Another NZ fund manager joins billion dollar club

August 13th, 2010

New Zealand now has a dozen fund managers with at least a billion dollars under management, according to the latest FundSource report.

AMP Financial Services is still the country’s biggest manager with $11.8 billion in total funds under management as at the end of the June quarter, leading ING New Zealand, the second biggest fundie including funds managed by ANZ and National Bank, by $4 billion. FundSource didn’t name the new manager with more than a billion dollars under management.

Total funds under management sank 2.4% to $53.4 billion in the three months ended June 30, with all asset classes bar fixed interest falling. Fixed interest rose 5.6% in the quarter, and makes up 13.9% of total managed funds. Cas

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How To Save Money By Going “Green”

August 12th, 2010

Small business owners must monitor their cash flow to ensure that the business can stay solvent. When cash flow grows tight, tough decisions must be made, and oftentimes, cutting or reducing expenses is a strategic way to keep the cash flow positive.

However, did you know that choosing certain “green” appliances and energy strategies can cut your costs considerably? According to the SBA’s report, “Improving Energy Use and Efficiency for Small Business,” you can save from 10% to 30% on utility and other energy usage costs by making certain eco-friendly choices. Here are a few suggestions:

Light Bulbs

Your light bulb choices have a bright impact on your electric bill. Rather th

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EUR/USD rallied in Asia yesterday

August 11th, 2010

Australian Dollar: The Aussie dollar experienced a roller coaster ride over the last 24 hours dropping to 0.8920 in Asia before bouncing back to 90 cents in early Europe only to retest 0.8920 in North American trade overnight. The announcement of July employment data out of Australia yesterday was met with caution despite the economy adding 23.5k jobs in the month, a result which was slightly above economist forecasts of a rise of 20k. With investors nervous about risky assets at the moment the focus instead was on the fact that the rises came in part time employment with full time employment decreasing and coupled with a rise in the participation rate, the headline unemployment rate actually rose from 5.1% to 5.3%.

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Liberty Mutual is sued for denial of long term disability benefits to woman suffering with fibromyalgia

August 11th, 2010

Disability Insurance Attorneys Gregory Michael Dell and Rachel Alters of Dell and Schaefer have filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida against Liberty Life Assurance Company of Boston “Liberty Mutual” for failure to pay long-term disability benefits owed to a disability claimant in violation of The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). The Plaintiff suffers from Fibromyalgia Syndrome which causes her unrelenting pain in her arms, legs, wrists, neck, shoulders and feet. Additionally, she suffers from severe fatigue and cognitive impairment as a result of her Fibromyalgia Syndrome.

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How to Improve Your Cash Flow with Receivables – Part 1

August 9th, 2010

Managing cash flow for your small business is not all about managing and controlling expenses. Of course, a major part of cash flow is the money that comes into your business. While there are many forms of cash inflow, such as owner paid-in capital, loans, partners, and lines of credit, your main source of income is from your own sales.

Managing how you collect from your customers can be the key to maintaining a positive cash flow. Here are a few tips for managing your receivables:

Require Payment Upon Delivery

Payment for goods and services should be required at the time they are delivered or rendered.

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What Motivates Your Finances?

August 8th, 2010

One of the issues that can get in the way of a solid financial future is ignorance of your own motivations. Many of us are not used to self examination, especially when it comes to finances. This is because we often think of our money as something that comes in, and then is saved and spent. We rarely think about why we do certain things beyond acknowledging that we are saving “for the future” or that we need to “pay the bills.”

However, in order to understand your finances better, it can help to thoughtfully consider what motivates you to do what you do. In some

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