Tuesday 10 December 2013

Lists: 2013 year-end tax moves to make right now

2013 year-end tax moves to make right now
By Gail Johnson | Pay Day – Mon, 9 Dec, 2013 2:35 PM EST

There are just a few more sleeps until the big day. That’s right, the end of the tax year is near. Aside from donating to charity, contributing to RRSPs, and putting money in a tax-free savings account (TFSA), there’s still time to make other savvy tax moves that will help minimize the financial hit come spring.

Consider tax loss selling
Tax loss selling, or harvesting, involves selling investments with accrued losses at year end to offset capital gains realized elsewhere in your portfolio. The sale proceeds are typically reinvested.
“Any capital losses that cannot be used in the current tax year can be carried back three years or carried forward indefinitely to offset capital gains in other years,” says South Surrey, B.C., certified financial planner Bettina Schnarr of HollisWealth.

Look at prescribed-rate loans for income splitting
If you’re in a high tax bracket and have other family members who are in a lower tax bracket (such as your spouse, common-law partner, or children), it might make sense to have some investment income taxed in the hands of those lower-income family members. If you simply give funds to family members for investment, the income from the invested funds may be attributed back to you and taxed in your hands at your higher marginal tax rate, Schnarr explains.

“To avoid attribution, you can lend funds to family members provided you charge an interest rate on the loan that is at least equal to the government’s prescribed rate,” she says.

The prescribed rate is currently 2 per cent, but on Jan. 1 that will decrease to 1 per cent.

“By discussing this strategy with your accountant and making preparations before year end, you can implement a loan early in 2014 at the lower 1 per cent prescribed rate, so that you can benefit from income splitting throughout the upcoming year and for future years,” Schnarr says.

Take advantage of lower tax rates on non-eligible dividends in 2013
As a result of changes to the gross-up rate and the dividend tax credit rate on non-eligible dividends by the federal government, the marginal tax rates on these dividends will be going up in 2014. Depending on your province of residence, the top combined federal/provincial marginal tax rates for non-eligible dividends are expected to increase between 1.0 and 4.3 percentage points in 2014. In Ontario the increase will be 3.6 per cent (from 36.5 per cent to 40.1 per cent).
“Non-eligible dividends are paid from income that was taxed at low rates in a corporation, so the dividend tax credit available to individuals for these dividends is lower,” Schnarr says.

Contribute to your RRSP—even if you’re 71
If you're turning 71 this year, you are required to convert your RRSP to a Registered Retirement Income Fund (RRIF) by the end of the year.

“In many cases, you will either have RRSP contribution room available from previous years or, if you're still working, will have generated RRSP contribution room,” says Etobicoke’s Scott Plaskett, CEO of IRONSHIELD Financial Planning.

“The problem is, by the end of the year, you will lose access to your RRSP, and so making a contribution next year will not be possible. Make next year’s contribution before the end of this year even if this means over-contributing," Plaskett says.

That 2013 contribution will generate an RRSP deduction tax slip that you can carry forward to next year to apply against your taxable income then, providing you with another tax deduction you wouldn’t have otherwise.

A penalty will apply for any overcontributions, but the tax savings from the RRSP deduction may well far outweigh that penalty. Do the math first.

http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/blogs/pay-day-/2013-end-tax-moves-now-193506300.html

Monday 25 November 2013

Saturday 23 November 2013

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A probiotic acidophilus supplement is a digestive aid that consists of live microbial organisms called acidophilus. Probiotics can come in different forms but the most common is acidophilus. There are over 400 different microorganisms living in a digestive tract of humans, including Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium.
Acidophilus probiotics are considered beneficial by many people since they are considered "good" bacteria.

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Is Probiotic Acidophilus OK for Kids to Take?
Definitely yes! Healthy digestion is important for children and adults alike. In fact, probiotics are often given to domesticated animals such as cats and dogs to help with their digestion problems as well.
If your child has been given antibiotics for an infection, is important that you replenish the good bacteria. An acidophilus supplement work great to assist with replenishing the numbers and they are safe to take.

What are the Sources of Probiotic Acidophilus?
You can get probiotic acidophilus in a variety of different forms including capsules, tablets, liquid, or powder form. You can find drinks that contain acidophilus in many health food stores and some grocery stores locally and online. Probiotics are also found in food products such as yogurt and sauerkraut. The number of microorganisms will vary for each product and manufacturer. Make sure to check that the product contains "live" cultures.

Source: http://voices.yahoo.com/probiotic-acidophilus-probiotics-how-3416834.html

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Thursday 21 November 2013

Lists: 22 resume blunders that are way too common

22 resume blunders that are way too common

Vivian Giang, Business Insider | 12/11/13 | Last Updated: 12/11/13 5:44 PM ET

You have very little time to impress a recruiter with your resume. So the last thing you want to do is to make an easily avoidable mistake.

To find out the worst resume mistakes that are way too common — beyond grammatical errors and typos — we reached out to Amanda Augustine, career expert at TheLadders.

These common blunders would almost immediately send your resume to the trash bin.

1. It’s too long.

Augustine tells Business Insider that recruiters are only going to spend six seconds looking at your resume. So the longer your resume is, the more difficult it will be for recruiters to scan it. An appropriate length is one to two pages.

2. Using an inappropriate email address.

Email is the preferred form of communication in today’s workplace, so there’s no excuse for you not to have an appropriate email address. Don’t use email addresses (perhaps remnants of your grade-school days) beyond a standard variation of your name, such as “diva@…” or “babygirl@…,” says Augustine.

3. Including your headshot.

Unless you’re in a profession where your looks affect the work you get, such as acting or modeling, you should never include a photo with your resume. Including a photo greatly increases the chance you’ll be discriminated against, and the recruiter will spend too much time looking at your picture instead of considering whether your skills fit the open position.

An eye-tracking heatmap created by TheLadders found that when recruiters check out your professional online profile, they spend 19% of the total time eyeing your picture, which means that not so much time is spent on your skills, specialties, or past work experiences. Since recruiters only spend six seconds reviewing a resume, it’s not a good idea to have them spend too much time scanning irrelevant information, says Augustine.

4. Leaving out a URL to your professional online profile.

Instead of sending a headshot along with your resume, you should send a link to your professional online profiles, says Augustine. This will enable hiring managers to see what you look like after they’ve already spent an appropriate amount of time examining your resume.

Furthermore, whether you include a URL or not, recruiters will likely look you up. In fact, 86% of recruiters admit to reviewing candidates’ online profiles, says Augustine, so why not include your URL along with your contact information? This will prevent recruiters from having to guess or mistaking you for someone else.

5. Embedding tables, images, or charts.

“Avoid adding any embedded tables, pictures, or other images in your resume, as this can confuse the applicant-tracking software and jumble your resume in the system,” says Augustine.

6. Not aligning your resume with your online profiles.

“Whatever you’re going to put out there, make sure your resume and online profiles are telling the same story,” Augustine tells us.

“If you have a common name, consider including your middle initial on your resume and online professional profiles to differentiate yourself from the competition,” she says. For example, decide if you’re Mike Johnson, Michael Johnson, or Mike E. Johnson. Then use this name consistently, be it on LinkedIn, Google+, Twitter, or Facebook.

7. Leaving out relevant keywords.

Many companies use some kind of screening process to identify the right candidates, and if you don’t have the right keywords on your resume, you won’t even get through to a hiring manager.

“Identify the common keywords, terminology, and key phrases that routinely pop up in the job descriptions of your target role and incorporate them into your resume (assuming you have those skills),” advises Augustine. “This will help you make it past the initial screenings and on to the recruiter or hiring manager.”

8. Using an objective instead of an executive summary.

Objectives are unhelpful and distracting, according to Augustine, so it’s a waste of space to include them on your resume. Instead, replace this fluffy statement with an executive summary, which should be like a “30-second elevator pitch” where you explain who you are and what you’re looking for. ”In approximately three to five sentences, explain what you’re great at, most interested in, and how you can provide value to a prospective employer,” Augustine says.

9. Not addressing potential concerns.

Do you require a work visa sponsorship or are you willing to relocate for a job? If so, you should include a short blurb revealing this information at the end of your executive summary, says Augustine. It doesn’t have to be long because you can go into more detail in the cover letter.

If you’re trying to relocate to another city, remove your current city and state from your resume.

10. Using headers and footers.

It may look neat and concise to display your contact information in the header, but for “the same reason with embedded tables and charts, it often gets scrambled in an applicant tracking system,” says Augustine. Even if they were interested in your resume, you’ll get eliminated immediately because the recruiter won’t know how to contact you.

11. Inconsistent formatting.

“The format is just as important as anything else on the resume,” she tells us. ”The key is to format the information in a way that makes it easy to scan and recognize your job goals and relevant qualifications.”

Make your resume easy to read by sticking to specific formatting rules throughout your resume. For example, if you decide to include the month and year on your resume, you should adhere to this format throughout. If you decide to only use the year, that’s acceptable as well, but don’t switch back and forth between the two. You should also be consistent with locations and indentations.

12. Using crazy fonts and color.

“Stick to black and white color,” says Augustine. As for font, it’s best to stick with the basics, such as Arial, Tahoma, or Calibri.

13. Not having enough “white space.”

White space draws the reader’s eyes to important points. “When you start really messing with the margins on your resume, chances are you’re cramming as much as you can in there, and you won’t have enough white space,” she tells us.

14. Not using reverse chronological order.

This is the most helpful for recruiters because they’re able to see what you’ve been doing in recent years immediately, says Augustine. “The only time you shouldn’t do this is if you’re trying to transition to another career altogether, but then again, in this situation, you’ll probably be relying more on networks,” than your resume, she says.

15. Not including a company description.

While it’s helpful for recruiters to know the size of the company you used to work for, including a brief description about the company will also let the hiring manager quickly understand the industries you’ve worked in. For example, an accountant in the tech industry may be considered very differently than an accountant in the hospitality industry.

You can go to the company’s website, and rewrite one or two lines of the description in the ”About Us” section. This should be included right underneath the name of the company.

16. Using dense blocks of text.

Dense blocks of text are too difficult to read, says Augustine. Instead, you should list your achievements in two to five bullet points per job. Under each job or experience you’ve had, explain how you contributed to or supported your team’s projects and initiatives. ”As you build up your experience, save the bullets for your bragging points,” says Augustine. For example, “I generated $50,000 in annual savings by doing…”

17. Including more than 15 years of experience.

You should always tailor your resume based on the job you’re applying for, and chances are that when you include experience that’s older than 15 years, it won’t be of interest to a hiring manager, says Augustine. Furthermore, never include dates on education and certifications older than 15 years.

18. Including irrelevant information.

If you work at a small company and you do a little bit of everything, you really need to think about the responsibilities and accomplishments you’ve had that are relevant to the job you’re applying for, advises Augustine. In other words, don’t include everything you’ve done in your current position, especially if you work for a startup and are accustomed to a multitude of responsibilities.

19. Not including relevant hobbies.

“Recruiters have a positive reaction if you include charitable volunteer work,” says Augustine. “Just because you aren’t getting paid, doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t include it on your resume.” Again, do make sure to tailor the skills you acquired while participating in the hobby to the job position you’re applying for.

20. Including skills that most jobseekers will have.

Should you ever say that you’re proficient in standard programs? This depends on what is deemed sought-after in your industry.

“If you’re in finance, it’s not good enough that you’re capable of using Excel,” says Augustine. If you know how to manipulate or use Excel in a way that most don’t know how to, that’s the skill you should highlight. Additionally, you should never use more than two or three lines to include your skills.

21. Writing in the third person or using pronouns in first person.

Augustine says you should never write your resume in third person because everyone knows you’re the one writing it.

Instead, you should write it in first person, and do not include pronouns. ”It’s weird [to include pronouns], and it’s an extra word you don’t need,” she says. “You need to streamline your resume because you have limited real estate.”

22. Including “references upon request.”

Every recruiter knows you’re going to provide references if they request it, so there’s no reason for you to include this line. Remember that space on your resume is crucial. Don’t waste it on a meaningless line, Augustine tells us.

Source: http://business.financialpost.com/2013/11/12/22-resume-blunders-that-are-way-too-common/#!

Wednesday 20 November 2013

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Lists: The World’s Highest-Paid Musicians 2013

The World’s Highest-Paid Musicians 2013

By Zack O’Malley Greenburg

Lady Gaga and Madonna have a superstar rivalry made in gossip-blog heaven. The former burst onto the scene five years ago with a provocative pop sensibility reminiscent of the latter’s. Last year, Madonna accused Gaga of ripping off one of her songs; this year, the “Born This Way” singer insisted she doesn’t want the Material Girl’s throne.

From an earnings perspective, however, there’s no question over the winner of this battle's latest round. The honor goes to Madonna, who pulled in $125 million over the past year, making her the highest-paid musician in the world. The bulk of Madge’s millions came from the tail end of her MDNA Tour, which grossed $305 million. She augments her income with heady merchandise sales at concerts, as well as her Material Girl clothing line and Truth or Dare fragrance.

Gaga ranks second with $80 million; she grossed over $160 million on her latest tour before succumbing to a hip injury. Had she been able to finish, she would have likely topped $200 million. Her ARTPOP album was released after the end of our scoring period, but should give her a boost on next year’s list. She could easily reach the No. 1 spot with a successful set of concerts, the main driver for most major artists' earnings.

“With touring being the biggest revenue stream, if there’s an opportunity for an artist to go out, if there’s an opportunity for a promoter to curate a festival, people are doing it, said Kevin Liles, founder of KWL Enterprises and manager of artists including Big Sean, Trey Songz and Young Jeezy.

A look at the rest of the list underscores the importance of live performances in today's music world. Bon Jovi ranks third with $79 million, most of it from the appropriately named Because We Can tour. Road warrior Toby Keith pulled in $65 million to land the No. 4 slot, while Coldplay parlayed seven-figure nightly grosses into a $64 million payday.

Of course, product extensions can provide a major boost to an artist’s bottom line as well, and few do it better than Keith. Country’s cash king has his own record label, mescal line and restaurant chain; each outlet has its own stage.

“The beauty is where it synergizes with my label,” he explained to FORBES earlier this year. “I don’t have to look for a place [for my acts] to play … they’re in Toby’s house. They’re drinking Toby’s liquor. That’s Toby’s act. And then we’re moving to the next town.”

A few of the musicians on our list, however, generate nearly all their income to sources other than music sales, record labels and touring. Sean “Diddy” Combs, who ranks No. 11 with $50 million (making him hip-hop’s highest-paid act), earns the bulk of his bucks from his wildly successful Ciroc vodka deal. His Revolt TV network, launched in October, should provide a big boost to future earnings.

Diddy and fellow hip-hop moguls Jay Z (No. 18, $42 million) and Dr. Dre (No. 20, $40 million) are the genre’s lone representatives, while Keith is one of four country acts—Taylor Swift (No. 7, $55 million), Kenny Chesney (No. 9, $53 million) and Tim McGraw (No. 24, $33 million). The rest of the list is made up of pop divas and arena rockers, with the exceptions of Tiësto (No. 25, $32 million) and Calvin Harris (No. 13, $46 million), the world’s two highest-paid DJs.

“The rise of dance music has been astronomical in the last three years and I happened to be in the right place at the right time,” he told FORBES earlier this year.

In order to form our list, we looked at income from June 1st, 2012 through June 1st, 2013, using data sources including Pollstar, the RIAA, Nielsen SoundScan, managers, lawyers and many of the artists themselves. We took into account concert ticket sales, royalties for recorded music and publishing, merchandise sales, endorsement deals and other business ventures.

Our estimates reflect pretax income before deducting fees for agents, managers and lawyers; only living artists are eligible for the list.

That last criterion may seem trivial, but were it removed, the list would have a new champion:Michael Jackson, who pulled in $160 million.

Source: http://ca.music.yahoo.com/blogs/music-news/world-highest-paid-musicians-2013-181929027.html

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With the high-quality construction of many portable basketball systems, turning your driveway into a basketball court can be as simple as hooking up your garden hose. But while a portable system may ultimately be your best choice, there are reasons you may want to consider an in-ground or wall-mount system before you decide.

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In-ground systems are permanently cemented into the ground--either via a bolt mounting kit or directly into the ground--and are generally more rigid and take up less space than portables. In-ground systems often require that you hire a professional to complete the task, but when the cement dries you'll have a hoop that can take punishing dunks with ease.
Many in-ground systems are height-adjustable, include removable post features that let you take the system down for off-season storage, and feature heavy-duty break-away rims. You'll also want to research the adjustable mechanisms on the systems, as there are several types to choose from. Some feature a counter-balance spring that lets you perform easy, one-hand adjustments while others may feature a sturdy, pneumatic system.

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Backboard Considerations
Regardless of which system you choose, you'll want to brush up on Backboards 101. Most residential systems feature backboards made of acrylic, fiberglass, graphite, or various other composite materials. While clear acrylic gives the professional look and feel of glass, it is not as rigid as fiberglass or graphite. Some systems may offer steel or aluminum backboards, which are virtually vandal resistant, but don't offer the true rebounding action.
The regulation size of an NBA backboard is 72 inches wide and 42 inches high. Most portable hoops are 42 or 44 inches wide and 36 inches tall. In-ground systems tend to be a bit larger, with 54-inch and 60-inch widths being the most popular. While rectangular shaped backboards provide more bank shot opportunities, they are generally more expensive than the streamlined fan-shaped board.

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Tuesday 19 November 2013

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Thursday 7 November 2013

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