The Runt

Money skills in kids- why the delay?

admin — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 18:33:43 +0000

There was a time when money did not play a very important role in our lives it. Mankind had not developed as much as it has developed today. The sense of what is mine and what is yours was not as rigid and obvious as it is today. People were happy bartering their services and goods and lived off the land in harmony. Whether we ought to go back to the past is not the question.

The question here is that why do we not think of providing education and training in money management to all kids. Why is it that in school training focuses on various skills and abilities but never focuses on proper money management? It is said that the lessons we learn in our young age stay with us throughout our lives. In such a scenario, why is it that we waste 15 to 17 years before developing money management skills in children? Children are taught how to walk within the second year of their existence. Why?

Well, a human being cannot survive if he or she does not walk, right? Parents understand this point and try to inculcate this habit as early as possible. Well, you will start handling money by the time you are eight or 10 years old and will be handing money till the very day you die. Even after you retire, you will not stop handling money completely, right?

In such a scenario, why is it that this particular skill is not given any importance whatsoever? There are some individuals who feel that this skill should be inculcated in children as they enter their teenage. Well, there is no harm in introducing children to the world of money as early as possible. In any case, making use of money will provide additional incentive to the children to work harder at mathematics. On the whole, there is simply no sense in delaying or ignoring this training completely.

Domestic Trading Services for FTSE

admin — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 14:04:05 +0000

The Financial Times and Stock Exchange (FTSE) was founded in 1773 and is part of the London Stock Exchange (LSE). To be listed on the FTSE firms must have 3 years worth of accounts prior to listing, a company prospectus for potential shareholders and minimum of 25% share capital issued to the general public. Domestic Trading Services for FTSE are designed to maximise liquidity in the stocks traded on trading platform in FTSE Day Trading.

SETS

SETS is an electronic trading service offering a mixture of electronic order driven trade with market maker liquidity provision. SETS enables stockbrokers to submit orders and trade by using an electronic order book. But the SETS service is limited to FTSE 100 stocks and a couple of the FTSE 250 stocks.

SEAQ

This is the stock exchange automated quotation system (SEAQ). It is a quote driven system and the trading is completed via telephone. The dealers submits quotes and market makers compete while completeting transactions with each other. This trading service is only for the AIM securities with a fixed interest rate.

SETSqx

The SETSqx stock exchange electronic trading service quotes and crosses. This allows a maximum of four electronic auctions a day, along with quote-driven market making

Apart from the Domestic trading Services, there are also a number of International Trading Services. These include the International order book (an electronic order book that is used for trading depositary receipts), the International Bulletin Board (an electronic order book used to trade secondary listed international securities on ther LSE) and EUROSETS (an order driven trading service for trading in secondary market in Dutch equities). The EUROSETS are usually liquid, mid-cap and large and specializing in AEX and AMX indices. The European Quoting service is a quote-driven market making and trade reporting service solely for liquid MiFID securities.The European Trade reporting is a service for non liquid MiFID securities.

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Down with Christmas

admin — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 00:01:56 +0000

There are only two things I like about Christmas; iced mince pies and the fact that at some time, on some channel you will be able to watch ‘The Great Escape’ on TV. Aside from that, I find the whole event pretty tedious and stressful. From the moment in November when you start racking your brains trying to think of presents you can get your senile grandmother or your workaholic Dad to the post-Christmas dinner washing up session when it usually takes a year’s supply of cleaning chemicals to remove the bits of burnt turkey from the roasting tin, it’s all horrendous. ‘Tis the season to be jolly? ‘Tis the season to disappear off to somewhere warm and sunny and forget all about your family and friends, I say!

Which is why I have decided to do what I’ve always threatened and spend Christmas alone. I’ve had to tell a few white lies to my Mum so that she thinks I’ll be with friends (good job this blog is anonymous, eh?) and some people have taken a lot of convincing that I genuinely want to be by myself and that this isn’t all some attention-grabbing stunt, but the plan is slowly beginning to take shape. I’ve been thinking about what would constitute my perfect Christmas Day, and the basic rule seems to be that apart from the two things I mentioned earlier, there will be no obvious sign that it’s Christmas at all.

No tree, decorations, turkey and definitely no festive songs - ever since one hellish year when my Grandma put her “Xmas Hits” in repeat during a three-hour meal I’ve started to twitch uncontrollably whenever I hear the first few notes of White Christmas. At least that’s the plan. Maybe the festive spirit will get to me before December 25, but for now (as Scrooge would say) Christmas is cancelled!

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Being A Good Illustrator Is A Never Ending Task

admin — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 10:52:19 +0000

I once read that war is 95% boredom and 5% insanity. Soldiers often have to walk over long distances only to discover that they are in the middle of a firefight at the very next second. In such a scenario, maintaining one’s attention and focus can become very difficult task. This is pretty much the case with the world of illustration as well. I work on many projects that are very standard and almost boring. Ever so often, I get a project which compels me to utilize my skills to the fullest. Such a project need not pay a lot but the challenge is so exciting that I find it impossible to give it up.

I manage to maintain focus and keep my skills intact by constantly pushing my boundaries. When I am drive on the road, I look around and ask myself how I would present the information around me through illustrations. How will I convert the glaring neon board promising cheapest laser eye surgery into an illustration? Will I keep it funny? Will I rely on the reader’s natural intelligence or make it simple?

In some cases, I manage to lay my hands on paper and pen and come up with minor illustrations on the spot. Of course, I would be paid for this task in an ideal world but I keep these bits and pieces of paper as reminders of my enthusiasm for the profession.

Some people find it very odd that I spend bulk of my time drawing stuff on odd pieces of paper. However, they fail to understand that it is not just a job I do but also a part of who I am. This is the reason why coming up with good illustrations is so difficult. If you are really immerse yourself in it, you will discover that the opportunities for making illustrations never really end.

Illustrations – Simplifying Information On The Web

admin — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 10:52:15 +0000

Why are illustrations important? Well, illustrations happen to be the universal language on the internet. How many times have you visited a web page in a foreign language only to successfully navigated using illustrations? Well, just a simple sign that points towards a hyperlink may help you understand that the message being given here is - customer data management webpage - click here. This is the reason why illustrations are so popular amongst webmasters. It is a very simple and efficient method of conveying data.

Napoleon once said that it is important not to be misunderstood as compared to being understood. This is particularly true in case of webmasters. It is very easy for people to take offense at some real or imagined insult by the designer of the web page. In such a scenario, using illustrations can help overcome numerous potentially dangerous areas and issues.

Of course, the wonderful advantage of illustrations only means that good illustrators are in very high demand. It is obvious that an illustration which is expected to simplify the message being sent by the webmasters should be simple in itself. However, the process of making a good illustration is very complex. An expert illustrator will find it very difficult to explain how he or she comes up with the right ideas. It is intuitive and the individual often works on the basis of gut instinct.

Asking the expert to explain is no different than asking Michelangelo to explain why he decided to come up with the sculpture of Jesus Christ with Mother Mary. He may be in a position to tell you how he executed the project but he certainly will not been a position tell you why he decided to come up with this idea. Their same is true in case of illustrators as well.

New Annuity Rules in the UK

admin — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 18:33:03 +0000

The government is already warming up to the changing of the rules governing annuities. An annuity is a kind of special policy that enables pensioners to have a guaranteed pension.

The old rule

Normally, anyone reaching the age of 75 is expected to buy annuity, especially if they have personal or company money purchase pension.

The rule presently allows pensioners to convert any kind of built up capital they have in any personal pension policy to a regular pension that will give them income throughout their lives. The pensioners are expected to convert their pension pot into income at the specified age. The system was like cleaning with water all you life and then at a certain age you must change to using cleaning chemicals.

Reason for the change

Several factors are responsible for the change in the rule. One of the factors is the pressure meted out to the government by investors. The investors said that the deadline mandates the pensioners to purchase annuity even when the rate is poor.

Changes

Owners of a minimum of £20,000 annual lifetime pension income will have the ability to ‘drawdown'on their funds. The level of these withdrawals will not be limited.

Anyone whose annual pension income is less than £20,000 there will be a cap equivalent to 100% of the annuity fund value.

There will no longer be a requirement to purchase and annuity by the age of 75. Thus individuals can delay the purchase indefinitely.

The rules that governed the payment of a lump sum after the age of 75 is being removed include the tax-free lump sum payment when the individual retires.

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New Annuity Rules in the UK

admin — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 17:33:13 +0000

The government is already warming up to the changing of the rules governing annuities. An annuity is a kind of special policy that enables pensioners to have a guaranteed pension.

The old rule

Normally, anyone reaching the age of 75 is expected to buy annuity, especially if they have personal or company money purchase pension.

Reason for the change

Changes

Owners of a minimum of £20,000 annual lifetime pension income will have the ability to ‘drawdown'on their funds. The level of these withdrawals will not be limited.

Anyone whose annual pension income is less than £20,000 there will be a cap equivalent to 100% of the annuity fund value.

There will no longer be a requirement to purchase and annuity by the age of 75. Thus individuals can delay the purchase indefinitely.

The rules that governed the payment of a lump sum after the age of 75 is being removed include the tax-free lump sum payment when the individual retires.

Causes Of Vertigo in Dogs

admin — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 05:33:04 +0000

Recently I was told that my dear dog Rufus has Vertigo and I did not know hat that as. So here goes as I share what I know with you.

Vertigo is a feeling of dizziness. A person may feel that he is moving when actually there is no movement at all, like when looking up at banner stands. It is very rare in dogs, so when detected should be taken seriously and acted upon quickly. Usually it is seen in older dogs.

Like in humans, vertigo in dogs is characterized by loss of balance, and difficulty in standing. Sometimes it might be due to something as minor as an over tight collar that has cut the air supply. But if it persists, and the dog is completely unable to stand and has abnormal movements of the eyes, it should be taken to the vet immediately.

The causes for vertigo vary. Just like in humans, sometimes it might be due to an infection in the inner ear. Over exposure to hazardous chemicals is known to have triggered vertigo. Liver problems, indigestion and malnutrition also are reasons for it. Sometimes vertigo happens when there are neurological problems like the growth of a tumor. Vertigo can also result from stress and overexertion. Whatever the cause is, you need the help of a vet to determine the situation.

The best way to prevent vertigo in dogs is to keep them in good health. Make sure its food is nutritious and that it gets adequate rest.

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Minimise your interview nerves

admin — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 15:04:11 +0000

Some people are cool, calm and collected when going for a job interview. Others are a mess for no real reason: they have the right experience, they’re good at what they do, and it makes absolutely zero sense! So, then, if you’re in the latter group then you need to get some serious techniques down to calm those nerves. If you don’t you’re asking for trouble.

Technique one: positive thinking. On a piece of paper, list all your positive attributes and the things you do well. Don’t focus too much on the things you’re not so good at. Then review it and hopefully you’ll be filled with a new found confidence.

Technique two: you may be extra nervous wondering about what kind of questions they are going to ask you, right? So write some down and practice answering them. Do this in the mirror, if possible. Get used to the idea of you sitting there actually speaking and it’ll be easier when you have to actually do it.

Technique three: this may sound ludicrous, but practice walking into a room to meet a stranger. Practice the greeting and the sitting down. Also include the whole getting-your-CV-and-stuff-out thing, as this is the bit that tends to make people especially nervous. You don’t want to go and drop it all on the floor now, do you?

Technique four: think of abstract questions they might throw at you and provide answers to them. The more abstract the better. If they are questions about homeware or dolphins then all the better! This will set you up for taking on literally any scenario: great for the low confidence.

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(Not) loving the beautiful game

admin — Sat, 28 May 2011 19:03:24 +0000

The roar of the crowd. The building tension as the goal is about to happen…the screaming and the chanting as the end of the match, the end of a season, is about to be decided. The whole world on tenter-hooks…

Me? I couldn’t give a monkeys. And I am not on tenter-hooks, I can tell you that much, my friend. I just don’t get what all the fuss is about with this football thing. I wish I did, but I don’t, and there’s not much I can do about that now, is there?

Well, perhaps I am wrong. The other day, while my dork of a friend fixed my Antivirus , we got talking about whether or not I could LEARN to love football. I disagreed, but took up the challenge of watching an entire football match anyway. That may not sound like a big deal to you, but trust me, for myself it is a serious undertaking indeed. It’s a huuuuuuge deal!

So how did it go? Actually, thanks for asking, and it didn’t go too bad! There was one moment when I’m sure – at least, I think I’m sure – that I started to feel something like passion for the ’beautiful game’. Alright, I wasn’t getting hot and bothered and pumping with testosterone, but it was a start. A good start. I’d say I am open to the idea of football now where I wasn’t before, so in many ways it was some kind of a success.

We’ll see how I go from here, then…