Long-Term Financial Options Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Long- Financial Options - Term Paper Example A safe investment is one, which offers reasonable protection against the risk of capital loss. Success in minimizing investment risks really depends on you, your temperament, and the approach you decide to adopt towards investment matters. Two other ways to minimize investment risks and ensure greater safety are diversification and liquidity. The principle of diversification is best stated in the oft-quoted maxim: never put all your eggs in one basket. Spread your money over a number of widely different assets; buy real state, shares, debentures, government securities, silver paintings or whatever else you consider to be an attractive investment. Diversify geographical in-law does to concentrate all your investments in one city, state or region of the country. On the stock market, diversification can be achieved by buying shares in a number of companies, manufacturing different products, operating in different lines of business, belonging to different business houses and catering to different markets. Diversification has the additional advantage of protecting you against your own prejudices and errors of judgemen1It also enables you to hedge your bets, reduce your potential losses, and provides you with an-built insurance against unforeseen dangers and pitfalls. However, despite many points in its favor, diversification does not provide a satisfactory answer to many investment problems. In the final analysis, diversification is nothing more than average investing. It helps you to get average, or close to average, returns-nothing more, nothing less. Diversification is of little use to you, if you aim to beat market averages and get high returns. For that, you will have to deploy your investments in potentially high-return assets and investment media. Moreover, excessive diversification greatly enhances the problem of investment management and control. The more diversified your investments, the greater will be the problems you face in exercising effective managerial control over them. Therefore, as in risk versus return, the successful investor has to balance the advantages and disadvantages of diversification as against concentration.

The Meaning of Service Essays -- Definition Essays

The Meaning of Service Service is a word used constantly.   The word service has an impression on many people.   For example; people who work as lifeguards view their work as a service to the community.   Naturally, based on working as a lifeguard their definition of service would be an action beneficial to the well-being of others.   Not surprisingly, a similar definition was found in the Oxford English Dictionary (OED).   Service is described in the Oxford English Dictionary as "the action of serving, helping, or benefiting; conduct tending to the welfare or advantage of another; condition or employment of a public servant; friendly or professional assistance."   Furthermore, in Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, service is described as "the occupation or function of serving others; employment as a servant; contribution to the welfare of others.† The above definitions seem like the only ones for the word service.   There are actually at least two more different definitions.   The first definition is "service tree" or "service berry."   A service tree is "a tree native in co...

Hong Kong Today

Liberal Studies F4 Second term—Hong Kong Today ? Indicators used to understand poverty in HK ? ? ? ? Income Health Education ? ? ? Living conditions Employment Community / family support Section 1—Poverty Disparity / discrepancy between rich and poor ? Gini coefficient – Range from 0 to 1 0 = income distribution is absolute equal 1 = income distribution is absolute unequal ? Challenges faced by poor people ? Employment – usually contract staff, low income, lack labour protection ? ? ? ? Support – limited support channels from government Living standard – X fulfill basic needs (eg. ealthcare service) Intergenerational poverty Relationship no family time ? marital / familial conflicts ? Disadvantaged groups ? Men vs. Women – do housework + child care ? HK citizens vs. New arrivals less assistance from government discrimination (reduces HK citizens’ job opportunities) ? ? CSSA: Comprehensive Social Security Assistance HK government —positive non-interventionist approach ( ) ? ? ? A regulator rather than a provider of welfare programmes Free market / trade policy ? Minimal government intervention Low taxation system Liberal Studies F4 Second term—Hong Kong Today Section 2—Quality of Life ?Measuring QoL ? Dimensions—economic; social; political; cultural; environmental ? Objective indicators (statistical data) – Income; wealth gap – Social welfare; life expectancy – Electoral system; voter turnout rate – Variety of cultural activities; museums; libraries – Living space; air pollution index Subjective indicators (people’s feelings) ? Satisfaction with economy / income Satisfaction with public health, freedom of speech, welfare Satisfaction with government’s performance Perceived human rights enjoyed Satisfaction with cultural environment, diversity Satisfaction with living / natural environment Obstacles to better QoL in HK ? HK has a per vasive culture of long working hours ? Stay until boss leaves ? Not much emphasis on importance of work-life balance ? Constant reaffirmation of good working ethics ? ? Life chances are determined by individual efforts Weak collective bargaining power between workers ? Strategies used in promoting labour rights ? ? ? Legislation and enforcement Management and regulation Education and publicity ? ? Public engagement Research ? Organisations and treaties ? International Labour Organisation (ILO) ? The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) ?The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) – Right of everyone to enjoyment of just & favourable conditions of work – Safe and healthy working conditions – Rest, leisure and reasonable limitation of working hours Liberal Studies F4 Second term—Hong Kong Today Section 3—Rule of law ? Rule of Law ? All individuals are equal in front of law ? Government should act in accordance with its established statutes ( ) ? ? ? Both the government and the citizens must act according to such statutes The independence of the judiciary institution is guaranteed to maintain rule of lawHow to ensure judicial independence ( ) ? ? Way of appointing judges should be away from external pressure Constitutions ( ) should be written for and monitored by people ? Rule of law is actualization of constitutional democracy ? Principles of rule of law (remember!! ) ? Everyone is equal before the law ? Government should act in accordance to the law ? The law should not have retroactive effect ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Judicial independence The law clauses should be simple and easy to understand The law clauses should not be self-contradictory Filing an appeal ( ) is allowed Judicial review ( is allowed Legal aid is offered Should go through sufficient public consultation Assume innocence before conviction / proven guilty Law should be the lowest limit to protect individual freedom *** Police p ower should be limited under rule of law ? Functions of LegCo ? Enact ( ) laws ? ? ? Control public expenditure Monitor the work of government Unfairness of District Council elections ? Not all DC members are elected directly by voters ? Some DC members are appointed by Chief Executive ? Presence of ex-officio members ( ) Liberal Studies F4 Second term—Hong Kong Today Section 3—Rule of law ?Functional Constituencies ? Rationale for introducing FCs – To use their professional knowledge for the benefit of the public by helping people ? analyse problems Reason to maintain FCs – To ensure balanced participation ? people, government and business sector / FCs should play an equal part in decision-making Contradiction between â€Å"balanced participation† and â€Å"direct election† – Representatives of government and FCs are not directly elected by people Fundamental flaws of FCs – Not directly elected by people – Distrust by p eople at the beginning – Emphasise too much on their own interests ?Often oppose to motions supported by directly elected GC members – An obstacle to motions that are beneficial to general public Corporate votes – Encourage corporate welfare – Represent only interests of certain groups instead of whole sector – Profitability of businesses often depends on government licenses, regulations, subsidies government count on support of business interests in LegCo and CE elections ? ? ? ? ? Not all practitioners working in the sector / industry can vote Split voting system ? Motions supported by GCs are often opposed by FCs ? Promote favouritism towards business sector / government?Criteria for democratic electoral system ? Principle of universality ( ) ? Principle of equality ( ) Electoral Affairs Commission ( ) ? Ensure that elections are carried out in a fair, open and honest manner ? ? ? Geographical Constituency has a broader electoral base (no. of r egistered voters) than Functional Constituency Liberal Studies F4 Second term—Hong Kong Today ? Chief Executive Election ? Term of office: 5 years, renewable once only ? Elected by Election Committee (800 members) Election Committee (2008) 1. Industrial, commercial and financial sectors (200) 3.Labour, social services, religious and other sectors (200) ? Section 3—Rule of law 2. The professions (200) 4. Political sector: members of LegCo, HK deputies to NPC†¦ (200) Article 45 of Basic Law ? The ultimate aim is the selection of CE by universal suffrage upon nomination by a broadly representative nominating committee in accordance with democratic procedures Latest development ? EC increases from 800 to 1200 ? 75 of 100 additional seats for political sector occupied by DC members ? ? Why EC is divided into different subsectors? ? Ensure balanced participation and broad representation ? Increases the legitimacy ( of government Expansion of EC ? Advantages – Inc lude people from different sectors to elect CE – EC composition resembles diff. sectors in society ? Reflect views of diff. people ? People more contented ? Fairly high legitimacy level of CE Disadvantages – Not all people can cast vote in CE election – People may think that electors in EC cannot fully represent their views – Presence of corporate votes undermines the representativeness of EC ? Represent corporate interests but not general public interests No political competition in some sub-sector elections ? Weaken legitimacy of CE ? ? ? Small circle election

Walt Whitman and Drumtaps Essays - 870 Words

Walt Whitman and Drumtaps War is hell; there is no other way to put it. No matter how many times bards romanticize war and battle, there is that ultimate, inherent ugliness involved in the business of killing. There is no honor or heroism in dying for your country, you just die, it is a great tragedy and there is nothing you can do about it. Mortality is always present on both sides fighting the battle; there will continuously be casualties. Suffering, misery and destitution are constant whether on the march, sitting in the trench or charging across no mans land. The pain is felt on both warring sides, everyone suffers, war brings nothing but anguish, joy and happiness are non-existent. No one rejoices war, unless they are zealous†¦show more content†¦Even though the southerners are technically his enemy, he still loves them tenderly as he would his own kin. His family has been killed at the hands of his family. There were many pale-faced men as this who were unfortunate victims of civil warfare. Thi s is a terrible tragedy, and Whitman challenges this by asking what happens after these hard-fought engagements or sieges tremendous? What deepest remains (The Wound-Dresser, l 12)? The answer, only those who survive to tell the tale remain. Is it really something to celebrate after massacring your fellow countrymen? One might point out the heroics and bravery exhibited in the war, men have been made stronger and is just a growing experience for the country, but was one side so brave? The other was equally brave (The Wound-Dresser, l 8). The heroics and bravery are without direction in this war. If you commit a great act of sacrifice, then the results only hurt those whom you share land with, your countrymen, your brethren. Whitman grieves for these people, for my enemy is dead. A man as divine as myself is dead (Reconciliation, l 4). There is no purpose to this feud; it has extinguished a man, who is an equal, from this world. By speaking of his enemies as his equals and as divine as himself, he captures their humanity and in effect how inhumane it is to destroy them utterly. Through this portrayal of parity in the humanness of those who endure torture, Whitman thrusts out that the war ultimately