Economic Stimulus

Honey I Can't Afford The Kids

Mon, 21 May 2012 02:09:37 -0700

Sex has a lot to answer for ' babies usually ' which then withtime and much financial investment grow up to be beautifulmutations of their parents. Yet as the family absorbs more moneyas it grows, the need for financial planning and protectionbecomes more important. So, where do you start and how do youmove your finances forward?First of all there are 'The Considerations': If surplus funds become available, could these be invested? Ifso, will you choose a medium or long term investment? Will you need an emergency fund? Will you need to save for short-term events such as Christmas,holidays and birthdays? Are you ready to save for a pension? Do you need to includeyour partner in a pension plan? How much financial planning do you want to do your children?For example, is private education an option or priority and doyou want to start saving for university fees? How much borrowing will you need to do for buying a home andis it worth considering a mortgage payment pro...

China/japan Slumping

Sun, 20 May 2012 00:58:13 -0700

All those people who still believe Australia won't dip into recession in , as the IMF, OECD, Federal Treasury and Reserve Bank, should think again. China, whose 'solid' demand for our resources was supposed to help keep us out of recession in , is getting worried. So worried that it slashed interest rates Wednesday night by the biggest margin in years, once again it proving that it pays to watch what central banks do, not what they say. Bloomberg reported yesterday that a senior Chinese economic official had warned that "Some economic indicators in China showed a 'faster decline' in November, the nation's top economic planner said, underlining the urgency of government measures to support growth and employment." 'Some economic indicators weakened further in November, showing a faster decline,' Zhang Ping, chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission, told a briefing in Beijing. 'Employment is being impacted by factory closures and many migrant workers are ret...

Mortgage And Credit Card Companies Under The Spotlight On

Sat, 19 May 2012 00:21:54 -0700

For the first time since May reports have indicated thatwage increases have risen faster than house price inflation.According to Nationwide, "The overall picture remains one of agently softening market".The signs indicate that the housing market activity is finallystarting to pick up, with estate agents reporting that buyershave begun returning to the market and sellers are more willingto negotiate on prices, however transaction levels are stillreported to be low compared with last year. This represents goodnews for buyers looking to get a property, however it stands instark contrast to findings from the Council of Mortgage LendersCML http:www.cml.org.uk showingthat the number of homes being repossessed has risen for thefirst time in seven years, from , six months ago up to ,for the first half of .The sharp rise in home repossession applications by lenders addsto growing concerns that consumers are struggling ...