How do you picture your retirement - travelling the globe? Living by the seaside and enjoying the sun? Sadly, millions of people will find such a comfortable existence out of reach, unless they start saving more into their pension.
Four in 10 people are not saving enough for their retirement and two in 10 are not saving anything at all, according to research from AXA.
Andy Zanelli, head of retirement planning at AXA Wealth, says: "Rising longevity means retirement is likely to be longer than ever before. Planning ahead and taking control of your financial future as early as possible is vital."
The good news is that it is never too late - or too early - to begin saving for the future. We explain how to get started whatever your age.
Friday, November 30, 2012
How to save for your future - 20-39 year olds
How do you picture your retirement - travelling the globe? Living by the seaside and enjoying the sun? Sadly, millions of people will find such a comfortable existence out of reach, unless they start saving more into their pension.
Four in 10 people are not saving enough for their retirement and two in 10 are not saving anything at all, according to research from AXA.
Andy Zanelli, head of retirement planning at AXA Wealth, says: "Rising longevity means retirement is likely to be longer than ever before. Planning ahead and taking control of your financial future as early as possible is vital."
The good news is that it is never too late - or too early - to begin saving for the future. We explain how to get started whatever your age.
Four in 10 people are not saving enough for their retirement and two in 10 are not saving anything at all, according to research from AXA.
Andy Zanelli, head of retirement planning at AXA Wealth, says: "Rising longevity means retirement is likely to be longer than ever before. Planning ahead and taking control of your financial future as early as possible is vital."
The good news is that it is never too late - or too early - to begin saving for the future. We explain how to get started whatever your age.
Too many marathons can kill, warn doctors
Fitness fanatics should do “just one or a few” marathons or full-distance triathlons, say the cardiologists, because over-exerting the heart for years can lead to long-term damage.
There is now convincing evidence that repeatedly asking the heart to pump “massive” volumes of blood, for hours at a time, can lead to an array of problems, they say.
The Art of Letting Go
Mark Chaves traveled from the Philippines to Ohio to California and then back to Asia. But the best trip of his life was something closer to home.
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_tWMxEmbF05I-7IX7_TS8St0Hmdr5ukx8HI5M1FjFJRpeBY9ZOaXP5nQbQa6EFqp80sOKQpNm2inqNXtpCIUrMm_bEbvv-IP7ZIUTfEv44Lkhyqd58xQXWUs_DL-2E0tIfCIZk-PRaGlqRR0h1U-xU6ZHEy5bRNzYYBk_5w7ffyajNLL037QF7UVtLZs5GmwmDdcnHlK6YUe7UFqLIh1d5WEUuaJ-VDh5JrDmpS4nDNS15iDSrcdqiKMtiJRuOpjw5gNXSSnc6exqWmVt-oCGh_n8I0kcVAI2RJT-hU=s0-d ""Our journeys only help us reveal our true selves," says Mark Chaves. (Photo: COMO Shambala Estate)")
"Our journeys only help us reveal our true selves," says Mark Chaves. (Photo: COMO Shambala Estate)by Sheela Sarvananda
So here’s the deal: you work hard, rise to the top in your career. Make more money than most and you’re wearing all the trappings of success. To most people, you’ve got it made. So what do you do next?
Give it all up and get out of town, of course.
Top 10 most searched celebrities of 2012: Kate Middleton, Tulisa, Prince Harry.
It's been a year of nudity and sex tapes in the world of celebrity.
The most searched celebs this year all had one thing in common: nudity. Copyright [Wenn]And it seems as a nation we love a bit of a scandal when it comes to our A-listers.
The most searched celebs this year all had one thing in common: nudity. Copyright [Wenn]And it seems as a nation we love a bit of a scandal when it comes to our A-listers.
Ledger was approached to play Batman
Heath Ledger was asked by director Christopher Nolan to play Bruce Wayne in 'Batman Begins', it has emerged.
But Ledger, who was instead cast in the Oscar-winning role of the Joker in 'The Dark Knight', turned the part down.
Ledger... could have been the Batman (Copyright: Warner Bros)
“He was quite gracious about it, but he said, 'I would never take a part in a superhero film',” Nolan told The Playlist.
But after explaining to Ledger what he was planning for the films, including sending him the novel 'A Clockwork Orange' and books on the paintings of Francis Bacon, Ledger decided to come on board.
But Ledger, who was instead cast in the Oscar-winning role of the Joker in 'The Dark Knight', turned the part down.
Ledger... could have been the Batman (Copyright: Warner Bros)
“He was quite gracious about it, but he said, 'I would never take a part in a superhero film',” Nolan told The Playlist.
But after explaining to Ledger what he was planning for the films, including sending him the novel 'A Clockwork Orange' and books on the paintings of Francis Bacon, Ledger decided to come on board.
Sri Lanka Singer Finance 'BBB+(lka)' rating confirmed: Fitch
Fitch Ratings has confirmed a BBB+(lka) rating of Sri Lanka's Singer Finance (Lanka) Plc, with a stable outlook, based on an 80 percent holding and strong links with its parent, Singer (Sri Lanka) Plc, which is rated A(lka) with a stable outlook.
In 2012 SFL's portfolio has expanded 53 percent with vehicle financing (79.1 percent of the total) with consumer finance loans at 18.4 percent of the total.Its non-performing loans (NPLs) overdue for three months had risen to 2.7 percent in the first half of the 2013 financial year, up from 1.7 percent at the end of the 2012 financial year.
Sri Lanka's Vallibel One net down 21-pct in first half
Sri Lanka's Vallibel One Plc, which has interests in ceramics, finance and leisure said profits fell 21 percent to 796 million rupees in the six months to September 2012 from a year earlier amid lower profits from tiles and higher finance costs.
The firm reported 74 cents in profits per share for the half year.
Sri Lanka Union Bank BB+(lka) rating confirmed
Fitch Ratings has confirmed a BB+(lka) rating of Sri Lanka's Union Bank with a negative outlook, saying the lender faced risks to asset quality from strong growth but it had strong capital ratios.
"Significant improvements to its risk management system and processes, including effective implementation of a core banking system capable of supporting UB's expanding operations, and maintaining satisfactory asset quality, profitability, and capitalisation could result in the Outlook being revised to Stable," Fitch said."The bank is in the process of finalising the purchase of a core banking system and has also signed up for the purchase of a risk management system. UB's management expects to complete the system implementation by end-2013."
Unions Banks loans had growth 19 percent in the nine months to September 2012, compared with 72 percent in 2011, higher than the 17 percent seen in the sector but in line with similar sized bank, Fitch said.
Unions Banks loans had growth 19 percent in the nine months to September 2012, compared with 72 percent in 2011, higher than the 17 percent seen in the sector but in line with similar sized bank, Fitch said.
Sri Lanka's Seylan Bank to list up to Rs2.0bn in debt
Sri Lanka's Seylan Bank will to sell up to 2.0 billion rupees of public listed debentures maturing in five years, abandoning an earlier plan to privately place the securities.
Seylan Bank said in a stock exchange filing that it will offer to sell one billion rupees of debentures and upsize the tranche to 2.0 billion if the initial amount is fully subscribed.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Sri Lanka's HDFC Bank downgraded to 'BBB(lka)': Fitch
Fitch Ratings has downgraded Sri Lanka's HDFC Bank, a mortgage lender by one level to 'BBB(lka)' as its profits came under pressure from rising interest rates.
"The downgrade reflects the bank's inability to swiftly re-price its existing housing loan portfolio to avert deterioration in profits as market interest rates started to rise since end-2011," the rating agency said."This failure of timely re-pricing has further accentuated the interest rate risk inherent in HDFC's balance sheet due to maturity mismatches between its assets and liabilities."
BBB is still in the investment grade.
BBB is still in the investment grade.
Sri Lanka e-Channeling profits fall
Sri Lanka's e-Channeling Plc which runs an online booking engine said, profits fell 66 percent to 24 million rupees in the half year ending September 2012 from a year earlier, without one off investment profits.
The group reported earnings of 20 cents per share for the half year. E-channeling reports half yearly accounts as a second board listed company.
Gangnam Style Most Watched YouTube Video Ever
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean rapper PSY’s “Gangnam Style” has become YouTube’s most viewed video of all time.
YouTube says in a posting on its Trends blog that “Gangnam Style” had been viewed 805 million times as of Saturday afternoon, surpassing Justin Bieber’s “Baby,” which has had 803 million views.
The blog says the “velocity of popularity for PSY’s outlandish video is unprecedented.”
PSY’s video featuring his horse-riding dance was posted on YouTube in July, while “Baby” was uploaded in February 2010.
![Korean rapper-singer Psy performs on NBC's "Today" show in New York City](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_tTYEPHsZ75mtSpAODzFsV3nmyHUZLnqxQfu989NpxW1h4G1VoK5AxuqNtEp6QKL_F-pqaDtyCI-Al3SoPnuuHjvituXz-oEeywXtKF0PWRFq8p1GTN2NRxuIuykR5_cEPSQNDNhIb1InCsxoCk2yV-roJFcZK-v6JzPrNfVv4vTH5f_V6ceFIf9VA=s0-d "Korean rapper-singer Psy performs on NBC's "Today" show in New York City")
PSY’s video has become a global sensation, with many people around the world mimicking his “GangnamStyle” dance. In their October meeting, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, a South Korean, joked that he had to relinquish his title as “the most famous Korean,” and tried a few of PSY’s dance moves.
Sri Lanka to get zero time cargo clearance with e-customs
Sri Lanka will soon have 'zero time' customs with an automated customs clearing process to begin up to 24 hours before a vessel docks at port, Customs chief Neville Goonewardena said.
Sri Lanka is implementing the latest version of Automated System for Customs Data promoted (ASYCUDA World) initiated by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.Only 'e-customs' infrastructure for air cargo clearance remains to be installed and the hardware is expected within a week, Goonewardena said.
Sri Lanka's MAS Holdings sets up US$70mn knitting plant
Sri Lanka's MAS Holdings, an apparel exporter is setting up a 70 million US dollar knit fabric plant at its own industrial park, the state investment promotion agency said.
MAS Fabrics (Private) Ltd will be located in Thulhiriya, north east of Colombo, Sri Lanka's Board of Investment said in a statement.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Why Warren Buffett Is Right About Raising Taxes on the Rich
Ask any non-partisan economist how this country can begin to address its debt and deficit problem, and the answer is "raise taxes and cut spending." Not raise taxes OR cut spending. Raise taxes AND cut spending. With the federal government currently spending about 22% of GDP per year and taxes pulling in only 17% of GDP, there's simply no way we can get the deficit under control just by cutting spending or raising taxes unless we crush the economy in the process.
Sri Lanka Cargills agri bank seeks Rs3.0bn: report
A new commercial bank promoted by Sri Lanka's Cargills group will seek 3.0 billion rupees through a private placement of shares in January 2013, a media report said.
How to unlock Huawei E153 Dialog or Mobitel modem
Unlocking Huawei E153 HSDPA modem is a simple 3 step process. You can use any network once you follow these 3 steps.
- Download the Huawei firmware update manager from here Huawei E153 Firmware updater .
- Then plug the dongle[ and install the default software,otherwise system will not identify the dongle because it doesnt have the drivers] into the computer and run the exe file. At some point in the process it will ask for the password. This is the password needed to flash the firmware and update the new firmware.
Monday, November 26, 2012
Mothercare boost for Softlogic retail biz
Mega 7,500 square feet, three-storey UK-style showroom opening today under exclusive deal with famous global brand
Softlogic Holdings Plc is boosting its profitable retail business via an exclusive deal with world renowned brand Mothercare of UK.
The diversified blue chip will launch a mega 7,500 square feet three-level UK-style Mothercare showroom and affiliated brand Early Learning Centre at No.7, R.A. De Mel Mawatha, Colombo 5.
The move is part of Softlogic’s strategy of further enhancing the retail offering to better harness opportunities in tandem with the rising per capita income as well as tourist inflow.
Softlogic Holdings Plc is boosting its profitable retail business via an exclusive deal with world renowned brand Mothercare of UK.
The diversified blue chip will launch a mega 7,500 square feet three-level UK-style Mothercare showroom and affiliated brand Early Learning Centre at No.7, R.A. De Mel Mawatha, Colombo 5.
The move is part of Softlogic’s strategy of further enhancing the retail offering to better harness opportunities in tandem with the rising per capita income as well as tourist inflow.
Apple brand at Softlogic outlets soon
Softlogic Holdings will soon launch the world’s best selling Apple brand of products via its showrooms during the upcoming season.
Recently the company introduced its own laptop brand, ‘Maxmo,’ which has had a successful launch.
Recently the company introduced its own laptop brand, ‘Maxmo,’ which has had a successful launch.
Mahindra and Mahindra in bid for Aston Martin
Aston Martin stands at the centre of an international takeover battle after Mahindra and Mahindra trumped an Italian bid for half of the British luxury car maker.
Friday, November 23, 2012
Five top tips to solve dry winter skin
Winter feels like it’s well and truly here, bringing with it knee-high boots, an excuse to cuddle up on the sofa watching reality TV on a Saturday night and Christmas presents. And also, for many of us, an emergency skincare regime to mend skin ravaged by the cold, humid weather and the annual switching on of the central heating.Special attention to your skin in winter can help solve common problems including dry, flaky skin and breakouts …
“Cold snaps and central heating can all contribute to a break down in the barrier function of the epidermis,” explains Dr Darren Mckeown. “The epidermis is the top layer of skin and its main function is to act as a safety barrier between us and the rest of the world. When it gets broken down, it doesn’t retain water properly and the result is dry, flaky skin.
“It also means bacteria and pollutants can affect the skin more, creating redness and breakouts.”
To prevent this happening, winter skin needs a little extra care and a lot of extra moisture.
The tricks that mean I'm £1,382.64 better off this year
Over the past year I have employed a number of savvy exercises which have left me £1,382.64 better off so far.
Here’s how I managed it.
Sadly I wasn’t one of the 3.5million taxpayers that got a rebate at the beginning of the tax year.
Instead in April I got an assessment through the post informing me I had underpaid tax by £113 during 2010-2011 on £560-worth of Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) and would be put onto a new tax code that would reclaim this amount.
The problem was that I didn’t claim this benefit in 2010-2011; instead I worked throughout that year. The only claim I made was during 2009-2010 in the first few months after graduating. And this amount was well under the personal limit allowance anyway.
Here’s how I managed it.
Fighting the tax man: £113
Sadly I wasn’t one of the 3.5million taxpayers that got a rebate at the beginning of the tax year.
Instead in April I got an assessment through the post informing me I had underpaid tax by £113 during 2010-2011 on £560-worth of Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) and would be put onto a new tax code that would reclaim this amount.
The problem was that I didn’t claim this benefit in 2010-2011; instead I worked throughout that year. The only claim I made was during 2009-2010 in the first few months after graduating. And this amount was well under the personal limit allowance anyway.
Chrystia Freeland: Where are the super-rich women?
F Scott Fitzgerald, chronicler of the wealthy and dysfunctional, declared in a short story of 1924: “Let me tell you about the very rich. They are different from you and me.”
Almost a century later, former Financial Times deputy editor, Chrystia Freeland, has come to the pretty much the same conclusion in her new book, Plutocrats , charting the rise of the global super-rich - and the fall of everyone else.
Drawing comparisons with the nineteenth century Gilded Age when great wealth followed rapid industrialisation, Freeland argues that our second ‘gilded age’ of advancing technology has helped create a new class of phenomenally wealthy individuals - the 0.1pc - who can exert significant influence over politics and policy.
Analysts at Credit Suisse last year noted that the number of super-rich individuals has surged, with 29,000 people owning net assets worth more than $100m. Living international lifestyles that take them from homes in New York to business meetings in Asia via conferences in Davos, the existence of these ‘ultra high net worth individuals’ is in stark contrast to the subsistence of many living on lowly or stagnating wages.
Almost a century later, former Financial Times deputy editor, Chrystia Freeland, has come to the pretty much the same conclusion in her new book, Plutocrats , charting the rise of the global super-rich - and the fall of everyone else.
Drawing comparisons with the nineteenth century Gilded Age when great wealth followed rapid industrialisation, Freeland argues that our second ‘gilded age’ of advancing technology has helped create a new class of phenomenally wealthy individuals - the 0.1pc - who can exert significant influence over politics and policy.
Analysts at Credit Suisse last year noted that the number of super-rich individuals has surged, with 29,000 people owning net assets worth more than $100m. Living international lifestyles that take them from homes in New York to business meetings in Asia via conferences in Davos, the existence of these ‘ultra high net worth individuals’ is in stark contrast to the subsistence of many living on lowly or stagnating wages.
How Aldi makes money and stays cheap
The last couple of years have been tough for the high street but there’s one type of retailer that’s seen boom times: The discount supermarket, especially Aldi.
Last month German retailer Aldi posted a 200% increase in UK profits. The UK business made a profit after tax of £57.8 million in 2011, having made a loss of £56 million in the previous year.
The privately owned chain opened 29 new stores last year and plans to invest £181 million opening 40 new stores by the end of 2013. This will take the number of Aldi stores in UK to 500 and create 4,500 jobs.
But how has it turned its fortunes around in such challenging trading conditions?
Last month German retailer Aldi posted a 200% increase in UK profits. The UK business made a profit after tax of £57.8 million in 2011, having made a loss of £56 million in the previous year.
The privately owned chain opened 29 new stores last year and plans to invest £181 million opening 40 new stores by the end of 2013. This will take the number of Aldi stores in UK to 500 and create 4,500 jobs.
But how has it turned its fortunes around in such challenging trading conditions?
Facebook Row Erupts Over Users' Privacy Vote
Furious Facebook users have launched a campaign to stop changes to the website's privacy policy.
Site bosses have proposed ending the practice of letting users vote on privacy changes and replacing it with a "more meaningful" system of monitored comments and reviews.
In an email to users , Facebook said the voting system had "incentivised the quantity of comments over their quality."
But the proposal has angered users, who have started a campaign to keep the vote.
Sri Lanka factory planned by Pakistan cement firm: report
Pakistan-based Lucky Cement Ltd, is planning a 500,000 metric tonnes a year grinding plant in Sri Lanka as part of its overseas expansion drive, a media report said.
Bloomberg newswires quoted chief executive Muhammad Ali Tabba as saying that the firm has sought state land to build a 20 million US dollar factory.
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Sri Lanka Supreme SAT satellite on Chinese rocket
Sri Lanka's Supreme SAT is launching its first Satellite on a Chinese rocket which can be used for direct to home broadcasts and communications, the state investment promotion agency said.
Sri Lanka's Board of Investment said the firm was operating in co-operation with China Great Wall Industry Corporation. Supreme SAT is a joint project between Supreme group, a Sri Lankan firm and China Satellite Communications Company Ltd, the BOI said.Supreme group has interests in commodity trading including urea, coal, bitumen, PVC and iron ore, the BOI said.
Monday, November 19, 2012
China cracks down on iPhone-smuggling housewives
Reuters: Suppliers for what was one of China’s largest online iPhone stores have been hauled to court for allegedly evading taxes by smuggling Apple Inc’s iPhones and iPads into the country, official media reported on Friday.
On Wednesday, 26 suppliers of Lanyou Shuma.com were tried in a Shenzhen court as part of five rings that smuggled more than 162,000 mobile phones worth over 500 million yuan from Hong Kong over the past two years, the Beijing News said.
On Wednesday, 26 suppliers of Lanyou Shuma.com were tried in a Shenzhen court as part of five rings that smuggled more than 162,000 mobile phones worth over 500 million yuan from Hong Kong over the past two years, the Beijing News said.
SAP introduces slew of new innovations
SAP AG last week announced a series of new innovations at sapphire Now + SAP TechEd, held as a co-located event in Madrid.
Offering unparalleled insights and networking opportunities to help businesses innovate now and enable long-termprofitable business growth, the event showcased the latest developments in analytics, database and technology mobile, and cloud solutions, with applications that are specific to every industry.
SAP introduced its latest innovations as the convergence of mobile, social, big data and cloud enables businesses to deliver a next-generation customer experience.This convergence, combined with core business applications and analytics, is also leading to the creation of new business networks and new ways to collaborate.
Driven by advances in its flagship in-memory platform, SAP HANA, the innovations are enabling SAP and its partner ecosystem to redefine the real-time enterprise by changing the way we consume technology and information.
Among the news releasedat sapphire Now + SAP TechEd were new SAP 360 Customer Solution to bring organisations closer to their customers and enable personalised customer engagement anywhere, on any device.
Offering unparalleled insights and networking opportunities to help businesses innovate now and enable long-termprofitable business growth, the event showcased the latest developments in analytics, database and technology mobile, and cloud solutions, with applications that are specific to every industry.
SAP introduced its latest innovations as the convergence of mobile, social, big data and cloud enables businesses to deliver a next-generation customer experience.This convergence, combined with core business applications and analytics, is also leading to the creation of new business networks and new ways to collaborate.
Driven by advances in its flagship in-memory platform, SAP HANA, the innovations are enabling SAP and its partner ecosystem to redefine the real-time enterprise by changing the way we consume technology and information.
Among the news releasedat sapphire Now + SAP TechEd were new SAP 360 Customer Solution to bring organisations closer to their customers and enable personalised customer engagement anywhere, on any device.
Asian Alliance buys Rs. 34 m worth HNB shares from Chairman Pathirage
Asian Alliance Insurance Plc yesterday bought Rs. 34 million worth of HNB shares held by its Chairman Ashok Pathirage.
Nations Trust Bank opens sixth Nations business centre in Ratnapura
With the objective of supporting the small and medium enterprises in the country, Nations Trust Bank PLC added another one stop shop for SMEs in Ratnapura with the opening of their sixth Nations business centre recently.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
4 Steps to Overcoming Procrastination
rocrastination is a very serious issue for some people. Indeed, there are days when I don’t feel like getting work done, and I procrastinate. We all have those days, but for some of us, procrastination is a chronic problem — something that occurs far more often than we would like.
If you procrastinate regularly, it’s a good idea to take steps to overcome it. Putting of something relative unimportant on occasion is one thing; constantly failing to meet your obligations, or putting things off so long that getting them done on time requires a rush and a decrease in quality, is something else altogether.
Procrastination can result in problems with productivity, as well as causing issues in other parts of your life. If you want to overcome procrastination, here are 4 steps you can take:
If you procrastinate regularly, it’s a good idea to take steps to overcome it. Putting of something relative unimportant on occasion is one thing; constantly failing to meet your obligations, or putting things off so long that getting them done on time requires a rush and a decrease in quality, is something else altogether.
Procrastination can result in problems with productivity, as well as causing issues in other parts of your life. If you want to overcome procrastination, here are 4 steps you can take:
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Arjuna Gunaratne has been appointed as the Chairman of Nations Trust Bank
Arjuna Gunaratne has been appointed as the Chairman of Nations Trust Bank (NTB) with effect from 1 November, succeeding Ronnie Peiris who has resigned following the completion of nine years on the Board in compliance with Central Bank rules.
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