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Wherever you are with your retirement savings, do not be put off from considering action, it s not too late. There are still steps you can take to boost the pension you ll receive when you finish working.
Pensions are a very tax-efficient way to save. If you already have a pension, now would be a very good time to talk to us about making a single premium investment to boost it, particularly as the close of tax yr is speedily forthcoming, or starting a self invested personal pension to increase your options. You will not have to take all your pensions at the same time.
If you re employer or self employed, you can contribute up to 100 % of the value of your relevant UK earnings (salary and other earnings), up to a maximum of 245,000 for the 2009/10 tax year rising to 255,000 for the tax yr 2010/11. Investments above this annual limit are allowed but will be taxed. You can invest into any number of pension schemes (personal and/or company) each year.
You will receive tax relief on your Investments, so if you are a forty % tax payer a 20,000 investment would cost just 12,000. Basic rate tax relief is added by the government to all contributions at a rate of 20%.
High rate tax payers can obtain up to a further twenty percent tax relief via their tax return. If you earn more than 150,000 you will see the tax relief on your pensions cut from April 2011, tapering from 40 to 20 percent for those earning more than 180,000. Earners below 130,000 will not be impacted.

There s a lifetime limit on the size of your pension pot, which is currently £1.75m in the tax yr 2009/10 but rises to £1.8m for the 2010/11 tax yr. If your fund passes this, you ll incur tax charges of 55 percent if the extra benefits are taken as a lump sum and 25 per cent if taken as regular income. The income will then be subject to income tax at your highest rate.
From 6/4/10, the age at which you can start drawing your pension increases to 55. If you need to, pension benefits can be deferred until you are up to 75 years old. You may still be able to take your pension before age 55 in some circumstances, e.g. if you retire through ill-health.

Consilium Asset Management provide pension advice and retirement planning advice.

The value of investments and the income from them can go down as well as up and you may not get back your original investment. Past performance is not an indication of future performance. Tax benefits may vary as a result of statutory change and their value will depend on individual circumstances. Thresholds, percentage rates and tax legislation may change in subsequent finance acts.

Don t leave your wife and kids with additional heartache and hassle.
Individuals who pass away without a valid will, or intestate, result in costs and complications to their beneficiaries and often gift lots of money to the Government in what may be avoidable Inheritance Tax (IHT).

The Law Society says that anyone with assets and family or friends should make a will, no matter of their age. It is specially important if you are not married to your partner, because the law does not give partners the same rights of inheritance as spouses.
Assets which are jointly owned by unmarried partners on a joint tenancy basis would still pass automatically to the existing spouse under the rules of survivorship. Under the current intestacy rules, an unmarried partner has no rights to property that were not jointly owned (although the Law Commission has recently proposed to change this).

Preparing a will is also vital if you have minors, as you can nominate guardians to look after them.

It is important to create a list of assets and debts and their approximate values. Include your property, investments, nest egg, insurance policies and pension.
In addition, consider making specific legacies. Just informing a family member that an item will be his or hers one day could cause problems later.

You should take professional advice on inheritance tax planning as part of writing your will. Easy measures could save the beneficiaries of more well-off homeowners thousands of £’s in tax.

A vital element of making a will is the appointment of executors to make sure that your will wishes are carried out.

You should also update your will every few years or so and whenever your circumstances are altered by a substantial life event, such as marriage, divorce or a birth or death in the immediate family. Another instance would be after a house buy or move.

Whoever makes up your will, make sure at least 1 copy is kept secure or deposit 1 with a probate registry.

Consilium Asset Management LTD offer inheritance tax planning advice in Bristol

What to expect on a hot air balloon ride.

Several factors have made hot air ballooning one of the fastest growing adventure ride items and hottest gift tickets around in the last 20 years. With more than 70,000 passengers flown in the UK alone every year.

Sir Richard Branson and his well publicized Atlantic and Pacific crossings and numerous round the world attempts. All kept hot air balloons in the public eye.

The successful round the world flight of Brian Jones and Bertrand Piccard caught the imagination of millions.

Balloon operators in Africa have made magic carpet rides over the Serengeti and Maasi Mara ecosystem possible for many thousands of people.

Perhaps this is why the people of Britain voted hot air ballooning as the number 7 thing to do before you die! A poll that certainly caused an upward blip in the number of passengers flown in the UK.

Modern technology has also made taking a passenger ride in a hot air balloon much safer. Advanced burner designs, giving more powerful flames. Much better pilot lights that keep burning. Baskets especially designed for the carriage of passengers.

Above all modern fabrics that are not only stronger but more able to combat the effects of Ultra Violet Light and mould and mildew. Yes the balloons just like your tent if you get it wet, rots.

At this point I should admit that I am a hot air balloon pilot.

Ballooning has been kind to me and taken me to all points of the globe.

Australia, Thailand, France, England, Kenya and South Africa all balloon flights have similar requirements.

Wherever you are in the world.

I hope to be able to answer some queries and maybe allay some fears in this article. These are the questions I am asked all the time.

Do you have a pilots licence?

Yes balloon pilots have taken written exams just like their fixed wing friends but they have taken the flying test in a balloon instead. In some countries, notably the United Kingdom and Australia there are also fairly strict commercial pilot’s licences and annual flying tests to be undertaken. (You’ve guessed it I have UK and Australian licences) Coupled with this in most countries the balloon company will also have to have an Air Operators Certificate. This or its equivalent is issued by the local aviation authority. An inspector will have checked all the aircraft and pilot paperwork and made sure that the company employs safety systems.

Run a Google check on your particular country and if the person that you ring for a flight cannot assure you that all paperwork is in place don’t fly with them.

Better still ring the aviation authority ask for the person responsible for balloons because there will be one.

Ask them if they know of the person you are going to contact for a flight.

You would not believe the number of unlicenced operators there are out there. As a rule of thumb a pilot with 500 flying hours and 5 years of experience should know what he or she is doing.

How many people will be in the balloon?

These days it is unusual to have less than 4 people in a passenger ride balloon. Unless the client has paid a considerable sum of money it does just not make economic sense for the balloon operator.

Probably a good average would be eight passengers.

You will not all be in together. There would probably be five compartments. One in the middle for pilot and gas. Two either side each containing two passengers.

This means in the event of a fast landing you don’t all fall on top of each other.

Important to note here that there are no overhead lockers so try and keep luggage to a minimum. A stills and video camera is really all you need. Remember the heavier the basket the shorter time the fuel lasts.

Why so early or late??

Most balloon flights take place first thing in the morning, at or just before sunrise.

This is for the important reason that the air is at its best behaved at that time of day.

It has had a chance to cool down over night and in simple terms get heavy or sticky. Trees, buildings, stuff all help slow down the bottom sticky air and the wind drops.

Hot air balloons do not cope with high speed winds very well.

It’s all about the stopping.

At the end of a flight the pilot will pull a line and open a vent in the top of the balloon, this lets air out. But only as fast as it can go through that vent. If its windy the balloon itself or envelope as it should be more correctly called acts like a sail and drags the basket through whatever might be in the way. There are no brakes.

A drag landing is a good time to see why it’s a fine idea to make balloon baskets out of wicker. It flexes and gives; a stiffer material would bend or break. I can’t count the number of times I have been asked,” but why is the basket still wicker”. If the passenger ends up having a drag landing they soon realise.

That sticky layer of air is known as the boundary layer, air moving above 2000′ is what the pilot is told about by the weather office when he makes his weather check before you fly. This is known as the gradient wind. It will be faster.

They will also tell you the surface wind but the gradient is more accurate. Using the gradient forecast the pilot will have made mentally his best guess as to where you will end up from your take off site.

The pilot will probably release a small helium balloon before your flight and watch it intently. The harder and longer the pilot looks at the thing the trickier the flight will probably be for him or her! If he releases stacks of met balloons then there is a good chance you will be going home.

High speed winds also mean you need longer fields in which to stop. Your pilot will thinking well if we go that way what are the fields like. Maybe there is a large area of forest or water in that direction. It might be possible to fly at higher speeds in certain directions and not in others.

If a balloon pilot cancels a flight because of high speed winds it’s not because he got out of bed on the wrong side or that they don’t like the look of you.

He or she will have called the flight on because of an earlier forecast and when you get to the flying field you have the play the hand you are actually dealt by Mother Nature.

Balloon pilots usually work on a no flight no fee system so if they cancel not only will they have disappointed you but they won’t be getting paid either.

It is always better to go home and try another day. It might be a great shame because today was your birthday or anniversary but it’s much better to be able to see the next one.

Telling 16 people to go home is a real character forming exercise for the pilot. Often people will protest and try and get you into the air. My friends and I have a habit of moving those passengers down the wait list!

Back to that sticky air, as it slows down it starts to be influenced! The air over a river is colder still and moves with that river. A wood or dam is cold. You will move with or towards these cool areas and that allows you a little bit of steerage.

The balloon can only fly with the wind, that’s it. It’s up to the pilot to climb and descend into different layers of air to steer the craft.

When the sun has risen it heats the boundary layer and it rises and mixes with the gradient wind so the balloons track over the ground becomes straighter and faster.

In some parts of the world it is possible to fly in the evening, think of it as the reverse situation. You start off flying a very predictable track and then as the air cools and calms you have a chance to play with direction a little.

If you’re in a really cold snowy place you can fly all day.

Should your pilot get airborne and the wind increases in flight he or she should terminate that flight at the first big field they find. Again disappointing but safe.

What Should I Wear?

The heated air in the balloon is at around 100C and you are moving in your own bubble down wind so there is no wind chill. It’s pretty warm in the basket. People tend to overdress and regret it. Rather go for layers that can be easily be removed.

If it’s a dawn flight on a summer’s day it will probably be pretty warm a couple of hours after sunrise.

The biggest apparel mistake that passengers make is in the foot ware department.

Fields are likely to having morning dew on them or something less poetic that a cow has left behind. Welly boots or sturdy boots rule when ballooning.

The colour white is not the best plan either.

How High Will We Fly?

Ballooning is best enjoyed at tree top height. Climbing a little to say 2000′ helps the view to unfold and allows the pilot to check what is ahead.

If it’s really calm your pilot might go higher still because there is little else to do! I have taken off and landed in the same field before.

How long will the flight last?

Most balloons fly with fuel sufficient for 1 and a half hours’ safe flight. Now call me old fashioned call me a fool but it’s best to leave some for in case so one hour is generally the time you fly for.

The only time you can have too much fuel is when you are on fire.

Now if a perfect field arrives underneath the balloon at 50 minutes it makes sense to land.

If you fly on because you have passengers insist that they want their hour in the air and hit power lines that’s your indaba.

It has happened and aviation authorities take a pretty dim view of pilots that do that sort of thing.

Now if you can remember right back to the beginning when I said the lighter the basket the better the fuel lasts… Well it’s very true. Maybe because you didn’t bring the kitchen sink with you the pilot is getting good consumption and will take you well over the hour.

Another tip here, if you show interest and seem enthralled every good pilot will try and make the flight last longer. If you are late to the flying site carry the world on board and are rude you might get a short flight. That’s life.

How far will we fly?

It’s back to the wind speed thing again. Flights in the evening normally go further than the morning.

As a very general rule you fly somewhere in the order of 12km on a flight.

Where will we land?

>From even before the pilot takes off he or she should be thinking about the landing. Refining the position continually throughout the flight.

Your landing almost certainly will not be back where you started. It can be sometimes but that’s very rare.

It will probably be the aforementioned farmer’s field with four legged things in or nearby.

If you happen to be flying with me in Kenya it will be one flipping big field with furry four legged things about.

Sometimes on the edge of built up areas pilots might land on football pitches or school yards. That’s perfectly normal.

How will we land?

Just about everybody seems to have seen footage of balloons dragging along the ground on their sides. Now this is normally in Kenya or Tanzania where balloons fly in slightly higher winds than the rest of the world. Because of this basket design has dramatically changed. Big baskets routinely carry 18 passengers. These baskets have cushion flooring, and seats.

For quick landing passengers put their backs to the direction of travel sit on the seats and hold onto rope handles. The balloon sides are high enough that their heads will be below the top of the basket.

It’s then just a matter of waiting for the thing to stop. As the balloon slows the basket will tip so the passengers end up on their backs facing skywards normally laughing.

You will have high speed landings in other parts of the world but in my 18 years of flying I have not managed to match East African speeds.

Very important to keep limbs inside the basket whilst dragging, else you’ll break them. Also if you have anything around your neck like a camera or binoculars tuck them into your jumper or top to stop them flying up and hitting yourself or friend in the face. Best really to put them in a case by your feet. Anybody with long hair should also be careful not to let it drag under the bottom of the basket.

For the most part it will be a very gentle touchdown, the basket staying upright.

Very important not to get out until the pilot says though. When your weights gone the balloon may take off again and you will be walking home.

How will we get back?

So once on the ground you will probably help the pilot pack the balloon whilst a vehicle that has been in two way radio contact with your pilot finds out how to get into the field.

This may take some time. It’s not always obvious to the crew exactly how to get to the balloon.

You will then normally be taken back to the launch site. It’s often amazing how long this takes and how far it is. Remember if the balloon you have flown in a fairly straight line across roads and rail.

It might be a torturous windy route back.

That might be why it takes the crew several minutes to find you.

Blimey what started as quick notes seems to have gone on a bit. If you really do have any fears or questions you would like answered. I will try balloonsafaris@hotmail.com

Cheers

Gary

http://www.airborneadventuresafrica.com

Because now that you’re less depended on conventional means for electric, you don’t have to depend on the government or the electric bill. If there’s an power outage, it won’t affect you, you will still be generating electric from your wind generator. Hah, won’t that be a blast when a power outage happens around your area and you’re just sitting in your living room, drinking hot chocolate.. Because a wind turbine can be even more effective giving off more electricity then is needed for the average home the utility companies usually offer a buy back system where they will buy back any unused electricity that has been supplied by the residential wind power. The reason behind claming the energy produce from these sources is that you’re not going to pay to any huge company in exchange of power you’ll be offered with. It’s now possible for you to built your own solar panels or wind generator at ease for less than $200. There are some very poor quality plans out there, and this article will help you judge which plans are up to speed so you can get the best wind power for homes and buildings. The big difference in plans is between old and new. Older plans will teach you how to get wind power for homes through much more complex methods than necessary. They also assume you know a great deal more about wind turbines than the average person. This is the fatal flaw that you need to avoid. Of course, this used to be unavoidable which is why so many people never got cheap wind power for homes before. In fact, the generator will be hooked up to the utility grid and you can actually sell power to the utility if you produce more than you need.

Source: Wind Power

In uncertain economic times, many people find themselves unable to make their mortgage payments. If you find yourself unable to pay your mortgage on your primary or second home, you may face major consequences. The repercussions of defaulting vary by state and province and by country, and can affect a homeowner for years to come, so he or she must fully realize what defaulting on a mortgage means to financial security and status.

There are specific repercussions involved in defaulting on a Spanish mortgage. If you are not a Spanish citizen but own a home in Spain, you may think its still possible to easily walk away from the mortgage with no consequences whatsoever. This used to be true, especially for second residences or vacation homes. But now Spanish mortgage holders can and do pursue every legal means necessary to collect on their mortgages.

In case a homeowner must default on a mortgage in Spain, turning over the home to the bank is often an option. This option will save you money in court costs incurred by the bank when pursuing you for the balance, as well as additional interest on the mortgage during the court battle. You cant just turn the keys over to the bank without arranging it, however. The bank can to agree to accept the home back, but they do not have to. They will be rather unlikely to take the home back without good reason such as a hardship. Any homeowners that can prove such a hardship to the bank will be even more likely to succeed in negotiating a turnover.

If you cannot negotiate a home turnover with the bank that holds your Spanish mortgage, you will need to sell the home as soon as possible. The homeowner must sell the home for as much as possible, as the bank that holds the Spanish mortgage will come after him or her for any amount remaining on the loan after the home sale proceeds are paid to the bank. They are more likely to do so if the shortfall is large. However, the bank can legally pursue the homeowner for any shortfall amount at all. This includes placing liens on any assists you may have, such as investment portfolios, your primary residence, and any other property you own that has value. Although it may take years to collect on the shortfall by going through the court systems, the bank that holds your Spanish mortgage will not give up until they do.

If you must default on your Spanish mortgage, it is vital that you contact the bank as soon as possible to work with them. Showing a willingness to work with the bank can allow a homeowner to walk away from a Spanish mortgage with as little financial cost as possible and still retain full ownership of all his or her other assets.

Many residents of Britain and North Europe are finding the idea of buying foreign property a more desirable and realistic goal. Since decent capital growth is offered, lower air prices and interest rates have made purchasing property in Spain more desirable. You will enjoy lots of sunshine and it’s just a short trip to Spain. Although purchasing property in Spain has received a bad rap, you can get a great deal if you follow a few underlying guidelines. The following is a fundamental guide for those interested in buying real estate in Spain:

• Arrange your finances first.
  Consider using a Spanish mortgage expert to guide you through the process.


• Before you sign any binding contracts, seek expert legal advice.
  


• To save yourself from becoming financially strapped, you should spend wisely and frugally.
• Stand by for time deadlines to be protracted.
  
• Wait until you have the funding in place before committing yourself to a private purchase contract.
  
• The Spanish purchase process is not the same as it is in the UK and other places
• Fully understand the way taxes are accrued based on the specific ownership structure that you choose.

There have been many instances where international buyers have been unable to get the results they seek because they didn’t know what questions to ask. Before you sign a contract, you need to think about the next few questions, and others that you may have:

• Is the land that the purchase sits on registered as urbanized or rustic? What complications can come from buying land that is rustic.


• What costs will have to be accounted for, including standard legal costs and tax costs?


• Are licenses already in place, for instance property contracts or first liens of residency?




• Is this purchase being bought direct or as part of a cessation of contract?


• Will there be any under declaration in this purchase?


• Be sure to ask what extra costs you might be liable for, such as taxes on capital gains, inheritance taxes or income tax.


• At which stage of the transaction are they deemed nonrefundable?


• Are there any additional legal costs or fees to be paid?

Today I want to share some tips on the best way to find a cool, personal accommodation in Florence, Italy.

There are a large amount of tiny hostels providing a well-recognized atmosphere, and you may also find some nice 1-star or 2-star hotel. Looking for a pensione in Florence is often a good idea, since the town is actually tiny and full of sights. You will surely need a friendly, warm ambiences to enjoy Florence at its best.

Service in Florence is also top-quality in tiny hotel, way more than in bigger hostels. This is standard, since massive hotel chain have to deal with the requirement of plenty more guests. The owners of smaller hostels in Florence are frequently expert about the town and can supply fantastic suggestions to have a comprehensive experience of culture, museum and monuments; they can also mention some glorious traditional Tuscan cafes. Florence is an actually tiny town, and is a little bit strange to have a holiday here in a 5 star hotel. A little annuity is all you really need to enjoy your vacation.

Even in the city that surround Florence you can find some excellent pensions to make your stay in Tuscany a real charm.

Shopping on the internet has become more and more popular, which is fantastic for the shopper – it’s made it painless to shop. Also, a more competitive market linked with the cost-effectiveness with selling online has ensured low prices for items.

However, as the e-commerce landscape has expanded, so too has the need to be heedful of your consumer rights, and what to do if you find yourself with items that don’t even turn up or faulty items. Data is available on the internet, such as the consumer protection act 1987.

Another consideration is what payment gateway to use to pay for something, as each payment provider has its own terms and conditions. For example, Paypal act as an independent arbitrator only for physical goods, not digital downloads. Doing your homework can prevent you getting ripped off by internet scams.

Our word of advice is to do your research about the vendor : do they show their phone number and postal address? What is the vendor’s returns policy? Their terms and conditions? Their privacy policy? All these inquiries need to be addressed prior to considering buying from the vendor.

Another issue to think about: what are the methods of purchase? In 2009, it’s not enough to only look for a Secure Socket Layer Certificate – this doesn’t tell you how they keep your data, only how it’s sent when you make the order. If in any doubt, only purchase from sellers who use 3rd party payment gateways such as PayPal, Google Checkout, WorldPay, SagePay and NoChex.You can also verify the reputation the seller has with his payment provider, e.g. check his PayPal account and how many orders have happened on this individual account.

Every year people around the globe celebrate a variety of holidays. A set of decorations will be used for each holiday season. Many homes also have different sets of table linens made up of holiday tablecloths, table napkins, place mats, table skirting and chair chair coverings, table napkins, placemats and table skirting. The linens are brought out once a year for that holiday.

An ideal example of a holiday season is Thanksgiving. Everything is focused on the third Thursday of November and the big traditional spread of turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, vegetables, rolls and pumpkin pie. Thanksgiving tablecloths are, for the most part, fashioned with the autumn season in mind. Autumn Leaves, Falling Leaves and Fall Festival are all great print options for Thanksgiving tablecloths. Solid colored linen napkins and place mats that complement the pattern on the holiday tablecloths can be used to finish the look. Yellow, orange and brown are most likely going to be the solid colors chosen for the table linens.

Christmas is the #1 holiday that people decorate their home for. In most cases, decorations are proudly displayed both inside and outside of the house. Many people use traditional Christmas tablecloths in either solid red or green while others may opt for holiday tablecloths that have been imprinted with a Christmas theme. If you use old fashioned holiday tablecloths with prints like Santa, Christmas Music and Christmas Ornaments, you will surely bring back childhood memories of Christmas gone by. Do you choose to celebrate in a more formal manner? Holiday tablecloths with a print like Seasons Greetings are a perfect choice for such an occasion. The tablecloth is made from a damask cloth with a woven design of Christmas bells, poinsettias, holly and berries. Be sure to step things up a notch and use linen table skirts, chair covers and table napkins.

The Fourth of July is a summer celebration in the United States that marks our nation’s independence. Across the county, people celebrate with cook outs and fireworks. This is one holiday where most people will be dining outdoors. For this venue medium weight vinyl tablecloths are an ideal option. The vinyl is laminated to a heavy-duty polyester backing which makes it the best choice for protecting outside furniture. Perhaps just as importantly, it is easy to wipe vinyl tablecloths clean of messy barbeque spills. Choose vinyl tablecloths in red, white or navy blue and adorn the tables with a festive centerpiece that marks the occasion.

Because you will probably be using your holiday tablecloths for years to come, you should select one that accentuates your household interior. Take your time when you shop. If a local shop does not have what you are looking for then buy your holiday tablecloths via the internet. No matter what the holiday, linen tablecloths, whether they be solid colored or theme printed, will certainly make your decorations stand out.

Top Baby Sitting Tips

Babysitting is an important job and not to be taken softly. Atlanta babysitting services are in high demand. Lets face it nurtures are putting a lot of trust in the person that they hire to care for their baby. Here are a few of my tips that will help make your Baby Sitting experience great!

If this is your first meeting with the youngster, it is feasible that there will be some detachment anxiety. Arrive about 20 minutes early in order to get some interaction with the kid while the parents are still present. This will make the kid feel more comfortable when his/her parents go. Make sure that you have all of the contact data for the nurtures and an emergency plan because safety is your number one precedence. Many sitting services will offer wedding favors, so take them up on other offers.

Now you may be questioning, what are we going to do? Ask the parents about the meal and bedtime dockets so that the kids will still be Keeping their average function. Keeping the kids busy is easy once you spring up a plan. You may want to bring along some of your own toys and games if you arent sure what the kids have at home. Prepare a schedule that includes meals, play time and bed time. It’s important for your sitter to pass a background check, and also be able to pass a drug test.

At the end of the evening, make sure that you put away the toys and games that youve gotten out. If there is meal or snack time scheduled clean the dishes and put them away. You dont want to leave the place in disorder for the nurtures. Give Mom and Dad a full account on the evenings activities and recall to thank them for their business.

Elegant Event Sitters, Inc.
770-329-5047