Top 5 Digital Cameras By Michael Remington

Digital cameras have been one of the best selling gadgets lately especially with all the technological innovations features incorporated in it such as what can be found in these top 5 digital cameras.
Nikon Coolpix S9100
The close-up capability of DSLR cam and the superior capacity of most digital cameras is fuse into one with Nikon Coolpix S9100. Boosting in full high definition 1080p video recording capability with a lightning-like fast refresh rate of 30 frames per second is Coolpix S9100. But there is more to it, richly endowed with 18x optical zoom gets you up close to your subject likened to that of a common DSLR blow up. Enjoying all of these features including other more is made easy with its user friendly control layout. If it's a blend of a little complexity and a little side of the ordinary digicams, then Nikon Coolpix is one of the most potential bet there is today.
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX9V
Richly endowed with features for users to uncover and discover is DSC-HX9V. It also found to provide superb video captures and still photo results brought by its stable high quality performance. Capable of full high definition video at 60p as well as superior resolution panoramic and 3D viewing is Cyber-shot DSC-HX9V. Coming at a 10 frames per second still photo shooting only entails that this digicam from the house Sony can also accommodate speed shooting session. Its capacity to shoot wide angle and blow up images to a fair size even if subject is from afar is one of its attraction which is made possible by its telephoto lens thus rendering it one of the top 5 digital cameras at present day age.
Canon PowerShot S100
From the PowerShot series now introduces a pride boosting with 1080p high definition video recording capacity and a better low ambient camera performance in the version of PowerShot S100. Yes, S100 is certainly a pride as it is also endowed with higher image stabilization performance as well as with a 12 mp camera and a powerful Digic 5 processor.
Sony Alpha NEX-7
Comes in a small design but is actually power packed with amazing features such as internal flash, a movable display which can be tilted according to convenience and comfort of user and an efficient sensor.
Canon PowerShot A3300
Power Shot A3300 is richly endowed with various shooting exposures to choose from just perfectly sufficient enough for any shooting needs. Its 720p high definition video recording and 16 mp camera along with its stable optical zoom connotes performance to boost making it to top 5 digital cameras.

Yes, these " digicams " as fondly called by many have been innovated to provide more features if not to provide higher quality than it was capable of few years ago.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Remington

Cash Crises and Over 65? What Are Your Options? By Robert H. Jones

The current global financial crises has been particularly tough on those who are already retired and living on their hard-earned savings and investments. In some western countries investments in shares have lost 20% or more of their value in the last few years - and returns look set to stay low for a while to come.
If you are living on an income stream based on financial investments you will have seen a big drop in your income. The question is what can someone who doesn't want to go back to work do about it?
In essence you have two options: live on less or sell some assets to improve your cash flow.
Some retirees may be tempted to sell the house - but that has issues as well in many parts of the world, particularly America and the UK, where property markets are still very depressed. Though it is worth bearing in mind if you have owned the property for a significant period of time and don't have a mortgage against it, and you buy soon after selling - you will have also bought at a depressed price. The price difference is what you need to focus on rather than the actual sale price of your existing property.
Others will not want to take the drastic step of selling a much-loved home. Instead they will look to selling other items and financial investments they may have.  Selling second and third cars, boats and art works can be highly profitable. In fact there is currently a mini-boom in selling gold and gold jewelery as gold is hitting high prices as once again investors see it as a safe-haven against troubled currency and stock markets.
Another item worth considering selling are insurance policies. These are often taken out and forgotten about -the original idea being that the payout will help pay funeral expenses and leave something for your heirs. The reality is that you may need that money yourself, and the good news is that there is a strong secondary marketing in buying and selling life insurance policies - particularly for those who are older and in deteriorating health.
Another option is to check if you have any of those now out of favour, endowment policies. Again, like life insurance policies, endowments were designed to provide a future lump sum - but you may be able to get a sizable amount for them now rather than waiting for their due date.

Although its no fun having a financial crises interfere with your well-earned retirement there is no reason to panic. Check out what options you have for selling endowment policy or for selling your life insurance policy.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_H._Jones

The Best Selling Law of Attraction Book By Rich Thorne

W. Clement Stone, a very successful Chicago businessman of the last century, coined the phrase, "What you can conceive and believe you can achieve, with a positive mental attitude." He was selling insurance, and busy trying to motivate his sales force to sell more policies. Mr. Stone was also a successful author and his Law of Attraction book entitled, "Success Through A Positive Mental Attitude, " has been used by companies for motivational training for almost a century now.
The Law of Attraction is nothing new. It's been alive and well since time began. But its workings have been a sort of secret, ear-whispered truth to which few were privy. It's a natural law, like the Law of Gravity. It always has been, always is, and always will be. The goal is to learn to use this Law to the best advantage, to better ourselves and the world around us.
Throughout the ages, those who have had the greatest impact on history were surely tuned into this law of reality creation. Inventors and artists, business whizzes and famous statesmen who became internationally known knew (and know) the workings of this Law of the Universe. But now, what was once hidden, for only relatively few to know, has been made available to everyone who can understand and imagine. The international bestselling book called 'The Secret' lays it out for all to understand.
Millions have read the book, "The Secret, " and millions more have seen the movie or video. This is the ultimate book explaining the workings of the Law of Attraction and many have studied, learned and applied the truths contained therein to help better their lives significantly. There are literally thousands of success stories that testify to the teachings' effectiveness.
Most people have heard of 'The Law of Karma'. This is the Law of Attraction in action. You get what you give. What goes around comes around. These all express the same reality... You draw into your life the sum of your thoughts, your feelings and your expectations.
Every person alive has an inborn creative ability to mold their own existence to fulfill their personal desires. The Source of the Universe, which is responsible for giving us our very being, has also endowed us with a similar spark of creativity which only requires acknowledgment to be activated in our lives. Your current life is the distillation of your previous thoughts, feelings and expectations. If you're not happy with the way things are you can change them for the better now. You simply need to learn and live the Secret.
But don't be mistaken The Law of Attraction works whether we acknowledge it or not. It's operation is consistent, unyielding and impersonal. You get what you most think about, even if what you happen to be thinking is wrong. It doesn't care. It only acts on your emotionally-charged thoughts and desires.
A Law of Attraction book like The Secret is something to which everyone should be exposed and, since it's debut in 2006 many millions have been. It's something people want to share with their friends and family because of the incredible value imparted in the teachings. You are ultimately responsible for creating your own reality. Do it well!

I just discovered a way to Greatly Increase The Power of The Law of Attraction in Your Life. Learn my secrets and get my Free EBook Here

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rich_Thorne

Buying & Selling Property - Glossary of Terms By Rich Bendall

Bridging Loan
- a bridging loan is a short term loan taken out to bridge the gap between buying a new home and selling an existing property. The loan bridges the gap between the sale of the two homes in the housing chain and eases the completion of the purchase.Chain - the property chain refers to the sequence of sales that must take place before an individual property transaction can take place. Since most people selling their home will also be buying a new property there can be a chain of buyers and sellers each dependent on each other. If one buyer or seller drops out the whole chain may collapse.
Completion - completion in property sales refers to the point when contracts have been exchanged and ownership of the property has been legally transferred.
Conveyancing - conveyancing is the legal process that must be completed for the transfer of ownership of the property to take place. Conveyancing work is usually performed by solicitors.
Endowment Mortgage - an endowment mortgage is a type of mortgage where the property buyer makes monthly payments into a life assurance (endowment) policy. At the end of the loan period the mortgage is paid off in one lump sum.
Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) - the Energy Performance Certificate is a document showing the current energy rating of a property as well as suggested ways in which the energy rating could be improved. The EPC is a compulsory part of the Home Information Pack.
Estate Agent - a professional who acts on behalf of a person selling their home to find a buyer for the property. The estate agency service includes valuing the home, advertising and arranging viewings.
Fixed Fee Estate Agent - fixed fee estate agents a new type of property agent that offer to sell homes for a fixed fee. An alternative to traditional estate agents that set their fees at a percentage of the value of the home being sold.
Gazumping - a common practice in property sales where the seller of the home accepts one offer to buy the property but later rejects it to accept a higher offer by another buyer.
Home Information Pack (HIP) - recently made compulsory in the UK the Home Information Pack contains a series of documents relating to a property being sold. The HIP is designed to assist potential home buyers by making important property information available at an early stage.
Land Registry - the land registry is a government office that stores records of land ownership. Updates to the registry are typically performed by solicitors who register new owners of a home.
Negative Equity - a situation where the mortgage being paid on a property is of a higher amount than the actual value of the home. This means that the home owner has paid or will pay back more than what the property is worth.
Repayment Mortgage - a type of mortgage where monthly repayments cover both interest and capital so that the amount outstanding will gradually decrease until the mortgage is fully repaid at the end of the agreed term.
Stamp Duty - a government tax charged when a property is sold. The actual rate of taxation will vary according to the value of the property.
Title Deeds - the title deeds are documents showing the past and present ownership of a property.

WOW Property are a group of UK online estate agents helping you to sell your home.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rich_Bendall

Book Summary - The Ivy Portfolio - How to Invest Like the Top Endowments - By Mebane Faber By Joe Mosed

Endowments have an investment outlook of forever. They know how to avoid bear markets and bubble crashes. These endowments use sophisticated investment strategies to limit the risk and maximize their gains.
Why is this important to me? There are two main points that make this book important to you.
1. We need to emulate the best. To figure out what these endowments have done on our own would result in lost time, money and opportunity. Why not emulate the best. Here is what the Yale Endowment has done. If you would have invested $100,000 in 1985, your investment would be worth $4 million today compared to the S&P at $1.5 million, 10-year Government bonds at $950,000. The same amount invested in Harvard's endowment would have gotten you $3 million. These endowments know what they are doing.
2. Get Rich Quick in stocks is not a smart way to go. Over the long haul you will probably lose money. This does not mean that you will not make money in stocks but it means you need to be educated. Think about it - we would be competing with guys like this who are the best of the best. When you see get rich quick scams on TV just think about these endowments. These guys are the best of the best and they know who how to invest. They beat the S&P by an additional 4% per year with 33% less volatility. Competing with these guys would be like advising your son to drop out of school to play basketball with the goal of becoming the next Michael Jordon.
The Ivy Portfolio is packed with a ton of information. This book is not for the faint of heart. They get into some pretty in depth stuff like mathematical algorithms, portfolio rebalancing, momentum, hedge funds, private equity, active management and passive management.
Rule one is critical. Don't lose money. Think about this if you invest $1000 dollars and lose 50% of it then you have to make a 100% gain just to get even. This is the biggest destroyer of wealth.
The Ivy Portfolio - This book gives you some ETF's and mutual funds as well as building core asset allocations that emulate the endowments. They back test with historical data to show you what you would have earned. This is powerful stuff. Please note that these endowments have investment opportunities that the little guys don't have, given their size. The Ivy Portfolio uses rebalancing and passive management to achieve results. This is doable for the little guy.
13F's - This is powerful stuff. I never heard of this until I picked up this book. These are powerful tools if you are a value investor with a long term view. You can go to SEC.GOV website and search for 13F's. This will show what the top dogs are invested in. Thus you can simple see what Warren Buffet owns and buy the same thing. You can search once per quarter and tweak your portfolio accordingly. This is an excellent strategy. Note: You need to figure out a good price to buy in at because you make your money on the buy and not the sell.
The Ivy Portfolio is a pretty intense book on investing but it profiles the two best endowments and how they do it. The good news is there are a couple of things the small investor can learn from the book. They are asset allocation, rebalancing and 13F's.
I hope you have found this short summary useful. The key to any new idea is to work it into your daily routine until it becomes habit. Habits form in as little as 21 days. One thing you can take away from this book is emulate the best. If you want to save time and explode your results then emulate the people who have already done it. You can start by researching 13F's and seeing what Warren Buffet, Carl Icahn and George Soros invest in.

Joe Mosed invites you to subscribe to http://www.successprogress.com to receive free video book summaries. Our vision at Success Progress is to provide relevant & meaningful content to our user community. To view the video summary of this article please visit http://www.youtube.com/successprogress
(c) Copyright - Joe Mosed / Success Progress All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joe_Mosed

Millions Face Mortgage Misery As Endowment Policies Fall Short By Michael Challiner

Many homeowners are being caught in the worsening endowment mortgage scandal. Figures from the insurance industry show that for the first time, the majority of endowment backed mortgage holders are being warned they will probably not be able to fully repay the mortgage they took out.
The proportion expected to fall short has soared from 46 per cent to 60 per cent in just two years, dragging in an estimated 4.5million householders into the red. Endowment policies were heavily marketed by insurance salesmen back in the 1980s with promises that the policy payouts would repay their mortgage and probably leave a tidy surplus on top.
Endowment policies were supposed to work by investing part of each monthly payment into bonds and stocks. But as we all know now, stock market falls have created a black hole in insurance backed funds estimated at around 60 billion pounds. Holders of 12 million policies - some investors have more than one - are now facing an average shortfall of 10,000 pounds below even the original home loan, never mind the promised surplus!
This means that hopes of a retirement nest egg have been shattered and some elderly homeowners could even be forced to sell their homes in order to repay their mortgage. The insurance industry expects to send out over 3 million letters to investors warning that they may almost certainly need to find more money to repay their mortgage when the time comes.
Consumer groups described this situation as 'heartbreaking' and 'scandalous' and advised people who receive warning letters to immediately seek independent advice. Possible action includes partly or fully converting the existing mortgage into a repayment mortgage or taking out an additional savings plan but with interest rates so low, the repayment mortgage option is likely to be the most popular option.
The scale of the problem has been demonstrated by cuts in endowment valuations from two of Britain's largest insurance companies. A 25-year endowment from Friends Provident taken out by a 29 year old male paying 50 pounds a month should now have a maturity value of 77,096 pounds compared to 106,188 pounds only four years ago. On a similar Scottish Life policy the forecast payout has been cut by 10,479 pounds from 94,738 pounds last year to just 84,259 now. And Standard Life has admitted that 800,000 policy holders, that's half its total, could be in trouble.
The Consumers' Association and MPs believe that the insurance industry should do far more to protect customers by taking cash out of 'orphan assets' to boost endowment policies. These orphan assets were largely built accumulated in boom years, when customers' money was making good returns.
Millions of endowment mortgages were sold on rosy promises by commission hungry salesmen with forecasts based on a booming stock market. And by 1988, 84 per cent of all home loans were backed by endowment policies. But how things have changed! As the unfolding scandal has emerged, negative publicity has largely forced most insurance companies to abandon them. Endowment mortgages now account for less than ten per cent of new mortgages.
Unsupportable promises have led to many leading insurers being fined millions of pounds by city watchdogs and ordered to pay compensation to thousands of policyholders who were duped into buying the policies on false promises.
Indeed, the Financial Services Authority has issued leaflets advising policy holders how to complain about endowment sales.

During the credit crunch it has been difficult to obtain a Loan [http://www.loan-agreement.co.uk] Are you waiting to buy a new house? Visit Loan Agreement to get a quote for a Secured Loan.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Challiner

Endowment Mortgages - Some Great Advice Everybody Should Read By Sam Osler

Now, an endowment mortgage is a loan that you can get on what is called the "interest-only" basis. This is when the borrower is planning to pay with one or more endowment policies. An endowment mortgage is mostly used in the United Kingdom by consumers and also the lender. They don't tend to think of this arrangement on a legal scale.
So, think about this, the borrower will have two agreements at his disposal that are separate from one another. The borrower is able to change the terms in either one of the agreement if he wants to. A long time back, the idea of such a policy (endowment) was thought of that extra push of security for the lender.
Back then, the lender would make sure that it was made legal to ensure that any money incurred from the endowment was to go to him instead of the borrower. Though sneaky and underhanded, this has not been done in this way for a very long time.
There are reasons why a person would choose an endowment mortgage and that is because the customer will only pay the interest on money (or capital) that was borrowed, this in turn would basically save money because it is different than the regular repayment loan.
With the repayment loan, the borrower will then have to make his payments to something called an endowment policy. The goal of this was so that the investment that was made through the endowment policy would be enough to cover the mortgage when the time came and then of course there would be the possibility of a little extra cash to play with.
Now remember, as with anything there are a few downfalls to getting or even being involved with an endowment mortgage. We will be discussing a few of these problems in the next few paragraph. Not they say one of the bad things about using an endowment policy to pay back a mortgage is that you really won't make ends meet in the long run.
Truth be told, back in the 1800's there was a big boom in selling endowment mortgages, it was going crazy, the buyers were told that they would see a high rate for the return of said policies (approximately 12% per year). Well, lo and behold by the 1990's the economy kind of fell out from under civilization and basically grounded all of these dreams into dust.

Sam Osler has been involved in the financial market for over 30 years his experience is second to none he has come across every situation thinkable and just keeps giving the best advice! http://www.officialmortgage.co.uk

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sam_Osler

Developing Client Trust For Your Mortgage, Endowment and Income Protection Insurance Services By Chris Roche

The financial services industry has taken a few hard knocks over the years, possibly starting with the mis-selling of endowment policies, this has caused many people to be cautious when it comes to taking out a mortgage or some form of income protection insurance. Many first time buyers who took out endowments did not fully understand the implications of an interest only mortgage supported by an endowment. For many the realisation came all too late that the amount they had borrowed had not actually reduced so they still owed the lender the same amount as in day one. This of course led to numerous complaints and in many cases when the mis-selling of the endowment was proven the borrower was compensated accordingly.
So what was the real problem with endowments, as they did pay out the full amount that was owed on the mortgage should any of the policyholders die prematurely. Well the real problem was caused by using growth rates on the endowment quotation with a range of 8% to 12% widely used for the investment calculation. To expect this average to be met over a large number of years proved unrealistic and left many borrowers in the lurch. Other areas that left a bad taste in the mouth have been the investment advice given out to many of the older generation who's money went into stocks and shares. Some of these people had a low risk profile and would not have invested in this way had the old adage of shares can go down as well as up had been properly explained. Of course many of these investors have done well when they have been prepared to leave their money locked in for the medium to long term but for those requiring immediate access it proved a failure as many panicked when their investment lost money in the early stages and cashed in their shares.
There are of course other areas that have left the public distrusting financial institutions, very high bank charges for exceeding your overdraft limit, the PPI scandal, massive interest rates on credit cards and many firms being fined, censured or even closed down by the FSA. So how do you develop client trust? Well surely the first step is to know your client and fully understand their needs and aspirations. By completing a Fact Find this gives you an understanding of their current situation so you can come up with the right solutions for both the present and the future. Showing your client you have their interests at heart is easily achievable by printing off research documents that prove you have found them the most efficient and cost effective way of meeting their needs. If you concentrate on building up this relationship over time you will truly develop a bond between you and the client that will last and they will feel much more secure about you dealing with their mortgage, endowment or income protection insurance.

Written by E-Commerce Manager of Armchair Mortgages, Chris Roche. For more information on income protection, mortgage protection or life assurance plans check out our site and give us a call for a UK income protection insurance quote.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Roche

Endowment Policy - Careful Cancellation Essential By Michael Challiner

Back in the 1980s word went around that there was a wonderful new way to pay your mortgage. In those days the process of getting and running a mortgage was almost sacrosanct, and little variation was available. A fairly common route to take was to open an account at the Building Society of your choice, and to put in as much money as you could, the intention being to prove to said Building Society that you were prudent and could be trusted with their money.
When the time for a mortgage arrived, it was best suit on for an appointment with the branch manager to convince him of your dependability, and if you were successful you were given a (typically) 25 year repayment mortgage. Inflation was your friend because you usually started off committed to a monthly repayment which made yours eyes water, but as time went by the real value of this dwindled in significance.
When you had completed your 300 monthly repayments the property was yours. It was all very straightforward until the endowment mortgage arrived. With this you paid only the interest due, with a promise of lower monthly commitment. At the end of the term a sum would be handed to you which would be sufficient to pay off the capital sum of the mortgage and leave you with enough to enjoy a brief excursion into the wild life of regular meals and even exotic holidays, which in extreme cases may even have been outside the UK!
That was the dream which was eagerly taken up by many hardworking mortgage owners and unfortunately, also by some over eager salesmen. The sum necessary to pay off your mortgage was not guaranteed, and in the majority of cases it didn't. Therein lies the formation of the mis-selling scandal; many building societies took great care to explain to their mortgage customers the modus operandi of the endowment system and the many pitfalls which could trap the unwary. Tragically many individual salesmen and some building societies omitted to adequately cover some of the less palatable facts.
This created great distress in some cases; figures produced for 2004 show that almost 7 million endowment mortgages were unlikely to provide sufficient funds to pay off the mortgage debts, leaving less than 2 million which should achieve their objective. Thus the flood tide of the 1980s which saw home owners clamouring for endowment mortgages suddenly became an ebb tide, with endowment holders looking for a way of getting back to the old system, or to one of the newer but more reliable alternatives. Great caution is necessary in this situation.
First of all you need to look carefully at your endowment mortgage to determine its value. If you are still in the early years of its operation, you will find that despite your monthly payments you have a document with very little value. This is because you have been paying the premium for the endowment agreement itself, the interest due on your mortgage loan and life insurance to cover repayment of the loan if you should die before completion.
A very important factor in an endowment is the terminal bonus. You will have received the benefit of annual bonuses along the way, but the terminal bonus is normally the very high value one; it could well provide more than half the final value of the payment which you will receive, but will be lost if you cancel. To make matters more difficult, the value of the terminal bonus is not guaranteed and will not be known until the endowment is fully paid up. It may be that you are in the situation where you will lose money whichever route you take.
If you do decide to proceed with the sale of the endowment, either because you need the money or because you are in the fortunate position where sale would be advantageous, you need to shop around. Certainly you should obtain a sale figure from the company who provided the endowment in the first place, but you are also free to go into the market place for these mortgages and see what offers you can get. It is very likely that the price which you will be offered in this way will be better than that which the original issuer is prepared to allow you.
You will find that different companies have different criteria relating to which endowments they would be interested in buying. For instance, some will not be interested if the sale value is below a certain figure, or may require the endowment to have been operational for a specific minimum period. Realistically you should seek professional help in reaching a decision; a company which has contacts within the Association of Policy Market Makers (which represents companies who deal in endowment trading) will be better placed to find you the best deal. There will be a charge for their expertise, but you should benefit from a better price and save yourself a lot of time, work and worry.
Remember that if you sell your endowment mortgage, you will fairly certainly also be cancelling your accompanying life cover and should ensure that you obtain a replacement policy, preferably before the cancellation takes effect. There is little harm in duplicating your cover for a short time, but there could be very unfortunate results from even the shortest period without cover.

Cheap Life Insurance [http://www.quote-life-insurance.co.uk] Quote Life can help provide you with information about Life Insurance. Visit Quote Life to see how much you can save on your Life Cover.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Challiner

Endowment Policy: Another Forgotten Option By Michael Challiner

These complicated financial products combine life insurance and investment growth in one package. They were most commonly used as a way of repaying a mortgage and were most popular with homebuyers in the eighties and nineties.
The reason so many people bought them was because home loan firms and middlemen such as estate agents earned large commissions for selling. The charges tend to be 'front-loaded' meaning most of it is paid up front and therefore, for several years you will receive little if anything back if you have to stop paying the premiums.
In theory, these policies can grow to more than you need to repay your mortgage, giving you a bonus to spend on anything you like. In practice, this has rarely happened in recent years and of the 8.5 million endowments in 2004, 6.8 million were not expected to clear the mortgage they were originally intended to pay off.
With an endowment mortgage, you do not repay any of the capital you borrow during the term of the loan. Alternatively, the endowment policy should grow to produce a lump sum which is large enough to repay the loan in full at the end of the pre-agreed period of, normally, 25 years.
The monthly payments consist of interest on your mortgage loan and the premium for the endowment. Within the package you also pay for life insurance which will repay the loan should you die. However, there is no guarantee your endowment will pay off your mortgage.
When the time comes to making a decision on stopping an endowment and surrendering it, it is important to check your policy and make sure there is some value in doing so.
Early redemption can result in making less than you would have if it carried on for its full term. However, if you need the money, this could be our only solution.
Continuing to pay money into a poorly performing investment could be throwing away hard earned cash.
As well as surrendering it back to the company from whom it was bought from, policyholders also have the option of selling to a third party.
This can also have the added benefit of getting more for your policy than you would if it were sold back to the original issuer.
Different companies will have different requirements when it comes to them buying your endowment.
Usually they would require it to be with-profits or a with-profits whole life policy and have been running for a minimum number of years (the number of depending on the company).
Some will also require a surrender value of at least £1,500. If your policy does not meet the criteria, they will not be able to handle your sale. This would mean the only other option available is what the policy issuer will offer.
The Association of Policy Market Makers (APMM) is the industry body for firms specialising in the buying and selling of endowments. An independent financial advisor could also be helpful in comparing offers and helping you get the most for your policy.
There will be a fee for the work, but it could save you time and energy and also help you achieve the best possible price.
Don't forget how important your endowment policy is. Like with an investment, you should not suddenly cancel the policy without doing the appropriate research and taking the adequate financial advice.
If you stop payments on a policy, you may lose any life assurance cover that was offered to you. This is an important consideration for your dependents if you are then taken ill or were to die without having set up an alternative method of paying off the policy.
On average around half of the total payout on an endowment if you don't sell will come on the very last day. This is the so-called terminal bonus and it is not guaranteed. Stop paying in before then and you are likely to lose this. Instead, you will get the benefit of only the annual bonuses added to your policy.

Get great articles on life insurance [http://www.life-insurance-defender.co.uk] from Life Insurance Defender

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Challiner

Endowment Policy: Another Forgotten Option By Michael Challiner

These complicated financial products combine life insurance and investment growth in one package. They were most commonly used as a way of repaying a mortgage and were most popular with homebuyers in the eighties and nineties.
The reason so many people bought them was because home loan firms and middlemen such as estate agents earned large commissions for selling. The charges tend to be 'front-loaded' meaning most of it is paid up front and therefore, for several years you will receive little if anything back if you have to stop paying the premiums.
In theory, these policies can grow to more than you need to repay your mortgage, giving you a bonus to spend on anything you like. In practice, this has rarely happened in recent years and of the 8.5 million endowments in 2004, 6.8 million were not expected to clear the mortgage they were originally intended to pay off.
With an endowment mortgage, you do not repay any of the capital you borrow during the term of the loan. Alternatively, the endowment policy should grow to produce a lump sum which is large enough to repay the loan in full at the end of the pre-agreed period of, normally, 25 years.
The monthly payments consist of interest on your mortgage loan and the premium for the endowment. Within the package you also pay for life insurance which will repay the loan should you die. However, there is no guarantee your endowment will pay off your mortgage.
When the time comes to making a decision on stopping an endowment and surrendering it, it is important to check your policy and make sure there is some value in doing so.
Early redemption can result in making less than you would have if it carried on for its full term. However, if you need the money, this could be our only solution.
Continuing to pay money into a poorly performing investment could be throwing away hard earned cash.
As well as surrendering it back to the company from whom it was bought from, policyholders also have the option of selling to a third party.
This can also have the added benefit of getting more for your policy than you would if it were sold back to the original issuer.
Different companies will have different requirements when it comes to them buying your endowment.
Usually they would require it to be with-profits or a with-profits whole life policy and have been running for a minimum number of years (the number of depending on the company).
Some will also require a surrender value of at least £1,500. If your policy does not meet the criteria, they will not be able to handle your sale. This would mean the only other option available is what the policy issuer will offer.
The Association of Policy Market Makers (APMM) is the industry body for firms specialising in the buying and selling of endowments. An independent financial advisor could also be helpful in comparing offers and helping you get the most for your policy.
There will be a fee for the work, but it could save you time and energy and also help you achieve the best possible price.
Don't forget how important your endowment policy is. Like with an investment, you should not suddenly cancel the policy without doing the appropriate research and taking the adequate financial advice.
If you stop payments on a policy, you may lose any life assurance cover that was offered to you. This is an important consideration for your dependents if you are then taken ill or were to die without having set up an alternative method of paying off the policy.
On average around half of the total payout on an endowment if you don't sell will come on the very last day. This is the so-called terminal bonus and it is not guaranteed. Stop paying in before then and you are likely to lose this. Instead, you will get the benefit of only the annual bonuses added to your policy.

Get great articles on life insurance [http://www.life-insurance-defender.co.uk] from Life Insurance Defender

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Challiner

The UK Endowment Mortgage Scandal - Millions Left with Shortfalls May be Entitled to Compensation By Martin Nolan

During the 1980's and 90's a new concept of property mortgaging arrived in the UK. Endowment mortgages became extremely popular with homebuyers who wanted a secure but affordable method of repaying their mortgage debt. Most large financial organisations were happy to offer these products and they were sold by large banks, building societies and high street brokers.
The general concept of an endowment mortgage was that the customer would make regular installments into an investment fund managed by the endowment provider (the big financial organisations). The investment would eventually generate enough money to pay off the mortgage debt in full and usually the customer would be left with an extra amount or bonus at the end. In addition to this the customer would also have the benefit of life insurance for the duration of the investment period with cover provided up to the value of the endowment maturity value. The overall financial package of a combined insurance and savings product linked to lower mortgage payments, was almost too good to be true.
As a result there are currently around ten million active endowment policies in the UK.
Like most things that seem too good to be true, endowment mortgage policies have sadly proven to be extremely disappointing for the vast majority of customers. These investment products are closely linked to the worlds stock markets but with the recent 5 year global recession and sharp downturn experienced by most countries, the anticipated return on investment is proving to be far less than the endowment providers anticipated.
It is estimated that 80% of all existing endowment products will fail to meet the projected target amount and some will have considerable shortfalls. This means that potentially as many as 8 million people in the UK will fail to reap any bonuses from their plans but worst of all may completely fail to pay off their mortgage debt by the time their plan matures.
It was not long before the consumer groups began asking serious questions about the credibility of endowment policies and the regulatory body in the UK Financial Services Authority (FSA) was forced to act following complaints about widespread misselling.
It has since become apparent that millions of endowment policies were mis-sold in that the individuals or organisations conducting the sale, failed to follow the rules and notify the customer of certain key features relating to the advantages and disadvantages of the endowment products. Far too much emphasis was placed on the benefits of the products with little or no discussion about the risks involved with potentially erratic investments that were linked to the stock market. The message was that the plan simply could not fail and this was a flawed and misleading sales pitch.
The FSA have devised a scheme that allows endowment policyholders to make a formal complaint about possible misselling. The rules allow for such a complaint to be made once a "warning" letter has been received from the endowment provider indicating that the plan will more than likely fail to meet the projected target amount (this is known as a policy shortfall). If the complaint is upheld, the endowment provider or the salesman / selling organization must make an offer of compensation to the customer. The average compensation award is thought to be in the region of £5000.
Whilst it is possible for customers to complain personally, the FSA process is regrettably complex and many customers will need assistance from "professional claims handlers" in order to pursue their complaint effectively. Many endowment providers corrupt the process by using technical jargon and complex rules. They have also introduced "Time barring" arguments which have been allowed by the FSA. The rule here is that you have generally three years from the date of your first warning letter to make your complaint. This serves to confuse customers and many complaints that are pursued direct without professional assistance will simply fail. The majority of customers do not even bother to complain because of the complexities involved.
Summary:
Thanks to consumer groups and professional claims handling bodies the UK's endowment misselling scandal is gathering a head of steam and victims are now more aware of the issues.
The important aspects for customers to remember are:
o You only have a limited amount of time to complain - 3 years from the date of your first letter from the endowment provider warning about a possible shortfall.
o You must complain now to ensure that any shortfall in the projected target value of your policy is recouped. You may not recover the full shortfall amount but your compensation will go some way to bridging the gap.
o You must also seek financial advice on your mortgage situation because if a shortfall has been highlighted, the endowment plan you have is NOT going to meet your mortgage debt on maturity
If you currently have an endowment mortgage policy you must act now to ensure that you and your family's future remains secure. Be aware of the issues, be aware of the need to correct the misselling that you have been the victim of and most importantly be aware that only YOU can change the position that you now find yourself in.
For more information on making http://www.theclaimsconnection.co.uk/endowment-compensation.html">endowment compensation claims contact The Claims Connection managed by Winston Solicitors a regulated UK law firm.

This article has been written by Martin J Nolan who is a legal marketer with a firm of UK Compensation lawyers. Please visit [http://www.theclaimsconnection.co.uk/index.html] for more information on the services provided.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Martin_Nolan

With Profit Endowment Policy Holders, See Reduced Annual Bonuses By Isla Campbell

Recently, many of the UK's leading insurance companies announced reduced annual bonuses for With Profit Endowment policy holders, yet another blow for homeowners who took out endowments during the 1980s and 1990s, as they will now see increased shortfalls on their mortgage liabilities.
Some of the big names that have declared reduced annual bonuses are Scottish Widows, Friends Provident, Norwich Union and Scottish Life, while some have bucked the trend, and increased payouts - these include Standard Life, Prudential and Legal and General. But unfortunately for many endowment policy holders, payouts are down.
Annual bonus declarations vary from insurance company to insurance company because they are influenced by a number of factors, which include past investment performance, previous bonus announcements and the financial strength of the company.
For example, those who have policies with Scottish Widows, Friends Provident, Norwich Union and Scottish Life will see reduced annual bonuses in 2008 compared with the previous year. Based on a male policy holder with a 25 year endowment policy who was aged 30 when he took out the policy paying £50 per month, a Scottish Widows endowment would see a reduction of £442 between 2007 and 2008.
A Friends Provident policy would see a payout of £37,540 in 2007 reduced to £36,425 in 2008, Norwich Union's payout would decrease by £2,776 and a Scottish Life policy would decrease by more than 8 per cent - from £37,132 in 2007 to £34,196 in 2008.
Where a policyholders' endowment continues to under-perform, the insurance company should write to them, warning them of the potential shortfall. However, there are things that can be done to address this potential shortfall before it is too late.
Make a complaint - Many endowment policy holders have successfully won complaints cases against insurance companies because they say the potential risks of endowment were not explained properly to them when they took the policy out. The FSA has more information about endowment complaints.
Surrender - Because of the bad press that endowments have received over the last 10 years or so, many policyholders are trying to get rid of them, and will often just settle for the surrender value offered to them in the hope of cutting their losses and getting back cash.
Sell - There is now a fairly healthy secondhand market for endowments and those who have sold their endowment policy on to an investor have found that they got a lot more than they would have if they had settled for the surrender value - up to 45% in some cases. The reason is, potential investors see endowments as an attractive investment, due to relatively low risk investment strategy and partially guaranteed return.
But the best advice is to get advice; if you are uncertain about what to do, seek independent advice from a specialist.

Isla Campbell is an online, freelance journalist and avid traveler and pilates devotee. When not on the road she lives on the outskirts of Oban.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Isla_Campbell

Endowments - Undeserving of a Bad Rap By Christina M Thomas

Do you ever wonder how it is that supposedly non-profit organizations always seem to have money? After all, the charitable donations they receive have to go to operating expenses, as well as the salaries of the organizers, right? Well, not quite, and not usually. There are certain investment vehicles that are tailor-made to keep such institutions going.
An endowment is one such investment vehicle; indeed, it is the investment vehicle of choice for institutions - ranging from colleges, libraries, museums and many others that are not geared towards the selling of goods to maintain financial standing. For universities, their entire economic infrastructure is supported by endowment gifts from wealthy alumni, which then enjoy continuously compounding interest on the untouched (and often untouchable, by the rules of the endowment) principal. It is easy to see that a direct correlation exists between the age of an institution such as a university, and its wealth; Harvard is both the oldest and richest university for precisely these reasons - alumni have been pumping its coffers for nearly 375 years as of 2011! Harvard's premier current endowment of $27.4 billion returns interest of about 11%, or $3 billion of operating capital per year. That's enough to give each one of its twenty-one thousand students $12000 per month for the year! The other top Ivy League schools aren't terribly far behind, which exposes yet another correlation: these very old and very rich schools are rarely boot-strapped by the economy in providing their students with the most up-to-date laboratories in the world.
The endowment, then, is more often than not confined to the wealthy. With a return of well over 5%, but almost always under 11%, it takes a large sum of money to realize a substantial yearly windfall, if you will, sufficient to take care of the expenses of whatever endeavor the giver(s) wish to pursue or fund. For the private individual, it usually takes a lifetime commitment to raising the necessary capital, such that an endowment can be eventually established. Which is not to say saving up money for the establishment of an endowment isn't a good idea, as even a modest sum (by the standards of the wealthy) of, say, $200,000 can yield enough income at a respectable rate of interest to take care of the expenses associated with a home or other such residence (think property tax and/or maintenance fees). Ultimately, there is a very good reason why the most prestigious and longest-lasting institutions or entities are supported by endowments.

Christina Thomas counts insurance, endowments and other investment securities among her many interests; there just aren't many opportunities to plan ones retirement in fast-changing times. Endowments, can be a great boon for those that plan ahead well and get a good and trustworthy insurance agent.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christina_M_Thomas

Developing Client Trust For Your Mortgage, Endowment and Income Protection Insurance Services By Chris Roche

The financial services industry has taken a few hard knocks over the years, possibly starting with the mis-selling of endowment policies, this has caused many people to be cautious when it comes to taking out a mortgage or some form of income protection insurance. Many first time buyers who took out endowments did not fully understand the implications of an interest only mortgage supported by an endowment. For many the realisation came all too late that the amount they had borrowed had not actually reduced so they still owed the lender the same amount as in day one. This of course led to numerous complaints and in many cases when the mis-selling of the endowment was proven the borrower was compensated accordingly.
So what was the real problem with endowments, as they did pay out the full amount that was owed on the mortgage should any of the policyholders die prematurely. Well the real problem was caused by using growth rates on the endowment quotation with a range of 8% to 12% widely used for the investment calculation. To expect this average to be met over a large number of years proved unrealistic and left many borrowers in the lurch. Other areas that left a bad taste in the mouth have been the investment advice given out to many of the older generation who's money went into stocks and shares. Some of these people had a low risk profile and would not have invested in this way had the old adage of shares can go down as well as up had been properly explained. Of course many of these investors have done well when they have been prepared to leave their money locked in for the medium to long term but for those requiring immediate access it proved a failure as many panicked when their investment lost money in the early stages and cashed in their shares.
There are of course other areas that have left the public distrusting financial institutions, very high bank charges for exceeding your overdraft limit, the PPI scandal, massive interest rates on credit cards and many firms being fined, censured or even closed down by the FSA. So how do you develop client trust? Well surely the first step is to know your client and fully understand their needs and aspirations. By completing a Fact Find this gives you an understanding of their current situation so you can come up with the right solutions for both the present and the future. Showing your client you have their interests at heart is easily achievable by printing off research documents that prove you have found them the most efficient and cost effective way of meeting their needs. If you concentrate on building up this relationship over time you will truly develop a bond between you and the client that will last and they will feel much more secure about you dealing with their mortgage, endowment or income protection insurance.

Written by E-Commerce Manager of Armchair Mortgages, Chris Roche. For more information on income protection, mortgage protection or life assurance plans check out our site and give us a call for a UK income protection insurance quote.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Roche

Get More For Your Endowment Policy By Allan Burns

In the UK many people were advised to get an endowment policy for their mortgage. It was common practice, if you were going to buy a house and needed a mortgage you would get an endowment policy to run alongside the mortgage. Every one accepted this practice and many people went for these endowment mortgages rather than straight forward repayment mortgages. Whilst this worked fine for many years a recent period in the UK of poor performing policies and dips in the stock market has meant that many peoples endowments have not realised there full value.
An endowment is a policy you take out from an insurance company when you take on a mortgage. The mortgage advisor would explain the type of policy and level of premiums you would need to cover your circumstances. The endowment would usually be taken out over the same period as your mortgage so if you have a 25 year mortgage you would also get a 25 year endowment.
For the period of the policy you would pay your monthly premiums, each month that premium would go towards your endowment. This endowment is usually a mixture of stock market investments which generally increase in value of the long term. The hope is that your premiums invested wisely in your endowment will realise a value at the end of the term of at least the value of your mortgage.
You can take out endowments of differing values but generally the more you pay in premiums the greater the maturing value of the policy will be. If you have a large mortgage you are going to have to pay higher premiums to reach that higher maturing value to cover the cost of your mortgage.
Many endowments were miss sold and that lead to their being a gap between the final value of many endowments and the actual amount owed on the mortgage. To cover this home owners have had to increase their premiums or surrender their endowment and get a straight forward repayment mortgage.
If you wanted to realise the value of your endowment policy you have a couple of options. The most obvious option is to cash in the policy by selling it back to the insurance company. This may be an option if you need the cash for some reason or you have found out your policy is not going to be substantial enough to cover your mortgage.
Whilst surrendering your endowment is one option it is not always the best option to realise the best return. There is a second hand market for endowments where investors look to buy your policy and use it as an investment or sell it on. By selling your endowment on the second hand endowments market you can get more money than you would otherwise have gotten by surrendering the policy.

Find out how you can get more for your endowment surrender [http://www.endowmentpolicysurrender.co.uk/] value at [http://www.endowmentpolicysurrender.co.uk/]

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Allan_Burns

Repayment Remortgages is The Cure For Outdated Endowment Policy

If bulls and the bears of the stock market have no effect on your mortgage plan then you must apply for endowment to repayment remortgage. An endowment mortgage is a financial product offered mainly in the UK. Endowment mortgage comprise of an interest only loan secured on your mortgage and an investment in the stock market. As against an ordinary repayment mortgage, the customer pays only the interest on the capital. The balance goes into the endowment fund. This stock oriented mortgage policy was workable in the context of stock boom of the 1980s and 1990s. At the end of the mortgage term, it seemed plausible that the investment would pay off the capital. But present day market status is unreliable and fails to make endowment mortgage a much sorted out plan. In recent years it is appropriate to revolutionize your endowment mortgage to repayment remortgage.
Remortgage is highly misunderstood for over the time we grow too comfortable in our mortgage policy. Holders of endowment mortgage are urged take up repayment remortgage so as to forestall the risk of being in huge debts once your mortgage matures. This you might shun as a possibility. But it is a very functional possibility. Why remortgage? If that is your query! Then you need to read more about your endowment mortgage. Repayment remortgage is very essential because endowment remortgage suffers from two major problems - shortfall and mis-selling.
Most consumers did not realize that their endowment mortgage could not reach its desired target. The risk of shortfall in endowment mortgage is a very strong vote in favour of repayment mortgage. Endowment policy is not an appropriate mortgage for everyone. So, if you have been sold an endowment mortgage without making you aware of the risk involved then perhaps you have been mis-sold their endowment policy. Any of these condition calls for fast action in favour of repayment remortgage.
The trends in the stock market are unanticipated. You never know when the wind changes the direction and you might not be able to repay your mortgage. This could mean capitulation of your endowment policy. Before this effects your credit status get a repayment remortgage. Mortgage is secured loan keeps your property as a compensation of the loan. Under no circumstances you can risk the possession of your property by giving consent to an incompatible mortgage deal. Remortgage to a repayment mortgage is definitely a much more dependable option. The monthly payment of repayment remortgage pays both the loan amount and the interest. As long as you don't falter with making your repayments at remortgage, you will be able to forfeit your remortgage completely by the end of the loan term.
The remuneration with repayment remortgage is bounteous. The wavering of the stock market will no longer amount to your cause of concern. You will continue to enjoy all the benefits of your policy with a repayment remortgage. Endowment mortgage frequently fails to accumulate any funds and prove to be expensive than a repayment remortgage. The major disadvantage with endowment mortgage is that if you stop paying for your premium in the early years, the cash in value of endowment policy is very low. Selling the policy would mean losing all the money that you have paid in form of premium. This makes endowment mortgage a very inflexible mortgage. By selecting a repayment remortgage over endowment mortgage you will have enough money and would not have to rely on other sources. By opting for repayment remortgage your claim for endowment compensation will not be exacted.
For all the twenty to twenty five years of your mortgage, you can't keep on checking the stock market news in a hope that it may illustrate an affirmative after effect. You have exhausted enough money like that. Your money deserves a convalescent capitalization. You ought to have a repayment remortgage. Security, that your mortgage will be paid off, is the primary achievement of repayment remortgage which is not offered by endowment mortgage. Living in constant fear is not a recompense that will avoid you from trading your endowment policy for repayment remortgage. Indubitably, your monthly outgoings with repayment remortgage will the higher but there will be contentment which is our constant endeavour in every enterprise.

Amanda Thompson holds a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from CPIT and has completed her master’s in Business Administration from IGNOU. She is as cautious about her finances as any person reading this is. She works for the personal loan web site http://www.chanceforloans.co.uk To find a Secured or unsecured loan that best suits your needs visit http://www.chanceforloans.co.uk

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Amanda_Thompson

Endowment Shortfall Problems By Steven D Wright

The endowment shortfall is an issue that has effected hundreds of thousands of people across the UK. A conventional endowment policy is a life insurance contract which will pay a predetermined lump sum following the death of the life insured. An endowment policy is also an investment policy as part of the premium is paid into one of the insurer's with profit funds. As the policy progresses a value is accumulated and is supposed to meet a target at the end of the policy, upon assumed growth rates. At this point it matures and pays out a final valuation to the consumer.
The sum insured is split into two elements, the guaranteed sum assured which is an amount that should be guaranteed to be paid out at the end of the policy and the mortgage sum assured which is the guaranteed sum assured combined with the total life cover in place.
Bonuses are paid each year called reversionary bonuses and these accumulate and are paid at maturity. The insurer will announce at what rates these bonuses are applied at each year. There is also another possible bonus applied to the policy upon a claim or at maturity which is called the terminal bonus. Again these rates are announced by the insurer each year and are not guaranteed to be anything at all.
As previously mentioned the policy is an investment and has a surrender value which is made up of the bonuses, premiums paid and how long the policy has been in force.
It is possible that when upon any claim or early surrender that the policy can be penalised due to poor market conditions. This means that the surrender value will have a Market Value Reduction or Adjustment made to it. This is applied to protect other policies that remain invested in the with profits fund that these policies are invested in.
The endowment shortfall has been a result of the poor performance of the insurers' with profits funds. Bonuses have also been low or non existent and whereby upon sale the policies were made out to hit or even exceed at target at the end of the policy they have been falling well short.
The main concern is that the possibility that there could be a shortfall was never made clear at the beginning of the policy by which ever company or agent that was responsible for selling the product.
Throughout the term a consumer can ask for a projection from that point until the policy is due to mature, this is called an estimated maturity value. This will show upon 3 different assumed growth rates what the policy will likely pay out at maturity. This can show a shortfall from early on and people that have been actively watching their policy have been able to take action but unfortunately many people don't find out until a lot later or even at the end and this can be a very problematic surprise!
Due to the backlash that has come from the endowment shortfall problem insurers have seen consumers complain in vast numbers as have financial advisers and any other people or companies responsible for selling these contracts. Companies have been set up to deal with mis-selling complaints on behalf of consumers and also there are a range of market maker companies who are willing to buy endowment policies from consumers for a competitive price so they can keep the policies as collective short term investments. This is a very popular choice for people that are not willing to see the endowment policy through to maturity only to be faced with a huge endowment shortfall. It is at the very least a way of cutting their losses.

Steven D Wright worked for many years in the offices of one of the UK's largest insurance companies. His websites on Life Insurance Questions and Life Term Insurance Policy explain in straight forward language the intricacies of the life insurance world.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steven_D_Wright

7 Major Reasons Why Traded Endowment Policies Benefits You By Kevin Yeo

You have not worked so hard every day only to see your wealth accumulated through the years go down the drain.
Whatever your financial needs and future plans may be, here are 7 major reasons why Traded Endowment Policies can be used to your benefits.
Low Market Risk
The Traded Endowment Policy (TEP) market in the UK is a highly regulated industry. It has been around for more than 100 years and the governing body has well placed infrastructure to protect the interests of investors.
High Capital Guarantee
Every Traded Endowment Policy (TEP) that you invest in has a "Capital Guarantee" value in the form of the sum assured plus the attaching bonuses. These values once allocated cannot be reduced and removed. You can choose percentage of Capital Guarantee from 70% to 100%
No Yearly Management and Service Fees
Unlike mutual funds, as a TEP owner, you are not charged a yearly management or service fees that will in turn marginalize your returns. Thus maximizing your potential gains from the profits paid out.
Tax Benefits
If you are a non-UK resident ie Singaporean, your returns from TEP are not taxed. (However, please check with your respective tax agents with regards to your unique situation.)
Flexibility
At your own discretion, you may have a choice of maturity dates ranging from 3 years to as long as 10 years. The maturity dates are fixed so there is certainty in your financial planning. The best part is since there is an existing market for TEPs, you as an owner can choose to sell it anytime you wish to.
Zero Cost to the Investor
A unique feature of TEP is that the cost of transaction is to be borne by the seller. This means that as an investor, what you pay is what you get!
Competitive Returns
Majority of the TEPs have been in forced for many years and are close to their maturity dates. Bulk of the bonuses is only paid out at the final year. By taking over a TEP instead of starting an endowment policy from scratch, you are maximizing your returns per year.

Kevin Yeo is an expert in the business of helping individuals grow and preserve their wealth.
He is currently in the project of educating investors of the merits of Traded Endownment Policies.
You can get more free and useful information on Traded Endowment Policies from [http://www.premiumtimedassets.com].

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kevin_Yeo

Endowment Policy - Careful Cancellation Essential By Michael Challiner

Back in the 1980s word went around that there was a wonderful new way to pay your mortgage. In those days the process of getting and running a mortgage was almost sacrosanct, and little variation was available. A fairly common route to take was to open an account at the Building Society of your choice, and to put in as much money as you could, the intention being to prove to said Building Society that you were prudent and could be trusted with their money.
When the time for a mortgage arrived, it was best suit on for an appointment with the branch manager to convince him of your dependability, and if you were successful you were given a (typically) 25 year repayment mortgage. Inflation was your friend because you usually started off committed to a monthly repayment which made yours eyes water, but as time went by the real value of this dwindled in significance.
When you had completed your 300 monthly repayments the property was yours. It was all very straightforward until the endowment mortgage arrived. With this you paid only the interest due, with a promise of lower monthly commitment. At the end of the term a sum would be handed to you which would be sufficient to pay off the capital sum of the mortgage and leave you with enough to enjoy a brief excursion into the wild life of regular meals and even exotic holidays, which in extreme cases may even have been outside the UK!
That was the dream which was eagerly taken up by many hardworking mortgage owners and unfortunately, also by some over eager salesmen. The sum necessary to pay off your mortgage was not guaranteed, and in the majority of cases it didn't. Therein lies the formation of the mis-selling scandal; many building societies took great care to explain to their mortgage customers the modus operandi of the endowment system and the many pitfalls which could trap the unwary. Tragically many individual salesmen and some building societies omitted to adequately cover some of the less palatable facts.
This created great distress in some cases; figures produced for 2004 show that almost 7 million endowment mortgages were unlikely to provide sufficient funds to pay off the mortgage debts, leaving less than 2 million which should achieve their objective. Thus the flood tide of the 1980s which saw home owners clamouring for endowment mortgages suddenly became an ebb tide, with endowment holders looking for a way of getting back to the old system, or to one of the newer but more reliable alternatives. Great caution is necessary in this situation.
First of all you need to look carefully at your endowment mortgage to determine its value. If you are still in the early years of its operation, you will find that despite your monthly payments you have a document with very little value. This is because you have been paying the premium for the endowment agreement itself, the interest due on your mortgage loan and life insurance to cover repayment of the loan if you should die before completion.
A very important factor in an endowment is the terminal bonus. You will have received the benefit of annual bonuses along the way, but the terminal bonus is normally the very high value one; it could well provide more than half the final value of the payment which you will receive, but will be lost if you cancel. To make matters more difficult, the value of the terminal bonus is not guaranteed and will not be known until the endowment is fully paid up. It may be that you are in the situation where you will lose money whichever route you take.
If you do decide to proceed with the sale of the endowment, either because you need the money or because you are in the fortunate position where sale would be advantageous, you need to shop around. Certainly you should obtain a sale figure from the company who provided the endowment in the first place, but you are also free to go into the market place for these mortgages and see what offers you can get. It is very likely that the price which you will be offered in this way will be better than that which the original issuer is prepared to allow you.
You will find that different companies have different criteria relating to which endowments they would be interested in buying. For instance, some will not be interested if the sale value is below a certain figure, or may require the endowment to have been operational for a specific minimum period. Realistically you should seek professional help in reaching a decision; a company which has contacts within the Association of Policy Market Makers (which represents companies who deal in endowment trading) will be better placed to find you the best deal. There will be a charge for their expertise, but you should benefit from a better price and save yourself a lot of time, work and worry.
Remember that if you sell your endowment mortgage, you will fairly certainly also be cancelling your accompanying life cover and should ensure that you obtain a replacement policy, preferably before the cancellation takes effect. There is little harm in duplicating your cover for a short time, but there could be very unfortunate results from even the shortest period without cover.

Cheap Life Insurance [http://www.quote-life-insurance.co.uk] Quote Life can help provide you with information about Life Insurance. Visit Quote Life to see how much you can save on your Life Cover.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Challiner

Endowments - Undeserving of a Bad Rap By Christina M Thomas

Do you ever wonder how it is that supposedly non-profit organizations always seem to have money? After all, the charitable donations they receive have to go to operating expenses, as well as the salaries of the organizers, right? Well, not quite, and not usually. There are certain investment vehicles that are tailor-made to keep such institutions going.
An endowment is one such investment vehicle; indeed, it is the investment vehicle of choice for institutions - ranging from colleges, libraries, museums and many others that are not geared towards the selling of goods to maintain financial standing. For universities, their entire economic infrastructure is supported by endowment gifts from wealthy alumni, which then enjoy continuously compounding interest on the untouched (and often untouchable, by the rules of the endowment) principal. It is easy to see that a direct correlation exists between the age of an institution such as a university, and its wealth; Harvard is both the oldest and richest university for precisely these reasons - alumni have been pumping its coffers for nearly 375 years as of 2011! Harvard's premier current endowment of $27.4 billion returns interest of about 11%, or $3 billion of operating capital per year. That's enough to give each one of its twenty-one thousand students $12000 per month for the year! The other top Ivy League schools aren't terribly far behind, which exposes yet another correlation: these very old and very rich schools are rarely boot-strapped by the economy in providing their students with the most up-to-date laboratories in the world.
The endowment, then, is more often than not confined to the wealthy. With a return of well over 5%, but almost always under 11%, it takes a large sum of money to realize a substantial yearly windfall, if you will, sufficient to take care of the expenses of whatever endeavor the giver(s) wish to pursue or fund. For the private individual, it usually takes a lifetime commitment to raising the necessary capital, such that an endowment can be eventually established. Which is not to say saving up money for the establishment of an endowment isn't a good idea, as even a modest sum (by the standards of the wealthy) of, say, $200,000 can yield enough income at a respectable rate of interest to take care of the expenses associated with a home or other such residence (think property tax and/or maintenance fees). Ultimately, there is a very good reason why the most prestigious and longest-lasting institutions or entities are supported by endowments.

Christina Thomas counts insurance, endowments and other investment securities among her many interests; there just aren't many opportunities to plan ones retirement in fast-changing times. Endowments, can be a great boon for those that plan ahead well and get a good and trustworthy insurance agent.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christina_M_Thomas

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6429644

Calgary Realtors - What's Their Role in the Buying-Selling Process?

Calgary is a Canadian city, which currently shows a rapid growth in several aspects, compared to other cities in Canada. The growth of the city has paid a way to the increase in demand for houses there. Purchasing a house in such a city is not an easy task. This is where you need the help of Calgary realtors. Whether selling your house or looking for a new one, hire a realtor who could make desires come true. There are over 5,500 realtors in Calgary and its surrounding area, who work together as a group or network to help you. Few of them work as single and are known as independent real estate agents. While in case of a REALTOR network, the realtors at different areas share the information and resources among themselves, thereby placing you in the best position.
Teaming up with a realtor will endow you with a valuable access to professional real estate expertise and knowledge. You could experience several benefits on hiring a Calgary realtor. Initially it helps in determining your buying power. In case if you are buying a house, the realtors would take you to the best lenders who provide a maximum loan, thereby minimizing your expenses. Calgary realtors have full access to the entire features of MLS (Multiple Listing Services) which is known to be the Canada's biggest real estate network. Hence with a realtor, selling and buying a house anywhere in the country is absolutely easy. The realtors also provide local community information on utilities, zoning, and schools, thereby assisting you in making the best choice. Calgary realtors always have a finger on the pulse of the housing market. They are knowledgeable about developments and trends in real estate. Therefore, on having a good understanding with your realtor, there is nothing for you to worry about.
On working with a realtor, you are protected on several aspects. The major thing is that the realtors are graduates of real estate education program. Only after getting their certification, they are allowed to begin their practice in the real estate market. They must adhere to a strict Code of Ethics and Standards of Business Practice. Realtors also carry errors and omissions insurance. In case of any fraudulent event or breach of trust, Real Estate Assurance Fund is available to you. A licensed brokerage supervises the business conduct of all realtors. Hence there is no possibility for you to get cheated by a realtor.
Therefore without a realtor it is very hard to sell or purchase a house in Calgary. They not only reduce your risk, but also help you in smoothing the real estate procedures. Realtors in addition assure you a financial protection.

There is lot of interesting information that you need to know about houses for sale in calgary. The author of this article has written many such informative articles on Calgary real estate agents.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Johnnson

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5188846

Could PPI Mis-Selling Be Banned? By Michael Challiner

The Competition Commission has announced that they intend to ban the sale of Payment protection insurance (PPI) at the point of sale for both loans and credit and store cards. A respected personal finance expert estimates that up to 50 per cent of PPI policies, worth an estimated potential 10 billion pounds may actually have been mis-sold. He suggests this could be recovered from lenders.
A two-year investigation has concluded that lenders must allow a statutory 14-day "cooling off" period before being allowed to even attempt to sell PPI to their borrowers. The most obvious benefits to borrowers are that they will feel less pressurized to take the insurance offered by the lender, and that they will be able to shop around for possibly a much cheaper policy to suit their personal needs
The Commission has also requested a ban on lenders adding the cost of insurance policies on to the loan. This means borrowers are paying interest on the insurance as well as on the loan debt.
Historically, financial institutions have mis-sold various products for years. Pensions, endowment policies and now PPI have all come under the spotlight. Some of the tactics used to sell PPI, while ethically questionable, but still legal, have resulted in some large fines being levied on some major high street institutions. For example, the Alliance and Leicester were fined 7 million pounds as a result of their failure to treat 210,000 of their customers fairly. HFC bank (a subsidiary of HSBC - another major high street name) were fined 1 million pounds, again for the shoddy treatment it gave to its customers GE Capital Bank and Capital One bank were also heavily fined, for their failure to sell PPI ethically to thousands of their paying customers.
PPI is supposed to help borrowers to keep up repayments on debts such as mortgages, personal (and secured) loans, and credit and store cards in the event of illness, redundancy or unemployment. Clever marketing tactics could mean if you suffer from a pre-existing medical condition (for example, diabetes) or if you are self-employed, you could have signed up for a policy, which may well not allow you to make a claim. Even if you do qualify for payout on your policy, it will probably have a time limit - 6 months is the norm - but your illness or unemployment could well last much longer than that.
A report commissioned by the Competition Commission confirmed some of their worst fears regarding PPI sales and figures: only 14 per cent of PPI premiums are repaid to claimants. This compares with 54 per cent of premiums paid to claimants for home insurance claims and 78 per cent of premiums being paid to motor insurance claimants. The commission claims that customers were being overcharged by up to 1.4 billion pounds per year.
A "cooling off" period of 14 days would allow borrowers to shop around for a policy to suit their needs. However, a customer could chose to contact his lender himself after 24 hours to agree to their policy.
Single premium policies, where a lump sum for insurance is added to the cost of the original loan would be banned under the proposed new legislation, and PPI providers would be legally bound to supply borrowers with a written quotation stating the full costs of the policy, so borrowers could make an informed decision before signing up for a policy.
The Chief Executive of Which? Magazine thinks that the commission's findings mark a huge step forwards for borrowers. However, a spokesperson for the Association of British Insurers (ABI) sees it as the end of the PPI market, with the added risk of possibly leaving millions of borrowers totally unprotected. He maintains that as figures for the last year for policies issued have risen by 69 per cent, PPI still represents good value for money.

Your Credit Card company are demanding your overdue payments and you didn't take out Payment Protection Insurance. You're in a mess. Well it's time you took a trip to the Don't Break The Bank website. Here we offer all our UK residents information on Debt Advice [http://dont-break-the-bank.co.uk], Debt Help and other debt related solutions. So clear up your mess, by looking at us!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Challiner

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2977270

Buying & Selling Property - Glossary of Terms By Rich Bendall

Bridging Loan
- a bridging loan is a short term loan taken out to bridge the gap between buying a new home and selling an existing property. The loan bridges the gap between the sale of the two homes in the housing chain and eases the completion of the purchase.Chain - the property chain refers to the sequence of sales that must take place before an individual property transaction can take place. Since most people selling their home will also be buying a new property there can be a chain of buyers and sellers each dependent on each other. If one buyer or seller drops out the whole chain may collapse.
Completion - completion in property sales refers to the point when contracts have been exchanged and ownership of the property has been legally transferred.
Conveyancing - conveyancing is the legal process that must be completed for the transfer of ownership of the property to take place. Conveyancing work is usually performed by solicitors.
Endowment Mortgage - an endowment mortgage is a type of mortgage where the property buyer makes monthly payments into a life assurance (endowment) policy. At the end of the loan period the mortgage is paid off in one lump sum.
Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) - the Energy Performance Certificate is a document showing the current energy rating of a property as well as suggested ways in which the energy rating could be improved. The EPC is a compulsory part of the Home Information Pack.
Estate Agent - a professional who acts on behalf of a person selling their home to find a buyer for the property. The estate agency service includes valuing the home, advertising and arranging viewings.
Fixed Fee Estate Agent - fixed fee estate agents a new type of property agent that offer to sell homes for a fixed fee. An alternative to traditional estate agents that set their fees at a percentage of the value of the home being sold.
Gazumping - a common practice in property sales where the seller of the home accepts one offer to buy the property but later rejects it to accept a higher offer by another buyer.
Home Information Pack (HIP) - recently made compulsory in the UK the Home Information Pack contains a series of documents relating to a property being sold. The HIP is designed to assist potential home buyers by making important property information available at an early stage.
Land Registry - the land registry is a government office that stores records of land ownership. Updates to the registry are typically performed by solicitors who register new owners of a home.
Negative Equity - a situation where the mortgage being paid on a property is of a higher amount than the actual value of the home. This means that the home owner has paid or will pay back more than what the property is worth.
Repayment Mortgage - a type of mortgage where monthly repayments cover both interest and capital so that the amount outstanding will gradually decrease until the mortgage is fully repaid at the end of the agreed term.
Stamp Duty - a government tax charged when a property is sold. The actual rate of taxation will vary according to the value of the property.
Title Deeds - the title deeds are documents showing the past and present ownership of a property.

WOW Property are a group of UK online estate agents helping you to sell your home.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rich_Bendall

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1443307

Book Summary - The Ivy Portfolio - How to Invest Like the Top Endowments - By Mebane Faber By Joe Mosed

Endowments have an investment outlook of forever. They know how to avoid bear markets and bubble crashes. These endowments use sophisticated investment strategies to limit the risk and maximize their gains.
Why is this important to me? There are two main points that make this book important to you.
1. We need to emulate the best. To figure out what these endowments have done on our own would result in lost time, money and opportunity. Why not emulate the best. Here is what the Yale Endowment has done. If you would have invested $100,000 in 1985, your investment would be worth $4 million today compared to the S&P at $1.5 million, 10-year Government bonds at $950,000. The same amount invested in Harvard's endowment would have gotten you $3 million. These endowments know what they are doing.
2. Get Rich Quick in stocks is not a smart way to go. Over the long haul you will probably lose money. This does not mean that you will not make money in stocks but it means you need to be educated. Think about it - we would be competing with guys like this who are the best of the best. When you see get rich quick scams on TV just think about these endowments. These guys are the best of the best and they know who how to invest. They beat the S&P by an additional 4% per year with 33% less volatility. Competing with these guys would be like advising your son to drop out of school to play basketball with the goal of becoming the next Michael Jordon.
The Ivy Portfolio is packed with a ton of information. This book is not for the faint of heart. They get into some pretty in depth stuff like mathematical algorithms, portfolio rebalancing, momentum, hedge funds, private equity, active management and passive management.
Rule one is critical. Don't lose money. Think about this if you invest $1000 dollars and lose 50% of it then you have to make a 100% gain just to get even. This is the biggest destroyer of wealth.
The Ivy Portfolio - This book gives you some ETF's and mutual funds as well as building core asset allocations that emulate the endowments. They back test with historical data to show you what you would have earned. This is powerful stuff. Please note that these endowments have investment opportunities that the little guys don't have, given their size. The Ivy Portfolio uses rebalancing and passive management to achieve results. This is doable for the little guy.
13F's - This is powerful stuff. I never heard of this until I picked up this book. These are powerful tools if you are a value investor with a long term view. You can go to SEC.GOV website and search for 13F's. This will show what the top dogs are invested in. Thus you can simple see what Warren Buffet owns and buy the same thing. You can search once per quarter and tweak your portfolio accordingly. This is an excellent strategy. Note: You need to figure out a good price to buy in at because you make your money on the buy and not the sell.
The Ivy Portfolio is a pretty intense book on investing but it profiles the two best endowments and how they do it. The good news is there are a couple of things the small investor can learn from the book. They are asset allocation, rebalancing and 13F's.
I hope you have found this short summary useful. The key to any new idea is to work it into your daily routine until it becomes habit. Habits form in as little as 21 days. One thing you can take away from this book is emulate the best. If you want to save time and explode your results then emulate the people who have already done it. You can start by researching 13F's and seeing what Warren Buffet, Carl Icahn and George Soros invest in.

Joe Mosed invites you to subscribe to http://www.successprogress.com to receive free video book summaries. Our vision at Success Progress is to provide relevant & meaningful content to our user community. To view the video summary of this article please visit http://www.youtube.com/successprogress
(c) Copyright - Joe Mosed / Success Progress All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joe_Mosed

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6828090