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MARC HINTON

OPINION: It's to be hoped that Jerome Kaino departs New Zealand rugby for his two-year deal in Japan with cheers and not jeers ringing in his ears.

If ever a departing rugby star deserved a kind word and fond farewell it's Kaino who's been a fabulous servant for the New Zealand game and deserves his chance to provide a bit of financial security for his family.

No one -- with the possible exception of Richie McCaw -- has put his body on the line for the cause to the extent of this likeable 28-year-old.

He played all but one minute of last year's World Cup, and was the All Blacks' most consistent performer throughout the tournament. For that alone he has earned his pension in Japan where the workload, demands and attrition will be a fraction of what he faces in New Zealand.

This, I'm told, was a deal that Kaino could simply not turn down.

There's talk it could have been around the $2 million mark and it's a sad reality that the cash-strapped NZRU, who have committed so much coin to retaining Richie McCaw, Dan Carter and for the time-being Sonny Bill Williams, have no hope of going close to matching that sort of deal.

In fact there are some whispers around the traps that the new contract offered by the New Zealand Rugby Union was not that flash. One well-placed observer reckoned Kaino may have even been offered less money than he was on previously to stay on.

Whatever, the decision was a no-brainer for Kaino.

For starters yet another major shoulder injury must raise concerns about the loose forward's ability to survive the demands of the modern professional game in New Zealand.

View post:
Kaino deserves nothing but praise for decision

Around 700,000 people turning 65 next year will be hit the hardest The tax will take 3.5billion from more than 4.4million pensioners Senior Tories say the move is the Chancellor's biggest blunder

By Tim Shipman and James Coney

PUBLISHED: 17:52 EST, 22 March 2012 | UPDATED: 19:20 EST, 22 March 2012

The full extent of George Osbornes stealth tax raid on pensioners was laid bare yesterday.

Around 700,000 people turning 65 next year will be hit the hardest losing 323 annually with the end of age-related income allowances.

In all, the granny tax will take 3.5billion from the pockets of more than 4.4million pensioners. Senior Tories have denounced it privately as the Chancellors biggest blunder.

Burden: Around 700,000 people turning 65 next year will be hit the hardest - losing 323 annually with the end of age-related income allowances

The new rules are so arbitrary that some OAPs will lose far more than others born a day before them.

Ros Altmann of Saga said: Middle-class pensioners are outraged. My inbox is full of angry emails from those who did save for their future but are now hit.

The message of this Budget is, dont bother to save for the future and if youre too old to work any more you dont count.

See the article here:
Granny tax backlash: Fury as full scale of Chancellor's raid on pensioners emerges

Australia's tax legislation is, according to urban legend, the longest piece of legislation in the world. One of our law professors reportedly has an entire room devoted to books of Australia's extensive tax law. Part of the story is that Australia has several tax Acts.

Best of all, 'if Australia keeps making new laws at the current rate, there will be 830 billion pages of tax legislation by the turn of the next century,' said Robin Speed from the Rule of Law Association in the Sydney Morning Herald. In 2006, 4100 pages were taken out of the tax legislation to 'improve readability'. What a relief!

Then there is the 10,000 rulings a year the Australian Taxation Office issues (based on the average between 2000-08). Each of them can have the same weight as an Australian High Court decision.

What does this mean for you? 'Australians pay at least 125 different taxes each year,' your Treasury says on its website. '...there could be as many as 160 different state taxes and 259 taxes nationally.' Then, on top of that, there are local government rates.

Our favourite taxes are the Wine Equalisation Tax (WET), which is 29% of wholesale sales. And the superannuation funds tax - yes, you pay taxes on money the government forces you to save in Australia.

But all this is simply not enough. And so the Mineral Resources Rent Tax is following in the footsteps of the existing Petroleum Resource Rent Tax. And the Carbon Tax is following in the footsteps of the failed European emissions trading scheme debacle.

Perhaps that law school professor will need a second room to house this ever-growing pile of legislation.

Why do you, as an investor, need to worry about this kind of politicking? Well, tax is theft. With the threat of violence thrown in for good measure. There is simply no way of getting around that basic truth, as uncomfortable as it might make you feel.

First, to the claim that taxes are a violent threat. If you don't pay taxes - and don't cooperate with the consequences of refusing to pay them - the police will happily lock you away. And if you refuse to be locked away, the police will use force to make sure you are.

But why is tax theft? Well, if you get together a group of friends and they democratically vote to take away your money, that's theft. But if a slightly larger group known as the Australian electorate and their representatives try it, it apparently isn't theft any longer.

Original post:
Australian Tax: Running Government at a Profit

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

UBS Investment Bank announced that today is the first day of trading on the NYSE Arca for the ETRACS Monthly Pay 2xLeveraged Dow Jones International Real Estate ETN (Ticker: Ticker::RWXL). RWXL is linked to the monthly compounded 2x leveraged performance of the Dow Jones Global ex-U.S. Select Real Estate Securities Index (the Index), reduced by investor fees.

RWXL offers investors:

* Constituent and country data as of February 29, 2012 and sourced from CME Group Index Services LLC.

This ETN is designed for investors who seek a high yield and are bullish on this Dow Jones international real estate index, said Christopher Yeagley, Managing Director and US Head of Equity Structured Products. RWXL offers high monthly income potential, international diversification and leveraged exposure to the index, all by way of a single, USD-denominated, exchange-traded security.

RWXL Profile

Income Potential

Variable monthly coupon linked to 2 times the cash distributions, if any, on the Index constituents, less any withholding taxes

2x Index Yield*

7.60%

See the original post here:
UBS Launches ETN with High Monthly Income Potential and Leveraged Exposure to International Real Estate Securities

CHANTILLY, Va., March 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Real estate developers, multifamily property owners and housing industry experts will gather just outside the nation's capital to test drive the latest in Verizon FiOS technology and learn firsthand how FiOS enables customers to stay connected at or away from home. The Verizon Enhanced Communities Executive Summit, entitled "FiOS Forward, A World Without Borders," will feature presentations on emerging technologies, independent living options for seniors, and energy management and sustainable living solutions. Most importantly, the summit will show how Verizon's FiOS network is changing the game for developers and property managers. Since more than 21 percent of the D.C. metro market lives in a multidwelling unit such as a rental apartment or condo, Verizon is placing a heightened emphasis on competing for these consumers' Internet and TV business.

To view the summit agenda and other information related to the event, click here or go to http://communities.verizon.com/VMFES2012.

WHEN:

March 26-28

Registration begins at 9 a.m. Monday (March 26). Summit ends at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday (March 28).

WHERE:

Westfields Marriott Washington Dulles

See more here:
Real Estate Developers and Property Owners Across the Country to Experience Firsthand How Verizon FiOS Enhances ...