The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) passed in 1996, had the same sex couples who were lawfully married, subject to discrimination. There were 91 co-sponsors who took active initiative to introduce the Respect for Marriage Act, in the House of Representatives. The President of the Human Rights Campaign, Joe Solmonese stated in a press release that one of the vital protections with regard to the same-sex legally married couples under this Respect for Marriage Act, is that, they should be awarded “equal protection under U.S. immigration laws”. This bill can prove to be landmark legislation for American citizens as well as their non-American same-sex spouses.
You will find that under the current immigration laws, the same-sex bi-national couples are not allowed to enjoy the same immigration rights as that of the spouses of the American citizens or the lawful permanent residents of the country. In the whole of America, there is a growing support to bring about an end to this sort of discrimination. The Congress has already brought about the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) and the Reuniting Families Act, which targets to end this discrimination and allow the same-sex partners to attain permanent resident status through the amendment of the Immigration and Nationality Act. The objective is to bring in the ‘permanent partners’ within the purview of these above mentioned Acts. Senator Schumer is drafting this comprehensive immigration legislation.
Written by srini on September 16th, 2009 with no comments.
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Savings are required not only for specific events or to supplement the requirement earnings, but also to accumulate capitals to enhance the future securities. The career structures are very predictable in the current economic scenarios. Therefore, we can no longer depend on our states to sustain us in our old age. In such a situation, the investment companies can allocate our capital in a diversified portfolio of assets. These investment companies can be investment trusts, venture capital trusts or off-shore and AIM traded investment companies. After pooling in the investors’ money, these companies resort to the services of a professional funds manager to further the investment process. They help the investors with smaller capitals to acquire exposure at lower costs and into a professionally run diversified portfolio. The risks involved in the investment are also efficiently spread.
The investor stands to attain certain benefits by saving their investment through the investment companies:
You get to pool your money – as the investor purchases shares in an investment company, your money gets pooled along with the other investors and this provided potential to the economies with regard to dealing with costs and administration.
The risks get spread – The investor need not solely depend on the success of shares of just one company. An important point to be noted in this aspect is that the investment company shares are equity investments and the prices of the shares and the associated earnings can fluctuate.
Written by srini on September 15th, 2009 with no comments.
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It is often apprehended that hoarding money and success can let you enjoy the secret path to becoming a millionaire. Well, it is a popular misconception that needs to be done away with. People, as they become rich rear certain habits and attitudes that go a long way in helping them stand a step ahead from the average Joe. Money and success do not shape their thinking; rather, it is the other way around. It is the conjunction of their habits and attitudes that help them to define their wealth.
Millionaires are found to have similar traits, particularly, if they are immigrants. This has been observed through the study of history. It all begins with the idea of modeling. It is important to follow a role model that acts as a source of inspiration. There cannot be a better model than a millionaire himself.
A positive attitude regarding the current financial situation is extremely vital in order to look ahead towards further growth. It can be a tremendous driving force behind the sustenance of their money-making power. This positive attitude helps them to act differently than an average person. They face obstacles with confidence, accept risks with courage and proceed undauntedly in the face of opposition. They set high goals for themselves and work relentlessly to realize their endeavor. The expectancy of success with regard to their financial goal gets realized in the process.
Written by srini on September 15th, 2009 with no comments.
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The high interest checking accounts offered by a lot of banking institutions can be a feasible option. This is particularly for all those investors who do not have the need to harbor a huge amount of on-demand cash. The point to be noted is that the amount you decide to keep in your checking account is not very high considering the status of your overall portfolio. The Federal Reserve has currently slashed off the interests rates, and this has resulted in modest interest rates as offered by the banks. There are a few aspects to be considered with regard to high interest checking:
- You should consider investing your minimum balances in other investment options. If you have around $2,500 in your checking account you may not earn handsome interest on the funds. And, if you end up dropping below the minimum balance, there are fees to be met up with.
- Your interest earnings can fall due to these fees. Prior to investing, one is required to understand every detail regarding the fees within the high interest checking account. If you find the fees higher than your current banking institution, opening a high interest checking account will not be a good option.
- There may be other caveats along with your high interest checking accounts. One needs to check whether the interest you earn is indeed worth it.
Written by srini on September 14th, 2009 with no comments.
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Gurbaksh is the founder of two prominent advertising companies and is a multi-faceted professional, all rolled into one. He happens to be one of the most prominent American entrepreneurs, a television personality, an author and a motivational speaker. Gurbaksh was born on the 17th of July, 1982 in Tarn Taran, Punjab, India. He immigrated to the United States with his family in 1985. The family settled in San Jose, California. With just $25 in their account, the parents of Gurbaksh began to struggle with menial jobs in order to sustain their family.
At a tender age of sixteen, Gurbaksh dropped out of his high school and started off his first venture ‘ClickAgents’. This happened on the 15th of December, 1998. It was an advertising network that concentrated on performance-based advertising. On the 1st November, 2000, ValueClick took over ClickAgents in a whopping $22 million merger. This was an all-stock merger and a non-compete agreement that was devised between Chahal and ValueClick. On the 12th January, 2004, Chahal built BlueLithium, a yet another advertising network. It has earned the reputation of being the innovator in the field of online advertising space in a Business 2.0 article. On October 15th of the same year, Yahoo! bought BlueLithium for $300. Gurbaksh was introduced in the Oprah Winfrey Show as “one of the youngest and also the wealthiest entrepreneurs on the planet Earth”.
Written by srini on September 14th, 2009 with no comments.
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Investment can incur losses and you need to have a way out to beat those losses. This is important if you desire to secure your savings. The loss deductions originating from the net trading losses can be creatively invested.
Here are three basic options:
You can go for the S&P futures – Once you own an S&P 500 Index fund, the 2.5% yield is sure to benefit you. With Obama planning to raise the dividend tax by just 20%, the investor will be able to effectively secure his savings. It is usually noticed that the stock yields are higher compared to the short-term interest rates. If the Treasury’s yield 0.5%, the stocks yield 2.5%, the futures offer you 2% annualized discount to the spot price. For you, the capital gains will be tax-free.
Go for the Short Treasury Bonds – If you’ve suffered trading loss, the investment income will be tax-exempt. The interest rate that is currently 0% for you will rise as the bond matures. Here, you need to take investment advice from an investment broker. It is advisable to lock the bond with a term-purchase agreement.
Exit the bonds prior to the dividend – Once you redeem the bond before the stipulated date, a good section of your interest incomes can be converted to capital gain. If you are tax-deferred, the distribution of your taxable income need not bother you.
Written by srini on September 13th, 2009 with no comments.
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It has been often found that immigrants evolve into millionaires in an apparently easy fashion. As you delve deep into the system and broaden your observation, you would notice that the secret lies in the manner in which these immigrants make good use of the available opportunities. They take decisions with a fair amount of farsightedness that stems from well-informed state of mind and awareness regarding the law of the land. It is a psychological state where the immigrant leaves his country as the opportunities and freedoms are limited.
He harbors a steadfast belief that if he makes good use of these opportunities, he would surely be able to become a millionaire. The locals of the country regard these opportunities as their birthright, and they end up under-utilizing them to their fullest potential. The immigrant on the other hand regards these opportunities as some sort of a gift from God. They work extremely hard on them and are fired with the burning passion to excel beyond limits.
A few of the aspects that can be mentioned in this regard are:
- Superior industrial technology
- IT related advantages and software
- Systems that deliver
- Import export opportunities
- Diverse business opportunities and education
- Exposure towards the secrets and details that promote life and success
- Infrastructure like housing, telecommunication and other associated features
- Superior legal system and arguably the most important – respect for human rights and freedom
Written by srini on September 13th, 2009 with no comments.
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The day is not far off when every part of the planet would experience scarcity of safe drinking water. A number of countries in the world are found to impose restrictions on the water supply and are observed to issue hose-pipes and sprinkler bans in order to combat this rapidly escalating shortage. We need to save water, use it wisely and preserve it for our future and save the planet.
Here are a few tips for saving water:
- A huge amount of water goes wasted due to leaky taps. Imagine, a tap losing one drop of water per second, amounts to 15 liters a day!
- A bath can be relaxant but it uses up to 100 liters of water. An average shower will help you to conserve two-thirds of it.
- Small changes in practice can save water in the kitchen. Wash vegetables in a bowl instead of running water.
- Go for water-efficient appliances. A hippo or a save-a-flush can help you save 2000 gallons of water every year! The washing machines and dishwashers should be replaced with energy-efficient ones. They save energy as well as use lesser water. Wash only full load in a washing machine.
- Get your water-pipes and external taps lagged before the winter months. This will make them resistant to freezing and bursting; thereby, saving huge amounts of water from being wasted.
Written by srini on September 12th, 2009 with no comments.
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During the 1960s, Dr. Elwin Bautista emigrated from the Philippines to America accompanied by his wife Julia and settled down at Midwest. They basically belonged to the group of international medical graduates, who were being recruited by the medical centers in America. Dr. Bautista decided to pledge his service to the hospital, where he received his training. Elwin made good use of this opportunity to practice advanced medicine and eventually and honed his skills in surgical specialty. He went on to develop life-saving techniques that were acknowledged by the surgeons across the world. With the gradual rise in fortunes, the Bautista couple emerged as the rising millionaires.
They had always believed that regardless of being an immigrant or a millionaire, the core value that ought to be regarded dear, is education. There can be no substitute to successful education as this alone makes a complete individual, who is equipped to take all decisions with the best of intentions. This idea gets reflected in the professional status of their five children who went on attain advanced degrees in law, occupational therapy, psychology and divinity.
The journey to become a millionaire occurred when Dr, Bautista’s surgical practice caught on and he became a business partner in a successful clinic. On the other hand, Julia concentrated on enhancing their assets through conservative investments like the retirement plans sponsored by her husband’s clinic and mutual funds.
Written by srini on September 12th, 2009 with no comments.
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You might think about savings and investment in isolation. But, what you really need to focus on is the fact – what would you like your money to do for you? Once we are decided about the manner in which the money is slated to be used in future, an effective investment strategy can be formulated. This is also related to the prospective performance of your investments, as it would be a marker for your savings and your financial status.
Asset allocation plays a big role here. It will help you determine the portfolio returns and aid you to devise mechanisms through which you can improve them. It can aid you in mitigating the risks involved. If you are able to devise a effective plan to diversify your major asset classes, in the form of cash, commercial property, fixed interests and equities investment, to name a few, you would find yourself in a better position to manage your investment.
Each investment portfolio incurs a specific variant of risk. So, as you develop a precise idea of your investment requirements, building the rest of the strategy would become easier. Be it the purpose of investment, the time horizon for the investment, the amount of risks undertaken or the corresponding security you stand to attain. These are all vital factors that need to be considered to efficiently safe-guard your savings.
Written by srini on September 11th, 2009 with no comments.
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