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Life insurance for your grandchildren, it is possible

Thursday Feb 24, 2011

Life insurance is not a matter of responsible adults. Young people and kids can also have one. Some grandparents have indeed chosen to open for them contracts to give them a financial boost. To help your grandchildren during your lifetime, to acquire a house for example, you can purchase a contract (called intergenerational), designed to facilitate donations.

Its principle is simple: you give money to your grandchild (up to € 31,395 every six years), with the obligation to reinvest in a life insurance contract. Here, and it's a big difference, the policyholder is other than your grand-son (daughter), even if minor. His parents then take care of all formalities.

To secure your donation, you can write, preferably with the help of a notary public, "Deputy pact" which will include a specified date of availability of savings (at 18 years of your grandchild, at the end of high school, etc..) and / or use of funds (for a house purchase for example). This method has the advantage of being "visible", so to avoid conflicts at the time of succession. And it can also take time "tax" because when the contract will be eight years, he will receive reduced taxation.

Another solution: make your beneficiaries

Purchase a single contract for the benefit her grandchildren is the easiest way to show generosity. You save at your pace and have at any time of your savings. You also know that capital is available on your contract will be forwarded without fees, outside succession (art.L 132-13 of the Insurance Code, available on the website governmental law publishing Legifrance. This applies if the amount does not exceed 152,500 Euro per beneficiary (for payments after 70 years, the deduction is limited to 30,500 euros per beneficiary). But, and this is the main problem with this formula, you are not comfortable when the money will be used, because the savings will be passed to your death.

Be careful also not to injure your heirs (children, etc..) So that the premiums are not considered excessive and reinstated, therefore, in your estate.

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Companies repatriate their expatriates from Egypt

Tuesday Feb 1, 2011

While the military is responsible for overseeing the anti-Mubarak revolt that has killed at least 125 dead and thousands injured for almost a week, several French companies in Egypt have decided to repatriate some or all their expatriates and their families.

In a statement, Lafarge has announced "the return of a dozen expatriates based in Cairo and their families, totaling one hundred people." The cement has to in the Egyptian capital of a regional hub covering Africa and the Middle East, which employs 70 expatriates and their families, about 200 people.The repatriation "for less than half of expatriates in Cairo Lafarge and a very small proportion of Lafarge management in Egypt," emphasizes the group that says that this decision has no impact on its activities in the country .

This decision is "temporary" said Lafarge. She is "taken out of caution, by attention to families and to reflect the international nature of some activities based in Cairo." Lafarge makes a little over 25% of its net sales in the Middle East and Africa.In exchange, investors have punished the group's exposure to the Tunisian and Egyptian revolts: the title fell to 48.29 euros on January 26 to 44 euros, a loss of nearly 9% in two sessions.

France Telecom and Credit Agricole

For France Telecom, which has 26 million customers in Egypt through its subsidiary Mobinil, the repatriation of expatriate employees began Sunday morning on a voluntary basis. The group's spokesman said France Telecom had many employees in Egypt, but only twenty expatriates, counting their families.

For its part, Credit Agricole announced the evacuation of expatriate families in Egypt. The bank said that a plane has been "specially chartered to repatriate families temporarily. In contrast, the ten expatriates that make up the group in Egypt "wanted to stay behind to run the bank.""We take no risks and monitor the situation closely," added the spokesperson for the group.

States rush planes

States also are beginning to evacuate their nationals best payday advance. After only advised against travel to Egypt, several governments have decided to charter aircraft for repatriation of their citizens. The United States, Australia and Japan are preparing for Monday, mimicking Saudi Arabia, Libya, Lebanon, India, Greece, Turkey, Canada, Iraq and Azerbaijan.

Japanese carmaker Nissan has also announced it was suspending its production in Egypt for at least a week. The group has a small production unit in the country at Giza (south of Cairo), where he assembled last year around 10,000 vehicles and 4X4 trucks.Toyota announced his compatriot cancel all business trips of its employees in Egypt, until further notice, but do not stop producing approximately 3000 vehicles on site 4X4 each year from 2012.

Russian groups also perform the repatriation of their nationals. The oil company Lukoil has evacuated fifteen expatriates and their families Sunday and gas producer Novatek plans to organize the evacuation of its employees on Monday.

Tour operators orchestrate the ballet returns

As for tour operators, they organize the early return of their customers. Gathered for emergency talks on Sunday afternoon, the Association of Tour Operators (Ceto) decided to suspend all departures to Egypt until Thursday, Feb. 3 included.

Particularly vulnerable to disturbances in Egypt, Club Med falling stock market: the title lost 4.29% to 16.75 euros on a market down by 0.22%.

Approximately 10,000 French residents in Egypt and, according to the Quai d'Orsay, "several tens of thousands of French tourists" could now be on site.

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Taxation: reform presented in late April

Tuesday Jan 18, 2011

The schedule is tight: a report from the Audit Office in late February 2011 on the comparison of German and French tax systems, a discussion in Parliament, then the presentation of a text by the Cabinet in late April as just announce the budget minister Baroin. The bill will ultimately be reviewed by Parliament in June.

On Tuesday, the budget minister will meet for the first time some twenty parliamentary deputies and senators of the majority, to explore different avenues to reform the taxation of wealth. They include Michel Piron, a supporter of the abolition of the solidarity tax on wealth, Herve Mariton who is critical of the lack of performance of the ISF, but also Yves Censi, or Senator Marie-Helene of Esgaulx wishing to address the estate tax.Budget Minister Baroin will also hold a conference in early March on the same theme.

Predicted demise of the shield and ISF

The guideline has been hammered repeatedly by the president who made this issue one of its priorities for 2011. "I will remove the tax shield, I'll delete the ISF," said Nicolas Sarkozy was in November 2010.

Delicate exercise, both fiscally and politically, the more it will cost the state nothing. Christine Lagarde, economy minister reaffirmed last week, the reform should be done at zero cost, not to weigh on public accounts. " However, a complete removal of the double shield and ISF would cost the state: it spends 700 million euros for the first, second, it reported $ 3.9 billion.So 3.2 billion should be offset by new revenue from Bercy. Even if takes the voices dissonant are heard to say that the total loss will be lower.

LAI alleviated

If removing the tax cap which limits all direct taxes to 50% of income of the taxpayer, appears gained for electoral reasons, the ISF could instead be retained, but undergo transformations. Last November, the budget minister has raised the possibility of raising the ceiling for tax on capital. "You have more than half of people subject to the ISF, which are only due to the changing world of real estate. If you change the edge and you spend 790,000 euros (Editor's note: threshold current TFR) to 1.2 or 1.3 million for the ticket, you remove 250,000 to 300,000 subject to the ISF, he said.This measure would in effect remove the first installment of the tax.

Another track, always linked to the main residence, is evoked: the exemption of the property within the limit from 400,000 to 500,000 euros, and a continuation of taxation beyond that value no fax needed payday loans. The proposal made by the UMP Gilles Carrez states that taxed goods will continue to benefit from the 30% reduction in force since 2007.

Tax the capital gains

To offset the possible reduction in the base of the ISF, a new tax on real estate are considered. "What we retired to a place, you must have it back to another", explained recently Baroin on France Inter.

Nicolas Sarkozy last week said he was "logical" to tax unearned income than to tax the ownership of assets.The government therefore would reflect a tax affecting capital gains realized on the sale of a principal residence. Currently, the French with a marked increase in value when selling their principal residence are not taxed on that gain. The taxation of capital gains on investments such as stocks, life insurance or the book A is also under consideration. "We say end of February which tracks we depart," said this morning the Minister of Budget.

Movement of the plane larger than expected

Baroin also announced that the movement of the plane on tax loopholes will be greater than expected next year. After an initial reduction of 9.5 billion euros this year, so they will be cut by 3 billion in 2012 to meet commitments to reduce deficits, while the budget adopted in December called for a reduction of2, 1 billion euros.In late September, the government had announced with a plane extra 3 billion per year in 2013 and 2014."We have I think three years of fiscal crisis to manage, we have three years of saving, master," said Budget Minister.

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EDF sales are better than expected

Monday Nov 15, 2010

EDF did better than expected. The electrician has published a turnover up 9.5% to 52.9 billion euros during the first nine months of 2010. The analysts were not as high as they expected a sales increase of 8% to 52 billion euros.

Sales of the electrician were mainly supported by the acquisitions made in 2009, including that of the Belgian electricity provider SPE and the redemption of the nuclear activities of Constellation Energy. "The first nine months of 2010 have been particularly marked by higher electricity sales volumes and prices overall declining trend internationally," says management.

Sales figures carried by the exchange

The activity is also progressing with a favorable currency impact, due to the depreciation of the euro in a year, the company said.In fact, at constant scope and exchange rates, growth in turnover of the group amounted to only 3.8% payday loans. During the first nine months 2010, EDF has made 51% of its turnover outside France.

With these figures on business, the group confirmed its earnings targets for the whole year. EDF seeks organic growth of its gross operating income of between 3% and 5%. As for the dividend, it expects stability. The electrician said that the target ratio of net debt / EBITDA ratio is now close to 2.5 and EDF welcomes this ratio comes out as "an enhanced level compared to the original target of between 2.5 and 3.

Management expects for 2010 now also on an availability rate of its nuclear plants in France – critical to its profitability – close to 78.5%.In late July, EDF said it was an availability rate of between 78.5% and 79.5% for the full year.


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The CAC 40 in 3750 points

Wednesday Oct 13, 2010

Caution before Fed. That is the watchword now become usual before each meeting of the U.S. central bank. At the close, the CAC 40 was down 0.52% at 3748.86 points, managing to save 3750 points. On Monday in a meeting once again very volatile, the index in Paris ended on a slight rise, as Wall Street a few hours later.

On Wall Street, the trend is to wait too. around 17:30, the Dow Jones lost 0.24% and dropped below the 11,000 points. In fact, investors are not taking a position before the famous conclusions to be made this evening by the U.S. central bank – the Fed – on the economic recovery overseas. Verdict, about 20 hours.

On the currency markets, the dollar regained some ground on the euro in favor of buybacks on the cheap, investors essentially assuming that the greenback's decline has been too strong lately.At 17:30, the single currency fell by 0.28% to 1.3840 dollar.

EADS 'top CAC 40

EADS posted the largest increases in the CAC 40: +1.67% to 18.31 euros, in favor of some soft euro. Please note that Emirates expects to have 120 Airbus A380 when a new airport space has been opened in Dubai. Michelin rose 2.95%, 2.07% Accor and STMicro of 1.69%.

The banking sector remained in the red, while large U.S. banks are preparing to submit their quarterly results this week. JP Morgan Chase will be the first Wednesday.Societe Generale dropped 0.19%, BNP Paribas 0.36%.

Alstom: -1.71% to 35.85 euros

After that Eurostar has chosen Siemens to the detriment of Alstom for the construction of its trains, the president of Alstom, Patrick Kron, said Le Figaro would consider "legal aspects" of this choice cash advance payday loan.

Areva: -0.57% to 313.40 euros

Areva continues its withdrawal from the OEM aerospace and defense Saffron by selling up to 3.65% of its capital, which he will hold no more than 1.99% after the operation, according to a statement released Tuesday.

GDF Suez: -2.06% to 26.62 euros

GDF Suez said yesterday it issued bonds to maturity of 7 and 12 years for a total of 2 billion euros.This operation aims to redeem other bonds previously issued, which will expire between 2012 and 2014.

Vinci: -1.04% to 38.03 euros

Vinci win the shipyard building the future of Manchester stadium, according to Christian Estrosi, Industry Minister and Mayor of the City. The project represents an estimated 245 million euros, according to the mayor of Nice. The final decision will be made on December 10. Bouygues and Carl are also candidates for this achievement.

Dexia: -2.73% to 3.27 euros

Postal and bank restructuring program was the presentation of strategic Dexia on Tuesday.The Franco-Belgian bank targets a taxable income of approximately EUR 1.8 billion in 2014 and has announced plans to increase to 60% from commercial banking and retail banking revenues in 2014 against 36% in 2007.

Ipsen: -1.16% to 24.71 euros

Ipsen has announced the departure of its CEO Jean-Luc Bélingard and substituting Marc de Garidel.

Rodriguez: +7% to 5.35 euros

Eric Saintdo, 46, was appointed October 7, 2010, Board Member and Director General of Rodriguez Group.


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The Dow Jones above 11,000 points

Saturday Oct 9, 2010

Sitting bullish on the Exchange of New York: the Dow Jones gained 0.51% on Friday to 11,006 points – he surpassed 11,000 points, a first in over five months – the Standard & Poor's 500 and Nasdaq 100 argued respectively by 0.61% and 0.77%.

Yet, the U.S. unemployment does not improve: this Friday at 14:30, the employment figures in the United States have fallen, and reported more job losses than expected.

The United States has lost jobs in September for the fourth consecutive month and at a pace much faster than the previous month. The economy has destroyed 95,000 more jobs than it created in that month, says the official report on employment from the Labor Department. The number of jobs lost has increased by 67% compared to August.Analysts believed instead that the country was back in September in the balance with a zero balance of creation or job destruction. Despite the destruction of jobs, the unemployment rate remained steady at 9.6%, the ministry said, while analysts predicted they would go back to 9.7%.

The Dow Jones for more than 11,000 points

Markets, European stock markets have directly accused the coup. But not for long. Wall Street, which opened half an hour after the announcement has already digested the announcement: in early trade, U.S. markets opened flat. Then the indexes have increased their earnings: about 18 hours,

The dollar falls further

Exchange side, the dollar has rebounded with this hit. But once again eu, very briefly.The greenback is a safe haven, and when the United States go wrong, the perspectuives for the rest of the world are deteriorating, which increases the risk aversion of investors protecting themselves by buying the dollar, appreciating . Instead, the euro fell under $ 1.39 after avoirtouché bar $ 1.40 Thursday to 15 hours.

But soon, the bumpiness of the dollar has faded. Indeed, this bad news merely fuels the prospects for an easing of monetary policy by the Fed.The very idea of such a cutting blow to the American éconmie is already taken as good news by the markets.

The yuan against the dollar, it has now reached its highest level since the abandonment of fixed exchange rate system in 1994, reports Dow Jones.

Note also that wholesale inventories rose 0.8% in August, more than expected (+0.6%) poor credit personal loans.

Daniel Tarullo, Fed governor, also will speak tonight at 10:25 on "the next steps in international financial regulation."

Alcoa started the ball rolling quarterly publications

Alcoa has supported the document. Alcoa has released sales forecasts up and greeted by a surge of 5.57% of the title, to 12.88 dollars. Even if the first U.S. aluminum producer reported earnings were down 26% in the third quarter.

The action of Adobe Systems fell 5.93% to 26.99 dollars after a price spike on Thursday on the Nasdaq, background information reported by The New York Times has fueled rumors with the software publisher as an acquisition target for Microsoft. The title was taken up to 17% to a session high of $ 30 before closing up 11.5% to 28.69 dollars. Microsoft has advanced 0.16% to 24.57 dollars.

The calendar quarterly publications will expand, animating Wall Street. Next week, JPMorgan Chase (-0.56% to 39.3 dollars), will release Wednesday its third quarter results. Thursday, after market, it will turn to Google (+1.2% at 536.35 dollars) and AMD (2.62% to 7.05 dollars).

Takeover on the front, Genzyme (+0.54% to 72.75 dollars) has officially turned down the hostile takeover deSanofi-Aventiset its offer to 69 dollars per share.The American biotech group announced Thursday that its board had unanimously rejected the bid from French Sanofi-Aventis to 18.5 billion dollars, judging undervalued. Following months of fruitless discussions, the French group was resolved on Monday to launch a Genzyme Tender Offer (OPA) that the hostile U.S. biotech company undertook to review within two weeks.

Emirati authorities announced Friday that the services of the BlackBerry (RIM, 3.01% to 49.36 dollars) in the UAE would not be suspended on October 11.

Investors also were encouraged Thursday by the 2.6% increase in sales of U.S. retailers in September, according to figures from an industry association, ICSC.About 80% of retailers have exceeded expectations, which the chain of ready-to-wear Abercrombie & Fitch, which won 8.91%, American Eagle Outfitters (8.13%). However, Gap (-2.95%) disappointed.


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Possible arrangements in the Senate on pensions

Monday Oct 4, 2010

For the third time in less than a month, the French took to the streets to protest against pension reform. And for the third time, everyone said win: unions claim to have won their bet to broaden the challenge by mobilizing nearly three million demonstrators. The government, meanwhile, were nearly 900,000 protesters, representing a decrease of 10% compared to September 23.

But whatever the battle of numbers! Two days before the examination of the bill in the Senate, which begins Tuesday, the executive has confirmed its line of conduct. He stands firm on the "terminal age (the decline of legal age to 62 years and full pension at age 67), essential to the preservation of the PAYG system in a lengthening life.The framework for reform, "we can not change it if we want to continue to pay the retired people," said Labour Minister, Eric Woerth.

"Do not disrupt financial reform"

However, the government still has a few cartridges broiler. During the examination of the reform commission last week in the Senate Social Affairs, it had slowed down the enthusiasm of some senators of the majority, in order to reserve for the meeting. Progress is now waiting in the form of amendments to the asbestos victims, the issue of disabled workers and older unemployed. "There are always improvements possible," said Sunday night the Prime Minister, who has also been open to a move towards women who had three children.

In the Senate, Gerard Larcher is conducive to maintaining the age of 65 without a discount for them."But the French must understand that these improvements can not destabilize financial reform. Indeed, all that will more for certain classes of French, he'll have all the French finance under the retirement system of ours, "warned the prime minister.

New strike Oct. 12

For their part, Senators Communists and the Left Party have announced the filing of 400 amendments, and PS 300, not counting a referendum motion (to request a referendum on the text) and procedural motions. "We will use all our means," assured there at PS group, foreshadowing a contentious debate. The Senate, "is one of the last opportunities for the Government to amend his text," warned Francis Chereque, secretary general of the CFDT."If the government confirms its intransigence, it will not be surprising if mobilization takes other forms," added Bernard Thibault, the CGT.

The Inter behind the new day of action will meet on Monday to "analyze the situation" and decide what action. New appointments are already set. On Tuesday, "Local Initiatives" are announced with a rally in Paris. And October 12, all unions are calling for a new national day of strikes and demonstrations across France. The issue of renewed strike is also under debate, especially among the railwaymen and the energy sector.

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China deprives Japan of rare metals

Saturday Sep 25, 2010

China has a weapon of weight to put pressure on its neighbor, it supplies nearly 95% of the market for rare earths. Thus, in full diplomatic crisis with Japan, triggered by the detention of a Chinese trawler captain by Japan, the Middle Kingdom has decided to deprive his neighbor of these metals. Beijing denies but traders Japanese trading houses are affirmative: they found a suspension of exports of these metals from China to Japan.

"We learned from our representatives in China that supplies Chinese rare earth were suspended on Sept. 21, told AFP a spokesman of the company Sojitz. A trader of another trading house, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the shipments were halted. "On 22 September, the Chinese companies that are licensed to export to Japan have been met in Beijing by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce.There, the Senkaku Islands issue was addressed and there have been discussions about stopping exports to Japan, "said the trader.

Yesterday, the media were already reporting by Beijing suspension of exports to Japan of rare metals as a retaliatory measure in full diplomatic tension with Tokyo, information denied by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce.

Japan has not yet formalized the new country but said that if the measure is confirmed, it will act "in accordance with the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO)" which prohibits such practices.

Yet, the crisis seemed to subside Sino-Japanese since Japan decided Friday to release the captain of the Chinese trawler.According to public broadcaster NHK and other Japanese media that the decision to release him was taken by the prosecution, but the fisherman was not yet free to move.

This captain is in the hands of the Japanese authorities since the arrest, Sept. 7, his trawler near islands of the East China Sea, known as Senkaku in Japanese and Diaoyu in Chinese. His ship had been seized after a collision with two Japanese patrol near the uninhabited small islands controlled by Tokyo but claimed by both countries, as well as Taiwan.

The metals or "lands" are scarce strategic resources, especially for electronics and automotive sectors.Beijing in July lowered the production and export quota of these substances, causing a rise in their prices on world markets.

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New beginning in the Obama Administration

Wednesday Sep 22, 2010

New beginning in the administration's economic team Obama. Latest, the renowned economist Lawrence Summers, who has already served two Democratic presidents in radically different conjunctures, announced his decision to leave the White House later this year. He "has announced plans to return to his professorship at Harvard University at the end of the year," said the White House in a statement.

Lawrence Summers was the chief economic advisor to President Barack Obama since January 2009. As such, he was the author of the fiscal stimulus of $ 787 billion issued in early 2009.

During his years at Treasury, this man will define in particular the response of U.S. financial crises in emerging countries such as Mexico or South Korea.At the head of the department, he devoted a return to budget surpluses.

However, Lawrence Summers has suffered much criticism from the left wing of the Democratic Party, who accused him of being too close to Wall Street. Lawrence Summers also happens to have made a very bad decision by Barack Obama in the summer of 2009 to extend Ben Bernanke to head the central bank (FED) as he would look good in that position.

Experience that completes a career speak for themselves. Joined Treasury in 1993 as Deputy Secretary for International Affairs, Lawrence Summers grew up under the wing of one of the architects of financial deregulation, Robert Rubin, his predecessor at Treasury where he became assistant in 1995 pay day loans . He then himself favored the rise of the current Treasury secretary, Timothy Geithner.He was also a key economic figures of the Clinton administration (1993-2001).

He graduated with a PhD in economics from Harvard, Lawrence Summers was the youngest university professor in the United States at the age of 28 years. After spending a decade teaching at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University, Lawrence Summers was chief economist of the World Bank from 1991 to 1993.

For now, the name of his successor within the Obama administration is not yet known. One thing is for sure is that he will be responsible for finding the proposals to boost job creation in which the executive recognizes that it remains very poor, more than a year after the end of the recession. The official U.S. unemployment rate is close to 10%.

Departures multiply

Accumulate and defections within the economic team of President of the United States. Indeed, the departure of Lawrence Summers is the third in the economic team of the White House in three months. The Head of Budget Office, Peter Orszag, announced his resignation in late June. He became a researcher at the Council on Foreign Relations and a columnist at the New York Times.

Later, in early August, the Chair of Economic Advisers to Barack Obama, Christina Romer, announced his decision to return to teaching. Thus, the Treasury secretary, Timothy Geithner, is the last member still in place of the original team of economic advisers.


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Will you travel standing or lying?

Wednesday Sep 22, 2010

Sitting, standing, lying down. Passengers do aerobatics in the head designers of aircraft seats. As Michael O'Leary, CEO of the low-cost airline Ryanair has been saying for over a year wanting to travel a portion of its standing passengers, Air France takes opposite view on Tuesday by unveiling a new convertible chair bed direct payday lenders.

The new Air France Business Class
The new chair of the Air France Business Class seating. DR


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