The Children’s Mutual Reports Kids Unaffected By Recession This Christmas

According to research by a leading Child Trust Fund (CTF) provider, The Children’s Mutual, children in the UK are set for a bumper Christmas this year, receiving £5 billion of presents. With generous friends and family set to spend 20% more than last year on youngsters, it seems the recession is not impacting kids’ stockings just yet.

The average UK child will receive £380 worth of presents this year, compared to £316 in 2008. In total, UK kids will have over £4 billion worth of toys and other presents underneath their trees, along with £960 million in cash, with each child receiving an average of £73. More than a quarter of lucky UK children will get £100 or more.

The Children’s Mutual is urging parents to take advantage of the generosity of friends and family this Christmas by asking them to invest in a present that could last a lifetime.

David White, Chief Executive of The Children’s Mutual, said: “It’s great news that the recession is not affecting kids’ stockings this Christmas. However we are urging parents to think about their children’s futures and ask friends and family to invest a portion of this money for the long-term.”

The Children’s Mutual also found that a lot of money is spent on presents that often don’t last for more than a couple of months.

David White continued: “Around £200 is spent on presents that won’t make it past Easter, but if this money was invested in a Child Trust Fund each year, it could be worth £6,100* by the time it matures when the child turns 18. This way friends and family can give a gift that could last well beyond the child’s 18th birthday and providing them with a nest egg for the future.”

According to figures from The Children’s Mutual, top ups into Child Trust Funds get a timely boost at Christmas with an average increase in ad hoc payments of just under 25% during the festive period.

Child Trust Funds are designed to provide a tax efficient, long term savings vehicle for all eligible children (born on or after 1 September 2002). Each newborn child receives a £250 Child Trust Fund voucher (£500 for low income families) from the Government when their parents register for Child Benefit. The Government will make a second contribution of £250 (£500 for low income families) when the child reaches seven and is considering a third in the child’s teenage years. Parents, family and friends can all then add to this account up to a maximum value of £1,200 each year.

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The Children’s Mutual Launches What I Want To Be Webmercial

The Children’s Mutual, a leading Child Trust Fund provider, has captured the career aspirations of kids in the UK in its new webmercial and microsite.

Dressed to reflect the most popular career choices, babies from seven to 11 months are seen acting out different job roles in the 50 second web ad.

The What I Want To Be webmercial was prompted by research from The Children’s Mutual into the dream jobs of the nation’s children entitled What I Want To Be. Every year the research tracks the career aspirations of children as they grow up, to explore how social and economic factors might affect their ultimate career choices.

The brains behind the ad, Head of Online at The Children’s Mutual and dad of one, Nathan King said: “We wanted to engage with a new generation of parents who enjoy and respond to online media. We understand families and their desire to help their children fulfil their ambitions. So while the ad and microsite are a lot of fun our products support parents in helping their children to reach their goals.”

The project isn’t the first time The Children’s Mutual has broken new ground as a CTF provider. The family finance specialist also created the first branded CTF TV advert encouraging parents to save for their children as well as a recently launched animated guide to the Child Trust Fund. The webmercial and CTF microsite now form part of the company’s evolving social media engagement strategy.

According to King: “Personal finance is very few people’s favourite subject but it is a crucial part of daily life. As a family finance specialist we want to try everything we can to help make saving and planning for the future as engaging and straightforward as it can be.”

Child Trust Funds are designed to provide a tax efficient, long term savings vehicle for all eligible children. Each eligible newborn child (born on or after 1 September 2002) receives a£250 Child Trust Fund voucher (£500 for low income families) from the Government when their parents register for Child Benefit. The Government will make a second contribution of £250 (£500 for low income families) when the child reaches seven and is considering a third in the child’s teenage years. Parents, family and friends can all then add to this account up to a maximum value of £1,200 each year.

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EasySaver Program Discontinued After Walgreens Runs Complaint Free

Saving money has become the chic thing to do. Nowadays clipping coupons and bargain shopping is not only done by strange and eccentric people – it has become the norm for typical, everyday people as we do our daily spending. It seems the more you save the more you are envied and admired.

This is partly due to the economy but it’s also due to the fact that we work hard for our money and we want to get the most for it. While bargain shopping may seem time-consuming and therefore, it’s less than appealing to many people, there are Easy Saver programs that are reliable and consistent. An all-time favorite of these plans was the program offered by Walgreens. But after a successful run the Easysaver program discontinued after Walgreens runs complaint free rebate and coupon plans for its customers.

In years past, shopping sales meant one was a smart and savvy shopper. All that was needed was to watch the newspaper and TV commercials to stay abreast of major sales. Friends and relatives of individuals that consistently saved money by shopping sales were envious of the savings achieved but making purchases wherever a sale existed did not interest them. It seemed like a lot of work and hassle even if it did save money.

Later, coupons became popular. Many manufacturers offered coupons on particular brands, which would provide substantial savings on specific items. While coupons are still used today, many people avoid their use because they are considered a hassle. After all, most coupons have to be clipped from a paper and can only be used for a certain item during a particular period.

Rebates are another form of savings that has become popular over the years. However, some people don’t like this system because it requires mailing in the receipt as proof of purchase, and then there is often a period of weeks before the rebate check is returned. In essence, rebates are often considered to be a lot of work for a small savings so they are anything but an EZ Saver plan.

Walgreens seemed to have the ideal system in place recently. It was called the EasySaver Program. This program was easy to use and offered great savings. It actually combined the concept of sales, coupons, and rebates, so it offered something for everyone. At the beginning of the month Walgreens would publish a small catalog of items that offered rebates. They also had coupons available for some of the items. Additionally, many of the items in the catalog would be on sale at some point during the month.

In the center of the catalog there was a single EZ Saver form for documenting any rebate items purchased during the month. At the end of the month the customer would complete the form and mail in the receipts. The process was simple and well-liked. People everywhere are questioning why this EasySaver program was discontinued as it ran smoothly and without complaints.

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Savvy Self-Employed Seek Little-Known Tax Benefits Provided By The Solo 401k

The Solo 401k is designed for the self-employed and offers powerful features not found in traditional 401k or IRA retirement plans. The Solo 401k offers unique tax benefits to those who open an account before the New Year.

The clock is ticking for taxpayers to secure their end-of-the year tax breaks and many Americans who qualify for a tax shelter are not utilizing it.

“That’s because many people are completely unaware of a special retirement vehicle that offers the self-employed a way to make significant contributions,” said financial expert, Jeff Nabers, CEO of Nabers Group.

The Solo 401k account offers powerful features that are not available to those who invest in traditional IRA or 401k accounts.

“One special feature of the Solo 401k is that it can be run by the accountholder. You don’t have to open it up at a Wall Street-focused firm. That means that you’re not stuck to ordering your investments off of a menu that offers only stocks, bonds, and mutual funds,” explains Nabers.

The volatile stock market and significant losses that many investors suffered have caused them to look for alternative options. Nabers says that’s where the Solo 401k can really be helpful. “Using the Solo 401k, people can invest in real estate, gold, foreign annuities, foreign currency, small businesses, and much more,” said Nabers. Even better, the Solo 401k allows accountholders to make large retirement contributions totaling more than $50,000.

About the Jeff Nabers, CEO
Jeff Nabers is the Chief Executive Officer of the Nabers Group and is a renowned consultant, speaker, and educator. Nabers is an expert in the fields of Self Directed wealth management and personal finance. Nabers teaches seminars on understanding money, free market capitalism, inflation, Austrian economic theory, real estate investing, direct possession of gold and silver, income-producing assets, small business startup funding, and Self Directed IRA and Solo 401k investing. Additionally, Nabers is the chairman of the IRA Association of America and authored the book 5 Steps To Freedom.

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Survey Shows the Benefits of Arranging Life Insurance Young

L&C’s October survey of people arranging life insurance through them showed 44% of people were over the age of 45.

This is despite the fact that life insurance gets more expensive with age. In the survey, the average monthly premium for the 56+ group was 35% more than for those aged 26-35. Many people don’t expect the unforeseen at an early age and can often prioritize other items above buying protection. However, there are financial benefits, not to mention peace of mind, from buying protection early. The survey showed that people in the 26-35 year old group had an average monthly premium of just £26.29 – less than a pound a day. This was despite 55% of people in the younger group being smokers compared to only 6% in the older age group.

L&C’s Richard Morea said The younger you are when you take life cover, the cheaper it will be. People should consider it an essential item like motor or household insurance. Waiting until you’re old to get the protection habit means you’ll not have the peace of mind having protection brings – and the monthly cost will be higher.

For more information and free life insurance advice, call 0800 0731932.

London & Country (L&C) is the UK’s leading no-fee mortgage broker. Based in Bath, it provides whole of market advice via telephone and post to clients nationwide. As well as residential mortgages, it also specialises in the Buy-to-Let and adverse-credit sectors.

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Borrowers With Interest Only Mortgages Need Only Answer 3 Questions

Borrowers with interest only mortgages need only answer 3 questions – the current value of their property, the size of their mortgage and either their current monthly mortgage payment or interest rate. Borrowers on a repayment mortgage will also need to know the remaining term on their mortgage. The calculator checks against L&C’s comprehensive mortgage product database to see if there is a mortgage deal that could save the borrower money.

Now house prices are starting to show signs of recovery, more and more borrowers will find themselves in a position where they can switch and save. The One Minute Mortgage check offers a quick and easy way to see if the time is right to switch. The One Minute Mortgage Check calculator is available at www.lcplc.co.uk/check

London & Country (L&C) is the UK’s leading no-fee mortgage broker. Based in Bath, it provides whole of market advice via telephone and post to clients nationwide. As well as residential mortgages, it also specialises in the Buy-to-Let and adverse-credit sectors.

L&C is a Climate Neutral company and for the last seven years has invested in climate friendly projects and tree-planting to help offset its emissions and those of its customers. For more information, go to http://www.lcplc.co.uk/green.

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NS&I Reveal Findings Of Families, Finance And The Future Report

NS&I’s ‘Families, Finance and the Future’ report has shown that before having children, Britons believe you should have an income of at least £25,000 per annum to ensure financial security, while 20% of those surveyed said that they would seriously consider not having children because the cost of having them nowadays is so high.

The NS&I report, Families, Finance and the Future, was written by the Future Foundation and commissioned by NS&I. The report was produced by a combination of desk research and original survey work. Figures taken from a nationally representative sample of 1,049 adults aged 16+. Other sources the report used include the British Household Panel Survey, the ONS, Eurobarometer, the Department for Communities and Local Government, and previous surveys conducted by the Future Foundation.

Almost two-thirds (64%) said people should be financially secure before starting a family, while 78% agreed that the standard of living was an influencing factor when deciding on how many children to have. Just 26% of Britons believe that money shouldn’t be a consideration when deciding to start a family.

Tim Mack, NS&I Savings Spokesman, said: “Starting a family is always going to be much more than a purely economic decision, though for some the financial requirement is clearly an income of £25,000 per year. Britons are also considering their financial future when deciding on the number of children they will have.”

More than one in ten respondents (12%) thought that those thinking of starting a family should be earning between £40,000 and £70,000 before having children, while a similar number (13%) believed that they didn’t need anything as they would always be able to get by. Men were more likely to suggest a bigger financial cushion than women – £27,000 per year, compared to just £23,000 for women – while people without children gave much higher estimates, saying people should be earning at least£30,000.

As well as looking at the situation for individuals, the report also argues that finances and families are linked on a larger, macroeconomic, level.

Barry Clark, Account Director at the Future Foundation, said: “Baby booms tend to follow economic booms and the reverse is true too. Our data suggests that over the past 60 years, GDP growth and the change in birth rates in the UK have been closely linked, so we expect that the coming years will show more than ever that finances and families are related on both a personal and national economic scale.”

The primary consideration influences on the number of children people decide to have appeared to be common:

78% – standard of living they can give their children
73% – meeting the cost of raising their children
51% – size of the house they can afford to raise their family in
39% – education they can make sure their children receive

It is evident that perceived affluence has an effect on the birth rate. In fact, Future Foundation research and the British Household Panel Survey both have shown that in European countries where more people have an income that is either in line with or above their financial expectations, families bear more children.

Barry Clark added: “The highest earners would seem less likely to have larger families owing to the demands of, and devotion to, their careers, or a sharper awareness of just how much children cost to raise.”

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Hargreaves Lansdown Named Best Online SIPP Provider of the Year

Hargreaves Lansdown has been named the Best Online SIPP Provider of the year at the Technology Administration and Service (TAS) Awards, 2009.

The awards programme, which is organised by the Pensions and Investment Group of the Financial Times, aims to recognise achievement by providers of products and services to UK advisers.

It is the second award that that Hargreaves Lansdown’s SIPP has received this year, following their award for Best SIPP provider from What Investment, an accolade which the company has received three years in a row.

Following the awards, which were held at the Park Lane Hilton, Alex Davies, Director of Pensions at Hargreaves Lansdown, said “We never get complacent about these things but hope these awards demonstrate our commitment to providing clients with the best information and the best tools to manage their own investments.”

If you are interested in considering a SIPP, visit the Hargreaves Lansdown website, were more information, along with a downloadable, free guide to Self Invested Personal Pensions is available.

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Animated Guide To Child Trust Funds

Leading Child Trust Fund provider The Children’s Mutual is pleased to announce the launch of a new cartoon guide to Child Trust Funds – the first of its kind in the marketplace.

The cartoon guide is a five minute animation in a graphic style reminiscent of perennial children’s favourite, Fuzzy Felt. During the film, busy new mum, Mel, (and baby Emily) explain what the Child Trust Fund is, the different sorts of funds that are available, their individual features, how to find a provider and how to go about applying for a fund.

The Child Trust Fund guide has additional link-back buttons at the end that allow viewers to go directly back to sections of particular interest and watch them again. It also gives clear direction to alternative information sources including HMRC.

Marketing Director, Tony Anderson, said: “We appreciate that new parents have very little free time and when they do get a chance to sit down they aren’t necessarily in the mood to wade through financial paperwork or regulatory terminology. But they still want to be sure that they are making the right choices for their children. This is where our animated guide provides a completely new approach to helping customers – through carefully chosen language and functionality. It provides all the salient information about CTFs in easy to understand language and simple to access bite size sections.”

The cartoon guide can be viewed at The Children’s Mutual’s own website and is also available for publications and sites to host themselves to help their own audiences to more easily understand the Child Trust Fund.

Tony concluded: “Opening a Child Trust Fund account can seem like a daunting task, but with our new guide it needn’t be. All we ask is that parents give us just five minutes of their time to help them make an informed decision.”

Child Trust Funds are designed to provide a tax efficient, long term savings vehicle for all eligible children. Each eligible newborn child (born on or after 1 September 2002) receives £250 (£500 for low income families) from the government when their parents register for Child Benefit. The Government will make a second contribution of £250 (£500 for low income families) when the child reaches seven and is considering a third in the child’s teenage years. Parents, family and friends can all then add to this account up to a maximum value of £1,200 each year.

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Workers Beyond Retirement Age To Double In 10 Years

Prudential has revealed that UK businesses are bracing themselves for a surge in staff looking to delay retirement with around 1.8 million people expected to be working beyond traditional retirement ages in just 10 years.

The findings from new research commissioned by Prudential among finance directors at UK businesses found 24% of companies expect staff to work beyond retirement age in the next 10 years, with the proportion of people in the workforce who are past traditional retirement ages expected to more than double to 1.8 million people.

Larger companies expect to see an even greater proportion of their workforce working beyond retirement, with 39% of finance directors at larger firms expecting to have to accommodate requests from staff to work longer.

UK companies anticipate this will mean around 6.3% of their workforce (equivalent to 1.8 million people across the UK working population) will be made up of people working beyond statutory retirement ages in 10 years, more than double the current proportion of 2.6% of company workers (equivalent to around 752,700 people***) who currently work past retirement.

The study also found that in the past 12 months alone, 7% of finance directors have reported an increase in the number of employees asking to work past traditional retirement ages.

Martyn Bogira, Prudential’s Director of Defined Contribution Solutions, said: “As health and longevity continue to improve and people look to fund a longer life in retirement, it is inevitable that compromises have to be made.

“The statutory retirement age for men and women is due to rise to 68 by 2046, so working longer will be a fact of life for those entering the workforce today but these findings suggest that increasing numbers of pensioners will be forced to work later far sooner than this. Employers have told us that their staff costs could rise as their employees work for longer.

“Workers face the stark choice of either having to save more for their pension from an earlier age or having to work longer if they are to avoid taking a significant drop in their standard of living in retirement. Early pension saving is critical and we strongly encourage people not to delay starting a pension.”

The research also identified a clear North/South divide. Companies in the north of the country expect an average of 16.2% of their staff to work past the statutory retirement age compared with an average of 2.4% in Greater London and the South East.

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New Tax Law for Roth IRA May Be a Bad Deal for Taxpayers

In 2010 millions of Americans will be able to do something they have never done before—convert their IRA into a Roth IRA account. Current 2009 limitations do not allow anyone who makes more than $100,000 per year to convert their traditional retirement funds into a Roth IRA.

However, beginning in 2010, the Roth IRA conversion restrictions are being lifted. But is this really a good thing for taxpayers?

“Roth IRAs are a bad idea for taxpayers because they are paying taxes now in order to avoid paying taxes on distributions that are taken later,” said Jeff Nabers, CEO of Nabers Group. The problem is partly the economic crisis that we are in. “It makes sense if we were in a commodity-based monetary system, but we’re not. We have a fiat currency system that creates an inflationary environment in which Roth conversion is a good deal for the government and a bad deal for the taxpayer.”

Additionally, the Roth IRA conversion can be costly for the taxpayers. If they opt to convert their traditional IRAs to Roth IRAs, the IRS will view this as a taxable event. Accountholders will be taxed based on the entire conversion amount for their current tax bracket. The income taxes due on the 2010 conversion can be spread over two years. However, future conversions must be included in income reports to the IRS and will be taxed during the tax year in which the conversion is completed.

Nabers cautions his clients to carefully look at all their options when considering the Roth IRA conversion. He suggests, “Instead they should continue using their non-Roth Retirement accounts for the maximum tax benefit.”

Nabers, the author of Five Steps To Freedom: How to Cut Your Dependence on Institutions and Escape Financial Slavery, points out that the most important thing that taxpayers can do in these economic times is to find alternative investment solutions. “We’re likely heading into an era of significant inflation. I recommend that people seek alternatives to volatile Wall Street Securities and dollar-denominated assets in general.”

“The action that I recommend is to get more educated on the matter and look at both sides of the story before making a decision,” said Nabers. He says deciding to convert to a Roth IRA could cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars. “Before paying taxes using half of your savings, wealth, or retirement account, consult experts about all of your options. What you don’t know could hurt you—so seek knowledge and information so that you can make an informed decision that you won’t regret.”

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Indiana Campaign Finance – The Online Payday Loan Company

Indiana Campaign Finance is one of the leading payday loans providers, extending instant financial assistance to its customers. The processes at Indiana Campaign Finance are very simple which makes it a trouble free process to acquire loans for emergency purposes. By keeping the formalities as little as possible, we provide fast cash to the borrowers in no time.

Indiana Campaign Finance

One of the best things about our companies is that we do not hold back payday loan online from the borrowers with bad credit. Regardless of the credit history, one can get loans from Indiana Campaign Finance. It is this facility which has leaded us this far in the arena of payday loans. Our services include quick cash advance, personal loan,home loans,student loans and credit card. We also provide car insurance and home insurance to our prestigious customers.

No matter which field of life you may belong o or for what purposes you may require loan, Indiana Campaign Finance fulfils all your requirements in the best possible manner. As it is common to all salaried people to be out of money before fulfilling their financial obligations, we come to aid of such individuals and provide them with fast cash. As the term explains, the payday loans are short term loans which are to be paid back within a few days. When you get your next wages you are supposed to return these to Indiana Campaign Finance, however, with Indiana Campaign Finance, you can also extend the time of return by opting for customized deals.

Indiana Campaign Finance lends you money without require too many detail and information. All we need to know is the simple basic information about you like addresses, occupation etc., and you will be able to get payday loans from us. You need to have a job as a precondition and a current account in a bank as well. The borrower has to be 18 or above to get payday loan from Indiana Campaign Finance.

You can apply for a loan online and our representative will get in touch with you quickly. You can also all us to get the details of different packages and other information you require. The loan you get from Indiana Campaign Finance can be spent for any need; there are no limitations to its usage. However, as the rate of interest in generally more for such kind of loans, you should opt for them only when you are in a fix and have no other alternative. In this situation, you will find Indiana Campaign Finance you best buddy who would extend the best financial services to you.

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Learn How to Customize Business Insurance Policies

With any insurance policy, the consumer should take the time and care in making a checklist with their insurance agent to make sure all their bases are covered. Only a personally tailored business insurance policy stands the chance of being efficient while also providing the necessary amount of coverage, according to an article recently published on InsuranceAgents.com.

“When venturing out and starting your own business, it’s important to financially protect it with a quality business insurance policy,” states the article titled, ‘Make Your Own Business Insurance Policy Checklist.’ “Having all of the right coverage options and necessary inclusions will protect you from serious financial loss later.”

Here are several necessities that should be included in any business insurance policy. Without these, a business insurance policy is pretty much obsolete. Depending on the nature of the business, some types of coverage should be emphasized while others should be minimal. Talk to a licensed professional about the needs of your specific business.

-Reparation/replacement coverage for any damaged property or assets
-Liability coverage with high enough limits
-Reimbursement of any income loss if the company temporary ceases productivity (this is known as interruption insurance)
-A deductible that fits within the framework of the company’s budget
-Optional: workers compensation and health insurance for employees

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Jeff Nabers, CEO Of Nabers Group, Cautions Against The Use Of 401(k), IRA Rollovers As A Financing Strategy For A Business Start-up

One unforeseen consequence of the current recession has been the increasing number of Americans who have stumbled into entrepreneurship after losing their jobs to round after round of layoffs. Many of these people have taken one look at a job market where the unemployment rate is nearly 20% in some regions and decided to start their own businesses. It’s a bold move and certainly there is something very admirable about the idea, but also a risky one, with about half failing in the first few years; making financing a small business start-up something, which should be done with great care.

There are a lot of people who think of using 401(k) or IRA rollovers as a source of financing the start-up costs of a new business or to cover the purchase of an existing one. While you may see a lot of praise for these plans (called ROBS for Roll Over Business Start-up by the IRS), especially online where their proponents try to sell would-be entrepreneurs on the merits of this form of financing, many financial industry experts strongly recommend thinking again about using your IRA or 401(k) to fund your small business.

One of these financial experts is Jeff Nabers, CEO of the Denver financial planning company Nabers Group. Nabers has written about how ROBS work and their risks on his blog, where he warns against using these financing vehicles.

“It’s entirely understandable that people are tempted by ROBS; the recession hasn’t made small business financing easy to come by and there are more Americans than ever trying to start their own businesses. However, there are a lot of risks associated with using IRA and 401(k) rollovers. Beyond the old diversification maxim of ‘don’t put all your eggs in one basket’ the legality of the ROBS strategy has been on shaky ground. There’s a basic rule that prohibits “self dealing” for any retirement account participant, but ROBS promoters have attempted to skirt this by creating a loophole that claims a special exemption. Unfortunately, a government ruling from 2006 closed that loophole. ROBS structures could face a stiff penalty, which amounts to approximately 115% of your retirement funds,” says Nabers.

“It’s a subject that is somewhat controversial in the financial services industry, but as I have been informed by government officials and my legal counsel, the 2006 ruling means ROBS no longer occupies a legal gray area even. I can’t recommend these to my clients in good conscience. I don’t see a bright future for this strategy of funding, to put it mildly,” added Nabers.

Jeff Nabers isn’t alone in sounding the alarm about ROBS and other rollover schemes – there has been a lot of concern expressed by financial experts in the last year. Previously, ROBS was considered high risk, but as Nabers’ put it, “My recent DOL meeting was the nail in the coffin of the ROBS loophole.”

Nabers unabashedly encourages entrepreneurship in spite of the government’s unfavorable stance on ROBS. His message to would-be ROBS users is: “Start and fund your venture anyway [without ROBS]. You can still raise money from others, including from their IRA and 401(k) accounts. Frankly, that is actually a surer path to success because raising money from others will cause you to be more thorough in your business planning.”

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The Children’s Mutual Launches CTF Cashback Site

The Children’s Mutual, leading Child Trust Fund provider, has revealed that expectant parents can earn over £200 by using its new shopping portal CTFCashback.co.uk to kit out their babies’ nurseries.

Research shows that on average, British parents spend £3,383 decorating and furnishing a nursery with a further £605 spent on prams, buggies and car seats. If parents did this shopping through CTF Cashback, they could be earning financial rewards of up to £215.

Free to use, the site enables online shoppers to build up cash in £10 increments which can be placed directly into a bank account or a Child Trust Fund with The Children’s Mutual.

The site, which offers members up to 20% cash back and lists over 1,000 retailers – many with additional voucher codes – can help parents and the wider family continue to save as the baby grows up too. By using CTFCashback.co.uk to purchase ongoing essentials such as nappies and baby wear right through to buying presents and even holidays.

Tony Anderson, Marketing Director at The Children’s Mutual, said: “All parents quickly realise that buying everything they need and want for their child can be an expensive business. We created our CTF Cashback site to assist parents in getting great value for money on all their purchases, whilst being able to save towards their child’s future”.

Over 1,000 major retailers have already signed up to the scheme including leading brand favourites such as Mothercare, John Lewis, Kiddicare.com and Marks & Spencer. Collectively, retailers are offering www.CTFCashback.co.uk members average returns of over 5% through the site, with some offering up to 20% or lump sums of up to £85.

Tony Anderson continued, “When questioning expectant and new parents through our monthly poll, nearly 90 per cent* suggested that they would like to receive ‘money back’ for their nursery shopping. We have taken this one step further so, whether it’s buying baby grows and nappies or school uniforms and family holidays we wanted cash-strapped parents to be earning money every time they spend online. With so many pulls on household budgets, www.CTFCashback.co.uk offers a practical way of helping families to be savvy with their money and encourage them to save towards their children’s futures.”

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Saxo Bank Acquires A 40% Stake In Initto

Saxo Bank, the online specialist in trading and investment, has announced the acquisition of a 40% stake in Initto, the Danish owned software and IT services provider. Initto has around 200 employees based mainly in India and Ukraine and the acquisition of Initto will enable Saxo Bank to continue to support and speed up the development of its trading systems.

Saxo Bank Acquires A 40% Stake In Initto

Designed to meet the varying needs and demands of financial investors and traders, Saxo Bank has developed four specialised and integrated trading platforms; the downloadable SaxoTrader, browser-based SaxoWebTrader, compact SaxoMiniTrader and phone-based SaxoMobileTrader.

Mikael Munck, CEO of Initto, commented: “Initto provides a wide range of customized IT services and software engineering solutions to clients. We have been very successful in offering and integrating our services into the organisation of our clients. We offer access to a wide range of international specialists that focus entirely on delivering high quality solutions to our clients’ allowing them to focus on core competencies, freeing up time for innovation and value creation. This is the secret of our success which we are certain Saxo Bank also will benefit from”.

Since its establishment in 2003, Initto has grown by an average of 50% per year and expects to enhance its service offerings with the support of Saxo Bank as a strong financial partner. Initto is headquartered in Ballerup near Copenhagen with a representative office in Oslo. Initto will continue to develop software and provide services to its existing client base.

In a joint statement, Kim Fournais and Lars Seier Christensen, Co-CEOs and co-founders of Saxo Bank, said: “We are thrilled to have acquired this stake in Initto, which has great synergies with Saxo Bank and fit perfectly with our business model. The acquisition is in line with our ambition to acquire fully developed businesses and utilize their expertise to develop and strengthen Saxo Bank’s products and services. Over the next few years, we will be working with Initto to further increase the value we offer our own clients. Initto’s current and future client base will also benefit from our commitment as client and shareholder. We want to remain a first class service provider and we believe Initto can help us achieve this goal.”

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Experian Teams with Citi to Provide SEPA Data Conversion Service

Experian, the global information services company, is partnering with Citi to provide an automated International Bank Account Number (IBAN) and Bank Identifier Code (BIC) conversion and validation service for SEPA-compliant cross-border payments. While Experian’s Data Conversion Service will be delivered across all 31 countries in the SEPA region, the partnership also extends to Citi customers initiating payments to and from the SEPA area from anywhere in the world.

Use of SEPA Credit Transfer (SCT) and SEPA Direct Debit (SDD) schemes requires corporates to submit a valid BIC IBAN for all EU cross-border Credit Transfers and, from November 2009, for all direct debit payments. Additionally, several European countries have adopted the IBAN as part of their own domestic payment standard. In order to enable Citi’s customers to take advantage of the SCT and SDD schemes, the IBAN and BIC Conversion service will ensure customer databases are as accurate and complete as possible.

Experian will check, validate and convert existing domestic BBANs (Basic Bank Account Numbers) to the required IBAN and BIC standard in bulk, enabling customers to avoid rejection or failed payments, thereby reducing transaction costs and improving straight through processing of payment instructions. In addition, the bank’s customers will be able to identify invalid records that require further or correct information to be obtained or verified, including invalid account numbers and closed bank branches.

Ruth Wandhöfer, EMEA Head of Payment Strategy & Market Policy Global Transaction Services at Citi, commented: “Submitting invalid data when making a payment can be costly for corporates and their customers. However, by teaming up with Experian to ensure bank account details are converted into the right format, we will enable our customers to reduce the cost of correcting rejected payment information. In addition, the service enables us and our customer base to be ready for the introduction of SEPA Direct Debits in November 2009.”

Jonathan Williams, Director of Product Development and Strategy at Experian Payments, added: “Experian’s conversion service is already used by many of the world’s leading organisations to check their data, convert their data and then keep their data clean. By partnering with Citi, Experian is enabling a growing number of the world’s biggest businesses to make SEPA payments, while at the same time helping the bank to improve its operational efficiency.”

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Barclaycard Announces 100 EAT Stores Across The UK To Go Contactless

Barclaycard has announced that EAT, a leading sandwich, soup and coffee shop, will rollout contactless technology and payment across its entire network of 100 stores from mid November. The rollout of contactless follows a successful pilot project in 24 London based EAT stores over the past 18 months.

The rollout, which began in March 2008 and will be completed by mid November, will see contactless payment available in EAT stores in a range of towns and cities across the UK including Manchester, Birmingham, Oxford and Cambridge. These stores join Barclaycard’s ever-expanding contactless payment network, with more than 9,000 outlets now accepting contactless payments across the UK.

Contactless allows customers to purchase items of £10 or under without the need to enter a PIN or sign, with customers requested to enter a PIN occasionally for added security.

Dan Salmons, Director of Payment Innovations at Barclaycard commented: “Contactless is the future of payments and we believe that contactless payment, via card or mobile phone, is one of the safest and most secure ways to pay. We welcome this rollout as it demonstrates how both consumers and retailers are benefiting from the convenience of quick, secure payments with contactless. Consumer feedback highlights the growing demand for contactless and we expect EAT to be amongst the first of many major retailers who will become contactless enabled over the coming months.”

Rene Batsford, Head of IT at EAT commented: “For the last 18 months we have accepted contactless payments in over 30 stores in London, and the success and feedback from our customers meant the decision to rollout contactless across our entire network, was an easy one to make. Customers across all our stores can now benefit from a fast, secure way to pay.”

Barclaycard and Barclays have issued over four million contactless enabled credit cards since Barclaycard OnePulse credit card launched in September 2007 and have the highest market share of contactless terminals in the UK. Other well-known brands such as Prêt a Manger, Coffee Republic, the National Trust, Books Etc and Yo Sushi also accept contactless payments.

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