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Brits Bamboozled by Financial Jargon

Jack Peat
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Brits Bamboozled by Financial Jargon

Finance is a tricky game. Even for those heavily involved in it it’s a very complex beast. Which is why it’s unsurprising that there are calls for industry experts to simplify the terminology after a new report has found Brits are missing out on millions of pounds a year because of confusing jargon.

The report found that VaR, AMC, AER, IFA and Offshoring were the top five financial terms that Brits do not understand. The study was conducted by online investment manager Nutmeg. Katie Prentke English, Commercial Director at Nutmeg, said: “There are millions of people who are not benefiting from key products and opportunities because they are uninformed about basic financial terms.

“There are so many ways of making money go a little further, such as saving, investing, and maximising mortgages, but so few people know about them.”

Her comments mirror the report which found that two thirds of people feel they could be losing out on cash because they don’t fully understand many financial terms. This was supported by the findings of the research that concluded that Brits are missing out on millions of pounds because they can’t grasp basic financial jargon.

Even if they do understand the terminology the report suggests that still doesn’t help many people know how to use these services effectively, six out of ten are baffled about how much cash they can put into an ISA, tax free, each year. Shockingly five in ten people have no idea what the current Bank of England interest rate is and 52 per cent of those polled mistakenly thought you can get a pension in one lump sum.

The report also highlighted that 52 per cent of people also never read the small print on financial documents which require their signature.

It is worrying to realise that Brits do not understand how to use financial systems that could actually make them money but it is alarming to realise that they struggle just to decipher the terminology. It also appears they are being failed by those put in place to assist them, 74 per cent say they feel completely bamboozled when talking to financial experts – as a consequence, if they didn’t understand what was being said to them a quarter wouldn’t ask anyone to explain.

The top twenty financial terms Brits don’t understand are:

  1. VaR
  2. AMC
  3. AER
  4. IFA
  5. Offshoring
  6. Asset management
  7. Equities
  8. FSA
  9. Annuity
  10. Capital Gains Tax
  11. Endowment Policy
  12. Child Trust Fund
  13. Dividend
  14. Profit margin
  15. Inheritance tax
  16. Stock market
  17. Bank of England interest rate
  18. ISA
  19. APR
  20. Tax code

When looking in to a possible solution to this issue Katie Prentke English, from Nutmeg concluded: “This study clearly illustrates the need for the industry as a whole to make financial products and services more accessible to everyone.

“This means simplifying the language, and having more ways to explain what the options are.

“We believe more and more people would be open to investing their money if they understood the benefits and that the process could be a simple one. Similarly, people would be receptive to moving money around if they knew they would benefit.”

In a Difficult Business Climate, How Can You Get the Most From Your Commercial Assets?

ABC Staff
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In a Difficult Business Climate, How Can You Get the Most From Your Commercial Assets?

According to the Small Business Administration, an estimated 66% of SMEs are likely to survive their first two years in the current climate. This translates into a 34% rate of failure during this time, which is relatively large when you consider the access that small and medium-sized ventures have to technology in the modern age.

There are many reasons why small businesses may fail in the modern age, from initial funding problems and a lack of working capital to external, market forces. Some ventures may also be hampered by a lack of fundamental business knowledge, particularly when it comes to the understanding and management of various commercial assets.

business-asset-depreciation

Image: – Ezylearn

3 Core Commercial Assets and How to Manage Them

With this in mind, your first step as an entrepreneur must be to understand the various asset classes that exist within the world of business and commerce. From here, you can develop strategies that enable you to successfully manage these assets and leverage them for the benefit of your business. For example: –

Make Cost and Locations Key Watchwords for Your Commercial Property

Your commercial premises is one of the most important and costly business asset classes, while it also has a seminal impact on the future growth of your venture. As a result of this, there are numerous considerations that can influence your decision when selecting commercial property, so your primary task is to prioritise these factors in a proactive manner.

While the criteria that you prioritise may vary depending on the precise nature of your business, as a general rule it is cost and location that are the most important. When renting property, for example, you must evaluate the precise terms of a proposed lease to determine a cumulative cost going forward, while also ensuring that you can meet recurring, short-term repayments.

When it comes to location, you must make a viable choice based on the nature of your business and the needs of your employees. Similarly, if you own a customer-facing local brand, it is imperative that you select a commercial property within a location that enables you to target core consumer groups.

If you find rental costs prohibitive for your burgeoning start-up, you should also consider how the nature of commercial property has changed in recent times. More specifically, you should consider temporary asset classes such as pop-up retail outlets, as these can reduce long-term costs and provide greater flexibility in line with your growth plan. Conversely, sole traders who have a clearly defined, long-term growth plan may benefit from creating compact home office spaces, at least until they can expand in line with real-time demand and workloads.

Optimise the Human Resources Within Your SME

Often, we forget that our employees are defined as human resources, making them a businesses most important asset class. The human resources within your business are unique as asset classes, however, meaning that you must give careful consideration to the most effective methods of optimising employee output.

Once you recognise employees as core, commercial assets, the next step is to invest strategically in their development and remuneration. Developing the existing skills and value proposition of your employees translates into a direct and measurable financial benefit for your business, while this also represents an investment that delivers a potentially huge return. This is also an excellent way of retaining top, industry talent, which in turn can drive long-term savings on employee acquisition.

When it comes to rewarding and motivating your human resources, bear in mind that the bottom line salary that you offer to employees is no longer the single most effective tactic (particularly among Millennials). Instead, it is better to consider rewards and bonus structures that focus on enhancing your employees work-life balance or reducing their overall cost of living, such as reduce gym memberships (secured through partnerships) or contributing to daily transport costs.

Give Separate Consideration to Capital Assets

Capital assets are another key consideration, although there is a tendency for businesses to manage these in line with other, operational costs. This is a genuine oversight, however, as capital assets are unique and must be given special, separate consideration.

In simple terms, the term ‘capital asset’ is used to describe items of equipment that are hired or purchased for commercial use. Technically, it applies to hardware that is to be used within your venture for more than a year, and can include everything from a desk or a chair to an expensive piece of specialist machinery. These diverse assets are also unique in that they are tax deductible, making them distinct from the everyday running costs of your business.

This unique status offers your venture a unique opportunity to reduce costs, as you can separate out your business expenses and claim tax relief and money back in relation to these purchases.

Dodgers Look to Trade Market to Bolster Roster

Sam Allcock
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Dodgers Look to Trade Market to Bolster Roster

 

The Dodgers are being far from reserved about their plans for filling now vacant spots at closer, second base and third base. The Los Angeles-based team’s management has prepared a wide range of scenarios and plans to fill vacancies during this season’s winter meetings.

The Dodgers’ president of baseball operations, Andrew Friedman, claimed that the previous two days of meetings were productive, despite turning down the opportunity to comment on plans to fill the team’s vacancies.

Recent deals such as a three-year deal with pitcher Rich Hill, who is set to earn $48 million over the next three years with the Dodgers. The Dodgers reportedly hope to sign Kenley Jansen and Aroldis Chapman, both of whom are currently free agents.

Despite this, there’s been little in the way of Dodgers news about third baseman Justin Turner, who insiders claim the team hopes to re-sign. Friedman has stated that the Dodgers can afford to re-sign Turner, provided other teams respect the team’s player value expectations.

The Dodgers are reportedly speaking to other infield options. A recent Fox News report claims that Yangervis Solarte, who currently plays for the San Diego Padres, is one of the players the Dodgers are talking to this year.

For Friedman, the current environment provides the Dodgers with plenty of options, something that the team appears interested in acting on. Friedman recently claimed he was “comfortable” with the position the Dodgers currently occupied, in spite of the vacancies:

““We have goals that we want to accomplish this off-season. But when they happen is not something that we feel like we can force. If you get caught up in these three days, in our opinion, you can end up making mistakes.”

This comfort could result in the Dodgers leaving it until next week — or even the coming weeks — to find new options for the club’s vacancies.

 

How Funeral Costs Can’t Be As Bad As You Think

Elliot
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How Funeral Costs Can’t Be As Bad As You Think

It’s no secret that the cost of funerals is getting higher with each passing year. In 2014, a study from the University of Bath’s Institute for Policy Research found that the average cost of a funeral had risen to £7,622, with over 100,000 people struggling to afford the rising cost in a single year.

Since, for obvious reasons, the majority of those requiring funerals are elderly retirees, many have struggled to leave enough money to cover their funeral plans, particularly when no specific arrangements are made before death. Other issues, such as a loss of mental capacity, can further impact things and cause financial problems and stress for surviving family members. There are also other things to take into account – for example, what to do with your body. Burials can be particularly expensive, especially in more densely populated regions – for example, the cost of burial in London is, on average almost £3,500 higher than the cost of burial in Northern Ireland.

Source: Credit bainesandernst.co.uk
Image Credit/Source: bainesandernst.co.uk

Fortunately, there are steps you can take to ensure that things don’t spiral out of control. It’s important to have a plan for your own funeral to be put into place after you die, so that you can pre pay for your funeral or set money aside, keep costs down, and prevent any complications. Funeral plans are also regulated by the Funeral Planning Authority to ensure that providers are meeting a high standard. Here are some of the most important ways that you can plan ahead for your own funeral and make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible.

How you can cut down on the cost of your own funeral

Let family members know

familytalk

Making arrangements with family members not only makes sure that you get the service you want, but can also help you potentially eliminate any costs. If, for example, you wish to be cremated, you’ll save money on a burial plot, while you can also leave instructions to cut down on the cost of flowers if you’d rather the money went elsewhere.

Make a financial plan

You can also set aside some money specifically to cover the cost of the funeral, and there are a number of ways to do this. Using a dedicated savings account, using your life insurance policy, and taking out a specific funeral plan with a bank or building society are all great ways to ensure that the money will be there when you’re gone.

Make sure you have contingency plans

Even if your finances are up to scratch, things can still go awry. It’s important, for example, to nominate a friend or family member for Lasting Power of Attorney to cover you in the eventuality that you lose your mental faculties. This will ensure that things can proceed smoothly and that your wishes can be carried out – without this, serious problems can arise, and legal costs could eat into the money you’ve set aside.

How to Successfully Offer Employee Stock Options in a Changing Job Market

ABC Staff
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How to Successfully Offer Employee Stock Options in a Changing Job Market

As a general rule, entrepreneurs and business-owners are extremely protective of the equity that exists in their ventures. As they look to launch their venture and consolidate any initial success, this can force them to become preoccupied with maintaining 100% of their equity at all costs.

While there is nothing fundamentally wrong with this, it can become counter-productive and something of a false economy in instances where your employees and partners lack the motivation to share in your vision. As an aspiring leader, you must understand the importance of motivating human assets and in some instances this may require you to give away equity in the form of stock options.

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How to Successfully Offer Employee Stock Options: 3 Key Considerations

While there may be sound logic that supports this as a motivational measure, however, it is crucial that you offer stock options without compromising your own sense of security or the viability of your own shares.

This process may be even more challenging in instances where you have already sacrificed some of your equity to external investors, so here are three considerations that will help you to manage the process: –

Set Aside Between 10% and 20% of Your Equity for Senior Stakeholders

Of course, some of the biggest employers in the world offer stock options to their staff members, although none of them do so without first calculating precisely how much of their equity that can afford to give away.

As a general rule, you should aim to set aside between 10% and 20% of your company’s equity for key stakeholders, creating a fixed stock value that is distributed across your selected range of beneficiaries. How you distribute this is entirely up to you, whether you choose to create an even spread of equity or afford more to more experienced employees and executives.

In general terms, however, try to reserve the majority of your stock options for strategic thinkers and operators within the business, while rewarding employees that have had the single biggest impact on profitability.

Set Clear Criteria and Consider the Long-term Retention of Employees

While some may argue that offering stock options reduces annual expenditure, most people leverage this tactic as a way of retaining key staff members and maintaining higher levels of engagement. This can also be a key acquisition metric too, particularly in an age where bottom line salary is increasingly unimportant.

If you are using stock options to engage and retain employees, it is imperative that you set clear criteria for eligibility. Long-term retention and a low turnover of staff is more important in some departments than others, for example, with research and development offering a relevant case in point. You can therefore restrict equity offerings to employees in specific fields, or at least prioritise those that can provide years of invaluable and productive service.

Similarly, you need to ensure that you set clear criteria that dictates individual qualification for stock options. When it comes to long-term engagement, it is important that you only make equity available to employees once they have completed several years service in your company, otherwise you may find yourself giving away stock on a relatively indiscriminate basis or to temporary workers.

Try to Offer a Myriad of Equity and Cash Packages to Employees

On a final note, it is important that you afford employees the freedom of choice, in the form of several options that include a combination of cash and equity. Of course, each option needs to be something that you are comfortable with and able to afford, but the key is to motivate as many employees as possible regardless of their outlook.

In basic terms, this means offering one cash-rich, low equity bonus package and another that is low in cash but high in equity. This enables to achieve a greater balance and drive a more productive workforce across the board, as you continue to target long-term employees with equity-rich bonuses and afford non-strategic workers a wider range of choice.

The key here is to keep things simple, while remembering that such a choice is only available to employees who meet you established criteria for stock options.

Hopefully, these steps will help you to leverage a small amount of your businesses equity to successful motivate key stakeholders and drive long-term retention company-wide.

Opportunities abound in the Barcelona student property market: the current situation and prospects for growth

ABC Staff
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Opportunities abound in the Barcelona student property market: the current situation and prospects for growth

It is high time to invest in Barcelona student property: the number of international students in the city is growing and demand for residential property exceeds supply threefold.

Studying in the universities of Barcelona is increasingly attractive with each year: in 2015, the capital of Catalonia came sixth both in the QS “Top European Cities to Get an Education” ranking and on the Reputation Institute “Top Cities of the World” list.

Experts at Tranio.com share some insights on how the popularisation of education in Catalonia has increased the number of students, as well as demand for property in Barcelona.

 

Demand: international students on the rise

The total number of students in Barcelona shrunk by about 10% between 2010 and 2015 to 170,000, a trend which characterised the whole of Spain. The total number of students in the city is decreasing due to the outflow of Spanish students who come mostly from Barcelona. This has occurred for three reasons:

— the population of Barcelona has shrunk (by 1% between 2010 and 2015)

—the number of Spaniards aged 18 to 34 has decreased (between 2000 and 2014 it fell by 16%)

— the population of Europe in general is ageing (the percentage of young people declined from 28% of the total in 2000 to 20% in 2014).

At the same time, the number of international students in the region increased, having grown from 2005 to 2015 by factors of 2.1 in Spain and 2.5 in Barcelona. The percentage of international students in the Catalonian capital is small (less than 5%, or 8,000 people) in comparison with the same figure in the largest cities of the UK, Germany, the Netherlands and France (10–20%). This means that Barcelona still has a potential for growth in the number of international students.

In spite of their paucity, the international students affect the general demand for residential property in Barcelona: for instance, as of 2015, about 33,000 students, approximately a quarter of them international, applied for places in local residence halls.

In the future, the number of Spanish students will keep decreasing due to demographic changes, but the number of international students will continue growing, largely thanks to the governmental 2015-2020 “Strategy for the Internationalisation of Spanish Universities”. The programme’s objective is to attract as many international students as possible to Spanish universities through a set of measures, including easing the visa regime for international students and bilinguilisation of courses (increasing the percentage of bilingual courses from 20% to 100% in many universities).

Barcelona comes second in popularity with foreign nationals after Madrid. Many universities popular with students from abroad are in Barcelona. Therefore, a significant portion of the newly arrived international students will stay in this very city. In addition, the Catalonian capital attracts a great number of young people who come to study in the Erasmus international student exchange programme, as the University of Barcelona is the main programme coordinator in Europe.

An additional factor of growth in the number of international students in Barcelona is the affordability of local education as compared to that of other Spanish and European cities. To study in Barcelona is on average 20% cheaper than in Madrid, 20–30% cheaper than in Amsterdam or Paris and twice or thrice cheaper than in the big UK cities. Along with that, Spanish higher education institutions, including the universities of Barcelona, will become more popular in the near future thanks to the national economic recovery and a decline in the youth unemployment rate.

 

Barcelona’s universities

Top universities. Barcelona is home to eight university campuses: five of the higher education institutions are public and three are private. Four of them make the QS 2015/16 World’s University Rankings:

University Catalan name 2015/16 QS University Ranking
University of Barcelona Universitat de Barcelona 166
Autonomous University of Barcelona Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona 190
Pompeu Fabra University Universitat Pompeu Fabra 295
Polytechnic University of Catalonia Universitat Politécnica de Catalunya 299

 

Languages. The languages of instruction are Spanish and Catalan. There are also courses and programmes in English.

Tuition fees. As reported by QS, the average tuition for an international student at one of Barcelona’s universities is about €2,350 per year. According to Espanarusa.com, the tuition depends on the university, major and the cycle of education. For example, bachelor’s degrees in business administration, English philology and tourism cost from €1,500 to €10,000 per year. Master’s degrees in bioinformatics, political science, business administration or tourism and hospitality management cost from €3,500 to €14,000. The cost of Ph.D. studies starts from €750 per year.

 

Supply: not enough student accommodation for all

Most students in Barcelona live in residential halls. There are about sixty of them there. The total room capacity is 11,000, 85% of which accounts for large dormitories (over 300 places).

Given the total number of places available (11,000) and the number of students needing accommodation (33,000), it becomes clear that only a third of the students in Barcelona can be accommodated. The nationwide student housing provision rate is 56%. At the same time, in Barcelona, the problem of student property shortages is especially acute: according to Savills, the residence occupancy rate is 100% during the academic year.

Almost all the residence halls offer single or small double rooms. Some of them have shared kitchens and bathrooms. In some cases, Barcelona apartments are merged into three, four, or five-bedroom flats with shared kitchens and bathrooms. Some residence halls offer studios, duplexes, and rooms with separate bathrooms and kitchens, as well as spacious double rooms.

The average residence rental rates are around €600 per month, but they can vary depending on the following:

— the dormitory type (public are on average 25% cheaper than private)

— the policies of a certain dormitory (e.g. accommodation in Vila Universitària costs €300-400 per month, while in Barcelona Diagonal Residence Hall the prices start at €1,000)

— the number of roommates (single rooms are on average 20% more expensive than double ones)

— the rental term (when renting for a short term (one to three months), the monthly rental rate is on average 20% more expensive in comparison with long-term rentals (the whole academic year))

— the service package (most dormitories include cleaning in the rental price, some include meals or offer them as an additional option).

 

Average residence rental prices in Barcelona, EUR per month

Source: Residence halls’ websites

Residence hall Number of places in a room Short-term rentals Long-term rentals
Barcelona Diagonal Residence Hall 1 1,259 1,110
2 1,075 950
Campus La Salle Residence Hall 1 679 566
2 444 370
Lesseps Residence Hall 1 509 424
2 379 316
Melon District Marina 1 821 720
2 690 587
Onix Residence 1 892 784
2 759 664
Residencia San Marius Gracia 1 625 550
2 450 395
Residencia Universitaria Pere Felip Monlau 1 556 463
2 450 375
Sant Cugat del Vallès 1 737 627
2 440 330
Torre Girona Residence Hall 1 696 557
2 465 512
Vila Universitària UAB 1 393 325
2 385 305

 

Only the two largest of Barcelona’s universities — the University of Barcelona and the Autonomous University of Barcelona — have residence halls of their own. The rest of the universities work with residence halls under cooperation agreements, while the halls themselves are owned by private companies. The best-known of them are Melon District, Onix Residence, RESA and Residence San Marius. RESA also manages its own properties.

The main alternatives to residence halls are rental flats and rooms offered by private companies. Due to the unavailability of housing, many students rent flats jointly. According to the Spanish real estate website Pisos.com, 53% of the requests for flat-sharing in Spain come from students. The main problem that the students coming to Barcelona encounter, according to HFB Benchmark, is that they have to find flats and rooms provided by private firms, given the lack of places in residence halls.

Another homesharing opportunity is getting accommodation in exchange for taking care of elderly people as part of the Viure i Conviure programme. The University of Barcelona, for example, offers such an option.

The number of places in the residence halls of Barcelona is unlikely to increase significantly in the near future, and, due to the limited supply, jointly renting accommodation in the private sector will grow in popularity. As of early autumn 2016, the prices for single rooms range from €150 per month in the district of Gràcia and the neighbourhoods of Navas and El Clot to €400 per month in the high-end district of Eixample.

Taking into account that there are about 33,000 students in Barcelona who need accommodation and the total residence room capacity is only 11,000, the demand exceeds the supply almost threefold. This situation will favour the growth of residential property rental rates, which may further encourage the developers to carry out new student-housing construction projects. This is the reason that the investors find the segment attractive.

Yulia Kozhevnikova, Tranio.com

 

Is your behaviour at home increasing your energy bills?

ABC Staff
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Is your behaviour at home increasing your energy bills?

Gas and electricity bills seem to go up every year, and many people struggle to pay the rising costs. However, energy and heating shouldn’t be a luxury, and no one should have to worry about expensive bills. Thankfully, you can alter your habits at home to reduce the costs of your energy bills.

Here are six things that you might be doing that increase the costs of your energy bills, as well as tips and tricks to help you lower the costs.

Using a Power Shower or Bath

Running a bath uses up more power than a normal shower, but a power shower uses twice as much energy and water as a bath. If you want to lower the cost of your energy bills, consider cutting out baths completely and replacing power showers with a more cost-effective shower pump.

While this may seem like an expensive way to reduce the cost of your energy bill, it is extremely effective. A high-quality pump will cost between £50 and £100, and it is a one-off payment that more than pays for itself.

Turning the Heating Up

According to the Energy Saving Trust, lowering the room temperature by 1ºC can lower the cost of your energy bill by up to £90. The lower temperature won’t be very noticeable, especially if you are wearing a jumper and socks, and the savings are well worth it.

You can save even more money by switching off the radiators in the rooms that you use the least, such as a spare bedroom. You can also by a smart thermostat that lets you adjust the heating remotely from your laptop. Very convenient, and a great way to lower the cost of your energy bill!

Leaving Appliances on Standby Mode

People often leave their appliances on standby mode as they think it will save energy, but it is much more energy-efficient to just switch them off. When something is on standby mode, it is still using electricity, so it will increase your energy bills. Make sure that you turn off computers and televisions when you have finished using them, and make sure that you don’t leave your laptop plugged in overnight.

Draughts in Your Home

Cold air will quickly get into your home through the space under the door, cracks near windows and your letter box. This means that you have to spend more money on heating to keep your house warm, but you can draught-proof your home to reduce the cost of your bills.

You can buy draught excluders for all of the doors in your house, and you can use draught-proofing strips around your window frame. If you have a chimney, you could consider buying a large pillow or a cap to block the hole.

Using Out-Dated Appliances

If you’ve had your fridge and freezer for years and they still work, you probably haven’t thought about replacing them. However, old appliances use old technology, which isn’t as energy-efficient as more modern options. If you’re thinking about replacing your fridge and freezer, check out some new models with energy star ratings. It may seem more expensive than an older model, but it is well worth it as it will significantly lower the cost of your bills.

Not Insulating Your Home Properly

If your home isn’t properly insulated, most of your heating will quickly disappear through the walls. You can insulate your loft and cavity walls fairly easily, and insulation is fairly cheap to buy. Once you have replaced the insulation, your home will hold heat more efficiently, so you won’t need to switch the heating on as often.

If you are ready to lower the cost of your bills, it is time to make adjustments to your home and replace your items with more efficient choices, such as a new pump for your shower. It won’t take long – and it will be well worth it for the savings.

Defibrillators in the Workplace: What You Need to Know

ABC Staff
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Defibrillators in the Workplace: What You Need to Know

Defibrillating machines have made their way into public consciousness in recent years, largely due to prominent footballers falling victim to cardiac arrest.

Just one example is Bolton Wanderers player Fabrice Muamba, who was infamously ‘brought back from the dead’ after his heart stopped beating during an FA Cup quarter-final match in 2012. He credits a defibrillator with saving his life.

As a new petition, which campaigns for the Football Association (FA) to make Public Access Defibrillators (PAD) available at all stadiums takes off on social media, bigger questions of how these machines can save lives in other settings, most notably the workplace, is being asked.

According to the British Heart Foundation, over 30,000 people resuscitated by the ambulance service, suffer from cardiac arrest in Britain every year and sadly, a lack of rapid first aid intervention means that less than 1 in 10 people survive.

At present, the lack of life-saving intervention generally occurs because first responders, such as family members, work colleagues or people in the wider community, fail to recognise the symptoms of a cardiac arrest or lack the skills, knowledge or equipment necessary to intervene effectively.

A survival rate of less than 1 in 10 is worrying, but with training and access to defibrillating equipment it’s actually very easy to improve. In fact, the Resuscitation Council (UK) estimates that early defibrillation can increase survival rates by up to 70%.

Anyone of any age can be hit by sudden cardiac arrest, but the likelihood of incidences occurring increases for older adults, particularly men, individuals with common heart conditions and those who have other lifestyle risk factors such as stress, smoking, obesity and high cholesterol levels.

This means that those most at risk are likely to be of working age and although there are no official statistics about the number of cardiac arrests that occur in the workplace, the greater the workforce, the greater the likelihood of a life-threatening situation arising, becomes.

This places responsibility on employers to ensure that onsite first aiders are adequately trained to intervene and save a life if necessary.

With effect from 31st December 2016, the Health and Safety Executive requires all workplace first aiders who complete First Aid at Work, Emergency First Aid, and refresher training courses to be taught how to use Automated External Defibrillator (AED) equipment.

This does not mean that all workplaces are legally obliged to install defibrillating equipment on their premises, however the potential life-saving benefits of having one onsite will, for many employers, outweigh any associated purchasing costs and their installation is recommended by the British Heart Foundation and Resuscitation Council UK.

These changes also mean that employers are not required to immediately retrain first aiders with the new AED course content. However, as first aid qualifications expire and refresher courses or new trainees are inducted, programmes must include defibrillator training.

It’s important to note that training is intended to give first aiders the knowledge and confidence they need to respond quickly; in the event of a cardiac arrest, every second counts, but everyone, regardless of whether they’re trained or not could be able to use the AED.

Defibrillators are purposefully designed to give any user simple, clear instructions on how to help someone in cardiac arrest so intervention should be encouraged across your workforce.

 

Latest wine investment trends that can make your finances better

Sam Allcock
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Latest wine investment trends that can make your finances better

Whenever we consider a certain type of investment, there are potential risks and rate of returns which should be considered along the way. Wine has always been one of the main players in the world of investments and fine wine has found its place in the category of luxurious investments.

However, just because we may know our way around wine, it does not mean that this is enough of a reason for someone to start investing in it. A lot of research, knowledge and skills as well as being familiar with latest trends is what can turn a simple investment into a successful one. Therefore, let’s discover together the latest wine investment trends that can make your finances better.

Great opportunities for wine investors

You cannot start a business just because you like wine but if you put your time and efforts into discovering more about what a wine business involves, you might discover that this is the perfect opportunity for you. You will need serious money as a startup capital for any type of return but if you follow the right steps in an intelligent manner, the end-results will be totally worth it.

 wine

Stay clear of fraud and you will win big

Wine is highly influenced by its province as well as the condition of the bottles in which it is stored. Moreover, when you choose to purchase your merchandise from secondary markets, you must be more than careful. A lot of fraud has been registered in this industry in the last few years and you may find yourself ending up with nothing. However, when you surround yourself with the right people and make sure you only make high-quality, reliable purchases, the results will not delay from appearing.

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Consider your options before taking the next step

No investor could ever be certain of what might happen with wine in the future. However, there are always few great opportunities to buy futures of wine that has been recently barreled and which is currently aging in chateau cellars. This is one of the smart moves that any person interested in liquid assets and smart investments could make this year, as far as wine retailers and specialists in the industry say.

Moreover, the rarer the wine is the better the chosen investment will become. Rare wine is the most powerful latest trend on the market and these continue to be the popular vintages. Over time, these continue to become more and more valuable because they are finite and slowly but surely decrease in quantity. This makes them chased by a global clientele and they always go well up in price this way.

What latest trends also consider to be a huge opportunity is the focus on vintages of fine wine like Bordeaux from 1982, 1990 up to 2010. Specialists think that the real opportunities lie in those fancy wines that everyone is interested in.

wine2

Secular changes in the market are predicted

Fine wine investment experts also predict secular changes in the industry. Some vintage ones will become the new trend whereas others might completely disappear from the market for not complying with requirements. The absence of certain brands will start to be noticed soon, when a more serious selection will be self-established given the high risks as well as huge opportunities revealing themselves in front of new and old investors.

Everyone will try to find the best products to invest in, no more compromise on quality will be made given the high value of the initial investment funds and only those who offer good merchandise will remain part of the real side of the investment world. Therefore, if you are currently a wine investor or think of becoming one in the future, you should analyze all your options well before taking the next step.

Analyze the options, the risks, surround yourself with specialists in every segment of your business and you cannot go anywhere but up with your investment in terms of financial revenues. Focus on the value of en primeur wine that everyone has an eye for lately and make it your new key element for success in the business world. Your clients will be more than satisfied with your offer!

Driverless Cars Projected to Add 5% to European GDP by 2050

Elliot
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0
Driverless Cars Projected to Add 5% to European GDP by 2050

Driverless cars are on course to generate €17 trillion for the European economy by 2050, according to new research.

New independent economic analysis shows that autonomous vehicles will start adding 0.15 percent to Europe’s annual growth rate in the decades to come.

As a result, the European gross domestic product [GDP] will, cumulatively, be over five per cent higher in the year 2050, by which time autonomous vehicles will have contributed a total of €17 trillion to GDP.

Fully ‘autonomous vehicles’ are predicted to be providing fully ‘hands-off’ door-to-door transport on the road within the decade. Nissan Europe polled 6,000 people in UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Norway to discover their attitudes to driverless motors.

Freedom to do things other than driving was voted the biggest benefit – no surprise as four out of five confessed to already ‘multi-tasking’ while at the wheel. Reading books or catching up on news is what most of Europe said they’d do with their extra time in the car, followed by sleeping, doing paperwork and watching TV or films.

The survey also revealed that almost a quarter of those planning to buy a car in five or more years would consider an autonomous car.

Paul Willcox, Chairman of Nissan Europe, said: “This independent report highlights that we are in the midst of a social and economic revolution.

“It shows that autonomous technology will have a fundamental impact not just on the automotive industry but across European economies and societies and it suggests that leadership within all levels of government is needed.

“At Nissan we believe, for the full benefits of autonomous drive technologies to be realised, governments and municipalities across Europe should review the report’s findings, work hand in hand with the automotive industry, and play a vital role in ushering in this new technological era.”

Infographic detailing findings of Nissan's review of autonomous drive opportunities
Infographic detailing findings of Nissan’s review of autonomous drive opportunities
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