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Save Money Using High Interest Rate Savings Accounts

04 Jun.
Posted by leothelion in Banking | Comments Off

Are you just wasting your savings in a traditional savings account? Many Americans out of habit settle for very low interest savings rates. But, you don’t have to. There are many great options today for high interest rate savings.

What are high interest rate savings? These are payments made by the bank to you for leaving your money in the bank. By depositing your money in the bank, your bank utilizes a portion of it in its loan operations where it subsequently earns through interest and loan charges. In effect, the income they receive trickles down to you, their source of money. This savings interest rate is actually an effective incentive system. Why so? If you save more money in your bank account through your deposits and savings, you end up receiving a higher return on the savings interest rate than other people would.

The last one is perhaps the most obvious feature of the bank that people do not take advantage of. A bank, being a financial intermediary, can actually help you save money efficiently. Here’s how.

First, you are required to keep what is called a maintaining balance in your bank account. This means that even if you make deductions in your account, the bank requires you to save a bare minimum in order to continue enjoying their services. And yes, that translates to a forced saving on your part.

When it comes to financial management, even business professionals reach a consensus as to what is the most effective, reliable, and secure means to manage your money, and that is through the bank. Your bank is an effective means to manage your bills payments, keep track of your transactions, receive your income and whatever extraneous cash inflow, and help you save effectively.

Another feature of bank saving is the fact that you are free to continuously add to your account whenever you can. Otherwise, your money will remain safe in your bank. Moreover, while it’s staying in the bank, you are actually earning interest rates on your money.

Banks have a threshold amount for you to be able to participate in the bank’s long-term, higher yield savings schemes. Time-deposit accounts, mutual funds and the like require you to leave your money untouched for a longer period of time. In exchange for the bank’s use of your money for a longer period of time, the percentages of interest return are double those that you would get in a regular savings account. You can add increments of a certain amount in order to increase the capital you invest in your time-deposit account or mutual fund. An increased account obviously translates to bigger interest gains.

Talk to your local bank about their savings schemes. They offer various mechanisms to encourage us consumers to entrust their money to them. In a bank, your money is in a safe place, and it is growing while it stays there.

But, don’t just settle for a low interest rate for your savings account. Do your research. Go online and find a high interest rate and open an account at that bank.

Find out more about how to find high interest savings accounts at http://smartsavings101.com/. If you are also in need of information for paying off your debt, check out http://payoffbaddebt.com/ .

Seychelles Offshore Banking: Information Required To Open An Account

03 Jun.
Posted by ramapati in Banking | Comments Off

Seychelles offshore banking is best explained by the seeing the list of information that is required by a Seychelles bank to open an account for your offshore company.

A Typical Bank Account Application Form Will Require The Following Details:

01 Type of Account: Corporate / Personal

02 Type of Business: Limited Companies, Companies, Clubs, Associations and Societies

03 Name of Business

04 Country of Incorporation / Registration

05 Name of Signatories and authority given to them

a. to sign this Agreement

b. to enter into any other agreement with the bank for banking products or services with they consider to be in the interests of the Business from time-to-time; and

c. To give instructions to the bank and set up security procedures for giving instructions by telephone.
Including the account type.

06 To agree and accept on behalf of the business:

a. Accept the banks terms and conditions

b. that requests for new accounts shall be in accordance with the mandate held with the bank

c. Bank standard terms and conditions

d. Authority for transfer instructions.

e. Various indemnity covering transfer instructions, checks payable abroad

f. To allow the bank to get credit reference about the person opening the account.

07 The combination of individual / s authorized to give instruction to Bank are:

a. Account operating signatures: Singly, jointly, with limits

08 Information Memorandum

a. Business Name:

b. Registered Office Address:

c. Contact Details: the account holder’s or any others: Phone, fax, email,

d. Correspondence Address/Statement Address

e. Share Capital

09 Banking requirements

a. Currency Required

b. Frequency of Statements

10 Business details

a. Full description of main activities/trade of the company. [Specific]

b. Description of the operation of the business

c. How and where the income to this account will be derived.

d. Any additional useful information:

i. Website Address

ii. Brochures

iii. Publicity Material

iv. Business Plan

11 Source of Funds

a. Please specify where funds to this new account will come from.

b. Specific company names/ individuals if known

12 Specify the countries of operation

13 Expected annual turnover

14 Frequency and size of annual payments into the account.

15 Beneficial Owners.

16 Declaration regarding Money Laundering:

a. We hereby confirm that to the best of our knowledge the company is not and will not be involved in

i. Money Laundering,

ii. Drug Trafficking or

iii. Terrorist Activities.

There are a few other issues related to Seychelles offshore banking that every one wants answers to and I am mentioning them below:

1. Due Diligence

To open a corporate account for an offshore company, all reputable banks including those providing Seychelles offshore banking, will require detailed personal and business information from the owners and controllers of the offshore account.

* Identify the actual beneficial owner of the offshore company. All owners and controllers of the IBC, as well as everyone who will be granted account signatory rights, need to be properly identified and have to provide a number of documents, such as

- a certified passport copy,

- a bankers and/or professional reference,

- a detailed business description and

- a cash flow forecast.

These requirements may vary in details, but their general scope remains fairly similar to most offshore banks, not just in Seychelles offshore banking. Utilizing appointed directors and nominee shareholders is certainly helpful in respect of avoiding unnecessary public scrutiny, however these confidentiality functions are fairly irrelevant in Seychelles offshore banking account openings.

Any bank will primarily be interested to establish the actual, real owners of the company, and will not be satisfied by merely getting the data on appointed managers or representatives.

2. Anonymous accounts at Seychelles offshore banking?

There is no such thing as ‘anonymous accounts’! All banks are required by law to know their clients in very comprehensive detail. While account introduction through an approved intermediary (like us) is still possible without the personal appearance of the owner of the company, banks still want to know their clients and their business dealings in great detail. This is simply required by the laws, that have become stricter after 9/11, that regulate banking industry and there are no exceptions.

3. Seychelles offshore banking secrecy:

While the banks are required to know their clients in detail, banking secrecy remains a fundamental cornerstone in all offshore financial centers, and certainly in Seychelles! The banking secrecy regulations stipulate that all information relating to the client must remain strictly confidential.

Any confidential banking and personal information may only be divulged if demanded so by a Seychelles court ruling. Such ruling, naturally, would have to be based on extremely serious circumstances under the applicable criminal laws in Seychelles, and following a proper criminal investigation, carried out domestically in Seychelles.

Information sharing, reporting or any kind of release of confidential banking information to any foreign party or foreign government is strictly prohibited. Severe financial and criminal penalties await anyone who divulges client information, and is applicable to both the bankers and the registered agents.

Ramapati Singhania specializes in creating and managing web businesses. His latest website http://www.incorporation-offshore-saves-wealth.com focuses on helping you to incorporate offshore companies in Seychelles, Mauritius and BVI. You can also visit his blog, http://www.ramapatisinghania.com

The Role Of Financial Intermediaries In Hong Kong

03 Jun.
Posted by gsmyth in Banking | Comments Off

Whenever analyzing a part of the financial industry of Hong Kong as an international financial centre, often (and knowingly) use the technical term – financial intermediation. This technical term refers to the process of routing savings into investments, a process that is extremely important for fuelling economic growth and development. Financial consultants utilize the term extensively in the hope that its repeated mentioning will act as a frequent reminder to all concerned. This includes the regulators and the regulated, the providers and the users of financial services – of this basic purpose of the financial industry. More pin-pointing to the providers of financial services, or financial intermediaries in Hong Kong, it is a reminder of the main function of their existence.

Very often financial markets deliver financial intermediaries in Hong Kong with opportunities for profit that comprise business strategies that may not be satisfactory, having relation to the basic purpose of the financial industry. It is not probable to be precise or comprehensive about the features, and to try the categorization, of such business strategies, so that financial intermediaries might abstain from intentionally getting active. Even though this would definitely provide useful support for the industry. Regulators prefer to hand over this to the financial intermediaries, who are more involved with the markets and who perceive better the aspirations and impacts of specific market plays.

Financial consultants believe that they have the ability to realize that it is in their long-term interest not to be indulged in business strategies that have the impact of weakening the general stability and efficient performance of the channels of financial intermediation for which they have been certified as service providers. Indeed, when certifying them, the regulatory authorities have adopted the view that they were fit and proper, this comprises, significantly, being able to operate in accordance with this valuable fiduciary duty as a licensee.

But every now and then it is well within the rights for regulators to provide such reminders. One by-product of the progress of information technology and globalization of financial markets is that chances to profit at the expense of the general stability and efficient working of financial intermediation channels have rose. For example, the capability to carry out financial deals through cyberspace and book them offshore has lead to a serious lack of market transparency, which is conducive to market manipulation, which erodes the integrity of the market. The development of large and complex international financial institutions has also delivered considerable challenges to the management of such institutions, so that the value of observing the fiduciary duty of financial intermediaries in Hong Kong may not have been provided with the focus it deserves at the working level.

Consider the fiduciary duty of certified banks in Hong Kong as a further testament. Financial consultants consider it the fiduciary duty of certified banks to carry out their business in a manner that does not weaken the general stability and efficient working of the banking system. Consultants do not anticipate, just as an example, that under the Linked Exchange Rate system banks should arrange for speculative attacks on the Link, which has the effect of eroding banking stability. The banking system has been, and will remain so, an unavoidable channel of financial intermediation for financial intermediaries in Hong Kong that is extremely important to economic growth and development. The long-term well-being of the community relies on the banking system in acting this role effectively.

The Zetland Financial Group – http://www.zetland.biz – provides the offshore investor with fiduciary Services, investment management and corporate advisory services, offering personal service and professional advice with total confidentiality.

Seychelles Banking: Easy Rules, World Class

02 Jun.
Posted by ramapati in Banking | Comments Off

Seychelles Banking: One of The Best In The World To Transact With.

The Republic of Seychelles comprises of 155 islands spread randomly in the lap of the calm Indian Ocean. Seychelles have population of about 81,000. English, French and Seychellois Creole are the three official languages of the country.

The capital of Seychelles is Victoria. Seychelles gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1976. The people of Seychelles are hardworking and trustworthy. That is why Seychelles has continued its development even after it decided to cast the British crown aside. The economy of Seychelles has developed greatly after its independence.

This growth has been caused by the practical steps being taken by the government of Seychelles to ensure the economy’s growth and to exploit its dependence on the flourishing tourism sector.

In the past few years Seychelles has recognized the importance of the finance and financial services sectors, and that of offshore companies with the introduction of the zero Seychelles tax company as well. The government of Seychelles has focused on the development of these offerings by taking several legislative steps.

The Seychelles Monetary Authority was established in 1978 as the bank of issue. It later became the Central Bank of Seychelles in 1983. Other government banks operating in Seychelles are the Seychelles Savings Bank and the Development Bank of Seychelles.

Five major commercial banks operate in the Seychelles, namely Barclays, Nouvobanq, Banque Francaise Commerciale Ocean Indien, Bank of Baroda, and Habib Bank. Development of an offshore banking center was announced in 1999.

Seychelles banking is governed by the Financial Institutions Act 1984 as amended in 1995. The licenses to banking companies are only issued to those banks which have been incorporated under the Companies Act 1972 or foreign companies which have been registered under the same act.

The banking license issuing authority in Seychelles is the offshore Banking Department of the Central Bank. Licenses are usually issued separately for domestic and offshore banking. But in some cases licenses are issued for both at the same time. When licenses are issued for both offshore and domestic banking, the bank has to provide offshore and domestic Seychelles banking services a different branches.

Banks providing offshore Seychelles banking services are permitted to maintain numbered accounts for their clients. The annual license fee for Seychelles banking companies is not very large. This fee is payable to the Central Bank in any convertible currency. Currently there are five licensed foreign banks in the Seychelles, and two domestic banks which have been listed above.

As the Government of Seychelles is particularly interested in developing the financial sector and tuning it to compete with other tax havens and banking centers such as the Cayman Islands, Switzerland, and Mauritius banking, special dispensation has been granted to the taxation of banks.

All of the licensed offshore Seychelles banking companies are exempted from taxes and duties for a period of 20 years from the date on which license was granted to them. This 20 year tax holiday serve as an attractive incentive to banks willing to go offshore.

An offshore or non domestic bank may decide to pay business tax in Seychelles on its taxable income as agreed with the Commissioner of Taxes.

The National Assembly of Seychelles passed the Central Bank of Seychelles Act 2004 in December 2004. This Act is aimed at providing legislation to enable the Central Bank to operate as an independent institution without any intervention from the government, and to ensure independent growth and regulation of the banking sector ensuring in it, confidence, transparency and efficiency.

Ramapati Singhania specializes in creating and managing web businesses. His latest website http://www.incorporation-offshore-saves-wealth.com focuses on helping you to incorporate offshore companies in Seychelles, Mauritius and BVI. You can also visit his blog, http://www.ramapatisinghania.com

Finding The Best Savings Account

30 May.
Posted by leothelion in Banking | Comments Off

Finding the best savings account is one of the first steps you should take when first organizing your finances. They are important because you need a place to put your short term savings and you need a highly liquid emergency fund.

Too often people put their short term savings in their checking account and don’t earn any interest. This is a huge waste of money and passive income. While interest rates are not that high, you are just throwing away money by not putting it into a high interest savings account. That is why find the best savings account is crucial.

These accounts are also important for emergency funds. You never know when you might fall onto hard financial times. You could lose your job or have a large expense hit you by surprise. By building up an emergency fund in a savings account you can alleviate some of this risk

Finding the best savings account

There are two places to look for the best savings account. You can research your local banks and credit unions to see who has the best or you can find them at online banks. Determining whether an online bank is appropriate for you requires you to study how you need to do your banking. Many people feel the need to have a brick and mortar bank to visit. Others are happy to do all of their banking online.

For most Internet users and computer users an online bank is perfectly fine. Computer users are used to using their computers to get things done. Typically this also translates into enjoying the online banking experience.

What should you look for in the best savings account?

- Low minimum deposits to open – You need to find a savings acount with a low minimum deposit requirement to open. You don’t want to have to maintain a large balance all the time in your savings account.

- Low minimum deposits – If you want to be able to deposit $10 into your savings account because that is the amount you can afford, you should be able to.

- High interest rates – Obviously the higher the interest rate the better. The good news for you if that there are lots of high interest rates savings accounts out there.

- The time it takes to withdrawal funds – If you need quick access to your money, you want to make sure that you can withdrawal the money quickly.

Another key thing to look at when finding a savings account is the bank’s checking account program. Often you will want to have a checking account at the same bank that you have your other account with. I find that people too often overlook the checking account options before deciding on a high interest savings account.

Learn more about high interest savings accounts at http://smartsavings101.com . Here is an example article on ing direct savings accounts http://smartsavings101.com/ing-direct/ing-direct-savings-accounts