Wednesday, January 4, 2017

Oakmere Wealth Management Advisors: A Holistic Approach


We advise on many aspects of wealth management, helping individuals of widely differing resources or life stages. This includes access to the exclusive range of St. James's Place products which offer many important benefits. Perhaps the most remarkable is the distinctive and highly successful approach to investment management.

We are also able to assist businesses in the increasingly complex area of corporate financial planning, from pensions through to insuring against the loss of a key Director.

Investment Planning
Personal & Corporate Tax Planning

Business Protection       
Trust and Estate Planning*

Income Protection         
Private Medical Insurance

Portfolio Management**           
Critical Illness

Inheritance Tax Planning             
Retirement Planning

Employee Benefits         
Life Assurance

Pensions in Divorce service        
Business Exit Strategy**

Trustee Investment Planning

Whatever your circumstances, we can create a financial strategy personalised to the specific needs relevant to you as an individual, your family or your business.

*Trusts are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

**This may involve a service that is separate and distinct from those offered by St. James's Place.

Monday, December 26, 2016

Security and Risk Online on Amazon Opens Data Centers to Boost U.K. Cloud Services

(Bloomberg) -- Amazon Web Services, the cloud-hosting arm of Amazon.com Inc., opened new data centers in the U.K. as it seeks to stay abreast of competitors in offering cloud computing services to government and health-care customers.

The new data centers, announced in a statement on Wednesday, follow decisions by IBM and Microsoft Corp. in the past two months to expand their cloud computing infrastructure in the U.K.

The U.K. data region, which comprises two zones, each consisting of multiple data centers, is the 16th Amazon Web Services operates worldwide and it’s third in Europe. A fourth in France has already been announced and will open next year.

Governments are increasingly moving computing functions into the cloud. But they are often required for regulatory and security purposes to hold data within their national borders. The same applies for sensitive health-care information. Meeting these demands is one reason cloud providers are rushing to open more data centers around the globe.

"This is a great enabler for data that has to remain in the U.K., like health-care," Chris Hayman, who manages Amazon Web Services’ British government accounts, said in an interview.

Liam Maxwell, the U.K.’s national technology adviser, said in a statement that the government had saved 3.5 billion pounds ($4.4 billion) so far by choosing to host data in the cloud rather than on its own servers.

Financial-service firms are also often concerned with minimizing the time it takes to connect to trading venues, another reason to expand in the U.K., said Teresa Carlson, vice president for worldwide public sector operations for Amazon Web Services. “The U.K. is a really important part of the world, being a center of the financial industry,” she said.

The decision to build new data centers in the U.K. predates the country’s June vote to leave the European Union, Carlson said. But giving customers the ability to store data in the U.K. has taken on increased importance since the Brexit vote as clients worry about whether British data privacy rules will diverge from European standards. “Now, whether the U.K. is in Europe or not, they have their own region,” she said.

Amazon Web Services declined to specify exactly how many facilities it operates in the country, how many people will be employed or how much money it will invest.

Karen Bradley, U.K. Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, said in a statement that Amazon’s action “is a strong endorsement of our approach to the digital economy” and “shows a clear confidence in the U.K. being open for business and one of the best places in the world for technology companies to invest in and grow.”

Sunday, December 18, 2016

Oakmere Wealth Management Advisors: Chartered Financial Planner

Carla Brown graduated through the Chartered Insurance Institute and has been awarded the title CharteredFinancial Planner by the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII).

Chartered Status is the profession's gold standard for financial planners. It confirms that every Chartered Financial Planner has completed a suite of professional qualifications equivalent to a bachelor's degree.


It also involves a commitment to continuing professional development and adherence to an industry standard Code of Ethics. You can view the Code at www.cii.co.uk/code.

Thursday, December 15, 2016

KAORI FUCHI Tax and Consulting Services


We support companies and individuals in all tax, accounting, andpayroll matters and in compliance with all Japanese laws and regulations.

Overview of our Services:

> Starting an operation in Japan
> Bookkeeping and reports
> Payroll services
> Corporate tax compliance services
> Tax Auditing for foreigners/foreign companies
> International tax consulting services
> Expat's Tax Treatment
> Consulting for all tax-related matters
> One Stop Service available

We have a range of specialists including lawyers and judicial scriveners within our network.
Our “One Stop Service” saves our clients time and effort. 

Starting an operation in Japan

When you start a business in Japan, it is important to choose the appropriate entity, such as a representative office, a branch office, and/or a Japanese subsidiary. Additionally, we provide advice and planning services concerning all issues of your visa.

Bookkeeping and Reports

We provide bookkeeping services tailored to the specific needs of our clients.
We also prepare reports in English for foreign head offices and have an ability to contact the head office directly through conference calls, live video, etc.

Payroll Services

We provide payroll services for local employees, including the calculation of withholding taxes, social insurance premiums (pension, health care), labor insurance premiums (accident and unemployment insurances), etc.

Compliance Services

We provide corporate compliance services which include the preparation of tax returns for corporate tax, consumption tax, fixed assets tax, and business premises tax. We are able to give expert advice on strategic tax-planning in order to minimize our clients’ tax burdens.

Tax Audit for Foreigners / foreign companies

In recent years, we have seen an increase in the number of non-Japanese and foreign companies being audited by the Japanese tax authority, sometimes with heavy penalties being imposed only because they are unaware of the correct tax requirements. We support all such cases and can solve these problems for you, bringing you peace of mind.

International tax consulting services

Our international tax consulting services include Transfer Pricing, Withholding tax treatment, Permanent Establishment (PE), Tax Havens, Foreign Dividend Exemption Systems, and Tax Treaties. Additionally, we have set up a tax consulting firm in Hong Kong and provide high quality services based on our strong network within and outside of Japan, especially in Hong Kong, Korea, and Vietnam. Be sure to contact us if your company is looking to expand into Asian countries.

Expat's Tax Treatment

We handle tax matters for individual expatriates (tax returns, consulting services), as well as tax agent duties.

Please also feel free to contact us about the handling of non-resident and non-permanent resident tax matters.

We offer an inexpensive alternative to the major tax accounting firms, while still maintaining consistent quality through tax treaty applications and the processing of foreign income tax credits.

Consulting for all tax-related matters

All manners of tax consulting services are available upon our clients’ request, including the calculation of deferred tax assets and liabilities, attendance at a tax audit, preparation of transfer-price study reports, the filing of applications related to tax treaties, the appointing of a tax representative for foreigners, and the preparation of inheritance tax returns, etc.

Our Fee


Initial Tax Consulting rate: 30,000yen / 60min.

Thursday, November 24, 2016

Online Fraud Detection on How and why people commit efraud

Pressure, opportunity and rationalization form the fraud triangle, which information technology security experts now believe are reasons why people commit electronic fraud.

Also, the people factor in e-payment fraud is increasing, with greed said to be responsible for 67% of fraud cases in 2015, while other causes included problems from debts and gambling, according to Dele Adeyinka, chief digital officer, Wema Bank Plc.

In a presentation, at 7th annual payment systems & fraud conference held in Lagos recently, Adeyinka, said that explanation behind fraud needs to take account of various factors, particularly, from the fraudster’s perspective.

He cautioned that individuals, financial institutions, other corporate bodies and the Government, must take serious the motivation of potential offenders; conditions under which people can rationalize their prospective crimes away and opportunities to commit crime(s); technical ability of the fraudster and expected and actual risk of discovery after the fraud has been carried out, as practical steps to nib in the bud e-payment frauds.

“A common model that brings together a number of the reasons why people commit fraud is the Fraud Triangle. This model is built on the premise that fraud is likely to result from a combination of three factors: perceived pressure; opportunity and rationalization.

“Perceived Pressure: typically based on either greed or need. Greed is said to be responsible for 67% of fraud cases in 2015. Other causes included problems from debts and gambling.

“Opportunity: Fraud is more likely in companies where there is a weak internal control system, poor security over company property, little fear of exposure and likelihood of detection, or unclear policies with regard to acceptable behaviour. Research has shown that some employees are totally honest, some are totally dishonest, but that many are swayed by opportunity. Rationalization: Some people may be able to rationalize fraudulent actions as: necessary– especially when done for the business; harmless –because the victim is large enough to absorb the impact and justified- because ‘the victim deserved it’ or ‘because I was mistreated,’” he said.

Also speaking, Kyari Bukar managing director of CSCS, highlighted the need for the industry to take a closer look at the block chain Technology, Internet of Things (IoTs) and big Data analysis.

He averred that the future of payment lies in harnessing the benefits these latest technologies bring, especially in the fight against fraud.

Speakers at the conference which had over 200 high level participation from top industry experts and public sector including the Nigerian Naval Force, FRSC, members of CeBIH, ISSAN, CCCOBIN, E-PPAN, commercial banks, E-payment providers, media houses, IT organizations, research firms, academia, audit firms, mobile payment service providers, government agencies, etc, agreed that to tackle e-payment fraud, emphasis must be on the ‘people, process and technology’.

Sunday, November 20, 2016

Why CRIB Advisors Mentors Singapore, Women networking Singapore?

The Issue

Challenges Women Face Today
· No Work-Life Balance
· Loss of Financial Independence
· Lack of Career Fulfillment
· Low Fertility Rate

Women today are smart, educated and talented, and want to have a fulfilling career. But family is equally, if not more, important. Achieving work-life balance is a struggle for many. Single mothers are a particular subset of women who face significant challenges as the primary caregiver and breadwinner for their families.

Today’s career women are continually challenged by the demands of full-time work. The majorities are working 40- 45 hour weeks, and almost every working mother wishes they had more time to spend with their children. On the other hand, mothers who make a decision to leave the workforce face the challenges of a drop in household income alongside rising costs of living, and sometimes a sense of loss of self-fulfillment or identity in giving up their careers.

Those who want to want to return to work when their children are older face difficulties in doing so. Meanwhile, the economy loses the contribution of many capable, highly-educated women. Due to these considerations, mothers-to-be often choose to delay starting a family. Singapore’s low Total Fertility Rate (TFR) is recognized as a top concern for Singapore’s future. Despite several incentive programs, married couples seem reluctant to procreate or to have more than two children.

The Solutions

· CRIB values the ability of women to make the best choices for themselves and their families.
· For some women, becoming an entrepreneur may be the answer to achieving the perfect balance between family and career.
· Being a business owner offers women an opportunity to achieve work-life balance.
· This doesn’t mean working less hard or being less productive, it’s about having the flexibility to make family a priority.

How We Do It

Crib Society
Our business community of like-minded, experienced women entrepreneurs creates the opportunity to exchange ideas and find inspiration and support from other successful women.

Crib Match

Our matchmaking programme allows entrepreneurs to find complementary partners to launch a business.

Crib Incubator

Our business incubator programme will provide CRIB entrepreneurs with invaluable mentorship from industry leaders, access to funding and a trusted network of resources to create successful, viable businesses.

Result

Women entrepreneurs in supportive business partnerships are able to have a career while still having control over time and choices.

Positive Social Impacts
New Exciting Business

Exciting and viable new businesses come into existence, including innovative social enterprises.

Return of Latent Workforce to Economy

Together with the return of the latent workforce to the economy, including mid-career professionals, women are able to make a significant contribution to society.

Higher Fertility Rate

Eventually these women entrepreneurs create jobs that provide work-life balance to their employees, contributing to a societal mindset shift that will spread to the corporate world as well. All this, we hope, will lead to more babies!

Monday, October 24, 2016

New Mothers Support Group Singapore: Sensory Play & Art at Tanderra

Recognized as a fundamental element to early development, sensory play and art sessions at Tanderra are a fun way for your child to be engaged and messy in a safe, child focused environment.

Facilitated by qualified early childhood educators, sessions include water, paint, sand and more, and offer children an opportunity to stimulate their senses as they discover and explore the world around them.

This event will take place on the 1st Friday of every month.

Ages: 6 months to 3 years
Time: 9.30am to 11.00am
Cost: $15/child (includes tea/coffee for mum)

Please register for this event via the NMSG Meetup group

New Mothers Support Group Singapore looks forward to seeing you there.

Location: Art Pegola @ Tanderra, Block 73 Loewen Road, #01­21, Singapore 248843 www.tanderrasingapore.com

Dates 2016
Friday 2 September
Friday 7 October
Friday 4 November
Friday 2 December

Organizer
Nicole O'Connor