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A Funny Way for Students to Get Savvy About Money

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TORONTO — Say the words “financial planning” to a roomful of high school students and most eyes are likely to glaze over. Most, that is, except perhaps for some who have had their eyes opened by “Funny Money,” a witty, one-hour presentation about personal finance geared specifically to their age group.  Read more...

Business term of the day - Term for September 15, 2013: "Cost estimation models"

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Source: Wikipedia
Cost estimation models are mathematical algorithms or parametric equations used to estimate the costs of a product or project. The results of the models are typically necessary to obtain approval to proceed, and are factored into business plans, budgets, and other financial planning and tracking mechanisms.
These algorithms were originally performed manually but now are almost universally computerized. They may be standardized (available in published texts or purchased commercially) or proprietary, depending on the type of business, product, or project in question. Simple models may use standard spreadsheet products.
Models typically function through the input of parameters that describe the attributes of the product or project in question, and possibly physical resource requirements. The model then provides as output various resources requirements in cost and time.
Cost modeling practitioners often have the titles of cost estimators, cost engineers, or parametric analysts.
Typical applications include:
  • Construction
  • Software Development
  • Manufacturing
  • New product development

Don't lose sight of your retirement

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Your Money: Keeping retirement on track takes focus

Thomas Palka, 52, said he thinks people need to shift into a different frame of mind if they want to one day have enough money to retire. It's not enough to simply put a lid on retail therapy. Or pull out a calculator to run the numbers.

"A lot of people lost their homes and they knew how to use a checkbook," said Palka, a former financial planner in Michigan.  Read more...

Business term of the day - Term for September 14, 2013: "Corporate welfare"

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Corporate welfare is a term that analogizes corporate subsidies to welfare payments for the poor. The term is often used to describe a government's bestowal of money grants, tax breaks, or other special favorable treatment on corporations or selected corporations, and implies that corporations are much less needy of such treatment than the poor. In practice, the term is often used virtually interchangeably with crony capitalism. To the extent that there is a distinction, the latter term could be considered broader, including all types of governmental decisions that favor the "cronies" (big businesses and industry lobby groups providing the bulk of political campaign contributions), while corporate welfare might be restricted only to direct government subsidies.

Is clean energy good for the economy?

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'Clean Energy' Is Cooling The Economy And Damaging The Environment

“Better safe than sorry.”

Many people take this advice to heart, especially when it comes to environmental regulations. Policymakers have eagerly supported pre emptive green measures like clean energy subsidies without first waiting for scientific verification or considering their broader economic costs.  Read more...

Business term of the day - Term for September 13, 2013: "Corporate recovery"

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Corporate recovery is the term given to the rescues undertaken by professional accountants, who are professionally trained, to assist the management of companies in nursing a company in financial and other difficulty back to health.

This work is usually undertaken at the behest of the directors of the company and is normally undertaken by licensed insolvency practitioners.

Buisness term of the day - Term for September 12, 2013: "Corporate promoter"

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Source: Wikipedia
A corporate promoter (also "projector") is a person who solicits people to invest money into a corporation, usually when it is being formed. An investment banker, an underwriter, or a stock promoter may, wholly or in part, perform the role of a promoter. Promoters general owe a duty of utmost good faith, so as to not mislead any potential investors, and disclose all material facts about the company's business.
  • promoter is a person who does the preliminary work incidental to the formation of company.
Fiduciary duties

Generally, a promoter is in a fiduciary relationship with the corporation and the shareholders. The promoter must avoid conflicts of interests and exercise reasonable care in performing his duties. He must refrain from self-dealing or other types of abuse to take advantage of his position as a promoter.

A promoter could be a shareholder in the corporation he promotes. If the promoter is the only shareholder, the corporation may, in compliance with the rule of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), need to disclose the information prior to selling shares to the public.

A conflict of interests puts a promoter in a situation where he might breach fiduciary responsibility. Self-dealing occurs, for example, when a promoter unfairly profits from the conduct of business with the corporation by charging higher prices for the goods he sells to the corporation than it would otherwise pay.

The fiduciary duties of a promoter are mentioned below:

    He must not make any secret profit out of the promotion of the company. Secret profit is made by entering into a transaction on his own behalf and then selling the concerned property to the company at a profit, without making disclosure of the profit to the company or its members. The promoter can make profits in his dealings with the company, provided he discloses these profits to the company and its members. What is not permitted is making secret profits i.e. making profits, without disclosing them to the company and its members.

    He must make full disclosure to the company of all relevant facts, including any profit made by him in transactions with the company.

In case the promoter fails to disclose the profits, made by him in the course of promotion or he knowingly makes a false statement in the prospectus, whereby the person relying on that statement, makes a loss, he will be liable to make good the loss, suffered by that other person. The promoter is liable for untrue statements, made in the prospectus.

A person, who subscribes for any shares or debenture in the company on the faith of the untrue statement contained in the prospectus, can sue the promoter for the loss or damages, sustained by him as the result of such untrue statement.

Types of Promoters

Promoters may be classified into the following types.

Professional Promoters

They are experts who specialise in company promotion.They float the company and hand it over to the shareholders or their representatives.Promotion is their main profession or occupation.

Occasional Promoters

There promoters take interest in floating some companies.They are not engaged in promotion work on a regular basis.They take up the promotion of some company and once it is over they go to their original profession.For instance, engineers, lawyers etc. may float some companies.
Entrepreneur Promoters

They are both promoters and entrepreneurs. They conceive idea of a new business unit, do the groundwork to establish it and subsequently become a part of the management.

Financier Promoters

Some financial institutions, like investment banks or industrial banks, may take up the promotion of a company with a view to finding opportunities for investment.
Functions of Promoters

The various functions of a promoter may be outlined as follows.

Discovery of a business idea

The first stage in company promotion is the conception of a new idea. It is the promoter who conceives the idea of setting up a business. If makes an assessment of the viability of a particular business.

Detailed investigation

Promoters undertakes a detailed investigation of the viability, profitability and future prospects of the growth of the proposed activity. To assist then in this venture, they seek the help of specialists such as chartered Accountants, Cost Accountants, Company Secretary, Engineers. Organisations engaged in market research and other specialised agencies. Specialists are in a position to make an objective analysis of their own areas which may help the promoters. Decisions have to be taken regarding the size, location, layout, man power etc.

Assembling the factors of production

If the proposed endeavour gives promise of success and the promoter is willing to undertake the risk of forming the business, steps must be taken to assemble various factors of production viz, land, labour, capital and managerial personnel. Assembly of resources involves making contracts for the purchase of material, land, machinery, etc.

Entering into preliminary contracts

The promoter enters into contracts with different parties before the registration of the company. After registration, the company approves these contracts.