Staying onshore or going offshore are no longer the only options you should be considering if you want to safely invest your wealth and protect it against a globally vulnerable economy
Why latching on to the local who offers you so much help when you first move abroad could prove to be the biggest mistake you as an expatriate ever make!
Employees working abroad are often not being given adequate insurance cover by the companies they work for, according to a new report.
International healthcare and insurance firm PMI Global found that 20 per cent of firms are failing to provide the correct health insurance to workers living abroad for a prolonged period of time.
It was also revealed that 48 per cent of employers fail to carry out the correct health assessments for the destinations they send their employees to and almost half neglect to organise vaccinations.
Problems were also identified with the level of access to psychological help and advice on where to turn for medical treatment.
Commenting on the results, Rachael Floyd, operations director for PMI Global, said that too many employers are relying on the European Health Insurance Cards [EHICs] to provide their staff with healthcare.
"While the EHIC entitles any resident in the UK to receive emergency healthcare treatment while travelling in the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland, restrictions mean it isn’t a substitute for standalone international health insurance," she explained.
It was reported recently that the union representing Spanish doctors, SiMap, believes that the number of expats in the country using EHIC cards and failing to contribute to the healthcare system through taxes were putting a strain on the service.
Posted by Andy Price. 
First-time buyers in Australia could find it difficult to take their first steps on the international property market this year, according to reports.
The Australian Associated Press reported that the level of housing stock on the market will decline and interest levels are set to rise creating difficulties for new buyers. Analysts believe that an increase in the number of skilled migrants entering the country will also place pressure on the market.
Joshua Williamson, an economist from Citigroup, told the news agency: "For first home buyers to get a foothold in the market, they are probably going to have to go further away from the main central business district in order to secure themselves a home."
He added that this could lead to an increase in the number of people choosing to rent for longer.
The Reserve Bank of Australia took the decision last week to keep interest rates unchanged at 3.75 per cent. In a statement the bank said that the "risk of serious economic contraction" in the country had "passed".
Mr Williamson said that he expects the central bank to increase interest rates in the coming year.
Posted by Charles Mackay.
The first six weeks of 2010 have been a bit on the tumultuous side, as equity markets that came flying out of the gate have done a complete reversal, heading lower and erasing large chunks of the gains recorded in 2009. While the rocky start has been unnerving for investors anxious over the possibility of a double dip recession, others have found a silver lining in the recent pullback, as some big losses have created attractive entrance points in sectors that now appear to be bargains.
The … [visit site to read more]
The “Morning News Notes” as prepared by TL… Greece, Bernanke, Geithner, Greenspan, unemployment and job creation, and odds of an increase in Fed Funds rate.
Just click on the link or the coffee mug below.
“Morning News Notes”: February 8, … [visit site to read more]
Abiomed, Inc. (ABMD) reported third quarter of fiscal 2010 results. For the quarter, net loss per share was 11 cents, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of loss per share of 18 cents and the year-ago loss of 20 cents.
Earnings Estimate Revision Trend and Zacks Rank
The earnings estimate revision for Abiomed has demonstrated a mixed trend in the past 30 days. During the period, one out of eleven analysts has downgraded his earnings estimate while none upgraded his … [visit site to read more]
Trimble Navigation’s (TRMB) third quarter earnings missed consensus estimates by $0.02. Both GAAP and non-GAAP earnings were within management’s guided range.
Seasonality typically causes huge sequential fluctuations in both revenue and margins. As a result, management generally compares results on a year-over-year basis. In our discussion, we will include both sequential and year-over-year comparisons, wherever possible.
Revenue of $277.5 million was up 2.9% … [visit site to read more]
Looking at the AUDUSD 5 minute chart over the last 24 hours of trading or so, there is some choppy action. However, there are some “remembered prices” which have created a few floors in the pair in the shorter term. The first floor come in at the 89.20 level where the market used as extreme lows on 3 separate occassions on Friday afternoon, before falling through. Later the level was used as support leading to the next range higher. The second floor has come in at 0.8642 … [visit site to read more]
