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jambrass0-blog · 5 years
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Germany toughens investment rules over China concern
Germany is to toughen its rules on foreign investment in key sectors such as defence and energy, highlighting the growing concern in Berlin over Chinese influence on businesses in Europe’s largest economy.
A draft law approved by the cabinet on Wednesday will give the government the right to scrutinise — and potentially block — all investments in sensitive industries in which a non-EU company acquires more than 10 per cent of a German business. The previous threshold was 25 per cent, while earlier proposals suggested a threshold of 15 per cent.
The law will apply to defence and security companies and businesses that operate “critical infrastructure” such as energy, power and telecommunications, as well as the media industry. “This is an extremely important step towards strengthening our national security,” said Peter Altmaier, the German economy minister. 
Analysts said the revision reflected a notable rise in German concern over China’s economic influence in recent years. “This is the result of a pretty radical rethink with regard to our entire economic relationship with China,” said Thorsten Benner, the director of the Global Public Policy Institute in Berlin. 
“There used to be a belief that Germany and China were perfectly complementary partners. Now we have realised that China has become a core competitor and that it uses investment in a very strategic manner to copy technology and accelerate the catch-up. And there is a realisation that Chinese investment has an impact on national security.” 
Political and business leaders in Germany are particularly concerned about the effects of Made in China 2025, President Xi Jinping’s 10-year plan to transform the country into a high-tech power dominant in 10 advanced industries, including electric vehicles. That push is widely seen as a direct threat to many of Germany’s industrial strengths. 
In parallel, there has been a mounting backlash against Chinese takeovers and strategic investments in high-profile German companies. Among the most controversial was the €4.5bn takeover of Kuka, a German maker of industrial robots, by China’s Midea in 2016, and the — ultimately failed — bid by Fujian to buy Aixtron, a German chipmaker.
This year Berlin narrowly managed to thwart a bid by China’s energy grid to buy 20 per cent of 50Hertz, one of the operators that run Germany’s high-voltage electricity network. It was that bid in particular that prompted the government’s decision to lower the threshold from 25 per cent to 10 per cent. 
Mr Altmaier said Germany would continue to approve the “great majority” of foreign investments but would push for greater reciprocity from its trading partners. “In the future we will try to ensure that there is a more level playing field internationally. We welcome foreign investment in Germany but we would like to see German companies have comparable opportunities abroad,” he said. The minister welcomed recent reform efforts in China specifically.
Also on Wednesday, the German cabinet signed off on a draft immigration law that aims to attract more skilled workers to the country. After a decade of uninterrupted economic growth, unemployment is now at a record low and German companies have complained repeatedly that labour shortages are holding back their expansion plans.
Germany’s BDA employers’ federation welcomed the draft law and described shortages of skilled workers as “number one brake on growth” in the private sector.
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Source: https://www.ft.com/content/568183dc-038e-11e9-99df-6183d3002ee1
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jambrass0-blog · 5 years
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17 Creative-Skills Side Jobs You Probably Haven’t Thought To Do Yet
If you’ve got a flair for music, style, writing or other creative work, you’re in luck. Some of the highest-paying side hustles—including many of the 17 below—are perfect for artist types looking to make extra cash. Here’s how to get started with a new side job.
1. Trivia host
Many bars run weekly trivia nights—focusing on topics ranging from general pop culture and history to more specific themes like “Friends” and “Harry Potter”—and they need people to host them. If you’re a “Jeopardy!” fan who’s comfortable using a microphone and coming up with unique questions, see if any local haunts want a new emcee. One high school math teacher in Florida earns an extra $125 a week doing this.
2. Calligraphy, hand-lettering and other crafts
Got beautiful handwriting? Offer up your services to address wedding, shower invitations and holiday cards or create signage for events and businesses. According to The Knot, you can charge $2 to $5 per envelope for addressing wedding invites. Post on wedding boards to find gigs or set up an Etsy shop.
The indie marketplace is a great place to sell all kind of crafts—knitting, watercolors, leatherwork, pet portraits, the list goes on. Etsy charges $0.20 to list an item, and each listing remains active for four months (after which you need to pay another $0.20 to renew the listing). If you sell an item, Etsy takes a 3.5 percent commission. One survey of 20 Etsy shops showed sellers making anywhere from $8.50 to over $5,000 a month.
3. Event or stock photography
Photography lovers with their own equipment can use their skills to capture events, which PayScale estimates pays $36.20 per hour. You can also sell photos to stock photography agencies, which is simpler but less lucrative: PetaPixel says rates vary widely from just a quarter to $115 per image.
4. Thrifting
Flipping clothes involves effort, but can reap big rewards. If you have an eye for fashion, comb local thrift stores and markets for items worth reselling on platforms like eBay, Poshmark, TheRealReal, and Depop. These bloggers make $30 an hour flipping clothes; another reports making $600 a month.
5. Home staging
When houses and apartments are up for sale, many Realtors will “stage” them by sprucing up the decor to show buyers the home’s potential. A freelance stager who can declutter and add fun decorative accents can charge an hourly rate of $75 to $125. It’s kind of like you’re the star of your own HGTV show.
6. Professional home or closet organizer
Obsessed with Netflix’s Tidying Up With Marie Kondo and find decluttering and organizing totally exciting? Market yourself as a home organizer to help people tackle their overwhelming closets, pantries, and garages. According to Angie’s List, organizers usually charge $30 to $80 per hour. For major projects, like unpacking after a move, you can charge $1,500 to $5,000.
7. Writing travel guides (or being one!)
If you’re an expert on what’s cool and worth visiting in your hometown or a popular vacation spot, you can design travel guides and sell them online as Amazon ebooks at whatever price you think is fair. You could also lead walking tours and earn around $15 per hour or charge per head.
8. Event planning
If you’re the go-to party planner for your friend group, try using those skills to help other people who don’t know a punch bowl from a piñata. List your services as an event planner on TaskRabbit, ThumbTack and other sites to earn around $30 an hour.
9. Copy editing and proofreading
Grammar nerds unite! Earn extra cash by reading and correcting documents, from corporate project proposals to college essays. According to Salary.com, proofreaders make an average of $24 an hour. If you’re an expert in resumes, you can market yourself as a specialized resume reader and consultant, making upwards of $50 per resume.
10. Teaching music classes
Put your musical skills to good use by teaching others. Advertise yourself on local neighborhood bulletin boards and sites like Thumbtack. Angie’s List says that beginner piano lessons can cost $30 to $60 per hour.
11. Children’s party entertainer
Bust out your balloon animals, magic tricks and face paints to entertain at kids parties, or come dressed as a popular Disney character to meet and greet children. Depending on the area and party size, you could earn $100 to $300 per event.
12. Voice-over acting
Someone has to do the talking in radio ads, audiobooks and cartoons—why not you? You can find gigs on Upwork and Fiverr and get paid from $30 for a small radio spot to upwards of $1,000 for an audiobook.
13. Publishing ebooks or creating an online course
Are you super knowledgeable about something other people might want to learn about? Consider writing an ebook or creating an online course to help beginners—on any topic you can think of, from photography to coding, writing or public speaking.
You can sell courses on Udemy and Skillshare or sell ebooks on Amazon. According to one Quora thread, new instructors start off making $50 to $100 a month on Udemy, but can earn thousands a month if their courses become popular.
14. Makeup artist
If you have a flair for makeup and hairstyling, rent out your services for special occasions. You will likely have to stock your own products and brushes, but event makeup artists typically charge $75 to $125 per person for both hair and makeup services, according to Thumbtack.
15. DJ
According to one PayScale survey, people who DJ on the side make around $65.70 per hour for five hours of work each week. List your services on Thumbtack and Fiverr, or on wedding planning and event websites.
16. Personal shopper
You might be on a budget, but that doesn’t stop you from helping other people shop—and getting paid an average of $11.48 an hour to do so. You can launch a website or blog to advertise your services, and list yourself on Fiverr, Thumbtack and Upwork.
17. Baking
If you love creating sweet treats in the kitchen, consider a baking side job like making kids’ party treats or cupcakes for corporate events. (This blogger makes $1,000 a month just selling cookies.) Advertise on social media or sell your goods on Etsy.
Read the original article on Grow. Copyright 2019. Follow Grow on Twitter.
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Image via Unsplash
Source: https://thefinancialdiet.com/17-creative-skills-side-jobs-you-probably-havent-thought-to-do-yet/
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jambrass0-blog · 5 years
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US plans more China tariffs if Trump-Xi meeting fails
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The U.S. is preparing to announce by early December tariffs on all remaining Chinese imports if talks next month between presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping fail to ease the trade war, three people familiar with the matter said.
An early-December announcement of a new product list would mean the effective date -- after a 60-day public comment period -- may coincide with China’s Lunar New Year holiday in early February. The list would would apply to the imports from the Asian nation that aren’t already covered by previous rounds of tariffs -- which may be $257 billion using last year’s import figures, according to two of the people.
U.S. officials are preparing for such a scenario in case a planned Trump-Xi meeting yields no progress on the sidelines of a Group of 20 summit in Buenos Aires in November, according to two of the people, who declined to be identified to discuss internal deliberations. They cautioned that final decisions had not been made.
The move indicates the Trump administration remains willing to escalate its trade war with China even as companies complain about the rising costs of tariffs and financial markets continue to be nervous about the global economic fallout.
Stocks erase gains partly on concern about an escalating trade war between the world’s two largest economies. The S&P 500 Index was little changed at 2,662.39 at 2:15 p.m. in New York, after earlier rising as much as 1.8 percent.
White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders declined to give specifics when asked about the importance of the meeting. “I’m not going to get ahead of the conversation,” she said in Monday’s press briefing. “You have two of the most powerful leaders in the world. I think that’s consequential no matter how you look at it and we’ll see what happens when they sit down.”
The U.S. this year has already imposed tariffs on $250 billion in trade with China. Ten percent tariffs on $200 billion in imports that took effect in September are due to increase to 25 percent on Jan. 1. Trump has also threatened to impose tariffs on the remaining goods imports from China, which last year were worth $505 billion.
“We are in the middle of a pretty nasty dispute. We’re in a trade dispute -- I want to use that word because it’s a nice, soft word -- but we’re going to win,” Trump said on Saturday at an event in Indiana. “You know why? ’Cause we always win.”
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Source: http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/us-plans-more-china-tariffs-if-trump-xi-meeting-fails-sources-say/ar-BBP4SJ2?srcref=rss
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jambrass0-blog · 5 years
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How to Get a US E-2 Visa: the Ultimate Guide
The United States E-2 visa program allows entrepreneurs with US businesses to enter the country more easily than on a tourist visa… but careful planning is needed
A passport portfolio probably sounds like a fantasy, but for more and more internationally oriented capitalists, this is becoming not only a reality, but a brilliant way to save time and money by circumventing immigration laws that get in the way of doing business or just traveling the world.
What’s a passport portfolio? It’s basically a collection of passports usually gained through investment, but we at Nomad Capitalist are adept at leveraging other factors to get you a second or third passport as well. Yes, it’s totally legal.
Many governments have opened a pathway to citizenship through investment after realizing the obvious benefit of attracting more entrepreneurs to their countries. But you can read more about that here. This article is more concerned with a specific non-immigrant visa investor program in the US that will never lead to a Green Card or citizenship: the E-2 visa for investors.
When putting together your passport portfolio, you definitely want to include a passport from one of the E-2 Treaty countries, that is, countries that have signed a treaty of commerce and navigation with the US. This will open the door to treaty trader visa or investor visa options that will allow you to live part or full time in the US.
E-2 countries make such a good addition to a passport portfolio because they grant you access to the coveted E-2 Treaty Investor visa in the US, which allows you to do business in the US, but without the tax burdens of a Green Card or US citizenship. Since the E-2 visa is not an immigrant visa, it’s an ideal option for an American entrepreneur who has decided to renounce citizenship, but still has business interests in the US. Many of the E-2 countries are E-1 countries as well, which could grant you the option of applying for the E-1 Treaty trader visa in the future, which is also not an immigrant visa.
The E-2 Investor Visa
The E-2 Treaty Investor visa allows an investor to live in the US in exchange for a significant investment made to the country’s economy. With an E-2 visa, you’ll be able to live and do business in the US for a potentially unlimited amount of time, but without the tax requirements of citizenship or a Green Card.
There are technically no restrictions on the type of business you can purchase or start as an E-2 visa applicant
As we’ve discussed at length, the US is one of two countries in the world that forces citizens who do not live in the US to pay taxes on their worldwide income. Even if you hold a Green Card, but spend most of your time abroad, you’ll still be required to submit to US tax law. For this reasons, some Americans we work with end up choosing to renounce citizenship. When doing business abroad, paying US taxes and dealing with the rusty American bureaucratic machine can become a huge waste of time and money. Many entrepreneurs would rather not deal with the stress, paperwork, or pay US income tax at all.
But what happens if you still run businesses in the US or plan to open a business there in the future? Usually, a treaty trader visa or a treaty investor visa, like E-1 or E-2, is one of the best options. Rather than delving into the treaty trader visa option, we’re going to focus on the E-2 visa right now because it is open to a wider variety of entrepreneurs.
The E-2 visa is a non-immigrant visa, which means you’ll never get a passport or Green Card, but only your US income will be taxed. However, in some cases you may end up being taxed in the US if you exceed the Substantial Presence Test. More on that here.
Something to keep in mind is that the E-2 visa is really designed for those who have active business interests in the US which requires their presence. Unlike other investor visa programs, passive investments, like stocks and bonds, will not grant you eligibility for the E-2 visa. That being said, while the E-2 visa does require active effort on your part, you can often get away with making a much smaller initial investment than you might with other programs like the EB-5 immigrant visa, yet another reason the E-2 is often preferred.
What Are E-2 Countries?
In order to apply for an E-2 visa, you must hold citizenship to a country that has signed an E-2 Treaty with the US, or in layman’s terms, a commerce and navigation treaty. Plenty of these countries have citizenship by investment programs (CBI), but when it comes to the E-2 visa, not all CBI programs are created equal.
Each of these countries has signed different agreements with the US, so the amount of time you can stay on an E-2 visa varies by country. Whether or not you can renew your visa and how many times you can do so will also differ.
For example, one of the strongest options is a Grenada passport, which would allow you to stay in the US for 5 years under the E-2 visa. It would also grant you the opportunity to renew as many times as you’d like. Theoretically, as an American, you could renounce citizenship to the US and get citizenship to Grenada within a few months. This would still allow you to conduct your business interests in the US indefinitely, while avoiding paying US income tax on your worldwide income.
Grenada offers the only Caribbean citizenship by investment program with five-year E-2 visa access
Many Americans who renounce citizenship like to go down to countries in the Caribbean for citizenship. As we said, not all citizenship by investment programs are going to be worth the effort. Of the Caribbean countries with CBI programs, only Grenada has an E-2 visa agreement with the US.
Citizenship to Grenada will cost you a $150,000 donation; not the most expensive option out there, but also not the cheapest. On the other hand, citizenship from a country like Armenia or Bangladesh will only grant you three months in the US and two renewals, so as far as this discussion goes, they may not be the best option.
Don’t Forget Citizenship By Descent
If you decide to work with a company that basically sells passports, they’re going to get you to shell out tens of thousands of dollars for citizenship to one of the E-2 countries. At Nomad Capitalist, we try to be a little bit more strategic than that. Once we delve into your family background, we might find that you’re actually already entitled to citizenship by descent to one of the E-2 countries – such as Ireland or Italy – through one of your parents or grandparents.
The process for obtaining citizenship by descent is not only a fraction of the cost, but the wait time is usually significantly shorter with much less paperwork. In some cases, you might have your second passport in a few months or even a few weeks, which will open up the pathway to an E-2 visa quite quickly. Same goes for if you’re married to or in a common law partnership with a citizen of a different country or someone who is eligible for citizenship by descent to an E-2 country.
E-2 Investor Visa: Pros and Cons
The E-2 Investors visa is a really solid option for those who want to do business in the US, especially for those with no interest in US citizenship and its tax burdens, but let’s take a look at some of the more specific pros and cons.
The Pros
One of the biggest pros of the E-2 investor visa is the processing times. You might imagine applying for anything in the US takes years to process, but that’s not always the case. While the popular EB-5 Immigrant visa for investors can take a few years to process, the E-2 visa only takes a few months.
The E-2 visa does require a lot more work on your part as far as business goes, but it gives you much greater control over your investment. For Canada’s federal investor visa program and the American EB-5 immigrant visa, you must release your funds to be invested by a third party. Not only are you not guaranteed that you’ll ever see that money again, but you may be required to invest upwards of $1 million USD. The E-2 investor visa usually requires a much smaller investment and you are fully in control of your funds; it’s up to you to determine whether you’ll see a return on your investment.
For nomad capitalists with families, the E-2 visa will also cover your family. Your spouse and any unmarried children under the age of 21 will be permitted to join you when you relocate to the US. Your spouse may then apply for work authorization. If granted, there will be no restrictions on where your spouse can work. Your children will also be able to attend school in the US. If they go to a state college, they’ll be eligible for in-state tuition.
One of the biggest benefits of the E-2 visa over the EB-5 visa is the travel flexibility. For nomad capitalists, the need to travel internationally for pleasure or to follow up on other business interests makes many investment visa programs impractical. Since the E-2 is a non-immigrant visa and you will never be applying for citizenship, you don’t have to meet stringent presence requirements. In fact, in order to avoid being taxed on your worldwide income, you’ll need to be out of the US for 243 days of the year.
Many E-2 Treaty Trader visa holders invest in US businesses with actual employees that require management
The Cons
As mentioned, some visa programs allow you to make a passive investment or even donation to a non-profit in exchange for the right to live in your country of choice. The E-2 investment visa is going to require you to actually work in the US and prove that you are doing so, so this might not be the right option if you’re looking for a beach vacation.
As we mentioned before, this visa does not present a clear path to citizenship. If your intention is to eventually become a US citizen, you’re going to want to look into other options, like the EB-5 immigrant visa. The E-2 visa is best for those who travel often, have business interests elsewhere, and want to avoid pesky US income tax law.
While the legal fees for the E-2 visa tend to be lower than for the EB-5 visa, you have to consider that you will have to renew the E-2 visa every few years, depending on which E-2 country you hold citizenship to.
The E-2 visa is geared more towards domestic businesses. If you’re looking to undertake an imports/exports enterprise, you should check out the E1 Treaty Trader visa instead.
How to Get an E-2 Treaty Investor Visa
One of the best and worst things about the E-2 visa application is that not all of the requirements are set in stone. That means that there’s a lot more flexibility in the kind of entrepreneurs who can apply, but also a lot of guesswork. Luckily, we’ve been helping entrepreneurs apply for this visa for years, so we have plenty of insights that should provide you with more clarity. Let’s delve into some of the requirements for this visa.
General Requirements
The main requirement for this visa is, of course, a passport from an E-2 Treaty country.
The second requirement is investing “a substantial amount of capital” in a business enterprise in the US. Third, your reason for entering the US must be to “develop and direct the investment enterprise.” To establish your commitment to your investment you must prove that you hold at least a 50% ownership stake in the business or demonstrate that you have significant operational control of the business.
While some investment visa programs allow you to make a philanthropic investment into an NPO or NGO, that is not the case with the E-2 visa. Your investment must be made with the intention of generating a profit and with the possibility of financial loss for the investor should the enterprise fail.
Another important factor to note from the requirements in the “substantial amount of capital” requirement. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) isn’t exactly clear about the exact dollar amount they require. They do give a few guidelines to help you determine how much you should invest.
USCIS recommends that the amount should be enough to demonstrate your financial commitment to the business endeavor. Basically, your investment should show that if the business fails, you’re going to feel the sting and therefore have the incentive to make this enterprise financially viable. The invested amount must also be enough to show that you will “successfully develop and direct the enterprise.”
While there’s not technically a minimum investment, through working with investors at Nomad Capitalist, $200,000 seems to be the magic number for this visa. But ultimately, it depends on what kind of business you’re starting. If you’re launching a startup, you need to have enough to cover the cost of launching a new enterprise. In addition, the business you’re launching should ideally provide employment for US citizens as well.
The investment itself must also demonstrate the ability to provide a minimal living for the investor and his or her family. The enterprise doesn’t necessarily have to generate that income at the time of investment, but it should be able to generate enough income within five years time.
While the enterprise should be able to provide a basic living for you and your family, this is not sufficient in and of itself. Your business should be able to boast a profit margin beyond just covering your living expenses. USCIS wants to be able to see that your enterprise can pose an economic benefit to the US.
E-2 Businesses can be located anywhere in the United States
E-2 For Employees
If you want to bring employees with you to the US to work in your enterprise, the E-2 visa process can cover them as well. Here’s the catch: any employees who want to simultaneously apply for an E-2 visa, must be of the same nationality as you, the investor. An employee you bring with you on an E-2 visa must serve in a supervisory or executive role within the company, or hold special qualifications that make the employee essential to the operation. In essence, you should be able to prove that there is valid reason to bring said employee with you and that he or she possesses skills not readily available among American workers.
Other Business Interests
Basically, no. Under an E-2 visa you are only able to work within your approved enterprise. The situation is slightly different for employees who are potentially permitted to work for subsidiaries or the parent company of the original enterprise.
If you’re an American entrepreneur considering renouncing your US citizenship, but already have a successful business venture in the US, your standing business venture may already qualify you for an E-2 visa, so this is something to keep in mind.
How to Apply
The first step to apply for the E-2 visa is filling out the non-immigrant visa form, also known as DS-160, online and uploading a passport photo. The application must be filled out entirely in English. You will also be asked to pay the application fee and print the receipt.
When you are finished with the online application, you will receive a digital confirmation. Print this page out and bring it with you to your visa interview at the American embassy or consulate. The confirmation page should have a barcode on it, which the immigration official will use to locate your application.
The next step is to contact your nearest US consulate or embassy to schedule an interview. Each particular embassy/consulate may have additional application requirements, so check with them for a more detailed understanding of which documents to bring with you.
In some cases you will also need to print and fill out the Non-immigrant Treaty Trader/Treaty Investor Application, which allows you to explain your investment and business plan, before your interview.
Gather Your Documents
When filling out the DS-160 you will need to have number of documents and information nearby, including your passport, travel itierary, dates of your five previous trips to the US, previous US visa applications, and a copy of your latest resume or CV.
If you’re a former US citizen, gathering the dates of your previous five trips to the United States may be difficult, be a professional can help you determine how to handle it.
Which documents you need for your visa interview will vary depending on the consulate you are applying from and your nationality. The immigration official also reserves the right to request any additional documents they may deem necessary.
The general documents everyone needs at the interview are a passport, non-immigrant visa application form confirmation, nonimmigrant Treaty Trader/Treaty Investor Application, and application fee receipt.
You should anticipate that you’ll need to present not only proof of funds, but also of where your funds originated. This is pretty commonplace for most investment visa programs since no country wants to welcome criminals. Some countries do not permit investors to use funds that were inherited, towards their investment. Instead, they want to see proof that you can turn a profit on your own. For the E-2 visa, your funds can come from inheritance, lottery winning, gifts, basically anywhere so long as the funds weren’t obtained in an illicit fashion.
It’s likely that you’ll be asked to submit your resume or CV proving your business experience, proof that you own at least a 50% share in the business venture, and a business plan as well.
You may also be asked to submit documents proving your intent to leave the US once your visa has expired and your ability to cover the cost of the trip.
Consulting businesses may prove harder to use as the means for an E-2 visa, although any business with a “substantial investment” and economic benefit may potentially qualify
Attend the Visa Interview
At the interview, the immigration official will determine whether you are a good fit for an E-2 visa. He or she may request more documents from you or indicate that your application needs additional administrative processing. If this is the case, any issues will usually be resolved within 60 days.
Be sure to triple check your application before submitting it and making your appointment for an interview. If you’ve made any errors filling out your application, you may be asked to leave, try again, and schedule another appointment, an enormous frustration and waste of time. Trust us, you do not want to go through security at an American consulate or embassy more than you absolutely have to.
While there’s no saying how long the American bureaucrats will keep you waiting, if all goes well the interview itself should only take a few minutes. If your spouse and children over the age of 14 are applying as well, they will also need to come with you to the consulate or embassy for an interview at the same time. Your embassy/consulate may require them to sit for an interview as well, which can cause abundant scheduling problems with the embassy/consulate.
Being Approved for an E-2 Visa
If your application is approved on the spot, you’ll be fingerprinted and asked to leave your passport at the consulate/embassy, as will your spouse and children. You’ll also have to pay an additional fee to cover the visa. The immigration official will let you know whether you will be expected to pick up your passport and visa in person or whether it will be couriered to you.
If you thought being approved for the visa was the end of your worries, sorry to tell you that is not the case. Your visa does not technically guarantee that you’ll actually be admitted to the US. Once you arrive, your can still be rejected at the the port of entry by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) official. The vast majority of the time, you won’t have too much to worry about through so long as you don’t bring with you any agricultural goods or any other banned or illegal items.
If you are allowed entry, your passport will be stamped which means your visa period has begun. Unless you apply to extend your stay, staying in the US beyond your vise period can result in serious consequences, including ineligibility for future visas.
Utah has been voted one of the most pro-business US states, and is growing quickly as a potential home for Treaty Trader visa holders
Getting a E-2 Visa: a Summary
While dealing with US immigration bureaucracy is rarely a pleasant experience, you can probably tell that the E-2 visa process is generally more simple than some other options out there. That’s largely because the E-2 visa is a non-immigrant visa. For those who do dream of US citizenship, this probably isn’t the visa option for you, but if you’re an American who decided to renounce citizenship or you already hold a stronger passport, E-2 could be a good option.
To summarize, the process for an E-2 visa is as follows:
Obtain citizenship to one of the E-2 countries through descent, marriage, or investment (if you don’t already have it)
Apply for an E-2 visa online and pay the fee
Check out the US Embassy website to make an appointment at a nearby consulate
Inquire about the specific documents they will require for your case
Show up for your interview with all required documents and hope they don’t ask you to come back
Get fingerprinted and pay the issuance fee
Wait a few weeks for your passport to be returned with the E-2 visa inside
Enter the United States
Launch your business enterprise and live the American dream, but for no more than 120 days per year to avoid the full brunt of US income tax law
From our perspective, the E-2 visa application is not the most rigorous or costly, but is does require careful planning. There may be other options that allow you access to the United States without undergoing a business investment or employment. If your goal is tax minimization in the long-run, options like Canadian citizenship or New Zealand citizenship may prove better.
Rest assured that at Nomad Capitalist, we’ve helped plenty of entrepreneurs through this process. Actually, some of us have even been through similar processes ourselves. If you’re trying to determine the best second passport for you or how to get an E-2 visa, we may be able to help.
Andrea Pockovic
Andrea is Nomad Capitalist's Operations Manager, where she co-manages our ongoing research and development efforts. Her work has taken her throughout the world helping Andrew to find the best people with whom to execute new tax, passport, and investment opportunities.
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Source: http://nomadcapitalist.com/2018/08/30/how-to-get-a-us-e-2-visa/
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jambrass0-blog · 5 years
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Winter Storm Diego's Damage: Deaths, Record Snowfall, and Impacts on Freight
Now that most of the snow has melted, Winter Storm Diego is finally just a memory to people in the South. Record snowfall came early in the season, technically before winter began on the calendar. Here's a look back at what happened and how the storm affected lives and freight movement across the region.
Storm Development
Diego started dropping lots of rain out west on Wednesday, December 5, flooding parts of southern California for two days. Then the vigorous low pressure system intensified and headed eastward, drenching the Gulf Coast on Friday, December 7, while dumping several inches of snow in the Texas Panhandle that night. Over the weekend of December 8 and 9, Diego tracked to the northeast where plenty of cold air - cold enough to support snow - had settled into eastern Tennessee, the Carolinas, and Virginia. Abundant moisture led to large amounts of snow for this part of the country before the storm left the area late on December 10.
Record Snowfall
Mount Mitchell in western North Carolina topped the heap with 34 inches of snow. Several cities had more snow than they had seen in decades for this time of year, getting socked with an entire winter's worth of snow in one day.
The graphic below shows snow totals for Winter Storm Diego. While the storm didn't set records for total December snowfall or single-storm snowfall, the six cities listed did set records for the most snow ever for the date of December 9. Although these areas of the South get wintry precipitation from time to time, it was unusually early in the season for a storm of this magnitude. On average, two of the cities on the list don't see snow amounts greater than a trace until Christmas, while people in other cities usually have to wait until January.
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Snow totals for Winter Storm Diego. (Source: NOAA)
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Impact on Transportation and Lives
Diego made for pretty scenes in the Southeast, but the storm also had an ugly side. North Carolina Highway Patrol officials told FreightWaves they reported 2,328 accidents on state highways during the storm, and responded to 5,816 calls for action which included helping with road blocks and stranded drivers.
A truck driver died of an apparent heart attack after trying to dig his big rig out of the snow in Yadkin County, North Carolina. He got stuck on I-77 about halfway between Boone and Greensboro, several miles north of the intersection at US-421. Keith Vestal, Yadkin County Emergency Services Director, told FreightWaves the man experienced chest pain shortly after he started shoveling and became unconscious at the scene. CPR was performed on the driver, and he was taken to the nearest hospital which happened to be in neighboring Surry County. He was pronounced dead at the hospital. The man's name hasn't been released to the public yet, but Vestal says he considers the death storm-related, and that the driver was from out-of-state. Two other people in North Carolina and one in Tennessee died because of the storm.
Airlines cancelled around 1,400 flights into and out of Charlotte and other southern airports during the weekend of the storm. On top of everything else, more than 300,000 customers at one point lost electricity across the Carolinas, east Tennessee, and Virginia.
Impact on Freight Movement
Winter Storm Diego didn't produce national or large regional changes to freight movement like the four March Nor'easters did across the Mid-Atlantic and New England states. However, the storm had localized effects on the movement of goods. Charlotte had the most noticeable changes of all major southern freight markets.
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Outbound Tender Rejection Index for Charlotte, NC (OTRI.CLT) (Source: FreightWaves SONAR)
A good indicator is the amount of outbound loads that are rejected by carriers. The chart above shows outbound rejection rates falling in Charlotte in the days leading up to the storm on December 8 and 9, as carriers attempted to move out as many loads as possible before Diego's arrival. Outbound rejections then rose by nearly 40 percent by the end of the week following the storm as freight started to flow again.
In Summary
For the South, Diego was a fairly bad winter storm in terms of its timing and intensity, but it's a good thing it didn't last longer or produce lots of ice. Unfortunately, souls perished, but many people were rescued from dangerous situations by first responders who were prepared and who did what they could to make sure the public was prepared. From the transportation industry side, Diego only caused a brief disruption for some drivers and fleet managers. Staying ahead of the storm will be critical again before the next round of snow enters the forecast.
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Source: https://www.benzinga.com/news/18/12/12885663/winter-storm-diegos-damage-deaths-record-snowfall-and-impacts-on-freight
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jambrass0-blog · 5 years
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Power Moves | Smythson and Ganni Appoint New CEOs
LONDON, United Kingdom — BoF compiles the most important professional moves of the week.
Smythson appoints new CEO Xavier Rougeaux has been named chief executive of Smythson. Rougeaux re-joins the company after senior positions at Loro Piana, Valextra and Sergio Rossi. He previously served as chief commercial officer at Smythson.
Ganni hires CEO Andrea Baldo joins Ganni as its new chief executive, succeeding founder Nicolaj Reffstrup. Baldo joins the company from Coccinelle, where he held the role of chief executive. He previously held top management positions at Marni, Maison Margiela and Diesel.
Harrods announces editor-in-chief Harrods has appointed Tiffanie Darke as editor-in-chief, a newly created role. Darke joins the company from A+E Networks, where she held the role of editor-in-chief of its History, Biography and A&E channels. She was previously editor-in-chief of The Sunday Times’ Style magazine.
Alexander Wang CEO exits Alexander Wang chief executive Lisa Gersh is exiting the company after a year at the helm. Designer Alexander Wang will assume Gersh's duties, supported by the company's senior management team, while the company begins its search for a new chief executive.
Deciem founder removed from CEO role An Ontario Superior Court judge removed Brandon Truaxe as chief executive of Deciem, the skin care company he founded five years ago. The Estée Lauder Companies, which owns 28 percent of Deciem, applied for an injunction to relieve Truaxe after he ordered the company to shut down in an Instagram post.
Hearst Magazines names SVP, human resources Keesha Jean-Baptiste has been named senior vice president of human resources at Hearst Magazines, effective November 12. Jean-Baptiste was most recently senior vice president of talent, engagement and inclusion at the American Association of Advertising Agencies.
Li & Fung names COO Wilson Weizhong Zhu has joined Li & Fung as chief operating officer. Zhu previously held positions at Gymboree, Michaels Stores Inc, Office Depot and Hudson’s Bay Company.
Endeavor appoints chief human resources officer Endeavor has hired Kerry D. Chandler as chief human resources officer, replacing Carole Katz, who is stepping down after 18 years with the company. Chandler joins from Under Armour where she also served as chief human resources officer.
To explore exciting fashion industry career opportunities, visit BoF Careers, the global marketplace for fashion talent.
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Source: https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/power-moves/smythson-appoints-ceo-harrods-names-editor-in-chief
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How To Make Collaborative Playlists On Spotify, Apple Music
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Source: https://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2019/07/how-to-make-collaborative-playlists-on-spotify-apple-music.html
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4 Crucial Job Search Tips For Veterans Looking To Get Hired
If you're a veteran struggling to get hired after returning to civilian life, you're not alone.
It's estimated that between 200,000 and 250,000 veterans return to civilian life each year, and many of them find it hard to secure a job after serving.
So, why are veterans struggling with the job search? And what can these veterans do to up their chances of getting hired?
Often, veterans struggle to translate what they did in the military to civilian hiring managers and recruiters.
However, there are things you can do as a veteran to make yourself stand out in the job search.
Translate Your Skills
Comb through your military resume and circle EVERY word that relates to the military.
There's probably a lot of circles on that resume, right?
The key thing to be aware of here is that civilian hiring managers and recruiters may not completely understand that military lingo.
If you have too much military jargon on your resume, sit down with someone and have them help you translate your skills into civilian terms.
Once you translate those skills into more common terms, you'll see a change in the reaction people give you when applying for jobs.
Beef-Up That LinkedIn Profile
LinkedIn is the top source for recruiting any type of professional role.
That being said, you, as a veteran, need to make sure your LinkedIn profile is top-notch.
You can do this by making sure your profile is keyword optimized using the skills you translated on your resume.
By doing this, you'll become more searchable on LinkedIn, which means more recruiters will be able to find you.
Recruiters LOVE hiring veterans -- but they need to be able to find you!
Make Military Service Known, But Don't Go Over-The-Top
In the hiring process, you are a business-of-one. As a business-of-one, you need to effectively market yourself to potential employers.
This is why it's crucial that you pay attention to the message you're sending when applying for civilian jobs.
Many veterans may not realize that the message they're sending about themselves is that they were in the military, they miss the military, and that they ARE the military.
This kind of phrasing can send the WRONG message to civilian hiring managers and recruiters.
For example: many veterans choose to put their military pictures as their LinkedIn profile picture.
That can send a rigid message to potential employers. Instead, veterans should have a civilian picture with a neutral background in their profile.
Veterans sacrificed a lot to serve their country, and they should be incredibly proud of that.
However, that pride shouldn't interfere with the next steps in a veteran's career.
Ask For Help
This step can be a tough one for anyone to take, not just veterans.
During the job search, a lot of people think that they should be able to find work on their own.
However, asking for help in the job search isn't a sign of weakness -- it's an incredible career tool!
A lot of people are thankful for the time you served in the military, and they probably would like to return the favor in some way.
So, let them! See if they can help you with networking opportunities and sharpening your career tools.
And remember: you'll be able to return the favor one day. If someone helps you now, you could help them in the future by perhaps mentoring them, or introducing THEM to new opportunities down the line.
Asking for help during the job search does not mean you're looking for a handout.
The career and professional world revolves around networking. The more you do it, the more you'll be able to pay it forward.
Veterans spent a portion of their lives serving their country selflessly, and their service is greatly appreciated.
By marketing their unique experiences correctly, veterans can go through the job search faster and get hired quicker.
Are you a veteran looking for a new job? Then check out our programs!
There's tons of information on things like interview prep and cover letter writing. Your next BIG career move is just one click away.
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Source: https://www.workitdaily.com/tips-to-get-veterans-hired
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Vital Software comes out of stealth to make ER visits less terrible
After two years operating in stealth, Mint .com founder Aaron Patzer’s new startup Vital Software is open for business.
Patzer made the announcement Wednesday while on the Next Stage at Disrupt SF.
Patzer’s company, which he co-founded with Dr. Justin Schrager of Emory University, is an enterprise software business that aims to make emergency rooms visits easier and more efficient for patients and doctors. The company is tackling the ER experience first and sees opportunity for the software in a hospital or health care facility, Patzer said.
“It’s a terrible experience, and not just because of the emergency,” Patzer said while on stage.
The software features an easy patient check-in system and uses AI natural language processing to find out more from the incoming patient. The system is dynamic, meaning it can ask follow up questions to the incoming patient to gather more information. By the time nurses see the patient, they’re already equipped with the information they need. The software also provides updates to the patient, such as possible wait times.
The idea is to give doctors and nurses software that is useable, Patzer said, noting that software found in hospitals is outdated. “It’s literally Windows 98 software.”
The company is self-funded, although Patzer noted off stage that they plan to raise funds next year. The company has one customer, a large hospital system he couldn’t name, that is now trialing the software.
In his view, software is constant need for disruption. His timeline: about every 10 years. That just happens to put Mint.com, he said, in a spot ripe disruption.
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Source: https://techcrunch.com/2018/09/05/vital-software-comes-out-of-stealth-to-make-er-visits-less-terrible/
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John Mayer Speaks of a 'New Dimension to the Sadness' of Mac Miller's Death in Poignant Instagram Post
More than three months after Mac Miller's tragic death, fellow artist John Mayer has again paid tribute to the late rapper in a candid post on Instagram. In his note, Mayer lamented that he didn't get the chance to know Miller as well as he would have liked.
"Several weeks ago, I was sent an email asking if I wanted to take part in a Mac Miller tribute for a magazine as part of an end-of-year recap," Mayer, who collaborated with Miller on the track "Small Worlds," wrote. "I passed on it, not because I didn’t want to talk more about him, but because I couldn’t; I had shared all the memories I had of him in the brief time of our getting to know one another. I replied to the email and sat in silence for a few minutes."
He continued: "That day, I discovered a new dimension to the sadness of his passing - I wasn’t upset because I knew him well. I was upset because I didn’t. I wish I had more to tell you about Mac Miller. What I do have to remember him by are a couple of beautiful mental photographs that I’ll keep with me the rest of my life."
Miller died at age 26 of an accidental drug overdose. His received a posthumous Grammy nomination for his final album, Swimming, in December. Swimming is up for best rap album at the 2019 ceremony.
Mayer previously remembered Miller in a separate emotional post, in which he wrote, "You gotta know that if you weren’t familiar with Mac Miller, you were about to be, whether you would have seen him at a festival, or a friend was going to catch a show and tell everyone they knew about it (like I did). Mac put in the work. He made his best album and formed the band that was weeks away from becoming a breakout live sensation. Believe me when I say that."
See Mayer's latest post below.
Source: https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/8491719/john-mayer-mac-miller-tribute-instagam
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jambrass0-blog · 5 years
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The Nearly-Free Activity That Helped Me Feel Useful & Fulfilled During My Frustrating Job Search
Flour, sugar, salt, butter, baking soda. All reasonably affordable items that are almost guaranteed to be in anyone’s kitchen, and combined together they make the base for my favorite comfort food: cookies.
Discovering the comfort that baking could bring me wasn’t something I found out learning from my mom growing up, or during visits to my grandma’s house. I learned it in the years I bounced between jobs, during bouts of unemployment and a seemingly endless job hunt. During a lengthy period of unemployment, I hunted for a way — any way — to feel like I’d done something with my day, while not spending money. The job-hunting process can be demoralizing, and it felt like I was shooting my resume out into a void like a video game, and each one missed.
With family and friends who had their own jobs, most of the time, I was alone in the house with an inbox rapidly filling up with heavily templated rejections. I eventually ran out of shows to binge sadly, and endlessly scrolling through social media isn’t as fun when you inevitably run across the same posts you’d looked at the day before. I am not someone who enjoys doing nothing. I want to be working towards something. So I ended up turning to a room of the house that I had never wanted to spend more time in than it took to make a cup of coffee: the kitchen.
The necessity of food made it an easy place to be. I couldn’t feel guilty about taking the time to whip up a batch of my butterscotch peanut butter cookies because it was fuel that everyone in the house could enjoy, and we needed to eat anyway. Most importantly, baking was cheap — the exact kind of time-consuming entertainment I was looking for when I couldn’t afford a hobby that required buying…anything.
When I got a rejection email from yet another dream job, I whipped up gooey chocolate cupcakes. After a job interview that only lasted 20 minutes and went terribly, there were flaky, buttery biscuits that I made from scratch. The day I cried and started talking about maybe going to grad school since I clearly would never get a job, an apple crumble with way too much cinnamon went in the oven. For me, those baked goods became something to point to and say that, everything else aside, I made that. I did that. It felt essential.
Even after I got a job, cookies have continued to be my favorite thing to bake. They became something to share. Perfect for batch-baking and easily portable, cookies now routinely make the trip to work with me. No one ever asked for them; I started bringing them on my own.
It started with me bringing in cookies as part of my own lunch, a few in a ziplock bag that I’d munch on. Then I started to offer an extra one to whichever coworker happened to be in the breakroom during my lunch. Eventually, word got around that I was a great home-baker, and I began bringing in bigger bags of cookies on Monday mornings and supplying the snacks for big team meetings. When I got promoted, I’d make it a point to walk around to everybody’s desk to make sure they got one so that I was sure I’d have some facetime with everyone in the team.
Baking has become foundational not just in my own self-care, but also in feeling comfortable at work. Being promoted can be challenging to navigate, especially when you end up supervising some of the coworkers you started at the company with, plus people who were more senior than you were. Supervising friends, even if they are just work friends, can be difficult. I struggled to find ways to stay connected to them while stepping into a new role with more responsibilities, some of which included overseeing their work.
Small acts of kindness from someone above you are always a welcome surprise to see at work. Even from jobs I had years ago, I still remember the day when a manager bought us all lunch or brought in English toffee for everyone because one of the newbies mentioned they had never tried it. Making sure I never forgot about those moments, and helping create them for my team, felt fundamental to me when I started moving up the ladder.
I don’t think the fact that I’d bring cookies into work made me a good boss. I had to work hard to gain the new skills, and trust, that that requires. However, through a difficult time I had in my own life, baking for others has become an important part of how I take care of myself. It’s a way I’ve learned to connect with myself and others, no matter what’s going well or not-so-well in my life. At the end of the day, it’s simple: respect the cookies.
Shelby Rosten works as a travel professional in Las Vegas, Nevada and is an avid theme park goer and home cook. You can find her online on Instagram or Twitter. 
Image via Unsplash
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Source: https://thefinancialdiet.com/the-nearly-free-activity-that-helped-me-feel-useful-fulfilled-during-my-frustrating-job-search/
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jambrass0-blog · 5 years
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Why You Should Stop Looking for an “Investor-Friendly” Real Estate Agent
In my research through the Forums of BiggerPockets attempting to understand the needs of potential future clients as a new real estate agent, I have come across countless threads looking for “investor-friendly” real estate agents. Are they really the unicorns of real estate? I don’t think so. Let me share my perspective with you.
Let’s start with the term “investor-friendly.” This implies there are agents out there who are investor-unfriendly, and if the posts on BP are any indication, they seem to be out in great numbers since every newer investor seems to be searching for the friendly ones with no luck.
In life, if we wander around every day not being able to find a friendly person, at what point do we start looking in the mirror?
Are You Looking for a Friend or a Professional?
It may sound harsh, but agents are not friendly or unfriendly towards you because they need a new pal. By statute, agents owe every client the same fiduciary responsibilities. These responsibilities are confidentiality, loyalty, obedience, disclosure, care, and accounting. These may vary state to state.
That being said, even though all agents are required to perform these duties for all clients, a true professional will exceed in every category. When they are exceeding in every category, they tend to make a good living, and their time becomes scarce. 
Related: The Epic Guide to Finding an Investor-Friendly Real Estate Agent
In combing through these threads, the following are actual statements from investors that give me some insight into what they consider “friendly.”
“I need someone who answers the phone.”
“I’m a first time buyer, and I need reliable information on my market.”
“I want an agent who will be patient and educate me on what to look for so that I will not get ripped off.”
“I really want an agent who will help me negotiate the best price.”
I could list go on and on, but what I have learned from these comments is investors are not looking for someone who is “friendly”—they are looking for an agent who is a “professional.”
Do you agree?
Why is it Difficult to Find a Professional Who Will Work With Investors Consistently? 
Now that we know a professional is what we are looking for, let me share some of the reasons straight from the BP Forums as to why agents shy away from working with some investors.
“He wanted me to write 15 offers on pristine houses, all at 40% below retail market price.”
“He constantly called me for weeks asking for information off the MLS, and then purchased with a different agent.”
“They continually talked about the ‘investor boot camp’ and ignored my professional advice.”
“I worked with an investor once, and they would call at all hours expecting me to drop all my other clients to work on what they wanted.”
Again, I could make a lengthy list, but a majority of the complaints from the agent side have a common thread. The investors are wasting their precious time and/or not respecting the advice from the agent.
In addition to the above, there were countless investors looking to enlist agents for duties suited to an assistant or receptionist. There may be agents out there who will write endless offers, drop everything to get information off the MLS, and be willing to perform whatever duties are required by an investor with the hope of closing a single transaction, but in my opinion, these will not be the most professional agents or have extensive knowledge of the market. They are individuals trying to stay afloat in their business. Is this the type of person you want working for you?
Related: Are Your Rentals in a Landlord-Friendly State? Here’s Why That Makes a BIG Difference.
Become What You Are Looking to Attract
We want to find an investor-friendly agent, but are we agent-friendly investors? Sometimes it’s hard to acknowledge our own flaws. Devote some extra time to dig in deep, and really get to know what an agent does during their daily activities. The juggling act that is discovered will most likely be a surprise and will help anyone have a deeper appreciation of the amount of time and effort that is involved to produce great results for clients consistently.
Investor-Friendly Real Estate Agents Do Not Exist
There are only professionals and non-professionals. When two professionals work together, it will naturally be a mutually beneficial relationship, and both parties will work to keep the relationship intact. The time and knowledge of both sides will be respected by the other. If either an agent or an investor finds it difficult to work with the other, there may be a need for one or both to step up the game to a professional level.
We’re republishing this article to help out our newer readers.
If you are an agent or an investor, let me know how you feel, and share your experiences in the comments! 
Leave your opinions below!
Source: https://www.biggerpockets.com/renewsblog/2016/05/25/stop-aeoeinvestor-friendlyaereal-estate-agent/
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jambrass0-blog · 5 years
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China's trade surplus with US hits record $31 billion
China's trade surplus with the United States widened to a record $31 billion in August as exports surged despite American tariff hikes, potentially adding fuel to President Donald Trump's battle with Beijing over industrial policy.
Exports to the United States rose 13.4 percent to $44.4 billion, ticking up from July's 13.3 percent growth, according to customs data. Imports of US goods rose 11.1 percent to $13.3 billion, decelerating from the previous month's 11.8 percent.
That could help reignite US demands that Beijing narrow its trade gap, which has temporarily been overshadowed by their clash over complaints China steals or pressures foreign companies to hand over technology.
The two sides have imposed 25 percent tariffs on $50 billion of each other's goods. The Trump administration is deciding whether to extend penalties to another $200 billion list of Chinese imports. Beijing says it will retaliate.
With no settlement in sight, the spiraling conflict between the two biggest economies has fed fears it will chill global trade and economic growth.
Source: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2018/09/09/chinas-trade-surplus-us-hits-record-31-billion/
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The epic clash between bonds and stocks is coming back
It’s the latest chapter of the ever-raging battle between stocks and bonds.
Treasury yields signal a brewing economic slowdown while equity bulls are cheering the business cycle. The schism is testing the mettle of investors mulling whether to ride or fade the $3 trillion new-year U.S. stock rally.
The S&P 500 is on track for the best two-month run since 2010, fueled by the most economically sensitive sectors, even as 10-year U.S. Treasury yields hover close to the lows plumbed during the recent global market meltdown.
Growth angst is feeding haven demand for longer-dated debt, while the U.S. futures market prices in interest-rate cuts. In Europe, benchmark bund yields are trading close to the lowest in more than two years, at the same time that equities have climbed near a four-month high.
It’s all adding to fears that the fast re-rating of stocks after the overwrought correction in 2018 has gone too far.
© Bloomberg   
“Investors are getting a little bit ahead of themselves,” said Simon Wiersma, Amsterdam-based investment manager at ING Bank NV’s wealth management unit. “There’s a lot of optimism, but that could turn quite soon if economic figures are not better than they are right now.”
Dovish monetary signals in the U.S. and Europe have spurred a rush to risk even as Nobel laureates to corporate chief financial officers fret the prospect of a contraction. Cyclical sectors have rebounded against defensives, while more volatile and leveraged shares have regained favor -- in concert with a spirited rally in risky corporate bonds.
Related video: The global thirst for bonds arrives at the shores of European countries
Click to expand
UP NEXT
Enter Goldilocks
The stock “market has been pushed higher by hope rather than actual improvement in the economic outlook,” Ned Davis Research analysts Tim Hayes and Anoop Nath wrote in a note. “Among the signs of deficient fundamental support is the lack of rising bond yields.”
Low bond yields threaten the usual suspects like financials and, to a lesser degree, industrials and energy given their typically stronger relationship with interest-rate markets, according to the strategists. Yet, these sectors have rallied at least in line with the S&P 500 this year.
The most sanguine explanation is that shares are still coasting on cheaper valuations and a Goldilocks economy that’s cool enough to justify a dovish Federal Reserve but warm enough to support earnings. Add signs of progress in U.S.-China trade talks, and you have a case to be bullish.
© Bloomberg   
But it all sits awkwardly with the Wall Street maxim that the smart money in Treasuries is a lead indicator for the cycle -- and the disconnect looks extreme.
The S&P has jumped more than 10 percent since the U.S. central bank chief Jerome Powell said early January that the Fed will be “patient” with the tightening trajectory. That compares with an average 11 percent six-month return fed by monetary pauses historically, according to Credit Suisse Group AG.
U.S. cyclicals also appear to be pricing in a stronger economic growth outlook than supported by the data -- one reason the bank’s strategists led by Andrew Garthwaite downgraded the asset class to neutral this week.
Over at KBC Asset Management NV, which oversees about 100 billion euros ($113 billion), Dirk Thiels has also shifted to neutral on equities in the wake of the gravity-defying bull advance.
“Some of the rally is a bit of a correction for the exaggerated moves we saw in December,” the head of investment management said from Brussels. “But basically it’s a bit worrying when the economic signs are worsening and the stock markets are rallying.”
With assistance from Luke Kawa and Tanvir Sandhu.
Source: http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/the-epic-clash-between-bonds-and-stocks-is-coming-back/ar-BBTOFX9?srcref=rss
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#297: Mastering the Decision-Making Process with Business (and World Series of Poker) Champion Annie Duke
In today’s epic show, we interview World Series of Poker bracelet champion Annie Duke. Annie is a nationally sought-after speaker who combines her mastery of poker with a study of the cognitive sciences in a truly unique and brilliant way.
In this show, you’ll have your mind blown by Annie’s insights regarding following conventional wisdom (even if it doesn’t make sense), focusing too much on the results (and not enough on the right choice), and accepting a level of uncertainty to gain a HUGE advantage over your competition. Annie’s theories on “thinking in bets” are designed to help others navigate a world where we can’t be certain of an outcome, but still come out on top over time.
This is an absolute can’t-miss episode for those looking for strategies to overcome apprehension, fear, or uncertainty. Be sure to listen to this incredibly brilliant and powerful interview—and get the tools to take your next steps today!
Click here to listen on iTunes.
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In This Episode We Cover:
Annie’s backstory and how she got into professional poker
Her concept of risk management
Thoughts on luck and circumstances we have no control over
Elements of luck versus elements of skill
Pete Carroll’s endgame decision
The concept of “resulting”
What constitutes a consensus choice
Winning and losing—and caring about your decision-making process
The difference between real estate investing and poker
The importance of confidence and certainty
Why one shouldn’t be afraid of losing and being blamed
A champion versus a victim
And SO much more!
Links from the Show
Books Mentioned in this Show
Tweetable Topics:
“Every decision, even small executional decisions all the way to the larger goals, carries risks.” (Tweet This!)
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Source: https://www.biggerpockets.com/renewsblog/biggerpockets-podcast-297-mastering-decision-making-process-business-and-world-series-pokerchampion-annie-duke/
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jambrass0-blog · 5 years
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Sound Royalties Pairs With AdRev to Provide Advances for YouTube Creators
Sound Royalties, the finance firm that provides artists with advances on future royalties without having to part with their copyrights, has formed a new strategic marketing relationship with YouTube money monetizer AdRev to provide cash advances to content creators on the Google-owned platform.
The core element of the partnership will allow content creators who work with AdRev to ensure proper collection of royalties via video streaming platforms, to access Sound Royalties' offerings of special financing. Based on previous earnings from YouTube, Facebook and other platforms, creators will be able request advances of anywhere between $5,000 to $10 million to tide them over until royalties are distributed.
The companies said the pairing will mean that the content creators will be able to retain their copyrights and also receive overflow income.
"Sound Royalties is thrilled to join forces with AdRev while continuing to extend our services to the many talented music professionals within the video content creation community," said Alex Heiche, founder and CEO of Sound Royalties. "We are eager to help additional creatives in this space retain their royalties, receive the funding needed, advance their careers and provide for their lifestyle."
Noah Becker, President of AdRev added: "AdRev is excited to begin this new relationship with Sound Royalties to provide video content creators with financing solutions that drive their work forward, without losing their copyrights. Creative-friendly funding is something that the music industry has been missing for a long time, and we are happy to help deliver Sound Royalties' revolutionary new offerings to our clients."
AdRev was acquired by AVL Digital Group, parent of CD Baby, earlier this year.
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Source: https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/8485625/sound-royalties-adrev-youtube-video-content-creators-advances
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jambrass0-blog · 5 years
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Digital Marketing News: Adobe’s $4.75B Marketo Buy, Google’s 20th Anniversary Neural Matching, & Facebook Lets Pages Join Groups
Adobe’s $4.75 Billion Purchase of Marketo Will Boost Its Ability to Compete With Salesforce In its biggest purchase ever, Adobe has acquired Marketo, shoring up its B2B footprint and giving a vote of confidence to the marketing technology industry. AdWeek
Google Begins Using Neural Matching to Understand Synonyms, Impacting 30% of Queries For its twentieth anniversary, Google has rolled out an array of new features, including neural matching artificial intelligence, mobile updates, and search changes including Activity Cards, announced at the company’s two-decade celebratory event. Search Engine Journal
Facebook Will Now Allow Pages to Join Facebook Groups Facebook has allowed certain Pages to join, comment on, and otherwise interact with Groups, a new test that could lead to filling a need expressed by some digital marketers. Social Media Today
Report: Digital now makes up 51% of US ad spending Led by search, video, and social, digital has for the first time topped the overall ad spend market, according to data from a new study by Magna. Marketing Land
5 Key Benefits of Word of Mouth [Infographic] A look at the staying power of word-of-mouth recommendations in digital advertising, spurred by the release of a new book by noted marketers Jay Baer and Daniel Lemin. Social Media Today
Most B2B Marketers Report Positive ROI… If They Know What It Is. 44 percent of some 400 B2B marketers surveyed for Bizible’s new State of Pipeline Marketing report noted they’re unsure of what their average marketing return on investment (ROI) is, among several other study findings. MarketingCharts
Instagram co-founders resign in latest Facebook executive exit Instagram co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger resigned on Monday, the firm announced. The moves follow other recent big-name departures from Facebook-owned services including WhatsApp. How will the departures of its co-founders change Instagram, and what will the two do next? Reuters
What’s driving B2B buyers to e-commerce A look at shifting e-commerce patterns in the B2B landscape, and how they are affecting what is a $900 billion market in the U.S. alone, as B2B buyers do more total online purchasing. DigitalCommerce360
Google’s Data Studio is now generally available Google Data Studio, the firm’s data visualization and reporting tool grouped within its Google Marketing Platform, has graduated from beta status and become available to all. Google Marketing Platform
How Marketers Can Be Strategic Influencers, and Why Their Input Is Key for Companies [Infographic] An infographic look at some of the benefits of making sure that marketing is included at the highest levels of strategic planning. MarketingProfs
ON THE LIGHTER SIDE:
A lighthearted look at 360-Degree Customer View by Marketoonist Tom Fishburne — Marketoonist
Here are all of Google’s 20th anniversary Easter eggs — TechCrunch
TOPRANK MARKETING & CLIENTS IN THE NEWS:
Lee Odden — Content Marketing World 2018 – Conference Report — Peter Krmpotic
Lee Odden — Influencer Marketing: It has changed, have you? — Marcy Massura
Lee Odden — Tune in October 3 to catch Lee Odden speaking at the AMA Digital Marketing Virtual Conference — AMA
What are some of your top content marketing news items this week?
Thanks for joining us, and we hope you’ll check in again next week for a new selection of the most relevant digital marketing industry news, and in the meantime you can follow us at @toprank on Twitter for even more timely daily news. Also, don’t miss the full video summary on our TopRank Marketing TV YouTube Channel.
Source: https://www.toprankblog.com/2018/09/digital-marketing-news-092818/
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