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Painful First Quarter for World Financial Markets

Painful First Quarter for World Financial Markets

This quarter started with huge concern about housing bubble bust followed by subprime crises which all are talking US economy towards a recession. This will be long or short recession only time will tell but impact is getting visible in low consumer confidence and same store sales reports which are falling each month. US government and Federal Reserve is trying their best to pull economy out of this downturn by giving tax concessions and lending money to banks at very low and deferred interest terms. Bear Stearns was biggest causality of this quarter whose stock fell from to in matter of 5 days due to its losses in mortgage backed securities which got severely devalued due to subprime crisis.

Above all events resulted in one of the worst quarters for global stock markets. Dow fell by 20% off its historic high of 14280 to about 11500 and took world markets with it on rollercoaster ride. German DAX fell from 8150 to 6200 a net valuation loss of 24%. Similarly Australian Stock Market also took a dive with valuation depletion in vicinity of 27%. Among all these markets Indian markets took highest hit where benchmark index Nifty plunged 30% from its January highs of 6290 to 4448. Worst performing sector was banking which lost about 42% valuations. Also Nifty Junior and Nifty Midcap humbled by 45% and 43%.

Crude oil prices raise also contributed its part in slowdown fear in world markets. In this quarter crude per barrel increased from to 0 due to one or other events in world and stubbornness of OPEC countries to increase oil production. Rapid industrial growth in India and China is major underlying fundamental factor in imbalance in demand and supply of crude oil. One thing positive is been seen from car sales report that small car sales are rapidly increasing all thanks to their excellent fuel efficiency as a gallon is creating big hole in every ones pocket.

Food grains like wheat, Rice and pulses are showing highly bullish trend in world commodity markets. Thee year long drought conditions in Australia is also damping grain production from one of the biggest exported of wheat. In India due to less than favorable monsoon and overzealous exports of rice have created shortfall in strategic grain reserves, which resulted in export ban of rice and pulses. This will further instigate price rise in global grain market in coming quarter or two. Governments across the globe need to give serious heed to develop better yielding crops or picture is very grim for future availability for main food staple like wheat and rice, which may badly hit countries in Africa and Asia.

Precious metals like gold and silver has shown very wild swing this quarter due to continues fall in stock market and US Dollar value. Precious metals especially gold is preferred investment to which people resort to in events of economic turbulence as we have observed this quarter. Gold stared this quarter with 5 per ounce and reached its peak of 1030. Due to measures taken by government and fed to ease fear of recession gold fell by 26% in last two weeks touching low of 4 per ounce. Similarly silver started this quarter at .80 per ounce and peaked at .30 and now back to per ounce. We expect precious metals will keep its uptrend in coming quarters and this pullback can be utilized as good accumulation point.

To summarize the analysis we expect that damage done to global economy especially stock markets in last quarter will keep showing its effects for two to three quarters and markets may see heavy volatility and wild swings. It is prudent in part of traders and investors not to be over zealous in either bull or bear side of markets and keep a neutral view to trade accordingly.

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College Financial Aid Information

College Financial Aid Information

With rising price of tuition, student financial aid is much more important for college students willing to furthering their education. Student financial help comes in different forms and a past performance as well as financial needs of a student will define how much help they get.

1. There are some types of student financial aid programs accessible for qualifying students. In fact, the main loans are Stafford Loans (subsidized as well as unsubsidized), PLUS Loans and Perkins Loans. These student loans are typically based upon the financial needs of the student. Also, there are state and federal grants obtainable and scholarship plus institutional awards. These can be based upon need as well as a student’s academic performance and grades. There are awards and scholarships based upon a person’s heritage, area of study plus other factors. Also, some colleges provide work-study programs as well as payment plan choices for you to opt for.

2. Almost each college and high school provides a form that is called a FAFSA. When you cannot find any at your college, you may download a copy online free of charge. The application will define what every student will qualify. The deadlines depend upon the college, but they generally follow the same frames of time. For students who enter college for the autumn semester, the FAFSA form must be done by February. Also, for returning students, the applications must be done about March in case applying for help for the following autumn. For students entering spring sessions, the application must be completed by December.

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Christian Financial Freedom – Wealthy Wisdom

Christian Financial Freedom – Wealthy Wisdom

The true will and nature of God concerning Christian Financial Freedom is simple. God has always desired nothing, but the best for those who follow after Him. Even as far back as Duet. it is spoke that “Thou shalt be blessed above all people.” Yet today Christians struggle as much if not more than those that are in the world.

Why is This?

What are Christians doing Wrong?

How can this be changed?

There are so many questions that can be asked at a time like this. And yet the answers never seem to come. The pastor says be faithful in the tithe and you shall be blessed. And so you give and give, but things only seem to get worse. The minister say you have to pray harder. So you pray and pray, but the anguish does not leave you.

I too struggled with these same issues for years. Nothing ever made since. I am a Christian, I do all the right things, but still the other guys gets everything. And then one morning after a long night of prayer I realized something. I came to the conclusion that I have to change my hurt. I had to stop looking for the answers and becoming the answers. So I started to give, but not to receive. I started to pray, but not for money. I prayed for understanding, peace, love, and joy. In less than a month a friend of mine introduced me to some messages by Terry Dean. Since then everything has changed. I have learned to walk in the true will and nature of God in my life.

Christian Financial Freedom is not just to be hoped for, but it is something that is to be lived.

Learn simple Christian principles to gain financial freedom. This course was designed by Christian who were in debt but are now debt free. Click here for more info: 90505jvpnlye2l1803qylc7se5.hop.clickbank.net

Social Media and Financial Services ? Best Examples

Social Media and Financial Services ? Best Examples

Traditionally the financial sector leads technology innovation and used to invest huge sums in systems and software. Looking at the engagement rate of social media and the adoption of multichannel approaches it seems this industry is not yet embracing social media marketing (see graphic below)  - was it hit too hard by the credit crunch? Obviously there’s room to improve when it comes to engaging socially with customers or community building since many participants in that market are perceived rather monolithic and imposing as opposed to caring and engaging. Caused by the economic crisis in particular Banks also deal with trust issues which probably accelerate a change towards an opening to social media in the  future.

Social media engagement by industry

Nevertheless there are some success stories of how regulated industries like the financial industry can gain from social media and below are great example of sites in or about the industry from the world wide web.

Tracking social media participation

For some great insights and to get an overview of the adoption have a look at Visible Banking. It’s not very pleasing on the eye but is bursting with articles, interviews and a directory about social media initiatives of the financial services business. An example of its Twitter watch is here:

Visible Banking Twitter Watch #15 – November 2009: 877 Accounts / 46 Countries / 331,351+ Followers / 9,960 Lists – Top 10s Financial Institutions / Credit Unions / Insurance

Communities / Networks

HSBC appears to be the most innovative player with its HSBC Business Network and the “Little Black Book” microsite for First Direct customers to exchange recommendations. The HSBC Business Network is an online community for both customers and non-customers, allowing businesses and entrepreneurs to share information with and gain information from their peers. It is a good example of brands using online communities to provide a service that compliments and enhances their existing product portfolio.

The Little Black Book an affiliate of HSBC is a community where users exchange information not related to financials. But in in particular the page live.firstdirect is a remarkable progression towards social media openness and authenticity. It monitors and visualises live customer and non customer feelings about the brand. This is a brave step in a sector where balancing customer satisfaction against profitable customer management has proved challenging to say the least. It currently says 74% of all live words are positive; hope remains that this is unfiltered information ….

Compliance and regulatory issues are amongst the major reasons the financial services industry is shying away from the openness and accountability of social media marketing. ComplianceOnline is a regulatory compliance solutions provider operating in the B2B arena. Operating in a highly fragmented and hyper-competitive marketplace the website has more than 2 million unique visitors per year and 500,000 registered users. By actively engaging users in a two-way dialogue the company behind the community MetricStream uses social media to ultimately create awareness and generate qualified leads which make up 30% of their total sales leads.

Mobile

Another financial services company namely Nationwide Insurance provides a free, company-branded “Accident Toolkit” iPhone application for advising what to do after an accident. The app can call emergency services, collect and exchange accident information (even using the iPhone’s camera and GPS), connect with a towing service, and (for Nationwide customers) initiate the claims process, among other things. That is indeed social media.

Crowd-sourcing and Peer-to-Peer

Peer-to-Peer lending makes perfectly sense where there are enough people needing to borrow money and those wanting to lend. They are better off dealing directly with each other rather than using banks or other middle-men. Each, for a fee of course. Have a look at Prosper.com and Zopa.com to find out more about that great idea.

If you still have unfulfilled dreams make us of the social saving approach of smartypig. Its a bit of a crowd-sourced social network where, if you share your saving goal (dreams), friends and family can provide financial support. You can also add your personalized SmartyPig widget to your Facebook or MySpace page, blog or Website. Not to mention, you can start your own SmartyPig Friends Network. Cute.

Twitter

Often quoted the Bank of America Twitter account is a good example how Twitter can be used to help, listen and learn from customers, even in a sensitive environment like sharing financial information over social media.

Other twitter based applications worth mentioning are StockTwits and AdviserTweets. More geared towards financial professionals rather than customers, they are innovative approaches of how social media can be utilised by asset managers or financial advisors.

Not so good examples

Just two examples I came across today. These are Deutsche Bank’s and UBS’ facebook fanpages. I am asking myself why and how they managed to get 1,700 users (by the time of the writing). There must be a reason why they don’t put any content on their pages. Is it regulatory reasons? Maybe someone can shine a light on this.

For further inspiration feel free to visit Richard Buettner Internet /Social Media Consultant

India’s Foreign Direct Investment (fdi) Touched Us$ 25 Billion

India’s Foreign Direct Investment (fdi) Touched Us$ 25 Billion

According to the Chief economic advisor, Arvind Virmani, the current global financial turmoil will have a minimal direct impact on India’s economy which is likely to continue to grow at the projected rate of around 8 per cent in 2008-09 and 9 per cent in 2009-10. Looking at some finance and economy indicators, we find that in 2007-08, India’s foreign direct investment (FDI) touched US$ 25 billion, up 56 per cent against US$ 15.7 billion in 2006-07, and the country’s foreign exchange reserves had crossed US$ 341 billion as on May 21, 2008. Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Mr. Ashwani Kumar, said that the Indian economy will maintain an 8-per cent growth rate over the next decade, owing to strong fundamentals of the economy which will attract greater investments in the manufacturing and services sectors. India’s economy seems stable.

Apart from the positive indicators on finance and economy, another positive sign is the rising number of high-net-worth-individuals or millionaires in India. At the end of 2007, India had about  123,000 millionaires, up 22.7 per cent from a year earlier, according to the third annual Asia-Pacific Wealth Report published by Merrill Lynch and Capgemini.

Banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) comprised 38 per cent of the outsourcing industry in India (worth .8 billion in 2007). Most of the work outsourced comes from the US followed by Europe.  Financial services companies in India are growing, as are financial services jobs.  “Except for China, the India macro story is the biggest opportunity for financial services companies. A young population, growing incomes, low penetration, all embody the best opportunity for India,” said Ajay Bagga, CEO, Lotus India AMC. Companies marketing financial services, such as French financial services group, Societe Generale, said it would more than double the headcount at its Global Solution Centre in Bangalore and invest about Euro 5 million to develop a new campus. Financial service company, J P Morgan Chase & Co, is likely to double private equity investments to US$ 1 billion, according to Kalpana Morparia, CEO of its India operations.

Besides this, many Indian firms are targeting overseas financial services business. Reliance-ADAG is picking up 26 per cent stake with management control in a financial services company in Saudi Arabia. Overall, the finance indicators for the Indian economy seem positive.

European research investigating the benefits to organisations of driving an end-to-end business integration strategy has found that over a third of companies are struggling to achieve efficiencies due to the use of multiple tools to address internal and external business integration needs. 50% of financial services companies highlighted the lack of a combined approach and tools to address all of their integration needs as a key inhibitor for effective integration

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Interested in working for a Global Financial Services company in the Netherlands?

Interested in working for a Global Financial Services company in the Netherlands?

Some of the world’s top financial institutions have hailed from the Netherlands with the global headquarters of ING, ABN AMRO and Rabobank based here, making it an interesting market for marketing and communications professionals looking for a position in the financial services industry.

Marketing and Communications Career Challenges

The financial services industry is a typically traditional and political environment: candidates must be able to function well here. Fast decisions and swift processes are often difficult to make under these circumstances. Companies look for candidates with excellent patience, diplomatic and convincing skills, who would relish the challenge of working around these obstacles. Financial markets change rapidly. Candidates must have the ability to respond to these changes, while also maintaining the ability not to lose sight of long term objectives and strategy. Strategic marketing positions with a product emphasis typically require candidates with industry specific experience (such as experience within the Asset Management business in a marketing function). Attention to detail is of the utmost importance. Compliance and risk play a huge role in ensuring that facts and figures are correct. The relationship between financial institution and customer is based on trust, by comparison with a consumer organization. Financial customers base a lot of their decisions on corporate reputation and if this image is tarnished, the bank will suffer enormously. We have observed that the main challenges in Communications functions are not only a result of the complex information which is being transferred, but also the stakeholders who are being targeted: for example, the internal audience within banks are often highly educated, busy and senior individuals and the tone of communications has to be adapted to complement this.

Challenges attracting and maintaining top talent

We have noted the following challenges when assisting our clients to attract, source and maintain their top talent pools:

Our research has found that candidates in the financial services industry can be focused on remuneration as opposed to corporate culture or values due to the competitive nature of the business. It can, therefore, be a difficult task to engage and retain employees as readiness to move is greater in comparison to other industries. From a communications perspective, it can be more difficult to engage employees with the bank’s strategy. The McKinsey Quarterly article ‘A Talent shortage for European banks’ (July 2008), focuses on the challenges that banks face filling critical positions in a growing competitive international market. Their research found that in the next three to five years, the shortage of professionals already working in the organization capable of working in specific areas that are vital to the success of the business will be become problematic. Banks will, therefore, have to look outside of their organizations for top talent, which can be risky as they must ensure that they are sufficiently qualified and that they understand key business objectives, as well has functioning effectively within a different corporate culture.

We find that top international marketing and communications professionals in the financial services industry possess the following desirable traits:

Solid economics/business academic education Experience working with financial services, to have gained in depth knowledge of its products and services Passion for banking Capable of understanding non tangible products and services Holistic vision Able to function in complex and political environments Analytical mindset Strategic mindset but flexible enough to adapt swiftly to the market Native English skills Excellent messaging skills Energetic and resilient personality Adaptable Diplomatic

There are many comparable attributes that both marketing and communications professionals share. However, we have noted that clients seeking top communications talent do not always require experience in the financial services industry in comparison with marketing positions. This is because less financial knowledge is required, while experience in complex and political organisations is essential. We, therefore, sometimes look for candidates with experience in industries where knowledge and skills can be transferred such as: political organisations, NGOs, consultancy and taxation firms, business-to-business service companies.

Salaries

As well as generous salaries, holidays and performance based bonuses, Banks offer up to 30% off financial products and services such as mortgages, which can make a huge impact on one’s net disposable income.

Below we have listed typical approximate marketing and communications salaries in the Netherlands:

Experienced Specialist level
€40,000 – 55,000 + performance based bonus and company profit share

Senior experienced Specialist
€60,000 – 75,000 + performance based bonus and company profit share

Manager (managing a team of professionals)
€75,000 – 90,000 + performance based bonus and company profit share

Director/Head
From €100,000 + performance based bonus and company profit share

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U.s.stock Market Dow Nasdaq Stocks Tips

U.s.stock Market Dow Nasdaq Stocks Tips

Dow Nasdaq U.S.Stocks Technical Analysis By Bullet Advisory Bullet Advice for Indian Stocks-U.S.Market Trend DOW (10099.14) and NASDAQ (2183.53) closed 0.6% and 1.7% up respectively last week.Support for DOW is at 9785 and NASDAQ 2140.Resistance for DOW is at 10300 and NASDAQ 2220. Trend Of Major Indices and Stocks Symbol Trend No. of Days WeeklyTrend Month ^DJI Neutral 1 Flat! Flat! ^IXIC Bulllish 4 Flat! Flat! AA Neutral 1 Flat! Flat! AXP Bulllish 4 Flat! Flat! BA Bearish 1 Flat! Flat! C Neutral 1 Flat! Flat! CAT Bulllish 4 Flat! Flat! DD Bearish 1 Flat! Flat! DIS Neutral 1 Flat! Flat! EK Bearish 7 Flat! Flat! GE Bearish 1 Flat! Flat! HD Neutral 1 Flat! Flat! HON Neutral 1 Flat! Flat! IBM Bulllish 2 Falling Flat! INTC Bulllish 5 Flat! Flat! IP Neutral 3 Flat! Flat! JNJ Neutral 1 Flat! Flat! JPM Bulllish 4 Flat! Flat! KO Neutral 1 Flat! Flat! MCD Bearish 1 Flat! Flat! MMM Neutral 1 Flat! Flat! MO Bulllish 2 Flat! Flat! MRK Bulllish 2 Flat! Flat! MSFT Neutral 1 Flat! Flat! PG Bearish 1 Flat! Flat! T Neutral 1 Flat! Flat! UTX Bearish 1 Flat! Flat! WMT Bearish 2 Flat! Flat! XOM Neutral 1 Flat! Flat! Useful Technical Indicators for Major Indices and Stocks Symbol PVBreakout MFI-21 RSI-14 ADX-14 ^DJI Loser 33.6 42.45 29.28 GE Loser 48.97 39.43 18.78 IBM Loser 35.17 42.82 26 MSFT Loser 39.3 36.1 31.71 PG Loser 55.25 50.96 18.26 MFI=Money Flow Index RSI=Relative Strength Index PV=Price Volume Trading Idea (1)HD(53.45)Buy at declines and trade. (2)CAT(56.20) Buy at declines and trade. By Bullet Advisory Indian Stocks-India’s Top Most No.1 Best Stock Market Advice Blog,Hot Stock Tips Calls by Expert Technical Analyst Narendra Nainani of India.Most Preferred and Successful Paid Subscription Stock Tips Calls Website of India.Excellent Success Ratio of more than 90% with Superb trading ideas.Most Successful Intraday Stock Future Calls Provider Service Indian Share Market. M-+919898162770 Website http://www.narendranainani.blogspot.com Website Derivatives .

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Financial Advisor Career

Financial Advisor Career

The work actually comprises of buying and selling stocks, bonds and other financial instruments, on behalf of clients, in addition to advising them on their life financial matters, such as life insurance and so on. Most financial advisors work on commission.

Financial Knowledge

Nowadays, most financial advisors have a college degree and have a good understanding of the financial markets and a good command over financial subjects in general. However, in view of the ever-growing complexity of the work, a good grasp of the economy is essential to conduct technical financial analyses. This is an integral part of the job of a financial advisor. You must also be able to build relationships and gain the trust of your clients.

Licensing Requirements

A license is a must for a financial advisor career. To qualify for the license, there are some specified exams that need to be taken and passed. Once the license is obtained, the licensee becomes eligible to represent clients. The license is issued by the state, though there may be some differences in the licensing requirements of different states. Most states require applicants to be sponsored by a brokerage firm, such as American Express or Fidelity.

Licensing Examinations

The licensing examination is conducted by the “National Association for Security Dealers” or the NASD. The examination is referred to as the General Securities Registered Representative Examination or the Series 7 Examination. After passing this examination, the candidate is expected to work with a registered brokerage firm for at least four months, before working independently. Many states require candidates to pass a secondary examination. This is known as the Uniform Securities Agents State Law Examination. This examination is designed to test the candidate’s general knowledge in securities and stock business and knowledge and understanding of customer protection laws, procedures and liabilities. It also covers record keeping and administrative procedures.

Although in-person training classes are available, the mode of study preferred by most candidates is via the Internet or correspondence courses.

Earning Potential

Working as a financial advisor does have its share of risks; any career where you are solely working on commission is risky indeed. The fact remains that people who choose to pursue a career in this field are possessed with a strong belief in the success rate and work independently only after they have gained in-depth knowledge of the business. Brokers new to the business can benefit by approaching clients of large firms, as well as friends and family. A great deal of the client base of a financial advisor is won through referrals.

Having a successful career as a financial advisor takes a great deal of persistence; you simply can’t take “no” for an answer, particularly when you are just starting out. However, once you are well established in your career, your earnings can rise well into the six-figure range.

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