and protect their homes by keeping expensive Christmas presents out of view, closing curtains during the long dark December evenings and fitting timers to lights and radios which will create doubt in the burglar’s mind.”

David added: “Christmas should be a fun time of the year. By making sure you have adequate home insurance you can enjoy festivities in the knowledge that the contents of your home are protected should the worst happen.”

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eToro Announces British Trading Challenge Winners

eToro (www.eToro.co.uk), the fastest growing online financial trading platform has announced the winners of its first ever British Trading Challenge held from November 16th to December 1st 2009. Over 1,000 entrants from all walks of life joined the UK competition which invited contestants to learn foreign exchange and commodities trading basics, and gain skill using the practice mode on eToro’s trading platform, while trading with virtual funds. Of the over 1000 entrants, 92% of which were men, the majority classified themselves as novice traders with no prior experience of financial trading.

Sajith Valiyaveetil, a 22 year old MBA student and part-time shop worker from London, clinched first place in the competition achieving a virtual Forex trading profit of £15,500. Commenting on his win, Mr. Valiyaveetil, who takes home £1000 in prize money said: “I discovered Forex while browsing the internet; I was searching for ways to increase my earnings online which wouldn’t get in the way of my studies. I’m amazed to have won the trading challenge on my first try and I really think it shows that anyone can start trading Forex.”

A professional poker player from Morecombe, Lancashire, Andrew Omara, age 43, tied for second place with trading profits of £6,300. A self-confessed ‘gambler at heart’ Andrew considers himself a beginner trader. “Prior to trading with eToro I had absolutely no experience. But I found the eToro platform easy to understand and control. It is very straightforward. I used all of the e-Tutorials which helped get trading Forex in a different perspective.”

Third and fourth places went to Tamas Kalanyos age 35, a computer programmer from Hungary living in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire and now working as a factory worker and Leslie Wilson, a 45 year old property developer from Coventry in the West Midlands. Both consider themselves beginner traders.

Jonathan Assia, eToro CEO says: “We congratulate all who participated in the competition and in particular our top ten ranked traders. Feedback we have received from the contestants confirms that traders whether novice or expert, enjoyed the eToro trading experience and also achieved significant success. This is a testament not only to their newly acquired trading skills, but also the accessibility of our platform in providing educative, informative and highly accessible learning tools to enable anyone to trade the markets.”

About eToro www.etoro.co.uk
eToro is the fastest growing platform for online Forex trading. With more than 1.2M customers and over 2,000 new unique customers registered per day eToro brings financial trading to life with its user-friendly platform and comprehensive toolboxes featuring instructional animations, e-tutorials, analytical tools and real time data feeds combine to facilitate financial trading for everyone from absolute beginner to expert trader.

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Spend Carefully over Christmas

During tough economic times with rising levels of personal insolvency, one UK website is offering consumers reliable, factual and helpful money advice.

Personal Finance weblog MoneyStand.co.uk has been providing information and opinions on personal finance since January 2008. The blog was created for UK consumers facing common financial issues wanting honest, up front information with no hidden agendas. The website will be launching a series of articles on seasonal spending this Friday to help consumers spend less over the festive season and start sensible budgeting.

According to a report released by government body The Insolvency Service at the start of November, personal insolvencies have risen by 28.8 percent in the past year. This figure consisted of consumers who had opted for bankruptcy, IVA or a Debt Relief Order to overcome their debt problems. Although the increase in individuals seeking personal insolvencies may be attributed to a rise in unemployment, MoneyStand.co.uk estimates that this figure will continue to rise during 2010 following excessive spending over the festive season.

Founder Matt Spencer said, “Along with Christmas and seasonal celebrations comes a heavy expense. Thousands of families across the United Kingdom will find themselves with obscene credit card bills during January and face the difficult question of how to pay it back and get out of debt.”

“We have seen a massive increase of personal insolvencies since the economic downturn and estimate the further financial pressure that Christmas brings will be the ‘final straw’ for many people already struggling with debt without careful budgeting. We urge consumers to spend carefully over the holiday season.”

MoneyStand.co.uk is a resource for anyone in the United Kingdom wanting to learn more about debt solutions such as IVA (Individual Voluntary Arrangements), bankruptcy, debt relief orders, debt management plans and consolidation loans. The weblog also focuses on debit and credit cards, budgeting and saving. In addition to as becoming a valuable source for information, the website offers practical advice on small changes consumers can make in their everyday life to make the most of their financial situation.

As well as providing information on debt solutions like IVAs and debt management, the authors share their own personal experiences with money, such as problems with banks and opinions on finance news.“MoneyStand is a financial hub for anyone in the United Kingdom who wants practical advice on managing finances and debt problems without the jargon.” Matt Spencer explained. “All articles are written by people with extensive knowledge on personal finance and all facts are taken from government websites so you can be sure the information is accurate and up-to-date.”

Since the beginning of the financial crisis, the website has noticed an increased amount of consumers seeking sensible financial advice in easy to comprehend terminology. During this time the website has committed to providing consumers the latest information on topical personal finance issues.

The website will be launching the new series of articles this Friday on helping people in the United Kingdom avoid overspending during the Festive Season.

For the latest news and advice on IVA, debt and insolvency visit our personal finance blog, http://www.moneystand.co.uk.

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M&S Money Encourage World Cup Travellers To Keep Track Of Currency Rates

M&S Money has advised football fans heading to South Africa for the World Cup in 2010 to keep track of currency rates rather than wait until next summer to purchase their spending money. Supporters will be paying thousands of pounds on flights, hotels and match tickets, and will want to get the most for their money when buying South African currency – the rand.

Figures from M&S Travel Money show that the rand rate has fluctuated against sterling by as much as 3.3 rand per pound during the past year. In October travellers could get 11.39 rand per pounds, compared to 14.69 rand last December.

With no way of predicting what the rate will be next summer, British football fans should keep track of the rand rate over the coming months.

James Yerkess, Head of M&S Travel Money, said: “England football fans will be looking forward to following the team in South Africa and will be spending a lot of money to make sure it is the trip of a lifetime.

“Fans would be wise to start thinking now about how and when they are going to purchase their foreign currency. Those who buy all their currency in one go next summer could find that the rand rate is particularly strong against sterling.”

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Saxo Bank To Acquire E*TRADE’s Nordic Business

Saxo Bank, the specialist in online trading and investment, has announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire E*TRADE International’s local Nordic online trading business and online bank from E*TRADE Nordic AB, an indirect subsidiary of US-based financial services company E*TRADE FINANCIAL Corporation. The Nordic business includes client accounts in Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden, and Norway.

This strategic move continues Saxo Bank’s steady expansion over the last few months and further cements Saxo Bank’s position in the Scandinavian marketplace.

The acquisition of one of Scandinavia’s established online bank and brokerages is a further step by Saxo Bank towards offering more saving and investment products to investors. Following this latest acquisition, Saxo Bank will be able to offer pension products as well as stock and margin accounts, bond offerings and, in the future, a Funds Supermarket. Moreover, Saxo Bank’s AUM will increase by more than DKK 5.0bn and the acquisition adds an additional 50,000 active accounts.

In a joint statement, Kim Fournais and Lars Seier Christensen, Co-CEOs and co-founders of Saxo Bank, said: “This acquisition supports our long term expansion strategy and broadens our product offering on the SaxoTrader platform. In addition, the expanded client base will enable us to further improve our services to both existing and new clients through improved efficiency and scale.”

Following the acquisition, E*TRADE Nordic’s existing local clients will continue to receive the same service and offering to which they have become accustomed. In addition, E*TRADE Nordic’s local clients will benefit from the additional trading opportunities that they will find on the Saxo Bank platforms, including futures trade. Similarly, Saxo Bank’s existing and future clients will now have the opportunity to save for their pension through Saxo Bank, as well as trade Bonds and hold margin accounts.

Fournais and Seier Christensen added: “The acquisition of E*TRADE International’s local Nordic business will strengthen our growth opportunities and market position in Scandinavia. In the past 10 years, E*TRADE International has become a well regarded online trading and investment brand across Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The combination of E*TRADE Nordic’s local business and Saxo Bank’s brand is powerful and it strengthens our position in the long term investment market. Saxo Bank is looking forward to being able to offer E*TRADE Nordic’s products and services to our client base and vice versa.”

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Saxo Bank Offers New Guide To Global Economic Indicators

Saxo Bank’s strategy team has gathered together the most important of its macroeconomic forecasts into a new monthly publication that can be downloaded for free from the Trading Floor website.

Saxo Bank Offers New Guide To Global Economic Indicators

The new Macro Forecast publication is based on the results of Saxo Bank’s comprehensive macroeconomic models and is released on the first working day of every month. The publication will give the most important economic indicators for the US, Eurozone and Japan.

“The US gets the most attention in line with its position as the most important world economy with more than 20 quarterly and monthly indicators. The most important indicators from Europe and Japan will be covered initially, with more depth added with time as the publication grows,” said David Karsbøl, Chief Economist at Saxo Bank.

The Macro Forecast has been designed to be easy to read and navigate. Each country has a table giving the consensus forecast, Saxo Bank’s forecast, the previous level, percentage change and release date.

“The Macro Forecast isn’t meant to provide trading triggers,” added Saxo Bank Market Strategist Mads Koefoed, who has been responsible for developing the model. “The publication is more a signpost to the general economy and makes the strategy teams views on the development of the economy easier to follow on a regular basis.”

Tradingfloor.com has been running since May 2009 and features expert commentary starting every morning with The Daily Trading Stance that Saxo Bank’s strategists distribute to clients giving a rundown of the main themes of the day in Forex trading, equities, FX options and CFD trading.

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LV Launch New Website For Advisors

LV=, the leading retirement solutions and protection provider, has launched a new website for advisors. The new site brings all elements of previous web offerings for advisers from LV= together in one place, with various added benefits and services.

Among the additions to the new LV= advisor website is access to the full range of award-winning LV= products without having to log-in, with log-in only required for product quotes and applications. The log in process itself has also been simplified on the new site, with users having the option to use Unipass for further online security.

Users visiting the new site will also enjoy improved site navigation and the opportunity to download a range of product toolkits and support materials. Advisers can apply online to LV= for terms of business.

Justin Harper, Head of Adviser Marketing at LV=, said: “We are delighted to announce the launch of our new adviser website. It was designed with one goal in mind – to make it as easy as possible for advisers to access information about LV= products and then transact business with us quickly and efficiently.

“Virtually all the information advisers need is just a couple of clicks away, so they can get the support they need with no hassle. A simplified log-in process, or the ability to use Unipass, means that getting quotes and submitting product applications is easier than ever.

“We are always looking at ways to improve the service we give to advisers and our new website is just one step along the way. Watch this space for further developments.”

About LV=
LV= is a registered trademark of Liverpool Victoria Friendly Society Limited (LVFS) and a trading style of the Liverpool Victoria group of companies.

LV= employs more than 3,800 people, serves over 3.6m customers and members, and manages around £7bn on their behalf. We are also the UK’s largest friendly society and a leading mutual financial services provider, supplying retirement solutions and many other award winning LV= products.

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Top Self Directed IRA Firm And Leading Precious Metals Broker Pair Up To Provide Investors With Alternatives

The New Mexico based self directed IRA firm Sunwest Trust (www.SunwestTrust.com) announced today that they have reached an arrangement with Republic Monetary Exchange (www.RepublicMonetary.com), a leading precious metals broker based in Phoenix, Arizona. Under their arrangement, Sunwest Trust will provide exclusive self directed IRA custodian services for Republic’s client investment accounts, described by Jim Clark, CEO of Republic Monetary Exchange as a “win-win situation for our clients”.

For Sunwest, this partnership represents an extension of the firm’s IRA custodial and escrow services to the precious metals market, a move likely to be adopted by an increasing number of firms in the financial services sector.

“Consumers are becoming interested in investment vehicles which are less vulnerable to the ups and downs of the stock market. We’re seeing a lot of new IRA accounts at Sunwest from clients who want to purchase gold and other precious metals inside their IRA portfolios. Until 2007 it was primarily real estate, but now we’re starting to see an increase in the number of gold or precious metal backed accounts,” said Terry White, CEO of Sunwest Trust.

With a growing concern among the public about the possibility of inflationary pressures driving down the value of their IRA accounts and other investments, the number of consumers choosing to invest in gold, silver and other precious metals has been steadily increasing over the past few years, with brokers like Republic Monetary Exchange gaining market share in the financial services sector rapidly.

The relative stability of gold and other precious metals makes them an especially popular investment in a sluggish economy, especially when compared to traditional stock and securities investments. Given the uncertain economic outlook for at least the next few quarters, Sunwest Trust Inc. and Republic’s new relationship looks to be one, which is certain to attract investors looking for stable retirement investment vehicles such as the self directed IRA or a gold-backed IRA account.

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