The number of MPs earning income by renting out properties increased by nearly a third during the last parliament, an analysis of data by the Guardian has found. David Cameron, George Osborne and housing minister Brandon Lewis are among 153 members who declared an income from property in 2015 – an increase of 36 since 2010. The figures show that nearly one in four MPs earn income as a landlord or landlady from at least one property. A majority of those are Tories, including nine Conservative ministers who attend cabinet, the figures show. The data has been seized upon by housing campaigners who claim it shows that Britain’s political class has a vested interest in maintaining the status quo instead of strengthening the rights of tenants. Alex Hilton, director of the campaign group Generation Rent, said MPs are failing to address exploitation by private landlords. “There has been a quiet cross-party consensus in parliament in favour of landlords for decades. … [Read more...] about Number of MPs who earn from renting out property rises by a third
Expenses you can claim for investment property
Vietnam to borrow $21 bln next year to cover expenses
The country’s expenditure is set to exceed GDP by 3.44 percent next year, or $234.8 trillion ($10.15 billion). The government expects rising interest rates on foreign loans as the ratio of those with floating interest rates has been increasing, from 8.8 percent of foreign loans in 2015 to 11.4 percent this year. This means that the government's repayment amounts will increase. Vietnam has been depending a lot on official development assistance (ODA) loans with preferential interest rates, but lenders are increasing the rates, increasing the debt burden in return, the report said. "Over the next five years, ODA loans will gradually decrease and come to an end, leading to a shortage of long-term loans and investment incentives. The government will need to mobilize new loans at much less favorable terms," it added. Although the ratio of budget expenditure to GDP next year will be the same as this year, the actual spending figure next year is set to increase by VND12.8 trillion … [Read more...] about Vietnam to borrow $21 bln next year to cover expenses
Unemployment claims suddenly jump to a two-year high
New York (CNN Business)The number of Americans filing for their first week of unemployment benefits suddenly jumped last week to the highest level in more than two years. The number of initial claims rose to 252,000 in the week ending December 7, an increase of 49,000 from the number of claims filed the week before, the Labor Department said Thursday. That's higher than the 213,000 claims economists had expected and marks the highest level since the week ended September 30, 2017. Liz Ann Sonders, Charles Schwab Chief Investment Strategist, called it "a somewhat-uncomfortable pop up" in a tweet, but said it was "too soon to declare it an uptrend." Even though the pop in claims was notable, just one data point doesn't make a trend. Last week's data could be due to seasonal noise, given the timing around the Thanksgiving holiday on November 28. Read More "December and January are the biggest months for labor market turnover for the year so consequently there is excessive volatility … [Read more...] about Unemployment claims suddenly jump to a two-year high
Belgium to Invest 80k Euros in Drones to Track Migrants
The Belgian police are investing around 80,000 (£73,100) euros into a new project using drones to track the movements of illegal migrants along the coastal region.The investment will go towards one large and two smaller drones and will be used to monitor the coastline between La Panne and Nieuwpoort near the French border, Belgian French-language newspaper Le Soir reports. The most expensive drone that is to be bought by the police is said to be able to travel at around 40 miles per hour and can fly to an altitude of around half a mile, but will be limited to 300 feet due to security concerns. Along with tracking the movements of illegal migrants, the drones will also be used to search local beaches for missing children, missing elderly, and locate people who may potentially be drowning in the sea. The initiative comes after neighbouring France announced in March that they would also be investing in drones to monitor the English Channel for illegal migrants. France Deploys … [Read more...] about Belgium to Invest 80k Euros in Drones to Track Migrants
10 YouTube Channels To Learn How To Invest Money
How to invest, where and when to invest, are as beguiling as the investment options we have today. This kitchen soup of investment options needs a sprinkling of sound financial advice. In the spirit of things, to save some money, it should be free too.It would be difficult to dial Warren Buffett (although his books are fonts of wisdom). If the phone isn’t a solution, the browser can be. The World Wide Web, like other things, is choc-a-bloc with money pundits. A lot of them are streaming via video on sites like YouTube. And thanks to YouTube, sometimes it’s better to sit back and listen when you want to learn to invest money.So, if you have a vested interest in saving up a nest egg, click on these ten YouTube channels and learn to invest money 5 Websites Where You Can Learn To Invest Money 5 Websites Where You Can Learn To Invest Money Learning to invest can be intimidating, but these five websites help make it easy with clear explanations and useful advice. Read More … [Read more...] about 10 YouTube Channels To Learn How To Invest Money