Archive for the ‘Business’ Category
House buying guide
Don’t get shafted by bankers
Case I: Sam, 25, and her boyfriend Mark found the flat they loved, had their offer accepted by the sellers and the advisor at their bank had agreed the mortgage. Perfect. That was until they returned to the bank to sign the mortgage forms. ‘The person we’d originally spoken to had left,’ says Sam. And everyone else denied all knowledge of our mortgage offer. After lots of hassle, the new advisor eventually offered us less cash at a much worse rate of interest.’
How to sort it: This helps to show just how important it is to get something from the bank in writing once you’ve been offered a mortgage. Never leave the bank without an official letter. Many lenders will issue you with what’s called an “agreement in principle to lend”. This isn’t a formal mortgage offer but at least you know where you stand when you look for a property.
Investment strategy with exchange trade funds (ETF)
Since its invention in 1924, the mutual fund has been heralded as the “everyman’s investment.” But even if you read a fund prospectus, you can never be sure exactly how much you’re paying, what’s in the fund, or when you might incur a taxable distribution.
Ensuring that your portfolio is building wealth rather than lining some fund manager’s pocket is a major source of IRS: investment-related stress. That’s why you should consider exchange-traded funds (ETFs), a cheaper, more transparent class of investments that has attracted more than $300 billion in assets, up from half that amount in 2003.
Questions to ask your home insurance agent
Is the coverage on my home adequate?
If you think the value of your home may have increased (if you put on a new addition or make significant upgrades, for instance) or if the cost to rebuild your home has increased, discuss the adequacy of your
dwelling coverage with your agent. Market value is an indicator that the cost to replace your home may have increased, but insurance is based on “replacement cost” not market value. If your dwelling is underinsured it could mean you will not receive the full benefits available under the policy should you have a total loss.
New jersey Insurance Agents
Grace Wheeler
Crop Growers Insurance Services
123 Millstone Way
Monroeville, NJ 08343
(856) 478-6576
Jeremy Forrett
Roger Murray
Crop Growers Insurance Services
1 Technological Place, Suite 3
Homer, NY 13077
(800) 234-7012
George Stinson
Kristina Mase
Craig Morrissey
Bernard C. Morrissey Insurance
890 N. Reading Road
Ephrata, PA 17522
(717) 336-3894
(800) 422-8335
What is cargo insurance?
Why do traders need cargo insurance?
What types of cargo insurance are available?
answer:
When you are looking at the types of cargo insurance available, you may come across the term General Average. This is one of the oldest principles of cargo insurance and relates only to ocean and sea voyages but is still relevant in today’s trading environment. General Average covers the situation where damage or loss of certain goods occurs so that the remaining cargo and the means of transport are saved. For example goods may sustain water damage during fire fighting. In this situation, if General Average is declared, all the parties involved must contribute to covering the loss.
How to Make a Cold Call
We’ve all been on the receiving end of the call: the intrusion you grumpily field at work or in the middle of dinner. Here’s how to craft your opener when you’re on the other end of the line.
“First, know who you are talking to, what their issues are and what they need from you,” says Wendy Weiss, a New York-based sales trainer. “Don’t say ‘Hi, I’m Sue, and I sell insurance,’ Try ‘Hi, I’m Sue. I work with a lot of people in your neighborhood, and my expertise is helping people make sure their families are taken care of.’” This also works if you’re fund-raising for a charity; in 1991 Weiss started an AIDS-education dance project. Her phone lead was “We’re the only dance company that saves the lives of children.” If you’re asking for an informational interview, introduce yourself, then say “I’m thinking of switching fields, and I was wondering if you could help me learn more about your industry.” Most people, Weiss says, really do like to help.
And the ones who don’t are probably just in the middle of dinner.
Criticism is bad any way you look at it
Being in positions of power, we’re often tempted to flaunt it by criticizing subordinates. Criticism is bad any way you look at it. Encouragement is a better bet. Make subordinates feel the need to improve themselves – not get another job! End result?
The subordinate is on a continuous improvement curve, and you get a competent worker.
Criticizing a person’s failures will only compound his belief that he’s not up to task. Motivating him to keep going, however, will make him rise to the challenge.
Power is useful when people can recognize it
Much as we’d like to give our subordinates everything they want, sometimes it really is just not possible. Like changing working hours, for instance: You may be powerful, but you’re not that powerful. Yet, how are you to convey that message to him without losing his respect? Easy: By never promising him anything. If you get into the habit of saying yes to every request, they’re going to come to expect that response, no matter what. Instead, say, “I’ll try,” even for the really easy stuff. You know you can get your subordinate a new PC, but there’s no need for him to know it. When he does get his new machine, he’ll like you very much for trying hard to get it for him. There might even be a glimmer of respect. But he didn’t really think you could do it -therein lies your ace.
As long as you keep him guessing about how powerful you really
are in the company,two great things will happen:
First, he won’t come running to you every time he needs something -his first course of action will be to try and figure it out himself. Second, he’s not going to campaign against you because he’s under the impression that you’re a nobody anyway. This makes it easier to work with him and vice versa. Power is useful when people can recognize it. But sometimes, it’s even more useful when they can’t.
Easiest way to avoid making enemies
We’ve all got an enemy or two at work, someone either above us or below us, waiting for his or her chance to plot our downfall. But enemies and allies are cultivated, not made. If you’re already a likeable person, then you’ve no doubt won over your subordinates. Now, what about your peers? Your superiors? How can you avoid turning them into enemies? The simple answer is to not offend them. You can do that by not telling them they’re wrong to their face. Instead, find more diplomatic ways of bringing them around to your point of view. An easy way to do that is to feign ignorance… if only for a while. If your boss has asked you to do a project you know is doomed to failure, do not tell him straight-faced that it’ll never work. Instead, say something like, “You think it’ll work? I thought it wouldn’t. I could be wrong, of course. But let’s go over this again, just to be sure…” See? The easiest way to avoid making enemies is to not do unto them what you’d not want them to do unto you.
Delegating work is crucial to any leader’s success
Delegation is one of those peculiar management skills we pay so little attention to, but yet it is so very important to our sanity and to how we perform on our jobs. The reason is obvious: Because we want to look good, we want everything in our department done right… and what better way than by doing it ourselves, right?
Wrong. If you were hired, say, as a Finance Manager for your company, you’re supposed to be spending your time figuring out where you ought to invest the company’s money… not whether all the bills have been paid.
Sure, if all the bills are paid, your department looks good. But it’s not what the company is paying you for. That’s what your Accounts Clerk (for argument’s sake, we’ll call him Charlie) is for. Delegating work is crucial to any leader’s success – why do you think company directors and CEOs are always busy playing golf?
Delegating tips
Refine the description of the task on paper till it appears as you want it. Only then should you delegate it.
Record your discussions with your subordinate, and get him to do the same. Then have him repeat what has been said to ensure he understands what you need.
Refrain from panicking and doing the task yourself if you suspect your subordinate may not be able to deliver. Give him the benefit of doubt, and follow up on the task frequently.