Is an investors’ “perfect storm” brewing? If you’re not careful, it could sweep your wealth away. Long-dormant inflation looks to be catching fire. A stock market in overdrive may crash and burn for years. And taxes to fund deficits and social programs look to be rising to punishing levels not seen in a generation. This triple threat could mean a financial apocalypse from which many investors won’t ever recover. Getting straight talk on smart wealth management has never been more critical. With Social Security and Medicare tracking to go belly-up in a few short years, there will be dire consequences for millions. Already-retired boomers, living far longer than ever expected, will strain government resources and risk running out of money. Who will pay for it all? Without smart planning, your taxes may rise to confiscatory levels, sapping net worth and lifestyle quality. Your retirement lifestyle and legacy for your kids could get crushed. Some may never be able to retire. Investors and savers of every age and stripe will want to pay careful attention to the concentrated wisdom in this book and take proactive steps to protect themselves while there’s still time.

Is an investors’ “perfect storm” brewing? If you’re not careful, it could sweep your wealth away. Long-dormant inflation looks to be catching fire. A stock market in overdrive may crash and burn for years. And taxes to fund deficits and social programs look to be rising to punishing levels not seen in a generation. This triple threat could mean a financial apocalypse from which many investors won’t ever recover. Getting straight talk on smart wealth management has never been more critical. With Social Security and Medicare tracking to go belly-up in a few short years, there will be dire consequences for millions. Already-retired boomers, living far longer than ever expected, will strain government resources and risk running out of money. Who will pay for it all? Without smart planning, your taxes may rise to confiscatory levels, sapping net worth and lifestyle quality. Your retirement lifestyle and legacy for your kids could get crushed. Some may never be able to retire. Investors and savers of every age and stripe will want to pay careful attention to the concentrated wisdom in this book and take proactive steps to protect themselves while there’s still time.

Environmental harm is commonly associated with companies that extract, consume, and pollute our shared natural resources. Rarely are the 'unseen polluters,' the financiers that sponsor and profit from eco-damaging corporations, placed at the forefront of the environmental debate. By focusing on these unseen polluters, Benjamin Richardson provides a comprehensive examination of socially responsible investment (SRI), and offers a guide to possible reform. Richardson proposes that greater regulatory supervision of SRI will help ensure that the financial sector prioritizes ethically-based investments. In Socially Responsible Investment Law, he suggests that new governmental reforms should encourage companies to participate in socially responsible investments by providing a better mix of standards and incentives for SRI through measures that include redefining the fiduciary responsibilities of institutional investors to incorporate environmental concerns. By doing so, Richardson posits that corporate financiers, including banks, hedge funds, and pension plans, will become more accountable to the goals of ensuring sustainable development.

This book explains the dynamics behind southeast Asia's foreign investment activity, and looks at the region's options for reviving its reputation as an attractive host for foreign investors. Each chapter focuses on a key element; together, they portray southeast Asia's foreign investment profile and prospects. By bringing these key interlocking elements together under a single cover, the book aims to provide a more profound understanding of the challenges southeast Asian countries face in their on-going attempts both to attract new foreign investment inflows and to continue hosting substantial existing foreign-invested assets.

This book analyzes the banking crisis and the events surrounding it in Hungary and other emerging EU member countries in 2007-2013. Written by Júlia Király, a former policymaker, and the Deputy Governor of the Hungarian Central Bank at the time of the crisis, it also offers a firsthand account of the processes in and responses to the financial crisis. While there is extensive literature on the crisis, most of it focuses on the US or the Eurozone, sometimes mentioning the “emerging world” in passing. However, Central and Eastern Europe experienced the crisis very differently than other emerging countries. In the pre-crisis years, the region in accession to the EU attracted abundant fresh capital, but the seemingly unconstrained global liquidity fuelled credit bubbles. After the Lehman crisis, capital rapidly fled these countries. In this part of the world, the recession proved to be much worse than elsewhere, with double-digit growth soon turning into a double-digit decline in GDP. Several countries had to turn to the IMF and the EU for stand-by credit. Based on her own inside experience as a top central banker, the author offers a personal yet professional analysis of the causes and consequences of the financial hurricane.

This report outlines the conceptual framework for sand and dust storms (SDS) hazard risk and vulnerability assessment and mapping in agriculture and provides the elements as part of SDS contingency planning process in agriculture in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Its main purpose is to provide an applicable procedure for using web-based data to reduce SDS risk and impacts on agriculture. This is a first attempt to develop a contingency plan for SDS risk reduction in agriculture using freely available remote sensing imagery and geographic information system (GIS) modeling. It includes a set of agriculture-specific indicators proposed to assess SDS risk and discusses the required steps for developing indicators and procedures.Furthermore, a methodology for SDS contingency planning in agriculture is described, including the legal and institutional frameworks in the Islamic Republic of Iran relevant for SDS intervention as well as the organizational responsibilities for implementing the contingency plan. It reviews the main action areas and challenges to be addressed in SDS contingency planning in agriculture for Ahvaz County. It provides an action framework for the identification and fine-tuning of SDS priority actions to be addressed and integrated into existing national and local SDS disaster risk reduction/management plans and/or sectoral development plans in the Islamic Republic of Iran.Due to the central position of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the global dust belt, it is highly impacted by sand and dust storms (SDS). Mitigating the adverse effects of SDS on agriculture remains very important as the country is highly dependent on the sector and the sector is both an anthropogenic driver of SDS as well as the yields and productivity of crops, trees and pastures are negatively impacted by SDS. With climate change it is expected that droughts and land use changes will increase the frequency and severity of SDS risks. Hence, urgent action is needed, whereby short-term responses require to be linked to long-term development actions for building resilience against SDS.

A comparison of property versus shares and how to find the right mix for a profitable portfolio Almost every investor eventually considers the question: which is the better investment, property or shares? The answer isn't as simple as one or the other, since both asset classes offer different benefits and risks. And if the best answer is a mix of the two, how do you strike the right balance for sustained returns? This book takes an unbiased look at these two asset classes, explaining the risks and benefits of each, dispelling stubborn myths, and giving you the facts you need to find what’s best for you and your portfolio. Offering a point-by-point comparison of shares versus property, this easy-to-read guide argues that a combined strategy is smartest and safest for most investors. It then goes on to give you the information you need to tailor your portfolio to your own level of acceptable risk versus desired reward. Offers a simple, in-depth side-by-side comparison of the two most vital asset classes in any portfolio Peter Koulizos is a popular speaker and commentator on property investing and the author of The Property Professor's Top Australian Suburbs Zac Zacharia is founder and managing director of financial services company, The Centra Wealth Group, and is a lecturer in share investment, a regular speaker and media contributor Includes helpful tips on what and when to buy, as well as how to avoid both property and share scams Every portfolio should be different, depending on your own individual goals and needs. With this handy guide, you can find the right mix of assets to achieve healthy and consistent returns.

Do you seek financial security and freedom from worrying about money? In an uncertain and increasingly complex world, you would be forgiven for being as worried about your finances as your health. With a bewildering amount of financial jargon, an overwhelming number of investment choices, and often conflicting advice, it is no wonder you may be left grappling with uncertainty and confusion about making sound financial plans and rational investment decisions. With over 30 years of experience as a financial advisor and mentor, Michael Aitken has long been an expert guiding light for people just like you. In this book, he unveils the four fundamental pillars of financial wellbeing and leads you on a clear path toward a life where financial worries are a thing of the past. The Levelheaded Investor equips you with the tools, mindsets and knowledge you need to create the future you want, supported by a realistic and actionable financial plan. Within these pages you’ll learn how to: > Master building a smart investment portfolio that’s right for you. > Navigate a path to security that avoids the traps that snare other investors. > Stay calm and confident when the stock markets get rough. > Find and collaborate effectively with a trusted financial advisor. Say goodbye to your money worries and become a savvy, levelheaded investor. With this book as your trusted guide, you’ll feel empowered and motivated to take your first steps towards financial security and a life of wellbeing and fulfilment for you and your family.

A look at lessons of the past that could help secure profits in an uncertain economic future In this era of unprecedented economic disruption, author Dan Shaffer warns investors and traders to be skeptical of the day-to-day pronouncements of the media and financial pundits, and instead look to the lessons of history and long-term economic cycles to inform their financial decisions. To successfully navigate today's economic storms, he asserts, investors need to break free of crowd psychology and think for themselves. Shaffer believes that the study of past financial crises provides the surest guide to assessing the current environment, and with this reliable resource he shows you exactly how to make the most of your time in today's markets with this effective approach. Offers timely advice on surviving depressions, deflation, hyperinflation, and market bubbles Compares our current economic and political situation with past financial crises and the rise and fall of other civilizations By understanding the "big picture," and refusing to be manipulated, you can better protect your assets and move in and out of trends to make big profits. This book will show you what it takes to make these moves, and excel in today's uncertain economic environment.