A Better 2015

If you really want to have a better 2015 this post will help you. You may want to start by becoming more involved in the Real Estate INVESTING industry. Try to start from the ground up. Learn the basics. Try to work on eliminating the things that can cause you to quit. Eliminate fear or skepticism etc. Focus on building your desire to succeed by doing the following:

1- Make a commitment-  You cannot win if you quit. Make a commitment to stick it out UNTIL you close a few deals. Stay  in the game by focusing on the lifestyle success will afford  you.  Get in the game and do as many of the in the field activities as you can find. This is how you become comfortable and get the experience it takes to become a Top Producer. It  will also build your muscle memory and expertise in the field.

2-Set Goals- Do not set unrealistic goals they will cause you to quit if you do not reach them. Set goals that stretch you a little but are attainable. One goal could be to invest  time listening to the Podcasts or watching the YouTube channel GaREIA  offers.  Find out when is the next Bootcamp and start paying for it now. You can even set a goal to register for one of the few Coaching programs that are offered at GaREIA like the Yellow Letter Mentoring Campaign or the Passive Income etc. The more you know the easier the it is to handle the obstacles you will face. These goals will also help you network and establish some great relationships with positive people who are headed in the same direction.

3- Have short and long term objectives. Set some objectives you want to achieve in the next 30, 60 and 90 days as a Real Estate Investor. What will you study and how will you implement what you have learned. Consider how you will add Real Estate investing activities to your current schedule. If you do not pencil it in it may never happen.  How many homes will you see, how many sellers will you speak with?

Set some goals for the next year or 5 years. It is much easier to hang in there if you set long term goals. Make them concrete by adding a Vision and Dream Board as part of your long term goals.

This is a short list of what it takes to change your financial life through Real Estate Investing. We will share more in the next few months. However, the main thing is to become a part of the community you want to earn from. If you are not a member yet then consider becoming a member by visiting our website and choosing the plan that fits your budget. Visit Georgia Real Estate Investors (GaREIA) Atlanta Real Estate Investing | Community, Education, Professional Services, Philanthropy and make it a prosperous New Year

				Georgia Real Estate Investors (GaREIA) Atlanta Real Esta… Happy Holidays ! Dec 18, 2014 by GaREIA GaREIA “Kick Off the New Year” Extravaganza! Monday January 12 The Commerce Club – Atlanta One Ninety One Peachtr…
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Make it a better 2015

Wendy Lovejoy  Marketing Director, GaREIA

Scottish independence: HSBC boss makes 'capital flight' claim

Douglas Flint claimed independence was "a giant step into economic uncertainty"


Uncertainty over an independent Scotland's currency could lead to "capital flight" from the country, the chairman of HSBC has claimed.

Writing in the Telegraph, Douglas Flint said supporters of independence were "advocating a giant step into economic uncertainty".

Mr Flint donated £25,000 to the Better Together campaign last year.

Yes Scotland argued that a currency union was in the interests of Scotland and the UK, and would be agreed.

Currency has been a major issue in the independence debate ahead of the 18 September referendum.

The Scottish government has proposed continuing to use sterling in a formal currency union with the rest of the UK if voters back independence.

But the UK government and the main Westminster parties have said they would rule out such a deal.

Alternatives could include "sterlingisation" - using sterling without the Bank of England as lender of last resort - joining the euro or setting up a separate Scottish currency.

Pro-Union campaigners have pressed First Minister Alex Salmond to set out a "Plan B" but he has refused to do so, insisting that the UK government would negotiate a currency union if there is a "Yes" vote. 'Financial stability'

Mr Flint, who is group chairman of HSBC Holdings and describes himself as an "exiled Scot", wrote: "It is hard to imagine Scotland without the anchor of financial stability that it derives from sterling currency union.

"That is why the pro-independence campaign would like to recreate a currency union in the event that Scotland separates from the rest of the UK.

"If there was a better alternative that improved the future prospects of Scotland it would surely have been promoted vigorously."

He added: "The alternatives to a currency union include a completely independent currency, passive acceptance of a monetary policy designed in London for the rest of the UK, or, assuming Scotland rejoins the European Union, eventual membership of the euro.

"In all these circumstances, the transition from the existing currency union would be complex and fraught with danger.

"At the extreme, uncertainty over Scotland's currency arrangements could prompt capital flight from the country, leaving its financial system in a parlous state."

HSBC is the second largest bank in the world but has a relatively small presence in Scotland, with 10 branches.
HSBC is one of the world's biggest banks but has only 10 branches in Scotland 'Huge contribution'

A spokesman for the pro-independence Yes Scotland campaign said: 'People in Scotland can be assured that we will be using the pound after a 'Yes' vote and there will be a currency union."

He added: "The rest of the UK exports nearly £60bn year to Scotland - we are the rUK's second biggest export market.

"A separate currency would entail transaction costs of around £500m a year to rUK businesses.

"It is therefore clearly in the interests of the rest of the UK to share a currency with an independent Scotland.

"Scotland's huge contribution to a sterling area's balance of payments is another reason why it will be in the interests of the rUK."

Commenting for Better Together, Labour MP Ian Murray said: "This is another hugely experienced expert who has underlined the currency chaos which has plagued Alex Salmond's campaign.

"When a voice such as Douglas Flint's warns of the risks of money leaving a separate Scotland to somewhere safer, you pay attention.

"With just days to go until up to a million Scots start voting by post, Alex Salmond is running out of time to name Plan B."

Bank of America in record $16.7bn mortgage settlement

Bank of America has agreed to pay a record $16.7bn (£10bn) to US authorities for misleading investors about the quality of loans it sold.

The loans were sold by Countrywide Financial and Merrill Lynch before Bank of America bought them in 2008, at the height of the financial crisis.

The associate attorney general said "no institution is either too big or too powerful to escape" punishment.

The settlement will cut the bank's third-quarter profits by $5.3bn.

Bank of America will pay a total of $9.65bn in cash and provide consumer relief worth about $7bn. The cash component consists of a $5bn civil penalty and $4.63 billion in compensation payments.

Tony West, the associate attorney general, explained: "It's kind of like going to your neighbourhood grocery store to buy milk advertised as fresh, only to discover that store employees knew the milk you were buying had been left out on the loading dock, unrefrigerated, the entire day before, yet they never told you.

"And just like you might be in for an unpleasant surprise when you got home and poured yourself that glass of milk, investors -- such as public pension funds and federally-insured financial institutions -- were unpleasantly met with billions of dollars in losses when those securities investments soured."

Brian Moynihan, chief executive of the bank, said: "We believe this settlement, which resolves significant remaining mortgage-related exposures, is in the best interests of our shareholders, and allows us to continue to focus on the future."

Standard Chartered to pay fresh penalty to NY regulator

Standard Chartered was first fined by the New York regulator in 2012

 
Standard Chartered has agreed to pay $300m (£180m) to New York's top banking regulator for failing to improve its money laundering controls.

The British bank has also been banned from accepting new dollar clearing accounts without the state's approval.

The penalty comes after the bank failed to fix problems identified in 2012.

"If a bank fails to live up to its commitments, there should be consequences," the New York State Department's Benjamin M Lawsky said.

Standard Chartered said it "accepted" the findings of the New York State Department of Financial Services.

"We are continuing the remediation of our AML [anti-money laundering] control issues with the utmost urgency, in addition to improving our compliance programmes generally," it added. 

It said a "small proportion" of its clients would be affected by the suspension of dollar clearing for high risk retail clients at its Hong Kong unit, and the banning of high-risk client relationships in the United Arab Emirates.

Standard Chartered warned earlier this month that it could face more US fines over its money-laundering controls as it reported a 20% fall in half-year profits.

In 2012, Standard Chartered agreed a $340m fine with the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) after it was accused of hiding $250bn of transactions with Iran.

As part of that agreement an independent monitor was installed at the bank by the DFS, which discovered that Standard Chartered had failed to detect "a large number of potentially high risk transactions".

Heathrow passenger numbers hit record high in July

The airport said 27 July was its busiest day on record

Heathrow said passenger numbers hit a record high in July as it reiterated its argument for expansion.

The UK's busiest airport said passenger numbers totalled 6.97 million passengers last month, up 0.5% on July 2013.

The month included its busiest ever day on 27 July when 239,928 passengers travelled through the airport.

"Only Heathrow can deliver daily. Gatwick can't, Heathrow can," said Heathrow boss John Holland-Kaye.

The airport said passenger traffic with Mexico was up 15.4%, while traffic with China rose 10.4%.

It said it expected traffic with China to increase further when Air China doubled its service to Beijing from October.

The airport is at the centre of a long running debate over expanding the UK's airport capacity.

A third runway at Heathrow, the lengthening of an existing runway at Heathrow or a new runway at Gatwick are all being considered.

The Airports Commission, charged with deciding how to expand UK air capacity, is due to report after 2015.

UK firms hurt by Russian embargo on food imports

UK firms have been hit by a Russian ban on food imports from a number of Western countries.

The tit-for-tat ban, imposed on Thursday, bars imports from countries which have imposed sanctions on Russia over the conflict in Ukraine.

"It will have a big impact on business," said Sinclair Banks, boss of fishing and fish processing firm Lunar.

The firm, based in Peterhead in north-east Scotland, makes half of its £60m annual turnover from exports to Russia.
Russia is the biggest market by volume for Scottish mackerel and herring

"We've £200,000 of herring sitting at St Petersburg, we don't know if it will go through or even if it will be paid for," said Mr Banks.

He added that Lunar had already cancelled a boat exporting herring because of the sanctions.

Some 320 miles south, Shropshire cheese-maker Belton Cheese is also suffering.

Justin Beckett, managing director of the family business, said it had already had to cancel a £30,000 cheese order due to be sent to Russia on Monday.

"As you can imagine it's very disappointing. Russia was a very new market, about 2-3% of our business, but we had an expansion plan for the next two to three years."

Mr Beckett said this expansion had been expected to bring in up to £2m over the next three years.
Belton Cheese said it had expected the Russian market to be worth up to £2m over the next three years

Larger firms, such as B&Q owner Kingfisher, have also warned they could be affected.

Kingfisher chief executive Sir Ian Cheshire told BBC Radio 5 live it was "sensitive" towards any potential disruption.

"We're clearly concerned that if it went further it would impact us and we're just having to wait and see and also try and switch where we can to more domestic sources [for products]. But the market longer-term for us there is still a solid one," he added.

Waitrose managing director Mark Price told 5 live that Western goods due to be exported to Russia might now look to be sold in the UK.

"Europe's a huge market and Britain's just one part of it. But if they do find their way to the UK then that could well put some downward pressure on prices," he said.
M&S has 41 stores in Russia

Henderson Global Investors analyst Matthew Beesley said other British High Street firms, including Marks and Spencer and WH Smith, could also be affected.

"Marks and Spencer has about 4% of its operating profit currently sourced from Russia - they've got 41 stores there. WH Smith has just won a contract to sell newspapers in the railway stations across the country," he added.

Despite the negative impact of the ban on British firms, for consumers it may be positive,

"The banning of these exports does not mean the goods will not be sold or consumed elsewhere. Households are likely to benefit from the fall in food prices, helping free up income for other spending," Schroders economists Azad Zangana and Craig Botham wrote in an analyst note.

FAA bans US airline over Iraq due to conflict

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has banned all US airlines from flying over Iraq until further notice. 

The FAA ban only applies to US carriers, such as Delta, United, American Airlines, and others

 

The FAA said the ban was introduced due to the "hazardous situation" created by fighting between militants from the Islamic State (IS) and Iraqi security forces.

British Airways said it was suspending its flights over Iraq and would "keep the situation under review".

The US launched air strikes against IS in Iraq on Thursday.

The FAA had previously banned all air travel over Iraq below 30,000 feet on 31 July.

On Saturday, Australian airline Qantas said it had suspended flights over Iraq, following similar actions by German airline Lufthansa, Dubai-based Emirates, Virgin Atlantic and Air France.

Flying over conflict areas has come under increasing scrutiny since the crash of MH 17 in Ukraine in July.

Earlier in July, the FAA and other European carriers briefly suspended flights to Israel's Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv after a rocket landed near the airport.