Saturday, March 31, 2012

Getting Access To Gold/Silver Is Not Limited To Local Bank And ...

For those who are interested in Gold and Silver, either as a form of keepsake (for future generation) or as a form of personal investment (to enjoy capital gains or to make your money work harder), you are no longer limited to getting access to them ?through Local Bank (which I believe there?s only one in Singapore) and Pawn Shops. Yeah!

What I Know About Buying Gold/Silver From Local Bank & Pawn Shop

When my mum was still around many years back, she was quite fond of buying gold pieces from Pawn Shop and little Gold Bar from those Gold Jewelry Stores to keep at home. She saw it as a form of investment and the ability to make some money when Gold Price increases. She also saw it as a form of token that she can use to give to her future daughter in law.

Since then I am aware that you can actually have such practice to make some money or have some ?emergency? cash. After I grow up and got into the Financial Planning Industry, Gold and Silver become one of the many different types of investment tools and a discussion topic for myself and my clients on how and where to invest our money.

During the course of exploring into this area, I got to know that there?s not much options in Singapore. Most forms of investing into Gold and Silver came in the form of Unit Trust and even the local bank that offers a Gold/Silver account does not give you access to actual metal but rather certificates. On top of that, there?s charges involved in maintaining those accounts.

Likewise for buying actual pieces from Pawn Shop & Jewelry Stores, these places would usually mark up the base prices that reward them rather than the customers unless you are able to buy in bulks (to offset the markups). If you are able to buy in bulk, you have to think of where to keep them secured!

Why I Like The Internet & The Social Media For Getting Access To Gold And Silver

Thanks to friends sharing with friends on those Social Media Sites, I came to know about buying Gold and Silver Bullion Coins online which means you are able to own actual pieces, in small quantities and at a lower cost as compared to those Pawn Shops & Jewelry Stores.

And for those who are serious investors, you can even have access to opening an overseas account that gives you direct access to buying, storing and selling physical gold and silver.

If you are interested in exploring alternate options to getting access to Gold and Silver from the local aspects, you may wish to join the growing community of buying bullion coins online or check out those online sites that give you access to the professional bullion markets. For a start, you may wish to search for ?gold bullion? or those related keyword phrases on your favorite search engine to bring out a good list of sites.

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The Particular Value Of Building Your Own List

You Ought To Be Constructing Your Very Own List

One thing about Houston Wedding Photographer that is pretty is how far-reaching it has itself to be among the . Indeed, it all that to see it at work in your or the lives of people you know, . , there is to consider and weigh in your mind. But most people have a decent about many of the different . But when you can all you can and learn, then you will find in a position. The rest of this article will your of this topic.

In the event you have been in Web marketing for any amount of time you already know how important it is to make your own list. But for those of you who are relatively new to Internet marketing, this is certainly something you are going to learn. Just about every Internet marketing website you go on covers the importance of list building. In this short article we will attempt to explain why this is so important and in addition give you a few suggestions to get you started.

List Building And The Benefits Of Your Subscriber List

So why is list building so important to the success of my online business? As an illustration, let?s assume you promote weight loss cookbooks and you distributed one about low fat food preparation to someone. If you really had a system in place, when they buy your book they would instantly be signed up to your mailing list or newsletter, this way you can send informative newsletters and promote various other cookbooks at the same time. Given that this person already bought one product from you, you know they are a buyer and more apt to purchase other products from you in the future as long as they are about the same subject.

At this stage we will focus on someone advertising an e-book that shows people the way to do their own arts and crafts at home. Should you have your own list of people that were into arts and crafts, that you can email every week and market your arts and crafts e-book to, you would certainly make more sales.

Did you realize that every list member is well worth $1 a month, this is an average that every Internet marketing expert agrees with. So why don?t we say you end up building a huge list of 5,000 individuals who are all interested in one type of niche, your list should be making you about $5,000 each month.

OK Lists Are Very Important But Precisely How Do I Setup One

If you want to build a list of members and do it the right way there are some things you are most likely going to need. A web site will be the very first thing you will plan to get. When it involves an auto-responder, you can simply find a service online to take proper care of the list for you. Aweber is a pretty good place to start. And then in order to get people to sign up for your list, you will need something of value to give them as a reward when they sign up.

As soon as you have these items it is time to move on to the next step and start building your list. Let?s stay with the arts and crafts niche market for this case in point. Now that you have this far, has that stirred your in any way? Wedding Photographer in Houston is a area with many sub-topics you can read about. We other folks think these points are in their search. You should about making too many until the big picture is clear. Do you know the kind of that will help? If not, then you should more about this. You have a base of a few points, and we will make that much for you as follows. You have your domain address so now you just have to go on the web and find a free squeeze page creator and build a simple page offering your free gift. On this webpage you will also have your online form from your auto-responder so that people can easily sign up in order to obtain their free gift. Once these people enter their data and click the submit button, your auto responder will send them an email immediately to have them verify that it was their email address that had joined. After they click the link in the email, they will be saved in your list and they will furthermore be redirected to the webpage where they can download their free product. And that is actually all there is to it. Each and every time you give away one of your products and solutions you get a new person on your subscriber list that you can promote to for many years to come.

laid the very basic for you in this article. Wedding Photographer Houston is simply a area of knowledge that can take a time to master. But you can gain the advantage with more in-depth . The good for you is that a amount of the has been done.

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Surety bonds and other hidden costs entrepreneurs should plan for ...

When starting a business, entrepreneurs know they need to plan a budget that funds, at minimum, the entire first year of operating costs. Unfortunately, hidden start-up costs almost always come along with starting a new business. These hidden costs often result in a shortage of funding at inopportune times. As such, entrepreneurs should identify all potential start-up costs before developing their final financial plans.

Even though many major industries legally require professionals to maintain surety bonds, their costs often come as a surprise to entrepreneurs. Bonding is often the first big budget buster because it?s typically required before an entrepreneur can apply for a business license.

So, what kind of professions require surety bonds?

A myriad of industries require business owners to purchase surety bond insurance before they can be licensed. Surety bonds provide financial guarantees that protect consumers rather than the policy holder. As such, those required to purchase surety bonds typically work in industries that provide services to consumers. The following professions are just a few that almost always require surety bonds as a part of the licensing process:

  • auto dealers
  • cleaning or janitorial companies
  • construction professionals
  • collection agencies
  • heath care professionals
  • mortgage professionals
  • telemarketers

The exact bonding requirements entrepreneurs must fulfill vary depending on state laws. For example, an auto dealer in Florida needs a $25,000 surety bonds whereas a California auto dealer needs a $50,000 surety bond.

Generally speaking, the bigger the bond, the higher the cost. Sureties also review the financial records of all clients, and those with low credit scores typically pay higher premiums for their bonds. If an entrepreneur doesn?t set aside the necessary funds to pay for a surety bond, getting a business license could take much more time than anticipated.

What are some other hidden costs to starting a business?

Once entrepreneurs purchase their bonds as required, they can apply for a business license. However, hidden start-up costs don?t stop with surety bonds. When preparing to start a business, entrepreneurs might also need to set aside money for

  • license and registration fees
  • business incorporation
  • rent
  • utilities
  • Internet service
  • office supplies
  • background checks for job applicants
  • financial advisers/accountants
  • lawyer fees

These are just a few examples of hidden costs that can adversely affect entrepreneurial budgets. Without planning for all potential costs, entrepreneurs could run out of funds and find themselves in financial ruin. When it comes to budgeting for a new enterprise, entrepreneurs should know it?s better to be safe than sorry. Eliminating the opportunity for hidden costs to pop up allows entrepreneurs to create realistic budgets they can stick to.

Kevin Kaiser is a co-founder of SuretyBonds.com, a surety bond company that issues bonds to help entrepreneurs get their enterprises up-and-running as soon as possible. As a part of its educational outreach program, SuretyBonds.com provides informational articles to help entrepreneurs understand the legal implications related to bonding and business start-ups.

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Friday, March 30, 2012

PrePaid Legal ? A Review of the Business Opportunity ? dittos-rush ...

There have been so many instances when we have needed expert legal opinion. We?ve been cheated by bogus holiday rentals, taken for a ride by false salesmen or duped by real estate agents who?ve fed you with a heap of lies. But most people don?t really approach a lawyer for help unless it?s absolutely necessary because of the high costs and hassles involved. Prepaid legal services Inc. is a venture started to help people get expert legal services as and when they required for a low monthly fee.

How It All Started ? Background Of The Company

The foundation for PrePaid legal Inc was laid in 1969 when Harland C.Stonecipher got into a vehicle accident that left him in a legal tangle with lots of bills to pay. He started a scheme to offer legal assistance for a small monthly fee. In 1983, PrePaid legal was established as an MLM company to sell its plans through associates. The headquarters of this company is in Ada, Oklahama. Now the company has offices in 50 states and in Canada. In the following years, the company went on to win several accolades and grew in size. However it also had its share of lawsuits from dissatisfied customers as well as representatives.

What Does This Program Offer?

If you are a member with Prepaid Legal Services Inc, you could use legal services of expert attorneys for documentations and research work, wills, assistance in traffic violation issues, insurance claims, general minor attorney services and legal help in auto theft cases. Divorce, bankruptcy and criminal charges are not included in the services provided; but as a member, you could get a discount of up to 25% for such cases. The Firm also offers an identity theft monitoring and restoration service. The monthly fee for this service is $17.

The PrePaid Legal Associate Program

Become an associate by paying the startup fee of $49. Earn between $69 and $250 for each order you bring in. As in other network marketing businesses, there are lots of bonuses and perks along the way that?ll make you sit up and take notice of the business opportunity. Associates get paid as soon as their referral?s membership form is logged in, so you wouldn?t have to wait for your commissions. Associates are backed by good support from the company and offered training in promoting the business.

The Other Side

The way the opportunity?s projected, you?d think you could easily earn a five figure salary every month. But the truth is ? most enthusiastic associates have been disillusioned in this business. You may have a vast network of friends, but not everyone shows the same interest as you in this program. The challenges faced by reps in this business are:

- Most people don?t need legal services regularly; hence they wouldn?t want to spend so much money on prepaid legal services.

- As an associate, you are encouraged to contact people you know and call them to hotel parties to make them join the program. Your demo parties may be very motivating; but frankly, parties to most people mean something else. Not a marketing program that?s going to coax them into buying membership for plans they?re not sure about.

- There?s no use in running behind people who?re not interested in your scheme and pleading with them to become members. There can be nothing as irritating as a sales person who keeps calling up on weekends and disturbing one?s peace.

Winning Strategies

The way you market your business could completely change your income potential. In the network marketing field, people are either completely frustrated or brilliantly successful. Interactive marketing of your business through the internet is sure to fetch you good results. You just need to know the right knacks to promote your services and get people to contact you.

Source: http://dittos-rush.com/prepaid-legal-a-review-of-the-business-opportunity/

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Snooki cuddles up to her fiance! Plus, check out more stars' cute, candid and crazy Twitter photos

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Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Alicia Silverstone Chews Food, Regurgitates It Into Baby's Mouth


Apparently Alicia Silverstone chews food and regurgitates it into her 10-month-old son's mouth to nourish him. We know because she posted a video of this.

Alicia posted the video on her blog this weekend - well played once again, Internet - claiming it's her "favorite" way to feed her son Bear Blu (his real name).

"He literally crawls across the room to attack my mouth if I’m eating," she says, without offering an explanation of why she engages in this behavior. Enjoy:

Is Alicia just trying to spare Bear Blu the arduous task of chewing? Does she believe there is some other health benefit to this? We may never know.

As for what they're eating, Alicia's a staunch vegan and is raising her son to be too, so we're guessing it's some delish soy tofu thing PETA hearts her for.

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/03/alicia-silverstone-chews-food-regurgitates-it-into-babys-mouth/

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Wife defends soldier accused in Afghan rampage

SEATAC, Wash. (AP) ? The wife of a U.S. soldier accused of killing 17 Afghan civilians says her husband showed no signs of PTSD before he deployed, and she doesn't feel like she'll ever believe he was involved in the killings.

"I don't know a lot about the symptoms of PTSD, so I wouldn't know," Karilyn Bales told NBC's "Today" show. "He doesn't have nightmares, you know, things like that. No dreams," she said.

She defended her husband, Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, in a weekend interview with Matt Lauer that aired on Monday. Officials say Bales left his base March 11 in southern Afghanistan and killed eight Afghan adults and nine children.

The wife of the Joint Base Lewis-McChord soldier said the accusations are "unbelievable to me."

"He loves children, he's like a big kid himself," she said. "I have no idea what happened, but he would not ... he loves children, and he would not do that."

He was formally charged Friday with 17 counts of premeditated murder and other crimes, and is being held at a U.S. military prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kan.

Karilyn Bales was in a grocery store when she first heard of the rampage in a phone call from her parents.

"They said well it looks like a U.S. soldier, some Afghan civilians were killed by a soldier," she said.

She learned more when she got home.

"I saw 38-year-old staff sergeant, and I don't think there are very many of those, and I probably prayed and prayed that my husband wasn't involved," she said. "And then, I received a phone call from the Army saying that they would like to come out and talk to me. And I was relieved, because when you get a phone call, you know that your soldier is not deceased."

She was told about the shootings.

"They held my hand and they just said that perhaps, you know, they thought that he had left the base, and gone out and perhaps killed the Afghan civilians, and that was really the only sentence, and I just started crying," she said.

The deaths of the nine Afghan children are especially difficult.

"It's heartbreaking. I can't imagine losing my children, so my heart definitely goes out to them for losing all of their children."

Bales was on his fourth tour of duty in a war zone, having served three tours in Iraq, where he suffered a head injury and a foot injury. His civilian attorney, John Henry Browne, had said the soldier and his family had thought he was done fighting.

"It was a big shock because we weren't on the schedule to be deployed again, to be honest with you. He didn't want to miss out on any more of his kids' life," Karilyn Bales told "Today."

Bales said she feels he was mentally fit when he was deployed. He never told her about a traumatic brain injury he suffered while in Iraq, until he returned home.

"Not until he came back and said that he, you know, had been blown up," she said. "He shielded me from a lot of what he went through. He's a very tough guy."

U.S. investigators have said they believe Bales killed in two episodes, returning to his base after the first attack and later slipping away to kill again. He is reported to have surrendered without a struggle.

Karilyn Bales has spoken to her husband by telephone twice since he was detained. The soldier called his wife first from overseas shortly after massacre, and then last week from Fort Leavenworth.

They didn't talk about what happened.

"Not on the monitored phone call. So we couldn't discuss those details. He was ? seemed a bit confused. As to where he was and why he was there," she said.

She says he'll probably tell her about it when they meet.

"I don't think anything will really change my mind in believing that he did not do this. This is not what it appears to be," she said.

The couple has two young children, a girl named Quincy and a boy named Bobby. They are now living on the base at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

The Bales family had a Seattle-area home condemned, struggled to make payments on another and failed to get a promotion a year ago. Karilyn Bales put the family's Lake Tapps, Wash., home up for sale days before the rampage.

The youngest of five brothers, Bales grew up in the working class Cincinnati suburb of Norwood, Ohio. He joined the Army two months after 9/11, after a Florida investment business failed and after he had worked with a string of securities operations.

Karilyn Bales told the "Today" show she has set up a fund to help pay for her husband's legal defense.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/wife-defends-soldier-accused-afghan-rampage-060005974.html

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Monday, March 26, 2012

Tips to select best Gifts to India, Shopping And Product Reviews ...

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Many a times you have thought of sending some gifts for India to mark an event of celebration or otherwise. In this quest, there were also times when you thought of trying those online sites which facilitates in gifting to India on any day. But due to some reason or other, at last you opted out. May be there were some questions of reliability or otherwise. But have you tried the service...

Source: http://www.moojos.com/2012/shopping-and-product-reviews/333093-tips-to-select-best-gifts-to-india.html

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Source: http://wandabollinooe.posterous.com/tips-to-select-best-gifts-to-india-shopping-a

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Source: http://wernercampos400.typepad.com/blog/2012/03/tips-to-select-best-gifts-to-india-shopping-and-product-reviews.html

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Sunday, March 25, 2012

Straightforward Suggestions to Clear Your ... - Feng Shui Elements

March 24, 2012 by homeimprovementguru?

You?ve got a good house with some gorgeous Moroccan illumination in there. Although it?s always simple to established the atmosphere of your house to a more calm and passionate setting, dust and cob internets can also flip the atmosphere a little weird. Anyway, if it is time for many much-needed cleaning for your household illumination, below are great tips which will be convenient for you personally.

Shut off The energy

Until you want to get zapped or even electrocuted when trying to completely clean the Moroccan lighting fixtures, it really is firmly preferable to turn off the ability in your illumination. If you are going to take some time for you to tidy up your house illumination, you might also make note of exactly what has to be washed the day before. Like that, you may at least know on which would be the items and cleaning supplies you will need to get it all done properly. Needless to say when I point out turn off the ability, I mean to show from the power source to the lamps that you are cleansing so your entire area or even home is not stepped in to total darkness.

Cleaning The Outside

Now Moroccan illumination aren?t just gorgeous, they can be quite difficult based on which sort you have at home. The harder costly Moroccan chandeliers will require a lot more energy to completely clean as they have some of bits of intricate cup linked together. The better and smaller sized Moroccan lamps will simply take you a few minutes in order to wipe away virtually any dust which has accrued externally. When they are just plain messy and you are pressed for time, just lightly yet very carefully dust them with a duster. You should hold on to the illumination or even light fixture together with 1 hands in order to steady this so it doesn?t fall away and get into pieces if this visits the floor.

Ensuring The inner Is Clean

Particular lamps or even Moroccan illumination should have the inner part washed as this is actually a good location for insects to reside in. The illumination should have guidelines concerning how to very carefully remove the cup or even steel addressing to either replace the bulbs or even clean within the light fixture. In the event that there is lots of dust and lifeless insects inside of, very carefully remove the addressing and vacuum this clean. Wipe this having a clean dry cloth while you should not get anything moist just in case certain parts of the illumination starts to corrosion.

Summary

For the way much illumination you have to clean, you need to be cautious any time cleansing them while you should not end up breaking or even ruining any of this. Along with preparing and mindful cleansing, this will make sure that your house illumination go longer and look excellent.

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Source: http://www.feng-shui-elements.com/home-improvement-articles/straightforward-suggestions-to-clear-your-moroccan-lights-without-breaking-anything/

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ETF | Merk Hard Currency ETF Now In The Works | Gold Silver ETF

March 24, 2012 ? 4:52 am

Axel Merk , the macro investor known for his expertise in currencies, is part of a plan to bring to market an etf version of the dollar-bearish Merk Hard Currency Fund he manages?a move that?s reminiscent of how Pimco decided to market the flagship Total Return Fund run by Bill Gross in an ETF wrapper.

The Merk Hard Currency ETF will also be managed by Merk, a German-born investment manager who is president of Palo Alto, Calif.-based Merk Investment LLC. The Merk Hard Currency Fund, his firm?s biggest portfolio, is a nearly seven-year-old actively managed open-ended mutual fund with almost $600 million in assets.

The ETF will normally invest 80 percent of its net assets in hard-currency-denominated investments from countries that appear conducive to long-term price stability, according to regulatory paperwork filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 21. Its investments will be composed of high-quality short-term debt instruments, including sovereign debt and gold.

The new ETF, which will trade on the New York Stock Exchange?s electronic trading platform Arca under the symbol ?HRD,? is being shepherded through the regulatory process by Portland, Maine-based Forum Investment Advisors, which is in the process of obtaining ?exemptive relief? to market active ETF strategies.

Forum filed for the permission from the SEC last summer , and it?s unlikely it would put HRD into registration unless it was close to obtaining exemptive relief.

Forum itself is part of Atlantic Fund Services, which provides custodial and record-keeping services. The prospectus said Foreside Fund Services will be the ETF?s main underwriter and distributor. Forum and the other entities all have the same Portland, Maine address.

Apart from relying on a third party?s exemptive relief, Merk Investments LLC?s plan looks like a repeat of Pimco?s move to create the Pimco Total Return ETF (NYSEArca: TRXT ? News ).

The ETF industry was abuzz as TRXT came to market March 1, which provided a clue as to how Pimco would preserve the cache of its $250 billion Total Return Fund, the world?s biggest mutual fund. While Merk?s currency fund is considerably smaller than the Total Return Fund, it?s move and Pimco?s are the clearest signal yet of how the numerous mutual fund companies that are seeking regulatory permission to market ETFs will approach the ETF market.

The moves suggest that established mutual fund companies are eager to jump onto the ETF bandwagon, but with products that already have clear reputations in the world of investing. By launching ETF versions of such marquee-name funds, Pimco and now Merk may be running the risk of cannibalizing assets from their respective mutual funds, but at least they?ve put in place a mechanism that keeps those assets in-house.

But, crucially, they seem to understand the growing importance of ETFs, which are extolled for their low costs and intraday tradability. The first ETF was launched 19 years ago, and U.S-listed ETF assets now total $1.209 trillion in more than 1,400 securities, according to data compiled by IndexUniverse.

The existing Merk Hard Currency Fund (MERKX) comes with a hefty 1.30 percent annual management fee, and the prospectus outlining the proposed ETF didn?t say how much HRD might cost. But if Pimco?s example is any guide, HRD will be a lot cheaper than the Hard Curreency mutual fund.

Pimco?s TRXT costs 0.55 percent, or 30 basis points cheaper than the ?A? class mutual fund version that?s most appropriate for retail investors. Institutional investors to get that fee down to a no-load 46 basis points. The institutional version of the Hard Currency Fund (MHCIX) costs 1.05 percent, according to Merk Investments? website.

Officials at Merk Investments declined to elaborate on the filing?a function of the so-called quiet period the SEC imposes when a fund is in the registration process.

A Brighter Future For Active ETFs?

A big question looming over the launch of Pimco?s TRXT and Merk?s plan to bring the ETF ?HRD? to market is whether such high-profile moves will breathe life into the relatively undeveloped world of active ETFs. The vast majority?as in 99.6 percent?of ETF assets are in indexed strategies, according to data compiled by IndexUniverse. A total of $5.2 billion is invested in about 40 active funds.

The percentage looks a bit more promising?just shy of 2 percent?if the comparison is confined to fixed-income ETFs. Indeed, the two biggest active ETFs?the Pimco Enhanced Short Maturity Strategy ETF (NYSEArca: MINT ? News ) and the WisdomTree Emerging Markets Local Debt Fund (NYSEArca: ELD ? News ) are focused on fixed income. MINT and ELD have $1.42 billion $1.22 billion in assets, respectively.

When Pimco?s TRXT came to market, a number of ETF industry sources predicted that TRXT would quickly overtake MINT and ELD and quite possibly jump-start the whole active ETF space.TRXT, which was launched with $100 million in seed capital, now has a total of $224.9 million in assets.

What?s more, the percentage of active-to-passive ETF assets looks even more promising in the realm of currency funds?the very world in which Axel Merk has been making his mark.

A total of $890 million, or 15 percent of the $5.97 billion invested in currency ETFs, is in active strategies. Two of the biggest funds in that space are the WisdomTree Dreyfus Emerging Currency ETF (NYSEArca: CEW ? News ) and the WisdomTree Dreyfus Chinese Yuan ETF (NYSEArca: CYB ? News ), which had $341 million and $495.3 million in assets as of March 21, respectively, according to data compiled by IndexUniverse.

HRD?s Strategy

Axel Merk will determine currency allocations based upon analysis of monetary policies pursued by central banks, and will also take into consideration economic environments, according to the prospectus.

The fund, benefiting from what many analysts consider a secular decline in the dollar, has had several years with double-digit returns.

But in 2011, it lost 0.77 percent. Last year, investors rushed to dollar-denominated assets? notably Treasurys ?amid heightened macroeconomic concern following Standard ? Poor?s downgrade of U.S. debt and widespread doubt that eurozone policymakers would be capable of bringing the continent?s debt crisis under control.

To try to reduce interest-rate and credit risk to its portfolio, the ETF will typically maintain a weighted average portfolio maturity of less than 18 months. Also, the fund will only buy money-market or other short-term debt instruments that are issued by entities with an outstanding unsecured debt issue rated in the top three ratings by U.S. nationally recognized ratings services or that Merk considers comparable in quality to instruments rated in the top three ratings.

The paperwork also said that to the extent that the fund invests in gold, it won?t buy actual bullion. Rather, it may get its gold exposure indirectly through exchange-traded products, which could include ETPs sponsored by Merk or its affiliates.

Because the ETF is a hard currency fund, its investment strategy may require it to execute redemptions, in whole or in part, for cash. As a result, itmay pay out higher annual capital gain distributions than if the in-kind redemption process was used exclusively.

In addition, changes in currency exchange rates could affect the U.S. dollar value of the ETF?s investments including foreign securities, forward-currency contracts and cross-currency forwards, the prospectus said.

It wasn?t immediately clear how the ETF version of the Hard Currency Fund might differ from the mutual fund.

Additional reporting by IndexUniverse ETF Analyst Gene Koyfman

Japan ETFs Face Stiff Yen Head Winds

A New Yen For Japan?s Stocks

DXJ: Currency-Hedged Power

Tags: ETF

Source: http://goldsilveretf.net/etf-merk-hard-currency-etf-now-in-the-works/

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Saturday, March 24, 2012

Community Raises Money For Tornado Victims

WLKY.com

Neighbors helping neighbors is the theme of a disaster relief benefit Friday night called Jeff Cares.

Volunteers from the city of Jeffersonville are working together to help raise money for the victims of the March 2 tornadoes.

Jeff Cares is a family-friendly event that features dinner, cash bar, silent auction, live music and other entertainment.

The event runs from 5 p.m. to midnight at 300 Spring in Jeffersonville.

Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for students and children under 10 get in free.

The Clarksville High School baseball team is also raising money for tornado victims. They?re playing a 50-inning wiffle ball game at 3:30 p.m. at Clarksville Little League's Challenger Field.

Raw Aerials: Henryville School

CHS players have been raising money through pledges and donations.

The players and coaches are donating half the proceeds to the Northside Tornado Relief Fund.

Additional money raised during the game will be given directly to the relief fund.

Most Popular Stories at WLKY

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46832688/ns/local_news-louisville_ky/

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Friday, March 23, 2012

'Touch' down from preview but Fox still wins night

[ [ [['Witnesses said the gunman pulled up on a black scooter', 7]], 'http://yhoo.it/GzwOIW', '[Related: New York police tighten security at Jewish sites]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['test Zimmerman for alcohol or drugs', 11]], 'http://yhoo.it/Gzn6VF', '[Related: White House says Trayvon Martin is local issue]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['associated with such a small earthquake', 4]], 'http://yhoo.it/GTco9z', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/0/b4/0b493c1a47b6e3f97f8f48a2b251d7d4.jpeg', '630', ' ', 'AP Photo/Carrie Antlfinger', ], [ [['Fox News host Geraldo Rivera sparked outrage', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/GKMVTk', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/2/7c/27c7367bc512d233ae1790b320a5e92c.jpeg', '630', ' ', 'AP Photo/John Minchillo', ], [ [['The charges signed against Bales include', 1]], 'http://yhoo.it/wZT5zV', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/7/a0/7a07c51b2aa0f39b1a23355046d13870.jpeg', '512', ' ', 'AP Photo/DVIDS\, Spc\. Ryan Hallock\, File', ], [ [['George Zimmerman, if I had a son', 6]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/thousands-protest-fla-teen-death-1332387124-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/os/152/2012/03/22/d761a49f3fcc99080a0f6a70670053cd-jpg_150905.jpg', '500', ' ', 'AP Photo/John Minchillo', ], [ [['Mohamed Merah', 10], ['prosecutor Francois Molins', 5]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/four-dead-in-french-jewish-school-shooting-1332173151-slideshow', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120321/2012_03_21t151508z_425380421_gm1e83l1sqs01_rtrmadp_3_france_shootings_raid.jpg', '630', ' ', 'REUTERS/Jean-Paul Pelissier', ], [ [['Shortly after he wrapped up his victory remarks', 2]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/4-straight-romney-wins-washington-gop-caucus-1330835515-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/3/e9/3e9b0082c3c3111dcc19e3527ae94cc7.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP Photo/Steven Senne', ], [ [['best understands the problems of average Americans', 2]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/4-straight-romney-wins-washington-gop-caucus-1330835515-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/3/e9/3e9b0082c3c3111dcc19e3527ae94cc7.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP Photo/Steven Senne', ], [ [['Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery', 7]], 'http://yhoo.it/GB2RVy', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/os/152/2012/03/20/photo-1332257995646-4-0-jpg_171722.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AFP', ], [ [['xxxxxxxxxxxx', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/russian-grannies-win-bid-to-sing-at-eurovision-1331223625-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/1/56/156d92f2760dcd3e75bcd649a8b85fcf.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP', ] ]

[ [ [['As the standoff dragged into a second day', 7]], '28687424', '0' ], [ [['French police stepped up the search', 17]], '28667224', '0' ], [ [['Seeking to elevate his candidacy back to a general', 8]], '28660934', '0' ], [ [['The tragic story of Trayvon Martin', 4]], '28647343', '0' ], [ [['Karzai will get a chance soon to express', 8]], '28630306', '0' ], [ [['powerful storms stretching', 8]], '28493546', '0' ], [ [['basic norm that death is private', 6]], '28413590', '0' ], [ [['songwriter also saw a surge in sales for her debut album', 6]], '28413590', '1', 'Watch music videos from Whitney Houston ', 'on Yahoo! Music', 'http://music.yahoo.com' ], [ [['keyword', 99999999999999999999999]], 'videoID', '1', 'overwrite-pre-description', 'overwrite-link-string', 'overwrite-link-url' ] ]

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/touch-down-preview-fox-still-wins-night-211821860.html

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Consumers Choosing Short-Term Savings by Consolidating Debt

?

?

LONDON, March 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

In an effort to tackle their personal debt, many consumers are choosing to consolidate debt into a single personal loan, with the objective of saving money in the long term and making repayments simpler. As a result, some of these consumers are visiting price comparison websites, such as comparethemarket.com, to ensure they find the best loan deals.

The current economic climate has left many consumers struggling with personal debt from a number of sources. With credit card bills, hire purchase agreements and overdrafts, the cost of servicing debt can really mount up. By seeking a personal loan to consolidate these debts, consumers are able to make repayment easier and may be able to lower their total interest payments in the long term.

However, to do this effectively, it is important for consumers to find a personal loan with the best possible rate of interest and that best suits their individual circumstances. comparethemarket.com, one of the leading price comparison sites, offers a simple, easy-to-use comparison service, which shows rates and repayment amounts at a glance.

Simon McCulloch, Director of Money at comparethemarket.com, said: "If people are choosing to consolidate their debts with a single loan, it is worth taking the time to find a good deal. Our customers have found comparethemarket.com's loan comparison service extremely useful when searching for the right personal loan. We've introduced sliders to our loans comparison service to help consumers adjust the search results to their own requirements, allowing them to quickly compare information such as provider, representative APR and monthly repayments. Since doing so we've seen many more people using the site to search for loans, and customer feedback has been very positive."

Specialising in more than just car insurance, comparethemarket.com provides customers with an easy way to find the right deal on a wide range of insurance and financial products including home insurance, van insurance, bike insurance, life insurance, pet insurance and credit cards. ?It also offers comparisons for a range of household utilities including electricity, gas, phone, broadband and digital TV.

About comparethemarket.com

  • comparethemarket.com was launched in 2006 and has grown rapidly over the past six years to become one of the UK's leading price comparison websites. ?
  • comparethemarket.com?provides customers with an easy way to make the right choice for them on a wide range of products including motor, home, life, travel and pet insurance as well as utilities and money products such as, credit cards and loans.
  • comparethemarket.com actively selects its brand partners, working with the best and?most trusted organisations?to ensure quality service to consumers.

comparethemarket.com is a trading name of BISL Limited. ?BISL Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

Registered Address: Pegasus House, Bakewell Road, Orton Southgate, Peterborough, PE2 6YS. Registered in England number 3231094.

SOURCE comparethemarket.com

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Source: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/consumers-choosing-short-term-savings-by-consolidating-debt-143942196.html

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Thursday, March 22, 2012

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Exclusive: India to urge airlines to opt out of EU carbon scheme

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India will urge its airlines not to take part in the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), a senior official said, the latest salvo in an escalating row over an EU law requiring all flights in and out of Europe to pay for their emissions.

China in February said its airlines were barred from participating in the scheme unless they get government approval to do so. Beijing has also suspended the purchase of $14 billion worth of planes for Europe's Airbus due to the dispute.

India does not yet plan to ask airlines to cancel Airbus purchases, but that is a possibility if the dispute escalates, the Indian official said.

The official, with direct knowledge of talks between the EU and other countries on the issue, told Reuters that India would soon ask local airlines not to share emissions data with the bloc or buy any carbon credits.

If the European Commission retaliated by suspending Indian airlines from flying to Europe, India would make similar moves and consider charging an "unreasonable" amount for flying over India, the official said on Monday.

"We have lots of measures to take if the EU does not go back on its demands. We have the power of the economy; we are not bleeding as they are," the government official said, adding that Europe's position would harm its own economy and airlines.

The Indian government is awaiting formal approval from several ministries to implement the order to airlines, which it expects soon, the official said.

"The questions is, 'Are you (the EU) provoking the world into a trade war?" the official said.

FAST-GROWING MARKET

Amber Dubey, director for aviation at global consultancy KPMG, said India was in the midst of a huge increase in the size of both its civilian and defense fleets, with a significant share of the orders coming from European suppliers.

"The EU-ETS issue is escalating fears of a trade war between the EU and the rest of the world.?There is a chance that the government may decide to use these large aircraft orders as a negotiating tool," Dubey said.

European planemaker Airbus has a 73 percent share of the commercial plane market in India. It has orders for more than 250 planes with IndiGo, Go Air and Kingfisher Airlines, making fast-growing India a crucial growth market.

Foreign governments say the EU is exceeding its legal jurisdiction by charging for an entire flight, as opposed to just the part covering European airspace.

But Europe's highest court ruled in December that the EU law did not breach international agreements.

The EU scheme has been widely criticised by the aviation industry, and on Tuesday Indonesia's state-owned airline Garuda said it might stop flying to Amsterdam in response.

"If (the regulation) is too costly, we could be forced to close our European routes," President Director Emirsyah Satar told Reuters.

Thai Airways President Piyasvasti Amranand said the state-controlled airline also opposed the EU law, but declined to comment on its impact on plane purchases.

"If nothing changes, this will cost us 200-300 million baht $6.5-$9.75 million) a year starting 2013," Piyasvasti said.

"I do agree with the idea of reducing carbon emissions but the way EU has come up with the calculation for making airlines pay is something we feel is unfair."

DISRUPTIVE DISPUTE

India this month inadvertently delayed approval of some European summer schedules by a day, which disrupted the flight schedules of many European airlines.

The official said India may use that example to show how disruptive a dispute with the country could be.

"If things continue like this, then European airlines will be forced to avoid flying over India and go over the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal," the official said. "That's not viable for them. They won't have fuel to do that."

The European Commission has said it introduced a carbon cost for all flights, because well over a decade of talks at the United Nations' International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) had failed to agree on a way to curb the sector's rising emissions.

The escalation of international tension over the EU's scheme has accelerated efforts at the ICAO to come up with a global plan. At a meeting last week, it directed a working group to continue studying the options and report back in June.

The European Commission has said it will modify its law if the ICAO can deliver a convincing alternative and is doing its best to help.

"The EU is working hard to achieve a global agreement. The sooner the better. And it is really encouraging how strongly the ICAO Secretariat tries to move things forward," Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard said in an emailed comment. ($1 = 30.7250 Thai baht)

(Additional reporting by Barbara Lewis in Brussels, Reza Thaher in Jakarta and Ploy Ten Kate and Manunphattr Dhanananphorn in Bangkok; Editing by Tony Munroe, Alex Richardson and Jonathan Hopfner)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/exclusive-india-urge-airlines-opt-eu-carbon-scheme-105635087.html

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Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Someone made a robot that can play 'Angry Birds'

8 hrs.

While the BitbeamBot can do more than just play everyone's favorite smart phone game, its inventor figured it would be a fun way to demonstrate his creation's capabilities.

Jason Huggins, founder and CEO of Sauce Labs, recently demoed his robot at the PyCon 2012, a convention dedicated to the Python, a computer programming language. In the following, he explains the genesis of the project, which originally had nothing do with goofing off and playing games:

As Huggins touches upon, things built need to be tested, an un-fun fact of life that has been around since the dawn of civilization. In modern times, such necessary monotony used to be in the form of a button that had to be pressed over and over again.

With the advent of touch screen interfaces, swiping across a screen might take it's place, which the BitbeamBot hopes to take care off ... before it rises up and kills us all, that is.

At the very least, according to The Unofficial Apple Weblog, the BitbeamBot is apparently very good at "Angry Birds." And I can't seem to recall the T-800 having any kind of personality trait of its own, other than learning how to say "hasta la vista, baby" in "Terminator 2."?

--

Matthew Hawkins is an NYC-based game journalist who has also written for EGM, GameSetWatch, Gamasutra, Giant Robot and numerous others. He also self-publishes his own game culture zine, is part of?Attract Mode, and co-hosts?The Fangamer Podcast. You can keep tabs on him via?Twitter,?or his personal home-base,?FORT90.com.

Source: http://www.ingame.msnbc.msn.com/technology/ingame/someone-made-robot-can-play-angry-birds-498626#/technology/ingame/

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Google Calls Shenanigans on MPAA's DMCA Interpretation [File Sharing]

The MPAA has a well-earned reputation for, shall we say, "molding" their facts. But with its latest lawsuit against Hotfile, the group has apparently gone too far for Google's tastes. The search giant has just filed an Amicus brief objecting to the MPAA's "distortion" of the DMCA. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/Ymw07GGQdwo/google-calls-shenanigans-on-mpaas-dmca-interpretation

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Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Stopping marketers from treating customers like monkeys

Stopping marketers from treating customers like monkeys [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 20-Mar-2012
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Contact: Sean Nealon
sean.nealon@ucr.edu
951-827-1287
University of California - Riverside

UC Riverside marketing professors receive grant to study, among other things, Facebook 'Likes' and Foursquare 'Mayors'

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (www.ucr.edu) Ever wonder about the marketing value of Facebook "likes," being the "mayor" of a store on Foursquare or Google news badges?

Gamification, which involves the addition of game play elements into marketing programs, consumer products and online applications to increase consumer engagement and support marketing strategies, is seeping into marketing, but its effects are unknown.

"This has the potential to get pretty out of control," said Hoffman, the Albert O. Steffey Professor of Marketing. "Marketers are starting to treat customers like monkeys. They are dangling large bananas. You walk in a store: 'Here's your banana. Now buy something.' It's important to step back and study the implications of this."

Hoffman and Novak, who have done pioneering research in social media, online consumer behavior, and digital marketing trends, will take that step back with the seed grant from the Marketing Science Institute's (MSI) Idea Challenge competition.

Within a year, they plan to hold a workshop where a small group of thought leader academics and practitioners will identify key research themes related to the gamification of marketing.

Following the workshop, MSI will hold a research competition to support the best ideas and then there will be a larger conference where the winners will discuss their ideas and results.

Hoffman and Novak believe there is an urgent need to address the gamification of marketing because marketers are incorporating game design into applications without input from professional game designers and game design is proceeding with little input from marketers.

For example, game mechanics are "baking in" constructs, such as the "like" button, that will be difficult, if not impossible, to change. Meanwhile, marketers really don't know what "liking" something means.

In their proposal, Hoffman and Novak list 24 apps, activities, programs, and networks that incorporate gamification elements. These include: Android Marketplace, Foursquare, Groupon, iTunes App Store, Shopkick and Zynga.

They also list a variety of companies that have used the gamification of marketing. These include Buffalo Wild Wings using SCVNGR, Green Giant using Farmville and USA Network's Club Psych.

Hoffman and Novak argue marketers first need to focus on fundamentals and then game elements so they can better understand which applications and activities are suitable for gamification and what elements are likely to be successful in achieving marketing objectives.

Fundamentals include understanding when to gamify, creating demand for gamified applications, motivating purchases within those applications, and then developing applications that use game concepts to achieve the appropriate marketing objectives such as brand awareness, brand engagement and purchase intent.

They expect the research will draw from a variety of fields including consumer behavior, neuroeconomics, cognitive psychology, communication studies, information design, arts and visual design and marketing strategy.

###


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Stopping marketers from treating customers like monkeys [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 20-Mar-2012
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Contact: Sean Nealon
sean.nealon@ucr.edu
951-827-1287
University of California - Riverside

UC Riverside marketing professors receive grant to study, among other things, Facebook 'Likes' and Foursquare 'Mayors'

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (www.ucr.edu) Ever wonder about the marketing value of Facebook "likes," being the "mayor" of a store on Foursquare or Google news badges?

Gamification, which involves the addition of game play elements into marketing programs, consumer products and online applications to increase consumer engagement and support marketing strategies, is seeping into marketing, but its effects are unknown.

"This has the potential to get pretty out of control," said Hoffman, the Albert O. Steffey Professor of Marketing. "Marketers are starting to treat customers like monkeys. They are dangling large bananas. You walk in a store: 'Here's your banana. Now buy something.' It's important to step back and study the implications of this."

Hoffman and Novak, who have done pioneering research in social media, online consumer behavior, and digital marketing trends, will take that step back with the seed grant from the Marketing Science Institute's (MSI) Idea Challenge competition.

Within a year, they plan to hold a workshop where a small group of thought leader academics and practitioners will identify key research themes related to the gamification of marketing.

Following the workshop, MSI will hold a research competition to support the best ideas and then there will be a larger conference where the winners will discuss their ideas and results.

Hoffman and Novak believe there is an urgent need to address the gamification of marketing because marketers are incorporating game design into applications without input from professional game designers and game design is proceeding with little input from marketers.

For example, game mechanics are "baking in" constructs, such as the "like" button, that will be difficult, if not impossible, to change. Meanwhile, marketers really don't know what "liking" something means.

In their proposal, Hoffman and Novak list 24 apps, activities, programs, and networks that incorporate gamification elements. These include: Android Marketplace, Foursquare, Groupon, iTunes App Store, Shopkick and Zynga.

They also list a variety of companies that have used the gamification of marketing. These include Buffalo Wild Wings using SCVNGR, Green Giant using Farmville and USA Network's Club Psych.

Hoffman and Novak argue marketers first need to focus on fundamentals and then game elements so they can better understand which applications and activities are suitable for gamification and what elements are likely to be successful in achieving marketing objectives.

Fundamentals include understanding when to gamify, creating demand for gamified applications, motivating purchases within those applications, and then developing applications that use game concepts to achieve the appropriate marketing objectives such as brand awareness, brand engagement and purchase intent.

They expect the research will draw from a variety of fields including consumer behavior, neuroeconomics, cognitive psychology, communication studies, information design, arts and visual design and marketing strategy.

###


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-03/uoc--smf031912.php

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