Financial Accounting Software

Colorado Springs, CO (PRWEB) January 29, 2008 — The global investment advisory firm and ETF specialist, Chartwell Partners, has launched another global ETFfolio, the World Freedom ETFfolio, which is based on the Index of Economic Freedom published by the Heritage Foundation and the Wall Street Journal.

The index ranks countries based on a grading system that includes ten freedoms such as property rights protection, investment freedom, tax rates, government intervention in the economy, business freedom, freedom from corruption and monetary, fiscal and trade policy. The idea is not just to rank countries but to track movement both up and down and to highlight the proposition that freedom and prosperity are highly correlated.

The World Freedom ETFfolio will join the seven other folios that are available through Chartwell Partners and the Foliofn platform. These folios include the following:

Country Rotation ETFfolio
Global Sector Rotation ETFfolio
World Freedom ETFfolio
Asia Opportunity ETFfolio
Global Long/Short Strategy ETFfolio
Global Opportunity ETFfolio
Global Dividend/Income ETFfolio

In a recent interview, Chartwell Managing Director Carl Delfeld explained that he has followed the Index of Economic Freedom for five years and launched the new ETFfolio because he believes that long-term oriented investors will benefit from a portfolio weighted towards countries that have a high degree of economic freedom. He stated that the “evidence is clear that economic freedom and prosperity go hand in hand and over time should be reflected in stock market performance.”

For the 2008 Index of Economic Freedom, the top ranked countries are:

1 ) Hong Kong
2 ) Singapore
3) Ireland
4 ) Australia
5 ) United States
6 ) New Zealand
7 ) Canada
8 ) Chile
9 ) Switzerland
10 ) United Kingdom

Delfeld also mentioned that he is “very interested in countries that may be ranked rather low but show sharp or steady improvement in the annual rankings.” He noted that the four BRIC countries, which collectively were up 55% in 2007, ranked poorly in the index with Brazil at #101, India at #115, China at #126, and Russia at #134.

Davie, FL (PRWEB) January 29, 2008 — Maverick CPA reveals silent pact between bankers and taxman could cost you your home and bury you under a mountain of debt, while lining the bank’s already massive profits and increasing the revenue of the IRS.

Real Estate Investing has never been more hazardous to the financial well being of investors. Your Banker and the Taxman have taken a vow of silence that threatens to wipe out the real estate portfolios of many investors who are faced with foreclosures.

Real estate sales have dropped by 13.8% in 2007. The sub prime debacle has cost an estimated $300 billion with no sign of stopping.

The median home price in a six-county region of Southern California plunged more than 13 percent in December from the same month a year ago, as the national housing slump kept eating away at home values.

All this puts pressure on real estate investors who may have taken advantage of low “teaser” rates, cash-out refinancings, zero-down loans, ‘negative amortization loans’, and other ‘creative’ financing options.

The national foreclosure rate has skyrocketed. The country is so close to recession that the Federal Reserve recently slashed interest rates in a vain hope to stem the tide.

So what do you do when the buyers disappear, prices plummet, rates shoot up, and you can’t afford the mortgage? According to Bill Tyler of Certified Tax Experts, many people walk away from their properties and let the bank ‘fix’ it. Pro-active property owners try to renegotiate with the lender, often turning over the property to the bank in exchange for the bank forgiving the outstanding loan.

“Both options can put you into debt, foreclosure, bankruptcy or even worse,” says Tyler. “The first thing I counsel my clients, is that you did what you thought was best for your future and the future of your family. It did not work out, but beating yourself up about it won’t help. We need to recognize where we are and move from there.”

Unfortunately, according to Tyler, being proactive can almost be worse than doing nothing.

Often when a property owner faces foreclosure, he will negotiate with his banker to give up his house along with a cancellation of debt. So if the bank sells a house with a $200,000 mortgage for $150,000, the owner does not owe the bank the outstanding $50,000. The bank cancels the debt and writes it off against profits.

Sounds like a great deal to the poor distressed owner. Until a few months later when the IRS informs him that that $50,000 debt he did not have to pay the bank is considered taxable income. In effect, his income went from a national average $45,000 to $95,000 and he never saw the money.

This is outrageous, according to Tyler. Your banker quietly crosses his fingers hoping you will sign his forms, knowing full well you will be stuck with an onerous debt you may never repay. And since you now owe the IRS, not the lender, bankruptcy is no longer an option.

The problem, says Tyler, is that your Banker and the Taxman know the rules of the game but most investors and home owners don’t. He has spent the past three years developing accounting strategies that allow investors to structure their real estate assets so that the outstanding $50,000 debt becomes an expense for income tax purposes, not income.

Tyler’s advice? If one starts falling behind in mortgage payments, don’t wait to get help. There are many competent professionals who can give solid advice and recommendations. Learn the rules of the game and put in place strategies to keep the bankers and taxman at bay.

Bellevue, Wash. (PRWEB) February 4, 2008 — Guidant Financial Group, a leading provider of self-directed IRA services, announced today the top-five investments made by self-directed IRA holders in 2007. The list was derived by analyzing investments made by more than 600 investors with checkbook control of their IRAs in 2007. Self-directed IRAs are typically used for investments outside the stock market, such as real estate, but they can also be used to purchase traditional securities.

1. Real Estate
Though this grouping encompasses a lot of different types of real estate investments, it definitely stood out as the number one choice for self-directed investors in 2007. Within this category, the most popular real estate investment was residential rental properties. As home values across the nation stalled or dropped, investors moved their funds from appreciative properties to cash-flow investments. A close second to residential rentals were commercial rentals, followed by raw land, appreciative properties and foreign real estate.

2. Private Placement
Many successful companies are not publicly traded - creating additional opportunities for private investors. In 2007, Guidant consultants saw a large number of investors using their retirement funds to make equity investments in privately held companies.

3. Loans/Notes
Looking for a solid return on investment secured by an asset, many investors in 2007 turned to loans and notes. The most popular was the bridge loan, stemming from problems in the mortgage industry and borrowers looking for short-term capital to secure new long-term financing. Other loans/notes leading the pack were hard-money loans and first and second deeds of trust.

4. Tax Liens/Deeds
The perceived security of tax liens and deeds, along with their wide range of purchase prices, made them popular investment choices in 2007. “A lien or deed can be bought for as little as a few hundred dollars and are often secured by real estate,” says David Nilssen, CEO of Guidant Financial Group. “Tax liens can be a great purchase for investors who are just getting started.”

5. Securities
Although most retirement account holders choose a self-directed IRA in order to invest outside the stock market, many account holders tend to keep at least some of their money in the securities market. This helps diversify their portfolio and cushion any major shifts in their other investments. Stocks were clearly the most popular security investment; however, bonds, mutual funds, ForEx, and foreign currency CDs were also investments commonly pursued by self-directed investors.

“Despite the volatility of the real estate market, investments in that arena were still the most popular among our clients and those exploring our services,” says Nilssen. “Most people own a home or know someone who has invested successfully in real estate, so it is an obvious place to start when looking for alternatives to the securities market. Aside from the obvious ability to truly diversify retirement funds, one of the greatest benefits to holding self-directed IRAs is their flexibility, which allows investors to profit in virtually any market situation.”

About Guidant Financial Group

Guidant Financial Group is the premier provider of self-directed IRAs and business-funding solutions through IRAs and 401(k)s. Guidant’s services allow investors the freedom to make investments in real estate, franchises, businesses, tax liens and more by accessing their retirement accounts without penalty before retirement age.

New York, NY (PRWEB) February 20, 2008 — Faced with an economy that is slowing and an equity market that is taking a clear beating, the recent unscheduled federal rate cut hurts America’s aging population most of all. Following a global share slide on January 21 2008, the Federal Reserve cut the fed rate from 4.25% to 3.5%; a surprise move that has been labeled by many analysts as ‘obvious panic’ and bad news for senior citizens who depend on investments to earn and grow. Certified Gold Exchange, specialists in precious metal investments and trading, believe that gold is the only recession proof investment option.

The federal rate is the rate at which major banks charge one another for loans, and becomes a significant benchmark for the rest of the country, including senior citizens living off investment income. For the average senior citizen or baby boomer that is fast approaching retirement; the high percentage of Americans that makes up the savers and not the borrowers, the federal rate cut is bad news. In just one week, the average rate for a 1-year CD dropped .15% to 3.32% - a far cry from the 10% of the 1990’s. With the cost of living on the rise including health care, prescription drugs and food, loss of earning on investments can mean financial disaster for seniors. Furthermore, analysts are predicting that money market mutual funds are also going to continue to fall over the next 30 to 60 days.

A recent statement issued by the U.S central bank, “while strains in short-term funding markets have eased somewhat, broader financial market conditions have continued to deteriorate and credit has tightened further for some businesses and households”, should be of concern to all Americans, but especially frightening to senior citizens who rely on interest earnings as income.

Following the fed rate cut, economies across the nation have taken some serious blows, and investors, especially baby boomers and retired seniors, are left wondering what to do in order to minimize risk and maximize investment income. The one commodity that continues to excel in the face of financial adversity is gold and Certified Gold Exchange educates all Americans about the importance of portfolio diversification through precious metals. Gold prices soared after the fed rate cut, with spot gold rising as high as $932 an ounce in January and many are predicting another year of double-digit growth in 2008.

New York, NY (PRWEB) February 21, 2008 — Institutional Investor Events (II Events) is proud to announce the 3rd Annual Chief Compliance Officer Forum: Peer-Driven Strategies To Protect Your Firm in Volatile Times, March 11-12, 2008 at The Harmonie Club, New York City.

Held in association with Compliance Reporter, The Chief Compliance Officer Forum is the only forum created by CCOs for CCOs. The forum will tackle the key regulatory and compliance challenges facing today’s CCO and will cover topics such responding to the SEC’s new inspection letter, valuation, insider trading, forensic testing, due diligence for relationships with counterparties, BD/IA arrangements, the annual review and more.

The SEC New York Inspection Letter has set a new level of accountability across the board for the industry. Don’t miss Thomas A. Biolsi, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, as he answers the questions raised by this detailed assessment and get the tools you need to respond.

Our speaking faculty includes 23 regulators and compliance officers, including keynote speaker Bruce Karpati, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission who will address current enforcement issues for investment advisors, and Alma Angotti from FINRA, who will address practical strategies for using gap analyses. Plus, hear real-life experiences from compliance officers such as David Lui, FAF Advisors/First American Funds, Lane S. Bucklan, Iridian Asset Management LLC; Victor Frye, ProFunds and ProShares; Brian Kawakami, Lazard Asset Management LLC; Joseph McGill, UBS Global Asset Management; Nicholas Tsoudis, Bear Stearns Asset Management, Inc. and more!

Program highlights includes:
• Interactive CCO Panel: Tales from the Trenches and Lessons Learned
• Controlling Insider Trading Risks in Today’s Uncertain Trading Climate
• CCO Experiences of Forensic and Transactional Testing
• Tackling Complex Valuation Risks in Volatile Markets and Illiquid Markets
• Real-Life Case Studies of IA Annual Reviews
• CCO Debate on Outsourcing and Third Party Due Diligence
• Achieving Compliance in BD/IA Arrangements
• NEW Roundtable Discussions CCO Liabilities, Compliance Challenges for Small Firms, Fee- Based Brokerage Accounts….. and more!
• Plus- Don’t Miss Our Half day Interactive Workshop: Surviving an SEC exam

About II Events
Institutional Investor Events produces awards events and high quality conferences and seminars that leverage the content of Institutional Investor News’ 17 financial newsletter titles. Like the Institutional Investor newsletters, the conferences deliver critical intelligence across the entire field of financial services, providing leading edge information on tomorrow’s trends. www.iievents.com

Boulder and Colorado Springs, CO (PRWEB) January 20, 2008 - Chartwell Partners Asset Management has launched another folio, called the Global Innovation 30 Folio.

The folio is based on Business Week’s annual feature, The Most Innovative Companies Rankings, which is a collaborative effort with the Boston Consulting Group. The Chartwell Global 30 Innovation folio is managed by Chartwell on FOLIOfn’s online brokerage platform.

The rankings of the top fifty companies are determined through a survey that is sent to the top ten executives at 1,500 largest companies in the world asking them to name the most innovative company outside their own industry group.

There are some surprises on the 2007 list, including four new companies in the top 25 - Disney, Boeing, Genentech, and Cisco Systems. On the other hand, Dell fell from #14 to #22 and 3M fell from # 3 to # 7.

In building and managing the Global Innovation 30 Folio, Chartwell uses a value approach to select 30 publicly-traded companies from the 50 companies in the rankings and then weights them equally in the folio. Currently, nine of the thirty companies in the Global Innovation 30 Folio are headquartered outside of the United States.

“Innovation drives sustained growth and should lead over time to superior returns for the global companies in the Chartwell Global Innovation 30 Folio”, said Carl Delfeld, Managing Director of Chartwell Partners. In addition, Delfeld explained that FOLIOfn was the ideal platform for the folio since it “offers the ability to buy and sell in fractional shares and allows for the rebalancing of the folio in a single, low-cost transaction.”

Greg Vigrass, President of FOLIOfn Institutional, commented, “The Chartwell Global Innovation 30 Folio makes excellent use of the versatility and power of the FOLIOfn platform. We are pleased that Chartwell has launched this innovative new investment product and look forward to the continued success of their offering.”

The Global Innovation 30 Folio will join the other folios that are available to investors through Chartwell Partners on the FOLIOfn platform.
These are the:

Core Conservative ETFfolio
Fixed Income ETFfolio
Global Dividend/Income ETFfolio
World Economic Freedom ETFfolio
Country Rotation ETFfolio
Momentum Country Rotation ETFfolio
Value Country Rotation ETFfolio
Global Sector Rotation ETFfolio
Global Growth ETFfolio
Emerging Markets ETFfolio
Asia-Pacific ETFfolio
China Strategy ETFfolio
Global Long/Short Strategy ETFfolio

Chartwell uses these folios as building blocks to develop custom global portfolios for investors using a core/satellite strategy. The ETFfolios are also available to investment advisors on a sub-advisory basis. Delfeld is a columnist for Forbes Asia, editor of ChartwellETF.com and author of “Think Global, Grow Rich”, “The New Global Investor” and “ETF Investing Around the World”.

Hong Kong (PRWEB) February 25, 2008 — Zetland Financial Group reports new tax regulations ordered by China’s government will create greater transparency and stability in the mainland’s tax regime.

China’s implementation of new rules resulting in the same tax rate for domestic and foreign companies will mean greater predictability and transparency, Zetland Financial Group reports on its website.

Chinese and foreign firms in China are now levied the same corporate tax rate of 25 percent after the new Enterprise Income Tax Law and Implementation Rules took effect on Jan. 1.

The new laws, which were passed on March 16, 2007, will no longer give any preferential treatment to foreign invested enterprises over their domestically funded counterparts.

“I believe the new law and rules will provide all market players with a more transparent, stable and predictable tax system,” said Joseph Tse, tax manager partner at Deloitte Greater China.

“With the loss of most tax incentives, domestic enterprises and FIEs alike will need to develop strategies that optimize their domestic and global tax benefits, relying more on traditional tax planning tools,” he said.

Analysts said the banking sector will benefit most. “Less tax for the mainland banks could compensate losses from restriction on lending due to recent tightening measures,” said the head of China research at a European investment house.

Under the new regulations, firms registered before March 16 will either receive a five-year grace period where they will be subject to a gradually increasing tax rate, or they will be entitled to complete the period of tax exemption that they were promised.

The report says high-technology industries will be given preferential treatment if they are supported by the state and located in special economic zones. Companies owning intellectual property that are registered after Jan. 1 in these zones will be exempt from any corporate tax for the first two years.

The report is one of many offered each month by Zetland Financial Group on its comprehensive website. Zetland provides business and financial consultancy internationally and in the Asia region with an emphasis on operations in China, offering personal service and valuable advice with total confidentiality.

From its base in Hong Kong, the company is in a position to provide clients with the efficiencies and sophisticated infrastructure of one of the most dynamic international cities - also an integral part of the rapidly growing economy of China.

McLean, VA (PRWEB) March 7, 2008 — Brenda Blisk, CFP®, founder and CEO of The Blisk Financial Group, has been selected as a guest columnist by the Washington Business Journal. Blisk’s column, “Inspired Investing,” will run throughout the year in the Journal on subjects ranging from Green Investing to tips for “Sandwich Generation Boomers.” She is one of 12 guest columnists selected for 2008.

A 22-year veteran of the financial services industry, Blisk founded The Blisk Financial Group in 1987 and in 1997 became an Investor Advisor Representative of Legacy Advisors, LLC, (now Spire Wealth Management, LLC). Wealth Manager Magazine has ranked the firm as one of its top financial advisory firms four consecutive years from 2004 through 2007.Blisk and her team manage $250 million in assets with clients in 20 states.

In June 2007, Barron’s Magazine named Blisk to its list of Top 100 Women Financial Advisors. Barron’s began ranking women advisors for the first time in 2006. The rankings are based on the size of each advisor’s practice and the caliber of service she and her team provide.

In November 2007, Blisk shared advice on client service at The Winner’s Circle® Summit in Palm Beach. Florida. The Winners Circle® recognizes financial advisors who represent the highest ethical behavior, professionalism and success in the industry. The Summit is a by-invitation-only event for the top 500 Female Financial Advisors in the country. The event was hosted by Barron’s magazine and R.J. Shook, author of “The Winner’s Circle” books rating America’s top financial advisors.

Client Service Awards
Blisk was also named the first recipient of the Charlie Eisenmann Client-First Service Award by Dunham & Associates Investment Counsel, Inc. She received the national award at the Dunham Institute Wealth Management Symposium on May 4, 2007, in Del Mar, California. The award recognizes her for exceptional client service as acknowledged by industry peers and clients.

Blisk has the distinction of being a past Dalbar Customer Service Award Honoree. In 1999, Dalbar, Inc., the nation’s leading financial services market research and consulting firm, ranked the Blisk Financial Group in the top 2% in the country in three areas: Client Satisfaction, Client Performance and Professional Ethics. These awards are based on Dalbar’s systematic testing of customer service.

More About Brenda Blisk:
Virginia Business Magazine named Blisk one of the Top 50 Wealth Advisors in Virginia and the #2 Retail Investment Advisor in the state. The list, identified by Shook, appeared in Virginia Business Magazine’s August 2007 issue. ??Blisk provides independent financial advice and asset management to executives, retirees, women and their families and business owners. Her services include retirement planning, investment management, distribution planning and long-term care and special needs planning.

Charlotte, N.C. (PRWEB) March 7, 2008 — If you are grappling with whether or not you should get a home equity loan or line of credit, first consider the amount you need to borrow and what you need it for. Whether you need a one-time lump sum of money to pay for a home renovation, or an ongoing sum to pay for college costs, there is a financing method that will work to meet your needs. Let LendingTree.com walk you through some tips for both financial tools:

For one-time lump sums, a home equity loan (HEL) is the best way for you to borrow against the value of your house to pay for a one-time expense such as a renovation or buying a car. A HEL gives borrowers a lump sum of money, with a fixed monthly payment that is paid off over a specified period of time.

For ongoing cash needs, a home equity line of credit (HELOC) may be the better option for borrowers. A HELOC is a form of revolving credit similar to a credit card, but often times with a much lower interest rate. Borrowers are given a specific credit limit and they can then draw funds whenever they need money, and then pay at least a minimum monthly payment with the option to pay off as much as they’d like. The ability to withdraw any amount, as opposed to a predetermined monthly allowance, allows those with HELOCs to pay for expenses that aren’t necessarily planned out, such as medical bills or college costs.

Remember, when getting a HEL or a HELOC, either loan is collateralized based on the value of your home. What this means is if you default, your house is on the line as the loan is secured against your home. Interest rates for HELs and HELOCs are often lower than a credit card because of this so before you commit to either, please make sure you are able to repay the money you borrow. The last thing you want to do is put your home in jeopardy because you had difficulty paying your monthly HEL or HELOC bill.

About LendingTree, LLC
LendingTree, LLC is the nation’s number one online lending exchange, providing a marketplace that connects consumers with multiple lenders that compete for their business. Since inception, LendingTree has facilitated more than 23 million loan requests and $185 billion in closed loan transactions. LendingTree provides access to mortgages and refinance loans, home equity loans/lines of credit, auto loans, personal loans, credit cards and high-yield savings accounts via www.lendingtree.com and 800-555-TREE.

Extensive industry expertise gives financial technology company new edge.

Austin, TX (PRWEB) March 8, 2008 — CBG Holdings, Inc. today announced the appointment of Tom Shen to its board of directors and also as the company’s Chief Strategy Officer. Shen is a veteran financial services industry technology executive. CBG Holdings, Inc. is the holding company for Q2 Software, Cardinal Software and CBANC Network, all providers of technology solutions designed to make financial institutions more competitive against money center banks.”

Tom has an exceptional track record of building superior products, providing top-tier customer support and forging relationships within the financial services space,” said CBG Holdings, Inc., Chairman R.H. “Hank” Seale III. “As we continue to grow at a record pace, Tom’s unique experience and wisdom will be instrumental in our strategic direction.”

Before joining CBG Holdings, Inc., Shen most recently was EVP of Product, Engineering and Operations for Digital Insight, recently acquired by Intuit (NASDAQ: INTU), a provider of Internet banking services. Prior to Digital Insight, he was chairman, CEO and president of Software Dynamics, Inc. (SDI), where he guided the direction and architecture of SDI’s suite of front office products for financial institutions - teller, platform, call center and CRM. When he sold the company to S1 Corporation in 2001, he had shepherded the expansion of the company’s client base to more than 1,000 financial institutions worldwide. ”

The opportunity to contribute in an entrepreneurial organization that focuses on people, delighting customers and building innovative products is why I joined CBG,” Shen explained. “This is going to be an excellent opportunity to collaborate with Hank and his team to continue to change the way financial institutions interact with their technology partners. I am genuinely excited and look forward to adding to the success the team at CBG has built over the past three years.”

About CBG Holdings, Inc.
R.H. “Hank” Seale III founded CBG Holdings, Inc. in 2006. Among its current holdings are Q2 Software, a provider of Electronic Banking Solutions; Cardinal Software, a provider of core and platform solutions; CBANC Network, an online resource linking member banks across the nation to a wide range of services. The mission of CBG Holdings, Inc. is to strengthen community financial institutions by providing the technology, channels and opportunities for unprecedented strategic collaboration.