Unemployed Canadians who Search for a Job Online Are Motivated to Work from Home, Winner-Trader Reports

An increasing number of unemployed Canadians who search for jobs online choose to work from home instead of settling for a routine office job, reports Winner-Trader. 

MONTREAL, Dec 02, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Winner-Trader ( http://www.winner-trader.com ) reports that according to its statistics, there is an increase in Canadians who take job security into their own hands by starting a business from home, instead of seeking a regular office job. This comes as no surprise following recent global economic developments, which have caused two decades of sluggish national productivity in Canada, even compared to the U.S. Following a report released by the Conference Board of Canada this month, Canadians were $13,000 poorer than Americans when measured in purchasing power parity. This disparity emphasizes Canada's lack of high-paying jobs due to declining international trade demands and a limited internal market.

Winner-trader's spokesman James Gillmore explained: "Many Canadians have had a raw deal in recent years as dependence on the global economy weakened job security and earning power."

"Our readers seek solutions that allow them to fix that personal spending power deficit, especially with further uncertainty about the value of the Canadian currency," Gillmore continued. "Motivated job seekers are quietly making money as they work from home after abandoning their search for a job in an office environment -- they use what is called binary options, and it is so simple that practically anyone can do it. These days special training or skills aren't required. Just use the arrow graphics to predict if a currency value will go up or down, and start making money."

Anyoption is the most user-friendly binary options website, Gillmore said. "Simply register, login and correctly predict if the value of the Canadian dollar, US dollar or Euro will go up or down at any point in time, using a straightforward graphic interface, and start making money immediately. I've personally seen people turn $300 into $1,500 in as little as three days." Read the details here: http://www.winner-trader.com/300-to-1500.html .

"Anyoption even gives you a 15% loss protection, so you have the advantage," Gillmore added. "Instead of hoping for the Canadian economy to improve or hoping to find the perfect high-paying office job, learn how to make money from home with the simplicity of binary options trading."

To choose your binary options trading platform:

http://www.winner-trader.com/anyoption http://www.winner-trader.com/optionbit http://www.winner-trader.com/24option

SOURCE: Winner-Trader

Programs That Tie Funds to Effectiveness Are at Risk

By ANNIE LOWREY

 WASHINGTON — Policy experts and academics consider home-visiting programs — where nurses counsel teenage mothers and other at-risk parents — to be among the most effective social interventions. The programs slash the incidence of neglect, bolster infant health and in some cases save taxpayers money by cutting costs.

But not all programs follow best practices, or even track their results. To tackle that problem — to make the initiatives more effective and accountable — the Bush administration created a pilot program tying federal financing to policy outcomes. States could get federal financing if they put in place research-supported best practices.
There are now six such “evidence-based” pilot programs that make taxpayer dollars contingent on results and that would seem to have natural appeal to Congressional Republicans. But they are under threat from a House proposal that eliminates all federal financing for four of the six programs, including the home-visiting program, and significantly cuts money for a fifth.
Republicans say that no decisions are final, and that the appropriations process is in its early stages. Democrats promise to fight for the initiatives, and argue for their inclusion in next year’s budget. Policy experts worry not just about the evidence-based programs, but also about the future of such mechanisms to make government money go further and work better.
“The hard-working taxpayer deserves more careful consideration of how we spend their money,” said Representative Denny Rehberg, Republican of Montana, who is chairman of the appropriations subcommittee that cut the evidence-based financing. “We requested updates on findings from evaluations and other activities conducted using these funds. The committee will review the results carefully so we can make an informed decision about whether or not to fund this in the future.”
The evidence-based pilot programs make up a tiny portion of federal spending, accounting for about $1.2 billion out of a $670 billion budget for nonmilitary discretionary programs in the 2011 fiscal year. Nevertheless, policy experts hold that they represent an important change in how Washington thinks about accountability for such spending.
“All of these programs sprang out of asking the question: How can we get better results with less money in a constrained fiscal environment?” said Robert Gordon, executive associate director of the White House budget office. “If your goal is to change how government works and to send a signal that results matter, programs like these are powerful.”
The idea of tying money to outcomes seems commonsensical. But policy experts say most federally financed social programs — like the preschool program Head Start or job retraining initiatives for displaced workers — do not consider results when determining how to allocate money.
“For most large social programs,” said Jon Baron, president of the Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy in Washington, “the federal government plays the role of a faucet. It directs the agencies to allocate large streams of funding, often determined by formula. Evidence about which programs are effective or not does not come into the picture.”
That began changing during the Bush administration, after years of research showed taxpayers spending billions of dollars for sometimes negligible results on things like substance abuse prevention and early childhood education.
The Bush administration created the home-visiting initiative, a $10 million competitive grant pilot program to help state and local governments invest in “quality assurance systems,” train workers and establish programs with “strong fidelity to a proven effective model,” in 2008. Congress expanded the spending to $13.5 million the next year.
When the Obama administration came into office, it decided to “turn the dial up,” said Peter R. Orszag, a former budget director who is now a vice chairman at Citigroup. “The ethos is not just to spend money blindly, but to make investments — to spend money on things that demonstrate that they work. If you try three approaches to job training, you actually try to over time dedicate more money to the programs that work better.”
The administration drastically expanded the home-visiting program, increasing spending to $1.5 billion over five years. And it decided to apply the evidence-based ethos to other programs. Congress approved $75 million to study and replicate the most effective teenage-pregnancy prevention programs, for instance. It also added competitive, evidence-based financing for two work force training programs, an initiative to improve student achievement and an initiative to help low-income communities.
The administrators of the programs say it may take several more years to see hard results. For instance, Paul Carttar, the director of the Social Innovation Fund, says it remains focused on building the infrastructure for its competitive grants to community organizations. But he estimates the program has already reached 70,000 people through local initiatives with a “very significant evidence requirement.”
“There are other benefits of these programs that oftentimes are not really appreciated,” Mr. Carttar said. “Other federal agencies can adopt the best practices identified by evidence-based programs. By that same logic, they also have tremendous value, not just to federal grant-makers, but to philanthropic grant-makers, individual donors — anyone who thinks about money creating an impact.”
The proposed budget cuts have bewildered social scientists and good-government experts. “Why, in a constrained budget environment, do you cut the programs that have to show they’re working?” asked Ron Haskins, a former Republican Congressional staff member and White House adviser who is co-director of the Brookings Center on Children and Families. “It makes no sense.”
The White House has also strongly objected to the subcommittee’s zeroing out financing. Jacob L. Lew, the White House budget director, sent a letter acknowledging the necessity of budget cuts, but asking that Congress retain spending for programs that can help states save money and improve outcomes. “In a period of limited resources, these initiatives encourage and reflect the systemic changes and evidence-based interventions that can achieve the greatest impacts at the lowest cost,” he wrote.
Mr. Rehberg, the appropriations subcommittee chairman, stresses that nothing is final. “The days of blindly throwing money at any and all programs without any consideration of how well they work are over, as well they should be,” he said in an e-mail.
But Democrats on the subcommittee have said they will fight for their inclusion.
“These initiatives are targeted, focused investments that would improve our schools and help American families during these difficult economic times,” said Representative Rosa L. DeLauro of Connecticut, the senior Democrat on the subcommittee. “Cutting these initiatives, and many other worthwhile programs and services, is the wrong direction.”

The National Lottery and Sir Matthew Pinsent present the ‘Class Of 2012’

Four-time Olympic gold medallist Sir Matthew Pinsent joined athletes from every one of the 47 Olympic and Paralympic sports, as they featured in an iconic photo to celebrate how National Lottery funding has transformed sport, boosted our medal chances and helped to make the London 2012 Games possible.

Athletes hoping to compete on home soil next year came together with one of Britain’s greatest ever Olympians to recreate a school photo to represent The National Lottery’s ‘Class of 2012’.
Most athletes present will have benefited from National Lottery funding directly, whilst athletes from sports such as tennis and football appeared on behalf of the Lottery investment into their sports at a grassroots level, transforming community sport and enabling facilities to be created.
Since Lottery funding began in 1994, 438 Olympic and Paralympic medals have been won by GB and Northern Ireland athletes.
The National Lottery is also investing £2.2 billion in the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and Lottery players are enabling 1,200 elite athletes to train to the highest of international standards.
Headmaster Sir Matthew Pinsent welcomed the athletes and passed on inspirational words to them at iconic City of London School, boasting a historic school hall where the class photo was created.
The rowing legend said: “I am honoured to be able to celebrate The National Lottery’s investment with these talented athletes who are hoping to take centre stage next year. Beijing 2008 was our most successful Olympics ever and I am backing our current hopefuls to do even better in London. The Lottery really has been the catalyst for the change in British sporting success. Lottery funding has made a tremendous impact at all levels of sport, transforming parks and sporting facilities and allowing local clubs to prosper across the UK.”
Team GB will field men’s and women’s football sides for the first time since 1972 and selection for the team is much coveted by potential players.
Arsenal and England player Kieran Gibbs said: “To represent Team GB in the football competition next year would be one of the highlights of a British footballer’s career. I am fortunate to be at an age that means I could be considered, subject to club commitments. Any British footballer would take a lot of pride in pulling on the British vest and leading the GB team to success next year. It’s with thanks to National Lottery funding that football at a grassroots level in this country is thriving and it’s been fantastic to celebrate that investment here today.”
Modern Pentathlete Freyja Prentice has already attained the 2012 Olympic qualifying standard by finishing eighth at the Modern Pentathlon European Championships in July this year and is hoping to be confirmed for Team GB next year.
The Scottish athlete said: “Thanks to Lottery players, we are getting ready for the biggest exams of our sporting careers. It was fantastic to learn first-hand from Sir Matthew Pinsent about his Olympic experiences; we’ve had an inspirational lesson here today.”
Triple World champion and Paralympic and Commonwealth archery champion Danielle Brown will look to defend her Paralympic title if selected for ParalympicsGB and said: “I would like Lottery players to realise how their money has turned our sporting ambitions to reality. All my ‘classmates’ here today are determined to make Lottery players proud of the Class of 2012.”
National Lottery players have raised £27 billion for Good Causes since the Lottery started in 1994. Over £6 billion of this has been invested in sport.

Disability campaigners hail U-turn over plan to axe transport benefit

By Amelia Gentleman guardian.co.uk,

Government no longer planning to scrap mobility component of disability living allowance for 80,000 people in care homes

Louisa Spivack said the proposed DLA changes would have been devastating for her two autistic sons Danny, left, and Joel. Photograph: Martin Argles for the Guardian

Disability campaigners have welcomed a government U-turn on a decision to abolish a transport benefit for care home residents, which would have severely limited their ability to travel beyond the confines of the home.
The government triggered widespread outrage when it revealed in last year's spending review that it wanted to remove the mobility component of the disability living allowance (DLA) for about 80,000 disabled people living in care homes from 2012. It planned to save £160m by removing the £50-a-week benefit.
Disability charities were so shocked by the decision that they questioned whether ministers fully understood its significance. They have spent the past year lobbying the government, explaining that for recipients the benefit represents the difference between being institutionalised within a care home and being able to participate in society more widely, enabling them to travel outside to see family and friends.
After extensive consultation, the government announced on Thursday that it was no longer planning to introduce the measure.
"Our aims have always been to ensure not only protection of public funds but also that disabled people who live in residential care homes retain their independence and are not prevented from getting out and about," a statement from the Department for Work and Pensions said.
The ministry's belief that the funding duplicated money for transport provided direct to the care home, proved to be unfounded, the statement continued. "There was insufficient evidence of overlaps in funding provision to justify the withdrawal of the mobility component."
The decision comes after an independent review, conducted by Lord Low, concluded that removing the benefit would be "a serious step backwards for disability rights". The government said it would table an amendment to the welfare reform bill to withdraw the proposal to remove the allowance.
Louisa Spivack, who has two sons with severe autism living in a residential care home in Sussex, and who highlighted her concerns about the proposal in the Guardian , said she was relieved the government had reconsidered. "It would have been devastating for them. It would have made their lives extremely limited."
Clare Pelham, chief executive of Leonard Cheshire Disability, said: "We applaud the government for listening to the thousands of disabled people who have raised this issue and reversing the plan to scrap this vital benefit. This allowance is just so important for those who receive it – it can make the difference between being able to get out independently and being trapped inside."
Sarah Lambert, head of policy at the National Autistic Society, welcomed the decision but warned that other changes to disability benefits remained a serious concern. "This announcement may only represent a token reprieve for people with autism and other disabilities if substantial changes are not made to wider plans for welfare reform," she said.
"We have significant concerns that the new assessment process for Personal Independence Payment (PIP), which will replace DLA, may fail to identify the needs of people with complex conditions such as autism. If the government does not heed these concerns, thousands of vulnerable people could be left without the support they depend on."
A report from Demos, commissioned by the charity Scope and published on Friday, warns that ongoing confusion over broader changes to the welfare system are helping push disabled people into poverty. "As benefit cuts bite, local services close and the cost of living rises, disabled people have reported they are struggling to make ends meet, cannot make sense of the situation, and are very uncertain about their future," it states.

Fight continues for Home-Start

STAFF at Bridlington’s Home-Start are still searching for funding to keep open a “lifeline for local young families”.
Home-Start Bridlington and Driffield were notified by East Riding of Yorkshire Council in August that their funding would be cut at the end of March next year.
Workers at Home-Start have been making efforts to find new avenues of funding for the service which offers support and back-up to local families who may be struggling to cope with post-natal illness, isolation, bereavement or disability.
“I’ve lost count of the number of letters we have sent out to attract funding,” said Nicky Wordsworth, senior co-ordinator at Home-Start, which is based at the Community Resource Centre on Victoria Road.
So far, kind hearted local groups have donated money to try and keep the service alive once council funding stops.
Bridlington Lions donated £500, the Ladies Lions donated £200, local couple Mr and Mrs Woodcock raised £150 while Bridlington Rotary Club donated £100.
“We are really worried about what is going to happen if we close to those families that we help,” “Some have been in dire situations and we have helped them, one family wouldn’t have been here without the support that our service provides.
“There are other services in Bridlington and Driffield that can help young families but they don’t offer the same sort of round the clock care as our volunteers can. The times when people feel at their most lonely and vulnerable, evenings, weekends or school holidays, are the times that we can be there to help,” continued Nicky.
“Our volunteers have been there before and build up a relationship with families that means we can get to the root of their problems - which is difficult to do with services that only open 9-5.”
The service is currently offering support to 26 local families and has helped more than 300 families, which means more than 450 children, in the twelve years they have been open.
Pam Allen, head of children and young people’s support and safeguarding services at East Riding of Yorkshire Council confirmed after the council’s decision in August that funding will come to an end on March 31 next year.
“As with all local authorities, we are reviewing all our services and need to prioritise. We have difficult decisions to make based on our resources available.
“This is not a reflection on the service that has been delivered but with our own children’s centres going from strength to strength and outreach work developing, we are able to reach more families.”
Home-Start have organised two fundraising nights in the next week. The first is a night of live music is to be held tomorrow, Friday December 2 at the The Bluebell, on Riverhead in Driffield.
The show features York singer/songwriter Andy Stones, Bridlington’s Ben Parcell, Drifiield musicians Dogfinger, and former Brontes member Jasper Bolton and Hull rapper 4 Eyez. Starting at 7.30pm, tickets for the show are £5, available on the door.
A christmas fayre will also be held at the at the Community Resource Centre on Victoria Road, next Thursday, December 8, from 6.30pm-9.30pm.
The fayre features a gift raffle, Christmas stalls and a visit from Santa - and tickets cost £1.
If you have any fundraising ideas for Home-Start, please contact their office on 01262 605020.
Source www.bridlingtonfreepress.co.uk/

Yuan to make money?

By Bryan Borzykowski

Mark Hewlett wishes everyone would leave Europe alone. The managing partner with ­London-based Anello Asset Management is frustrated by all the attention his part of the world is getting when the “big elephant” is really America, its massive deficit and its depreciating dollar. “That’s what everyone’s most scared of,” he says. As a currency expert, he’s carefully watching what’s happening in the United States—if confidence is further damaged, the greenback’s status as a global reserve currency may be in peril.

It’s unlikely that will occur soon but, long term, many asset managers think that an emerging-market currency, likely the Chinese renminbi, will become the global reserve currency of choice. If that happens, demand for the yuan (as it’s also known) will explode, and its price will rise accordingly. But even if investors still cling to the greenback for safety, as they did in 2011, several emerging-market currencies should still see their values increase. And that’s good news for retail investors who are looking for other ways to grow their portfolios.
Currencies can help investors in two significant ways: they offer a yield and the ­prospect of appreciation. For the former, investors can get a return by simply ­changing Canadian dollars into a currency that has a higher interest rate. If, for example, you put loonies in an Australian savings account—the country’s central bank rate is 4.5%, 350 basis points higher than Canada’s—the yield could be as high as 6%. Even easier, an investor can open a foreign-exchange account at an online brokerage and buy currency there. Brokerages, says Hewlett, will pay the central bank rate minus a few bucks for fees.
When it comes to appreciation, investors should treat currency like they do stocks. Find the undervalued buys that have long-term growth potential. François Bourdon, associate chief investment officer with ­Montreal-based Fiera Sceptre, says that while there are other dynamics that determine the price of a currency, it ultimately comes down to supply and demand. Just look at the renminbi. Despite the Chinese government’s efforts to keep it from appreciating, increasing demand has boosted its value 30% versus the U.S. dollar over the past six years. Bourdon thinks it’s still undervalued by 30%. He predicts that the price will increase by about 3% every year for the next five to 10 years. “China’s not even the most attractive currency,” he adds.
The most appealing currencies are in Asia. That’s because of the region’s high GDP growth, its robust exports and the low cost to produce materials. Bourdon explains that as long as Asian nations keep exporting goods, demand for their currencies will rise. Exporters, he explains, are paid in U.S. dollars. They then exchange the dollar for their domestic currency. The more American dollars get changed into local currency, the more demand there is for those homegrown shekels. Demand can come from within the country, too. As the Asian middle class grows and seeks higher wages and higher-end items, more pressure will be put on a currency’s supply-and-demand balance.
Many investors consider currency more volatile than other securities, but that’s not true, says Hewlett. In fact, it’s far less jumpy than commodities or stocks. Year-to-date, the S&P/TSX composite index is down 13%; the loonie’s fallen 3% since Jan. 4. Forex gets its risky rep because most currency traders use large amounts of leverage in order to get higher returns. Retail investors should avoid leverage.
Currency is also more liquid than most asset classes. Monica Fan, head of business development with London-based Millennium Global Investments, says that more than $4 trillion of U.S. currency is traded every day. While the idea is to hang on to an undervalued currency for the long term, it’s easy to exit if you need to. “That’s very helpful in a period like we’re in now when people want exit positions available,” she says.
Hewlett points out that currency should be considered a separate asset class to stocks and bonds. It’s a useful ­diversification tool, especially if your portfolio is heavily weighted to the domestic market. How much to allocate to this asset class depends on your risk tolerance and the weight of your other foreign holdings; between 5% and 10% is enough to give your portfolio a boost.
When deciding what currencies to buy, look at macroeconomics and fundamental valuations, says Jeff Zhang, chief investment officer with San Francisco–based Mellon Capital Management. If a country is unstable, it’s likely its currency will be too. Many African countries share similar characteristics to Asian nations—they export, the cost of living is low—but political instability makes investing there too risky. Look at a country’s historical inflation, Zhang advises; the lower, the better.
Zhang also keeps watch of a country’s current account deficit, the total imports of goods and services versus total exports. The more exports, the better. “A country like Argentina is running a huge deficit,” he says. “The currency will depreciate.”
Look for countries with high interest rates. Then, even if the money doesn’t appreciate, the interest will provide some return. ­Bourdon says the Malaysian ringgit is a good buy; not only is it undervalued by 40%, but its deposit rate is 3%. Canadian investors can open a Malay bank account online, though it may be easier to hold the currency in a forex account at a discount brokerage.
There are several ways to invest in currency. Besides opening a bank account or holding money in a forex account, some people buy stocks in another denomination. However, you’re then subject to market risk as well as currency risk. If you like all your holdings in one place—such as a bank brokerage account—consider buying currency ETFs. These funds hold either actual units of currency or short-term debt. It’s an easy way to make a pure play on foreign exchange. Most of the major currencies can be bought with an ETF, such as the Australian dollar (NYSE Arca: FXA), the Indian rupee (NYSE Arca: ICN) and the Chinese yuan (NYSE Arca: CYB). Some of the less popular currencies such as the ringgit don’t have an ETF, so you’ll have to buy them in a forex account.
Because the currency market is so massive and it’s not as familiar to investors as other asset classes, Hewlett warns against getting carried away. Treat currency like any other investment. “If you think a currency will go up, stop thinking about forex accounts and currency forwards and just buy that currency,” he says. “Don’t be too clever.”
OUR PICKS
Undervalued currencies may not come a dime a dozen anymore, but there’s still plenty to choose from. Ways to play them include opening a foreign bank account (all these countries except China have deposit insurance), holding them in a forex account with a Canadian brokerage, buying currency ETFs or buying foreign stocks on their home-country stock markets.
Malaysian ringgit
Malaysia’s money tops François Bourdon’s list of must-have currencies. The Montreal-based asset manager says that the country is moving up the manufacturing chain. It has commodities including oil and natural gas, and the cost of living is cheap. As the country’s manufacturing sector grows, so will the ringgit. He says it’s about 40% undervalued.
Singapore dollar
Singapore’s big attraction is that it’s the main shipping destination in Asia. When global commerce improves, the number of shipments—and therefore dollars—into the country will increase. “Everything goes through Singapore,” says Bourdon, who likes the country’s export potential and its respect for the rule of law. The city-state’s dollar is undervalued by 20%, he says.
Indonesian rupiah
Indonesian exports are booming—global demand for the nation’s goods increased 37.5% in the first nine months of 2011 compared to a year earlier—and Bourdon thinks its share of the Asian export market will increase. The currency has appreciated nearly 30% against the U.S dollar in the past three years. Bourdon thinks it could rise by 25% more.
Chinese renminbi
The renminbi is a no-brainer buy, says currency expert Mark Hewlett. With China poised to become the world’s largest economy by the end of the decade, its GDP growing four to five times faster than developed markets, and a huge trade surplus, its currency can only rise. Keep in mind the yuan has only limited convertability. While the Chinese government will likely float it one day, it could take years. That’s a good thing, Hewlett says. Its value will climb slowly but steadily.
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is about 15% overvalued, says Bourdon, but with the central bank’s “cash rate” at 4.5% and strong demand for commodities, some experts maintain their view that it’s a good purchase. Hewlett likes it because it’s liquid, its central bank is strong and its fundamentals look better than the American dollar’s. “Most people sell Australian dollars,” he says. “I say, Why not buy?”

Make sure your Christmas is a real cracker

Fred Penney, aged 97, and Lillian Lewis, aged 93, residentsat Deerlands Residential Home in Parson Cross, with a Christmas crackers they tested for The Star.
The one thing guaranteed to make Christmas go with a bang is a good cracker. But it’s not until you’ve pulled it that you discover whether you had value for money or a real Christmas turkey!
The Star paid a visit to Deerlands Home in Parson Cross, Sheffield, to ask the residents there to test a selection of crackers and tell us which ones had the best hats, the most useful gifts... and the corniest jokes!
Christmas for the residents at Deerlands Home in Parson Cross is a very different celebration to the one they remember from their childhoods.
Mona Wooldridge, who is 94, Lillian Lewis, 93, Fred Penney, 97, and 77-year-old Edith Leng all recall times of great hardship but true community spirit far removed from the luxuries of 21st century living.
And, as they tested a selection of brightly coloured Christmas crackers, they agreed that such extravagances would have been mainly unheard of in the Depression-hit days of their youth.
“We always enjoyed Christmas and we had a happy time around the Christmas tree but we only had little presents, perhaps a small doll or things like paper handkerchiefs,” says Mona.
“But there’d be people round so you’d have to have the leaves on the table out so it was big enough to get us round, and the women would all make Christmas cakes while the men helped with things like plucking the goose.”
Fred, still sprightly as he approaches his 100th Christmas, remembers: “We were very poor and we had so little that I can’t remember any presents.
“But my aunts used to come for Christmas lunch and the men would go to the football match and us children would be given a tanner to go to the fairground on Blonk Street – it was great!”
Christmas Day at Deerlands, one of a group of 11 SheffCare homes for the elderly across Sheffield, always includes a full celebration with all the trimmings.
“SheffCare makes sure every resident has a gift so that even the people who have no family at all are not left out,” said Deerlands manager Diane Iwanejko.
“On Christmas Day we dress our function room and serve the Christmas dinner in there and everyone can see the chef carving the turkey.
“Later in the day we try to make it as much like everybody else’s Christmas as possible – a favourite Christmas film in the afternoon and then later games and the staff provide entertainment, traditional games and that sort of thing.
“We all do whatever we can to replicate what you’d do in your own home – including the crackers!”
Source www.thestar.co.uk/

All I want for Christmas is to put on a feast for the lonely

By Jo Davison

Magical event: Gloria Stewart with butcher Darren Patterson inside Patterson s butchers, Bellhouse Road, Sheffield, picking up turkeys for the Home Alone Christmas Lunch. PICTURE: ROBERT STREETER
In the first of a new series Jo Davison talks to Gloria Stewart, whose Home Alone Christmas Lunch happens in two weeks and there’s not enough money. Can you help her make it happen?
It’s one of the city’s most magical Christmas events – a day that underlines the true meaning of festive goodwill.
But the recession is threatening to mar the festive lunch heart-of-gold grandma Gloria Stewart throws for the city’s lonely and isolated.
The 62-year-old has been working her Christmas miracle for the last three years. Every autumn since she first came up with the idea in 2008, she has cheerfully set about raising the money and finding volunteers to make the day go with a swing.
But in just two weeks, up to 300 people will be turning up at Owlerton Stadium for turkey and trimmings, a singsong and a smile – and there is still two thirds of the money to find.
The event Gloria has poured her heart and soul will still go ahead, she vows, even though she has just over £1,100 towards the day – and needs another £2.500.
“It will happen, come what may,” says the pensioner left disabled after three bouts of cancer and a stroke. “I am praying more donations come in before the big day. If not, I’ll cut a few corners and make do – we’ll forget the crackers, cut down on the wine and people might not get a gift to go home with. It won’t be the end of the world; they will still have a lovely day.
“And if needs be, the rest will come out of my pocket. I cannot let people down. I’ve seen how much it means to them.
“The sad stories I’ve heard from some of the guests would break your heart,” she says. “There are so many people for whom Christmas is just another day, spent with no one to talk to.
“Not all of my guests are elderly – though the eldest is 105, the youngest is a single mum of 34 who yearns for a bit of company and conversation. And not all of them live alone – some have partners who have suffered strokes or are living with dementia. Their days can be just as silent.”
The Ecclesfield pensioner is far from wealthy; she plans to put the money her children give to her at Christmas into the kitty. “And I’ll get the rest of the money from somewhere,” she adds.
It won’t be the first time she has given away her own Christmas box to ensure her guests get theirs. She admits there has been a shortfall before – which she has quietly made up herself.
And whenever there has been a surplus of donated cash, she spends it on gloves and thermals and takes them to a homeless project. “I don’t want to make a fuss about the money,” she says. “I get pleasure from helping people; that’s just the way I am.’’
I’m so grateful for donations
A little girl’s birthday money, a cheque from former Home Secretary David Blunkett, a wheelbarrowful of frozen turkeys and beer and wine from an award-winning local brewery...
They are among the donations Gloria has gratefully received towards the 2011 Home Alone Lunch.
Each year, she trawls the Yellow Pages for fresh companies to write to, asking for help. “The only thing I can offer you in return is a good name,” she adds at the end of each letter.
Usually, donations and offers of help flood in. This year, though, there have been fewer replies and Gloria realises it’s because times are hard. “Money is tight for a lot of businesses; they can’t afford to give,” she says.
Thankfully, though, scores of individuals and local businesses who have supported her year on year have turned up trumps again. The biggest gift comes from Owlerton Stadium which has once again donated the venue and staff free of charge.
“Many donate without even being asked now. When their letters come, I feel like bursting into tears,” says Gloria.
“David Blunkett has sent a cheque for three years now, Jim Harrison of Thornbridge Brewery has supplied the drinks from the very first event, Fir Vale Pharmacy have sent us £100 two years running and lots of others give what they can time and again.”
New givers include Real Radio, who have thrown £150 into the kitty, Sainsbury’s on The Moor, who are giving mince pies, and Patterson’s butchers of Firth Park have pledged to supply all the turkeys.
Volunteers old and new will be turning out to help on the day, too. Voluntary Action have offered to wrap presents and write Christmas cards, cabbies from City Taxis will again be ferrying people to and from the event for free and staff from the HSBC bank will again be acting as hostesses along with Sheffield Eagles players. Local singers and amateur DJs will once again be giving their talents for free.
Says Gloria: “These people make the day really special. I really can’t thank them enough and assure them that whatever they give, their money or their time, it is very well spent.”
Big appetite for lunches
GLORIA’S Home Alone lunch is sparking other towns into action.
Yesterday she helped Rotherham stage its first event, a lunch for 100.
The council called in Gloria at the suggestion of former Mayor, Coun Rose McNeelly.
She had been a guest at last year’s Sheffield lunch and was so impressed she asked if an event could be held in her home town.
“The Mayor stayed all afternoon with us last year and really enjoyed the atmosphere and the way people interacted. I was touched when they asked me to organise an event for them.”
Ecclesfield caterer and chef Roger Harrod, a long-term supporter of the Sheffield event, sourced the food for the Park Inn Hotel at Manvers near Wath and finance has come from yet more of Gloria’s fundraising, with many borough councillors responded to her appeal for cash.
She has been approached to help Doncaster set up a similar event in 2012, but due to time constraints, wants only to be an advisor rather than the figurehead.
Old lady my inspiration
FOR the fourth year, Gloria Stewart wants to bring a bit of cheer to the people Christmas passes by.
She wrote to The Star back in autumn 2008 to tell us of her plan – and why.
She had met an old lady in a hospital waiting room and had not been able to forget their conversation. “She admitted to me that for years she had been on her own on Christmas Day,” said Gloria.
“She had no family to speak of. She went to bed with a pack of biscuits and a flask of tea and hoped the day would pass as quickly as possible.”
It spurred Gloria on to organise an event for as many people like that old lady as she could muster. Gloria’s only sadness? She has never been able to trace the old lady who inspired the day.
See Saturday’s Retro for Monica on loneliness at Christmas.

Campaign to secure home for Nelson's Ship in a Bottle

A campaign has been launched to secure a permanent home in London for the current artwork on Trafalgar Square's Fourth Plinth.

The Art Fund is working to make Nelson's Ship in a Bottle a free-to-view exhibit outside the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich.
The public is being asked to help raise £362,500 to pay the artist Yinka Shonibare's studio fee.
The artwork will be removed in January after a 18-month stint on the plinth.
Nelson's Ship in a Bottle was commissioned by the mayor of London and unveiled as the new occupant of the Fourth Plinth in May 2010.
Freely accessible The Art Fund, which helps UK museums and galleries acquire and display great works of art, has contributed £50,000 to the campaign.
Together with the National Maritime Museum it is appealing for people to donate the remainder of the money required so the ship can become part of the museum's collection.
Under the plans the artwork would stand outside the new Sammy Ofer Wing where it would be freely accessible to all.
Stephen Deuchar, Art Fund director, said the piece had "delighted millions of people in the last year-and-a-half and in a new permanent site outside the National Maritime Museum will continue to do so for many years to come".
Kevin Fewster, from the National Maritime Museum, said: "We feel that Greenwich would be the perfect home for this outstanding piece of work, which chimes so brilliantly with the stories we tell through our museum's unique collections."
Artist Yinka Shonibare said the location and the National Maritime Museum collection were the perfect future home for this work.
His work is a scaled down direct replica of HMS Victory, the ship captained by Nelson.
Source www.bbc.co.uk/

Police Make Arrest in Two Pikesville Home Invasions

By Janet Metzner

The following information was supplied by the Baltimore County Police Department. In cases where a criminal charge is noted, the information provided does not indicate a conviction. 

Baltimore County police arrested a city man on Tuesday who they allege robbed elderly victims in two Pikesville home invasions within the last week.

Ervin Ricco Durante, 50, of the 2000 block of Shirley Avenue in Baltimore, is charged with home invasion robberies that occurred on Sunday and Tuesday.
Police allege that Durante forced his way into an elderly resident's home in the 3000 block of Smith Avenue on Sunday, implied that he had a gun and stole the resident's wallet before fleeing. Previously, Durante had allegedly solicited that same elderly person for money and transportation, according to a police report.
For instant updates, follow Pikesville Patch on Facebook and Twitter.
Based on a physical description and method of operation in previous incidents, police were seeking Durante in connection with the Sunday robbery when another home invasion occurred on Tuesday.
A suspect matching Durante's description and using similar methods allegedy entered a home in the 2000 block of Willow Glen Drive, assaulted two residents, both in their 80s, and stole $80, according to a police report.
Police searched areas that Durante was known to frequent, Baltimore County police Lt. Jay Landsman said, and located him on the street in Baltimore. Durante is being held in the Baltimore County Detention Center in Towson on no bail, Landsman said.

FHA home loans available for repairs

By MARY PEREZ - meperez@sunherald.com

BILOXI -- Homeowners can get a FHA loan of up to $271,000 to renovate their homes or make them more energy efficient, local builder Michael Fearn told the Biloxi Council Tuesday.
He is sponsoring a seminar for city officials and people in the building industry from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at Biloxi’s Community Development building, 676 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Seating is limited.
Fearn said the Federal Housing Administration’s Section 203(k) loan program provides money for repairs and upgrades of primary homes. The long-term, low-interest loans also can be used to purchase a home and make needed repairs and to move or raise a home.

He said after Hurricane Katrina, people didn’t have money to make all the needed repairs.
“This allows them to do everything and get their home in terrific shape,” he said.
Luxury improvements are not eligible but the money can be used for new appliances, heating and air conditioning, roofing, wells and septic repairs, exterior paint and siding, additions, hardwood flooring, energy-efficient doors and windows, solar panels, handicapped accessible equipment and other improvements.
The amount of the loan is based on the estimated value of the improved property.
Fearn said the loans also can be used to convert a single-family home into apartments and to renovate the floors over a commercial property into apartments.
“Most people are not familiar with the program,” he said. He has held seminars for 450 real estate professionals and said it’s important to educate people about the program and availability of funds.

Money Managers Make Their Distress Your Problem: Susan Antilla

By Susan Antilla 

Is it possible that, even after the uncountable lessons of the past three years, investors have learned nothing? A popular financial planner and blogger made a very public disclosure of his personal economic meltdown last month, telling the story of how he got in over his head with a Las Vegas house that had two mortgages, no equity, and a date with destiny for a short-sale with Wells Fargo & Co.
What’s stunning to me isn’t that Carl Richards of Park City, Utah, inspired hundreds of online hate-mail postings after writing his tell-all, “How a Financial Pro Lost His House,” in the New York Times on Nov. 8. The thing I’m trying to figure out is why even a smattering of readers would sing his praises. He’s “a brave guy to write what he did,” one reader wrote on the Times’s comment board. “If I lived in Utah, I would hire you in a minute,” another wrote.
Fifteen investors have sent e-mails to inquire about becoming new clients after reading the article, Richards told me in a telephone interview, and not one of his 29 clients have strayed as a result of the confession heard around the blogosphere. Anonymous writers on various blog sites mostly trashed him, but Richards says readers with the courage to contact him directly swamped him with supportive messages.
Which leads me to a single, simple question: Are you people all nuts?
It’s important to make it clear that Richards, despite his bad financial judgment in racking up a mountain of personal debt, has a squeaky-clean record with securities regulators. And it says a lot if clients are sticking with him. But all this honesty-begets-heroism nonsense tells me that some investors are still out to lunch when it comes to evaluating financial professionals. It’s a fair bet that the people applauding Richards don’t have a clue whether he’s a guy with a spotless record or is a financial Jack the Ripper.

Begging for Trouble

Separate from that, as far as I’m concerned, if you hire an adviser who is having a personal financial crisis, you are begging for trouble. It’s axiomatic that some financial advisers will be tempted to make their money trouble your money trouble.
I’m sorry, sort of, if that means deserving advisers are passed over by investors who show an abundance of caution. But this is no time to get hooked up with a broker, financial planner or investment adviser feeling the squeeze. Richards, in fact, has heard from financial planners who wrote to tell him that they, too, were in trouble, but had no one to talk to about it. Heartbreaking, I know.
There are lots more where they came from. And not all have the pristine record that Richards has.
When the credit crisis hit in 2008, financial advisers who were overleveraged, afraid of losing their jobs, or just plain crooked suddenly had an elevated motivation to maintain their income with tricks that ranged from dipping into clients’ accounts to old-fashioned churning in order to drum up commissions. No matter the state of the economy or the stock market, it’s in your interest to find out if your financial expert has liens, big loans from an employer or a history of bankruptcy. When bad times hit, you forsake that sort of investigating at your peril.
Liens and bankruptcies by brokers licensed with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or Finra, are listed at the end of their public Broker Check reports. Certified financial planners with certification from the CFP Board of Standards can wind up with an online citation of any bankruptcies in their CFP histories, although it pays to check Finra, too. I’ve seen CFP records that don’t include red flags such as the short sale of a broker’s home -- when a property is sold for less than the mortgage amount.
A caveat is that if the broker doesn’t report it, or the regulator doesn’t catch it, you’re not going to see it. Pay a few dollars to search Public Access to Court Electronic Records and you might catch something an adviser is trying to keep off the radar.

Professional Crisis

There’s a rash of finance professionals going through personal financial crises, says Bill Singer, a New York securities lawyer since 1985. “I’ve never seen it like this,” he told me.
A Finra spokeswoman says the agency doesn’t compile aggregate statistics about broker bankruptcies for public consumption. The CFP Board of Standards -- which tests and vets financial planners - says that this year it has held 49 disciplinary hearings of planners who declared bankruptcy, up from 20 in 2010. But those numbers don’t include other warning signs, such as short sales of homes.
It doesn’t help that stockbrokers often are motivated to cheat because of six-figure upfront bonuses that convert into personal debts to their firm if they leave or get fired. Scot Bernstein, a California lawyer who represents aggrieved investors, says it keeps the pressure on brokers to follow management’s sales agenda even if it means fleecing customers. The shady firm desperate to do business sends a message “that we can toss you out on your ear for any reason, including if you don’t want to sell variable annuities to a 90-year-old,” Bernstein says.
Public records at Finra and the CFP show the link between financially pressed investment pros and customer complaints over recent post-credit-crisis years. A Minnesota broker was barred from the brokerage industry in October after using the Social Security number of a customer and personal friend -- without that person’s permission -- to co-sign a college loan for his daughter. The broker told Finra at a hearing that he and his wife had gotten used to doing “things we never did before” and that when times got tough, he had to “mask things a bit.” He’s appealing Finra’s bar.
A broker from Long Island was suspended for two months beginning Nov. 21 after he neglected to tell Finra about a felony charge: A Las Vegas casino filed charges, saying he’d bounced a $10,000 check with the intent to defraud. He already had contributed to settlements of two customer complaints since 2009 and has four liens listed in his records with Finra, which waived a monetary penalty because he couldn’t have paid a fine anyway.

Great Timing

Sometimes brokers file for bankruptcy with remarkable timing that gets them off the hook just as a hearing looms. Another Long Island broker has a Finra dossier that lists two criminal items; four resolved complaints that involved payments to investors; and four pending client disputes. He filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in February, just as a $5 million claim against him was headed for arbitration.
If you think I’m just a crank who is overstating the risk when bad times set off the cheating side of advisers, consider the perspective of an expert who has a more forgiving view of financial types who make personal mistakes: Carl Richards.
We didn’t agree on some issues when we spoke last week. I told him, for instance, that I would never let someone with his history run my money. But when I asked him whether investors should worry that ethically challenged advisers with personal money troubles might be more inclined to cheat a customer in bad times, he conceded I was “spot on.” It’s “a legitimate concern,” he said.
There are always conflicts when you are taking care of other people’s personal finances, Richards told me. But it’s “harder to handle” for the adviser whose own checkbook balance begins with a minus sign. You can see Richards’s own record under “David Carl Richards III” here.
It’s clean. Do the same thing with the name of anyone who is pitching to run your money. If you are looking to steer business to someone who is needy, get a list of deserving workers from your local church or homeless shelter. Parking your money with needy brokers is just too risky.
(Susan Antilla, who has written about Wall Street and business for three decades and is the author of “Tales From the Boom-Boom Room,” a book about sexual harassment at financial companies, is a Bloomberg View columnist. The opinions expressed are her own.)
To contact the writer of this article: Susan Antilla at santilla@bloomberg.net or
To contact the editor responsible for this article: James Greiff at jgreiff@bloomberg.net

Home market being held back by wary first-timers

By DEREK KRAVITZ, AP Real Estate Writer

This should be a great time to buy a first home. Prices have sunk to 2002 levels. Sellers are waiting anxiously as homes languish on the market. Mortgage rates are their lowest ever.

Yet the most likely first-time homeowners, especially young professionals and couples starting families, won't buy these days. Or they can't. Or they already did, during the housing boom. And their absence helps explain why the housing industry is still depressed.
The obstacles range from higher down payments to heavy debt from credit cards and student loans. But even many of those who could afford to buy no longer see it as a wise investment. Prices have sunk 15 percent in three years.

"I've looked for a home, but the places we can afford with the money we have are not that great," says Seth Herter, 23, a store manager in suburban St. Louis. "It also doesn't seem smart anymore to buy with prices falling. Buying a home just doesn't make sense to us."

The proportion of U.S. households that own homes is at 65.1 percent, its lowest point since 1996, the Census Bureau says. That marks a shift after nearly two decades in which homeownership grew before peaking at 70 percent during the housing boom.
The housing bubble lured so many young buyers that it reduced the pool of potential first-timers to below-normal levels. That's contributed to the decline in new buyers in recent years.
In 2005, at the height of the boom, about 2.8 million first-timers bought homes, according to the National Association of Realtors. By contrast, for each of the four years preceding the boom, the number of first-timers averaged fewer than 2 million.
Still, the bigger factors are the struggling economy, shaky job security, tougher credit rules and lack of cash to put down, said Dan McCue, research manager at Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies. The unemployment rate among typical first-timers, those ages 25 to 34, is 9.8 percent, compared with 9 percent for all adults.
"The obstacles facing first-time buyers are big, and it's changing the way they look at home ownership," McCue says. "It's no longer the American Dream for the younger generation."
First-timers usually account for up to half of all sales. Over the past year, they've accounted for only about a third.
A big reason is tougher lending standards.
Lenders are demanding more money up front. In 2002, the median down payment for a single-family home in nine major U.S. cities was 4 percent, according to real estate website Zillow.com. Today, it's 22 percent.
And one-third of households have credit scores too low to qualify for a mortgage. The median required credit score from FICO Inc., the industry leader in credit ratings, has risen from 720 in 2007, when the market went bust, to 760 today.
Homes in many places are the most affordable in a generation. In the past year, the national median sale price has sunk 3.5 percent. Half the homes listed in the Tampa Bay area are priced below $100,000.
The average mortgage rate for a 30-year fixed loan is 4 percent, barely above an all-time low. Five years ago, it was near 6.5 percent. In 2000, it exceeded 8 percent.
When the economy eventually strengthens, the housing market will, too. More people will be hired. Confidence will rise. Down payments won't be so hard to produce.
The question is whether first-time buyers will then start flowing into the housing market. That will depend mainly on whether they think prices will rise, said Mark Vitner, senior U.S. economist at Wells Fargo.
"It's a guessing game as to when things will turn around," Vitner said. "But until they do, you won't see young people buying homes."

Chris Vigil: Gifts still make great down payments

es for helping a child pay their way through college or even contribute to their wedding, there are rules that apply when helping with the purchase of a home. I think it's important for those potential homebuyers to be informed about the rules and restrictions.
Buyers today — specifically first-time home buyers — are often in need of a little extra help when it comes to the down payment. FHA loan programs still allow buyers to receive gifts, just not from anyone with any interest in the sale. So the generosity of family and friends can be accepted and often is appreciated as long as a few specific rules are followed.
First, the gifted funds must be "seasoned," which means they must have been sitting in the buyer's bank account for a few months. Each lender's underwriter has specific time frames in which they like to see the money in the account. Your lender will tell you this and guide you as to when you should make the deposit.
Buyers need to obtain their gifts well before they plan to move into their new homes. It's always best to find out this information well before you start shopping for a home. A lot of times, this money may be tied up in a 401(k) or mutual fund, etc. So allowing enough time for a withdrawal and deposit alleviates a lot of stress that goes with the purchase of a home.
Second, the money must be documented with a gift letter. This letter specifies the donor's name and relationship to the home buyer, how much money was gifted and where it came from. Friends giving gift money must prove they have had a long-standing relationship with the home loan borrower.
All of this may seem like a huge invasion of privacy, but the reasoning is that lenders need to verify that the down payment money comes with no strings attached and was legally obtained.
Typically, the gift letter must be accompanied by statements of withdrawal and deposit. There is no limit on the amount of money that can be gifted from a friend or relative, and when it comes to taxes, the buyer will never be taxed on the received gift and as long as the money does not exceed $13,000 (based on 2009 IRS rules). The donor will not have to pay a gift tax either.
This is great for any first-time homebuyer simply because $13,000 covers the entire down payment on a home priced up to $370,000. The median home price here in Southern California is $270,000, as of October.
Chris Vigil is the owner of Chris Vigil Real Estate in Whittier. He can reached at 562-945-4422 or at www.ChrisVigil.net.
Source www.sgvtribune.com/

Trust helps to make house a home

by Tina Kemp, Lennox Herald (main ed)

A TEAM of dedicated Helensburgh volunteers are helping to make a house a home for hundreds of people.
Since it was established in 1994, the Beacon Trust has provided furniture for countless properties from Dumbarton and the Vale to Rosneath Peninsula.
The charity, based in Kirkmichael, was the initiative of town churches who wanted to help people in need.
It’s moving spirit was navy man Trevor McGrath who believed that, while it was good to pray for your neighbour when he was in trouble, it was even better if you gave him a helping hand.

Now, 17 years on, that ethos remains with the Beacon Trust responding to at least two appeals a month for the furniture and household goods they need to set up home.
And in the current economic climate, it’s services are needed more than ever.
The trust’s team of six volunteers – all unpaid – operate from a shop in Stuckleckie Road, delivering much needed goods free to people referred by a range of agencies including Argyll and Bute Council’s social work and housing departments, the Argyll Community Housing Association, Women’s Aid, the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association and by word of mouth.
They deal with requests for help, schedule pick-ups and deliveries and carry out regular maintenance of the charity’s van.
Ernie Harkness, secretary, said: “There is nowhere else for people to go. When people get a flat from the council or a private landlord they get four walls and a roof. They have no furniture so if we have it we will supply it.”
The trust is entirely self-funded. It raises money for maintenance of its premises and the running of the van by selling surplus donated items at reasonable prices. Argyll and Bute Council also provides rates relief.
Ernie, who drives the van and delivers furniture, appealed for more volunteers to sign up and help maintain the vital service.
With only six people on board, shop opening hours have had to be cut back to ensure the service runs as effectively as possible.
He said: “We need more volunteers to lift furniture and to drive the van. You need to be reasonably fit. Old furniture is not made to go through modern doorways. We’ve had to take it in through the window occasionally!”
The trust is also always seeking good quality unwanted furniture which could help someone set up home. It takes white goods, beds, furniture and furnishings but not clothes or books. Beds are in particular demand.
And Ernie stressed it has to be in good condition. “If I wouldn’t have it in my house then I wouldn’t pass it on,” he said. “The dignity of the client is important. We wouldn’t give them anything which might make them think they aren’t worth better.”
Ernie said the greatest reward is seeing the look on someone’s face when they receive their furniture.
“Some days when you deliver you come out feeling like you’re three feet off the ground,” he said. “Other days you ask yourself why you bother, but you can’t let that get you down.”
The trust’s motto, “We don’t work miracles but we work for someone who does”, reflects its firm Christian ethos – though at least half of the volunteers don’t have a church connection.
But Ernie said the Christian values of identifying and responding to need remain at its heart.
“Our objective has always been to provide basic household items for people who have no means to purchase them,” he said.
The Beacon Trust shop is open Wednesdays to Fridays from 10.30am to 3pm. Anyone interested in finding out more about volunteering or who would like to donate furniture should call 01436 674077 during these hours.

Graduates move back home to save money

By Tom Holm

No rent. No refurnishing a house. No haggling with Internet installers or handymen to make a rental livable.
No, Paige Browning did not have those worries, because she moved back home to Spokane, Wash.
Browning, a graduate of radio-television production and Environmental Studies at the University of Montana, worked on a yearlong contract with the sorority Delta Gamma once she graduated in 2008. But, once that contract ran out, she didn't have any job options, so she moved back home.
"The big struggle with moving back home was I felt like I should be independent coming out of college," she said. "It's almost a little embarrassing, but seeing so many of my friends doing the same thing, it seemed almost easier."
College students moving back have been dubbed the "boomerang generation" and show no sign of giving up that title.
Across the nation, about 14 percent of young adults are living with their parents, up from nearly 11 percent in 2007, according to the 2010 U.S. census. About three-fourths of Americans ages 25-34 are employed, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, raising questions about why some of these students don't strike out on their own if they are already making money. But, with a poor job market and its uncertain recovery, many choose the safe route back home.
Cathy Joy, a Curry Health Center counselor, said she was shocked to hear students were moving back home. When she graduated, it looked odd for a graduate to move back home.
"It's like when my grandma was just a girl during the great depression," she said. "It's funny to see people returning to this era where things were tight and living with the family was necessary."
Joy said during the past 10 years she has seen a rise in students moving back. Most students who come to her for counseling are worried about debt and feel the need to move back home, she said.
"I worry people have a deep sense of shame for moving back, when really it's just the circumstances of the economy," she said.
Browning said she doesn't feel bad moving home because she is currently employed as a news correspondent at Spokane Public Radio doing work she wants to do. She said moving back home was a wise choice, because it gave her the opportunity to save money. However, she is ready to move out.
"The job market is so unaccepting," she said. "I searched around for a job in places like Seattle and Oregon, but going home was just simpler."
Alex Downey, a senior studying media arts, said he's going to jump into the job market as soon as he is out of college. He and a friend are moving to Los Angeles, Calif., in August to pursue film-related jobs, but he plans to move home to Butte for a couple months to save money before he leaves.
"We decided this like three semesters ago. We are just going to do it, regardless of how the economy is," he said. "I'm excited to be poor. I'll work a shitty job washing dishes as long as I can do the dream," he said.
tom.holm@umontana.edu

Stay-at-home father dodged tax on £4.7million of electrical goods he sold on eBay

By Daily Mail Reporter

A stay-at-home father who dodged tax on £4.7million-worth of electrical goods he sold on eBay was jailed today.
Gregory Allnutt, who has a seven-year-old son, avoiding paying more than £420,000 in VAT.
He raked in £4,000 a month over three years selling cut price electrical goods on the internet.
The 40-year-old, from Croydon, set up a company called Shapewise to sell nutrition products from the comfort of his home.
But instead he bought tax-free electrical goods from the European Union through online site Pixmania before selling them on for a profit.
Instead of declaring the sales and adding on the price of VAT, he undercut his rivals and maximised his profits.
He continued to file 'nil' accounts between 2007 and 2010, falsely stating he had earned no money.
Allnutt, whose wife was paid £7,000 each month as well an extra allowance for school fees and a company car, spent the cash on a luxury car and two motorbikes.
He did not realise he was obliged to pay VAT on the goods he sold, the court was told.
But he was informed by his accountant at a meeting in 2007 that he owed £67,000. 

Instead of turning himself in, he continued with the scam until December 2010 when he was caught by inspectors from Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs.Prosecutor David Hewitt said: 'It wasn't until 2007 that he realised he wasn't paying it properly.
'At that point he was in too deep and he realised he was stuck. He realised if he charged VAT he wasn't able to compete.
'He did try it legitimately but he couldn't make the system work because he couldn't make enough money.'
The court also heard his VAT number was eventually automatically de-registered by HMRC after he failed to file any accounts.
But unperturbed, he re-registered and continued trading, later changing the company name to Specialist Electricals.
'It was a simple fraud in effect,' said Mr Hewitt. 'What had been discovered was that records showed that in fact over the period that the registration had been in place Pixmania had sold goods to this defendant of more than £4.7million.
'Therefore the total amount of VAT which he avoided was £420,000.'
Sentencing him to 20 months in prison, Judge Anthony Leonard QC said: 'Being aware of your obligations to pay VAT you carried out a thoroughly dishonest scheme to avoid paying VAT.
'You avoided £429,000 of VAT and because you were able to offer the goods at prices below those a trader paying VAT could you have prevented honest tax paying traders competing with you.
'You claim that you had become trapped into the scheme when you discovered that you owed £67,000 to the revenue.
'That should have led you to stop your trading altogether but you decided to carry on in full knowledge that you were doing what was wrong and that you owed money to the revenue.'
Allnutt admitted 12 counts of fraudulent evasion.

Money taught the valuable lesson that being rich doesn't make you happy

By Keith Watson 
TV review: At first Money makes you long for a life of luxury, but you soon realise although being wealthy may have its uses, it doesn't make you any happier.

So this is where I went wrong: I went to university and got side-tracked into following a career. If only wealth guru Robert Kiyosaki had been on hand to impart his inspiring message: ‘The idea of going to school and getting a job is probably the most destructive thought in your brain today.’ Why study when you can train your brain to rake in the cash for nothing? Sigh.
Kiyosaki was just one among a bunch of super-smug, super-rich financial wizards who popped up in Money (BBC2), their every pearl of cash-creating wisdom lapped up with evangelical zeal by followers who happy-clapped and did daft dances and dreamed of big bucks. All the while racking up debts as they paid out for the expensive courses run by Kiyosaki and his ilk.
Vanessa Engle’s deftly balanced film was sympathetic but wryly bemused by the British disciples buying into the self-help mantras peddled by the wealth guru industry. Nursery nurse Janice loved her job but began every day chanting ‘ker-ching!’ in order to convince herself her millionaire plan was working. Engle didn’t hammer the point home but, as Janice confessed to how much she’d spent on trying to get rich, it wasn’t hard to see that there was a major scam going on.
But to what end? The gurus needed little prompting when it came to telling us how rich they were but while their mouths smiled, their eyes looked hollow. Had money made them happy? It didn’t look like it, stranded in their massive mansions and their luxury cars, a morally bankrupt breed leeching off the dreams of the poor. You had to think that way – or sign up for one of their soul-destroying seminars.

DIY Hits Home Insurance Hard

By Julian Stone  
In an attempt to save money, many homeowners are undertaking their own home improvements but the result for some is disaster and a heavy cost for their home insurance.

With the pressure on household income hitting hard, tackling DIY is seen by some as a sure way to help save money. Others get the ‘DIY bug’ as a result of watching DIY programs on TV, such as Grand Designs.
According to a survey by Confused.com, 31% of of all those UK homeowners who participated, the budding Kevin McClouds, admitted to having DIY mishaps.
And the worry is that whilst undertaking the DIY to save money was the goal for many, more than you might expect have had to spend more money to put their diaster right.
For example, 6% of Scottish homeowners have paid over £1,000 in the past 24 months rectifying their DIY disaster.
As Mark Gabriel, Confused.com Home Insurance spokesman commented: “It is important to remember that television often makes tasks look easier than they are. In fact, some home insurance policies stipulate that only professionally accredited tradesmen should carry out certain work, so it is worth checking that you are not inadvertently rendering your insurance invalid by failing to read the small print.
“It is important to look at your home insurance policy to check that you are fully covered, should things go wrong, and to check their policy details carefully. It is also necessary to take extra safety precautions, as DIY disasters can cause accidents.”
With the help of Confused.com here are a few safety tips to help those little overzealous home improvers avoid some mishaps:

• Take time: It might be coming up to Christmas and everyone wants their homes looking nice for the family or unexpected guests, but make sure you plan what you want to do and don’t rush a job as accidents can happen.
• Don’t undertake DIY alone: Have someone on hand, just in case an accident happens.
• Be aware of harmful fumes: When painting, or using any material that generates toxic fumes or dust, keep the room well ventilated. Never smoke while painting or standing close to a freshly painted area.
• Dress for the occasion: Wear protective clothing including safety goggles, gloves and a dust mask when working with potentially hazardous materials such as glass or spray paint.
• Hire a professional if need be: Don’t try to tackle a job that is beyond your capabilities, hire a professional if need be – particularly important for any electrical jobs which should only be carried out by a qualified electrician.
• Don’t cave in: Take care not to remove any load-bearing walls – with nothing to support it, a heavy roof could cave in, and cause severe structural damage.
• Be safe: Be extremely careful and check that the equipment carries British or European quality marks. If it comes with a safety manual, it is important to read it!

MoneyHighStreet comments: “How devastating must it be to attempt DIY to save money, only to find you end up spending more that you expect just to put right your mistakes.
As you buy home insurance, as part of checking your cover, do check and indeed consider accidental damage cover. This may be included, for example in a high net worth policy, or maybe available as an add-on for standard policies – but there are exclusions, see our guide ‘Do you need accidental damage cover?’ for more on this.
Interestingly enough, a survey by Halifax Home Insurance, found that a level of ‘spatial awareness is required to be ‘a natural’ at DIY and yet two-thirds of Brits lack this – no wonder so many of us have disasters!

Is this solar-power program a money-saver?

When Mississauga resident Paul Ford opened the door to a salesman in the spring of 2010, he had never considered putting solar panels on his roof. He was surprised when the pitchman told him that not only would the panels not cost him a dime, but the roof would make him money.
“I said, ‘You’re kidding,’ and the conversation just went from there,” Mr. Ford says.
The pitch went like this: Pure Energies Inc. of Markham, Ont., would finance, install and maintain an array of solar photovoltaic panels on the roof of Mr. Ford’s 3,200-square-foot home. The energy produced by those solar panels would flow into Mississauga’s main power grid from his home, with a meter monitoring the energy produced.
In return for that “clean” electricity, the Ministry of Energy, through the Ontario Power Authority, would pay Pure Energies 80.2 cents per kilowatt-hour (as part of the province’s Feed-In-Tariff program, implemented in 2009 to help phase out coal-fired electricity), with Mr. Ford sharing in the revenue. That rate would be guaranteed for 20 years.
Mr. Ford went for it, and his nine-kilowatt rooftop array has been producing solar energy for his community for almost a year. He will be getting a cheque for around $1,000 from Pure Energies on the one-year anniversary of the installation.
Since its inception 2½ years ago, Ontario’s microFIT program (for arrays producing up to 10 kilowatts of energy) has attracted applications from more than 40,000 home and business owners. According to the Energy Ministry, as of Sept. 30, 2011, more than 8,400 microFIT projects are online and 3,000 others are ready to connect to the electricity grid.
Of course, as with all new technologies, the introduction of solar has not run entirely smoothly. Many taxpayers are annoyed that the provincial government has provided significant subsidies for solar installations (for which they are being taxed) and bureaucratic issues in connecting them to the power grid have stalled growth.
Furthermore, while thousands may have applied, others who might have been interested have adopted a wait-and-see attitude: Will the technology be outdated by the time the contract is up? How will a solar lease affect the resale of a property?
But even those who are keen to get in on the action will have to wait. The microFIT program (as well as the FIT program, for solar installations above 10 kW) is currently going through a review by the ministry. As part of the review, Energy Minister Chris Bentley is consulting members of the solar industry until Dec. 14.
After the consultation process, a report will be presented to Mr. Bentley in the new year. And while the ministry says new microFIT applications are welcome in the interim, they will not be processed until the new rules are established.
Many in the industry expect the review could mean a lower rate offered under the microFIT program. But would a lower rate also mean a lower rate of return (and smaller cheques for homeowners)?
Not necessarily, says Jon Kieran, chair of the Canadian Solar Industries Association (he says 300 to 400 companies with CanSIA membership offer residential solar in the province). Because the cost of materials has also been dropping, companies may be able to pass along those savings to the consumer.
“Although prices may and will fall, costs have fallen,” he says. “So for a homeowner, I hope they don’t see that lower price in the context of any estimate they may have heard a year ago, or two years ago or even six months ago, because people in the industry are trying to offer these services at a lower price.”
Jacob Travis, president of the Solar Alliance of Ontario, says rates can come down if the government works on fixing inefficiencies in the program, which would mean that labour costs would come down as well. (The popularity of the Ontario microFIT program has resulted in delays throughout the application and implementation process.)
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Source http://www.theglobeandmail.com

Falling home price changes Chinese family budget

By Xinhua writer Han Qiao

BEIJING, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Zhu Jianying feels lucky that he held off from buying an apartment in the first half of this year. The Beijing property he is looking at has fallen in price by around 80,000 yuan (12,600 U.S. dollars) since then.
"It is not a big amount of money compared to the total price of one of these apartments, more than 1 million yuan, but 80,000 yuan is several years of saving," says Zhu, 29, an engineer working for an IT company in China's capital.
Zhu is one of many young prospective homebuyers in China who are pooling all resources to buy an apartment. The money Zhu and others can save from falling home price are likely not just to ease strains on their family budgets, but to have profound implications to the Chinese economy and society as a whole.
Zhu and his newlywed wife stay in a rented one-bedroom apartment. They are looking for a second-hand two-bedroom apartment near a metro station with a budget of 1.4 million yuan.
They plan to loan 800,000 from banks, the maximum amount Zhu is eligible to apply for. To get the remaining 600,000 yuan, the couple and their countryside-dwelling parents have pooled all their savings, including their "emergency funds."
Falling home prices make Zhu relieved. "As I spend less, I can pay back some money borrowed from my parents. They are old and vulnerable to illness. They need the money," he says.
For Zhu, it hurts that his parents are saving up at their age to help him. "For most average people in rural China, 80,000 yuan is a huge amount of money," he says.
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