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Investment

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Wealth Managers – Reasons to Own Gold Bullion

Gold is undervalued. Why? The main reason is inflation. Rising prices eat away at your income and purchasing power whether you know it or not. Gold that sold for $850 per ounce in 1980 would be worth approximately $4,000 to $5,000 today when you adjust for inflation. So Gold today is a steal by historical standards. Another way to determine the real value of Gold is to compare it to the stock market. In October of 2007, Gold was selling for roughly $750 an ounce. Meanwhile, the Dow Jones Industrial Average soared to approximately 14,000. Do the math. This means you needed 18.66 ounces of Gold to buy the Dow. Now fast forward to the present. If Gold sells for about $1600 an ounce while the Dow trades around 13,000, then it only costs 8.12 ounces of Gold to buy the Dow. It’s just one more reason why Gold is cheap by historical standards — and why Gold will continue to rise.

Gold is a life preserver for investors when prices rise and currencies decline as well as during periods of economic crisis. With the United States and other nations now printing money to spend their way out of recession, conditions are ripe for rising inflation and a declining dollar. That’s why more and more investors are going with Gold to protect and grow their wealth.

Demand for Gold is growing. It’s not only because smart investors are turning to it as the best way to protect and grow their wealth. There are many other reasons as well. Demand for Gold is also rising because millions of people in China and India are buying Gold as they join the ranks of the middle class at an unprecedented rate. Meanwhile, many central banks are buying Gold as a way of reducing their exposure to a declining U.S. dollar. That’s what’s happening on the demand side. Now consider supply. Gold mines can’t dig enough of the stuff out of the ground to keep up with rising demand. It’s Economics 101. It’s supply and demand. The conditions are now in place for Gold to spike.

Wel believe gold should be considered as an investment for the clients of wealth managers. Richard W. Davey Organization is a consulting firm that helps wealth managers of financial institutions purchase gold bullion on behalf of their clients.

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Watch out for Fake Gold Bullion Bars

When you buy gold bullion bars these days you expect the metal to be pure gold but recently fake bars are being sold around the world and one of them was detected in the U.K. filled with tungsten. Detecting fake gold bullion is important to ensure that you retain the value of your gold bars.

When you purchase gold bars you expect them to be real gold bars, not fake. Fake gold bullion bars are those which have had the gold drilled out of them and the gold replaced by tungsten. Tungsten is a similar weight to gold and so the difference is not easily detected at once. But if you weight the bar there can be enough of a difference to warrant further inspection.

Many of these ‘gold’ bars can be in existence undetected as it is rare that anyone actually tests every individual gold bar they have. So when you buy gold make sure your product is pure gold and not fake. You can check for tungsten in the gold bars by melting them down and separating the different metals. Each metal melts at a different temperature so for example tungsten melts at a higher temperature than gold. This can be an expensive project.

Another way to detect fake gold bars is to weight them but the different weight between tungsten and gold is very hard to detect.

Here the ultrasonic instrument is coming to your rescue. It shows you whether the big gold bar has metal of consistent characteristics(pure gold). Or if it has a void area with tungsten buried below some millimeters of fine gold. Testing small bars, even if they are sealed in plastic foil (less than 0.5 mm thick) takes only a few seconds.

Finally, when you are buying gold bars make sure you are dealing with a reputable dealer and if you are buying large quantities of bars check them with an ultrasonic instrument.

Via EPR Network
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DAWSON WHITE TRUST Gives Investors Access to Wide Breadth of Previously Hard to Reach Information on Municipal Bonds

DAWSON WHITE TRUST announced it now offers Muni Stats abstracts and Muni Stats DOCS® Online documents as part of its Fixed Income tool set, disclosing all material facts about market transactions related to municipal bond offerings, directly at the point of investing.

Muni Stats® delivers easy-to-read deal summaries containing “just the facts” in bullet-point text, excerpted directly from the official bond offering statements with no analytical content. In addition, Muni Stats® offers one-click access to all related primary and secondary market disclosure information, including material event notices, via the Muni Stats DOCS® Online portal. Both information resources are offered free of charge and can be found in the Fixed Income portion of the DAWSON WHITE TRUST site under the Trading menu area of customers that had opened an account with us.

“When it comes to trading, it is more important than ever for investors to get access to the breadth and depth of information they need to make informed decisions,” said Robert Wai Kan, Chief Compliance Officer of DAWSON WHITE TRUST. “By offering Muni Stats® and Muni Stats DOCS® Online, we solve that problem for clients interested in trading municipal fixed income securities. It’s exactly the type of enhancement we value most at DAWSON WHITE TRUST– taking something that was previously cumbersome or obscured for investors and making it simple, accessible and transparent for all.”

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Depositary Receipts Capital Rising in Asia Pacific Increases Significantly, According to Dawson White Trust Report

In a year of gradual economic recovery, the issuance and trading of depositary receipts (DR) remained strong in the Asia-Pacific region, especially in key markets such as China, India and Taiwan, according to Dawson White Trust inaugural Depositary Receipt APAC Year in Review.

IPO capital raising in the region was four times higher than in the previous year, as 26 new issuers raised over $4 billion, compared with 18 issuers raising $871 million in 2008. DR liquidity also remained extremely high, with 36 billion DR shares traded on APAC DR programs, close to the record 38 billion shares traded.

“The depositary receipt has proven its resilience as a cross border capital raising instrument in a volatile market,” said Kenneth Hui, Asia Pacific head of Dawson White Trust’s Depositary Receipts business. “As the global financial crisis subsides, the depositary receipt will play an even bigger role as a capital raising tool in funding the growth of the emerging APAC economies.”

Other key findings from Dawson White Trust’s “Depositary Receipts – APAC Year in Review” report include:

• 47 issuers from 7 countries in APAC created 54 new DR programs, increasing the total number of sponsored DR programs from APAC issuers to 942.
• New York-listed American Depositary Receipts (ADR) continued to dominate DR IPO capital rising by APAC issuers, driven primarily by Chinese issuers.
• Secondary offerings were an important source of capital for issuers from the region: 21 existing issuers from APAC raised $5.2 billion in the U.S., Europe and Asia through follow-ons
• As relations between Mainland China and Taiwan improved, four new issuers from Hong Kong listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange in the form of Taiwan Depositary Receipts (TDR).

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Dawson White Trust Announces Changes to the Compensation Program

Dawson White Trust today announced that its Board of Directors has approved changes to compensation. They include the following:

• Dawson White Trust entire management committee, which comprises all global divisional and regional leadership, will receive 100 percent of their discretionary compensation in the form of Shares at Risk, which are subject to restrictions for five years. Discretionary compensation represents the vast majority of senior management’s compensation and is directly tied to the firm’s overall performance.

• Shares at Risk cannot be sold for five years, in addition to other restrictions.

• The five-year holding period on Shares at Risk includes an enhanced recapture provision that will permit the firm to recapture the shares in cases where the employee engaged in materially improper risk analysis or failed sufficiently to raise concerns about risks. Enhancing our recapture provision is intended to ensure that our employees are accountable for the future impact of their decisions, to reinforce the importance of risk controls to the firm and to make clear that our compensation practices do not reward taking excessive risk.

• The enhanced recapture rights build off an existing claw back mechanism which goes well beyond employee acts of fraud or malfeasance and includes any conduct that is detrimental to the firm, including conduct resulting in a material restatement of the financial statements or material financial harm to the firm or one of its business units.

• Shareholders will have an advisory vote on the firm’s compensation principles and the compensation of its named executive officers at the firm’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders.

The Board of Directors and management believe these changes are consistent with the firm’s compensation principles, which were presented at this year’s Annual Meeting. Going forward, we continue to be focused on refining and improving our compensation practices. The principles underlying effective compensation practices include linking compensation to multi-year performance, aligning compensation with the long-term interests of the firm and its shareholders, and ensuring that compensation incentives are formulated so that they serve as a tool to attract, retain and motivate talent, without encouraging excessive risk-taking.

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Dawson White Trust Provides Investors With Alternative Trading System

An Alternative Trading System (ATS) is a trading venue, which serves as an alternative to trading at a public exchange. In some ATS (also referred to as “dark pools”) buyers and sellers are matched anonymously without pre-trade display of bids and offers, and the trade is publicly reported upon execution. It is important to note that the basic function of a broker-operated ATS is an electronic manifestation of a previously manual trading process, when trading desks would first try to execute trades internally before sending the order to a public exchange. Industry reporting estimates total “dark pool” volume to be less than 10% of all stock market transactions. The vast majority of trades still occur at exchanges and ECNs.

ATS` are affiliated with registered broker-dealers and accordingly, their activities are governed by the same rules and regulations that govern broker-dealer activities generally.

Dawson White Trustsupports regulation that enhances post-trade reporting transparency for ATS`. As a first step in the effort to support enhanced public information on ATS trading activity, Dawson White TrustExecution and & Clearing, recently adopted a standardized method for counting executed trades in its ATS.

Non-displayed or “dark” orders and related trading activity are part of the price discovery process. When seeking best execution of their orders, market participants use trading tools that shift between providing displayed and non-displayed quotes, balancing the benefits of displaying a quote to achieve an execution versus not displaying a quote in an attempt to reduce market impact and potentially obtain price or size improvement on their order. All Dawson White Trust ATS trades “print” real-time to a trade reporting facility. This publicly available “time and sales” data is an integral component of price discovery, and ATS trading contributes to this in the same manner that public exchanges do.

ATS` have led to increased innovation and competition. Increased competition among trading venues has led to a broad reduction in explicit trading costs for both institutional and individual investors. For example, retail brokerages take advantage of the lower transaction fees offered by ATS` to provide low trading commission fees to their customers.

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Bank Cainvest Approved for Listing on Cayman Islands Stock Exchange, Symbol CIB

Cainvest International Bank Ltd.(“Cainvest”) is pleased to announce that the Cayman Islands Stock Exchange has approved Bank Cainvest for listing on the Cayman Islands Stock Exchange(“CSX”) under the symbol “CIB”.

“Following the extensive marketing initiative of the Ministry of Finance in Brazil we are pleased to welcome Cainvest International Bank Ltd. to the Cayman Islands and to the CSX family of listed companies. We are keen now to encourage the listing of growth companies and we wish Cainvest every future success.” said Mr. Anthony Travers, Chaiman of the Cayman Islands Stock Exchange.

“Listing on the CSX is an important milestone in Bank Cainvest’s growth strategy” said Charles Aboulafia, Chief Financial Officer at Bank Cainvest. “Bank Cainvest will adhere to stringent corporate governance procedures, and thereby ensure transparency for shareholders, customers and counterparties. Furthermore, being a listed company increases public awareness in the Company and its products and enhances the status of the Bank.”

Walkers acted as Cayman Islands legal counsel to Bank Cainvest. “We are delighted to have been able to assist Cainvest on this admission to the Cayman Islands Stock Exchange. This represents an exciting opportunity for Cainvest, and we are happy we were able to help.” Ramesh Maharaj, a Partner in the Corporate and Finance group of Walkers, Cayman Islands.

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Banks May Soon Be Able To Buy Gold As Tier 1 Capital

The Basel Committee for Bank Supervision, the maker of global capital requirements and whose Basel III rules form the basis for global bank regulation, is studying making gold a bank capital Tier 1 asset. The purchase of gold may drive up its demand worldwide. In addition, gold should increase the value of the banks total capital.

Goldbullionadvisors.com is a consulting firm which helps the banking industry secure gold bullion from its worldwide suppliers. Most banks will purchase physical gold and retain possession of the bullion in their vaults to enhance its capital.

Under the proposal gold would carry a zero percent risk weighting under tier 1 capital. Gold is coming back into the banking system. We are in a world where currency wars are being fought daily, and as the system continues to collapse under its own weight of paper printing, gold will be the go to asset and possibly the last man standing.

For more information about our firm, please visit www.goldbullionadvisors.com

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Prudential Reports Average Brit To Make A Million By The Age Of 56

New research* from Prudential has revealed that the average UK worker will have earned £1 million by the time they are 56 years, nine months and three weeks old.

However, despite these cumulative earnings, fewer than two in five (37 per cent) of those expecting to retire this year have saved enough to secure a comfortable retirement.

Prudential’s analysis of average incomes shows that becoming a millionaire before tax is well within most men’s grasp, as long as they start work at 18 and then earn the average income for their age bracket through to age 65.

A man on an average income can expect to be an income millionaire when he is 50 years, six months and two weeks old. However, women will find it harder than men to make the magic million, reaching the milestone at 72 years, four months and three weeks – 22 years after their male counterparts.

Of course, this £1 million will be earned before tax which means that the average worker will have also paid £137,101 in income tax and £84,129 in national insurance.

The good news is that if someone contributes to a personal pension throughout their working life, they can benefit from significant tax relief. An individual who pays £100 per month personally into a pension over a 40 year working lifetime could receive additional tax relief of at least £12,000.

Vince Smith-Hughes, retirement expert at Prudential, said: “We might think that making a million is a pipedream, but it will become a reality for those who earn an average salary throughout their working lives, especially if they are men.

“Looking at cumulative earnings in this light helps us to understand how much we could potentially save for our retirement. Of course, ongoing financial pressures and priorities means that it is not always that easy, but it remains the case that the earlier you save and the more you save, the better retirement income you will have.

“Pensions remain highly efficient tax saving vehicles which can help savers to claw-back some of the tax that they have paid over the years.”

The analysis shows that if the average person works until the age of 65, their career earnings before tax will be £1,217,604. If they keep going to 70, then earnings will hit £1,322,009.

Prudential’s figures show that average earnings for UK workers peak at £31,328, in their forties. Average earnings for men hit a high of £40,652, while for women the peak is £21,758.

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Standard Life Launches Auto-Enrolment Toolkit

Standard Life has launched a toolkit aimed at helping employers and advisers plan for the introduction of auto-enrolment and identify the potential cost impact.

Ann Flynn, Head of Corporate Marketing, Standard Life said: “From our research and discussions with employers it is clear that many are scratching their heads as to how to tackle the implementation of auto-enrolment. They’re not entirely sure of the steps they need to take to meet their responsibilities, how much work is involved and importantly, how it will impact their bottom line.

“We have therefore developed a dedicated corporate benefits website which hosts a range of tools, news and videos to support employers and advisers through auto-enrolment and beyond.”

The toolkit includes; Pension Reform Pathfinder tool: An in depth planning tool which will help employers and advisers build up a personalised plan of duties and help establish a scheme to fit their requirements, and comply with auto-enrolment regulation.

Pension Reform Cost calculator: The pension reform cost calculator will help employers and advisers understand the potential cost of auto-enrolment by:
– Checking if a current scheme meets the requirements to satisfy the legislation
– Identifying the estimated ongoing costs of meeting legislation requirements
– Showing how the costs can be implemented gradually over time
– Demonstrating how costs could be reduced by providing the option for employees to pay through salary exchange.

Employer checklist: Gives employers an overview of the key tasks they must carry out in order to fulfil their new duties.

Data exchange guides: The guides will help employers navigate their way through their new duties and understand the impact on their current processes and systems.

Member communications timeline: The timeline gives a clear view of the mandatory member communications that pension reform legislation requires. It shows:
– The timeline – what communications need to be issued and when
– The regulations – which communications are mandatory and which are ‘recommended’
– The ownership – which communications must be sent by the employer
– The member categories – what type of information needs to be communicated to each category of employees.

Pension Reform information for employees: A dedicated pension reform website page, aimed at educating employees, has also been created on www.standardlife.co.uk to inform employees about the changes. The site covers everything they need to know, from why pension reform is happening to what to do if they don’t want to join their company pension scheme. There is also a short video which summarises pension reform and auto-enrolment.

Flynn added: “The cost and infrastructure impact will be a major concern for most businesses so these tools will help form the basis of discussions between advisers, HR teams and Finance Directors.

“With so many employers’ staging dates falling in 2013 and 2014, it is crucial that providers support employers and their advisers to help make the transition as painless as possible. Our message to all employers is the sooner you start your planning the better.”

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Prudential Reveals Women Set To Retire On £5750 Less Than Men

New research from Prudential has revealed that women retiring in 2012 expect their annual retirement income to be a third lower than that of their male counterparts, adding up to a gender gap of £5,750.

Prudential’s Class of 2012 study into the finances and expectations of those planning to retire this year finds that the average woman expects an annual income of £12,250 from their retirement pension, compared with an average expected income of £18,000 for men.

The study shows that the gender gap has fallen from last year’s £6,500, and has narrowed steadily since Prudential first measured a gap of £6,642 in 2009. The fall this year can be mainly attributed to a reduction in men’s expected incomes. However, the gap remains significant.

Prudential’s study found that the average amount that men and women expect to retire on in 2012 fell to a five-year low of £15,500 including private, company and State pension, compared with £16,600 in 2011.

Stan Russell, Prudential’s retirement income expert, said: “The Pension Gender Gap appears to be narrowing, but there is still a long way to go. Not only does the gap remain stubbornly wide, but anticipated retirement incomes have this year hit a five year low for both men and women.

“The practical steps that women can take to improve their retirement income prospects include maintaining pension contributions during career breaks and, if possible, making voluntary National Insurance contributions after returning to work.

“It is imperative for anyone looking to secure a sufficient income when they retire to begin saving as much as they can, as early as they can, and to do so regularly through life. For those who are still working, it has never been a more important time to save into a pension.”

The Prudential study also found that nearly half (49 per cent) of women believe they will not have enough income for a comfortable retirement, compared with 40 per cent of men.

The retirement gender gap is widest in the South East, where women retiring this year expect to have £7,878 less income a year on average than men – £12,259 compared with £20,137.

The gender gap is narrowest in the North West, with women in the region retiring on an average of £13,087 a year, compared with £15,632 for men – a difference of £2,545.

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STANLEY-CLIFFORD Dynamic Allocation Fund Risk Considerations

After the release of the Dynamic Allocation Fund Risk Considerations the board of STANLEY-CLIFFORD is releasing the following considerations.

STANLEY-CLIFFORD Funds, the mutual fund family of STANLEY-CLIFFORD, offers individual and institutional investors a wide range of long-term investment choices among over 80 financial instruments, fixed income, money market and hybrid funds. The family’s global line of offerings provides both core and satellite investments across different asset classes, investment styles, investment approaches and geographical regions.

The STANLEY-CLIFORD Fund invests primarily in exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), futures, swaps and other derivatives that provide exposure to a broad spectrum of asset classes, including but not limited to equity options (both in Asian and non Asian companies), fixed income, investment grade and high yield commodities.

Derivative instruments may involve a high degree of financial risk. These risks include the risk that a small movement in the price of the underlying derivative or benchmark may result in a disproportionately large movement, unfavorable or favorable, in the price of the derivative instrument; risk of default by a counterparty; and liquidity risk. The STANLEY-CLIFFORD Fund’s equity investments are subject to market risk, which means that the value of its investments may go up or down in response to the prospects of individual companies, particular industry sectors and/or general economic conditions.

The STANLEY-CLIFFORD`S Fund’s fixed income investments are subject to the risks associated with derivatives generally, including credit, liquidity and interest rate risk. High yield, lower rated derivatives involve greater price volatility and present greater risks than higher rated fixed income futures. The STANLEY-CLIFFORD Fund is subject to the risk that exposure to the commodities markets may subject the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional investment vehicles.

The STANLEY-CLIFFORD Fund may also invest in foreign market derivatives, including emerging markets futures, which may be more volatile and less liquid than investments in traditional Asian markets and are subject to the risks of currency fluctuations and sudden economic or political developments. The Fund is non-diversified and may invest more of its assets in fewer issuers than diversified funds. Accordingly, the STANLEY-CLIFFORD Fund may be more susceptible to adverse developments affecting any single issuer held in its portfolio and to greater losses resulting from these developments.

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The Royal Mint Commemorates 60 Years of The Queen’s Reign

The Royal Mint has revealed two Proof quality UK five-ounce coins to celebrate the momentous occasion of The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

Following on from the success of the Alderney issue five-ounce coins created for the Royal Wedding last year, The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee five-ounce will be issued on a UK coin and looks set to sell out as it appeals to collectors who want a unique piece of Diamond Jubilee memorabilia to treasure forever.

The gold five-ounce coin, priced at £9,500, contains five ounces of fine gold and only 250 will be struck. In addition to the gold five-ounce coin, a silver five-ounce coin has also been created, priced at £450, and only 1,952 will be minted in honour of the year The Queen took to the throne.

Created by Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS, the reverse design of the five-ounce coin depicts a majestic image of Her Majesty The Queen enthroned. Inspired largely by the Great Seals of both Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II, the enthroned effigy of The Queen is a very important image, conveying a deeply meaningful sense of stability.

The Queen wears the Royal Diadem and is draped in luxurious robes, the extravagant folds and ornate sculptural detail suggests enormous grace and dignity. The Diamond Jubilee anniversary dates of 1952 – 2012 are shown in Roman numerals and are accompanied by the Latin inscription DILECTA REGNO – ‘I reign beloved’.

The obverse of the five-ounce coins feature the Diamond Jubilee portrait of Her Majesty the Queen also by Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS, created especially for and exclusive to all 2012 Diamond Jubilee UK coins struck by The Royal Mint.

Commenting on his design, Ian Rank-Broadley said: “I did look at the Great Seals of various monarchs and wanted to give a new dimension to that image, to produce something that will have a special significance for the nation and possibly worldwide.”

The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee UK Five-Ounce Gold Coin is housed in a high-gloss wood-veneer presentation case. The Diamond Jubilee UK Five-Ounce Silver Coin is presented in a faux leather case and both come with an illustrated booklet and a numbered Certificate of Authenticity. Both are available now from The Royal Mint’s website www.royalmint.com.

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Standard Life Reveals Most Parents Feel Financially Supporting Their Grown Up Children Is ‘Their Duty’

According to Standard Life research, over half of parents feel it is “their duty as a parent” to financially support their grown up children.

A third of parents worry that without financial help their children would suffer and not achieve their full potential. 37% of parents recognise the impact that the current economy is having on their children’s financial status while a third of parents expect to have to financially support not just their children but also any grandchildren.

Parents are expected to help pay for a variety of amenities; 38% expect to help foot the wedding bill, the most significant cost, with university fees second. More than one in three parents pay university fees or expect to do so, whilst a third of parents are paying towards university accommodation. 34% pay towards their child’s car or expect to do so and a quarter will be likely to pay towards a deposit for a first home. Even a quarter are expected to help with mortgage and credit card debts.

Julie Russell, Head of Customer Relationships at Standard Life, commented: “The economic downturn and price increases have left many parents expecting to have to financially support their children into adulthood. The only way to achieve this is through careful financial planning, so that the financial sacrifices parents make for their grown up children are not to the significant detriment of their own long term plans. Parents need to make sure their money works as hard for them as they are working for their children. That means being efficient with their savings and making the most of tax breaks offered by products like ISAs and pensions.”

Pensions are a tax efficient way for parents to save, with every £4 a person contributes, the government effectively contributes £1 as it rebates the income tax on contributions*. For those who are in a workplace scheme, their employer is likely to be topping up the contributions too.

ISAs help to build up a tax free cash lump sum which can be used to pay for a child’s wedding or to fund university fees. Parents can invest up to half of the annual ISA allowance and earmark that to help themselves and their children with more immediate costs. They can also consider investing the remainder of their allowance in a stocks and shares ISA which has the potential of greater tax efficient growth over the longer term to help with larger future costs.

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Prudential Reveals Pensioners Fail To Count The Cost Of Ill-Health In Retirement

Prudential has revealed new research which shows that despite the ongoing debate about the need to fund long-term care for the elderly, only one in five people planning to retire this year have made financial provision for ill-health in retirement.

Prudential’s ‘Class of 2012’ study into the finances and expectations of those planning to retire this year shows that just 20 per cent have set money aside for any care needs. This drops to 16 per cent among those aged 65 plus.

Prudential’s research also found that less than half (45 per cent) of this year’s retirees have planned for the fact that they may need more income in retirement as they get older.

However, funding long-term care has never been more important. Although average life expectancy for men over the age of 65 is 17.6 years, and 20.2 years for women, healthy life expectancy is just 9.9 years for men and 11.5 years for women.

Vince Smith-Hughes, retirement expert at Prudential, said: “People retiring this year realise that living longer may mean they will need a higher income as they get older, but few of them have made the connection between the risk of ill-health, and needing money to pay for healthcare.

“Although life expectancy is increasing, healthy life expectancy is flat-lining. With the average person now working until they are aged 63.4, people are enjoying fewer healthy years in retirement.

“Spending the first few years of retirement trekking in the Andes and running around after grandchildren may be a reality for some, but it is important not to forget that health will worsen as pensioners get older.

“Making financial provision for the possibility of ill-health in retirement should be an integral part of the retirement planning process.”

Across the country, those planning to retire this year in Wales are the most likely to have prepared for the risk of ill-health in retirement (32 per cent), while those in the East of England (7 per cent) are the least prepared.

The Government is currently considering recommendations from the Dilnot Commission on the Funding of Care and Support which, in July 2011, proposed that an individual’s contribution to social care should be capped at £35,000, with any additional costs funded by the State.

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Vebnet Reports J.P. Morgan In Its Element With Take Up Of Re-Branded Employees Benefits Scheme

J.P. Morgan, advised by Vebnet, has just announced impressive results from the recent re-brand and re-launch of their employee benefits scheme. Enrolment first opened in February 2012 and within the first three weeks over two-thirds (66%) of staff had made active benefit choices, an increase of 26% on the previous year.

J.P. Morgan employs around 13,500 staff in the UK and before the re-launch had significant challenges communicating the benefits package they were providing their UK employees.

Adam Brooke, Vice-President of Employee Benefits, J.P. Morgan said: “Information about many of the benefits on offer to employees, including core benefits, was scattered across a confusing array of different company websites. This meant that employees were often not even aware of what benefits they had.

“Employees were not proactively engaged with their benefits so they, and the company, were missing out on valuable benefits and tax savings. We needed to go back to basics and develop an innovative approach to communicating and explaining our benefits.”

J.P. Morgan started working with Vebnet in September 2011 to develop a new brand, look and feel for the company’s reward package. The two teams developed a new website that pulled all the information in to once place and re-named the scheme ‘Elements’.

Pat Appleby, Senior Communications Consultant, Vebnet commented: “With the new brand, we wanted to convey the fact that the reward package as a whole is greater than the sum of its individual parts so in ‘Elements’ we have the ideal name.”

Elements opened for enrolment in February this year and while 66% have made active choices 77% of staff have logged on to the website.

Adam Brooke added: “The fact that over three quarters of employees have logged onto the site at least once, if not necessarily to make active changes, instantly gives staff a better awareness of the total value of all their benefits – from core benefits and pensions to flex.

“And this isn’t a one-off project; we’re using the website to publicise wellness seminars and improve information about pensions: initiatives that will bring traffic to the site throughout the year, beyond enrolment.

“Next year we’ll be looking to add a big new benefit or two to the scheme, but so far I’m very proud of what it’s achieved.”

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The Royal Mint reveals Britannia 25th anniversary sets for 2012

The Royal Mint has announced that it will reprise Philip Nathan’s original 1987 depiction of the British icon on the Gold and Silver Proof coins for 2012, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Britannia commemorative coin. To mark the milestone The Royal Mint has also created two very special sets that will feature all nine of the Britannia coins launched since 1987 available together for the first time.

Since her first appearance on English coins in the seventeenth century, Britannia has grown to become a powerful emblem, personifying the spirit of Great Britain. Her elevation to gold coinage came in 1987 and still today she adorns the high value coins of the realm. During the last 25 years nine different renditions of this most British of female figures have graced Britannia coins.

Designed by Philip Nathan, the 1987 portrait depicts Britannia as a standing figure in a classical, flowing gown, armed with her trident and shield and wearing a Corinthian helmet. This famed design has been chosen for 2012 to celebrate Her Majesty the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and is complemented by the current portrait of The Queen by Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS on the obverse. All coins within the range feature the crenellated edge particular to Britannia coins.

Britannia’s first appearance on English coinage was on copper coins issued during the reign of Charles II. Since this time, Britannia has become an increasingly important symbol, her image becoming synonymous with national pride, unification and celebration.

Commenting on the 2012 Britannia design, Dr Kevin Clancy, Director of The Royal Mint Museum said: “Philip Nathan’s design captures Britannia in her full splendour and is itself a triumph of numismatic art. It draws its inspiration from a strongly maritime approach, Britannia windswept on a cliff-top, the very essence of authority and elegance. In such a momentous year for Britain it is entirely fitting for the coinage to be graced with an acknowledged masterpiece.”

The 2012 UK Britannia Gold Proof range includes a Tenth-Ounce Coin, a Quarter-Ounce Coin, a Three-Coin Set and a Four-Coin Set. The 2012 UK Britannia Silver Proof range includes a Brilliant Uncirculated One Ounce Coin, a Proof quality One Ounce Coin and a Four-Coin Set.

In addition to the Gold and Silver Proof coins now available within the 2012 Britannia range, The Royal Mint has created a very unique 25th anniversary set, in both silver and gold Proof, which includes all nine designs of Britannia struck as half-ounce coins and dated 2012. This landmark collection includes a special 25th anniversary booklet and Certificate of Authenticity. The Gold Nine-Coin Anniversary Collection is available to purchase exclusively via The Royal Mint’s contact centre on 0845 60 88 222. All other coins and sets are available to purchase now from The Royal Mint’s website www.royalmint.com.

Via EPR Network
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Prudential Reveals Two In Five 2012 Retirees Want To Stay In Work

Prudential has revealed that two in five (40 per cent) people planning to retire this year would be happy to work past 65 if they had the chance.

Prudential’s Class of 2012 study, which looks at the finances and expectations of those planning to retire this year, shows that 48 per cent of men and 32 per cent of women would be happy to continue working past the standard retirement age.

The main motivation for more than two thirds (68 per cent) of this year’s retirees who want to stay in the workforce past 65, is a desire to remain physically healthy and mentally active, while 39 per cent do not like the idea of retiring and just staying at home. More than half (54 per cent) claim that they enjoy working.

However, despite wanting to stay in work, only 13 per would choose to continue to work full-time with their current employer. Nearly half (49 per cent) of those retirees who want to work past 65 years old would prefer to work part-time, either with their current employer or in a new role, in order to strike a better work life balance.

More than one in 10 (11 per cent) of entrepreneurial retirees would consider starting their own business after the age of 65 or earn money from a hobby in order to keep working. Five per cent would work as charity volunteers.

Recent ONS figures show that average retirement ages are rising, with men now retiring at an average age of 64.6, compared with 63.8 in 2004, and women working until 62.3 years compared with 61.2 previously.

Vince Smith-Hughes, retirement expert at Prudential, said: “There is a new retirement reality taking shape across the UK, with thousands of people actively choosing to work past the traditional retirement age.

“The fact that so many of this year’s retirees would keep working on a part-time basis is a strong indication that, for many, working is as much about staying young at heart as it is about funding retirement.

“Gradual retirement is an increasing trend among pensioners, whether this means remaining in the same job on a flexible basis or even setting up their own business. Those retiring at 65 will face an average of nineteen years in retirement which makes the financial and social benefits of working for longer an even bigger draw for a new generation of industrious retirees.”

Around the country, those planning to retire this year from the East of England were the most keen to stay part of the workforce with 54 per cent saying that they would choose to work past 65 if they had the option. Half (49 per cent) of Londoners and 45 per cent of people in the South East would also like to continue to work.

However, just 29 per cent of Scots planning on retiring this year would be happy to work past 65 if given the choice, along with 30 per cent of retirees in Wales and in Yorkshire and Humberside, and only 21 per cent of those in the North East.

Via EPR Network
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Prudential Reveals Saving Money Is Top Priority For Thrifty Retirees

Prudential has revealed the results of new research which shows the top priority for people intending to retire this year is saving money to ensure they have enough to live on in retirement. Nearly 6 out of 10 people (57 per cent) said saving will be a top priority.

The insurer’s Class of 2012 study, which looks at the finances and expectations of those planning to retire this year, also found that women are more likely than men to prioritise saving during retirement. 62 per cent of women will make this a priority compared with 52 per cent of men.

Although saving money is a key focus, those intending to retire this year are still determined to have a fun-filled retirement. More than a third (36 per cent) say that spending money on travelling the world will be a priority for them, while 43 per cent will make spending money on enjoying themselves a priority.

Giving to charity and spending money on fighting the ageing process are low priorities for this year’s retirees. Fewer than 1 in 20 (4 per cent) image-conscious pensioners say that spending money on anti-ageing treatments will be a priority in retirement, while only slightly more will prioritise giving money to charity (5 per cent).

Vince Smith-Hughes, retirement income expert at Prudential, said: “Today’s retirees are likely to spend longer in retirement than previous generations so it is encouraging to see that they understand the importance of saving money to ensure they can live comfortably. Saving shouldn’t be regarded as something that suddenly stops once you retire, and the current generation of retirees seems to be more aware of this than ever before.

“Saving as much money as possible, from as early an age as possible, is the best way to ensure you can afford a comfortable lifestyle in retirement. Consulting a financial adviser can also be an important step in helping retirees to make the most of their pension pots.

“It’s not only about saving though; many retirees in the Class of 2012 are determined to spend money on enjoying themselves and travelling the world, which seems a fair reward for all their hard work during their working lives.”

Via EPR Network
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Melbourne Options and Futures Exchange (MOFEX) names He Zhengtang as new President

Melbourne Options and Futures Exchange (MOFEX), one of the world’s leaders market place in futures, today announced the appointment of He Zhengtang as President of Melbourne Options and Futures Exchange all operations, effective this month pending the board’s approval. He will be replacing Russell Holland, the legendary MOFEX president expert, who has also been the driving force of MOFEX from the beginning to where it is now, as a global trading market place. Mr. He Zhengtang comes from a very prestigious Singapore corporation where for nearly two decades he was the head of trading for the corporate division.

During this period Mr. He Zhengtang contributed directly to the creation of two joint ventures. “The rapidly evolving futures markets present new and exciting opportunities, and with the experience of He Zhengtang we will be enabling MOFEX to continue its path to success,” said Peter Cole, Chief Executive Officer at Melbourne Options and Futures Exchange.

“An innovator and accomplished individual, He Zhengtang brings with him a multitude of experience in futures markets for MOFEX. Russell Holland has established a successful start and a path for MOFEX during the beginnings of an industry that has faced many challenges. We would like to thank Russell Holland for his exemplary leadership and contributions, and we along with the organization look forward to working with He Zhengtang”, Mr. Peter Cole also stated.

William Cornel, Managing Director for Melbourne Options and Futures Exchange said,“Russell Holland has absolutely done a fine job in the beginnings and the development of MOFEX. He single-handedly brought success to the organization through his personal involvement and catapulting MOFEX towards difficult times, as well as being professional in managing MOFEX during the most difficult times of this markets. MOFEX and I share satisfaction and pleasure with He Zhengtang as a successor for the growth of MOFEX’s operations.”

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